Christmas Devotions

As parents, how can we keep Jesus at the center of Christmas?  One of the ways we have used in the past is using a devotional book or activity during Advent.  We gather usually right after supper or at the dinner table and spend some time talking about the reason of the season.  For several years, we used "Adornaments" by Family Life.  They take the "I Am" passages of Scripture and have an ornament that has the day's reading inside and then you hang it on the tree.  I love this resource! However, it is out of print.

Another resource we have used is "The ADVENTure of Christmas" by Lisa Whelchel. "You take the good, you take the bad. . . The Facts of Life"  Yes, she was Blair on the Facts of Life.  She has written an excellent book that discusses the meaning behind the traditions of Christmas such as the tree, lights, etc.  We used this one last year.  It even has fun activities to go along with the stories.

This year we are using "What God Wants for Christmas" by Family Life.  It has a booklet you read along with opening 7 presents.  Each present has a piece that you can add to a kid friendly nativity.  The kids have enjoyed trying to guess what is inside each gift.  We are currently on Day 5 and have already opened a box with baby Jesus so they are baffled as to what the final gift is.  It is well written in poetic form to keep attention and also includes Scripture and a question to discuss together.  This one works really well right at the dinner table.

So, how about you?  What resources have you used?  I would encourage you to look for these and other resources during the after Christmas sales and put them away for next year.  It is a simple way to worship Jesus during Advent.