Joy to the World, the Lord has come,Let earth receive her king!
Let every heart prepare Him room...
At this Advent, the season of Jesus'coming, let's be sure to prepare not only our homes but our hearts to celebrate our Savior's birth.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (and women)
In the effort to make Christmas "special" for our families, we often go overboard. There are presents to buy/make and wrap, goodies to bake, a house to decorate, cards to mail, special events to attend--some of which require new clothes, we think. Throw in school and church activities, a case or two of the flu, and at our house, two birthdays and parties--and you have a frazzled, overwhelmed Mom. We have no time or room for the baby in the manger.
Carrie Hildebrand (a writer of Young Hearts blog) shared some great words of wisdom at our Bible study--write these on an index card like we did, and post it over your sink, on your bathroom mirror, on your dashboard or wherever to keep from feeling too overwhelmed and rushed this season.
Renew yourself in God's goodness (read His word, remember what He has done for you)
Enjoy the life God has given you (spend time with loved ones just enjoying them)
Simplify your life to magnify God (do mostly those Christmas things that point others to God)
Trust God with your everyday life!
REST--NOT STRESS!
Find something you can streamline or forget. The best gift you can give your family is you--a you who is in the moment, who is enjoying time with her family instead of rushing to get through a to-do list. (Too often I was so busy thinking of everything I had to do, I missed the joy of just being together) You set the tone for your home--concentrate less on"doing" and more on "being"--especially"being" in the presence of Jesus.
Call me Scrooge...but it's time for a Reality Check
Did you know the average American family spends over $1500 for Christmas? (if you used credit cards and pay finance charges, it will go even higher)
Do yourself and your family a favor and opt out of the mall, television ads and catalog scene--let's have a quieter, simpler Christmas--we concentrate on "being" instead of buying.
Find something you can streamline or forget. The best gift you can give your family is you--a you who is in the moment, who is enjoying time with her family instead of rushing to get through a to-do list. (Too often I was so busy thinking of everything I had to do, I missed the joy of just being together) You set the tone for your home--concentrate less on"doing" and more on "being"--especially"being" in the presence of Jesus.
Call me Scrooge...but it's time for a Reality Check
Did you know the average American family spends over $1500 for Christmas? (if you used credit cards and pay finance charges, it will go even higher)
Do yourself and your family a favor and opt out of the mall, television ads and catalog scene--let's have a quieter, simpler Christmas--we concentrate on "being" instead of buying.
In the spirit of simplifying, think about what you could cut out or how some of that money could be better spent.
Samaritan's Purse, Compasion International, and other Christian Relief organizations send out catalogs that give ideas for "alternative gifts". One year I gave chickens to an African family, a goat to another in the names of my kids. We also just finished selecting gifts for Operation Christmas Child, also a project of Samiatan's Purse. When you give your kids the option of spending money on things that improve and even save people's lives, they can understand that this is a better use of money than just buying more "stuff" for all of us who already have too much!!
This teaches good stewardship of what God has given us, and hopefully teaches our kids to be content with what they have and not to expect more "stuff" to be happy!)
It truly is more blessed to give than to receive--let your kids have this joy by doing some of the above, or by taking baked goods to neighbors, helping someone who needs it, and by donating toys and food to community drives. One family had the tradition of doing a good deed each day, writing it on a piece of decorated paper and tying it to the Christmas tree--their love offerings, a sacrifice of love for Jesus.
Some other ideas are to cut down the gift list, or at least revamp.
My Aunt Sue tells all of us,"Don't give me anything that I can't eat, read or plant--I don't need more stuff to store!"
I agree --one way to cut clutter is to not let it in the door in the first place!! Keep this in mind when gift shopping--how many pieces do you want to pick up for your kids? (Yes, they should pick up, but we all know that sometimes Mom has to do it!)
I'm all for "re-gifting", too --if you get something that someone else could enjoy more, pass it on!
(Be careful of the giver's feelings in this, though)
I also like the idea of families choosing to spend their gift money on a shared trip or experience instead.
Simplify by working on"being" instead of buying--do things to build relationships and make memories.
Making things Merry and Bright (Deck the halls...)
Bring the love, wonder, and warmth of Christmas home. I love to use imagination and other people's ideas to create a special, welcoming atmosphere and make memories--instead of spending lots of money. These are some of our favorites:
* I love to decorate the house for Christmas, but have decided to scale back. One day I met a friend who was in her 80''s , going into our local store. l was tired and cranky from dragging out boxes of decorations, and cleaning up the mess. She cheerfully informed me,"Well, I'm all done with my Christmas decorating--it took 5 minutes for me to put out my manger scene."
I smiled weakly and thought, "duh"--that really is all the Christmas decorating we need! A tree is great, too--and you can explain all the significance of the decorations--stars, angels, and personal ornaments. Decide how much or little you really need--donate the rest to your local thrift store or to someone who can use them.
*Check thrift stores for decorations or gift ideas. We bought Christmas mugs for a quarter each and gave them with microwave cupcake mixes for college students. My kids wanted one of those game tables one year--pool, pingpong and table hockey. We found a slightly used one for $25--instead of $100.
*Have a tree trimming party with Christmas music and simple snack mix and warm apple cider.
*Spread a tablecloth or blanket beside the tree and have a picnic--sing Christmas carols and do Christmas devotions.
*Let kids grab their sleeping bags and "camp out" under the tree (on a weekend!)
*Choose a night to put the kids in their jammies and coats, wrap them in blankets and go "car caroling". Roll down the car windows and sing carols as you drive through town! (After dark, of course--you can see the beautiful lights and people can't tell who you are!!)(In case you're wondering--of course we've done this--too much fun not too!)
Samaritan's Purse, Compasion International, and other Christian Relief organizations send out catalogs that give ideas for "alternative gifts". One year I gave chickens to an African family, a goat to another in the names of my kids. We also just finished selecting gifts for Operation Christmas Child, also a project of Samiatan's Purse. When you give your kids the option of spending money on things that improve and even save people's lives, they can understand that this is a better use of money than just buying more "stuff" for all of us who already have too much!!
This teaches good stewardship of what God has given us, and hopefully teaches our kids to be content with what they have and not to expect more "stuff" to be happy!)
It truly is more blessed to give than to receive--let your kids have this joy by doing some of the above, or by taking baked goods to neighbors, helping someone who needs it, and by donating toys and food to community drives. One family had the tradition of doing a good deed each day, writing it on a piece of decorated paper and tying it to the Christmas tree--their love offerings, a sacrifice of love for Jesus.
Some other ideas are to cut down the gift list, or at least revamp.
My Aunt Sue tells all of us,"Don't give me anything that I can't eat, read or plant--I don't need more stuff to store!"
I agree --one way to cut clutter is to not let it in the door in the first place!! Keep this in mind when gift shopping--how many pieces do you want to pick up for your kids? (Yes, they should pick up, but we all know that sometimes Mom has to do it!)
I'm all for "re-gifting", too --if you get something that someone else could enjoy more, pass it on!
(Be careful of the giver's feelings in this, though)
I also like the idea of families choosing to spend their gift money on a shared trip or experience instead.
Simplify by working on"being" instead of buying--do things to build relationships and make memories.
Making things Merry and Bright (Deck the halls...)
Bring the love, wonder, and warmth of Christmas home. I love to use imagination and other people's ideas to create a special, welcoming atmosphere and make memories--instead of spending lots of money. These are some of our favorites:
* I love to decorate the house for Christmas, but have decided to scale back. One day I met a friend who was in her 80''s , going into our local store. l was tired and cranky from dragging out boxes of decorations, and cleaning up the mess. She cheerfully informed me,"Well, I'm all done with my Christmas decorating--it took 5 minutes for me to put out my manger scene."
I smiled weakly and thought, "duh"--that really is all the Christmas decorating we need! A tree is great, too--and you can explain all the significance of the decorations--stars, angels, and personal ornaments. Decide how much or little you really need--donate the rest to your local thrift store or to someone who can use them.
*Check thrift stores for decorations or gift ideas. We bought Christmas mugs for a quarter each and gave them with microwave cupcake mixes for college students. My kids wanted one of those game tables one year--pool, pingpong and table hockey. We found a slightly used one for $25--instead of $100.
*Have a tree trimming party with Christmas music and simple snack mix and warm apple cider.
*Spread a tablecloth or blanket beside the tree and have a picnic--sing Christmas carols and do Christmas devotions.
*Let kids grab their sleeping bags and "camp out" under the tree (on a weekend!)
*Choose a night to put the kids in their jammies and coats, wrap them in blankets and go "car caroling". Roll down the car windows and sing carols as you drive through town! (After dark, of course--you can see the beautiful lights and people can't tell who you are!!)(In case you're wondering--of course we've done this--too much fun not too!)
*The more boring but still a great time alternative is to simply drive around with Christmas music playing and look at the Christmas lights (without singing out the open windows)
*Serve hot cocoa with peppermint sticks or candy canes and hot cider or apple juice with cinnamon stick stirrers.
*Stock a "Hospitality shelf", full of instant party foods. I have chips, salsa (for nachos), crackers(for the cream cheese/pepper jelly snacks), brownie mixes and chocolate frosting that you can make and then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy canes, hot cocoa mix, popcorn, and pizza crust mix and sauce. Stash some chili and some cookies in the freezer, too.
*Watch Christmas movies that tell the true message of the season. Our family favorite is "It's A Wonderful Life". We love the message that God has a plan for all of us and the world would be very different if we weren't here to do our part--and no life is insignificant! There is a new VeggieTales out , "It's A Meaningful Life". I can't wait to see this!!
*Burn candles at meal and story times, play Christmas music in the mornings and evenings, simmer homemade potpourri on the stove (in a small pan, put about 2" of water, some apple or orange peels, cloves and cinnamon sticks. Put on burner turned to low--it smells great!)
Silent Night,Holy Night
Share the wonder and awe of Jesus' birth with others in your life.
*Use an Advent wreath for a special devotion time with your family. The wreaths and devotions books are available at Christian bookstores, or you can make your own.
*Have a Nativity set or two for display. I made one of fabric that the kids could use to tell the story of Jesus' birth, and we had a "nicer"one in the living room . Some families only put baby Jesus in the scene on Dec. 24--and the wisemen travel from the east later! As you read part of Luke Chapter 2 each evening, you could add only those characters ..Mary and the angel, Joseph and the angel, Mary, Joseph and the donkey traveling to the stable, the baby Jesus being born, the shepherds coming and then the wisemen later.
*Give children props to act out the story of Jesus'birth. Dress them in Dad's flannel shirts(shepherds),his white shirts with tinsel halos and flashlights(angels), and bathrobes--wisemen. Read the story while the kids walk through it--special for everyone.*Read Christmas stories by the tree/manger scene each night before bedtime. I had a collection from magazines or books, and we read them every night--even still do when the kids are here. (they're in their 20's now) All of the stories center on the theme of love and giving. One of our favorites was about a little boy who thought the baby Jesus looked cold lying in the manger, so he covered him (Jesus) with a "kleenex" blanket. For several years, someone would secretly put a kleenex blanket on the Jesus in our manger--I loved that!
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson are other favorites.
*On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, be sure to read the Christmas story, Luke Chapter 2
before opening presents. Attend a Christmas Eve service together as a family. Go out and look up at the stars before bedtime. It is a very special night--the night our Savior was born!
Love Came Down At Christmas
May the wonder Christmas surround you and yours. Don't be misled by all the noise, glitter, and commotion of our world--rest in God's love and enjoy "being" in His presence this Christmas.
I love the photo of your own live nativity scene featuring your kids. I have a similar one of our own angel and shepherd. Thanks for all your practical and creative ideas, Suzanne!
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