What comes to your mind when you think of Christmas? What do you remember about Christmas growing up? What traditions did your family have? What traditions would you keep? Is there anything you would change? Just a few of the questions that have covered my mind over the last couple of months preparing for Christmas.
As a Christian, Christ is what I want to focus on. I am forever thankful that God gave up His place on His throne to come to earth as a little baby. Fully God, yet fully a little, needy baby. W-O-W! How amazing! If He would not have come, He would not have died, and I would not have life everlasting through Him.
But how do we focus on Jesus during this season? How do we make sense of all of the other things that our culture has muddled into this Holiday?
Santa
Presents
Elves (not to mention the elf on a shelf)
Black Friday
Stockings
Cookies and candies
Snowmen
Reindeer
Decorations
and the list goes on.
As a follower of Christ and as a parent, my goal is to focus on Jesus and show and talk about Him and his love. My desire is to raise children who love God with all of themselves and love their neighbor. I want to raise givers, not takers. I remember my mindset as a child during Christmas. Yes, I KNEW it was Jesus' Birthday, but if I was honest, it was more of an afterthought. After Santa, after the presents and stockings and Christmas tree and cookies. Why is Christmas so confusing? Why can it be so hard when it SHOULD be so easy?
It is very interesting to look at all of the history surrounding Christmas! It has really helped me make sense of so much during this season. AND there is still sooo much for me to learn!
Christmas is a couple of Holidays in one.
St. Nicholas' Day (traditionally celebrated on Dec 6; remembering St.Nicholas, a monk who loved
Jesus and children)
Winter Solstice
Christ Mass
No wonder it is so confusing. I have been struggling with not wanting to be a prude or no fun, but feeling God's gentle hand guiding our family to take another look at how we celebrate Christmas.
Some Traditions we are doing this year.
1. Thank you notes and treats hand delivered to special people in our life and some of our awesome
Staff and volunteers at Church who have impacted our lives
2. Learning about the History of St. Nicholas, the Christmas tree, stockings, and other Christmas
symbols
3. We are enjoying a Christmas Unit study where we spend 4 weeks learning about the details of Jesus'
birth and the Christmas story
4. Elf on a Shelf- Starting this year off with a note from the elf, talking about Jesus, His grace and love,
and using the elf to deliver fun messages each day with ideas about how to love on others. They do
know that he is not real and is just for fun.
know that he is not real and is just for fun.
5. Happy Birthday Jesus party (full on with cupcakes, party hats, and songs to Jesus.)
6. Going to the Hospital on Christmas day and delivering treats to people in the waiting rooms at NICU
and ICU
Movies we are watching:
Buck Denver's "Why do we call it Christmas?"
Polar Express (with lots of talking and discussion)
Little Drummer Boy
Songs we are learning:
Go Tell it on the Mountain
Silent Night
Little Drummer Boy
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