I Don't Have a Clue What Advent Actually Is!
You read that correctly, I haven't the foggiest notion what Advent is. According to Justin Holcomb on christianity.com, Advent is a season of the liturgical year. I have no idea what that is either! The Advent season is supposed to help us slow our roll and anticipate the coming of Christmas. It is supposed to help us remember what the TRUE reason for Christmas is. During Advent, many people make decorations and light candles and do an Advent devotional to help them draw closer to Jesus. Advent lasts for the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas. On that day the new Christian year begins and there is the celebration of Christmastide, which lasts for twelve days (from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6. According to Mr. Holcomb, "Advent begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd each year."
While I may find a calendar to help me understand the liturgical year at some point, this year my main focus is on quieting my mind and drawing closer to Jesus as Christmas comes closer. I have decided to do a devotional (or two) this year and then learn everything else throughout the coming year so that I can celebrate Advent the way it is meant to be celebrated next year. I have found two devotionals that I love and I plan to do one in the morning and one at night.
The first devotional is called 'Quieting Your Heart for the Holidays' and was written by Darlene Schacht of Time Warp Wife. There are week at a glance printouts, questions that you can print out and answer to help you really apply the Scriptures to your life and hide them in your heart, printable Bible verse cards and, of course, the printable study guide. There is also the journal that you can purchase from amazon.com and you can also check out on at the link above.
The second devotional is from billygraham.org. I have always loved Mr. Graham because he was such a passionate man when it came to God's Word but he was also compassionate and passionate about people's souls. He just seemed like such a precious and loving man who was burning with the urgency to see everyone he could reach be saved. Just click the link above and fill out the form and then you will be taken to the download page where you can download and print it out.
I hope that this is the year that makes a difference in my life as well as in yours. Christmas isn't about the presents under the tree, it's about the Presence of God in our homes and lives. It's not about Santa, it's about Jesus, the one true gift. It's about remembering that we have eternal life because over two thousand years ago, a sweet, precious little baby boy was born to take on the sins of the world and to offer us hope, grace, mercy and a future.
Also, don't forget that the 2016 Cornerstone Confessions Planner is on sale for $10.00 from now until Cyber Monday (November 30th). After that it goes back to the normal price of $15.00. You can read my post about this planner that has it all here. I absolutely love mine and can't say enough good things about it. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Please remember to keep the Lord at the top of your list of things to be thankful for because every good thing comes from Him.
While I may find a calendar to help me understand the liturgical year at some point, this year my main focus is on quieting my mind and drawing closer to Jesus as Christmas comes closer. I have decided to do a devotional (or two) this year and then learn everything else throughout the coming year so that I can celebrate Advent the way it is meant to be celebrated next year. I have found two devotionals that I love and I plan to do one in the morning and one at night.
The second devotional is from billygraham.org. I have always loved Mr. Graham because he was such a passionate man when it came to God's Word but he was also compassionate and passionate about people's souls. He just seemed like such a precious and loving man who was burning with the urgency to see everyone he could reach be saved. Just click the link above and fill out the form and then you will be taken to the download page where you can download and print it out.
I hope that this is the year that makes a difference in my life as well as in yours. Christmas isn't about the presents under the tree, it's about the Presence of God in our homes and lives. It's not about Santa, it's about Jesus, the one true gift. It's about remembering that we have eternal life because over two thousand years ago, a sweet, precious little baby boy was born to take on the sins of the world and to offer us hope, grace, mercy and a future.
Also, don't forget that the 2016 Cornerstone Confessions Planner is on sale for $10.00 from now until Cyber Monday (November 30th). After that it goes back to the normal price of $15.00. You can read my post about this planner that has it all here. I absolutely love mine and can't say enough good things about it. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Please remember to keep the Lord at the top of your list of things to be thankful for because every good thing comes from Him.
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