Advent calendars have never been a part of our Christmas celebration… until now. Call it mother’s guilt (or Pinterest’s influence), but this year I decided to make an advent calendar for my children! Thankfully, I already had most of the supplies and was able to put one together in just a few hours. In the midst of all my tracing, cutting, scoring, gluing, and coloring I began making a mental list of what Scriptures and activities I was going to include for our family. Excitement grew within as I imagined my children’s delight to open our daily card. Quite suddenly, I had been bitten by the advent calendar bug!
So, I decided to make another one for my husband!
Last year I wrote about participating in 12 Days of Christmas for my husband, but this year I am upping the ante. At first, I considered creating Jason’s calendar to be filled with things for us to do together: dancing to Christmas music, buying an ornament that reminds us of 2013, snuggling by the fire, ice skating, and sleeping under the Christmas tree (our children aren’t old enough to do this yet, and it sounds fun to me, ha). However, when I went to write out these Advent cards, the Lord took this idea in a whole new direction.
To follow the same pattern as the calendar I made for our children, I wanted to include a daily Scripture for my husband to read. As I began reading and choosing which verses to include, my activities quickly modeled God’s Word rather than my previous cookie-cutter ideas. And I like it better this way! For those who may be interested, here is my complete list (in no particular order):
- Read Proverbs 21:9 ~ I will get the children dinner and put them to bed while you get the night off. I won’t quarrel about it!
- Read Mark 10:6-9 ~ Let’s pray for our marriage.
- Read Proverbs 18:22 ~ I want to be a good wife. You are a good husband who is good at working out and playing music. Do an hour of either one of those today!
- Read Psalm 85:10 ~ You be righteousness and I will be peace!
- Read Genesis 2:18-22 ~ Let me be a suitable helper for you… pick something from your “to-do” list and let’s tackle it together.
- Read Matthew 19:2-9 ~ Want to watch a movie together and try to see who has a hard heart and who doesn’t?
- Read John 15:9-17 ~ Will you join me in the kitchen as we dance to “We Are In Love” by Harry Connick Jr.
- Read Proverbs 5:19 ~ May my breasts satisfy you… TONIGHT!
- Read 2 Corinthians 6:14 ~ I am so thankful that we are equally yoked. Let’s pray together in the prayer room at church.
- Read Genesis 24:67 ~ Thank you for loving your wife so well. Let’s share the top three things we love about each other.
- Read Matthew 1:18-25 ~ Tonight, let’s watch The Christmas Experience Movie
- Read Galatians 5:13 ~ Let’s serve someone.
- Read Deuteronomy 24:5 ~ Well, we aren’t recently married, and we can’t take a year off, but let’s take a day off! (disclaimer: we already had an overnight getaway planned for this day!)
- Read Proverbs 12:4 ~ Share with me specific ways I can be a jewel in your crown?
- Read Ezekiel 16:8 & Revelation 19:7-8 ~ I am so thankful that we are married! Let’s watch our wedding video.
- Read 1 Corinthians 7:3-4 ~ Let me fulfill your needs tonight!
- Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ~ Is there something I can make easier for you? Allow me the privilege to lighten your load.
- Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ~ Let’s share which areas of love we want to improve on. Praise each other for our areas of strength.
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:11 ~ While, in the Lord, we aren’t independent of each other… we can spend a night independently. After the kids go to bed, I will do my thing, and you can do yours.
- Read Ephesians 5:33 ~ Please allow me to share with you all reasons I respect you.
- Read 1 Timothy 3:8-12 ~ Let me pray for you to strengthen these, already strong, qualities in your life.
- Read Luke 2:4-6 ~ The Word became flesh and first appeared as a helpless infant in a barn! Let’s talk about the humility that takes and pray for us to develop that same humility.
- Read 1 Corinthians 11:3 ~ How can I help support you and pray for you as the leader of our home?
- Read Song of Solomon 2:3 ~ Due to the personal nature of this verse… my comments will not be on this blog!
- 1 John 3:16-18 ~ Let’s make a list of people who are in need that we can be generous with and then pray for them.
Since I normally blog about my struggles rather than martial successes, I wasn’t planning on blogging this idea, but because the Lord so clearly directed my steps to this idea (I certainly wouldn’t have come up with this on my own), I pray you will join me in trying it!
Today is December 1st, and you may be thinking it is too late for you to prepare an advent calendar for your husband this year! It’s not! Use the list above to help you brainstorm different Scripture verses and activities or use the list above in its entirety (I do ask if you blog about it that you link back to this post). It is also okay if you don’t start on the first day of December (I am the legalistic girl who needs permission to begin late)! And if you, like me, dismiss anything that might take up too much time to prepare, don’t assume this is difficult!
Friends, this in no way needs to be fancy. Mine is certainly not. I wrote my messages on 3×5 index cards, slipped them into library card sleeves, and tacked them to a cork board. That’s it. You can skip the handwriting altogether if you want by texting your advent calendar to your husband, or sending it in a daily e-card, or vocally sharing it with him. Remember, it is the thought the counts: the words rather than the paper that they are written on! Don’t stress, but enjoy this marriage advent calendar!
I am so excited to start mine tonight, and I hope you are too!
Emily says
This idea is fantastic!!! I just saw it on Pinterest-I know what my craft project will be after church this afternoon!
Thank you for the inspiration. I’ll be sure to let you know if I blog about mine!!
Happy Advent season!
darbyd says
Thank you! Hope you enjoy making it and your husbands enjoy the attention! thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Julie says
I finally catching up on blog reading this busy season of preparing for Jesus birth!
I LOVE this idea. I might use these at random times, rather than try to fit them all in this month. I am pretty sure I am going to make cute little cards and write them out, so that they will be ready to stick in his bag, coat pocket, on his dresser, by this bedside when I feel called to do so.
What a fun idea!
darbyd says
Yay! I hope it works out well for your family. You are super crafty so I know your cards will look awesome!
Ashley says
I’m getting married in three weeks, so I won’t be able to participate this Christmas, but I am beyond excited to start this tradition with my (soon-to-be) husband next year! Thank you so much for this wonderful idea!!
darbyd says
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!!!! That is so exciting! Will be praying for you these next few weeks as you prepare and then for you as you enter into marriage… such a wonderful union. Hope you enjoy the Advent Calendar next year. 😉
Naomi@WhatJoyIsMine says
Darby…Love this!! I’ve done a 12 days of Christmas for my husband a few years ago. I think its time to do it again. Visiting you from WholeHearted Home link up.
Brandi says
Hello, I think this is great idea for sure . I will start now .lol I’m write them on a index card and put them in the places he goes the most 🙂 lot of times he plays a games in the morning I can put on the computer 🙂 so he can see it also he goes offshore I can put it on the top of his bag so he can see it 🙂 all month of December I will go all over writing the index cards different places so he can ee them 🙂 love this idea
darbyd says
That’s a great idea! What fun to place his cards somewhere different! Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth M says
Love this idea with scripture and the focus on growing together. Thanks for this! 😀
Darby Dugger says
You’re welcome! Hope it is a blessing during this special season!