2009 Christmas ADVENTure

Like many families around the world, we celebrate the Advent (or "coming") of Christmas with a 25 day countdown to Christmas. Because we want Jesus to be the focus of Christmas in our household, we try to point our kids toward Him each of those 25 days.

For our family, this means the kids get to open one door on our Advent house each day. Inside they find an ornament. The ornament is carefully chosen (by me) to coordinate with a verse or passage that we want to read as a family that day. Then (to keep it super fun), we have a "mission" (or, as Hannah called it this year, a "family fun night") that coincides with that particular ornament and verse.

This year's ADVENTure went as follows:

(Feel free not to read this entire post due to the length of it. I just wanted to record it here on the blog for posterity sake.)

Dec 1st - The kids found the new gingerbread house ornament inside door number one. We read Psalm 127:1 and then concluded the evening by "building" gingerbread houses. I blogged about that one HERE. (Ginger bread houses are made for people who are not cotton-headed ninny muggins like myself.)

Dec 2nd - The heart ornament was behind door number two. We read Psalm 119:11 and sang Steve Green's song "I have hidden your word, hidden your word, hidden your word in my heart..." Our mission was to do a good job hiding God's word in their hearts for Awana that night. (Wednesday missions are short missions because we don't have much time on Wednesdays.)

Dec 3rd - The ornament the kids found behind door number three was the Believe ornament. We read and talked about Romans 10:9 (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ...) Then we watched the Polar Express. (If you've seen the movie, you know where the "believe" comes in here.)

Dec 4th - Just before Joey and I left for the weekend, we let the kids open door number 4 to find the Peace ornament. We (sternly) reminded them what Matthew 5:9 says about being a peacemaker then we charged them with the "mission" of being peacemakers while staying at Grammy's house for the weekend.

Dec 5 - 6th - Since we were away from the kids until the 6th, we let them open two doors when we got back. They found both the trumpet and harp ornaments. We talked about Psalm 150:3-4 and went to the drama/orchestra/choir performance at our church that evening for our mission of the night.

Dec 7th - Door number seven revealed a painting ornament. We used the Wordless book to explain Romans 6:23. We explained the colors of the wordless book and how they relate to the message of Romans 6:23. Then we got out our paints and let the kids go to town painting their own pictures.

Dec 8th - Some nights, we purposely planned our mission around something that was already on the schedule. Jonah's school music program was this night, so we made that our mission. The ornament we found this day is the Joy ornament and the verse we talked about was Psalm 170:22.

Dec 9th - I found a mini globe charm (in the jewelry section at Michael's) and made it into an ornament for this evening. Mark 16:15 shares the Great Commission. We got out our larger globe and talked about missionaries around the world. Then I quizzed them to see if they could find different countries on the map.

Dec 10th - This door revealed the book ornament. We started this tradition last year. We read 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 and talk about thankfulness. Then we let each kid write in their very own "thankfulness" book ornament that we hang on our big tree.

Dec 11th - Door number eleven revealed the three wise men ornaments. We read the story of the three wise men in Matthew 2:9-11, then asked the kids if they have considered something they would like to "give" to Jesus this year for Christmas. Hannah said she wanted to give Him her obedience and Jonah told us that he wants to be more bold when people ask him to pray out loud. We affirmed those "gifts" they chose to give Jesus this year.

Dec 12th - In a deliberate coattail of the day before, we allowed the kids to find the Noel ornament behind door number 12. We again talked about Matthew 2:9-11 and then allowed them to watch The Very First Noel (it is an adorable Christmas movie from the perspective of the three wise men)

Dec 13th - This day's ornament was the treasure chest (I also found this one in the jewelry section at Michael's). We read Matthew 6:20-21 and then played a game. I hid a heart somewhere in the room and they had to find it. (Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...) I thought I could be all clever and hide it with baby Jesus in our nativity so that it could have double meaning, but Jonah thought the same thing and found it before the game ever started. We played the game over and over again until I got tired of it.

Dec 14th - We found a star ornament behind door number 14. Matthew 2:1-2 talks about the star of Bethlehem. Then I let the kids make Christmas cards with some star stamps.

Dec 15th - Door number 15 hid a small sheep ornament. Psalm 100:3 and Psalm 23 both refer to us as God's sheep and Him as our Shepherd. For our mission this evening, I let the kids play a little game we invented called the "shepherding game." The kids use straws (shepherds) to blow cotton balls (sheep) into a bag (sheep pen). They liked it, but they got spit all over my floor and that was gross.

Dec 16th - This day was a flop. The kids found the hands ornament behind door number 16. We talked about Psalm 24:4-5 and having clean hands and a pure heart. Then I told the kids the mission of the day was to go wash their hands. Previous years, I have purchased some cool Christmas soap that they like and play with in the sink, but this year I didn't. They were mad. Hannah even said, "this is the worst family fun night ever!" I replied to her grumpy tone with, "girl, you definitely need your hands cleaned and heart made pure, don't you?" (Then I made a mental note to change this mission or spice it up a bit before next year.)

Dec 17th - We're not Jewish, nor have we ever celebrated Hanukkah in our house before, but we decided that we could use a candle ornament and tell the kids the story of Hanukkah since this day was the 7th day of Hanukkah. Then we tied in the Festival of Lights with the Light of the World (John 8:12) and how we are to shine like lights in the world (Matthew 5:14-15). The kids had fun playing a Hanukkah game that night for our activity.

Dec 18th - One of the great joys of working with the high school kids at church is that we get to attend their parties. They throw good ones. This year's Christmas party was a costume party with an international theme. Our advent mission was be to go to this party as a family. The kids found the plane ornament behind door number 18 and we read Revelation 7:9 that talks about every nation, tribe, people and language gathering at the throne of Christ. We raided the costume closet at church and came up with some international costumes to wear to the party and had a blast. (Even though the party started about bedtime for both Jonah and Hannah.) Hannah said on the way home that "that was the BEST family fun night EVER!"

Dec 19th - The highly anticipated day arrived. The kids found the angel ornament in door number 19 which meant they get to go to Grammy's house, dress up and act out the Christmas story with their cousins. We read Luke 2:1-20 to refresh their memories of the story. (I'll share the photos of this event soon. It was especially precious this year.)

Dec 20th and 21st - Our family got hit by the sick bug big time Dec 20th. So much so that we skipped Advent that night. Nobody felt like it. So I just combined Dec 20th and 21st and let each of the kids open a door to find Christmas light ornaments behind both doors. We talked about Matthew 5:14-16 again and then Joey took the kids to walk around the light display at Rhema. (I still felt sick that evening so I didn't go along.)

Dec 22nd - The kids found a bow ornament this day. We talked about giving generously from the heart (Deuteronomy 15:10) and how God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). We emphasized how Christmas is not all about getting gifts. Our mission was to wrap gifts and experience the joy of giving. We also played the "present game" from my Family Fun Magazine this month. It teaches the kids to say "thank you" as soon as they get a present and then find ways to compliment the gift as they open it.

(I am writing this post on the 23rd, so the following advent activities are in future tense.)

Dec 23rd - This day the kids will find a sucker ornament. We will read Psalm 34:8 and Psalm 119:103 and then make Christmas cookies.

Dec 24th - Christmas Eve we will find the cross ornament behind door number 24. We will read Colossians 1:15-20 and talk about how the whole purpose for Christ's coming was so that he could die for our sins. God had that planned from the beginning so that he could bring us into a relationship with him. The kids will write a letter to Jesus this day for their mission.

Dec 25th - Christmas morning the kids will find Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus ornaments behind door number 25. We will read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20 and they will celebrate His birth with a party all day long!

So there you have it. Our Christmas ADVENTure of 2009.

Now, just in case you are tempted to think I'm some sort of superwoman for keeping up with this Advent tradition each year... let me be honest. I posted this so late in the month, because most days I had to scramble to figure out what we were doing that day for Advent. (I am thankful for previous years to look back on.) I didn't plan the entire month out in advance like I had hoped. Honestly, most days I just wanted to find something quick that would not take forever. But the kids excitement about it and the discussions that resulted were WELL worth the time and energy spent on doing this each day.

The picture below was me yesterday. (And yes, that is my messy house all around me.) Along with wrapping gifts for day 22, I thought it would be fun to have the kids make some crafts for gifts. I WAS SO IN EVERY WAY WRONG. Hannah lost interest in all of 2.4 seconds and Jonah held on until I got upset because he was doing it wrong. Dana, this picture is for you. :)

Just keepin' it real.