20+ Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas

In case you didn't notice, Christmas is right around the corner. I am guessing you didn't miss it with decorations and Christmas items popping up in stores well before November even started. How many catalogs have you received in the mail over the past couple weeks? Black Friday is in just a couple days! From a worldly view, Christmas is all about presents, santa, and holiday cheer. If you didn't snag that Black Friday deal or find matching Christmas jammies for your kids, you may feel like you aren't doing it right!

Certainly giving gifts and participating in some knock-out sales isn't wrong. In fact, giving gifts can be very representative of our faiths. However, I don't know about you, but I can easily get all caught up in it. I get stressed so easily about what presents I need to buy, what recipes I want to try, and what decor will adorn my living room. It's so easy to lose sight about what Christmas is all about.

Christ is Christmas! 

Christmas is about Christ, our Savior, being born! No gift, cookie, pair of pajamas, or decoration can even begin to measure to the awesome that is Jesus our Savior!

So if you are like me and have a hard time keeping focus during the Christmas season, please enjoy this list! Find one, two or a few things to do that can help you stay focused on Christ this Christmas, spread Christ this Christmas, and celebrate Christ this Christmas.

1.) Buy a religious advent calendar. (Bonus points if it includes chocolate!)

2.) Participate in a Christmas focused Bible study during December.

3.) Attend Advent by Candlelight at your church.

4.) Read or listen to the birth story of Jesus.

5.) Give to a charity.

6.) Volunteer.

7.) Sing a Christmas hymn with your daily devotion.

8.) View a live nativity.

9.) Listen to Christmas music.

10.) Do Truth in the Tinsel with your children.

11.) Set up a nativity scene in your home. (You can set it up in stages, adding Jesus on Christmas day and the wise men afterward.)

12.) Go Christmas caroling.

13.) Attend the "Messiah" orchestra performance or something similar.

14.) Use an advent candle wreath. Light week to week throughout Advent.

15.) Invite a friend or family member to a Christmas service.

16.) Do Jesse Tree ornaments with your children.

17.) Find a new Christmas book to read with your kids.

18.) Attend Advent services at your church.

19.) Make a new Christmas ornament or Christmas decoration for your home.

20.) Create a countdown with your children -- a paper chain or something similar and add bible passages to read on each day.

21.) Read this blog post by Rachel from last week.

22.) Sponsor a child.

Hopefully you've found one or two things you could add to your Christmas preparations this year. Do you have any to add to this list? Please share!