Christmas Crafts

I thought I would share some photos of the girls making Christmas crafts. This year they made Smores Nativity scenes and gave them out to friends and family. They made 36 and had a great time making them.





Here is the finished nativity and card the girls made. The manger is recycled grocery bags. I used circle punches and the star and manger was cut with Cricut. Love it! And finally, our beautiful packaging!



Now if I ever get around to developing the pictures and scrappin them, I'll be sure to upload to the gallery. :)

Faithfully,

Dawn

Sharing the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve

Here we are...the final segment of the faith-filled Christmas series. I hope you have enjoyed these articles I have found to share with you.

Picture this scene. Everyone scrambles to get ready. Pajamas are donned and teeth are brushed. Before prayers are said, there’s to be a gathering in the living room. Each person finds a comfortable place to sit. The lights on the Christmas tree sparkle like diamonds. The smell of your favorite candle burning wafts throughout the room. Can you smell it? Or how about fresh baked cookies right from the oven? It’s Christmas Eve and everybody is waiting to hear the Christmas story.

A Christian Christmas is not complete without sharing the Christmas story. The story of the baby Jesus’ miraculous conception and lowly birth reaffirms our faith during the holiday season. Recounting the story on Christmas Eve prepares us for Christmas Day. We go to sleep thinking of Jesus and wake up with thanksgiving on our lips.

One individual doesn’t have to be responsible for telling the story. The entire family can get involved. Each member can come up with their own unique way of sharing the story. Whatever the idea, encourage each other to express what they feel in their hearts.

Sharing the Christmas story doesn’t have to take place before bedtime either. You could rent a video of the Christmas story and invite friends and other family members over early in the day on Christmas Eve and view it together. Add in some hot cocoa and Christmas cookies and you’ve created a relaxing afternoon. Of course, you may choose Christmas day for this tradition as well.

Whichever setting you choose for the story telling, ask those who are present to describe how the story makes them feel. For instance, I am grateful that God loved me so much that He allowed Jesus to be born. Looking at what Mary and Joseph went through, I am reminded that it is not always easy following God, but in the end God is always faithful.

Jesus was born to save the world. When we share his story at Christmastime, we give special attention to the One whose birth got little attention at the time. Remember the reason for the season!

The Christmas Nativity

Beginning in early December, Christmas nativity scenes pop up in front of churches all over the country. Some depict the baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. Others display the three Wise Men or “Magi” alongside the baby Jesus and his parents. Shepherds and their flocks are included, too. Still others feature stable animals and angels.

Let’s take a look into the Nativity scene though God’s Word. Two gospels in the Holy Bible contain an account of Jesus’ birth—Matthew and Luke. Both accounts mention that the Christ child was to be born of a virgin named Mary, who was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph (St. Matt. 1:18-25; St. Luke 2:1-7). They traveled to Bethlehem in the land of Judea where Mary gave birth to the Savior.

According to the book of Matthew, Magi visited Jerusalem and asked King Herod where the birth of the prophesied Christ had taken place (St. Matt. 2:1-12). They followed a star which led them to Bethlehem where they visited with the baby Jesus and his parents. In honor of his birth, they presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They never revealed the child’s location to anyone, thus ensuring his family’s safety from King Herod.

The book of Luke does not mention the Magi, but a group of shepherds tending their flocks (St. Luke 2:8-20). An angel of the Lord appeared in the midst of the shepherds and told them of the birth of Jesus and its significance. Following the angel’s instructions, the shepherds found the baby in Bethlehem, laying in a manger, or feeding trough, in the stable, because the inn had no room. After their visit, the shepherds told anyone who would listen about what they had witnessed.

The Magi were wealthy Middle Eastern men who traveled a fair distance to view the Messiah. Their wealth is evidenced by the caliber of the gifts they presented. The shepherds, in contrast, were simple, hardworking men who were given a revelation from God about the baby Jesus. It seems like they represent who Jesus was born to save—the rich and the poor.

The Greatest Gift of All

Is there such a thing as “the perfect gift”? At Christmastime, shoppers go in search of it. Everyone wants his or her gift to be just what that receiver has always wanted. The things that people really want to make their lives better, can’t be bought from a store. I’m talking about good health, peace of mind, financial security, and long life to name a few.

There is a gift that can provide the missing elements of our lives. Best of all, anyone who knows where to find it can tell you where to get it—free of charge. It sounds too good to be true, but this is one gift that delivers what it promises.

God presented this perfect gift to the world over 2,000 years ago. His son, Jesus, was born in a stable in Bethlehem to a humble carpenter and his betrothed, a virgin named Mary. There was no get-together to celebrate the blessed event, only a star casting down its light from the night sky.

During the Christmas holiday, those who are Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth as the beginning of something wonderful. Without his birth, there could not have been a victorious death at Calvary and eternal salvation for every believer. Jesus’ life upon this earth was short, but he left behind a lifetime of teaching.

God’s love became real through Jesus Christ. Those who longed to know that God cared about them had at last found comfort. I started going to church regularly when my best friend invited me, however it wasn’t until I became an adult that I accepted Jesus’ message and received God’s gift of salvation. Now, I have a friend who will never disappoint me and a Father who answers when I call.

Remember the things I mentioned earlier: good health, peace of mind, financial freedom, and long life? God provides for them all through his Son. I can sleep better at night knowing that He is taking care of me. I also trust my beautiful family to Him, too. Whenever I hear my children pray or see my husband delivering the sermon at church on Sunday, I am grateful for Jesus Christ in our lives.

Would you like to know where to find God’s greatest gift? He’s as close as your knees are to the floor. Tell him that you want him to become a part of your life. Ask him to forgive your sins and make your heart and mind whole again. The greatest gift of all is now yours.

How does Santa fit into a Christian Christmas?

Today we will continue with the faith-filled Christmas series...

Christian and non-Christian alike have heard of him. As children, we imagined the sleigh, decorated with gold and jewels. Small pointy-eared people stuffed dolls, train sets, trucks, and other treats into a bottomless red bag. The sleigh driver—a plump, kindly man sporting white hair and a red outfit, sat at the helm ready to lead his reindeer team across the night sky in search of deserving girls and boys. I remember not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve, my body filled with nervous energy as I waited for Santa Claus to arrive.

The aforementioned images have been a tradition in America for the last two centuries, even in Christian homes. Today, we have to ask ourselves: does Santa Claus have a place in Christian celebrations during the Christmas season? The modern Santa Claus was loosely based on an actual person who possessed qualities every Christian should imitate.

The name of St. Nicholas has been used interchangeably with that of Santa Claus but they are not the same. Saint Nicholas was born in the third century A.D. He came from a Christian home and believed in the teachings of Jesus Christ. He used his vast resources to help those in need, thus fulfilling Christ’s mission. Stories grew from his extraordinary deeds, each more fanciful than the one before. Once Europeans colonized America, the stories evolved into tales to entertain children and our version of the Santa Claus legend began.

As Christian individuals, we have a responsibility to represent Christ in all aspects of our lives. What greater opportunity exists to show the world God’s love than during the celebration of Christ’s birth? God sent His only Son into the world to give mankind a second chance that we did not deserve. Our children deserve the truth. Make-believe stories are fun, but when they appear to be more popular than the truth, they can mislead our children.

The Santa Claus legend must be replaced with the facts. Saint Nicholas existed and he lived his life in service to the Savior whose birth we celebrate during the Christmas season. That’s the truth. At Christmas, nothing should overshadow the birth of Christ, God’s ultimate gift.