Days: 21, 22

We had 2 unique days of Advent. Day 21 was Car-vent edition, where we told the story in the dark car. It's a little hard for them to take it as the "real thing" with no box and no book, no tree, and no Legos! but we convinced them this is the flexibility needed to travel Christmas week and that we would double up on everything the next day.

Day 21: The Prophets
We have already covered in more detail other prophets: Moses, Daniel, Jonah, Elijah, and Isaiah, but this was a general discussion about what a prophet is and characteristics that were foretold about Jesus and His coming. The ornament is is of a cross and crown (red, below) to symbolize prophecies of Jesus as suffering and Savior or King, which was theme we spent a while discussing. It was actually nice doing Advent this way because we had no pressure of time since we were traveling for several hours and no distraction with the chocolate or toy. We spent a lot of the night singing along with the radio and reviewing the songs we have already done this month. Different, but fun night.

If using the Bible or another Bible reader - There is no specific story in BIS for there are several passages to look up and read, like Isaiah 53.
We sang every song we have sung so far while in the car and any that came on the radio.

Day 22: Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist and Mary, mother of Jesus
For this day we had a guest reader, the kids' Pop to read the stories. We read about the miraculous messengers sent to Elizabeth and her cousin, Mary, and their miraculous pregnancies- Elizabeth as an older woman and Mary as a young virgin, chosen to carry the Son of God. There was a Mary chocolate and she is pictured above (purple). My son said it looks like Tinkerbell is coming to visit her, but I was trying to show the angel descending to her. Elizabeth (blue) is below. We ended the night with Nana playing the piano for us, working on our family harmony.

Elizabeth with leaping John the Baptist

If you are following along with the Bible in Stories - pages 438-445

If using the Bible or another Bible reader - Luke 1-2, Matthew 1, John 1 

Songs: "Joy to the World", "O Come, O Come Emanuel", "What Child is this"

Day 17: Elijah

Tonight was fun because we had a two year old little girl roaming around our living room during Advent time. We read about the next of our prophets, Elijah. Now he led an interesting life- fed by ravens, challenging the prophets of Baal, and the vessel for many miracles. He heard God's still, small voice, walked with Him, and then was taken from this life by a fiery chariot. This is why it is Elijah we anticipate at our Passover table. This was an challenging image to create.

Elijah's flaming chariot into heaven

 
If you are following along with the Bible in Stories - summarizing pages 318-321, 326-327, 338-339
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize -1 Kings 17-18, 2 Kings 2
Song: "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

Day 16: King Solomon

Tonight we lit the 3rd Advent wreath candle because we missed it last night. This 3rd candle represented a 3rd means of God's illumination of Himself to us- through the prophets. This goes well since we will be talking about the prophets this week like Isaiah and Elijah.

Day 16: Wise King Solomon

David's son Solomon was chosen to become the next king after David's death. One night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and offered him anything he asked for. Solomon (wisely) asked for wisdom to rule over the people well. The Lord blessed him with riches as well. Solomon, as a king of peace, unlike David, was also allowed to build God's temple. But we talked about how he possessed God's wisdom and the world's wisdom, which led him to marry foreign wives and serve false gods. Wisdom the world gives, does not lead us in prosperous ways either.


The felt and paper ornaments are of  Solomon's ruling over 2 women fighting for one child. Our 4 year old asked how their babies could look so much alike that they got confused (not understanding one had died). The crown we split like suggested in the story of the mothers, and represents his kingdom and riches. After his death, his kingdom would be divided.


If you are following along with the Bible in Stories - summarizing pages 292-309
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize 1 Kings 1-11

Day 10: Moses, Part 2

Day 10: Moses, Part II
Tonight we furthered the story of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt in the great Exodus into the desert. Despite the many, many miracles that they had seen, the people began to worship their own crafted idols and God gave to them His laws written on stone to guide them. We will contrast this later with the truth that those now who believe in Jesus and have His Holy Spirit, have no need for a written Law, because it is written on their hearts.

God had offered for them to become a kingdom of priests, but since they feared to see God and sent Moses up the mountain before God alone, they became a Kingdom with priests. The main ornament is of the Hebrews (dots) passing through the waters and toward the Law (the tan represents the desert). I had an extra ornament with the 10 Commandments I had made, paper ornament, and the chocolate stone tablets, which are one of my favorite designs. They finally got a Spiderman piece which is their biggest clue so far in the Lego kit that we got them that they are assembling progressively. Usually the toy is tied in to the story or significance, but this year that's not quite the case. And then Mommy leaned over on the couch and fell asleep for an hour while Dad put the kids to bed. This was an unusual night.

If you are following along with the Bible in Stories -  pages 154-163, and looking at pictures of Ark of the Covenant, where the 10 Commandments were stored.
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize Exodus 19-34

Day 9: Moses, part 1

Tonight Joseph and Moses showed up for Advent! Vests or robes are one of the easiest kind of costumes to make and they have used them in a million ways. I like their initiative!
  
So far we have covered the first 8 major people and events: Creation, Fall, Flood, Nations & Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. Now we will spend 2 days covering the amazing stories of Moses.

Our Language Arts (My Father's World) and History (Story of the World) have been right on in helping with Advent this year. During our morning lesson we did this fun sticker activity from SOTW with the 10 plagues, reading from Bible in Stories and adding the part to the picture for each one. I am kind of addicted to my home laminator so I made all of the pieces re-positional to be saved for other years.

Day 9: Moses, Part I

Tonight we read about Moses being saved by Pharaoh's daughter, his growing up among the Egyptians but eventually fleeing from them. Then God speaking to him through the burning bush and commissioning him to return to Egypt's Pharaoh to have the Israelites set free, their eventual freedom and the first Passover. We had read about the 10 plagues in detail this morning so we skipped ahead to the miraculous Exodus and how God provided food for them daily in the wilderness. In the box there are paper and felt burning bush and manna ornaments, more Lego pieces, and "manna". My husband had once said he thought manna might have been like Frosted Flakes, but since we didn't have any, Frosted Shredded Wheats had to do. They were received without any grumbling.

If you are following along with the Bible in Stories -  telling by the pictures pages 110-148
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize Exodus 1-16

Day 7: Jacob

Our oldest was enjoying the decoder pin so he made the message of J-A-C-O-B for tonight and put it in the countdown box. Earlier he made us an I LOVE YOU note so I'm not going to put the decoder pin away just yet....

Day 7: Jacob 
There are many stories in our book about the life of Jacob, so we summarized about his twin birth and the names of he and his slightly older brother, the eventual trading of his birthright for soup, Jacob's deceiving his father to receive the blessing, and his fleeing into the desert from his brother. During that time of hiding God appeared to him in a dream and promised to protect him if he returned to his father's land. Jacob then meets Rachel and Leah and has 12 sons who become the 12 tribes of Israel that God would bless and divide. It's on a staircase like this he witnessed angels going up and down to earth in his dream.

They got more parts for the second Lego vehicle in the pack. They crowded around my phone to look at the instructions. A smartphone and 2-day shipping really helped this part of Advent this year! While they figured this out, Donnie and I sang all the verses of "O Come All Ye Faithful" and practiced the 4 year olds song to sing on stage at Church tomorrow.

If you are following along with the Bible in Stories - pages 46-47, summarize through 63
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize Genesis 25-30
"O Come, All Ye Faithful"

Returning the Meaning to Easter

Before it gets too far away from the season, I want to share our passion for celebrating Passover. There is such a richness to becoming part of a service that has been observed for thousands of years, and a meal that Jesus Himself sat down to eat. It has normally been an elaborate part of early spring for us. We have low tables we set up, long tablecloths to iron, hand stamping placecards with the kids, hosting 10 guests, and planning a meal and driving all over our scarcely Jewish area to gather what is needed. But this year with too many major things going on, we decided to observe a simple dinner with just our children on Resurrection Sunday. We spend the week with mid-day and evening readings of Jesus' last week and this is a good culmination, tying in His work of redemption for us, as also characterized in the rescue of God's people through Moses in the Exodus.

There are several things I appreciate about this evening and its part in our lives. Like my role as a woman lighting the Passover candles, giving light to the table, just as Jesus was born of a woman, giving light to the world. The toughness we learned last year of Why the youngest is chosen to answer the 4 questions when it would be easier to chose the oldest. So they are not left out of being taught! This exercise is such a good reminder.
And the humbling ritual of my husband washing our feet as Jesus did for His disciples. It's awkward and freezing and hard not to giggle, and we come to the table with relatively clean feet, but sobering to think of Jesus stooped to wash the dust of this world off the feet of His closest friends that did not understand why and did not fully appreciate what He was doing.

I appreciate the small moments like my 7 year old putting on a wrinkled white button up shirt and tucking it in, to look "special" for the occasion. The joy in hearing him read the responses for the first time since he has learned this year to read. Their excitement for the chocolate coins (which I bought instead of making this year, cutting corners everywhere I could!) given in exchange for the hidden matzah. And ending the evening on the floor as we took requests for hymns and my 3 year old chose the "Grow, grow, grow" song.
It wasn't big or perfect or the best thing I have ever organized but it was special for us. And its meaning and significance has easily replaced other distracting traditions of this season. I pray it will be something my children will grow to understand and always remember.


"Truly, we can say Hallelujah for the great redemption which God has wrought on our behalf."
We lift the cup of Praise because He has made us His people.