Lately I have been keeping busy with a job (!) and making ornaments. A friend has made a Stitch-Along to create ornaments for Advent for her daughter. I have never done Advent before, so decided to follow along! For Advent this year, I will be reading through the different readings and posting here (hopefully) every day. Most posts will be short n sweet, and will follow The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Each day I will have a quote from the book, excerpts from the Bible passages referenced, a picture of the day’s ornament and maybe some thoughts. Let Advent commence!

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Day One is an introduction of sorts, explaining how God loves us by showing us His reflection in Creation and His words found in the Bible. How we can read Story throughout the Bible. Story is very important in life – it can entertain, teach, encourage, bring hope, share joy. Story carries us in pain, anger, helps us through the messy part of life. There is no getting around Story – it happens around us even when we ignore it. (This all makes me think of Veggies Tales – “I laughed. I cried. I was moved, Bob!”)

I also think of Sound of Music with the last line of the first chapter: “Our Story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning…” (Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…)

“The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne -everything- to rescue the one he loves.”

“O Lord, in the beginning you made the earth,
and your hands made the sky.
These things will disappear, but you will stay.
They will all wear out like old clothes.
You will fold them up like a coat,
and they will be changed like clothes.
But you never change,
and your life will never end.”

The heavens tell about the glory of God.
The skies announce what his hands have made.
Each new day tells more of the story,
and each night reveals more and more about God’s power.
You cannot hear them say anything.
They don’t make any sound we can hear.
But their message goes throughout the world.
Their teaching reaches the ends of the earth.

Psalm 19, Hebrews 1

I am following my friend Amanda’s Advent Stitch-A-Long. You can find instructions for today’s ornament here. Prep instructions by Amanda are here.

The book used for the Advent reading is The Jesus Storybook Bible. You can find more information the book here or buy it on Amazon here.