Monday, November 24, 2008

Advent blogging...


Wow... we've been hitting Advent pretty hard, haven't we? If you're lighting the Advent wreath, then next Sunday, November 30th, is the day that you need to have everything ready to go. If you are keeping an Advent calendar of some sort, then Monday, December 1st, is the big day for you. Pray and ponder and see how the Lord would call you to walk with Him in an extra special way as you contemplate the wonder of His incarnation and the glory of His grace.

Let's bring Advent into 2008 and see where technology fits into the mix. If you are here, you are likely a blogger or reader of blogs... or both. Back in the day, people kept journals. Some still keep a personal journal, but the trend is to blog... keep a web log of important thoughts and events. Unlike the traditional personal journal, a blog is usually for an audience.

One of the most fun things about blogging is getting to know other people. I look forward to reading things like "Stuff I like Sunday" and "Domestic Goddess Monday" and "Friday Favorites." Of course I love it when someone recommends a new blog or shares a recipe or reviews a book or movie. And my friends are among the funniest women in the world, so I always appreciate the laughs. But the biggest blogging blessing for me is getting to know my friends better as I see their world through their blogs. How encouraging!

So... here's a little Advent challenge to all you bloggers out there. What about picking one day each week throughout the season to be Christmas Sharing Day (or something that means the same but sounds much more catchy, as my brain is a little tired from the weekend)? Write a post based on a prompt and either tag others to write about the same post topic or ask that they leave a comment sharing their responses to the same prompt. Or write a post based on a prompt and tag a friend with a different prompt. Then have her tag another friend with a third prompt. And on and on and on.

Here are some ideas for prompts. These are just a micro-number of the ideas that are out there, so be creative!

* My earliest Christmas memory ...
* My favorite Christmas present I've ever given ...
* My favorite Christmas present I've ever gotten ...
* What makes me feel like Christmas ...
* The story of how Jesus came into my heart ...
* Why my favorite Bible verse is my favorite ...
* Five things I can do to show people the love of Jesus ...
* My favorite Christmas carol ...
* Three gifts I will give the King on His birthday ...
* Three gifts I have received from the King for which I give Him all the glory ...
* The coolest Christmas ornament in my collection ...
* How I see the Light of the world shining in the darkness ...
* Three people I want to thank for helping me know Jesus ...
* My favorite part of the Christmas story ...
* Christmas morning at our house ...
* Gifts I'd like to give that don't cost any money ...
* What excites me most about the Christmas season ...
* My funniest Christmas memory ...
* My favorite Christmas decoration ...
* The ugliest ornament ever ...
* A prayer for my friends ...
* Three people I've shared Jesus with this Christmas ...
* 'Twas the night before Christmas and all through my house...
* A Christmas tradition I tried to start ...
* My favorite Christmas cookie recipe ...

Any other ideas? Feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks to Heather for sharing her photography!