Advent for me

When you’ve been a Christian for a while, it can be all too easy to take who Jesus is and what He has done for granted. At least, it is for me. I find that the passion and real heart connection with the story of Jesus ebbs and flows. I have just finished a six week study on Mark through Hello Mornings. I found myself reconnecting with the foundation of the gospel message again, the person of Jesus. The last few days of looking afresh at His crucifixion and resurrection have particularly had an impact on me. Many tears have been shed. I had already determined to find an Advent devotional before starting this study, but was convinced even more by my desire to keep pressing in to the story of Jesus. With the busyness of the season and the holiday break in the Hello Mornings calendar, I know I need to be intentional about keeping my daily time with God a priority.

In the process of seeking an Advent devotional that was accessible in my limited budget without compromising on value, an opportunity came up in a writer’s group I am a part of. The offer was a free digital copy of an Advent devotional in exchange for an honest review and helping to promote it if I liked it. The clincher for me? It looks at the names of Jesus. I have long wanted to look at that in more depth. What better way to prepare my heart for Christmas, the celebration of Jesus’ birth, than by daily meditating on His names?

For the sake of being able to provide an honest review, I read through the first week and a bit of “Unwrapping the Names of Jesus” by Asheritah Ciuciu. I loved it! Each week starts with a family devotional to go along with lighting the candles of the Advent wreath. I have never done an Advent wreath before but am so looking forward to adding this as a family tradition. Each day of Advent, a different name of Jesus from the Bible is focused on. Asheritah has written an insightful short devotion on each name. My favourite part of the devotional is the challenge section. This allows you to dig deeper in your faith and really examine your belief of who Jesus is and the impact of that particular name in your life. I am not a fan of devotionals that give all their own words with little opportunity to wrestle through for yourself. Another big highlight for me are the “In Action” sections at the end of each week. Some great ideas for practical ways to live out Jesus’ love and get the family involved. Only a couple more days and I get to dive in to this.

Click on the image below to get a copy for yourself (affiliate link that helps to support me without adding extra cost for you):

I will be posting some highlights from our Advent celebrations as we go. Our tree and decorations go up this weekend!

How will you be spending time with God over the Advent season?


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