A Month of Christmas: Keeping Christ In Christmas

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start planning for the MOST important part of Christmas!

I have 2 different kinds of these that I found at the Dollar Tree about 15 years ago.

Most years, I've tried to keep the Holiday a Holy Day, but sometimes the pressures of this world make it really hard.

So- as you as my witness- :)I'm starting my efforts a little earlier to make sure that CHRIST is going to be in our Christmas!

I made this cloth book about 15 years ago and the children love to sit around the tree and read it every year.

 Here are some of the things on my list:

On the 1st of December, we will get out (our very worn) traditional "Jesus Box".

We will also read the Christmas Story from the Bible.

I plan to start making a new cloth Nativity today, but we have our 2 ceramic sets that the kids always set up and play with under the tree. They've been part of Christmas for years and the children have NEVER broken them (although one did get cracked in storage once- 'magine that!).

On Christmas, we always make a "Birthday Cake for Jesus". Always. :)

We have several ornaments, many homemade, that have a 'story' to tell, every year. Not only do we try to recall where they came from or who made them, but their meaning. For instance, we have several large rusty nails that hang from red ribbons. This reminds us not only of the Lord's Birth, but also His death, the blood He shed to cover our sins, and (praise His Name!) His Resurrection. 

We also have a little tin canister ornament. It's empty. (Well, it's supposed to be empty. I just found a Nerf bullet in it.) There's a couple of things this can be used for, to pull our focus towards Christ; 1) -the empty tomb; and/or 2) -What does Jesus want for Christmas?

"What Does Jesus Want for Christmas?" is a fantastic idea that you could build on for days or weeks prior to Christmas. You could ask your children daily, when they remind you of presents; "What would Jesus want for Christmas?"           ..The answer to that, of course will be, "your heart", but building up a little suspense to this and allowing them to think on this for a while can be very fun and memorable.

This was a gift from a Sunday School teacher for one of my children years ago. It's ceramic and has been broken but we still find beauty in it after all these years.

Try to start early, organizing your crafts and coloring ideas for Christmas, so they don't get neglected and will be at arm's length when you need to work on other projects. Here's a site with a big collection of links to help you keep Christ in Christmas. (Lots of clicking there, but worth it!- You'll find links to: Bookmarks, paper Nativity scene, Cross Christmas Card, Handel's Messiah midi files, coloring Isaiah 9:6, Advent Nativity Coloring page, and so much more!)

The Cross reminds us of Christ's life, death, and resurrection and the circle reminds us of His Eternal Love.

How will your family keep Christ in Christmas?