Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts


Advent starts this coming Sunday, and friends, I'm not ready. My mind is in a million places.

 But you know what? 

 That is exactly why the church celebrates seasons--to prepare Him room. To orient our hearts back to eternal matters.

 I need the month to prepare my heart to celebrate the momentous coming of our Immanuel. I need the month to settle my mind on Him in all His worthiness, joy, and glory. 

 I won't do it perfectly or maybe even well, but I will try.

 I've collected some favorite Advent resources if you need help like I do! Some of these I created and some are from other sources.

 1. my 25 Days of Advent Joy coloring book

2. my 25 Days of Advent Joy printable set

3. The Jesus Storybook Bible** + free printable Advent Reading Plan
We love the way the Jesus Storybook Bible articulates the interwoven story of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. It's so good for both adults and children. 

4. Truth in the Tinsel: My friend Amanda created this Advent plan that combines a daily Scripture devotion + crafts for little ones. I did this with the girls when they were younger and we still have the ornaments. You can purchase the ebook and printable ornaments. 

5. I created this "the Greatest Gifts" printable box for under the tree a few years ago and we get it out every year now.

6. Printable Jesse Tree Ornaments & Advent Calendars from Visual Faith Ministry. The Visual Faith website has a wonderful collection of printables to help you observe advent: advent calendars, coloring pages, Bible journaling templates, and these beautifully colored Jesse Tree ornaments.

7. Printable Advent story cards from the Red Bird Blue blog.

8. The Names of Jesus printable ornaments from One Thing Alone Ministries


*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, thank you (!), and as a courtesy,  please link back to this post and not the PDF file. 

**affiliate link. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.


               

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Prepare Him Room: Advent & Christmas Resources for your Family

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I can feel it even now. The busyness creeping in as my day planner pages run out: Christmas plays, parties, the gift lists I need to make, the pretty new wreath I imagine for my front door to let everyone know there's joy inside.

 My brain begins to spin and it's so tempting to absorb and manage every bit of information at my fingertips.

This, combined with a tendency towards gloom in the winter months, is my recipe for joylessness.

But I hear God's voice calling me to rest and to quiet, to draw near to Him over the next month as we celebrate the Advent season. We've been celebrating Advent in earnest as a church for a few years now, and I have yet to do it really well, but I'm learning.

I wanted to hop on the blog today and share a few resources that can help you celebrate Advent, but at the same time I'm cautious about giving you something else to scratch wildly on your already long to-do list, so before I go on, I will say . . .

We don't need SOMETHING this Christmas. We need SOMEONE.

Whatever resource or tool you use this year, let it lead you to Jesus.

If I can encourage you to step in out of the wind and bustle and plan how you can intentionally quiet yourself and "prepare Him room" this season, I would like to.

So with all those caveats, here are a few ideas . . .

PRACTICAL STEPS I WANT TO TAKE:
As much I can, slow down. Fewer commitments, no new projects.
Less social media/news input.
Simplified gifting--a combination of online and local shopping (like at my local fair trade/survivor made shop, which is also online).
Scripture meditation for myself and as a family.
Enjoy my kids and extended family. Puzzles, tea, snuggles, Christmas music.

A FEW SIMPLE ADVENT RESOURCES:
The Jesus Storybook Bible** + free printable Advent Reading Plan
We love the way the Jesus Storybook Bible articulates the interwoven story of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. It's so good for both adults and children. We've read through the reading plan with our church several years in a row. 

My friend Amanda created this Advent plan that combines a daily Scripture devotion + crafts for little ones. I did this with the girls when they were younger and we still have the ornaments. You can purchase the ebook and printable ornaments. 

25 hand-drawn Advent Bible coloring pages in three sizes. This is a simple way to meditate on Scripture. The pages are not numbered, so you can use them however you'd like--a verse a day or two or three a week. Color (or not) and display them in your home with ribbon or tape. Send them to friends and family. Host a coloring night and invite friends over.  (p.s. If you're signed up for my newsletter or follow me on social media, look out for my winter sale on Etsy next week).

  


FUN RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES:
I have a whole Pinterest page where I've collected crafts, printables, and resources for Advent and Christmas that I think are fun and helpful. 

I created this printable box for under the tree a few years ago and this free "joy to the world" coloring page, which happily made its way into the new Advent set!



Friends, I hope these resources are helpful and not burdensome. I hope they lead you to Jesus. I hope we can intentionally set our minds on "things that are above," because this world can look pretty bleak, especially when contrasted with the sparkle of Christmas. 

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Colossians 3:1-2

If you have resources you've found helpful, please share in the comments below!



*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy,  please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

 **affiliate link. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Seeking Advent Joy + a few simple resources to help

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free Christmas coloring page
I typically take December off from blogging, but before I do, I wanted to share this December screensaver and printable Christmas coloring page with you!

 This image is also available in the shop as a printable 8 x 10" print and Christmas card set (along with other fun new designs)!


You can download your coloring page HERE or by clicking on the image below! You can get your screensaver by right-clicking on the second image below, saving to your phone, and then setting it as your screensaver.*
Joy to the World Christmas Carol coloring page


*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy,  please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE! 

Joy to the World Christmas Coloring Page and Screensaver

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Eek! It's been another year of blogging and I'm excited to share this last post! 

 So I mentioned that I am taking December off. I did this last year on the advice of another business owner and it was such a blessing. We need the time to rest and fully celebrate this great thing that God has done for us (and all of humanity). 

 I am not a baker and I don't go all-out with Christmas decorating. My son is in the throw-everything-on-the-floor stage, so just keeping him out of the Christmas tree is going to occupy my next month. But when I'm not doing damage control, here are a few simple activities I'd like to try with my kids (links below):

A. Bitty beanie ornaments (from Pinterest)





F. Three-ingredient hot chocolate. We make it this way with Almond or lactose-free milk because the packets have milk in them (and 3/5 of us are lactose-intolerant). Add some peppermint if you want to change it up!



I.  Counting the Days, Lighting the Candles:  A Christmas Advent Devotional by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson (a mother-daughter team). We're trying this one out this year, but there are a lot of options our there for advent devotionals like The Truth in Tinsel, or this free printable one that coordinates with the Jesus Storybook Bible (and uses pictures from that story Bible). And here's a pretty free printable advent calendar with Bible verses.

Can I leave with something encouraging? These are the "4 G's"  in "Everyday Church" by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. Here they are:
1. God is great – so we don’t have to be in control
2. God is glorious – so we don’t have to fear others
3. God is good – so we don’t have to look elsewhere
4. God is gracious – so we don’t have to prove ourselves
Does someone in your life need to be encouraged in one of these areas? Can your load be lightened today by believing one of these truths?

 The good news of Jesus is good news for us, and good news for everyone, but Chester and Timmis argue in their book that we have to ask God to show us how Jesus is good news. 

 Is she anxious? She need to know that God is in control. 

 Is he looking for the perfect relationship? He needs to know that God is the only one who fills and only He is unfailingly good.

 Are they working hard to prove that they've got it together? They need to know that God's grace has already been offered to them, so there's nothing to prove to Him (and His opinion is what matters).

 Let's slow down and ask the Holy Spirit to speak the truth to our own pain points and to the pain points of others. Let's ask God to empower us to speak words that are both sweet and salty (Colossians 4:5-6). 


these cards are from the "MISSION" set in the shop

Happy advent!

Simple and fun things I want to try with my kids this advent

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I just love books and how God uses them to change me. I have to admit I'm not always great at finishing them, but I have great expectations!

 Here is a collection of books I'd like to read this coming year:
A. The Green Ember by SD Smith (comes highly recommended by the Read-Aloud Revival's Sarah Makenzie). This one is to read with the girls.

B. Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that Can Radically Change your Family by Paul David Tripp (author of my favorite marriage book)




F. New Morning Mercies:  A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp (actually, I already bought this one and started! It's solid.)



I. John Adams by David McCulough (because I'm terrible at history)

Have you read any of these and do you recommend them?

 Any good fiction recommendations to round out my list? I love books that take me away from the pace of my real life. It seems to help my anxiety. I read two classic Anthony Trollope novels (think very slow-cooker novel pace) this past year and enjoyed them. You can get some of them free for the Kindle on Amazon (and you don't need a Kindle to read them--you can download the Kindle app)! Or . . . just check your local library. 

 If you're looking for a can't-put-this-book-down read, my friend, Sydney Betts, has written two novels set in Native American culture and they are FABULOUS, a breath of fresh air in the world of Christian fiction! She's working on publishing the third now, and I can't wait to read it. You can find them here.



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on my Christmas wish list: books!

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 I'm wrapping up my final blog posts of the year and getting ready to take December off from blogging and being a little business owner! 

 I'm a little obsessed with art (if you haven't guessed). As soon as we bought our current home, I planned out what I would put on the walls. If I go to your house and you have blank walls, I will probably secretly plan out art to fill your space.

 I spend a lot of time admiring other people's art on Etsy and Instagram and collecting my favorites, so I thought I'd share with you the artists whose work I admire. 

 Taste in art is such a personal thing. I favor lots of bold color, florals, animals, and birds. I also love artists with a similar heart as mine who love to combine the Word and their unique creativity.

 Here they are with links at the bottom for where you can find their art. Most offer prints of their original work, which makes them more affordable! 
favorite wall art prints and paintings

1. Carolyn Gavin Shop She specializing in a vintage-looking color palette of florals and cute little elephants.

2. PRINTSPIRING Beautiful watercolored floral and birds (she recently went through the whole alphabet). She sells only printables, so for $5 and the cost of printing, you can get some beautiful art on your walls! If you sign up for her mailing list, you can get a free print (and if you're like me, you love free stuff!).

3. Jaime Rovenstine Jaime does quirky and bold abstract painting with lots of pink (she also takes commissions). Most of her work is originals, but she sells a few prints (cheaper).

4. GraceLaced Shop Ruth Simmons is a talented painter (and mom to six boys!) with a heart for Scripture and the Gospel. She has a gift for communicating the Gospel both in words and art. 

5. Yao Cheng Design Her watercolors are just stunning (I favor the abstracts and bold florals). I got my sister a few of her prints a few years ago and they just make a room!

6. Wendy Brightbill, A Girl and Her Brush Shop I'm a big fan of Wendy's bright abstracts. She started painting while recovering from a traumatic brain injury and is so talented. Her calendar is a great deal (basically 12 prints for $25).

7. TushTush. I love her paintings of people and use of colors. 
  
8. Quiet Boy Studio. Patrick Laurent is another artist with a heart for illustrating Scripture in fun ways. I love his prints for kids. He also makes fun movie quote prints.

Of course, quality art is an investment in an artist's talents and giftings, but if you're looking for some simple and beautiful art that just happens to be FREE to download, I've compiled my favorites for you too (details below the image).
free art prints

A. "but first, coffee" minimal print

 B. Psalm 138: 1 Bible verse floral print (comes in four different color palettes!)

 C. You are deeply loved print from Emily at Jones Design Company

 D. Do your little bitof good (Desmond Tutu quote) print

 E. Love your story art print (by me along with a few others HERE!)

 F.  Jeremiah 17:7-8 hand-lettered print from Laura Rennie Interiors + Sincerely Amy Designs

 G. "They broke bread in their homes" (Acts quote) print from the Mountainview Cottage

 H. Pretty butterfly print

 I. Give thanks in all circumstances print from Ashlee Proffitt

 Need another idea for a cost-saving gift? Why not print my free printable Bible verse coloring pages and make a coloring book for your favorite colorer (along with some fun colored pencils or markers)? My shop also carries mini coloring pages on some of the newer sets! 

free Bible verse art coloring pages

See, all that time on Pinterest wasn't wasted, was it? I hope those are helpful to you!




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Artists I admire + my favorite free art you can gift this Christmas

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