Wild Blessings Advent
DAY 1
Wild Blessings Advent is your creative path to celebrate the coming of Jesus incorporating the wonders of the natural world around you.
Each day we will follow the rhythm of Advent and the Christmas Season by incorporating these steps to take in the beauty of nature and the resources God has given us to learn more about Jesus, God come to earth.
1. Scriptures – Messiah is Creator God
Old Testament (OT) Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovring over the face of the waters.
New Testament (NT) John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.
2. Christmas Movies & Music for the season
Watch The Chosen, Season 2, Episode 1
This episode of The Chosen begins with a gathering of Jesus’ disciples after James had been martyred. They are relating how they first met Christ and how much they miss the Lord since His death and resurrection years before. John is questioning them because he wants to write about all the things he had seen and heard while following Jesus in His earthly ministry. And of course, this is John the disciple who wrote one of the four Gospels. John also wants to hear from Mary about her personal stories as Jesus’ mother. In facing this monumental task Mary suggests that John start at the beginning, at the very beginning, at creation. John looks out the window, listening to the rain and the thunder and the flickering light and begins to write John chapter one verse one. The rest of this episode John remembers the humbling reason why the Lord named him and his deceased brother James, The Sons of Thunder during their time in Samaria where Jesus led the reluctant disciples to spread God’s love and truth. It ends with Jesus reading the creation narrative from Genesis in a Samarian synagogue revealing Himself as the long awaited Messiah and Creator from the beginning.
I love the fascinating twist of the Good Samaritan interlaced in this episode. Enjoy!
“Tension builds among the disciples as they wrestle with the increasing fame of Jesus in Samaria. Jesus rebukes Big James and John for their prejudice and, after a near-violent encounter, gives them a new nickname.”
Watch The Chosen, Season 2, Episode 1
3. Activities
Let’s get outside and shop for wonders in nature that we can use to decorate with, we will be making crafts, gifts, ornaments, and decorations for our homes with free supplies from surprises we find in nature.
Watch this video of my shopping trip with Max yesterday here in the hills of North Carolina we came home with lots of possibilites: Hickory bark and nuts, a tiny fur tree to plant in a pot for a gift, acorns, grape tendrils, mushrooms, moss, rocks, winter berries, pine cones and much more. Plus we didn’t have to find a parking spot or wait in line at the stores, or even pay for these gifts of God’s Love. An added bonus was the time in fresh air, exercise, sunshine and an adventure for my furry companion, Max.
Go shopping with an empty basket, ask God for eyes to see gifts of His wonders hidden in plain view.
4. Recipes
Since Max and I had been exploring a Shagbark Hickory forest, I decided to make Hickory Nut Tea and Hickory Nut Tea cakes for today’s wild tea and snack. Recipes below!
Shagbark Hickory Tree – Carya ovata, so distinctive of all the Hickories because of it’s loose plated bark. We’ll make a maple style sap of this bark for Day 2’s wild tea.
Hickory Nuts drop to the ground during the Fall. Their thick outer husk is useful for crafts but the tasty nut is within the white shell.
5. Handouts
Week One of Advent Scriptures
1. Print this page on white copy paper
2. Use the guidelines to cut out the verses
3. Roll each piece of paper into a scroll and tie with twine
4. Insert into the pockets of your Advent calendar for the month of December
5. Each day read the verse or portion of Scripture for the day together as a family
Verse of the Day
1. Print out today’s verse
2. Keep all the verses in a Wild Blessings advent notebook that will keep all the handouts to come
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