Luke 1:20 – Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

Gratitude 691

I pray you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And are enjoying these last days of November.

Tomorrow is a special day. It’s the beginning of Advent, a time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Christ-child.

It’s easy to wonder, “Why do I need to prepare for Jesus’ birthday? We know what happens on Christmas Eve.”

True. We do. Advent is a wonderful opportunity to align our hearts and minds with what the real reason for this season is. A time to reflect upon why Jesus came into the world has a human being. Why God felt this was important and why we are the beneficiaries of this.

There’s a wonder of the season that is so easy to miss. Mary felt this wonder when the angel came and announced that she would be the mother of the Messiah. I pray that we can discover some little bit of wonder this season.

Today, I’m sharing some resources that we can use throughout Advent to prepare for Christ’s birthday. You don’t have to use all of these resources. Pick one or two and focus on them rather than trying to be Superhuman and do them all.

The Season of Almost by Kate Bowler

Kate has written a few books and she has a weekly podcast. She is also a 30-something-year-old cancer survivor. A trained theologian, having cancer changed her view on life. This is reflected in the things she does.

Click here for her free 4-week Advent devotional: https://katebowler.com/advent/?mc_cid=afae53563f&mc_eid=5d856939c0

The Journey by Adam Hamilton

Take a journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph and discover some interesting things along the way. Adam is a pastor and writes for people who want to discover more about their faith.

The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

Ann has written several great books. This is her Advent one. A wonderful read.

Labor of Love song by Andrew Peterson

OK … this is a Christmas Eve song. Truly. But it is so good, I will be listening all Advent long. Please join me in loving this song this Advent.

Daily Text Prayer

Each day, I send out a short daily text prayer at 7 AM CST. Throughout Advent, these little prayers will focus on themes of Advent. To receive this free prayer, text SIMPLEWORDSOFFAITH to 33222.

For the opportunity to discover wonder this Advent, I am grateful.

Blessings –

Dianne

Holy God – Advent is a special time to slow down and remember WHY we celebrate Christmas. In a season that often gets too full and too much, I pray we will discover small ways to turn our hearts to you throughout the season and find the wonder of the greatest gift of all. Amen.

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