No Cards for Christmas!

We didn't get around to cards this year but if we had it would have been something like this...

(photo by Aimee Vandenberg)

If you can't read it, it says,

Have yourself a Mary Christmas!
.....Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet....
Luke 10:38-42

I never made the card but got the idea from a book I heard about on one of my favorite radio stations, KMBI 107.9.

Can Martha Have a Mary Christmas? by Brenda Poinsett

It really just made me think, that is what I want. I want a Mary Christmas, I want to sit at Jesus' feet and be with Him.

Around the same time a friend posted on FB about their families advent book. She gave me the info and we ordered it @ www.adventbook.com

Most nights we open the doors in the book and read the Christmas Story, one exciting moment at a time. It has been wonderful to re-read each day over again as we work our way to day 25. To ponder each detail of the Christmas story is fun.
*To think of how willing Jesus' mother Mary was.
*To think of what it would be like to have angels come and speak to me.
*To think of how John the Baptist leaped in the womb when Mary entered the home.
*To think of becoming a mother at an old age like Elizabeth.

After we read we turn off the lights and sing carols in the candle light and light of the tree. It doesn't really sound pretty to any human ears, but I know Jesus is smiling.

The kids love it. They love the mystery of what is behind the unopened doors. They love time together and they love when we do a little extra and top off the night with cider or hot cocoa. Eli sings with us and gets so excited when he helps open a door. Gavin even asks to do advent. He is often difficult when we try to do family devotions. He doesn't want to participate and be quiet, but with this book and the songs he is fully engaged and loving every minute of it.

We love to do fun Christmas stuff, buying gifts for the kids and watching them hide in their room while they make gifts for us. We love decorating and eating cookies. And We loved being part of a beautiful Christmas Drama at church. These really are great things, but as it comes closer to the celebration of Jesus' birth, I really do just want to sit at his feet, just like Mary.