Advent Devotions & Christmas Crafts for Families: 24 Scripture Reflections & Simple Projects to Anticipate Christ's Birth
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About this ebook
Keep the Focus on Jesus this Christmas with 24 Family Devotions for Advent!
The flurry of shopping, gift giving, recitals, and parties adds a certain amount of tension to a season meant to be infused instead with awe and wonder. Ask most families what the focus of Christmas really is and they will readily answer that it is the birth of Christ, yet so many of us find ourselves overwhelmed with activities, travel plans, hosting, and more. Trying to prepare our hearts and our families to celebrate His birth becomes secondary while we try to survive the busyness!
Victoria Duerstock wants to support families in their desire to make Christ the focus of all their celebrations this Christmas. Each day of this family devotional includes not only a Scripture and short short reflection for the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas, but also inviting full-color images and simple Christmas crafts that can be done as you focus on the rich meaning of this season. Find easy-to-follow instructions for:
- Stained Glass Ornaments
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Soap
- Mason Jar Luminaries
- Homemade Marshmallows
- Scrap Ribbon Tree Ornaments
- And many more!
Advent Devotions & Christmas Crafts for Families will be your new favorite holiday tradition. It makes a wonderful early Christmas gift for kids, parents, or grandparents!
Victoria Duerstock
Victoria Duerstock is a writer, blogger, teacher, and speaker. Her mission is to intentionally seek to inspire hope and ignite bigger dreams for God’s purpose in each of our stories. She also enjoys speaking at writer’s conferences and boot camps about platform building and life lessons for writers. Duerstock has a master’s degree in music, but ended up working in the furniture industry for over twenty years. She maintains the blogs Encouraging Women Today, Everything’s Gravy, and Creative Corner. She manages content for Serious Writer Academy and also has contributed to devotionals for Worthy. She lives in Nesbit, Mississippi.
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Advent Devotions & Christmas Crafts for Families - Victoria Duerstock
Introduction
I have always enjoyed family time, especially around the holidays. It is such a blessing to set aside time together to reflect on Christ’s birth. What a joy to share some of our family’s special projects and reflections with you!
The crafts and devotions that follow are meant to cover a wide variety of ages and abilities. You will find that certain crafts will require a little more attention from older kids or adults, while others are quite simple. You may want to look ahead at the beginning of each week to decide which projects your family will do and what supplies you may need.
There is one devotion and one craft for each day in December leading up to our joyous celebration of the birth of Christ. The weeks follow the traditional Advent themes of hope, love, joy, and peace.
I pray your family will be blessed with time together and time to consider the beauty of what this season means.
HOPE
DECEMBER
1
Holding My Breath
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1 (KJV)
Just like we look forward to Christmas Day, the Jewish people waited for their King. Their Messiah had been promised but still had not arrived. The waiting went on and on and on. The countdown was so long, in fact, that God was silent to His chosen people, the Jews, for over 400 years!
Some of God’s people forgot what they were taught. Others remembered and taught their children and their grandchildren all of God’s promises. These promises included the one about their coming rescuer and promised King.
At Christmas we celebrate the arrival of that King, the Messiah. We anticipate all the fun of Christmas Day like unwrapping presents, eating favorite foods, and playing games with our families. Advent, the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas, is a reminder for us of how the Jews waited and watched for the signs of their arriving rescue.
This Christmas, as you count down to Christmas Day, remember how the Jews awaited their King all those many years ago!
Dear Jesus, we thank you so much for fulfilling the promise to the Jews and coming to earth to redeem us. Help me remember while I wait for Christmas Day that Christmas is really about this promise fulfilled.
Reflections:
Have you ever been promised something, but you had to wait for it?
What were the Jewish people waiting to be rescued from?
Read Joshua 21:45, Joshua 23:14, and Philippians 1:6. What are some things we learn about God’s promises?
Let’s Make a Gift! M&M Cookie Mix in a Jar
INGREDIENTS:
•1½ cups all-purpose flour
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•½ teaspoon baking soda
•¼ teaspoon salt
•1¼ cups holiday M&M’s
•⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
•½ cup granulated sugar
•1-quart mason jar
DIRECTIONS FOR ASSEMBLING JARS:
1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Pour into the bottom of a 1-quart mason jar. You can use a funnel or a rolled paper plate to assist.
2. Top the flour mixture with M&M’s, dropping them in lightly, so that they don’t sink into the flour.
3. Top the M&M’s with brown sugar, and then granulated sugar (use a spoon to carefully scoop the sugars into the jar).
4. Seal with the lid. You can decorate the lid if you want to!
RECIPE TO INCLUDE WITH THE JAR:
M&M Cookies
Each jar makes approximately 20 cookies.
1. In a large bowl, whisk ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter with 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the contents of the jar