this is how we christmas

So, the preacher's wives over at Lisa's site are getting together to tell how we include Jesus in Christmas. With all of the hecticness (is that a word? well, it IS today!) of this year's season, I feel like I've somehow gotten lost in what it's all about. I'll post about all of that tomorrow, but for today:

This is how we Christmas: Christ edition:

Christmas programs: Our church this year put on three different programs. You can see the pictures of the one I was in charge of here. I'll be posting pics of the one that my kids were a part of later (when someone posts them to FB--get on that, Tammy). The choir also did a cantata which sounded great! We have a small choir, but a BIG sound came out proclaiming the story of the birth.

Christmas Eve: Now, this might sound strange, at least I thought it was a strange last year (our first year here), but it ended up being incredibly meaningful. Our church, in lieu of a traditional candlelight service, has a very private service. Each member comes as they chose between the hour of 7-8 on Christmas Eve and is given communion by Steve (yes, it sounds kind of catholic, but it's not). He then prays with them for any needs they have or just for blessings to be on their family. It's the sweetest thing to witness. Steve has a very personal prayer style that is very touching. I don't think my words have done justice to this, but suffice it to say, it is quickly becoming something that I look forward to.

Christmas Eve at home: We always read the story from Luke 2 with our kids, and then we open one gift each.

Giving: It's simply not Christmas without giving, and we try to take this time to make sure that we give back to Jesus in several ways. While service is a way of life for us, it just seems more special during this time of year. So, we try to find some kind of service project that we can all be involved in (this year, it was making stockings for Sacks of Love which helps to stamp out childhood hunger). We also enjoy finding something special for our deacons and their wives who sacrifice throughout the year to support us.


So, in a nutshell, that's how we try to "keep it real" during the season of madness. What about you?