"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."    Colossians 3:1-2

The tree is decorated, the lights are up, and the Christmas songs are playing on the radio. We're busy with last-minute shopping, cooking, cleaning and entertaining. The kids are thinking of whether they've been bad or good in anticipation of what Santa will bring. Dad is stressing over the finances, and Mom is anxious about getting everything done. Sound familiar?  In a few days, another Christmas will have come and gone, leaving only memories.

What kind of memories will you have of this Christmas?  We talk about keeping Christ in Christmas, but how are we really doing? Are we focused more on the worldly aspects of the holiday, or are we looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus? What will our children remember most about this Christmas?

Though Christmas is only two days away, there are still things we can do to help our families focus on the spiritual side of Christmas:

·         Read Luke 2 together and talk about it in your family devotional. Act it out. Talk about what each character must have felt during this time.

·         Serve at a homeless shelter. We have a shelter nearby, and each year we group together with other families to provide and serve a dinner for 120 homeless men, women, and children (yes, there are children!). This has an incredible effect on the kids and the adults.

·         Read a spiritual book together as a family. There are a number of books that kids will really get into.  Jotham's Journey and Bartholomew's Passage are two fictional books about the adventures of children during the time of Jesus' birth combining Scriptures and story in a way to make it interesting. Tell Me the Secrets, Tell Me the Truth, and Tell Me the Promises are collections of short stories, although not about Christmas, that put spiritual truths in stories written for kids. The Best Christmas Pagaent Ever takes a unique look at the meaning of Christmas and opens up lots of opportunity to talk about evangelism and a heart for God.

·         Get a gift for each child that encourages him in his spiritual growth -- a new Bible, a prayer journal, a quiet time book, a Bible game or a Christmas coloring book.

·         Give to needy kids. It's not too late.  Many businesses are still collecting toys for shelters, Toys for Tots or other benevolent programs.

·         Think of people who may be alone on Christmas and invite them to join your celebration.

·         Carve out some time on the 24th to bake a birthday cake for Jesus and save it for the dessert at your Christmas dinner (kids love birthday cake!).  Before you open presents on Christmas morning, have a special family devotional about Christmas.  Sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  Pray together about how grateful you are that Jesus was born and what you want to do as a birthday present for Jesus ("share my toys with my sister", "obey first time", "share my faith", etc.).

There are many things we can do to keep Christ in Christmas, not only for our own families but also to encourage the families around us, to make this a spiritual time. Let's not get so wrapped up in Christmas that we forget to celebrate the birth of Jesus or neglect to meet the physical and spiritual needs of those around us.