Ep. 15 Family Advent Devotional | Jess Wolstenholm

Living the Grace Life

Did you grow up celebrating Advent? For many, Advent has become a sacred rhythm that grounds people in the Christ of Christmas. Spanning the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, Advent invites us to return to Jesus each week of the Christmas season.

In this episode of Living the Grace Life, host Jennifer Sakata discusses the challenges and joys of preparing for Christmas, particularly within families. She is joined by Jess Wolstenholm, the editor and executive producer of the award-winning children's Bible and animated series, 'The Minno Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids.'

Jess introduces her new resource, 'The Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids Family Advent Devotional,' which aims to help families observe Advent through weekly readings, activities, and interactive discussions. They emphasize the importance of creating low-stress spiritual rhythms amidst the holiday chaos, making space for reflection, and entrusting the Holy Spirit with the ongoing discipleship process.

Rhythms they discuss include:

• celebrating Advent Sundays with candles, a brief scripture, and prayer
• prioritizing mealtime connections and bite-sized devotions
• limiting activities in December
• stacking habits: start with something you're already doing and build on that

Together, they explore everyday, ordinary ways to celebrate Advent meaningfully, drawing on their experiences with children, ministry, and faith.

Listen to this week's episode for how to "balance inputs" and move toward a more meaningful, less chaotic Advent and Christmas season.

Grace Quotes from Jess Wolstenholm:

"Shouldn't [Jesus] be born in a fancy place? No, he was not. He was born in a pile of hay because God doesn't always do things the way we think He should."

"Don't underestimate the seeds you're planting. It's consistency that matters. Just get started."

"It's going to be messy. They're going to get out of their chair. They're going to drop their food. They're going to cry and have a meltdown in the middle of it. The important thing is to push through that. Keep doing it and be committed to doing it, no matter what, because it does make a difference in their lives."

Key Scripture from our conversation:

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8

Resources mentioned:

• Jess Wolstenholm at Minno website
• Jess Wolstenholm on Instagram
• Laugh and Grow Bible for Kids Family Advent Devotional: A Four-Week Journey Through the Christmas Story
• Minno on YouTube
• Minno on Instagram
• Minno on Facebook

Complete show notes here

Connect with Jennifer:

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