Christmas 2010 Advent Scripture Readings

Our family was gone last week visiting our extended families in MS and AL.  That's about a 14 hour drive from where we are here in SW Florida!  Needless to say we had an amazing time with our loved ones, but are still recovering from the drive home.  I'll be sharing about our trip probably in three parts over the next several days here.  I took so many pictures, not so much of scenery, but of sweet faces; faces that we may not see for another year!  So I'll share the trip with you in three parts so as not to do so much damage to your eyesight :)

I've shared before that Fall/Winter are my favorite seasons of the year; primarily because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.  I love the Christmas decorations that are beginning to pop up everywhere.  We decorated our home before our trip, because I like to enjoy a festive home the entire month of December.  There just seems to be something different in the air this time of year.  Maybe it's the excitement and expectation of this time of year.  But sometimes I wonder exactly what people are so excited about.

Yes, I'm looking forward to the Christmas parties, Christmas music playing, the decorations which I love, spending time with friends and the giving of gifts to one another; and oh. my. goodness. the yummy food this season of the year offers.

But I want to be intentional and very deliberate about preparing room in my heart for "The Word" Who "became flesh and made His dwelling among us." (John 1:14a)

One of the ways I'll be doing that is following an Advent Reading Plan organized by a pastor that we served with when we lived in Greenville, MS.  One of the things he always encouraged us to do this time of year was to focus on preparing our hearts with Scripture.  He organized this set of Advent Scripture Readings and I thought I'd share it here with you for your use this Advent Season:

Christmas 2010 Advent Reading

Prepared by Dennis Salley

November 28          Luke 1:1-4; Galatians 3:26-4:7

November 29         John 1:1-18

November 30         Philippians 2:5-11

December 1           Colossians 1:13-23

December 2           Ephesians 1:1-14

December 3           Genesis 1

December 4           Genesis 2

December 5           Genesis 3

December 6           Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-16

December 7           Genesis 17:1-8; 15-21; 21:1-7

December 8           Isaiah 7:10-14

December 9           Isaiah 9:2-7

December 10         Psalms 72

December 11         Isaiah 11:1-5

December 12         Isaiah 40:1-11

December 13         Isaiah 53

December 14         Micah 5:2-5; Genesis 49:8-10

December 15         Haggai 2:6-9

December 16         Malachi 2:17-3:5

December 17         Matthew 1:1-17

December 18         Luke 3:23-38

December 19         Luke 1:5-25

December 20         Luke 1:26-38

December 21         Luke 1:39-56

December 22         Luke 1:57-80

December 23         Matthew 1:18-25

December 24         Luke 2:1-20

December 25         Matthew 2

December 26         Luke 2:21-52

As I prepare room in my heart for Immanuel, the God Who is with us, I encourage you to do the same.

Preparing room,

Jennifer