For you! A Free Advent Bible Journaling Focus

I love Advent. I can’t even describe to you how much I love Advent. Advent is a time of waiting. Waiting for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and waiting for His second coming… that day when we get to see our Lord Jesus face to face.

While I wait I want to be intentional. I want to wait with my heart’s eyes open to see God moving around me and to know Him at work in and through me. One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story in scripture is when Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple for the first time and old Simeon gets to lay his eyes on His Messiah. God had promised Him that he would not die before He saw the Messiah and he had been waiting with expectant hope.

And then there’s the prophetess Anna, who was also waiting and had eyes to see Him when He came. Too, too many others missed Him. Simeon and Anna did not. Read their story in Luke 2. It’s short but so powerful.

I want to wait like them. Are you ready to go with me? Let’s do it!

 Watchful Waiting Joy

Advent Bible Journaling Focus – Week One

Hope Wearing Skin

Hope. We hope for something that may or may not happen. We hope it’s true, we hope it will happen but it’s diaphanous hope with not much substance.

But then there is expectant hope. It holds an element of trust in the one who promised. There is a real expectation that our hope has weight.

I was a child when I learned my grandparents budgeted $20 for each grandchild’s Christmas gift. When they handed me the Sears & Roebuck Wish Book and a pen, I knew exactly what to aim for. As a teenager, I circled $19.99 ice skates with shiny new blades. Guess what was under the tree for me? Many happy hours of skating were had on those skates even as a college student. It still makes my heart smile. I have no memory of the plan ever failing. Yet there was still mystery and a sense of wonder in the waiting.

The prophet Isaiah (9:6-7) wrote, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called…

Can you hear, even feel, the hope for you? Not illusive hope but real hope wearing skin. Hope full of trust in ALL of who Jesus Christ is for you today and a wonderful yet mysterious hope that we KNOW will be realized on that day when we see Him face to face.

Does your life reflect your certain Hope? No matter who you are or where you live, people all around you, including those closest to you, need to know the One who IS hope.

You be the skin that Hope wears. Live out loud. Share your hope. God will use your story to bring hope to your world.

And that is the best gift anyone could ever receive.

Special Note: If you would like to join me and a group of others on the Watchful Waiting Joy journey, subscribe to my email list here. 

Watchful Waiting Joy includes one devotional prompt for each week of Advent plus Christmas Eve and a surprise prompt at the end to close out the season. I might be more excited about that one than all of the rest!Each prompt includes a free printable to print and use in your Bible or journal as you process each prompt. The printable is original artwork created by me.

I’ll send out links to the devotional prompt and downloadable printable via email each week.

A Gift for You – A surprise bonus!
For everyone participating in the journey with me, there is an exclusive bonus printable!

This is important…
If you are interested in Bible Journaling through Advent with me, please subscribe to my email list here. Then COMMENT on this post and simply say “I’m In.” That will indicate your desire to claim your gift.

I will try hard to send off your bonus printable by the end of the day in which I receive your comment and after that you will receive it automatically.

And one more surprise… I have a fun little GIVEAWAY for all those who join me in Watchful Waiting Joy. Your comment “I’m in” is also your entry into the giveaway. I can’t wait to bless one of you! GIVEAWAY CLOSED and winner informed! If you played along, thank you!!

And finally, your links! Click on each one to download.
Week One Printable Devotional/Prompt (printable version of the text that is above)

“Hope Wearing Skin”

Free Downloadable Printable (Click on the image for the link.)

And a preview of the exclusive printable if you sign up to receive Recess With Jesus emails.  It’s hard to choose but I love this candle! I hope you will like it too! Click on the image to go to the signup form.

If you have any questions about the Advent Focus or problems with the files, please please please let me know!

Thanks for reading!

Blessings on a wonderful Advent season!

 

 

 

***All printables are for personal use ONLY and not for redistribution. Thank you!

Supplies Used in Mixed Media Original Images:

• Illustrated Faith Pen
• Sharpie No Bleed Pen
• Hymn Pages
• Koi Watercolors
• Lamb’s Ears leaves picked from my garden right outside my front door
• UHU glue stick
• paint.net
• MS Publisher
• MS Word
• Canon ScanGear Scanner & software

Acknowledgements:

• Text of the devo inspired in part by Billy Graham’s 2010 Advent Meditations Arrival: Preparing to Celebrate Christ’s Birth.
• All images are originals created by me except:
  • Star Cluster derived from Marisa Lerin’s work on pixelscrapper.com.
  • Old hymn pages
  • Font – Highline Script Font and Warrenson Script Font by CreativequbeDesign Studio