25 Days of Christmas: Book Worms

Surround your preschool children with books that focus on the Christmas story this season.  Clean out their normal book baskets and shelves and just have books about the birth of Jesus.  I was able to pick up several for under $5 at Lifeway and I am going to hit up our two Christian book stores after Christmas this year to add to our collection.

25 Days of Christmas: What Is The Story With Those Wise Men?

My mother and husband have teased me for years, because I have this odd struggle every year when I put out our large nativity set. It is so hard for me to put the three wise men and their camels on the mantle with the rest of the manger scene. This year, Hal asked me why I didn't just put them on my bedside table! "Will that be far enough away?" he teased!

Even though the wise men are included in most decorative nativity sets and most include them when telling the story of the birth of Jesus, according to the scriptural account of the birth in Luke 2, the wise men weren't present at the stable just after the birth. I know ... I know ... it really messes up what you have always thought, and now you will want to put the wise men in your bedroom, as well! I ran across this post that gives more information on who the wise men are and when they might have come to see Jesus.

And for the record, I did put the wise men on the mantle, just off to the left (which isn't the East, but don't tell Hal!).

25 Days of Christmas: Get Out and Serve

No matter what the age of your children, find a way to serve others this month.  Last Friday night, we took the boys to Kroger and filled our cart full of canned goods to donate to the food pantry at church.  I actually let D out of the cart to fill up the basket with goodies ... I hope I don’t regret it when he wants to help the next time we go to the grocery store! We made sure to remind him numerous times while we were in the store why we were there and that we weren't buying things for ourselves but for those who might not be able to come to the store every week like we did. He was excited to take the groceries to church on Sunday.  He constantly reminded us on Saturday that we had to "wake up, go to church, and take food."

9:39 AM

Mary had a little accident while getting down from the attic this year.

25 Days of Christmas: Whom or What Am I Worshipping This Christmas?

Even with a sick little man, my gracious husband let me sneak away Monday night to be able to attend the Christmas get together with the young women at our church.  We are still fairly new to this body of believers but I love the way they have welcomed us and I am crazy about this group of women.  This week we were focusing on the Christmas season.  The wise woman who leads the group asked this question: “Are you worshipping Christ or are you worshipping Christmas?”  The next thought I had was: “Am I worshipping Christ or am I worshipping the fact that I am teaching my kids about Christ during Christmas?”

I have loved helping my family to implement new ways to focus this season on Christ and continuing the things we already have in place. We are in this unique place where our boys are still young and we can begin traditions that will build a foundation for them to see this season for what it truly is: a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior and to anticipate His return again one day.

Busyness is Busyness. It doesn’t matter if it is the busyness of overbuying Christmas gifts and filling the month of December with Santa, Ms. Claus, and reindeer or it is making a Jesse tree, stocking a food pantry, or building a gingerbread nativity.  I can get just as lost and caught up in the things that are supposed to focus on the birth of Christ. It isn’t about the Advent activities or the Happy Birthday Jesus parties ... it is about my heart.  Am I worshipping Christ?  Am I focusing on what the incarnation means for me? Or am I worshipping the activities and traditions that I have put in place? I can plan all kinds of activities with the right message and work until I am exhausted to make sure this month is chock full of Jesus, but in the end, my boys and all of those around me this season will see more of Jesus by seeing a heart that WORSHIPS and ADORES the SAVIOR.  Because busyness is busyness and idols are idols, I will make a choice to worship the Savior.  Oh...how much more the month chock full of Jesus will mean to my family when my heart is focused on the glory of God not the glory of Lindsay.

Jesse Tree in Action

Christi from Witty Words posted this great story on the Rubies and Rewards Facebook page earlier this week. 

I have to tell you this story...after seeing the link on your site for Jessie Tree, I decided we would do that this month and then just keep doing family devotions once Christmas is over, too. After only 2 nights of reading the Bible stories about God making everything, Mary-Allison made a mobile to represent creation ALL BY HERSELF! She told me she was making "something" and asked if I could cut out pictures of animals, food, sun, moon, and stars. So I found black/white clip art and printed them out. She colored them, and I helped her cut them out. (She wouldn't tell me what she was making, even though I was helping!) Then she got the hole punch out to use one each one. Got ribbon and asked me to tie each in the hole and then tie the other end to a hanger. When she was all done, she explained to me what it was all about--God making everything! So now we have a hanger hanging from our kitchen light above the table with her "mobile" on it!! Kids learn quick and reading the Bible makes an impact on their little lives! Thanks for all your encouragement this month!!

Mary-Allison's precious mobile!

6:36 PM

Waiting patiently for daddy to get home to light the Advent candles at dinner.