1. Advent at Home

Mennonite Education Agency has put out Advent at Home materials for this waiting season we find ourselves in. Taken from the theme, “How will we know?” from Leader magazine, Talashia Keim Yoder wrote the curriculum for all ages. It includes scripture, ritual and prayer. This is also available in Spanish. As you think of ways to honor the season of Advent, I encourage you to find what works for you. The MEA resource can be found here:  https://www.mennoniteeducation.org/resources/advent-at-home/.

2. Advent with Shannon

Shannon Walker Dykus is the author of The Holy in the Night: Finding Freedom in the Season of Waiting. The theme of this can be summarized as, “waiting is not wasted.” Dykus uses modern BIPOC prophets to influence her writing and has a reflection for each day of the season. These reflections span the range of emotions one may experience during this time. https://heraldpress.com/9781513813202/the-holy-in-the-night/

3. Advent with Joanna

In Expecting Immanuel: Eight Women Who Prepared the Way, Joanna Harader takes women from Jesus’ lineage: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, Mary and others. She fashions their narratives into spiritual practices and devotionals. These can be adapted for group settings. Though some of these stories are difficult, they show the ability of God to enter into complicated humanity. https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Emmanuel-Eight-Women-Prepared/dp/1513810553

4. A Northern Nativity 

A Northern Nativity: Christmas Dreams of a Prairie Boy is a book my best friend and I read one Advent season. The artist, Ukrainian Canadian William Kurelek of the northern prairies, asks the question, “What would it look like if Jesus came now?” Jesus’ birth takes place in a fisherman’s hut, a garage, a cowboy barn and other unusual places. This is a great book for every age. https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Nativity-Christmas-Dreams-Prairie/dp/0887760996

5. Cranberry sauce

I have put pumpkin spice season away for now and have fully entered into cranberry season. This year I tried a new recipe, and it blew my mind. My suggestion is to add an extra cinnamon stick. https://www.momontimeout.com/best-ever-cranberry-sauce/