Day 13 Advent Candle: Today you will light the Prophecy Candle and then the Bethlehem Candle. Bible Verses John1:10-18 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. (NIV) Jesse Tree Verse: Ruth 1:15 - 2:3 Symbol: Wheat/grain from the fields where Ruth gathered food and met Boaz. Article/Devotion Heaven to Earth This is part of a very interesting series by Tony Beckett from Back to the Bible. If you'd like to read from the very beginning (there are 5-6 parts, I think), start with Heaven to Earth, part 1 (Christmas Traditions) and click through to the other parts. Starting with the second in the series, each transcript starts out with a pretend news report from the Middle East as the events of the Christmas story unfold. Dinnertime (or anytime!) Discussion Isn't it great to know that, if you are a Christian, you are one of those who DID receive Him? The verses we read today tell us that even after all of the preparations God made for the world to get ready for Jesus, many people made the choice NOT to receive Him as Savior! How does it make you feel to know that you are adopted into God's family as one of His very own children now that you know Jesus? Word to Know Grace: Here is a definition I found online (I don't know the original author, though): "When a person works an eight-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no reward - yet receives such a gift anyway - that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what a Christian means when we talk about the grace of God. Book Suggestion Silent Night: The Song and It's Story by Margaret Hodges. Read the fascinating history behind one of the world's most beloved Christmas carols. Art I cannot take any images from the following site without permission, but I wanted to include it sometime in my advent calendar! Asian Christian Art It is fascinating to me that in areas of the world where Christianity is in the minority among religions, the message of Christ is still growing and working its way in the hearts of people! Take a look at some of the interesting paintings of Jesus and His life from artists who may have used art as an outlet for their faith...especially if they were not able to live it out in everyday life. Christmas Carol or Hymn Silent Night I won't try to retell the wonderful version of this story as told in the book I suggested above. However, if you can't find a copy in time, please visit this site for the history of "Silent Night": "Silent Night" and Christmas Holiday Tradition & History 'Round the World at Christmas Christmas in East Asia After looking on another site for Christmas information on Japan, I came across the startling statistic that less than 1 percent of all people in Japan are Christians! Most of the Christmas celebrating that occurs is geared towards commercialism and taking advantage of a fun Western "tradition" rather than the birth of Christ. Perhaps a new Advent tradition for our family could be to pray for a different country each day! Movie Time Little Women 1994 (or other version) Home | Contact teachingmom 3.0    ©2003-2007 teachingmom.com All rights reserved. *Copies for personal home use permitted, however no part of the TeachingMOM Advent Calendar may be reproduced on the web or sold in any format. Permissions were personally granted, as necessary, for the use of images, articles, and book excerpts found within this portion of our website. Thank you.