a thrill of hope
Flashback to my first Christmas post on the blog when I told you about the cards hanging on the window in our living room. These are hands down my favorite Christmas decoration - both for their appearance and their purpose. If you want to really breathe life back into your Christmas, refocus, and reengage with the purpose of celebrating the birth of our Savior, this is for you.
We all know that with Christmas comes Advent, the time to prayerfully dwell with the Lord in anticipation of celebrating the birth of his Son, the baby that would change the world forever. Each year I have struggled to maintain my focus and be consistent in whatever new Advent study I'm involved in.
But last year, I discovered this beauty from True Cotton. These sweet hand painted cards are backed with scriptures, devotionals, guiding questions, and prayers for each day of Advent. My roommate and I had the blessing of going through them together every morning, starting our days with the likeminded focus not on the trees or the tinsel, but on the anticipated arrival of our King. And it made the season oh so sweet.
FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FI
These are the first things I forward to pulling out of the box each year and hanging up on the window. Heck, can we even start Advent early? Because that would make my heart flutter. Joy to the world, indeed.
So do yourself a favor and order them. I know we're already halfway through Advent, but they would be worth it even for the second half of the season, or to save in anticipation for next year. Or the best yet - buy it for one of your sister-friends! They will sincerely thank you and love you forever. I can almost guaruntee it.
I also always try to incorporate an deeper study along with these advent cards. Last year I did She Reads Truth's Advent study and really loved it. It was incredibly accessible via their app and the portability was just fantastic. Because we all know convenience is the number one factor to sticking to any plan. This year though, I diverged from the digital study and opted for paper, and figured I'd have a go at another company I'd been eyeing for a couple of years.
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Intro Amen Paper Company. Amen Paper (formerly Naptime Diaries) is a Gospel-centered print and paper company founded by Jess Connolly. (Go follow her on insta and snapchat {@jessaconnoly} because she will bless you. Seriously.) I've been a long time fan of her prints and her overall message, but this is the first year I've jumped on with her Advent study. And man, am I loving it.
Jess has very similar qualities in her writing to Shauna Neiquist: a raw authenticity combined with a thought process and vocabulary that enrich her texts with a pleasurable other-ness. I mean for heaven's sake, I teared up after just the intro letter! Now, she is not the sole author of this study, but the ladies who join her in co-authorship have equally lovely voices that I'm enjoying becoming familiar with.
So snag yourself an Amen Paper Advent study here to finish out the season or to save for next year (+ accompanying calendar cards, if you like.) Or honestly, I'm in a season of such strong thirst for the Word that I'm contemplating ordering She Reads Truth's Advent study to start come January 1. The way I see it, even in January, God will still have sent his Son to this world as my saving grace, so why not dwell in it a little longer?
