My guest today is Joy Forney, author of Grace Full Mama. I have been so blessed by Joy’s love for the Lord, and her deliberate purpose to glorify him through her blog and through her family’s witness abroad…
Joy is the wife to a missionary pilot and they, along with their five kids, live in Indonesia. She is an undeserving recipient of amazing grace, and grateful daughter of God. Joy’s heart is to encourage women to revel in their job as mommy and wife, and to see it as good and needed work.
She shares her heart and life of being a mom with readers at her site, Grace Full Mama.
In our home, advent is a simple, special event that we look forward to all year long.
Each night during advent we light a candle, enjoy the light from the Christmas tree, and open a new door along with previously opened doors in our Advent Book.
Each day has a beautiful door for kids to open, revealing more of the story of Christ’s birth (word for word from the Bible). Since every day you begin at the beginning and continue until you open the new door, by Christmas Day the kids have all of Luke 2 memorized!
In addition to The Advent Book we use a simple felt calendar. Each day has a clay ornament that represents a Scripture that we read together, discuss, and then place the ornament on the tree. Especially for our younger ones, this is a great way for them to see visually the whole story of the Messiah that came to save them from their sins.
Last night’s Scripture was John 1:29, which says,
“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” And the ornament was a cute little lamb, and the kids listened intently as my husband explained about sacrifices in the Old Testament and how Jesus came to do away with it forever.
Since we live in Indonesia, we have the rich blessing of missing all of the commercialization that comes with Christmas in the States. I am so grateful that Christmas here is exactly what we make of it, and it is all focused on the precious baby Jesus and His amazing birth that saved us all from our desperate state.
Instead of focusing on what we get or want, we focus on giving His love away. We invite all of our friends and neighbors in to our home to enjoy an “American” meal. Last year it was spaghetti, and it was a big hit. We don’t have any agenda other than to joyfully share with others what we have been given.
At first it was difficult for me to give up my “usual” American traditions, but now I find that I am far more blessed by doing things a new and different way, and others are blessed as well.
I hope that you are blessed this Christmas season as well!!
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This is our first Christmas overseas as missionaries in South Africa. We are doing advent as something special to keep us focused on Christ.
Debbie–the Lord be with you! Praise the Lord for His work in Mozambique! Blessings to you this Christmas.
Loved your post Joy. I have to admit, sometimes I wish I was far away from the “American” traditions of the holiday. It is soooo hard to keep your focus on Advent. But, it can be done. Thank you for sharing and for giving others a chance to see Jesus in real life
Have a blessed Christmas, In His Love Always, Lynnebee
p.s. and thanks for the guest post too….love your site Gracelaced
Thanks for visiting, Lynnebee! I love Joy as well, and her encouragement to honor Jesus in every circumstance!
Our family has tried to get away from the commercialized “Christmas” too. One way is we take a night and shop for Toys for Tots and then we also pick out a present for Jesus, since it is His birthday we are celebrating. I love the clay ornaments, where did you get those? Thank you!
Thank you, Joy, for sharing these simple, but powerful Advent traditions. I’m a little lost this year for Advent, since we do it differently every year. I’d love to know where you found your book and ornaments.
Thans so much for visiting my blog, Christy! Joy has a link to her Advent book on the blog post, and I believe her friend made those ornaments for her family.
I thought you might enjoy the advent book and storybook we are reading in our family this year: http://www.annaleahart.com/2011/12/advent-in-heart-and-home-guest-post-by.html
Have a blessed Christmas!
My pastor was in Indonesia a week ago, she told us about how it’s filled with muslim. However, she and pastor did a marriage sermon and thousands showed up! Not only that but the sign up was filled within 10 minutes! Shows you how people are so hungry for the Lord over there! It’s truly amazing!
Thank you for all your do Joy! What a blessing it is to give up what we’ve known all of our lives and living else where.
Each year I am overwhelmed by the commercialism of Christmas. I love the way you celebrate the Advent. Did you make the ornaments yourself, and if so, do you have a template?