Ways To Make Christmas Merry & Bright

PHOTO CAPTION: #1 Way to make Christmas Merry & Bright – Spend time with your family.



December is starting differently this year than in years past. In the past, you would have found me in a tailspin of busyness, trying to figure out how to fit in all the Christmas merrymaking. I love Christmas. I love the sights, the sounds, the music, spending time with family, the food, church services, decorating and baking. I love it all and usually I try desperately to fit too much into a very small segment of time which leaves me feeling a little tired and frazzled by the end of the season.
 This year, though, I was sick and my family was sick. I was sick for two full weeks and I really didn’t have the energy or feel well enough to tackle much of anything. I did have a couple of flitting thoughts go through my mind that I really should do something. I thought, I could at least shop online, but I didn’t. I rested, somehow managed to make sure that we all ate at least a little bit and coughed my way through two weeks.

At the end of the two weeks, I am finally feeling much better and I am way, way behind on my Christmas preparations and I don’t really care. I’ve decided to cut back and just get done what I can. I am thankful that I am feeling better and that my family is finally turning the corner and feeling better too. The rest of stuff is simply not important because the message of Christmas is still shining through. God is with us, Jesus Immanuel. He came to earth to walk with us and be with us every single day, when we are sick, hurting or frustrated with our own failures and messes. He didn’t come as a perfectly wrapped gift, but He was God’s best gift to us. He wasn’t born in a perfectly decorated, clean and sterile home or castle, He made His home among us. 
He was born in humble surroundings, a stable. There were probably not lights along the roofline of the stable, but there was a special star in the sky and Jesus came to be the light of the world.

Christmas at my house, may not be perfect this year, but it will be special as my family and I celebrate Jesus. As we celebrate Jesus this year, pick just a few simple ideas to do together with your family. Here are just a few ideas to make Christmas merry and bright.



# 1. Simplify! Decide what traditions, decorations and festivities are really important to you – perhaps your top 5 and stick with those. You simply don’t have to do everything.



#2. If, like me, you have collected a plethora of decorations over the years that you can’t bear to part with, then rotate them in and out. Put out the ceramic tree this year and then swap it out next year for your Christmas village. I know I am limited on space this year so I have to pair down. Still short on space? Put away some of your usual decorations or pictures that you have out all year. As you unpack a box of Christmas decorations, put the items you want to put away in the box until after Christmas.

 If you are a grandparent, you can share your extras with other family members.

3. Do a fun art project with your kids. Draw or print a birthday cake to hang on the wall. Then add a candle to the cake each day from now until Christmas like an Advent calendar.

4. Speaking of Advent, it’s fun to have Advent candles on the table to light with your family at dinner time or any time. It keeps the focus on Jesus. You don’t have to do this every day, you can light one candle a week and talk about why Jesus came to earth.

# 5. Turn on some Christmas tunes to listen to throughout the day. Some radio stations play continual Christmas music this time of year.



# 6. Set out a child friendly Nativity set for your kids and you to play with. It can be a whole lot of fun to get down on the floor with your toddler and just play. Let the angel bring good news to Mary, Joseph and don’t forget the shepherds. Rock baby Jesus. Just play.



# 7. If you have Christmas books, get them out. It’s so rewarding to share a favorite Christmas story with your child whether they are toddlers or older. I love reading with kids. For older kids try actually reading “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.



# 8. Make a list of the absolute must do’s for Christmas and of your shopping lists. It makes it so much easier to cross things off the list and be done with it. Put it on your phone and then your list is with you wherever you go.

# 9. Attend a Christmas Eve service as a family. Be sure to take some snacks or a quiet book or toy for your toddler. A battery operated candle or small flashlight for your toddler would be fun too.

# 10. Bake a birthday cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.

# 11. Pamper yourself – give yourself a manicure or soak in a bathtub.

# 12. Baking cookies is always fun, but buying cookies already baked just to decorate is fun too.

# 13. Set up a tray for hot chocolate fixings so that you and your family can enjoy at a moment’s notice.

# 14. Curl up with a blanket and watch your favorite Christmas movie.

# 15. Give to a toy drive or local food bank.

# 16. Put on Christmas jammies and play board games with your family.

# 17. Read the Christmas story from a simple Children’s Bible – Luke 2 or watch the Bible Ap for Kid’s Version, “The First Christmas” together with your child. If you have a creative family like I do, let your kids write their own version of the Christmas story and act it out.

# 18. On a clear night, dress warmly and go out to look at the stars. What do you think it would have been like for the wise men following the special bright star.

# 19. On Christmas Eve, track Santa on Norad.

PARENT PRAYER: 

God,

Thank you for sending Jesus to earth to be with us, to walk with us, redeem us and help us to learn to walk with you. I want to put you first this Christmas as I get busy preparing, planning, buying and all that I do at Christmas. I’m thankful that we can keep Christmas simple. It doesn’t have to be bigger than everyone else’s or more organized or perfect in any way. It doesn’t have to be hectic or leave us feeling frazzled. I just need to remember to make you the focus of Christmas. I pray that my family learns to keep you at the center of Christmas too. Thank you for your good gifts. Thank you for good news and thank you especially for Jesus. Amen

Kid’s Section

JINGLE & LISTEN: (To the tune of “Jingle Bells”)
 Give your child some jingle bells to shake as you sing these words.


Jingle bells, jingle bells, 

Come, li-sten and look,

To a special story, 

From God’s very, special book, 

ASK: What is God’s special book? The Bible



STORY: The Angel Brings Good News – Matt. 1:20-24; Luke 1:26-38
One day a woman named Mary had a special visitor. An angel came to tell her some happy news. Mary was very surprised (Put hands in the air and say, “OH!”) to see an angel and she was very surprised (Put hands in the air and say, “WOW!”) when she heard what the angel had to say. 

The angel said, “Mary, you are going to have a very special baby. (Pretend to rock a baby.) Your baby will be God’s own Son, Jesus.” 


Wow! That was very happy news! (Say, “Yeah!“) After the angel left, Mary sang a song to God. (Sing, “La, la, la!” or “I love you, God.”) She praised God for the happy news. She sang, “I praise the Lord with all my heart. (Place hands on heart.) I am very happy because God is my Savior. He rescues me and helps me.”

The angel went to see Joseph while he was sleeping. (Lay head on hands as though sleeping.) The angel told Joseph about Mary’s special baby. (Pretend to rock a baby.) The angel said, “Name the baby Jesus because He will save people from their sins.”

Joseph did what the angel told him to do. He was glad that the angel had brought him such happy news. Christmas time is when we celebrate Jesus birthday. (Say, “Happy Birthday Jesus!“) God loved us so much (Give self a hug.) that He gave us Jesus. Let’s share our happy news with others so that they will know that God loves them too. (Give self a hug.) 



MEMORIZE: Luke 2:11 NIRV – (Hold hands like holding a book.)

… a Savior – (Cross arms and then swing outwards.)

Has been born – (Rock a baby.)

To you. – (Extend hands outward.)


He is Christ the Lord – (Point upwards.)
A savior is someone who rescues and helps us.

KNOW: Jesus is God’s Son.


TALK ABOUT: Happy news, angels


ASK: Who loves you? God loves me.


AND DO… I can share good, happy news.



FUN IDEAS FOR THIS WEEK:


• God gave His very best gift, Jesus. Think of some ways that you can share God’s love by giving or helping someone with your preschooler.
  
• Listen to Christmas music and thank God for Jesus.
  
  

PRAYER:

  Dear God,

  Thank you for loving me so much and sending Jesus. Happy Birthday Jesus! I love you. Amen