Chantel Steyn

Color the first advent CANDLE. We light the first candle

of advent for remembering

Place a "HEART" sticker on your calendar today.

Advent means Christmas is coming and we are getting our

homes 

and hearts ready for Christmas. This special advent

calendar will remind you to have a special place of honor in your

Write the word "SAPPY" on your calendar remember

a time when the person you love, who died, made you

laugh or smile. 

Many memories make us both sad and happy at the

same time. "SAPPY". Can you think of one word that

make you feel "sappy"

Place a "GIFT" sticker on your calendar. T

he person you love, who died, left you with many gifts.

You will spend the rest of your life 

Put a "ORNAMENT" sticker on your calendar.

The food we eat at the holidays, the tree and all the decorations

 bring back 

memories and remind us of Christmas.

These memories, even the sad ones, are a special part of you.

 Allow your memories to come

Place a "SNOWMAN" sicker on your calendar.

The snowman reminds us to play, to enjoy a part of every day 

Write a " QUESTION MARK" on your calendar.

Think of all the questions you have about the person who died

and write them down.

They can be simple as " what was their favorite ice cream"

or as complicated as" What happened when they died"

Color 2 advent CANDLES. We light the second candle of the

advent for courage

Sometimes it takes more courage to cry and let the rears fall

 than to hold them in. draw "RAINDROPS" on your calendar

for today.

Raindrops remind us of tears. Just as the earth needs rain now

and then, we need to cry now and then. It's important.

Put a "RAINBOW" sticker on your calendar. After the rain,

God often send a rainbow, and we feel better. Just like rain

the time for crying comes, but it goes away too and we feel

better.

Put a "REINDEER" sticker on warmth and joy and love of your

calendar. Remember the story of Rudolph - all the other reindeer 

Write the word "HERO" on your calendar. You're a hero too!

You've come through a lot!

Put a "CHRISTMAS TREE" sticker on your calendar.

Each year a tree grows, it becomes taller and stronger.

Put a "BIRD" sticker on your calendar. When a baby bird is

 hatching put of its egg and somebody tries to help it by

breaking its 

shell, the baby bird will die. It is only by working hard to break

its own way out that it becomes strong to live. It requires courage

for the baby bird to break its shell and come out into the world

and it requires courage to grieve

Color 3 advent "CANDLES". We light the 3rd candle of

advent for LOVE

Put a "TEDDY BEAR" sticker on your calendar. Friends,

family, pets even teddy bears are all sources of love, support

and comfort

Write the word "CHRISTMAS LIST" on your calendar.

After you make a list of the toys and things you want for

 Christmas, make 

a list of all the people who love you - people who are alive

and people who are not alive.

Put a "SANTA" on your calendar. We all love Santa - and he

 loves us!

Put a "WREATH" sticker on your calendar.

An evergreen wreath has no beginning and no end - just like love.

Write the word "HUG" on your calendar today.

Words don't always to be said. Sometimes we can't say

 things in words, but we can

Put a "CHRISTMAS STOCKING" sticker on your calendar.

 At Christmas we get presents, but we give presents too.

Plan to give

something special to the people you love. Some of the best

gifts are small and homemade. Remember to GIVE. 

Color 4 advent CANDLES. We light the 4th candle of advent

 for JOY

Write the word "JOY" on your calendar. Jesus came to bring

us love. He didn't promise us an easy life or a life without pain

but

He taught us to care for each other. Jesus taught us that even

 though He would die someday, His love for us will never die. 

Put a "STAR" sticker on your calendar. The spirit of the people

 we love who died are like stars in the daytime - they are still

there

but we can't see them. Remember that the person you love

who died is part of the warmth and joy and love of Christmas. 

Put a "ANGLE" sticker on your calendar. We are all spirits.

We are spirits first before we are born, and later, after we die

Put a " CANDLE" sticker on your calendar. Choose a special

candle in memory of the person you love and died and light