The calendar flipped to November in a blink. Seven Saturdayās until Christmas. A handful until Thanksgiving. The to-do lists jog onto two, even three pages. Lifeās abuzz with the excitement of the holiday seasonāa season of joy and gratitude and Godās goodness.
But in the busyness, joy can slip through our fingers.
The pressure to perform and produce can leave us feeling weary in the marrow of our being. Smiles become forced. Sparkling eyes grow dim.
In Fight Back With Joy book and Bible study, I share what began as a journey of joy and soon became a terrifying expedition when I was diagnosed with cancer. Tortured alive through brutal experiments, joy felt so out of reach.
But somewhere along the way, I discovered that more than whimsy, joy is a weapon we use to fight lifeās battles.
You see, the Bible resounds with a sacred call to live in joy. We are meant to radiate joy everywhere we go.
Hereās one proven tactic that you can practice today to bump up your joy-o-meter:
Sidle Up to The Lighthearted.
With all the responsibilities that come with a busy fall, itās easy to give into a getter done, check-it-off the list mindset. Everything and everyone can soon become projects. Levity disappears. Thatās why itās so important to spend time with people who remind you not to take life, ministry, or yourself too seriously.
Who tells the best jokes, makes you laugh the hardest, and lives as a bundle of joy?
Make a list of names. Pick up the phone and schedule time to get together and just laugh. Enjoy each other. Allow their lightheartedness to rub off on you.
Need an extra-special boost of joy?
Volunteer in the kindergarten room at church. Play with a group of children. Toddlers have lots of joy and I bet theyāre willing to share.
This week, we’re giving three people the chance to win a copy of my sweet friend, Ann Voskamp‘s newest Advent devotional, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas. What a perfect opportunity to take time during this Advent season and share in the joy of your grandkids, nieces, nephews, kiddos, and friends.
ThisĀ week, we’re giving awayĀ The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas andĀ Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of ChristmasĀ by Ann Voskamp.
The Greatest Gift: Hundreds of thousands of readers have already fallen in love with Ann Voskamp’sĀ OneĀ Thousand Gifts, and this Christmas, Ann invites readers into the rich and meaningful celebration of Christmas we all long for — a celebration of the complete love story that’s been coming for you since the very beginning.
In what is certain to become an instant holiday classic, Voskamp reaches back into theĀ pages of the Old Testament to explore the lineage of Jesus — the greatest gift — through the majestic advent tradition of “The Jesse Tree,” each day featuring its own exquisite ornament highlighting the Biblical story (free download of each of the 25 ornaments available from Voskamp’s website, annvoskamp.com).
Sure to become a holiday staple in every Christian home,Ā The Greatest Gift,Ā a New York Times bestseller,Ā is the perfect gift for the holidays and a timeless invitation into the richness of the true meaning of Christmas.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: Based on the overwhelming success ofĀ The Greatest Gift, Ann Voskamp has expanded her presentation of the timeless Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree so families can celebrate together. Each day, families can read the provided Scripture passage (in connection with the original book), engage with a specially written devotion to help children of all ages understand the Advent theme for the day, and participate in suggested activities to apply the theme.
This special edition is beautifully illustrated. It can serve as a precious guide to help recapture the sacredness of the Advent season and to help the entire family understand and celebrate the epic pageantry of humankind from Adam to the Messiah.
(RSS Subscribers, click here to view.)
The three winners will be selected and announced on Friday. Each person will choose which book they would like.
Well, sadly to say we’ve never celebrated Advent. However, on this day my heart ponders how Mary must’ve felt to hold the most precious gift we’ve ever been given in her arms. The Savior of the world, lying there in a lowly manger, He was the ultimate gift!
I am currently 9 days away from birthing our baby boy. We discussed the fact that we want Bennett to learn to give back to others. So starting this year we will be doing a “Blessing from Bennett” to a needy family for Christmas/Advent. We will teach HIm the true meaning of Christmas and how the most precious gift ever given was born in a lowly manger!
We will definitely be incorporating Advent into our new little family!
This question makes me laugh so hard. I have had good intentions to creatively and routinely celebrate advent for about 7 years now. I buy materials to make an advent calendar (after I have spent way to much time researching it) and promptly get so behind in doing it, I never start with the fun way to celebrate. So, usually, I just end up reading a few passages of a devotional when I can remember.
However, this year, I’m getting Ann’s book. AND I have already bought a cheap advent calendar with chocolate for my daughter:-)
I am in constant thought every Christmas season on how I can emphasize Christ and not gifts within my family of 5. 3 little kids at home under 8 – I try to be very thoughtful when organizing activities such as setting up the manger, reading the bible, and making Jesus a birthday cake š
I definitely want more of a Christ-centered Christmas. So I will be decorating with Him in mind and hang things on our little tree that will reflect that. With the world spinning out of control we all definitely need to cling to Him. And to also see who else needs Him during this season.
We’ve done Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree devotional for a couple of years, but it’s kind of tough for little kids like ours (5, 3, and 6mos). I’d love to acquire Unwrapping the Greatest Gift for exactly that reason and add it to our other traditions.
We have an advent house that has 24 doors to be opened through December. Each year I put a scripture verse for each day and a trinket related to the reading or special candy. I like to put different verses or themes each year so this would be a nice change now that our daughter is 14.
Hoping this will finally be the year that our family celebrates Advent at home. Although both my and my husband’s churches have observances, we have never really observed it at home. I am planning on making a centerpiece for our table so that we can remind the kids and ourselves to really anticipate Christ’s birth.
I am sad to admit that we do not have any advent traditions. I work in retail and unfortunately it takes all the joy out of Christmas. This year I am determined to do better!!
Beginning on December 1, we carve away time every day to focus our heart and mind on His coming through using God’s Word. Our collective hearts ring each evening goodnight. Let every heart prepare Him room!
My family has not had an Advent celebration at all, not growing up either. Growing up, our Christmas tradition was going to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. I loved it! I was disappointed when our church quit having midnight mass. I did read Ann Voskamp’s Advent book last year, and shared the printable ornaments with my grandkids to color and put on their Christmas tree. Ann gave me my first introduction to celebrating Advent, and I am thankful to her for that.
I did Ann’s advent celebration last year. It was the first time we had done something like that. We decided to make it a tradition. I browsed through her new book at the Family Christian Store. I would love to have it. Have added it to my list. The older I get the more focused I have become on the true meaning of Christmas.
Sadly we don’t have one yet! My family members aren’t believers so growing up it wasn’t even talked about. Now that I am and I’m trying to point my kids to Christ, I would love to do something like use Ann’s books to start a tradition.
MY family never celebrated Advent when I was growing up hence, I don’ really have an understanding of it. I never celebrated with my kids either.
Now my sons are grown and gone and I’m a refresher course and a more intimate journey with God.
I’d love to learn about Advent from Margaret, Ann’s new book and any readers here who would like to share.
Be blessed and be a blessing.
We have several Advent traditions. I have a book of Advent readings for myself. We have a beautiful count down calendar from DaySpring. I buy one of those cheap cardboard countdowns with a little chocolate square in each day for my 5 year old. Every night in December, I read her the Christmas story- swapping around from Bible story books, the Message version, NIV and KJV. We’ve used some of Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree ornaments, but honestly, my daughter has been a little young for that so far. I’m excited about this new book!
And to encourage others, my family never did anything for Advent growing up. I was bound and determined to do differently for my daughter. We started when she was 3, and that year was really hit or miss, probably did 10-12 days out of the whole month. Next year, she was 4 and we were a bit more faithful. Then last year, it was finally feeling successful! I’m very excited for this year. It is the most important time of year for Christians (along with Easter).
This book from Ann would be a wonderful addition to my gifts for my sister or daughter-in-law. May the Lord use her writing to bring many to the Lord.
We don’t really have an Advent tradition! I would love to start one this year!
Did you know that you can’t have an instagram account unless you have a smartphone? I just found out when I tried to follow you, Margaret, on Instagram. I have to first download the app to my smartphone. I don’t have a smartphone. š
Would love to win! Thanks for offering this giveaway! Be blessed š
I’m giving The Greatest Gift to my dad for his birthday!
One of our family Advent traditions: light candles, read a few verses, sing carols (song choices by request) with my 16-year-old accompanying on the piano, then eat cookies. This happens every Sunday for four Sundays. š
This will be our first year to celebrate Advent as a family. But we will be reading Ann’s book “The Greatest Gift” and doing the coloring pages with our small children. (Hoping to win the second book!)
I grew up in a tradition that did advent…but really did not have much meaning… I love now rediscovering the depth of Advent… my kids are grown now…but I love sharing these kinds of books with them so they can start rich, meaningful traditions with their kids. blessings and continued prayers~
We’ve always done an advent reading, with the candles & wreath. In the past I’ve found little books here & there and for the past few years, we’ve done Ann’s and my kids loved cutting out & decorating the ornaments:) I think it is so helpful to have resources that make it easy for the family!
I wish I could say we have advent traditions in our family, but we dont. I would like to be more Christ focused during the holidays. We have the manger scene and talk about it, we sing faith based christmas songs and carols and attend our church’s christmas eve candlelight service, but I think we should be more christ focused leading up to the holiday. We teach our kids to give and share like operation christmas child shoeboxes but I think we need to concentrate more on the why we are doing these things..its all about Jesus.!
We did the Jessie Tree last year and have done Advent calendars as well throughout the years.
When they were younger it was reading a Christmas picture book each night. Now that they are older we might read a chapter from Christmas chapter book (maybe A Christmas Carol). Plus a visit from St Nicholas on his feast day.
We read one Christmas book per night right now since my kids are little (5 and under).
Not special advent tradition but loved seeing replies and maybe will have one this year!
It’s just my husband and I now, but we still light the advent candles each night and read a passage in the Bible.
We do not have an Advent tradition. Its hard with a special needs child to do every thing every night. We try to read on regular nights from a family or child’s devotion. I have read from a Bible app last Christmas season.
Being newly married, I’d love to start making new advent traditions!!
Growing up, it was always so special to see a different advent candle lit at church and discover what it meant!
“More than whimsy, joy is a weapon we use to fight life’s battle.” What a great quote. My family doesn’t really know that much about advent, but for a few years now, I’ve been wanting to celebrate advent. I love Ann Voskamp and her writing, and it would be so interesting to learn about The Jesse Tree and make it a new tradition. I truly need and want to experience Jesus as the greatest gift of all. Thank you for this lovely giveaway!
Our advent we usually try to do a nightly devotion (and usually fall behind by week 2–thankful for grace there!) and we have a felt ornament tree wall hanging that was my husbands as a child and the kids take turns hanging the ornaments. Would love to use Ann’s new book with the family this year!
Our advent seasons have varied some throughout the years. I suppose we’re still searching for our best fit. We have used the Focus on the Family advent devotions and activities for the last couple of years.
We did not celebrate advent as I was growing up….. so I want to start the tradition with my family but
we haven’t yet.
I am starting with Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree. I just got The Greatest Gift and I am excited to start this tradition.
So in need of refocusing my faith and setting deeper roots. thankful that you blog nudges me toward that regularly.
My family has never celebrated Advent, but I am interested in finding out what it is about.
While I’ve always had good intentions of doing advent activities as a family, in reality it seems hit & miss. Our favorite from when the kids were little was the Do You See What I See? book. Good devotions & a fun activity each day!