Tip #32: Keep an Advent calendar

My siblings and I used to make red and green paper chains that we kept by our beds, eagerly tearing off a link each night as we crept toward Christmas. Several times my mom even bought Advent calendars with beautiful scenes, little doors and a chocolate for each day. It's a fun tradition, one that I still enjoy.

This year, I wanted to make an awesome Advent calendar, so I, of course, scoured Pinterest. I found the ingenious idea of using tins, so I bought a box of tins, glue, glitter, beads, Command hooks and purple and pink ribbon. I put pictures, Bible quotes, glitter and more into the tins – one for each day. I used a little bit too much glue, but it still turned out pretty nice. Each day during Advent, I've added to the tree-shaped display – it will be complete on Christmas Day.

What if we approached Advent that way? Instead of December being a long, excruciating countdown to Christmas like the paper chains – throwing away each day as quickly as it comes to get to Christmas – each day could be an opportunity to build. To build our relationship with Christ. To grow in love toward our neighbor. There are only a few days of Advent left, but they could be the most meaningful. Don't rush through these last few days. Continue preparing your heart for your Savior.