Teaching Children About Christmas...

I've started teaching my two year old about Christmas.  When he talks of Ho Ho, he mentions Jesus' name and it makes me smile.  It's amazing just what a two year old understands!  I explained to him that Santa comes on Jesus' birthday to celebrate.  So when I ask him whose birthday it is on Christmas- he says "Je Je".

I've read about Jesus to him and have shown him pictures in his bible. I've also shared with him just how much Jesus loves him.  He smiles so big when we talk about Jesus that you have to wonder- what type of relationship does a two year old have with Jesus?  My older daughter seemed to have Jesus in her heart at a very young age.  I remember her preschool teacher saying that she thinks that she is going to do great things for God and that there was something different about how she responds to learning about Jesus.

My daughters are getting older now and among their wish list of electronics and gifts galore, I do have to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas.  We talk about it daily as Christmas approaches and it helps that they are participating in our church play this year.  They have been practicing since November and have been focusing on his word and praising him weekly.

We were praying at dinner the other evening and one of my daughter's prayers was for God to help her focus on Jesus this Christmas season.  Oh how we can learn from our little ones, because this is my prayer as well.  Keeping Jesus our focus in everything that we do!

Last night we lit the lights on the house and I turned and smiled at my two year old and said "Those lights are for Jesus!"  He looked up at me smiled and cheered... "Je Je!""

"Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given..."
Isaiah 9:6

Many Blessings,
Jen

God With Us!

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"— which means, "God with us."
Matthew 1:23

Merry Christmas!

Jen

One Winter's Night

There are so many beautiful Christmas stories written that are worth sharing with your children this time of year. Recently, we read One Winter's Night by John Herman. It is the story about a pregnant cow looking for shelter on the night of Christmas Eve. Two special mothers give birth on the same miraculous evening. The girls enjoyed the parallel between the Christmas story and Martha's story. Although the setting seems to be a bit different than what we would usually read about in the true Christmas story, it was still a lovely book to share with the girls.

Christmas Blessings,
Jen

Reminding Mom: The True Meaning of Christmas

The girls eagerly awaited as Daddy started setting up our artificial tree for them to trim. I refer to it as our Charlie Brown tree because it doesn't have a lot of branches, but once decorated it is perfect in my children's eyes. I bought it on special years back and was excited that it was already pre-lit. Excited until I plugged it in this year to find the top lit, the bottom lit, but the middle out. My husband's response- Oh, who cares, let's decorate it like this.

Really?
With the middle out?
Are you serious?

Shortly after, the girls come running over to me and say, Mommy- Christmas isn't about the tree. It is about Jesus. We can decorate it like this.

I knew in my heart that they were right. I told them that I agreed. I have to admit though, I did run out to the store and find a small strand of lights on sale for the middle. It would have just driven me crazy all season looking at our tree without lights.

Isn't it wonderful though at 5 and 7 they are telling Mommy what the focus of Christmas should be. Jesus is the Reason!

Christmas Blessings,

Jen