The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I love almost everything about Christmas!  I love that we spend an entire month focusing on the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I love the gift giving, the carols, the baking, the good will that seems to be ever present in the hustle and bustle of the holiday.  Mostly though, I love the opportunity it presents to teach my children to love and to reach out to others as the Savior does.  That is what makes this the most wonderful time of the year. 

 

These are some of the things we have tried this year to help our children reach out in love...

 

We went Christmas caroling with our neighbors, delivering a plate of goodies to those who have served us throughout the year. 

 

We are doing the 12 days of Christmas for a neighbor who lost her husband not long ago.  She's a 30 something widow and single mother of two little girls.  This will be their first Christmas without their daddy. 

 

We are reading the book, "The Family Under the Bridge."  I hope this will help the kids learn to appreciate all they have, and instill in them a desire to help others.  It might be working.  When we were leaving Walmart the other day, we passed a man who was holding a sign that said, "Homeless, Need Tacos"  Immediately the girls said that we should go get him some tacos.  We drove to Taco Bell, bought the man a meal, but when we returned he was gone.  We were all a little disappointed, but it warmed my heart that they felt such a strong desire to help this stranger.  We left the food... in hopes that if he returned he would find it. 

 

Along with the Welsh family, we hosted a neighborhood Christmas gathering/food drive.  We lit some fires, played some Christmas music and provided hot chocolate and treats for all our neighbors.  We will be delivering the food that is donated to the local food bank. 

 

 

 

On Christmas Eve we will be spending the evening with our older friends at the Seville (a retirement home).  We plan to play bean bag baseball with them and sing carols. 

 

I hope, and pray that these are the things my kids remember about Christmas this year.  Not what gifts they received, but what they did to show love to others.