Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I hope you're having a great time with the ones you love most. In between all that turkey and dressing, stop by the LAJ store and get your shopping on! Save 30 percent all weekend long with code BLACKFRIDAY15. The sale starts now and goes through Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, AND Cyber Monday. Offer expires Monday, November 30 at 11:59 p.m.
Happy shopping! Until next time, grace and peace.
The first time I ever saw an Advent wreath was at my Aunt Pat's house. We didn't light Advent candles in the church I grew up in, so she was the one who first taught me about the meaning behind the wreath. She explained that there was one candle for each of the four Sundays before Christmas, and each week, you light one candle. The closer you get to Christmas day, to Jesus, the brighter the light shines.
I loved it. As a child, I was smitten with the idea of a visible countdown to Christmas. But as an adult, the Advent wreath helps me prepare my heart for the coming of Christ. It's a visual reminder that there is light and hope in the darkness. That Christ has come. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Put simply, Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. It officially begins four Sundays before Christmas. Sometimes, like this year, the first Sunday of Advent is in November. Other times, it's in December. If you want to figure out when Advent starts, pull out your calendar and count backward four Sundays from Christmas. This year it's November 29. That's less than a week away, y'all.
At its heart, Advent is a season of preparation and anticipation. It's a time of holy expectation. We prepare our hearts for the wonder of the Word that became flesh, and we get ready to greet him with gladness.
It's easy to let the busy-ness of the Christmas season distract us from what really matters, but I've found that being intentional about practicing Advent helps tune our hearts to sing the wonders of God's grace—grace that was revealed to us most fully in the coming of Jesus Christ.
One way we do this is by lighting an Advent wreath throughout the season. There are lots of different ways to make an Advent wreath, but my favorite is the simplest. I put five candles (the fifth candle is for Christmas day) and some greenery on a cake plate and place it in the center of the table. That's it. It's a little unconventional, but it works for us. Click here for more information on traditional Advent wreaths.
In years past, we've talked a little bit about the Christmas story with our kids before we light the candles, but I've always thought it would be nice to have a little devotion to read through with the family. So this year, I sat down and created one.
This free Advent devotional guide is super simple for you to use with your family. There are five cards in the printable: one for each Sunday of Advent and another for Christmas day. All you have to do is print the cards, cut them out on the dotted lines, and read the week's card aloud as you light the candles.
Each week's card explains the symbolism of the candle for that week and provides an appropriate Scripture passage and short prayer to read aloud. There's also a handful of questions you can discuss with your children while you're eating.
And that's it. Nothing crazy. Nothing over the top. Just a simple little guide to help your family focus on the things that matter most during one of the busiest seasons of the year.
I hope you enjoy this printable, and I pray that it helps you anticipate the coming of the Light of the World. May the wonder of Christmas abide in your hearts this season.
Until next time, grace and peace.
Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great week! It's been a busy and exciting couple of days around these parts. Thank you so much for making the LAJ shop launch a success! I was overwhelmed with gratitude as all your orders rolled in, and I can't thank you enough for your support. I hope that you love the collection as much as I do, and today I wanted to give you a closer look at one of the new products: the Dwell Journal.
I created the Dwell Journal to meet a need in my own life. I've been an avid journal-er for years, but last spring, I started looking for something a little more structured to accompany my Bible reading. I went to the Christian bookstore and found nothing like I wanted, so I decided to create my own. This was around the time that the Lord started moving me to close my custom stationery shop, and it became clear to me that this journal I was dreaming of would be the center of my new line.
So that's how the Dwell Journal was born. It's a guided 30-day journal to help you draw closer to the Lord and deeper into His word. Each daily entry is a two-page spread with different sections designed to help you focus on what Scripture is telling you about God and who you are in relation to Him. After using the journal in my own quiet times for the past month or so, I can tell you that it's a fantastic tool to use in your Bible study time, and I'm not just saying that because I created it. The Dwell Journal has helped me reflect on the character of God and meditate on what Scripture reveals to me about Him. Because I'm seeing Him more clearly, I can see myself more clearly, and God is using that to transform me from the inside out.
So, with all of that said, I made a little video to give you a little preview of the journals and show you how to use it in your quiet time. Take a peek to get an inside look at the Dwell Journal.
As I mentioned in the video, the journals are being printed as we speak. They're available for pre-order in the shop now, and they'll ship by December 1, so you'll have them in plenty of time for Christmas. If you have any questions, just drop a note in the comments, and I'll do my best to get it answered.
And finally, if you've made it this far, then I think you deserve a reward. Use the code DWELLPREVIEW to get 15 percent off all journals. Offer expires Friday, 11/20 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Happy shopping!
Until next time, grace and peace.
