Advent gift ideas

Day 1- a quarter
- A quarter! This equals 25 cents. But 25 also stands for the number of days until Christmas, when God gave us His best present. Jesus told about one woman's gift and the way she gave it. Read Mark 12:41-44

Day 2- a piece of grape gum
- Grape gum!. Grapes make jelly and juice, raisins and wine. But Jesus didn't need grapes to preform His first miracle. Read John 2:1-10.

Day 3- a smiley face sticker
-Here's a smile! A smile usually expresses happiness. Jesus gave us many instructions to keep us happy. Read Mattahew 5:1-12.

Day 4- a few fish crackers
- Fish! Well, if you were surprised to find these fish, wait until you read the story today! Others were surprised to find fish, too. Read Luke 5:4-7.

Day 5- one birthday candle
- A birthday candle? As you know , we are getting ready to celebrate Jesus' birthday. However, Jesus talked about something else related to this candle Light. Read Mattahew 5:14-16.

Day 6- a small jingle bell
- You could make noise with this. But it would have bothered a certain man---until he met Jesus. Read Mark 7:31-37.

Day 7- two candy fish
- These would not go very far if you were really hungry! But Jesus could make much out of little. Surely He knew how to multiply! Read Mattahew 14: 13-21.

Day 8- two cotton balls
- These cotton balls would be helpful in a thunder storm, wouldn't they? We could use them for ear plugs to muffle the loud noise that thunder makes. But we know Someone who doesn't need cotton. Jesus can control the weather. Read Mattahew 8:23-27.

Day 9- a piece of road map
- People needing to use other parts of this map are in trouble! Don't you get lost today! Read John 14:1-6.

Day 10- a small piece of soap
- It's soap. Do you like to wash? Your hands and face? Behind your ears? Washing turn out to be a happy time for a man who met Jesus. Read John 9: 1-7.

Day 11- a few candy hearts
- Hearts. Wordlessly, they speak of love, don't they? Jesus spoke some commands about love. Read Mattahew 22: 37-40.

Day 12- a pin on button with a cross printed on it
- we use crosses as a symbol, representing Jesus. Do you know why? Read Philippians 2: 1-11.

Day 13- a small packet of salt
- Ordinary salt. Yes, Jesus related salt to us and our behavior. He also gave us some advice. Read Mattahew 5:13 and Colossians 4:6 (Notice that He doesn't recommend pepper!).

Day 14 - a small bag of sand
- Don't try to eat this ! It's sand. It reminds us that Jesus knows something about architecture, about buildings----and building lives. See His inscructions; Mattahew 7:24-29.

Day 15- a small artifical flower
- Flowers are pretty, aren't they? Jesus used flowers to teach us a reassuring lesson. read Mattahew 6: 28-34.

Day 16- a little box of raisins
- Raisins! Many children are given raisins instead of candy for a snack. That's because they are a health-promoting and delicious fruit. Jesus told us how we can produce good fruit. Read John 15: 1-5.

Day 17- a few flower seeds
- Jesus told a story about seeds that a man planted. Then He explained it, revealing its deep meaning. Read Mattahew 13:3-8 and Mattahew 13: 18-23.

Day 18- a sheet of musice taken from a pamphlet type Christmas carol book
- Christmas is just a week away! And here is an appropriate song. Sing it loudly! Read Psalm 100.

Day 19- a little stone
- A hard stone! Can you change this stone into a piece of bread? Do you think Jesus could? Jesus was asked to do just that. Do you know how He handled it? Read Mattahew 4:1-4.

Day 20- a piece of crumpled aluminum foil
- Try to smooth out this piece of foil and use it as a mirror. It's hard to see your reflection plainly, isn't it? Many circumstances are hard to understand, but someday everything will be clear. Read 1 Corinthians 13:12.

Day 21- one mustard seed placed between two pieces of clear contact paper
- The mustard seed is the smallest there is! When it sprouts, it grows into one of the largest plants! See what Jesus said. Read Mattahew 17:20.

Day 22- a tiny plastic dove
- We've learned the cross represents Christ, but do you know what the dove stands for? Read Mattahew 3:13-17.

Day 23- a swatch of wool cloth
- The thread that compose this fabric came from the wool of a sheep. Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd. Do you know who his sheep are? read John 10:7-18.

Day 24- one blue marble
- A marble! Do you know what is sometimes called the "Big Blue Marble"? The world. God made the world for us. What does God continue doing to the world? And who is the world? Read John 3:16.

Day 25- a small photograph of a baby
- Isn't this baby cute? When he was born, he made a whole family happy. Jesus was born a baby, too. He came to make the whole world happy. read Luke 2:1-20. Enjoy your celebration today. Continue to learn about Jesus---and love Him forever!