The Children’s Advent Book

Welcome to Advent!! This Children’s Advent Book has been written for a special purpose. We hope that it will be used as a daily, family devotional during this Advent season. The stories and lessons were written to try to answer questions a family might ask concerning this time of celebration. There is a memory verse included for each week. The verses were selected to go along with the particular theme for each week of Advent. By encouraging your child to memorize these scriptures, you will help instill the importance of God’s word in our lives. A special thanks to Westminister Presbyterian Church for writing this booklet and sharing it with our church. Special acknowledgements include Jon Brown, Ritva Babcock, Mary Jo Leviner, and Cathy Harrell as well as other church committees. The order of themes in this booklet was originally selected by Westminster Presbyterian Church. This year, First (Scots) Presbyterian Church will be lighting the candles of the Advent Wreath in a slightly different order. The Litanies for Lighting the Advent Candles used during worship are available each Sunday in the bulletin. May God’s richest blessings be shared with your family during Advent.

First(Scots)PresbyterianChurch

Children’s First Sunday of Advent

Parent: If we look up the word Advent in the dictionary, it would say the word means “to come”. Since we are celebrating advent, then someone or something must be coming.

Child: Of course… Christmas is coming! It’s Christ’s birthday.

Parent: You know we make a big thing of our birthdays. Do you remember some of the special things we’ve done on your birthday?

Child: Discussion of question.

Parent: Well, in order to celebrate Jesus’ birthday we have advent… a time of waiting and getting ready for Jesus’ coming. What are some things you’ve had to wait for? (Child response) How does it feel to wait?

We’re going to do some special things as we await Jesus’ birthday. One special thing we’re going to do tonight is to light the first candle on our advent wreath. LIGHT THE FIRST CANDLE AND SAY: This candle represents HOPE. Long ago God’s people had HOPE in their hearts as they waited for a Savior, someone who would come to set their people free. We HOPE, too, for the Savior’s (Jesus) love to be shared with our friends and to cover the world. We HOPE, too, for his return someday because he said he would. PRAYER: Dear Lord, today begins the wait for the coming of Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior. I will wait with love in my heart. Amen. MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK: “Make ready the way of the Lord.” (Matthew 3:3) THEME: The first candle of Advent is the HOPE candle. This candle represents the hope that is God. This week we will begin preparing for the new king’s arrival and the hope this Savior brings to the world.

First Monday of Advent

Prepare/Hope

What is this Thing CALLED Advent? Advent time is one of the things people talk about and just expect you to know. Sometimes our ministers, Sunday School teachers, and the TV shows we watch and even parents think we were born understanding what Advent is all about! However, even the smartest child may have a question or two. So here are some interesting facts about Advent that will help you have a better understanding of this special time of year. Besides, now you can impress your special friends and family with your new found knowledge! ADVENT FACTS:

1. Advent is a time for preparing our hearts and homes for the coming of the Christ child. 2. Advent comes from two Latin words, ad and venire, which means “to come”. 3. Advent starts the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. 4. Christmas is the real beginning of the church’s New Year, not New Year’s Day. 5. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” is known as the Advent Hymn.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank you for the chance to prepare for Jesus’ birth. Help us to remember what your coming means. Amen. Say your memory verse.

First Tuesday of Advent

Prepare/Hope

Be Prepared As we have said, Advent is about preparing for Christ’s coming. There are many ways to get ready for this special time. Our family is busy hanging decorations, visiting people we care about, buying gifts, wrapping presents, baking goodies- Oh! There is so much to do. The preparation list could go on forever! STOP!!! WAIT A MINUTE!!! We must not forget the most important detail to take care of--- we must also prepare ourselves. This means spending quiet time allowing our minds to think about Christ and our hearts to feel his presence. We can also prepare ourselves by doing good deeds, reading His word and talking about each devotion with our family. PRAYER: Dear Lord, this is such a happy, busy time for each of us. Help us to remember to put our time with you at the top of our “To Do” list. Thank you for understanding our excitement and our busy days. Amen. Don’t forget your memory verse!

First Wednesday of Advent

Prepare/Hope

St. Nicholas Day Christmas is a special holiday all over the world. Some countries have their own customs, or ways of doing things that are very different from ours in America. Some of our Advent traditions were borrowed from these foreign lands and adopted for our own. In Europe, December 6th is an important day for many children. This is the day St. Nicholas and his pal, Pete, come to town. In his red bishop’s cloak and hat, he visits with the children. Saint Nicholas goes over his big book of records and gives out fruits and nuts to the children who have been good. On this special day, the children are reminded to prepare themselves for Christmas. Long ago in the Bible, the people also sent someone to remind them of the Christ arrival. John the Baptist went about telling people, “Repent, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” He told the people to make sure their hearts were ready to receive the new King. This might be a good time to look in your “big book of records” at the past year. Then try to think of ways to be better prepared for the new year. PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank you for sending us reminders to be prepared for your coming. Just as St. Nicholas in Europe and John in the Bible, help us to remind others about Advent. Amen. Take a minute to say the memory verse.

First Thursday of Advent

Prepare/Hope

“Silent Night! Holy Night!” One of our favorite Christmas carols was written by two church leaders during their time of Advent preparation in a village in the Alps sometime during the early 1800’s. “Silent Night! Holy Night!” had an interesting beginning. Joseph Mohr was an assistant priest in the church of St. Nicholas. He was told that the church organ could not be fixed in time for Christmas. Not wanting to disappoint the people at the special Christmas Eve service, Father Mohr and his friend Franz Gruber prepared to write the “perfect” Christmas hymn. Gruber was the village school master and church organist. Father Mohr wrote the words and Franz Gruber put the words to music. At the Christmas Eve service, the men sang their new song as Gruber played his guitar. The people were very moved by this beautiful hymn. When the organ repairman finally came to fix the organ, he liked the new Christmas song. He asked for a copy and began sharing it with surrounding villages. PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for using these two talented men to prepare such a beautiful song about the birth of Christ. As we prepare for the birth during Advent, please use our works to tell others about you. Amen. Only two more days to memorize your Bible verse!

First Friday of Advent

Prepare/ Hope

Waiting Waiting is such a hard thing to do. Whether you are an adult or a child, no one likes to have to wait. Sometimes patiently waiting is even harder. Waiting can be so difficult that they have even made up sayings about it. “A watched pot never boils”, is a saying about waiting and watching for something to get done. “Hurry up and wait”, is a funny saying about rushing around to do a job, only to have to wait to finish it. However, there is a saying that is just right for this time of year, “Good things come to those who wait”. All through the Bible we read stories about God’s people having to wait. The people of Israel had to wait hundreds of years for their promised land. Noah waited forty days for the rain to stop. The children had to wait before they were allowed to see and listen to Jesus. From these stories, we can see that truly good things do happen to people who wait on the Lord. When you wait, you are filled with hope of good things to come. During this Advent time God wants us to wait (hope) patiently and cheerfully for the promised Christ child. PRAYER: Dear Lord, you are the creator of us all, so you know how hard it is for us to wait. Waiting for Christmas is sometimes the hardest of all waits. Help us to remember that “good things come to those who wait”, as we cheerfully wait to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Amen.

First Saturday of Advent

Prepare/Hope

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” This song is sometimes called the Advent song. It tells of the people of Israel waiting and watching for the Messiah (Christ) to come and rescue them from captivity. Prophets had told the Israelites about Jesus’ birth 600 years before it actually happened. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was written during the 12th century, so it is over 800 years old. Each verse was used separately during services the week just before Christmas Eve. The music was one of the earliest kinds of religious music called the Chant or Plain song. The word Emmanuel came to Joseph in a dream, “they shall name him Emmanuel which means, “God with us!”. As we continue to get ready for all of the celebrations of Advent, remember God is with us. He is with us now and forever. PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank you for being the great promise keeper. Just as you kept your promises to the people of Israel, we know you keep your promises to us. Help us O Lord to be promise keepers too. Amen.

Children’s Second Sunday of Advent

Child: Why do we light the second candle? I know the first one stands for HOPE.

Parent: The second one stands for PEACE. Jesus is our HOPE and PEACE. (Light two candles.)

Child: What happened? Why don’t we have peace everywhere?

Parent: Well, we don’t have peace everywhere, do we? On this earth we still have wars and violence and hate, but when two nations, or even two people, get along there is a measure of peace. We can have peace in our hearts and live with others peacefully. When we do this, we help spread peace on earth. Just before Jesus left earth, he promised a special peace to his followers. He said to them and you and me, “Peace is my parting gift to you, my own peace, such as the world can’t give.” (John 14:27) PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for being the Prince of Peace. The world needs your peace very much. Help us to be peaceful children so we can help spread your peace. Amen. MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14 THEME: The second candle of ADVENT is the PEACE candle. This candle represents the peace that Jesus brought to this world. Angels were the ones to proclaim that the King of Peace had been born. This week we will look at both the angels and the message of peace that they proclaimed.

Second Monday of Advent

Peace/Angels

Angels Angels were a very important part of the birth of baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph both were visited by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel told them both the plan God had for their lives. The angels were the ones to announce Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. Angels are God’s messengers. They carry messages and do good works for the Lord. During this time of Advent, we too can be angels. Along with other family members choose to be “secret” angels to a neighbor or loved one. Do kind things like making a bed, bringing in the newspaper, or writing a kind note. Also remember to say a special prayer each day for your secret person. Then announce your angel identities on Christmas Day. PRAYER: Dear Lord, please help me to be an angel of God. Use me to bring good news to others about the Christ child. Thank you for this opportunity to do kind things for others. Amen. Try to learn the first part of the memory verse today.

Second Tuesday of Advent

Peace/Angels …And on earth peace, good will toward men! When you read the complete story of Christ’s birth in the Bible, you might hurry over this verse to get to the good stuff. Did the shepherds find the stable? Was the new born king really in an animal’s feeding tray (manger)? Was it really gossiping when the shepherd’s spread THIS news? So let’s take a look at this verse separately from the story. The angels told the shepherds that God’s message was for us to have peace where we live and to be nice to others. Just think. These instructions from God must be really important if HE included them at the same time he was announcing the Savior’s arrival. God promises peace to people who do his work and follow Him. One way to have this peace is to do as God said and “Love one another.” God wants us to make peace on earth by being kind to everyone. This is a huge task for us to undertake- bring peace to the world! I don’t think God means for you or me to set up peace talks with Iran and Iraq. I think God means for us to bring peace into our world, our world being Charleston, our neighborhood, our school or home. We are bringing peace by being kind to others around us. As we make preparations for Advent, make a list of “peaceful gifts” you can give to others. A smile, a hug, or a kind word are a few suggestions.

Second Wednesday of Advent

Peace/Angels

Glory to God We can learn a good lesson from the angels in the Bible. Not only do the angels deliver God’s messages, but they spend their time praising God. In Luke 2:13 it describes a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God. This meant there were a large number of angels telling God how much they love Him. We all like to hear others say nice things about us. Think about how you feel when a teacher tells you “Good job” or a friend lets you know you are liked. Well, God likes to hear us say nice things about Him. So every time you hear or see something that God has done during this special Advent time, take a minute to “praise Him.” Before you know it, you too may feel just like the angels long ago on that special night--- one of God’s own awesome angels. PRAYER: Dear Lord, we praise you for your son. We thank you for the overflowing love you give us. Thank you for the example the angels set for us to follow. We thank you. We praise you. We love you. The peace and love we feel in our hearts this time of year can easily be shared with others. Help us to have a true giving heart. Amen. How’s that memory verse coming? Don’t forget to practice!

Second Thursday of Advent

Peace/Love The First Christmas Tree As you and your parents struggle to arrange the lights, place the decorations just so and argue over whether the tree you saw would have been better; do you wonder whose idea it was anyway to have a tree?!! Believe it or not the Christmas tree was not intended to be a battle ground for your family. During one winter sometime in the 1500’s, Martin Luther was walking in the forest on Christmas Eve. As he looked heavenward, he was struck by the beauty of the stars twinkling above the trees, and was reminded of the “Light” and hope for peace Christ brought into the world the night he was born. He then thought to take a tree home with him. He placed candles on it to celebrate the Savior’s birth. Next time you place the special angel or golden star on top of the tree and plug the lights in, stand back and take a long look. Admire your work, but also think back to that first tree. Admire the beauty of God’s light and peace that the tree stood for originally. PRAYER: Dear Lord, there is so much to get done before Christmas Eve. Remind us in the hustle and bustle that your peace is there for us to receive. Amen.

Second Friday of Advent

Peace/Angels

“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” There is an interesting story that goes along with the Christmas carol, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. In 1627 the English Puritan Parliament outlawed the writing of Christmas carols because they were part of a worldly festival”. The Parliament thought the celebration of Christmas had become too worldly. (Sound familiar?) As a result not many Christmas songs were written during the 1600s and 1700s. Sometime in the middle of 1700s, Charles Wesley decided that the birth of Christ as told in the scriptures would make a beautiful hymn. He used the Bible verses and put them in the form of a poem. The words were later set to music by the great composer Felix Mendelssohn. Over his lifetime, (1707-1788), Charles Wesley wrote more than 6,500 hymns. The moral of this story could very well be… When Christmas becomes too much of a “worldly festival” all we need to do is look in the Bible for the true reason for the celebration. PRAYER: Dear Lord, history shows us that all throughout time Christmas has become too worldly. Thank you for men like Charles Wesley and the beautiful music you helped them create for our enjoyment. Amen.

Second Saturday of Advent

Peace/Angels

A Little Trivia Here are a couple of trivia questions for you. When was the first Christmas carol sung by a choir? Who was in the choir? Who was in the audience? Give up? The answer can be found in a book you’ve got laying around the house. The Bible is the place to look. Check out Luke 13-13. The first Christmas carol was performed by the angels on the night of baby Jesus’ birth. The performance was for the shepherds watching over their flocks of sheep. A little side note to this trivia game--- The shepherds were afraid at first when they saw and heard the angels. Then the fearful feelings vanished as soon as they heard the message God had sent them. These feelings of PEACE can be ours too when we listen to God’s words for us. “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” (Psalm 56:3) PRAYER: Dear Lord: thank you for our Bible and all the answers that it holds between its cover. May we continue to search the scriptures for the answers to our questions. Without peeking, try saying the memory verse.

Children’s Third Sunday of Advent

LIGHT THE FIRST CANDLE AND SAY: Jesus Christ is our HOPE. LIGHT THE SECOND CANDLE AND SAY: Jesus Christ is our HOPE for PEACE. LIGHT THE THIRD CANDLE AND SAY: This candle represents LOVE because Christ loved us enough to come to earth so that all people can be saved.

Parent: God gave us the gift of Himself. This was a very special gift. Then He gave us the gift of each other. Think of something special you can do today to show a family member or someone else love.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank you for giving yourself to us. Now we want to give ourselves to you. Help us to share your love with others. Amen.

MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK: “For God so loved the world he gave HIS only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

THEME: The third candle of Advent is the LOVE candle. This candle represents the love that God gave to us through the birth of his son. This week we will see how important it is to God for us to show love to each other.

Third Monday of Advent

Love/ Loving Others

Why Do We Prepare? We have talked lots about Advent being the time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child. The reason for all of this preparing needs to be understood. We do these things because of love. The Advent season is filled with love for one another and God’s love. The memory verse for this week is about the love God has for us all. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life, tells us about the first and best Christmas present of them all. This love that God has for us is hard to imagine. If you want to try, take the love you have for someone special in your life, multiply it by 50 zillion, billion, million, and maybe you will get a smidgen of the love God has for each one of us. Just imagine what the size of God’s heart must be! PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for having such a big heart and loving arms to hold us with. Help us to show our love for one another. Amen.

Third Tuesday of Advent

Love/Loving Others

God’s Special People Have you ever thought about where Jesus was born? Why was the new baby King, Savior to the world born in a stable with a manger for his bed? Why were the shepherds the first people to hear about the wonderful birth? After all, the shepherds were poor and stables are smelly! Jesus was a King, he was part of a royal family. God could have chosen any beautiful, rich woman from the best family in town to be Jesus’ mother. God could have made any mighty king Jesus’ earthly father. Instead He chose a poor carpenter and a young girl to be the parents of the Christ child. Joseph and Mary were not wealthy and from fancy homes. They were however, good, obedient followers of God. God doesn’t love us for what is on the outside. He loves us for what is on the inside. The fact that God shared the wonderful news to the shepherds first, and had Jesus’ birthplace in a humble place, shows that the poor have a special place in our Father’s heart. The Bible says we should be God-like in all we do. So it makes sense that we, too, should have a special place for the poor in our hearts. This time of year is a good time to remember the wants and needs of others who are less fortunate. PRAYER: Dear Lord, Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Thank you for each blessing You have given us. Help us to share our blessings with others. Amen.

Third Wednesday of Advent

Love/ Loving Others

God’s Plans Throughout this devotion book, we have talked about all the people who loved the baby Jesus. Much has been written about the warm “fuzzy” feelings of Christmas. Don’t forget the fun we have preparing for Advent. Now that we think about it--- all this does sound a little too good to be true! Maybe we have left out a few small details about some not so happy events. You see there was this one king named Herod. King Herod wanted to spoil the new king’s arrival. He wasn’t too happy about another king being born. Herod thought Jesus might be after his job. (Little did he know!) King Herod sent the wise men on a mission to find the baby and give Him gifts. When they found him, Herod planned to kill the new king. The wise men discovered Herod’s plot in a dream and were warned not to tell Herod any information. After this, Joseph was once again visited by an angel. He was told to take his family to Egypt. In Egypt, they would be safe from an evil king. So you see, even when things are going great, something or someone can throw a wrench into your lives. This is when we must be reminded that God has a plan for each of our lives. He wants to show us the way. However, we need to be like the wise men and Joseph. We must listen for God’s guidance. PRAYER: Dear Lord, we know that everything may not be great all of the time and that we may not be liked by everyone. But your love is greater than any disappointment and is always available for us. Amen. It’s the middle of the week. Do you know half of the memory verse yet? If not, it’s not too late to practice!

Third Thursday of Advent

Love/Loving Others

“Away in a Manger” If we were asked to name the first Christmas song we ever learned, we would likely have the same answer. “Away in a Manger” is probably the best loved children’s carol ever. Both young and old like this song because of the way it tells of the love for Jesus and our dependence on his care. No one knows for sure who wrote the first two verses. Some think they were written by Martin Luther, a great Protestant leader in the 16th century. Supposedly, he wrote them for his children and then the song was passed on by German mothers. The third verse is the part of the song that an author is known for sure. The Methodist minister, Dr. John T. McFarland wrote this verse in the early 1900’s for a children’s day church. That is how we got the completed version of this beloved Christmas carol. Next time you sing it, think about the many children who have loved this song before you. Maybe one day you will be able to teach this song to your own child. PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are so many songs to sing in honor of Christ’s birth. We need to carry a melody or verse with us each day as a reminder of your love and tender care. With a song in our hearts, we say Amen. How’s that memory verse coming?

Third Friday of Advent

Love/ Loving Others

The First Manger Scene Saint Francis of Assisi was a true follower of God. He spent his lifetime sharing God’s love with others, especially the sick and the poor. He also had a real love of animals. St. Francis liked the fact that when Jesus was first born, only the stable animals were there to see the new baby. He thought animals must be really special to God. St. Francis was even able to convince farmers to give their animals more oats and hay on Christmas Eve. This was a way to honor the animals for their part in the birth of baby Jesus. In 1224, as a way to remember this blessed event, St. Francis decided to re-create the entire manger scene. He used people dressed in costume as Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. A wax doll was used for the baby Jesus. He then added real cows, sheep, and a donkey to the stable he had built. Some stories go on to say that at midnight on Christmas Eve, animals are awakened by church bells. They then kneel down and softly sing praises in honor of Christ’s birth just as their ancestors did so long ago. PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for the animals that were first to honor the baby Jesus. Bless all the creatures big and small. Thank you too for the wonderful stories that are passed down for us to enjoy. Amen.

Third Saturday of Advent

Love/ Loving Others

Greatest Story Ever Told The Christmas memory I will always love best occurred every Christmas. I can remember from the time I was two until long after I was married. Every Christmas Eve, my father would gather our family around his chair. He would then begin to read to us what he said, “was the greatest love story ever told.” It was a story about a rich king in a great land. He had the good life until one day his father told him he would have to leave the beautiful kingdom. In this way, he would be able to help some strangers in a new land. When he got to this new land, his life would be as a poor man, and his work would be very hard. Then, after many years, he could return to the magnificent kingdom. My father would read Luke, chapter 2, each year. Only I soon discovered that he wasn’t reading. He had memorized the story from hearing it repeated and repeating it so many times. He had taken God’s word and hidden it in his heart. (Psalm 119:11) Christmas memories and traditions are an important part of a childhood. Make some memories or start a new tradition with your family this year. You’ll be very glad you did. PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for my family. Thank you for parents who share Your word with their children. Through them we can feel God’s love. Amen.

Children’s Fourth Sunday of Advent

Child: I remember that the first candle (lighting it) stands for HOPE, the second candle (lighting it) stands for PEACE, and the third one (lighting it) stands for LOVE. What does the fourth candle stand for? (light it)

Parent: This candle represents JOY.

Child: I think Christmas is the happiest time of the whole year!

Parent: Why do you think that is?

Child: Because of all the presents and excitement?

Parent: Presents are a very important part of Christmas. In giving each other presents , we are copying God, for He gave the whole world a gift on the first Christmas.

Child: The Baby Jesus!

Parent: Exactly! God loves us so much that He gave us more gifts than we could possible pile under the Christmas tree. What other gifts has God given us? Thinking of these things makes me feel so good that I want to thank God. Let’s praise God together, using the words of a psalm.

Psalm 98: 4-6: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre and the sound of melody, with trumpets and the sound of the horn! Make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

PRAYER: Thank you, God for the JOY of this season and the joy that can be with us always because of Jesus. Amen.

MEMORY VERSE FOR THE WEEK: Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” Luke 2:10

THEME: The fourth candle of Advent is the JOY candle. This candle represents the joy that God gave to us through his precious son Jesus. This week we will concentrate our thoughts on the joy that we feel when we give and receive a gift.

Fourth Monday of Advent

Joy/Gifts

DO Open Before December 25th Take a look at your Christmas tree. Let your eyes go from the top to the bottom, all the way down to the presents scattered underneath. Now try to find the best gifts of Christmas. With so many to choose from, it’s probably hard to decide which is the best. All right, how about a little hint--- they’re not under your tree, or in the closet waiting to be wrapped. The best, most precious gifts are given by God through the Holy Spirit. These gifts being looked for are LOVE, JOY, and PEACE. Love is too huge to put in a box. Joy is too noisy to be kept under wraps and how would you keep peace under a tree? These gifts are meant for us to enjoy, and just like a warm plate of Christmas cookies, they are meant to be shared. So don’t save the best for the last. Go ahead! Open these precious gifts early and start enjoying!

PRAYER: Thank you, our kind Heavenly Father, for the best gifts that you give us through your Holy Spirit. Help us to remember that all good things are from God. Amen.

This is a short, busy week. Practice your memory verse while you can.

Christmas Eve/ Christmas Day

Child: I know what candle we light today.

Parent: Yes. We light the candles of HOPE, PEACE, LOVE and JOY. (Light the 4 candles.) Today we light the birthday candle to honor the new born baby Jesus. (Light the candle.)

Child: But we are getting all the presents. Where are Jesus’ birthday presents? After all, it is his day.

Parent: I’m sure Jesus would be delighted to get birthday presents today.

Child: But what can we give him? He doesn’t live on earth anymore. So, how can we give gifts and what could he possibly want?

Parent: What was God’s greatest gift to us? He gave us himself, and we can give ourselves to Him.

Child: I don’t see how.

Parent: The Bible tells us “to give ourselves to him- a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance… (Romans 12:1). In prayer we can offer ourselves to him and do our best to act in ways that please him.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, Happy Birthday! Thank you for giving yourself to us. We want to give ourselves to you. Help us to walk in your love and never forget we are yours. Amen.

December 26

Joy/Gifts

Now That It’s All Over

“Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” “Joy to the World “Rejoice in the Lord Always” “Glory to God in the Highest” “Bah Humbug” “I’m Getting Nothing for Christmas” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” “Are Those All the Presents I Get?”

As you read the two groups of song titles and sayings, your mood and thoughts may change from JOY to Yuck. That is why it is important to keep our minds on the true meaning of Christmas. The birth of Christ is supposed to be a joyous time. We know the word joyful means full of joy--- God’s joy! Be happy this last week of Advent with simple things. You can finish reading a Christmas book, talk about a favorite Christmas memory, or sing Christmas carols. Just because the actual day of Christmas has passed doesn’t mean you can’t still be full of Christmas JOY!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, how wonderful it is to be filled with your joy. Thank you for giving us your son so that we have reason to celebrate. Amen.

Say your memory verse one more time!