Month / November 2025

advent candle wreath
by Karen Twinem

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Advent

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. Do you want a calm Christmas? A holy December? This is where to begin.

Step one is always the Christmas Pledge. I wrote it down decades ago and can’t find the source. But it has served as a pathway for a meaningful Advent.

The Christmas Pledge

  1. To remember those people who truly need my gifts.
  2. To express my love for family and friends in more direct ways that presents.
  3. To re-dedicate myself to the spiritual growth of my family.
  4. To examine my holiday activities in light of the true spirit of Christmas.
  5. To initiate one act of peacemaking within my circle of family and friends.

You can fulfill the pledge in many ways:

  • Give a Christmas present from your family to World Vision or another charity. You can have the youngest child or grandchild pick out the gift. We gave a goat to a family in Africa last year.
  • Prepare a blessing bag with a Christmas card or other Christmas twist to give to the homeless you see. To learn more about blessing bags, click here.
  • Give a warm handwritten note to those you love most.
  • Put up an Advent wreath, lighting the candle of hope on Sunday.
  • Introduce Advent activities into your Christmas calendar.
    • Advent calendars are trendy. You can make a meaningful one digitally or with 25 envelopes. I have a refillable Advent box similar to this. I put mini Christmas ornaments on it for the mini-tree. Others put Advent activities on real calendars.
  • Go through your list of “must do” events to see if they reflect your values.
  • Reach out to family members and neighbors who vote differently than you do.
  • Find an Advent devotional to read each day during your quiet time.

We kick off the First Sunday of Advent with church attendance. Then we set up the barn in our nativity scene … empty. We add the people and animals as the season progresses. We also make Christmas cookies for tea in the afternoon.

On Sunday, I start an Advent devotional from those I have collected over the years. I rotate so this year’s devotionals include “Meditations on the Birth of Jesus: A Renovare Advent Resource for Spiritual Renewal” by Miriam Dixon and Margaret Campbell. I also may add “Hidden Christmas” by Timothy Keller. It’s first on a list of recommended Advent devotionals that you can find on Goodreads here.

Step by step, day by day, you can have the quiet holiday you crave. All you have to do is apply these ideas, based on Christian mindfulness. A holy Advent season leads to a happier new year.

symbols of thanksgiving
by Karen Twinem

Write Down Your Blessings This Thanksgiving

Parts of the world are at war. We may be missing loved ones. And the cost of Thanksgiving may be much higher than last year. Nonetheless, the Lord has been so good to us.

Today, let’s look with intention at what’s right and how God has blessed us. Listing our blessings helps us to stay focused on what is good in our lives. You can write it on a piece of paper, a computer screen or a pumpkin!

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

For example, I am thankful to the Lord for:

  • MRIs and CAT scans that finally show what’s wrong that can be fixed.
  • Our marriage that has remained solid despite everything.
  • Food, water and a warm house.
  • My granddaughter and the miracles of technology that allow us to spend time together.
  • My wonderful kids.
  • A more consistent Christian mindfulness practice.
  • My spiritual director, small group leaders and pastors.

And there’s lots more on my list. Please make one yourself and spend time thanking God for what you have. You will feel much better.

It might be fun to keep it, so you can compare it to next year’s list.

You also can create a list of unanswered prayers to compare. This year I am praying for healing, increased understanding of God’s will and visiting my family.