Today I'm happy to bring to you a special guest, Sarah Sundin with a Christmas treasure.....
Each year, the first Christmas item my family asks for is
the Advent wreath. On each of the four Sundays in Advent (the four weeks before
Christmas), our family gathers around the wreath. Not only is this cozy family
time, but it focuses us with joyful anticipation on the birth of Jesus.
The Advent wreath became popular in Germany and Scandinavia,
and worked its way to Britain and America. Traditionally it’s a flat evergreen
wreath with four candles—three purple and one pink, or four red candles—with a
white candle in the middle.
When I was a brand-new stay-at-home mom, our church held a
craft night to make an Advent wreath. I attended, convinced a good mom needed
to be crafty. Since the project only involved gluing a few ribbons and such on
a wreath, I actually succeeded! It’s the only craft remaining from my very
short “determined to prove myself as a mom by yielding a glue gun” phase that
survives. I’m craft-impaired. Strangely enough, my children have turned out
fine.
However, the wreath remains because we love the traditions
that have grown around it. When the children were little, we’d line them up on
the couch and feed them cookies and eggnog or hot chocolate. We’d light the
candles and my husband would tell that week’s portion of the Christmas story.
As the children grew, they read the Scriptures themselves, then we’d discuss
them. And we’d end by singing Christmas carols that related to that week’s
story.
Now my children are all taller than I am. One has a beard
and a Real Job. They barely squeeze on the couch anymore. And still they beg
for the Advent wreath. I like to think it’s about more than cookies and eggnog.
Over the years, there was much bickering and giggling and poking and snuggling
on that couch. Even the dog and cat seem to realize something special is
happening and join us, usually getting into mischief to get attention.
But our favorite part is how our attention is ultimately
centered on Christ. With all the busyness and commercialism leading up to
Christmas, it’s nice to sit down with family each week and remember why we’re
celebrating in the first place. A little baby in a manger, come to save the
world.
Sarah Sundin
is the author of six historical novels, including In Perfect Time (Revell, August 2014), plus a novella in Where Treetops Glisten (WaterBrook,
September 2014). Her novel On Distant
Shores was a double finalist for the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards. In 2011, Sarah received the Writer of the Year Award at
the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Sarah lives in northern
California with her husband and three children, and she works on-call as a
hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies. You
can find her at www.sarahsundin.com, Facebook, and Twitter.
Well friends, I certainly hope you enjoyed this Tuesday Treasure. Stay tuned as we wind down to Christmas for more Thursday Thoughts, Saturday Spotlights and of course, Tuesday Treasures!
Until later...take care, God Bless and remember: When you expect miracles, miracles happen!
Something to think about!
"Inspirational with an Edge! ™
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