Comments on: Preparing for Christmas – Helpful Resources

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:38:53 +0000

I realize that this particular post is from last year, but I’ve been googling Noel Piper’s advent calendar trying to find more info about it. Since DG no longer makes it, I am trying to make my own. I have all the materials for the calendar itself, but I can’t find anywhere online the actual written material that goes with the calendar to read each day. Do you happen to have the capability of posting that or scanning it? I would so love to introduce the Christmas story to our toddler this way this year – I know I can make up my own readings with Scripture but I’d really like to know what hers was. Thanks!

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:58:47 +0000

We’ve gleaned a lot from Noel Piper’s book that you mentioned in your post. Last year, we started using the “shepherd’s pouches” in addition to our usual Christmas Eve/Christmas morning routine. I hope this tradition will become more meaningful with time as our kids get older and it becomes more familiar to all of us. This year, we started something new: our family chose to pack five shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, but I wanted to do something that would help us think about and pray for this ministry throughout the holiday season (something we unfortunately forget sometimes since the boxes are dropped off mid-November!). So…I borrowed a small (maybe 2 ft?) Christmas tree from my mom and the girls (4 1/2 and almost 3) and I cut pictures out of Samaritan’s Purse magazines and newsletters of OCC ministry, decorated them with glitter, sequins, etc…, and hung them from our “Operation Christmas Child” tree. I also tried to write the name of the country on the back of each ornament if we could figure it out from the context of the pictures. This is something new for us, but I hope it helps our family remember the children around the world who will be ministered to in the name of Jesus this Christmas!

Another quick note: we always cherish the celebration of advent in our family. This year, I found a child-friendly advent wreath and candles at christianbook.com to use with the kids. The wreath and candles are made of felt (candles are stuffed with polyfill or cotton) and have velcro tabs on the bottom that anchor them to the wreath. Looking forward to having an advent wreath that not only allows the kids to be more involved, but the girls can even use to “play Christmas” with their dolls as well, which they do so love to do!!!

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 02:19:11 +0000

We have done the Jesse Tree since my almost 6 year old was a baby. And we usually have about 6 or 7 Nativity scenes set out around the house–all without baby Jesus–it’s a conversation starter throughout the season. First thing on Christmas morning, the kids place baby Jesus in all the scenes…

I found you through the Homemaking Link-up…I’d love to win the giveaway….Thanks for the opportunity!

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:51:02 +0000

We create our own advent paper-chain. Each day we have a preparatory activity — preparing for Jesus birth. It’s anything from baking cookies for friends …to making ornaments for grandparents’ stockings. Somehow we try to tie each one to preparing our hearts for Jesus.

By: Shirley Rempel

Shirley Rempel — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:23:28 +0000

I too am going to try to incorporate the Jesse Tree in our countdown during December. I love the names of Jesus on ornaments idea:) Lovely! and that Christian Christmas planner sounds delightful. My girls are only 4 and 2 but they already realize its not just about presents, etc….one thing we do is we bake a cake for Baby Jesus on Christmas morning!

By: Tami

Tami — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:19:02 +0000

I love the idea about putting the names of God on the ornaments! I too am looking for good ways to bring our children back to the real “reason for the season” – pardon the cliche- and am truly saddened by what society has done to the most important birthday of all. We have thought about for the future (our kids are two and under still) gathering things or buying things we know we would like or someone else might really enjoy and then giving them away instead of giving them to each other.
We still have some planning time though…

By: Amy K.

Amy K. — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:31:00 +0000

We take the month of December to re-memorize Luke 2:1-16. Then on Christmas morning before we even come downstairs we gather together in the hall and the children recite for us. This gives us a time to focus on Jesus before we start our gift exchange. If we have extended family or friends over for dinner the children will recite the Christmas story again before we pray and serve dinner.
We also only give three gifts to the children. This again helps the family to refocus on Jesus. Next year we too will have a large family gift with two other smaller gifts to complete the trio. It is too easy to get wrapped up in the gift and lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. We try to be very deliberate about each thing that we do to celebrate the birth of our Savior.