Using Christmas Specials

Bethany commented the other day that it seemed like there were a ton of Christmas specials this year. I agree. It seems like this year alone, in addition to the classics, there are at least two new 30 minute specials (Prep & Landing, Merry Madagascar). Last year, included the addition of Shrek the Halls (at least I think that was last year). We also have Charlie Brown Christmas (one of my favorites), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and many more. It seems our kids (and maybe us too) could be watching a Christmas special every night.

While I am not advocating non-stop TV viewing, I do believe these specials can become a great opportunity to talk about faith and Jesus. When we watched the Grinch last night, I asked Megan about the Grinch compared to Jesus. What is different? Other than the obvious she replied, the Grinch's heart is small and Jesus' heart is big. She also said that Jesus likes to give not take away. What a great God moment! We also watched Merry Madagascar and Shrek the Halls and I asked what was missing from these shows. My kids response: they don't talk about the true meaning of Christmas which is Jesus' birth. So, even though a lot of shows talk about toys and Santa (except Charlie Brown which includes a Christmas pageant about Jesus' birth), rather than completely avoid all of them; we can use them to talk about the Bible and the true reason for the season.

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