We Do Jesus

Christmas always carries fond memories of childhood. Christmas was a sentimental time of tree decorating with my Mom, crafts, anticipation, gatherings at my Mamaw's house, cookie baking traditions- that I now carry on with my husband on Christmas Eve while we watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and wrap presents...the smell of Christmas

And, of course, SANTA WAS COMING!! My favorite year being the year I wanted a Starbrite Sparkles doll, for any of you 90's kids out there. I don't remember wanting anything so much in my life!!

After setting out my best decorated cookies with a cup of milk for the big guy, himself, my parents agreed that I could sleep out on the couch next to the Christmas Tree so I could try to catch Santa in the act of delivering our presents [and to make absolute sure he was leaving me Starbrite Sparkles under the tree]. I fell asleep under the light of the tree thinking every noise and thud was reindeer on my roof.
I never did catch him.

I loved the tradition of Santa, so much so, I believed in Santa to almost the age of 10 when a kid on the school bus thought it was ridiculous I still believed. While turning to my younger sister for defense, she basically told me I was too old for such shenanigans and she had been advised by my parents to go along with the covert until I figured it out on my own. I was crushed...

The Easter Bunny...
The Tooth Fairy...
Mourning it all at once.

As the kids are getting older, especially this year, the Christmas fun is truly beginning in our house. It's filling me with childhood anticipation all over again as I have been waiting for the childhood magic come to life....

Last year, we took the kids to visit Santa for the very first time. Of course, I had been awaiting this moment, but something just didn't feel right about this introduction into our children's lives.
I had a check in my Spirit.
And it wasn't the fact that my kids were crying as they sat on Santa's lap.
I walked away feeling unsettled, wondering....

How can you do Christmas any other way?

Truth in the Tinsel fun.

Soon after, a twin Mom friend shared a book called,"Truth in the Tinsel" that she was doing with her

girls. It's daily children's Advent stories with a craft for each day in December to keep the meaning of Christ shining through the Christmas season. The author of the book, Amanda, has a blog and she shared how she didn't want Santa to be the center of their Christmas. And there it was....an answer to the stirring in my heart.

Jesus was going to be the center of our Christmas tradition.

The No Santa idea came easily last year since the kids were so young. They couldn't remember ever sitting on Santa's lap even a week after it happened or the significance of that moment in time. Unwrapping gifts Christmas morning didn't seem like any kind of mystery. Presents were there for the opening, of course! Ha!

This year is a whole new ball game. The girls are in preschool and in other environments where Santa talk seems to be everywhere. Songs, kid's shows, and even strangers we meet in the grocery store ask our kids, "What's Santa bringing you for Christmas?" At first, my kids didn't know how to respond, but it didn't take long for them to catch on.

We thought we would wait until the Santa questions came, but instead of questions, we got...

'Santa's coming to my house and he bring me presents.'
'If you don't get the Sophia castle for me, Santa gonna bring me it.'

I really didn't know how to respond to the Santa comments. We don't want to tell our kids the truth this early with the chance of them ruining another child's experience. We want to be respectful of everyone's traditions. 

As I started to feel defeated by Santa this week, even down to finding cute wrapping paper without the Red Suit decorated on it, a lady in our small group shared that they didn't do Santa with their kids either. It was such affirmation and peace to our decision. I gathered wisdom from her experience on how to respond to my preschoolers on their acquisitions of Santa.

"Some people do Santa, some people do Hanukkah, but in our home, "We do Jesus."

An answer my kids can relate and take hold of.

Santa is not right or wrong; He's not a Salvation issue, but it's what has been laid on our hearts in our family traditions and we want to be intentional with our holiday worship and honor the Lord.

We are exploring our new family traditions. It's the start of something new. It's a week before Christmas and I just ordered Ann Voskamp's, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, also at Helen's suggestion. It has a daily devotion and activities centered on the Jesse Tree (lineage of David). I'm a little late starting it, but I'm excited to see where this book takes us in this new terrain.

We want Christmas to be something that overflows from our hearts and not just a religious celebration, as well as, sweet family memories to carry in their hearts as they grow older.

Last year, my husband made a wooden manger to place next to our tree. Christmas Eve, the kids fill the empty manger with hay, swaddle, and place the baby Jesus in the manger.

Our kids get most excited about it being anyone's birthday. E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E is required to have a party. Complete with singing, cake, candles, balloons, and presents.

Jesus isn't excluded. He gets His own party too.

There will be CAKE! 

And there will be presents!
And they will know our presents come because The Lord has been ever so good to us and loves us lavishly.