Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways (with Jeannie Cunnion)
Winners announced here! Congratulations!
*Give Away has Ended*
It’s Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!
If you’re just joining in, catch up with us by starting with Day One here.
My guest today is my friend, author, speaker, and just about the sweetest woman in the world, Jeannie Cunnion. She has kids whose ages range from the potty training stage to soon the drivers training age! Check out her creative idea to do with children below!
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It was early in my parenting, probably right around the time our three boys were about 6, 4, and 2, that I watched them tear through packages and barely finish opening one gift before they were tearing through the next, and I realized I wasn’t giving my kids what they really wanted for Christmas. While I loved seeing their faces light up as they raced down the stairs to find endless packages, filled with most of the things they’d asked for, I also found myself quickly frustrated by New Years day when they could barely recall most of the gifts they’d just been given. Yes, all of that stuff they absolutely had to have to be happy now sat abandoned at the bottom of the toy box, to be remembered no more.
They were learning early that there is nothing in this world that can satisfy us like the love of Jesus. Of course they wouldn’t have said it that way, but all of that “stuff” doesn’t bring us joy- or real, lasting joy, at least. It only brings some temporary thrill. It was then I that knew I wanted to give my kids more. So much more. But not a material kind of more.
I wanted to give my kids a Christmas that is centered around the miracle, not the material. I wanted them to remember the anticipation, the thrill, the joy of celebrating the Christmas miracle.
Love was born. Christ has come. The greatest gift has been given. We can tear up the naughty and nice lists. Jesus has done for you and me what you could never do for ourselves. We now have God’s unfailing and forever love. So come. Come let us adore Him!
So one thing we began doing with our kids is a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve. Instead of putting out the list of the things we want Santa to give us because we have been “good enough” we bake a cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus. We blow out the candles and thank Him for leaving Heaven to come to earth to rescue us and redeem us.
Well, several years ago, after the candles were blown out and my boys were licking the frosting off their cake, my son Brennan turned to me with a curious face and asked, “But Mom, if it’s Jesus’s birthday, where are His presents? What did we give to Him?” What a privilege it was to tell my son, “What Jesus wants is our love, our trust, our hearts. He wants us. That is the best gift we could give Jesus.”
Even as our boys have grown, and we’ve added one more little guy to the crew, our kids, who now range in age from 14 to 2, enjoy this sweet tradition as a way to keep our focus on what we truly celebrate when we wake up on Christmas morning.
Have you–or someone you know–ever held a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas? What other things could you do to hold such an event? Let us know in the comments.
Christmas Blessings,
Jeannie
Day 4 Giveaway
Jeannie is giving away a copy of her book, Mom Set Free: Find Relief from the Pressure to Get It All Right, along and her Bible study book, Mom Set Free: Good News for Moms Who are Tired of Trying to be Good Enough.
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We celebrate Jesus’ birthday every year too!!
Love the topic of her book. Contentment is a beautiful place to find! and in Jesus we have a lot to be hopeful for <3
Thank you for sharing!! I think I’ll be baking a Birthday Cake this year!! :)
I have never thrown a birthday party for Jesus but I’ve always wanted to. I would get the matching Happy Birthday Jesus plates and napkins, too. I’ve been thinking seriously about doing that with my kids this year and I believe your post was my sign!
This gift would be a perfect addition to my Niece’s Christmas present, as she’s expecting her 3rd child in July. ‘Mom Set Free’ and ‘Parenting the Wholehearted Child,’ sound like very informative reading. My niece loves to read!!
We have Birthday cake and sing ” Happy Birthday” to Jesus every Christmas morning before we open presents.
We have made a birthday cake for Jesus!
We have made a happy Birthday Jesus cake
We have cake on Christmas day for Jesus’ Birthday. At three, our children know why we celebrate the season.
As a Christian woman I feel I should do more for my family to show them how faithful I am to God. This Christmas I will sit with my son and husband and we can talk about what Christmas means to us. A new tradition of being connected by communicating so they can hear and feel my faith.
I have heard of a friend that bakes a birthday cake for Jesus. But I have not. Maybe this year. . . I am getting some good ideas from everyone.
I know a few people who make Birthday cakes for Jesus during Christmas. They always have a great time celebrating!
We do this with our children at Church
What a wonderful tradition!
Baking empty tomb rolls ….
I have made a birthday cake for Jesus before but sadly I didn’t do that all the time when my son was growing up. I love honoring Jesus especially now the special gift he gave us……
We always have a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day. :)
How fun! I’ve heard of others having a birthday party for Jesus, but I haven’t ever been to or thrown a party before.
Read the birth story before blowing out the candles on the cake?
This is beautiful. Our church used to do a Christmas program called “Gifts for Jesus” and people could bring their “gifts” to share with the church body. Some would bring a song to sing or musical instruments to play, a poem to read, a skit to perform, etc
We celebrate a birthday party for Jesus at our church. The story is read from Luke and crafts are made to give to others.
Even though I am not a mom- I have several friends who are moms who could use a pick me up! Thanks for sharing your tradition-
Plan things to do for pthers as a gift to Jesus
Love the idea
We haven’t had a birthday party but we always read the Christmas story. It is a great idea especially with little children around to teach them more that he truly is the reason for the season.
I love this idea you shared! I have never had a birthday party for Jesus, but I am definitely going to add that into my list of traditions I want to start having! something my Church does on one Sunday near Christmas is a “birthday offering for Jesus”. This is not limited to a fincnial gift, but it could be a note or a something you want to lift up to Him! So they have a manger up by the alter & during worship anyone can go spend some time in prayer, offering, or whatever the Spirit leads you to share with Him. I love that idea and can’t wait to do it this year :)