Upgrade Your Christmas with the Greatest Gift Ever

Morgan Farr is authentic and consistent. She doesn't choose the "easy" path to personal discipleship and godly parenting. Her biblically-based choices are for her family's spiritual health and maturity. In this Christmas UPGRADE, Morgan invites us to look beyond "normal" Christmas in the culture to a more biblical approach.

"Forget the gifts," Morgan says. "This Christmas I want Christ."

I (Dawn) say that every year. Some years, I'm more successful in that focus than other years. What helps is to have a strategy, and Morgan gives us a good one!

Morgan continues . . .

Christmas is a beautiful season. I have four children six and under, so the anticipation for Christmas is real in our house. In addition to that, I love a theme—and getting to decorate the entire house for a particular theme is such a joy for me.

So we do Christmas BIG in our family, with a lot of traditions and things that help us make the time meaningful.

As a military family, we move a lot. When people find out that we love Christmas, they often ask what we teach our kids about Santa, gifts and giving.

My family uses the acronym T-R-E-E at Christmas to keep the focus on Christ rather than consumerism.

Consider the T-R-E-E Christmas Focus

1. Teach Theology

Theology is the study of God and religious belief. When it comes to the Christmas season, understanding what you are doing, and why you are doing it, is crucial.

The secular world celebrates Christmas just as much, if not more than the church does.

Let me give you an example.

Recently, Good Housekeeping magazine released a list of the top 70 Christmas songs of all time. Christ’s name doesn’t break into the list until number 25!

Now are all the songs on this list bad? No. But we are careful about the type of Christmas music that we listen to.

We don’t do the more obviously ridiculous or tawdry “Christmas” songs.

But would you believe that there are church favorite Christmas carols that are historically inaccurate and potentially even heretical? 

Silent Night and Away in a Manger both fall into the questionable theology category because they lean heavily towards Docetism, the belief that Jesus wasn’t actually human—He just looked like it on the outside.

How do they lean that way?

They claim a quiet night after Jesus was born.

Have you ever been in a room immediately after a child is born, or the first 24 hours afterwards? There is not anything silent in that first night!

It’s a denial of the humanity of Jesus to say that as a newborn He didn’t cry.

And then my all time least favorite song: Mary Did You Know?

This song is CRAZY to me.

They repeatedly ask, “Mary did you know….” But if you check out Luke 1:26-38, you will see that, yes,  Mary Knew.

Gabriel told her.

And if that isn’t enough, check out Luke 1:46-55 where Mary talks about her knowledge.

If we want to raise children who understand the true meaning of Christmas, then we absolutely must teach our children solid theology.

We do this partly so they can recognize the bad theology and stay away from it, but also so they understand the importance of Christmas.

2. Remember Reverence

If you want your family to have a Christ-centered holiday, keep Christ at the center. I know that may sound overly simple, yet it is something that absolutely must be said.

We choose to make Christmas a CELEBRATION of Christ’s birthday.

In order to help the kids understand this we do a big celebration of each child on their birthday, then we celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas. We exchange gifts using the one thing you want, one thing you need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read, concept.

To help the children understand what actually happened at Christmas, and why it matters, we read through one chapter of Luke each day at breakfast.

Starting on chapter one on the first day of December puts you at Christ’s resurrection (Luke 24) on Christmas Eve.

I like to do this because it keeps us focused on the fact that the manger was not where we were saved, but rather the cross.

3. Encourage Engagement

I hate the idea of LYING to my children in any capacity. So our family tells the truth about the tooth fairy, the "Easter Bunny," and yes, even Santa.

We read a fair amount of church history, so for Christmas, we just include that in our celebration.

• We explain that Santa is based on Saint Nicholas, a real man from the third century.
• We explain about the three wisemen, and the significance of the gifts that were given to Christ at the manger (Matthew 2:11).

There are a ton of excellent Christmas books out there. We choose to read a different one each day. (If you need some recommendations for great Christmas books feel free to contact me!)

These are great for inspiring deep conversations and critical thinking about the holiday season with your children.

4. Extend your Environment

The holiday season is a great time to model service and hospitality to your children.

Extending an invitation to family is wonderful, but I would encourage you to reach beyond family ties this holiday season.

• Is there a new family in your neighborhood?
• What about the singles group in your church?
• Is there an elderly church member who needs a place to be on Christmas day?

We once attended a church that had a list in the bulletin of people who were hosting holiday events—all you had to do was call and RSVP. This allowed everyone to have somewhere special to be during the holiday season.

During this incredible time of year, the focus is often on the gifts given. But let me ask you. What is the greatest gift that you can give your children?

My answer?

A deep understanding of who Christ is and why He came to earth on this special night is the best gift you could ever give.

Keeping Christ the focus of Christmas is an incredible gift, because each interaction you have is an opportunity to tell about God’s greatest gift ever—His only son.

Which part of T-R-E-E will you be using this year?

Morgan Farr is a Texas-loving, succulent-cultivating, book nerd and aspiring author. Stationed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this Army wife is learning to train dogs, develop her four young children, and tackle homeschool life—all while moving all over the country. Morgan believes in integrity, authenticity, and grit. Although she writes for many different publications, you can almost always find Morgan’s most recent ramblings on her blog.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Couleur at Pixabay.

A 'Recipe' for Christmas

In this Christmastime "UPLIFT," Sally Ferguson shares how to let go of a "perfect" Christmas and create something far better.

"Family traditions are at the top of my list," Sally says, "including handmade ornaments, my mom’s famous egg nog, Christmas cookies, and pies made from scratch.

"But, the list has snowballed, leaving me in a frenzy!"

Frenzy. Yes, I (Dawn) know that word. It's not something compatible with the "peace" that's supposed to be a part of the Christmas season, is it?

Sally continues…

When did life get so complicated?

Browsing through my parents’ wedding mementoes, I found the gift list in Mom’s handwriting. In 1956, an appropriate gift was a set of doilies. Today, we would supplement that gift.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love gifts and gift wrapping and the giving of them.

The first Christmas over 2,000 years ago, the only gift given was a baby.

Two years later, visitors brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But the gift of a baby represented something very personal. God gave the gift of Himself.

When someone hands you a gift and waits expectantly, do you decline to open it? No, you rip off the paper and squeal with delight over the thought for you.

God wants us to enjoy the gift of relationship. The Bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), and when we reevaluate our high expectations of the perfect Christmas, we are able to decelerate and focus on His goodness.

Maybe the best recipe for Christmas is to keep it simple and personal.

Give of yourself to others. Spend time looking into people’s eyes instead of talking at them. Take time for reflection and worship. Ann Voskamp calls it, “keeping the sane and sacred of Christmas.”

Worship leader, Anna Hodge, says, “Sometimes I think we need a little help to slow down, open our hearts, and clear out the debris that keeps us from drawing near to God in an authentic and life-changing way.”

Do you need to halt, ponder, and seek God? Reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, to gain perspective.

Eliminate unrealistic expectations, and seek things that make Christmas special.

Now, my recipe may look different than yours, but a common ingredient we can all add, is to have fun!

Isn’t fun highly overrated? While Christmas is portrayed as a romantic holiday, our reality often portrays loss of loved ones, job loss, loss of a home, or another loss. Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. So how can we trust that God will sustain us?

When our recipe is faithful obedience to Christ, we can count on His sustaining power in uncertain times. 

• Look for ways to serve.
• Make time for people.
• Create special memories for others.

When your attention is given to people, the trappings of Christmas become less important.

Author Patricia Raybon says there is a secret to generosity; to get more, one must give. We find our own joy by giving to others!

Author Myquillyn Smith says life doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

“I realized that although immaculate looking homes are pretty in pictures, when I’m actually in one… I’m wondering if it’s okay for me to move the pillow out of the way to sit down. I… miss the real purpose of being there: connection.

"There is beauty in the imperfection… Imperfections put people at ease. Once we learn to accept and find beauty in the imperfections, we are free to take a risk in our home and create the home we’ve always wanted.”

What can you do to let go of a perfect Christmas and instead create a home known for the warmth cultivated there?

As a newly married, I learned from a friend that Gingerbread Cookies were the perfect tradition. So I proudly carried that recipe into life as a young mom.

It was not quite the fun I had imagined, when my toddler decided to decorate the ceiling, floors and counters with powdered sugar and flour.

• Find what works for you and make it your own.
• When things happen that are out of your control, turn that into a celebration, too.

We can’t predict the weather changing our plans, but we can build a fire in the fireplace and roast hot dogs. Create special memories with what you have been given.

When dealing with the FRENZY of Christmas, FOCUS on the true meaning and create Christmas FUN.

Whether sledding as a family, delivering fruit baskets to shut-ins, or watching The Grinch three times in a row, whatever secret ingredient you add to your holidays, keep it simple and personal. And may the gift be returned to you, with love.

How do you replenish yourself during the December rush?

Sally Ferguson lives in western NY with her husband, her dad, and a partridge in a pear tree. Actually, it’s a bluebird in the backyard, but this is a Christmas post. Together, they are looking for a recipe for Christmas that will include all the grands! (Sally laughs with her grandchildren, right.)

Sally’s coloring book, What Will I Be When I Grow Up?, is a look at sharing God’s love with others through the platform He’s given you. If you’re a baker, then tell people Jesus is the Bread of Life! Visit Sally at www.sallyferguson.net.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Susanne Jutzeler at Pixabay.