The Wise Men Journey -- A New Advent Tradition

You know when God puts someone on your path and they just ooze Jesus–and you are flat out humbled and amazed by the whole thing to your core? Well that is exactly what happened to me when I met my friend, Lynette Meintjes, while waiting around for my kids at ballet class! She is amazing. (Updated from my original 2018 post!)

After spending three years writing and creating a new advent tradition—the project finished just in time for Christmas 2018! She has continued to pour her heart and soul into sharing the beautiful story of Christ’s birth–and made improvements that are ready for Christmas 2021! Now the hardcover book, wisemen, and ornaments come in a beautiful suitcase-style gift box set! Perfect for gift-giving!

Lynette generously gifted me the sets–including her book, The Wise Men Journey Searching for The King and Treasure Box–they are gorgeous and beautiful in every way! Her obedience to the calling God put on her life to create the book and treasure box is inspiring and humbling. It’s truly an honor to share this precious advent tradition with you!

This is our 4th Christmas to use The Wise Men Journey…My kids love finding the wise men, hanging the beautiful ornaments daily, and sitting with a sweet treat to hear each new chapter. It’s become part of our “advent bedtime routine”!

A New Advent Tradition

Honestly, I’m not even sure where to start to do all this justice…

At the heart of the project–Lynette wanted a way to get children excited about the true story of Christmas. She wanted to share the entire Christmas story throughout December so that kids could fully appreciate the beautiful miracle that is Christ’s birth. So she wrote a book.

But it’s so much more than a book–it weaves every part of the Christmas story together (the wise men, the angels, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Gabriel, the shepherds, etc…). We read a chapter daily through December. In addition to the story, it includes daily scripture and questions for reflection. I’ve never seen a children’s book present the Christmas story in such a beautiful and relatable way to children.

But the book is only part of what Lynette has created. Knowing how excited our kiddos are for Christmas–but wanting to keep the focus on Christ, she created a nightly experience to go along with the book throughout advent. And so the wise men character blocks were born.

Suitcase Box Set OR Limited Edition Treasure Box Set

Both of these options contains 3 Wooden Wise Men (they are beautifully crafted and neutral, perfect for any decor), a treasure bag, and 25 small wooden ornaments.

Each night, we hide the wise men in the house along with a small treasure bag containing an ornament. (Plus any extra little treats you might want to include.) The suitcase set includes the hardcover book. If you’d prefer the Wooden Treasure Box, the book is sold separately.

The daily ornament has the treasure word for the day on the front. And on the back, is the corresponding treasure verse. It’s become our tradition to hang them on a special Christmas tree in our kitchen/hearth room.

After finding the wise men and discovering the treasure, it’s time to read the short story and daily devotion in The Wise Men Journey Searching for The King.

The Book

Written with such love and attention to detail, The Wise Men Journey Searching for The King, covers the entire Christmas story. It walks our families through each miraculous event–and makes the story understandable and applicable to children (like being patient, kind, and a witness for Jesus).

The illustrations are lovely–the whole thing is just done with excellence…

(The actual book is hardcover, however these pictures are from my personal paperback copy.)

Keeping Christ the Center of Christmas

We’re all looking for ways to keep Christ at the center of Christmas. I love that this tradition is simple, no prep, and completely focused on the true Christmas story. While I will continue to do my Jesse Tree and light our advent wreath–I have never found something that walks families through the events surrounding Christ’s birth like The Wise Men Journey Searching for The King.

If your evenings get a little crazy–my kids also love doing either the Jesse Tree or the Wise Men in the morning! They tell me they love “Christmas Homeschool”…and it’s because of these fun traditions!