10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas- Day 5 (and a contest!)

Advent calendars are a happy part of Christmas celebrations for the very reason that they build anticipation. And we have so much to anticipate! Just think about the excitement building in Mary all those years ago:

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."

Luke 1:46-55

That's the Gospel.

If you don't already have an advent calendar for this year, don't stress. There are easy ones to create (look at that paper bag one! Super easy) or purchase from places like Christian Book Distributors and Amazon. Now's the time to get ready, as advent starts on November 27th this year.

But you know what? You don't have to purchase a thing. There are wonderful free downloadable coloring pages, books to check out from the library, DVD's to borrow, and songs to sing. There are goodies to bake, too. Building anticipation means talking with joy about what is coming, and that's entirely free.

As I was browsing the CBD nativities, I kinda fell in love with this candle. Let's have a contest! Just leave me a comment about how you anticipate Christmas with your little ones, and you're entered to win the nativity candle. Winner will be picked at random.org, and the contest ends on Day 10 of More JESUS in Christmas (November 18, 2011, midnight PST).

As we spend 10 Days desiring more JESUS in Christmas, let's purpose to do this one thing today:

5. Anticipate the King of Kings! Countdown with us...

Be sure to visit these brilliant women during our 10 days adventure between November 7th-18th! I love these ladies and we know you will too.

10 days of Character Studies | Confessions of a Homeschooler

10 days of Christmas Countdown Ideas | Milk & Cookies

10 days of Creative Writing | Chocolate on My Cranium

10 days of Crockpot Meals | The Happy Housewife

10 Days to a Godly Marriage | Women Living Well

10 Days of Growing Leaders | Mom's Mustard Seeds

10 Days of Homeschooling High School | Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers

10 days of I Wish I Had Known | Fruit in Season

10 days of Keeping Your Marbles | The Tie That Binds Us

10 days of Kid-friendly Food | Planner Perfect

10 Days of Language Arts Lesson Planning | Jimmie's Collage

10 Days of Learning Apps | Daze of Adventure

10 Days of a Mason Jar Christmas | Cajun Joie de Vivre

10 Days of More JESUS in Christmas | Preschoolers and Peace

10 Days to a Peaceful Home | Raising Arrows

10 Days of Raising a Life-Long-Learner | Bright Ideas Press

10 days of Science with Math | Blog, She Wrote

10 days of Teaching Values | Our Journey Westward

10 days of Winning your Child's Heart | I Take Joy