Advent 2012: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Advent marks the most wonderful time of the year for me. In the midst of making lists and buying gifts, turning my attention on the Advent themes keeps me focused on the meaning of Christmas.

Today we open the first door on our Advent calendar.

I have put various treasures inside these nooks each year. My youngest is looking forward to putting together a different Lego figure each day until Christmas. Each person opens a small gift or picks a fun family activity on his or her birth date. I have jammed folded pages of my poetry behind these doors as well. This year, we will read from my poetry collection While Bethlehem Sleeps. I am hoping to incorporate Bartholomew's Passage by Arnold Ytreeide into our family reading, too. But, my favorite treasures are the slips of paper bearing scripture verses from Luke, Isaiah, and others related to the birth of Christ. These are the ones we cherish most!