Advent Tree: Day 21

Luke 2:8-20

The Shepherds and Angels

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Advent Tree: Day 20

Isaiah 7:14

God With Us

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Sometimes the packaging is the "real" gift...

Two giant boxes of Christmas gifts from our family back in Louisiana arrived today. There were lots of nicely wrapped gifts and some much-treasured Community Coffee tucked inside, but I think the best part for the kids was the packaging!

Advent Tree: Day 19

Hebrews 12:1-2

Jesus, Founder and Perfector of Our Faith

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Advent Tree: Day 18

Hebrews 1:1-4

The Supremacy of God's Son

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Advent Tree: Day 17

Colossians 3:1-4

Put On the New Self

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Advent Tree: Day 16

Isaiah 42:1-9

The Lord's Chosen Servant

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,my chosen, in whom my soul delights;I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Advent Tree: Day 15

Colossians 1:15-23

The Preeminence of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Advent Tree: Day 14

John 1:9-14

The Word Became Flesh

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

A 100% chance...

I guess they're pretty certain we'll be getting snow tomorrow... I rarely see a forecast with a 100% chance of anything in it! Well, the shovels are ready, and the plan is to snuggle up and have a special family night ~ a Nutcracker Dinner!

Advent Tree: Day 13

Psalm 72:18-19

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever;may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!

Advent Tree: Day 12

Isaiah 53:3-6

He was wounded for our transgressions

He was despised and rejected by men;a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefsand carried our sorrows;yet we esteemed him stricken,smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions;he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray;we have turned—every one—to his own way;and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

A Visit with Ol' St. Nick...

Jolly old St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way
Don't you tell a single soul what I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon; Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me, tell me if you can.

This morning we took a little trip to the local shopping center to take pictures with Santa. I wasn't too sure just how Brooklyn would react to seeing St. Nick up close this year, but she did very well. She was a little apprehensive (as evidenced by the picture above), but she didn't cry or make a scene.

Dylan was very quick to recount his Christmas wish list --- a new train car like the Polar Express --- but I don't think Santa had a clue what he was saying. He described the train car in great detail --- needs to be a steam engine, black, with a tender, pulling lots of passenger cars. Brooklyn just watched and tried to grab his beard.

It's a good thing "Mrs. Claus" was there to ensure proper wish list interpretation and to know what Brooklyn wants even though she can't say it!

Advent Tree: Day 11

Philippians 3:20-21

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Advent Tree: Day 10

Romans 3:21-26

The Righteous of God Through Faith

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Advent Tree: Day 9

Luke 1:46-55
Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear himfrom generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm;he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thronesand exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel,in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers,to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Advent Tree: Day 8

Psalm 118:22

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Advent Tree: Day 7

Luke 1:26-38

Birth of Jesus Foretold

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

First Snowfall...

Remember our first flurries? Well, this week marks our first snowfall. Not sure what the recorded snowfall was in the area, but if I get out with a ruler in the backyard, I've got about 5 inches or more lying on the ground.

EDITED: I just found out that the correct snowfall for my little town was 5.5 inches.

Needless to say, yesterday's plans were rearranged. We spent much of the day shoveling driveways --- yes, more than one, and our own driveway had to be shoveled more than once --- and playing. The snow was the super fluffy kind, and we thought we'd make a snowman. We weren't too successful... that's what happens when your mom is nothing but a southern girl. So, we opted for a Snow Volcano. I'm sure it's the only one on the planet, but Dylan thought a volcano would be a nice thing to make. So, a Snow Volcano, it is!!

After the snow had stopped falling and the roads were starting to clear up, we headed out to meet Brian at the Conservatory to see The Enchanted Express, a garden railway exhibit, and the creative Gingerbread Houses in the Holiday Exhibit. It was a wonderful visit to the Conservatory, especially for the hefty price tag of FREE!

Today is bright, clear, and cold, and if it's possible to get out of the city (which we did this morning), it is a veritable winter wonderland around here!

Advent Tree: Day 6

Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus Christ

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us.

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Advent Tree: Day 5

Jeremiah 23:5-6

The Righteous Branch

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’"

Advent Tree: Day 4

Hebrews 2:14-18

Made Like His Brothers

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Advent Tree: Day 3

Luke 2:1-7

The Birth of Jesus Christ

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Advent Tree: Day 2

Hebrews 9:11-14

Redemption Through the Blood of Christ

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Advent Tree: Day 1

Advent is here, and our "new" tradition of using an Advent Tree has begun. I thought I would share with you the Scriptures we are reading each night. If you were here, I would share with you one of our peppermint patties or caramels, but what I can share with you is really the most important part any ways.

In preparing the verses, I focused them around a couple of things --- the story of the birth of Jesus and what the Scriptures say about him. They are in no particular order... maybe that can be next year's goal.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Jesus, the Great High Priest

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

An Inadvertent Tradition: The Advent Tree

Some traditions are well thought out, while others (and probably most!) really just occur inadvertently. So it has been with our Advent Tree...

It turned out that at each new home we've had since we got married, we needed a different Christmas tree! We started out with a 4 foot "apartment" tree with the few ornaments left over primarily from our single days. When we moved into the house we built in Houston, we needed a 9 foot tree to even come slightly close to filling the 12 foot ceiling we had in the foyer and the 10 foot ceiling in the family room. Then God brought us to Ohio, and he nestled us in this quaint little cottage-like house with a max ceiling of 8 feet... another tree was needed! Now, we have three trees, but we're not really sure where the 9 foot one is. Mom, do you have that one??

This leads me to the real reason of this post.... the Advent Tree! We always set up our main tree in our living room on the main floor. That's the one with the real ornaments, the special snowflakes that we collect each year, and the one where the presents camp out before Christmas Day! But the little 4 foot "apartment" tree has made its way into the basement (which is our family room) and into a new family tradition. It started a couple of years ago when I wanted to do an advent wreath. The idea is great --- light a candle on each of the four Sundays before Christmas during devotions --- but for a 2-year old, a once a week tradition probably wouldn't make a real significant impression. So, we elaborated on the idea of an advent calendar by creating the advent tree.

Everything on the tree is entirely homemade... even the star on top! The ornaments are containers of some sort which hold the Scripture reading for the day and a little treat... chocolate, of course!! Each night before bedtime, we sit down in front of the little tree --- gee, too bad there's no fireplace to go with it --- read the scripture, talk a little bit about it, pray, and eat the treats! For toddlers and preschoolers, the repetitive nature of doing this every single day seems to sink in more than the once-a-week advent wreath.

This year our verses are focusing on what Scripture says about Jesus Christ ... how he is the "image of the invisible God", "the radiance of God's glory", "the author and perfector of our faith"... you get the point... and it also includes the passages in Luke and Matthew that tell the story of his birth. The containers are homemade "boxes" that were made out of a template found on the internet, and tucked inside are chocolate peppermint patties and caramels.

As a mom, I have a love-hate relationship with this tree. I love the time we spend reading through the scripture and enjoying each other's company and the treats, but I hate putting it together. It takes work and lots of time (as do most traditions) to print out the little boxes, cut them out, research the scriptures, add the numbers, stuff them with treats, etc, but the rewards of speding 25 days learning about Jesus and sharing that with the kids is more than worth it!

Living away from our families is always tough during the holidays, but God has shown me that in moving me away, He has given me the chance to rewrite tradition. Some of the things we do are carry-overs from what Brian and I did with our own families as kids, but a lot of what we do is brand new... fresh vision that coincides with our personal desires to See and Savor Jesus Christ alone during a season that belongs to Him and is for His glory!

So later today --- December 1, 2007 --- we will open the first box and see what we can learn about the Saviour we want to savor...

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

~ Hebrews 2:14-18