As we lit our 3rd candle in our advent wreath this past Sunday, the reality that Christmas is right around the corner could not be more evident. The extra traffic on the roads, long lines in stores, and presents under the tree (or at least in a pile in a room somewhere waiting to be wrapped) can easily crowd out the real reason for the holiday in the first place: celebrating and remembering the significance of the birth of Jesus!
Without thoughtful planning, Jesus can be run right out of the holiday. The act of simply lighting advent candles does not specifically point us back to Jesus unless we talk about Him. Why do we do the things that we do?
A wonderful resource that I have stumbled upon this season is called "Truth in the Tinsel." It was an e-book purchase of $4.99, and each day is filled with a simple craft to do with your kids, bible verses to read, and brief talking points to go over. The e-book takes you and your kids on a journey of the birth of Jesus. The crafts and characters you create help the story to take shape and come to life. With all this hard work that my daughter has been putting in to making her crafts, we've decided to hang each of the ornaments on a smaller tree that has now become our "advent tree".
Just like every person out there, we have had a few days that we've missed making our ornament. That's okay! The point of signing up for this is not to feel overwhelmed and burdened by the daily assignments; it is to assist parents in sharing about the birth of Jesus throughout December, and bringing the story to life for kids. My daughter looks forward to our time of reading and crafting, and it is helping keep the focus for us on Jesus.
If you've never heard of "Truth in the Tinsel", take a look at this wonderful resource for parents. It's not too late to start today!