Advent Calendar

Christmas is a time for many things … time to celebrate the birth of a tiny baby who would give his life to complete our lives. Time to appreciate family and friends, and the many blessings of life. And an opportunity to take time to think of others, remember we are dependent on the love and support of the people in our lives, and we’re often meant to be that love and support to people God’s waiting for us to meet.

Below are ideas for each day between Nov. 28 and Dec. 25 to help celebrate the spirit of Christmas. They aren’t necessarily meant to be consecutive, so feel free to cut them out and put them in a jar or use one of the crafting ideas below for how to display this advent calendar. We hope that each day will be a surprising encounter with the living God.

Downloadable Advent Calendar

Ideas for crafting advent calendars:

Photo chains, boxes and baby socks from Martha Stewart

30 Advent Calendar ideas from burlap to stamps

Felt Advent Calendar

Mindful thankfulness

This weekend I finished up the shopping for our Thanksgiving dinner.  I strolled the aisles of a crowded store picking up this and that – bread, the makings of a pie, milk for the potatoes, and such, and ended up purchasing more than I really need (and I’ll likely eat more than I really need!).

Many of us talk a lot about what we don’t have.  But for a lot of us, especially here in the United States, our tables will be groaning under the weight of the food we’ll prepare for the holiday.  Whether we realize it or not, we live in a culture that not only expects but demands abundance, and we don’t always think about how that abundance is achieved and at whose expense.

Do we ever ask ourselves, “Who isn’t eating because I have a meal on my table?  Who isn’t able to feed their family because I insist on cheap prices for the coffee, cocoa, and other farmed items I buy?”  Grace will no doubt be said at many tables this Thanksgiving, and thanks will be given for the food waiting to be eaten.  But I think there’s a major gap in our thankfulness.  Would we be willing to give up some of what we have so others can eat and support their families?  Would we be able to sacrifice some of our way of life, the abundance we expect, and still be equally thankful?  Or are we only thankful when we have too much?

Whether we realize it or not, many of our actions, even those as simple as the food choices we make, have a profound impact on people around the world.  Perhaps true thankfulness isn’t just about gratitude for what we’ve been given, but also gratitude for what we’ve given away and what we can live without.  Where can you make choices to live with less so others can live with more?  Where can you experience thankfulness for less instead of more?

A prayer for change

I legitimize my lifestyle by the way others live around me when I know in my heart that God has something different in mind for me.

I bought a house and filled it up with things that make me happy instead of people who need happiness.

I feel like some of my previous life’s decisions have bound me into a limited ministry with limited means, but were those decisions wrong?
My heart cries out to be used by God, but when folllowing God gets hard, will I still be willing?

God help me learn how to start each sentence with You in mind, not just my own desires. Meld my heart with your heart. Lead me from the past into our glorious future together. Amen.

Opportunity to Pray

I just received an e-mail from World Vision inviting me to become a “Justice Prayer Warrior”. They have a Justice Prayer Guide for our government leaders and for those around the world suffering injustices. I would encourage you to check out this link and start praying today!
http://www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/day-of-prayer/$file/prayer-guide-2011.pdf