Happy Second Week of Advent!
I pray you've been having a prayerful, penitential, and peppered-with-joy time preparing for Jesus!
Here, we've been blending our regular somewhat crazy daily life - lessons, work, chores, commitments, etc. - with Advent traditions as we prepare hearts and homes for Christ.
A daily - or rather, nightly - staple of our Advent this year has been reinstituting together time as a wind down for bedtime.
As my children have grown older and our schedules a bit crazier, it has been easy to slip into a pattern of each of us going in our own directions at night, spending little intentional time together. That was not sitting well with me, and one of my children was missing read aloud time, so, I decided Advent is a perfect time to rehabitualize together time.
The decision has been fruitful!
The decision has been fruitful!
With great thanks to having pre-decided our Week One Works of Mercy Wisemen books and prompts, hung our Advent Chain, decided which Ytreetide book we would read this year, prepared our Advent Wreath, found our St. Andrew Novena bookmarks, and picked out a branch for our Jesse Tree to stand above a box of our Jesse Tree ornaments, my children and I have come together each night to pray, read, chat, and focus on the season and time together.
(Sometimes with some gift creation going on while I read.)
(Sometimes with some gift creation going on while I read.)
I love it!
So, to help me keep facilitating such cozy evening times, today, I am making sure I have our Week Three picture books on hand or ordered from the library, and - in case you have been appreciating inspiration from our picks and prompts - am sharing the next installment here.
Enjoy!
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December 12
3rd Sunday of Advent
(the day we often pick out our tree)
(the day we often pick out our tree)
or
Christmas trees, people, life... None of these is perfect. However, when we let our Lord work in us and through us, things can get closer to perfection. Today, think about a person or situation begging for betterment. What might YOU do to help?
December 13
Feast of St. Lucy
(a night when we typically take a ride or walk to go see Christmas lights)
Christmas is nearing! In some homes "Lucy" greeted others with light and treats. All around us, we are seeing more literal lights shining from homes and storefronts. How might we be figurative lights to those around us? Think... and act!
December 14
Feast of St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross, whose feast day is today, once said, "In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved." How much have you been loving this Advent? Who could use a little more love? Like the princess in today's story, might you recognize someone who needs something you have more than you do and, out of love, share?
December 14
(when I hope we'll pick our Chriskindl and begin our Giving Manger if we have not)
Christmas is getting closer and closer. What small acts of kindness can you commit today, tomorrow, and right up untilChristmas?
December 15
The boy protected his donkey by ensuring he was placed with kind owners even when the boy was forced to sell him. Might we part with something to gift forward to a good new home today?
December 16
What a gift things we no longer want or need can be to others! What shall we let go of today to bless another?
December 17
The Littlest Angel
May you be blessed with some quiet, cozy together times as you prepare hearts and home for Christ, too.
I'd love to hear what seasonal picture books and Advent tradtions, customs, and activities you've been enjoying.
Find book and audio selections for all four weeks of Advent by clicking throgh each image below
The Littlest Angel gifted his precious little item.What precious little item do we have to gift forward?
I'd love to hear what seasonal picture books and Advent tradtions, customs, and activities you've been enjoying.
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Find book and audio selections for all four weeks of Advent by clicking throgh each image below
