Since Grayson is finally at an age where he is beginning to understand what Christmas is really all about (or at least what it should be about), we're trying to be more intentional this year with how we celebrate...which brings me to some Grayson Greatness!
Story #1
I found a cute little Advent Nativity craft at Hobby Lobby where you stick on the people and animals in the Nativity scene, and then it comes with 25 stars to count down the days until Christmas. I was explaining how it worked for Grayson today...
Me: "After you put one star on every day, and all 25 are on there, it will be Christmas, which is Jesus' Birthday!"
Grayson intently studied Baby Jesus for a few minutes and said, "Where his cake?"
So, Brad and I decided we would just have to make one of our traditions making Baby Jesus a cake this year :)
Story #2
I knew we needed to clear out some of Grayson's toys before the hopeless spoiling begins by our families. I thought about just sneaking in his room when he wasn't looking and gathering the ones I knew he didn't play with and weren't sentimental enough to pass along to his future siblings, but I decided to run the idea by him first.
Me: "Hey buddy, how would you feel if we gave away some of your toys that you don't play with anymore to some kids who don't have toys?"
Gray: "Kids no have toys?"
Me: "No, there are some kids who don't have any toys. Would it be okay if we give away a few of yours?"
Gray: "Yes, I give my toys to kids who no have toys!" As he started quickly filling boxes with his toys.
I had to remind him that we didn't need to give away ALL his toys, only the ones that weren't special or he didn't play with anymore. It was precious to see his sweet little heart.....and when Brad got home, he proudly shouted, "I give my toys to kids!" He was still talking about it as he went to sleep tonight :)
He was pretty upset that Baby Jesus didn't have any cake :)
Ideas for Moms
As we establish our own family traditions and I have looked for curriculum for our pre-school department at church, I have run across a few cool things that I thought I might pass along to other Moms who might be looking.
Ministry-To-Children.com
I love this website! For Christmas, they have printable children books that break the Christmas story down into 3 parts for little ones, a free printable Advent coloring book, a book that ties many of our Christmas traditions back to Christ, and many other cool activities. You can also sign up for a weekly e-newsletter that will send you cool lessons, games and crafts throughout the year!
Verses for Advent
I was also looking for Christmas verses broken down over 25 days to read for family devos over the month. With as much as I hear people talk about Advent, I thought it would be an easy find, but it really wasn't. So, I just made my own, re-working the break down from a few different websites. So, in the off chance that anyone else is looking, I thought I'd paste them below. This is NIV but it would be easy to translate into a children's version.
Dec. 1:
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Dec. 2:
Matthew 1:18-24 “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
Dec. 3
Luke 1:26-33 “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Dec 4
Luke 2:1-5 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”
Dec. 5
Luke 2:6-7 “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
Dec. 6
Luke 2:8-9 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”
Luke 2:10-12 “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Dec. 7
Luke 2:13-14 “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Dec. 8
Luke 2:15-16 “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Dec. 9
Luke 2:17-18 “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Dec. 10
Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
Dec. 11
Luke 2:20 “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
Dec. 12
Luke 2:21 “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.”
Dec. 13
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Dec. 14
Matthew 2:1-2 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Dec. 15
Matthew 2:3-6 “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler ho will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Dec. 16
Matthew 2:7-8 “Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Dec. 17
Matthew 2:9 “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.”
Dec. 18
Matthew 2:10-11 “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Dec. 19
Matthew 2:12-15 “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Dec. 20
Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
Dec. 21
1 John 4:7-16 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”
Dec. 22
John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Dec. 23
John 8:12 “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Dec. 24
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Dec. 25
Psalm 100 “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
