Having grown up in a Baptist church,
I had never heard of recognizing Advent until a friend recommended Arnold Ytreeide's
Advent Trilogy. Advent, from the Latin word adventus, means
"coming". It is a time of expectant preparation for the birth
of Christ. What a wonderful time to quiet and prepare our hearts for the
coming of the Messiah!
As we are drawing closer to this season, I want to encourage you to pick one of the three Advent books and enjoy them with your family too! All three titles, Jotham's Journey, Tabitha's Travels and Bartholomew's Passage, will transport your family back to the days leading up to the birth of Christ. Suspenseful cliff hangers in the daily portions of the story leave your children begging for more! (I have to admit, Tim and I would often be tempted to read ahead when they weren't looking.)
The idea is to read one of the three books each year and rotate them on a three-year cycle. You can start with either book but Jotham was the first one written and is our favorite. The author suggests these books for children eight and up because there are very intense action scenes. Mr. Ytreeide weaves a wonderful historic fiction story yet manages to work in so many Biblical truths, names and customs. Each night is also followed up with a short family devotional to talk about. Instructions on making an Advent wreath is also included.
I hope you will enjoy one of the three books with your family this Advent Season.
