let every heart {and home} prepare Him room

There are so many blog posts about how to keep Christ in Christmas that it can seem a little overwhelming.

I thought I'd just post a few things here that are simple, make beautiful memories and really allow the true meaning of the season to sink into the busy heads and hearts of our families.

These ideas are, if you will, "space-makers" to truly prepare Him room.

Christmas can and should involve all the senses!  Sound, sight, taste, touch, smell.  Using all our sense gives the season a heightened importance and creates an atmosphere of anticipation in the house.  After all, that is what Advent means - "coming" from the Latin word adventus.  We are celebrating not only Jesus "coming" as a baby into our world, but also preparing our hearts for the day when he is "coming" back.

Let our hearts and homes prepare Him room!

1.  The Language of the Heart...music

As soon as the supermarkets start playing Christmas carols - so do we.

Not the excruciating supermarket kind, but the beautiful Amy Grant, Hillsong, Michael W. Smith variety.  Bringing back the classic Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra is pretty fab too.

The kids know that as soon as those carols start playing, change is afoot!

I love that!  There is a paradigm shift in our house.  We are in a season of preparation, anticipation and joy. {also a season of end of year concerts which heralds stress....so the upbeat carols are really, really helpful}

2.  Fill the home with light and fragrance

 If you don't normally have a lit candle at the dinner table, or in the home generally, light a candle each day of Advent.  It will prompt questions from the kids.  

Why do we have that candle on?  

Can I light the candle tonight?  

It builds anticipation, promotes questions, gives you a chance to relate stories of Jesus being the "Light of the World" etc.  It also shows guests in your home that this is a special time of year. Something is different. As a bonus, your home gets to smell like Christmas! Glasshouse have a lovely range which can be found in most homewares stores.

3.  Undertake a personal Advent devotional.

I usually choose a different one each year.  This year I'm doing this:

When you purchase the book you also get to download free printable ornaments for a Jesse Tree or your Christmas tree which is a bonus! 

I also really like the sound of "The Women of Christmas" devotional, but I'd already bought The Greatest Gift.  I think I'll do it next year:

4.  Do an Advent devotional with the kids.

If you have kids and you haven't got the Jesus Storybook Bible - run, don't walk girlfriends.  The "tag" line of this bible is that "every story whispers His name".  Although it is labelled a children's bible, I have found it to be profoundly moving for me also.  Every chapter from Genesis through to Revelation does indeed whisper Jesus' name.  It makes such great sense of the bible for kids, the way God fulfils His promises always.  It just so happens that if you read the first 25 chapters {they're only a few pages long} you will have a magnificently encapsulated Advent story.

 5.   Christmas Craft for the Kids

Jesus,  King of Kings, The Vine, The Word, Lion of Judah, Lamb of God, Messiah, Saviour, Alpha and Omega, Light of the World, Redeemer, Bright and Morning Star, I AM, The Good Shepard, Bread of Life, Living Water, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, Rock of Ages, Jehovah, Truth and the Life, The Great Physician, The Lord of Glory, Wonderful, Counsellor

6.  Print out some cool faith-based Christmas posters to put up around the house:

You can find all of these on my Pinterest account here

7.  Invite friends and/or neighbours to a Carols by Candlelight event

Such an easy, gentle way to start a conversation with friends who might not be aware of the real Advent story.  Break bread together, sing some songs, get to know each other better in a relaxed setting.  It also allows you to easily invite them to attend church with you on Christmas morning {or whenever you're attending}.  So many people would love to celebrate Christmas at a church, but just haven't been invited.  If you're a bit shy, this is a great way to start a conversation.

8.  Make your Christmas cards and gift tags faith-based rather than Santa based.

You don't have to necessarily send a hard-core Scripture epistle to your friends who don't share your faith, this can sometimes defeat the purpose.  Harsh, but true.  Far better to send a beautiful card with a gentle, yet consistent message about what you'll be celebrating this season and what you wish for theirs.

9. Give God a special gift that's just between you and Him.

Maybe your gift this Christmas is to forgive someone - even when they don't want it.  Perhaps you could set aside time each day - a sacrifice of time per se - that is devoted purely to Him.  It could be visiting someone who is lonely and needs to be loved on.  Perhaps it could be praying a really scary prayer that you're not sure you're brave enough to do.  Step out in faith and do it anyway!  This is not something that you necessarily need to tell anyone else about.  It can just be a little gift giving between you and your Abba Father.

10.  IF ALL ELSE FAILS DO THIS!

Fix your eyes on Jesus.  

When the in-laws criticise the Christmas Day arrangements - fix your eyes on Jesus.
When there's not enough money for the one toy your child really, really wants - fix your eyes on Jesus
When your house just won't stay tidy for longer than five minutes - fix your eyes on Jesus.
When it feels like the joy of the season is just not present - fix your eyes on Jesus.
When you are bone weary from end of year engagements - fix your eyes on Jesus.


My children joke that in their Biblical Studies exams as long as they answer "Jesus" they really should get 100%.  Their reasoning is that we always say the answer to any question is "Jesus".  As a side story,  Jack answered  "Cheeseballs" once and that didn't work out very well for him.

So fix your eyes on Jesus,  not cheeseballs.

And finally, as a lovely minister I know says:

"Forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who may Christmas against us."  

Meredy xo

thinking and choosing....and turning on the bat signal

So this week we're looking at thoughts, words, actions.

How cool is that image?!  Laughed my head off when I found that today.
Sometimes keeping our thoughts, words and actions in accordance with Christ's authority over our lives can seem an impossible challenge.
Particularly when the kids are being difficult, your husband is frantically busy at work, you're sleep deprived, the kitchen is in chaos and the laundry pile has grown to Everest-like proportions.
The enemy would just love to sneak his way into your thoughts given that little scenario.  How easy it would be!

The quote above has been attributed to everyone from Buddha to Ghandi to Vince Lombardi.

Whomever said that particular quote, Jesus said it first and best here:

Proverbs 4: 20-27

20 

My son, pay attention to what I say;

    turn your ear to my words.

21 

Do not let them out of your sight,

    keep them within your heart;

22 

for they are life to those who find them

    and health to one’s whole body.

23 

Above all else, guard your heart,

    for everything you do flows from it.

24 

Keep your mouth free of perversity;

    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 

Let your eyes look straight ahead;

    fix your gaze directly before you.

26 

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet

    and be steadfast in all your ways.

27 

Do not turn to the right or the left;

    keep your foot from evil.

As a devotional exercise, I took this passage and wrote it out in my own words, making it particular to me.

This is sometimes a helpful prayer exercise also.

Here's what came out:

Meredith, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to MY words, not the words of the secular world.

Do not let the laundry pile block out the view of my kingdom,

keep my words within your heart;

for they are life when you find them

and will give energy and health to your entire body!

Above all else, guard your heart Meredith,

for everything you do flows from it.

Be very, very careful!

How you deal with your children, your husband, your mother, your friends will depend on this.

Do not give voice to negative thoughts and feelings,

do not share words with those around you which are not uplifting, helpful or gracious.

Meredith! Look straight ahead for crying out loud!

Fix your gaze directly before you!

"The cross is before you,

The world is behind you"* not the other way around.

Be careful where you spend your time and with whom you spend it.

Be reliable and trustworthy in all your dealings.

Your word is your bond.  

Your character should reflect me.

Do not let the celebrity-driven, material world distract you.

It will send you on the wrong path, chasing the wrong goals and squander the purpose I have for you.

Do not compare yourself to others.

Fix your EYES, EARS and HEART on me alone.

* paraphrased from the song "Christ is Enough" by Hillsong.

Before we moved, I had this sign hung up in my kitchen as I reminder to each of us:

Perhaps this could also be applied this way:

not only before you speak, but also before you 

think or act:  is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, Kind???

The final filter through which we discern this of course, is the Bible.  

What does the bible tell me about whether what I'm thinking, saying and actioning is True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary or Kind?

Finally, I love these C.S. Lewis quotes which bring enormous comfort.

Finally, in a lovely coincidence, I'd like to share a blog post from last week from one of my favourite bloggers.  It speaks with such realness and practicality about what we've been discussing.  Don't miss it! 

  Here's the link, {click}

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The full study can be found on pg 112 here.  I hope you read it thoroughly, complete the bible readings and as always, feel free to email me if you want to chat some more.

Yours in Christ,

Meredith xo