Do you feel overwhelmed by the noise and hustle of the Christmas season? Do you worry that your kids are missing the whole point of Christmas? In this episode, my special guest and I talk about ways to keep Christ at the center of Christmas.
Welcome to episode #12 of The Family Bible Connection Podcast with Laurie Christine!
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KEEP CHRIST THE CENTER OF CHRISTMAS
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I know for many of us, our Thanksgiving celebrations may look a little bit different this year. If you’re still looking for some fun, meaningful activities to do with your kids, go back and listen to the past few episodes!
But today, we’re not talking about Thanksgiving… we’re talking about Christmas! Have you decorated yet? I feel like each year, we get our Christmas decorations out just a little bit earlier. I used to be a firm believer in “No Christmas till after Thanksgiving” but my convictions have changed over the years. Especially when Thanksgiving is so late in the month of November.
Whether or not you’ve started to decorate, I’m sure you’ve at least started THINKING about Christmas. Does it overwhelm you? Is Christmas an exciting time for your family or is it stressful? Or some of both?
NO PRESSURE!
I know as moms, we often feel pressure to make our Christmas celebrations perfect, as if we just stepped into a Norman Rockwell painting. Let me assure you, there is no pressure from me to do “all the things” or to make Christmas a fairy-tale experience for your kiddos.
If that’s what you WANT to do, and you LOVE it, then by all means, go for it! But if it stresses you out to think about coordinating fun Christmas activities for every day of the month, then you have permission to only do what is most meaningful for your family. No need to compare yourself to what everyone else is doing.
So, as I share ideas with you here on the show, don’t feel like you have to do all the things. I just want to provide you with some options, some resources and some encouragement.
And through all the activities and events and traditions, the most important thing is to continually point our kids to Christ and help them remember that he is the whole reason we celebrate in the first place.
CREATE A CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTMAS IN YOUR HOME
So, today, I have a special guest with me who is going to help us think a little more deeply about how we can create a Christ-centered Christmas in our homes.
She is the author of 3 books, and mother to 3 boys. She weaves strands of history, theology, and fictional detail into a fresh retelling of familiar Bible stories. She draws upon her Bachelors degree in Biblical Studies to drape the fabric fiction over the framework of Scripture.
I’m excited to welcome Shauna Lettelier to the Family Bible Connection Podcast!
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE:
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CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, it’s so easy to get caught up in the distractions and hustle of the Christmas season. We know it’s okay to have fun celebrations and traditions with our families, but we don’t want those traditions to overshadow the sacrifice you made when you sent Jesus to earth to be our Savior. Please give us meaningful ways to connect with our kids on a deeper level this Christmas as we celebrate the coming of Jesus.”
FEATURED BOOK
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are Amazon affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission. I have included the links for your benefit, but there is no obligation whatsoever to purchase.
Our featured book for this episode is Remarkable Advent by Shauna Lettelier.
“Do you want to experience the Christmas story in a new way?
What if we peered through history’s frosted window and felt astonished by Jesus’ birth once again? In Remarkable Advent, Shauna Letellier drapes the fabric of imagination over the framework of Scripture, bringing the Christmas story to life through twenty-five devotional readings. With breathtaking imagery and a fresh take on Scripture, this Christmas devotional will prepare your heart to celebrate God’s greatest gift.”
RESOURCES
Shauna’s book – Remarkable Advent – find it on Amazon (affiliate link) or go to RemarkableAdvent.com.
Shauna mentioned that you can read through the Jesus Storybook Bible leading up to Christmas… Sally Lloyd Jones actually has a new Christmas book for children called “Jesus Storybook Bible Christmas Collection.” Find it on Amazon HERE (affiliate link).
My family is going to be reading through the original Jesus Storybook Bible together (and I actually had to order a new copy because our original copy was very well-loved and falling apart at the seams!) You can find it on Amazon HERE. (affiliate link)
You can also download free printable ornaments to go along with the Jesus Storybook Bible! I printed out 4 copies of the ornaments so that my kids could each have their own copy to color while we read the story from the Jesus Storybook Bible each evening. You can find the ornaments from Sally Lloyd Jones here: www.sallylloyd-jones.com/2020-advent/
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