The Best Advent Gift

The best Advent gift my family ever received wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t expensive. It was small, and it was simple. A creative and thoughtful effort from a friend who just wanted to encourage other families with the Word of God.

The best Advent gift we’ve ever received still sits with the rest of our Christmas collection- a jumble of boxes stacked with nativity scenes, tree trimmings, and holiday books. It’s a little jelly jar wrapped in burlap. Inside the jar are 25 red and green popsicle sticks. Each stick has a number {1-25} on one end, and a Scripture reference on the other end. 

My friend Jen made it and gave it to me three {maybe four?} years ago, and I still love it and look forward to using it each December. It’s a simple way to count down the days to Christmas- one Advent centered Scripture to read with the kids each day. I love that the verses are short enough for little attention spans. I love that this gift gets us into the actual Bible, instead of just a Bible story book. I love the cohesive theme of the verses, and that they point us to what this Christmas celebration is really about. 

This gift inspired a year long series of printable Bible reading plans on my blog. If one mom taking the time to select appropriate Bible passages for me to read with my kids made such a difference in our life, how many more moms could benefit from a similar online set-up? 

Jen is artistic and creative, so the jar is decorated charmingly. But if you’re looking to give a simple, meaningful gift to other families this Christmas season, a less ornate version would do just fine. Here are the passages Jen used for our jar {if you want to take the time and find your own, all the better!}. The texts cover the basic story of Jesus’ birth, Old Testament prophecies foretelling it, and the broader Gospel implications of Christ’s Incarnation:

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Rachel

Owner/Writer at The Purposeful Wife

Rachel married her Irish husband straight out of college and is the mama of three littles {so far!}. They make their home in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, where she blogs as The Purposeful Wife. Because the Gospel changes everything, she delights in encouraging other women through her writing on marriage, homemaking, motherhood, miscarriage, extreme prematurity, and how the grace and sovereignty of God intersects it all. She also makes monthly Bible Reading plans for parents to use with their kids in family worship.

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