I am using my NTD Advent Devotional and my Journaling Bible each day. I start by reading the daily Advent message and usually highlight and write a little about what jumps out at me. Then I connect the verse that the daily devotion is about and do a little something in my journaling bible. I love how the Advent Devotional speaks not only biblical but how it relates to our everyday lives.
Personally,I have been preparing for December for several months because I did not want to rush through the last month and dash right through Christmas. I wanted to be able to smoothly slide into the end of the year instead of racing to the finish line and then straight into a new year out of breath.
To document Advent AND journal in my bible, I have made it a habit of doing it first thing in the morning which means getting up early. I know, I know, many say "I don't have time" but um...we all have the same amount of time each day. It is how we use that time that makes a difference. Personally, I truly believe that when I give God the first part of my day, HE provides the time necessary to get everything done that NEEDS to get done. It also helps me handle whatever comes my way and not FREAK OUT if I don't get everything done.
Day One is what it is all about and to remind us that HOPE is on the way.
Day Two challenges us to consider the things God has promised and to apply them to our daily lives. NOTE TO SELF: gotta do it daily, and not just through Advent.
Day Three asks what song are you singing in your heart. The real song that moves you and speaks to you. I had a hard time thinking about this but one song that really moves me and that I listen to all year long is "Mary Did You Know?" It is probably one of my favorite songs ever. It is so good. so, so good.
Man I love that video...gives me chills every time I watch it. Okay, so anyways I wrote out the words to the song on the Day 3 page of my devotional and as I wrote them, I really thought about each word. Day Four talks about how God is never afraid to use the tiny, the scared, the unknown or the weak and I personally feel this is so me.
Throwing myself under the bus here...I have questioned "Why me?" for a long time. Why do I get to do art, to teach art, to travel, to share, to get to do what I love for a living? Why Me? I have made bad choices, I have sinned, I don't deserve it, it is a job for "other" people.
NOPE.
Why?
Because He loves me, He has forgiven me and He made me for a purpose. (Guess what?? Same goes for you, YAY!) I have learned this past year to stop asking WHY and have chosen to stay OPEN and continue to move forward with the job HE has for me. (I am still a fraddy cat, but I don't let the fear make my decisions)
Although the following photo is from day two, I feel like it goes along with day four as well:
If you follow me on IG and FB than you know that I have been giving a little something away each day and today, I am going to give something away here. See that awesome red coffee cup that reads (CHRIST)MAS ?? That is what I am giving away today! All I ask that you do is share something with someone and and leave a comment on this post. You don't have to comment on what you are going to share or what you have shared, just a comment.
anything, really.
One name will be randomly picked and announced on Saturday morning.
To read more about where that awesome coffee cup came from (and in case you wanna get one for yourself IF you don't win this one) go check out CHRISTmas180 Project and find out how you can Wear, share, give!