Christmas books you don’t want to miss (plus, I ain’t goin’ out like that)

Yippee!  It’s December first and the first day of Advent.  Here are three of my favorite Advent resources:

Keeping Holiday is a book that captured my kids’ attention and imagination as I read it out loud to them during the weeks before Christmas in 2010.  They were 13, 7, 5, and 3 and they all enjoyed it (well, Hannah at age 3 couldn’t keep up with it but she did listen).    The author’s writing style has been compared to CS Lewis or John Bunyan, but is easy enough for elementary-aged kids to grasp.  My kids are still talking about it three years later. 

Jotham’s Journey is a book intended to be read daily in Advent and kept all of us on the edge of our seats.  The kids begged for more of the suspenseful story everyday.  The historical fiction brought the birth of Christ to life for us. 

Lastly, Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent by John Piper is available online for free.  These readings have helped to center our family in years past.  They’ll be an asset to us this year, as well, as we will be in transit half-way through the Advent season. 

Before signing off, I want to express my heart-felt thanks to you all for your prayers after my post yesterday.  It is indeed a difficult time for our family.  But your prayers have lightened my heart and I am ever-confident that God sees, knows, and wills all things.  He is good and trustworthy and has got this.  I ain’t goin’ out on a sad post like that!  I plan to keep blogging--not daily--but often.