The First Gift

I find myself drooling over the Target Black Friday ad that is already out, tempting me in every way.  I have already had the boys make out their Christmas wish lists, laughing at the few things they put down.  A laptop?  Oh, you must be a teenager now! Extra Cheddar Goldfish?  Now that is more like it!

Before the season is upon us, let us all stop and ask ourselves if we want this year to look like all the others.  Personally, I want to make gradual changes so that even the small things point more to Jesus and His worth instead of all the other things that seem to rob the miracle of Holy-God encased in mere mortal flesh.

This post gave me pause.  I agreed with some, not with some...but that is the point.  Be purposeful and remake this season into how you as a family want to honor the humble King.

This year, we are trying something new.  We ordered the book "Jotham's Journey" which is a storybook for children during the Advent season.  Before we go buy them a few gifts for Christmas, we want to start with this first gift, a gift that will point them to the beating heart of the Ultimate Gift.  We so want to see Him freshly this year.

I devoured the whole thing today, wondering if it could be as good as I had hoped. It really went beyond my expectations!  It was full of mystery and suspense.  It told the story of arriving at the manger in a fresh way, through a boy of only ten years.  Jotham must go through a lot of heartache to reach the Messiah, but what he learns along the way is priceless.  He learns about respecting authority, the consequences of sin, and telling the truth. 

This book is meant to be read as a family a chapter a day, starting with the Advent season, which starts on December 1st this year.  So, if you order now, you can start on time!

Here is to one small change amidst the chaos and materialism.