so - this is what i did......and i am already unhappy with the calendar and am going to redo it so I am not going to put up a picture for you to see until i redo it!!! but here is the wreath....
I know that the traditional candles are purple and 1 pink so I bought those colors but when I read in one of my trusty books that someone else had used red I immediately threw away those candles and bought red ones to use! Red is my favorite color and I am not going for traditional anyways so i can adjust things to my liking and pick and choose what I want to use!!! I also read about some symbolisms for the different things in the wreath - the circle is a symbol of God's neverending love, the evergreens are a symbol of everlasting life, the holly symbolizes the crown of thorns and the berries symbolize the blood He shed for us - so that is how I put the wreath together - the pinecones are those cinnamon smelling ones and I just thought they added a nice touch and they smell really good!
Here is the plan I have put together for the 4 sundays and each of the days of the week. I have combined a bunch of ideas from different books I have. They all have some good ideas and some I didnt really care for so I pulled out the ideas I liked, tried to do the scriptures in order of how it happened and I am hoping that our first Advent will be a success!! We also will be reading a book called Jotham's Journey that has been recommended by a friend and all the other Christmas books I have stored away for this month!!!!
1st Sunday – Prophecy Candle
Reminding us that Jesus’ coming was prophesied hundreds of years before he was born.
Isaiah 9:1-7//Isaiah 7:14
Monday
What would it have been like to be alive during the 700 years between Isaiah’s prophecy and the Birth of Christ? Would you have given up hope or would you have clung to God’s promise?
Tuesday
Make a prayer chain of family/friends far away from us during this season. Hang a ribbon w/pictures or names of each family and/or family members. We will take turns praying for them throughout the next weeks.
Wednesday
Read: Luke 1:1-25
Pretend to be Zechariah and Do Not Speak for 3 minutes. Other family members can ask questions to try to make Zechariah laugh or speak! When the time is up – Switch!
Thursday
Read: Luke 1:26-38
Friday
Watch ‘The Nativity Story’
Saturday
Make a Treasure Box of Memories
Decorate an empty box with wrapping paper. Find pictures, draw pictures, write memories to put inside. Add to it each year.
2nd Sunday – Bethlehem Candle
Read: Micah 5:2
Sing or Listen to ’O Little Town of Bethlehem’.
Look on the map at the distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem.
Monday
Talk about what it would have been like riding the donkey all that way and the different ways we would have gotten there. What would they have packed for their Journey?
Tuesday
Read: Luke 1:39-56
Wednesday
Read: Matthew 1:18-25
Thursday
Read: Luke 2:1-5
What is a census?
Friday
Watch Christmas Movie
Saturday
Pretzels were originally made to represent people with their hands folded in prayer. Hang a pretzel on the tree with a ribbon to remind us to Pray and to Thank God for his Gift of Grace.
3rd Sunday – Shepherd’s Candle
Read: Luke 2:8-14
Make Angel light-draw the outline of an angel on a white paper bag. Make wings and glue to back of bag. Put bag over a flashlight & fasten with a rubber band.
Monday
Read: Luke 2:15-20
Shepherds Cane is like a Candy Cane
Tuesday
Read: Matthew 2: 6-9
Wise men Treasure Hunt – cut out stars to write clues on. The final clue is The Greatest Treasure of All – baby Jesus in the Nativity
Wednesday
Read: Matthew 2:1-5
Drive around to look at Christmas Lights
Thursday
Read: Matthew 2:10-11
Matthew 2:12/16
Friday
Watch Christmas Movie
Saturday
Make cookies to tell Story – Angels brought the Good News of Christ’s birth; Star for the Wise men to follow; Candy Cane for the shepherds who watched over their sheep; Gingerbread person as Mary/Joseph, Shepherds & Wise men; Bells to ring out the Message.
4th Sunday – Angels Candle
Read: Luke 1:30-33
Play ‘Spread the News’ – sit in a circle and one person starts by whispering a message about the birth of Jesus into the ear of the person next to them. Each person passes the message until it gets back to the person who started. They then say it out loud and tell how different or similar it is to what they started with!
Monday
Read: Matthew 2:13-17
Tuesday
Read: Matthew 2:19-23
Make a Birthday Card for Jesus
Wednesday
Christmas Eve Service
Christmas Day
Read: John 8:12
Light the middle candle as a symbol of God’s Love
Okay - here is the calendar I made.It is not a very good picture but I think you can get the idea! I made little paper pockets for each day of the week and then typed up what we are going to do for each day on a business card and stuck it in the pocket to be pulled out that day! You can't read the days of the week but other than that it is cute and will work! Even though I am not completely happy with it and another idea is already forming in my mind to change it and I still might but right now I have WAY too many other things to do!!!
Well - it is off to bed for me! I have had a busy night and I am done!! I am very excited that I do not have to go to work tomorrow and I get to psend the whole day with the boys watching Prince Caspian(excellent movie by the way)!!!
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"Christmas Vacation" had an Advent calendar too. It was a house that had a window that you could open for each day of Advent.. See, you can learn something from stupid movies if you watch them enough times.
ReplyDeleteGrampa S.
Sa-weet!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog. Are you scared yet? because I have been known to stalk. :)
I'd love to see that in person! We do advent every night with the kids and use a wreath too - we have a really cool advent log, but no place to put it right now. I'll have to show you some time!! :)
ReplyDeleteNeed to get together soon!! (this week??)