Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu

"Those who believe in Jesus will go to be with Him."

We did not celebrate Advent when I was growing up.  I have only become acquainted with it as an adult.  This year, I am planning on including it, as part of homeschool, but also to add a new element to our celebration of the birth of Jesus.  I love the idea of including this every year, so my children and my family can become closer to Him.

In Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu takes you through the four weeks of Advent by going through twenty of the different names that Jesus is called throughout the scriptures.  A few of these include Jesus, Christ (Messiah), Lord of Lords, and Immanuel.

Other elements of this delightful book include:

*an introduction from the author with the explanation of Advent
*four sections for each week of Advent including the themes of Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love
*activities to commemorate the theme of the week

Each week, the reader will begin a new theme on Sunday, such as Joy.  There will be a lighting of a new candle, reading of scripture, reading the Christmas story, and then singing a Christmas carol. On each day of the week following, you will read a devotional about one of the names for Jesus.  The devotional also contains a challenge, a prayer, and scriptures for further study. The week ends with a list of activities you can participate in to further celebrate that theme.  For example, during the week of Joy, you could "carol your neighbors," or "take cookies to your children's ministry leader."

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO THROUGH THIS BOOK WITH MY FAMILY! The author has done so much research. There is an incredible amount of detail.  In the section on "Alpha and Omega", she writes:

"For those who are unfamiliar with the Greek alphabet, this name may not mean much at first. But simply saying it's "A to Z" wouldn't give you the whole picture.

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and represent the entirety of not just letters but all knowledge, all existence, and all time.  From beginning to end, and even before those, Jesus was, is, and all things live, move and have their being in Him (Acts 17:28).  There is nothing outside the realm of His presence; He sovereignly rules over all existence.  Through Him all things were created that will be and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17)."

This is a great book.  I believe in reading this book, you will come to know Jesus more, and your walk and relationship with Him will be enriched. Spending time learning more about who He is, is time well spent.

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus would be great for homeschoolers.  We are going to use it, as I have already stated.  But it would also be good for a Bible study, individually or group.


Many blessings to you as you prepare for His coming and become more acquainted with our Lord and Savior.  Merry Christmas!

Beth

To read an excerpt from Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional, go to amazon.com.

To learn more about the author, visit her blog here at onethingalone.com.


Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this devotional in exchange for my review.  I was not required to give a positive review. The thoughts and opinions here are entirely my own.