brill family Christmas

So it's here & time & we are excited.

Been sitting on some Scripture these last weeks that speak to the attitudes of my heart.

"You will make known to me the paths of life.  In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever."  Psalm 16:11

What am I characterized by?  Is it joy?  Do I exude the fullness of joy that comes from walking and being led by Christ?  Or is it more of complaining and as if I am living barely scraping by?  This very encourages me so much...the promises are enormous.  He will make known to me the paths of life.  In His presence is fullness of joy.  At His right hand are pleasures forever.  I desire to experience the fullness of joy that comes from being in His presence.  I long to be characterized by joy that points directly to Christ.  Not happiness or false cheerfulness, but joy that is rooted in faithfully trusting and walking with Jesus.

It makes me smile to think about.  I am praying that as we enter into this Christmas season our family will be more and more characterized by joy and by lives that reflect the fullness of Christ.

On that note, we're trying to be intentional about our Christmas season every year.  First off, I decided this year that I wanted to get done with my shopping before December 1st.  I honestly didn't think I could do it.  The day after Thanksgiving I was way off from my goal but got motivated, made a list, and went to work!  I'd say I pretty much got it done before December 1!  Andrew & I like to take a date night in December to do some shopping for our kids stockings, and I have a few straggling things to finish, but overall, I'm done!  Such a good, good feeling.  My hope and prayer is that I will have a little bit less stress and more time to focus with my family on Christ during this advent season.  

We've also been doing regular advent devotionals with our kids.  Andrew's mom gave us a few years back a Jesse Tree.  It represents the genealogy of Jesus and the daily ornaments and Scripture tell the story of God's salvation plan from creation on.  We have a special 3 foot tree that we set up and put lights on and then each night we take out the next ornament, read the Scripture and talk about what the ornament represents.  The Jesse Tree comes with lots of Scripture you can use but we have pared it down for our kids.  

One of our goals is that our kids would be very familiar with the Christmas story and the people in it.  So we have divided up the Bible stories of Christmas in the Jesus Storybook Bible and we read one a night.  Then we talk about the different people, who they were, what they did or said, why it mattered.  After a few readings they really have been catching on and it is great to watch their little minds expand and learn and ask good questions.

Lastly, we pick one memory verse for the month of December and introduce them to one new Christmas hymn.  This year we are memorizing Matthew 1:21, 

"She will bear a Son, you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."  

And our hymn is Come Thou Long Expected Jesus.  We have it on a cd and sing it with them during our devotions.  

One thing Andrew has been saying as we've been talking about the birth of Christ is that so often we spend Christmas time very reflective of a past action, a baby being born.  Obviously, that is good and right but he has pointed out that the birth of Christ fulfilled a deep, long, expectant waiting time for all those before Christ.  A promised hope come true.  His birth now leads us to redemption and to our own deep and expectant waiting time; waiting for His return, for a promised hope that will someday come true.  Our hope is that we will instill in our family the excited anticipation of His birth, that we would celebrate that, and that it would push us onward towards excited anticipation of His return.  

       Come, thou long expected Jesus, 

 born to set thy people free; 
 from our fears and sins release us, 
 let us find our rest in thee.  
 Israel's strength and consolation, 
 hope of all the earth thou art; 
 dear desire of every nation, 
 joy of every longing heart.

 Born thy people to deliver, 
 born a child and yet a King, 
 born to reign in us forever, 
 now thy gracious kingdom bring. 
 By thine own eternal spirit 
 rule in all our hearts alone; 
 by thine all sufficient merit, 
 raise us to thy glorious throne.