“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Isaiah 40:11
“At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern.” Mother Teresa
- Call your prayer partner today for your 10-minute prayer call.
- Dear mama, it is your time with the Lord! He is waiting to hear from you. You are His cherished daughter, and He is proud of you. Find a quiet place and pray against distractions. Give yourself time to read and reflect.
- Please read Isaiah 40:9-11. He is coming! Verses 9 and 10 show that He is near and He is strong, but verse 11 is especially comforting for us moms. Write it in your journal and find peace in His words. God truly desires gentleness for you.
Going on an Adventure with Your Children
As Christ-followers, we have hope. We have hope knowing that our Savior is real and alive: He draws near to us and loves us always. We have hope because God is faithful and will keep the promises He made to us. It is written in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” As we trust in Him, hope overflows from us! As moms, there is nothing we want more for our children than to know and feel this hope as well.
Jesus’ birth and the promise of His coming to the Earth are the most powerful demonstrations of hope. The season of waiting for His promise is called Advent. Advent simply means coming, as in Christ’s coming. Advent represents our expectation, anticipation, and preparation for who Christ is and what He has done for us. Matthew 3:3 says, “This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord make straight paths for him.” We are called to prepare a way for Him to come into our hearts.
This December, I would like to encourage you to go on an Adventure with your children. Here are some ideas!
Advent Paper Chain
What child does not love counting down the days until Christmas? This is a fun way, as the paper chain will end up having 25 links total; it’s meant to be started on December 1st and get shorter every day. Each day has a different theme and Scripture reference on it to read as a family. I did this with my family last year, and my girls loved it! Here is a wonderful blog with the details.
Christmas Nativity Snack
This is a fun alternative to the tradition of making gingerbread houses. Creating nativity snacks brings the focus back to Jesus—and they are yummy! Your kids will certainly enjoy making these just as much as a gingerbread house. Here is a great link for helpful examples.
Advent Ornaments
Christmas is all about Jesus! This is an amazing craft to do with your kiddos. Create 25 ornaments with the 25 names of Jesus written or painted on them. These ornaments could be put on your Christmas tree or used as decorations somewhere else in the home. I also think it could be neat to create the ornaments and put them in a bowl and read one per night until Christmas. Use this link to get inspired.
The Shepherd on the Search
I am so excited about this substitute to the secular Elf on the Shelf! This is a newer product from DaySpring that I am definitely planning to use as a tradition with my girls every year. Here is the link to the main website with all of the info.
Focus on the Family Advent Resources
Focus on the Family is a fantastic ministry that offers printable Advent materials for a small fee, and some are even free. They feature daily Scripture readings to do with your children, activities, and entire posters to help countdown to Christmas. What I love is that every year the theme is a little different. Here is the link to their website.
Blessings and Love,
Rachel
Questions to Ponder
- What is the one thing you want most for your children to take away from this Advent season?
- How can you implement one of these ideas into your schedule? What materials will you need? I challenge you to actually make a plan as to how and when this will happen. You got this mama!
Faith-Filled Ideas
After dinner one night, make some hot chocolate and put on some Christmas music. Set a nice mood and then discuss the Advent season with your husband and kids to see what ideas they may have. The suggestions above are simply ideas I have tried or heard about. As a Help Club mama, you do you! And you always do what works best for your family. I am praying this time is special and memorable.
I love coffee, cooking, and anything British.I have one wonderful husband and four crazy and joyful children - three big girls and one little boy.I am originally from the desert in Arizona and now I live in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
I homeschool our children and struggle every day.Being part of Help Club for Moms has been a blessing in my life and I truly couldn’t mother without this incredible community behind me.
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2 Comments on “Going on an ADVENTure with Your Children”
Such good ideas Rachel. As you know, I no longer have littles at home, however this coming weekend the grandkids are going to help me decorate my house.
I loved the verse you shared from Matthew 3 about preparing our hearts for Him! As we prepare our homes with our decorations, we must first prepare our hearts daily to remain steadfast and fixed in Him!
I love all of these FUN ideas for Advent Rachel!!