Kicking Off Christmas Without Kicking Out Christ

Christmas gift idea note: I am currently running a special web sale on my books. Due to my uncle’s death and having to cancel my trip to speak at a Hearts at Home conference in Minnesota, I have an over-abundance of books!

So, if you’d like to order one of the three books I authored (personalized to you, a friend or loved one & signed by me–sure to bring more when you sell it on Ebay someday!), shoot me an email at [email protected] and I’ll shoot you back the details.

I am going to be discounting the books by waving any tax and offering free shipping until the end of the year (or until they are gone!) and lowering the prices the more books you buy. Click here to see the books (this deal applies to the first three listed there) and then don’t click on the link to buy, just shoot me that email. Thanks!

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Second Special Note: It’s almost here!!! The kickoff of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway begins December 1st (THAT IS WEDNESDAY!!!!) and runs every day through December 12th.  Mark your calendars and come back!

12 Days.

12 guests.

12 fabulous prizes.

Plus a grand prize for someone who comments all 12 days in a row ! Don’t miss it!

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Christmas without Christ?

It happens all the time.

How odd it must seem to God to see a world “celebrating” the birth of His son, even going so far as to put his name in the title, when in reality, he is absent from much of the hoopla.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love me some hoopla! I would never want Christmas to be serious and stuffy; more funeral-like than fun.

But isn’t much of the hoopla about the trivial? It results in nothing more than a glorified celebration of winter.

Or retail shopping.

Or a few guilt-easing coins tossed into the red metal bucket with a clink.

Then it is back to “Me, me, ME!!!!!”

What’s a mom to do?

In the midst of the “me-ism” (that even we moms can get caught up in—” Hint, hint dear family: I sure would love that new piece of jewelry!”) I try to remember two goals of Christmas:

Make it about Christ.

Do it for Christ.

Make it about Christ.

If you look carefully, He is all around.

My favorite resource for doing just that is my friend Lisa Whelchel’s book The Adventure of Christmas. Here is a description:

Redeeming the Meaning of Christmas… Have you discovered that Jesus sometimes gets lost in the middle of the hustle and bustle of His birthday party? Would you like to be able keep your children’s focus on Jesus and be able to join them in the wonder of the celebration?

For each of the twenty-four days preceding Christmas, The ADVENTure of Christmas serves as a fun and handy guide that describes the true meaning hidden in your most cherished traditions. Hanging lights on the house, wrapping gifts, and decorating the tree will become opportunities to share how these traditions relate to Jesus’ birth. The ADVENTure of Christmas recaptures the delightful essence of this beloved season, giving reasons to joyfully celebrate for years to come.

I think every woman with a child in her life who wants to zero in on Jesus at Christmas needs this book! You can buy it over at Lisa’s site here.

And secondly, do it for Christ.

Are there lonely, left-out, sick or sad people that cross your path? Do something for them.

~Shovel a driveway.

~Go help decorate a house or address Christmas cards.

~Serve in a soup kitchen.

~Make snowmen outside the windows of nursing home patients.

~Scrape random windshields at the grocery store on a snowy and busy shopping day.

~Take a child whose parents have recently divorced to buy a gift for his mom or dad if you fear the ex-spouse will not do so this year.

Our family has done all of the above, and more. We’ve made it such an aim of our holidays to “do” rather than to “get”, that our kids know no different.

Now, lest you think we are wonder family, let me assure you right now that the above activities haven’t always been done with a cheerful and cooperative attitude (parents included!) but when you are consistent, something happens.

Your kids will miss it terribly if you stop.

Even our 12 year-old told me last Friday (as we dashed from store to store gobbling up bargains. Yes–we are those people! And ‘these people’ got nearly everything purchased and saved over $200 in the process, thank you very much!!!!)

Anyway… he declared that he really loves seeing the looks on his siblings faces when they open his gifts waaaaay more than he likes getting his own presents Christmas morning.

And how fun it is to help people at Christmas who are down. And to pull off surprises for families who are going through a rough time.

He said it made him feel so good.

In fact, during the entire 10 hours of shopping he and I did, he never once mentioned a thing he wanted. Yet he continually said, “This is sooooo much fun! Now, what should I get dad?”

Yes moms, it is the season of miracles!

So as this season kicks off, remember…

Make it about Christ.

Do it for Christ.

And don’t forget to throw in a boatload of fun.

Jesus’ birthday party should be a blast!

See you Wednesday for the 12 Days kick-off and don’t forget to email me if you want to purchase some sale books! ([email protected])

Christmas Blessings,

7 Comments

  1. Hi Karen!

    I have just had a moment to read through your 12 Day posts. How fun! I have loved reading each and every posts. They were all a blessing!

    Thank you for sharing!

    Merry Christmas, Karen!

  2. Thanks for the reminder that our celebration of Jesus’ birth should be just that: a celebration. If our attitude is dour and negative, what attraction is that. When we say “Merry Christmas”, our being SHOULD reflect that!

  3. One of our traditions has always been to have a birthday cake for Jesus at our Christmas Eve celebration. We put candles on it and we all sing happy birthday to Him. The children especially look forward to it and my nephews even said that was their favorite part of Christmas Eve.

  4. I do want to make Christmas about what it is supposed to be about this year…Jesus! Not us, but Him! Gonna be using some of the tips in your book that I won not too long ago!
    Thanks :-)

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