If you have been following the blog you know that I have been doing a series of posts about building family libraries filled with books of faith, virtue, character and stories that are life-giving to our families. I have been sharing some of the books that we treasure in our own family library.
Today I decided to break with that series to insert a Christmas in July post! Can you believe that July is almost gone??? It is CRAZY how fast this year is flying by. Our family is getting ready to celebrate a few birthdays, take a historical trip East and then gear up for fall. I know beyond that we will blink and find ourselves in the Christmas season.
I am starting to think about the upcoming Christmas season, because I truly want to feel as peaceful as possible and avoid as much stress as I can. With a family of nine the Christmas season can easily be overwhelming, and I really want to fight against that this year. I want our family to have a Christ-centered Christmas that puts our focus on Jesus our Savior. I want our home to be filled with love, joy, and peace that are fruits of the Spirit.
One thing our family loves is Christmas traditions that unite us in a sweet way as we revisit them each year. Other families have their own traditions, and we have our own that are part of our family culture. One of those traditions is that on Christmas Eve all the children receive a gift of new jammies. They know these are coming, but when they talk about it I try to pretend that I don't know what they are talking about. On Christmas Eve we typically give them jammies and something like a new book that they can take to bed with them. We also hide the gifts, and then the children all come in and do a hunt for their presents. Then we take pictures in the new jammies and send them all off to bed.
It is important to our family to keep Christ at the center of our Christmas celebrations, so we like to read the Christmas story and do things like go through the fun nativity activity from Family Life called "What God Wants for Christmas." https://shop.familylife.com/p-4799-what-god-wants-for-christmas.aspx
"What God Wants for Christmas" is a fun interactive nativity set and book that we have used ever since our oldest children were little people. To this day our children love to pull it out and open the little boxes, and it is a good reminder that the Lord is seeking our hearts!
On Christmas morning we have a tradition of cinnamon rolls, and I cannot imagine our Christmas morning without them. Honestly it is about the only time all year that we serve cinnamon rolls, and our children LOVE observing this tradition each year. These cinnamon rolls are nothing special; they are straight out of the Pillsbury can, but they add an extra sweetness to our Christmas mornings.
These are just a sampling of some of our Christmas traditions, and it is special to me to see how these have developed through the years. We also have the tradition of bringing out our collection of Christmas picture books each year. These books are special, because they have been collected through the years and read over and over as the years have flown by.
Now I guess this post is going in the direction of book recommendations after all, because I have some Christmas resources I want to share with you. This is a book I have referenced with my children many times over. It is full of fun history, stories, meaningful ways we can see various Christmas traditions in light of Christ, and fun ideas.
Because we have used the "ADVETure of Christmas" so many times I was really hoping to find something new for this year. I was so pleased to find this resource earlier this year, and I am really excited to dig into it with my children later this year.
This book is a beautiful coffee table style book that talks about how we can focus on various character qualities in our families as we journey through the Christmas season. Sometimes the Christmas season can bring on fatigue, self-centeredness, and materialism. This book attempts to counter that by helping us look at our attitudes and reminds us to shine the character of Jesus through what is supposed to be a blessed and holy season.
Just recently I ordered another book that I plan to use with my children this year. The book is titled "Everything Christmas." I have not looked at it in depth, but it looks like it might be a neat resource. On the front cover it advertises that the book includes: Heartwarming stories, treasured carols and poems, delicious holiday recipes, Christmas memories and remembrances, and great gift-giving ideas. It says, "Celebrate the Joy of the Advent Season with the best of Christmas past and present." I am super excited to dive into both of these books as we move closer to the Christmas season.
What are some of your favorite Christmas resources, and how are you endeavoring to keep Christ at the center of your Christmas traditions? I would love to hear your thoughts!
I am beginning to try to put together some plans, in my head, before the Christmas season rolls around. It seems Christmas has a way of sneaking up on me, and I want to be somewhat prepared so that I can focus on what matters most this upcoming Christmas season.
In wrapping up this Christmas in July post I would like to leave you with one of my favorite Christmas music videos. I think this is beautiful and reflects the joy of the Lord in an encouraging way. Enjoy the Wissman family singing this beloved carol!
Thank you!
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