Week 1: purple candle for HOPE
Week 2: purple candle for PREPARATION (PEACE)
Week 3: pink candle for JOY
Week 4: purple candle for LOVE
http://www.stjohns-saginaw.org/advent-wreaths-arnt-just-for-church/
They are all wonderful things to think about and share. This week was the first week. We all need the hope. We all go through tough times and hope is the only way we get through it. I have hope that everyone finds the help and relief they need. We all need help and relief in some way.
Sunday starts the week for preparation when we light two candles. It's going to be a busy week but it will also be one full of reminders of how loved we are. That includes Josh and I helping with the Holiday shop at Zach's school. Hope and preparation go well together. We have hope for the future as we prepare for it.
The 14th starts the week for joy. By that time in December most people have done a lot of Christmas shopping and have started making plans. It's also around the time Christmas cards start arriving. Hope, preparation, and joy. We hope everyone is prepared and full of joy.
The 21st is the start of the 4th week. We might be celebrating Christmas Eve with my family that day. That's easy for us. We are surrounded by love! We hope that everyone feels and gives love. We are all loved by someone. Even if we don't realize it! Love is a wonderful thing. Celebrating Christmas with someone you love is wonderful too!
We have always had the advent wreath and celebrated Advent. Zach has started asking more about it this year. It usually starts the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. For me, that's the true start of the Christmas season. Some people have advent calendars. A countdown to Christmas. Those are nice too.
I remember making advent wreaths in church school as a kid. They always fell apart before we made it to the car but were fun to make. My Mom has had this one advent wreath for as long as I can remember. When we got married, I ordered four. I ordered her wreath, that wreath but in wood, a shamrock wreath, and an angel wreath. For the last few years I have used the angel wreath. I gave my mom the Shamrock wreath. When her old wreath broke, I gave her the one I had that was identical to her other one. When my brother got his apartment, I gave him the wooden wreath that looked just like the one my mom had.
My Mom's wreath. Hers is white this is wood.
http://www.saintmeinradgiftshop.com/product.asp?pn=40336K
This is my wreath. They have some in other places including Amazon. They are easier to find then I thought they would be. Angels are my favorite Christmas thing so it was easy to establish a favorite. If you get one with a white candle, that gets lit on Christmas Eve. We don't buy new candles each year so we don't light them. But we carry the values with us throughout Advent. We try to each night say what we are thankful for. That part is a family tradition.
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| My Advent Wreath |
My last Forgotten Holiday posts are going to be on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's. As the season continues I will carry hope, preparation, joy and love with me. You don't have to be a Christian to carry those values with you. We could all use hope, preparation, joy, and love in our lives and peace on earth.
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