daddy4ms

I cannot believe it is Christmas already.  Today, we are getting ready to travel and be with family which means laundry and getting dishes done.  Bethany had to work until 2 so we watched The Nativity Story.  It is fun to watch the story as you think about the Scriptures. In a few hours, we will gather as a family and open our last box for "What God Wants for Christmas" and read the Christmas story.  We have picked a book that has been most age appropriate for our kids yet stays true to Scripture.  After this, we will open presents.  For the last few years, we have done 3 presents for each of our kids to keep it simple.  I am looking forward to seeing their reactions. We then eat chili together and get ready for church.  I always enjoy Christmas Eve Services as we sing carols and get to end with candle lighting.  I hope you are enjoying your own Christmas traditions today. Blessings upon you and your family.  Drive safely and enjoy t...

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...