Keeping Christ in Christmas

We keep our Christmas books and even past Christian magazines and some secular ones that have excellent articles about Christmas. In fact, we have one box devoted to Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last night I pulled out our Christmas books and found two magazines with 2 wonderful articles to help us with our focus during this blessed season. Rob is going to use one and I will use the other in this morning's entry to my blog.

The ABCs of Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas

by Tonya Grant

With all the glitz and glamour of the holiday season, it is easy to lose sight of what is important. Reclaim Christmas and make the holidays more meaningful with this A to Z list.

A - Accept - Accept responsibility to model your faith this season.

B - Blessings - Take the time to count your blessings.

C - Carols - Gather as a family one evening to rejoice in the season and sing carols.

D - Donate - Go through your closets and find gently worn clothing, shoes, and coats to donate to a local charity.

E - Encourage - Challenge family members to say one word of encouragement to someone every day in December.

F - Friends - Call or meet with friends and family during the holidays to let them know that you are thinking of them.

G - Remember the gift God gave to you --- JESUS! Give to others this Christmas.

H - Happiness - Bring joy and happiness to others by doing simple things, such as surprising a neighbor with freshly baked batch of cookies.

I - Invitations - Invite others to church with you this Christmas.

J - Jesus - Read aloud from the Bible to your child about the birth of Jesus. Discuss how Jesus is the reason for the season.

K - Kindness - Show acts of Christian kindness to others. Smile and say thank you to a salesperson or postal worker for all of her hard work during this hectic season.

L - Light - Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Make sure you let your light shine this holiday by performing good deeds that overflow from the love God has given you.

M - Money - Instead of spending too much money buying many expensive gifts, try making ifts or setting a limit for each gift you buy.

N - Nourish - Nourish your soul by praying and making a stronger commitment to reading your Bible every day.

O - Openness - Openly tell others of your relationship with Jesus. Remember, the seeds you plant today may one day result in fruit.

P - Peace - After the birth of Jesus, the angels appeared and said, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors." (Luke 2:14). Discuss this verse with your family. How can you help bring peace.?

Q - Quiet - Take time this holiday to sit quietly, pray, and think about the birth of Jesus and what it means to you.

R - Reflect - Reflect on what Christmas has meant to you over the years. Talk with your family about how each member can make the holidays even more special. Make a list of the ideas. Then hang the list where everyone can see it.

S - Spirit - Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to the true meaning of Christmas and then share it with others. One way to do this is to take your family to view a live Nativity scene. If one is not available where you worship, visit a nearby church that has one.

T - Tradition - If your family does not observe a holiday tradition, start a new one this year. Several years ago, my husband and I decided to rethink our traditional gift-giving. Instead of giving our children lots of gifts, we decided to limit gifts to three per child just like the wise men who brought three gifts to Jesus. [Personal note: There may have been more than 3 wise men; I encourage one to keep the symbolism in perspective. Plus the wise men were not at the stable. See Matthew 1:9, "young Child."]

U - Understand - Make sure your child understands that there is more to Christmas than gifts and decorations. It is a time to spend with loved ones. Tell them that Jesus is the reason for the season.

V - Volunteer - Volunteer as a family to serve and bless others. Trying spending time in a hospital, nursing home, or shelter. Look for opportunities in your community to help others. [Use discernment this flu season; some places are limiting the visits from outsiders but you can bring items to these places.]

W - Worship - Enjoy a Christmas program or service. Talk with your family about how you can worship Jesus.

X - eXamine - Examine your past Christmas habits. Ask yourself which habits you should keep and which habits you need to eliminate. Start making changes today.

Y - Yield - Avoid overspending. Write a gift lift and decide on the amount you plan to spend. Do not give in to temptations to overspend. Instead, yield to God and His perfect guidance toward good stewardship.

Z - Zero - Zero in on how you and your family can keep Christ in Christmas. This may mean spending less, volunteering more, ore becoming more Christlike in your actions.

How will you spend your holiday? Decide as a family how you will celebrate the true reason for the season. Get started today.

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Tonya Grant is a teacher and freelance writer. She lives with her husband and their two children in Lithonia, Georgia.

Article is from ParentLife, December 2006, pages 36-37