My son handed me a note today.It was his Christmas wish list.
Seriously???
I don't remember making wish lists until I was much older than 7. But with all the stores starting to carry Christmas decorations and gifts, and all the magazines pouring into our mailbox full of everything a boy could want, it is difficult to counter the "stuff is important" mentality.
So I've started thinking about Christmas. Not as much about what gifts we should get everyone, but what we can do to make Christmas more about Christ and less about stuff.
We have many family traditions. Some are Christ-centered and some are just traditions.
One of our favorite traditions that we started about 5 years ago was to have each child pick out things to send in a shoe box for Operation Christmas Child. They really enjoy picking things out for a child in another country who has a lot less than they do. They are also challenged by the fact that they don't get to keep what they picked out and they don't get a duplicate either. :) We also pray for the child who will receive that box. It really helps give the kids more of a global perspective and helps them see the joy in giving.
A new tradition we are starting this year is that we are making a simple manger to go under our Christmas tree. We will then have the kids take turns for every day of December placing a little bundle of hay in it. By Christmas morning, the manger will be full of hay and then when the kids wake up, there will be a "baby Jesus" in the manger. We also bake a simple cake and have a birthday party for Jesus.
So as I'm pondering Christmas for this year I am wondering what else we can do to keep our focus on the Saviour and the reason for Christmas. I would love to hear your favorite traditions and what you do to keep the holidays Christ-centered.
