Dear friends,

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Links at no cost to you.  For questions about affiliate links, please visit my Disclosure Page.

Merry CHRISTmas!!

At the end of this post, I share a cute little YouTube video of my son, Caleb, and I singing a medley of Christmas songs (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town).  We’d love for you to watch it when you finish reading, and don’t forget to sing along!

It’s a lot of fun— and not just for kids— to celebrate the holidays with Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty… and let’s not forget the fun parties, favorite Christmas movies, decorating homes and Christmas trees, giving gifts, and everything else that goes along with the holiday festivities.

But even though all of that is well and fun, it’s important for us to not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.  After all, JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”  Luke 2: 8-14

Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas

In my family, we try to keep Christ at the center of our daily lives, and we try to turn every-day moments into teachable moments that will draw our kids (and ourselves) closer to God.  But sometimes we get distracted.  Sometimes the busy routines and our earthly priorities get in the way.  Those are the days that we have to be extra intentional to not lose sight of Jesus.

One way that my family tries to keep the focus on Jesus throughout the Christmas season is we partake in Advent.  My parents started this Christmas tradition with my brothers and I when we were very little.  Every Sunday (the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve), we’d take turns lighting the Advent candles, reading the Bible, and singing our favorite Christmas songs.  Those quiet, candlelit moments were always very special and meaningful to us.

It was a way for us to PAUSE and to focus on Jesus.  Even as little kids, we knew that Jesus was more important than the presents we received on Christmas day.  We valued His presence over presents.  We still got excited about presents, don’t get me wrong, but we knew in our hearts that Jesus was the GREATEST GIFT of all.

Now that I have kids of my own, I get to enjoy the Advent tradition with them, and it’s a very special way to turn our family’s focus towards Jesus during the busy holiday season.

What are some ways that YOUR family keeps Christ in CHRISTmas? 

I’m sharing a few resources below that may help.  I recently learned of one through a friend of mine in my Sunday School class— it’s called “Shepherd on the Search”.

It’s like “Elf on the Shelf,” but a Shepherd (instead of an elf) is in search of the baby Jesus.  The set includes a story book, a nativity box, a plush shepherd doll, activities, devotional prompts, and memory verses!  It’s a wonderfully fun and interactive way for children and families to stay focused on Jesus throughout the holiday as they “search for Jesus” with the shepherd.

Please COMMENT BELOW on some ways that you and your family focus on Jesus at Christmas!

Be sure to also enjoy the YouTube video— and SING ALONG!  (Click on the image below)

 

RESOURCES to keep Christ in CHRISTmas:

More Christmas Books by Max Lucado (for adults and kids)

12 Christian Children’s Christmas Books

Lifeway’s 2017 Weekly Advent Devotional

FREE Christmas Devotional (from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)