daddy4ms

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 "Wha...

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 t...

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . to start family devotions in your home. As many people are flooding the stores today on the "official" start of Christmas, I was reminded how easy it is to pass on faith at home during Christmas. There are many resources available to talk about spiritual things during the coming weeks. I thought I would share a few ideas for you and your family. One resource we have used over the past several years that the kids really enjoy are called Adornaments by Family Life. Unfortunately, this resource is no longer published, but you might be able to find a new or used one on amazon or ebay . They are ornaments that talk about 12 characteristics of Jesus. They are simple to use. Grab the ornament, open it up and read the devotion. They are worth the cost as you talk about the reason for the season. Another resource that Bethany bought that we are going to use this year is a book called The Adventure of Christmas by Lisa Whelche...