the most wonderful time of the year?

Every year I want advent to be a special time for our family of preparing to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world. And every year it's more like a frenzied whirlwind of yuletide chaos. But this year, I found a fun Advent wreath at Target to assist our family in a nightly time of focusing our hearts and minds on Jesus.

My plan was to not only have a little treat in each day, but a verse or activity or prayer. I was so excited about the idea as I began brainstorming ideas to include. I even imagined the post I would do about our family's delightful advent season. Then I actually, consciously thought, "Wait. Maybe I better not do a post about it, but save it instead to publish as a book someday." Seriously? As if there aren't 116 books out there on advent devotions for kids? But such was my frame of mind. But wait, there's more. As I considered both my book and my post, I thought (again consciously), "Well, I'll have to be careful because I want to be sure not to put anyone under the pile with my ideas."

Well I need not have worried about that. Not only would no one be put under the pile by the way these advent devotions have been going in my family, any book I would write would be a pile of doggie doo! The book I would be qualified to write would be titled "How Advent Devotions Can Cause You to Declare Temporary Insanity". I was forlorn by the lack of appreciation my children had for my pearls of wisdom. How did I turn a family time intended to focus on Christ into something that was all about me???? Believe me, I'm an expert. I was distraught by the fact that they were far more interested in the jelly bellies than the discussion about preparing our hearts for Christmas. Imagine that: children loving candy!

But most of all, I am saddened by the ugliness in my own heart. Thank you Jesus that you came to rescue me. I know I need it. Maybe that is the best way for me to prepare for celebrating his birth: to recognize my need for a Savior and thank Him lavishly for His mercy toward me. The one who plans the family devotions for her kids, but fails to realize while doing so that she needs it more than anyone.

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy..." Titus 3:4,5