Advent Week 2, 3 and 4 WRAP UP...

We lit our second advent candle last night... Emily read us the Giving Tree and the kids set up our Play Nativity Set, of which we are missing pieces!  Arggg. 

We have NOT done all our daily activities from actual LACK of time... yes I see the irony of not having time to do activities about Jesus when we are going through remembering Jesus!  YES, I see it.  However I am doing the best I can right now and Jesus KNOWS it. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal

James 1:2-4



Week 3- It actually never happened!  Emily fell sound asleep on Sunday night, Matt didnt want to do it without her and we just never got back to it! 

We did however do some of our advent activities!

We made monster cookies-

We had lunch with a friend-

We made treats for the homeless and passed them out-

We saw the Dawn Treader-

We went on a Christmas outing with Truck Maw Maw-

We got to download 3 new Christmas songs from I TUNES

We watched 2 Christmas movies in ONE day!

The kids made and sent out Christmas cards to friends and family!

Just to name a few....

I did however get an advent wreath on sale 70% off at Jo Ann's...
6 days before Christmas!

So the last advent night we got to use our NEW advent wreath!


I really enjoyed doing ADVENT this year.. I really wish I had taken more time but like I said, we did the best we could.  We did try to spend time with family and friends and to be giving to others.  We did focus on Jesus being the reason for this SEASON and I guess that is truly what it is about!  Just taking a breath and stopping to think about JESUS!

Christmas Eve....



We read the Christmas story and re lit all our candles, just to serve as a reminder of what we had been remembering.

Then Emily hung our Mary and baby Jesus ornament on the tree.... to symbolize the end of the waiting!
It was a precious moment!

So this is what we thought on through this advent season...

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing

Prayer:

 * That we will remember Jesus, Grace and Mercies that are new each morning. 

 *That our daily failures will lay forgotten as we start a new day, fresh.

* That we will pick up HIS Cross daily and choose THIS day whom we will serve. 

* That as we go through the motions that we will make a conscious choice to live

 each day in a way that is pleasing to HIM.  

* That we work to MIRROR the ONE who is perfect and GREAT.  

*That we strive to be more like HIM each day, that we look to others and set aside our

own wants and desires to meet their needs.

  *That in our service that they would see Jesus.