I’ve gone back and forth more times than I would like to admit if I was going to put an Advent study up on the blog. Not because I don’t enjoy Advent but it was all about time not being on my side. I had decided against it until Jamie Truwe of Pure Joy Creative showed me what she had for Advent on her Etsy shop! When I saw them I knew I wanted to write something that coincided with it. I know my kids will love them.
This will be an uber-simple study with beautiful illustrations from Jamie.
While it may be simple I am looking forward to seeing how all of these things that are represented in the Advent calendar are freely given to us because of Christ. He freely gives us Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, and even himself.
Each candle has a coloring sheet from Jamie and each one will have a devotion from me and I will post them on Sunday. The devotions will be on the blog to be read right from the world wide web and there will be a downloadable version if you don’t want to stare at your screen. There will be a devotional reading for Sunday with questions for your family and then 4 other ‘days’ of Bible readings and questions and perhaps activities. Fit them into your schedule however you would like. The selected Bible readings will coincide with the candle.
The week of November 29th the Bible readings will be on Hope.
December 6th the Bible readings will be on Love.
December 13th the Bible readings will be on Joy
December 20th the Bible readings will be on Peace
And on December 23rd it will be about the source of all good things, Christ.
2020 has been a year. It has been a year when many of us are looking for Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. This study will be a good reminder that those things can only be found in Christ. Not only are they found in Christ but he gives them to us freely.
Having the candles burning in our home reminds us that whatever darkness we face it can NOT overcome the light. Even a tiny flickering candle will be seen in utter darkness and perhaps appear brighter. As John 1:5 tells us:
“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
I’m looking forward to shedding light on the Hope we have because of Christ, the love He pours out on us, the secure joy we have because of his work, and the peace he gives that passes all understanding.
Remember today and every day that HOPE, LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE all shine in the darkness. They shine because they are freely given to us by Christ and his light will never be overcome by darkness.
Loved In Spite of Self 
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