Ann Hibbard - Celebrating Advent: Family Devotions and Activities for the Christmas Season

1988, 1993 by Ann Hibbard

Published by Revell

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.revellbooks.com

Previously published by Baker Books in 1993 under the title Family Celebrations at Christmas

Ebook edition created 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-3793-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Unless otherwise noted, hymns are in the public domain and no copyright acknowledgment is necessary. Angels We Have Heard on High , 1937, Fleming H. Revell, renewed 1965, H. Augustine Smith Jr., is used by permission of Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

Contents

What a relief ! I thought as I finished addressing the last parcel wrapped in brown grocery bag paper. Our dining room looked as though a tornado had struck. Wrapping paper, grocery bags, scissors, tape, and old gift boxes were strewn everywhere. Fortunately, both kids were down for naps (a true miracle!), so I had been able to finish my Christmas wrapping without worrying about little fingers.

Turning my back on the mess, I retreated to the kitchen to put on the teakettle. I deserved a rewarda nice hot cup of Swiss Mocha.

I hope everyone likes what we got them, I said to myself. I had certainly worked hard enough at it, trying to find gifts that people didnt already have, that suited their interests or their style, and that didnt overreach our limited budget. My stomach twisted into knots at the thought of all the money I had spentyet I had been as frugal as possible, I silently argued.

Slowly I carried my steaming mug into the living room and curled up on the sofa across from the Christmas tree. The colorful lights pierced the winter gloom that was already creeping into the late afternoon. The lights seemed to pierce my heart as well with a stab of conflicting emotions. The little girl within me wanted to dance with excitement. Yet the mother that I had become felt depleted and depressed.

Why does Christmas have to be so much work? I thought bitterly. Beginning in October, Christmas was the focus of much of my thoughts, time, and energyplanning, shopping, mailing Christmas cards, scheduling, baking, decorating, more shopping, and wrapping. And I was exhausted by all the Christmas programs, activities, and social obligations. By the time Christmas arrived, I was too worn out to enjoy it.

Suddenly I realized that I had come to dread Christmas and all it entailed.

Where is Christ in all of this? I wondered.

The pressures of our cultural Christmas celebrations crowd in on us. We find ourselves running in a million different directions. O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie sounds like mockery as it comes over the sound system at the shopping mall.

Where is Christ in all of this?

Christian families feel the tension more acutely than any. Christmas should be a joyous celebration of our Lords birth. We want our children to grow up with treasured memories of family times at Christmastimes when Christ is honored in our family.

This is what we long for, but somehow we dont know how to make it happen.

I have good news for you! You can make your family Christmas celebration a new and wonderful experience. Your family can meet Christ in a fresh way this Christmas season. Your children can get excited about celebrating Christs coming.

The secret lies in this very simple exercise: bring Christ into the season of preparation. Spend a brief time together as a family each evening (or morning) focusing on the coming of Christ. You will find, as I and many others have found, that this transforms your Christmas.

But I couldnt begin to come up with such a plan! you protest. Im not that creativeand it sounds like too much work!

Relax. The work has been done for you. Celebrating Advent will guide your family step by step through Advent and Christmas with fun and meaningful devotions for the entire family. You will find instructions and patterns for several projects which will enhance the devotional times while reinforcing the Scripture passages. Because music is such an important element of family times at Christmas, a selection of Christmas and Advent hymns is included, both words and music. Finally, you will glean practical ideas for relieving the stress and recapturing the peace and joy of the season.

Do you deeply desire to place Jesus Christ at the heart of your family celebrations? It is my prayer that Celebrating Advent will help you in that glorious endeavor.

Most people fondly dream of a Currier and Ives Christmas, complete with blazing fires and Christmas carols sung around a tinsel-draped tree with a loving, harmonious family. For many, however, Christmas serves as a stark reminder of family tensions, grief, and broken relationships. Christmas cheer gives way to dashed hopes and holiday depression.

Many of us simply dread Christmas because of all the work. How in the world can we fit Christmas card-writing, baking, and endless hours of shopping into already packed schedules?

Why cant Christmas be the season of peace and joy that we crave? No matter what your situation, there is hope. This Christmas can be the most meaningful Christmas of your life.

Here are some practical steps which have helped me to change the tone of my Christmas.

Step OneAdopt Realistic Expectations

My mothers Swedish heritage played a big part in how we celebrated Christmas. Much time was devoted to baking a dozen different kinds of traditional Christmas cookies, which we then stored in the basement freezer. When anyone stopped by, we ran to the basement with a plate and filled it up with mouth-watering cookies. This is a sacred ritual in homes of Scandinavian descent.

When I married and moved away, I felt the necessity of carrying on the tradition. Many of the traditional cookies were not favorites of my husband. Without a big freezer in the basement, I had no place to keep the cookies fresh. I ended up with dozens of stale cookies, representing hours of labor. When children arrived, the Christmas baking seemed an insurmountable task.

Most of the pressure we feel at Christmas can be attributed to expectationspreconceived ideas of what Christmas should be. These pressures come from our culture, from our family members, and from within ourselves.