Ministry Minute and the Parenting Place--Advent Week 2

Hi, everyone!  Hope you are having a wonderfully blessed Christmas season!  WOW, is your December already shaping up to be as busy as ours?  This weekend alone we have been to a Christmas Civil War play with our boys, Disney on Ice with my daughter, kids' choir practice, etc. 

We did make time tonight for Advent, however, and what a fun night it was.  Around here, we celebrate HOPE on night #2.  Remember, your Advent devotions can happen on any night of the week--Sunday just works well for us.  We lit our 2nd candle and sang our Advent song: Light one candle for hope, one bright candle for hope, He brings hope to everyone, He comes, He comes.  For tonight's theme of hope we did a couple of group sharing activities.  First we each shared 1 gift we were hoping to get this Christmas.  (Of course, my husband Kevin wished for a new truck, which he will not be getting LOL).  Then we each shared a hope we had for another person.  We prayed for each of these requests, including sick friends and family needs.

Sadie reviewed last week's lesson for us about love, and then the boys read aloud from Luke 2:1-7.  We talked about how long ago on that Christmas night, the world had no idea that the greatest gift of hope had entered the world through the miracle of a tiny baby. 

For our snack we made chocolate chip Christmas trees.  For our craft I cut the letters HOPE and a Christmas tree shape out of simple cardboard.  Then we painted and glittered these for hanging on our Advent tree. 

Of course, the night couldn't end without opening Advent gift #2--a Max Lucado DVD for Sadiebug and a Bible Man DVD for Tucker and Tate.  Christmas blessings to all of you!  Praying for each of you as this season unfolds before us!