U R FORGIVEN, start FRESH, B FAITHFUL - FREE Download

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Happy New Year!

I love New Years because it is a wonderful time to start FRESH.
It doesn't matter how bad we messed up in 2012. That is all behind us now.
Tell God (and whoever else you need to) you are sorry, and you are ready to do better.
God is FAITHFUL to FORGIVE us!
It is now time for the new you that is FAITHFUL in all things. You can do all things through Christ!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
 The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!" - II Corinthians 5:17

This month's character focus is on FAITHFULNESS.

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Character Mom and family!

 

I am taking a break from the computer to celebrate this wonderful season with my family.

Let me encourage you to do the same and to remember to
keep Christ in Christmas as you celebrate!

Our Favorite Christmas Tradition! - FREE advent activity calendar

Christmas can be overwhelming! Don't go crazy trying to do every activity under the sun with your kids. Just pick a few of your favorites and make them memorable.

The best traditions are fun, simple, purposeful and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages year after year.

My kid's favorite is the Advent Box because daily they get to open a little door that reveals a tiny surprise!

(It's not too late to start, you may find advent boxes on sale at this time of year:))

I love it because it helps me to remember to do something simple daily to prepare my children and my own heart to be loving, kind, and generous during the Christmas season.

My sister makes her Advent Box super simple by just putting candy (Ande's mints are my favorite) in every box and using that moment to talk about the wonders of Christmas.

Since this is the main tradition we have, I have tried to make our Advent Box a little more purposeful by filling each box with an item that leads us to an activity or object that teaches us more about the reason for the season - Christ!

All I did was look for tiny Christmas objects that I already had or were easy to purchase (check out oriental trading) such as magnets, felt crafts, tiny ornaments, or printable cutouts off Pinterest. Then thought about what we can learn from these objects.

For example:
  1. Stars/Candle - Daniel 12:3 - Shine for Jesus! Go star gazing.
  2. Coin - Acts 20:35 - Is Christmas all about money? It is more blessed to give than to receive.
  3. Bells -  Psalm 95: 2 - Make a joyful noise with music and praise! Play musical chairs.
  4. Angel - Luke 2:14 - Messenger of God. Make an angel craft.
  5. Wisemen (and any or all of their gifts) - Matt. 2:1-12 - Wisemen still seek Him. Scavenger Hunt.
  6. Heart - John 3:16 - For God so loved the world...
  7. Cross - John 3:16 - What does the cross have to do with Christmas?
  8. Candy Cane - Luke 2:8 - What can we learn from Shepherds? Pretend play shepherd and sheep.
  9. Tiny Present - John 10:10 &11 - What is the best gift anyone has ever gotten?
  10. Tiny manger or basket - Luke 2:1-20 - Place baby doll in empty basket or manger that has been under the tree since beginning of December.

You get the idea. I think you can take it from here. Get creative. Make it personal with photos of your family or homemade items by your kids.  Let the kids come up with things to put in the boxes, or see the free advent calendar below for more ideas.

Get a free advent calendar from ThrivingFamily.com http://www.thrivingfamily.com/free/advent.aspx

What is one of your family's favorite Christmas traditions?