How Our Family Is Focusing Outward This Christmas

I have been so compelled to focus our family on giving instead of getting this Christmas. My Pastor-Husband and I really want Jesus to get the attention in our family. We've been asking our kids, "What would Jesus want for His birthday?"

We've started this TOTALLY AWESOME Journey of Wonder Advent Calendar, and are seeing the wonderful fruit of it in our children's lives. It only takes maybe 10 minutes each day, and we perform the object lesson included. Sometimes, our conversations go longer just because the kids have questions or want to talk more about a certain topic. I'm enjoying it so much!

In addition to the Advent calendar, we've decided, as a family, to really reach out to others. We've been using ideas from The Grateful Christmas Project, and we're having so much fun. My children have given thank you cards with chocolate bars to the postman, trash collector, taco truck server (no joke), policemen, firemen, ambulance worker, and there's more still to deliver. They feel really good about themselves when they hand a card to someone they appreciate.

We're still adding items to our Gifts We Already Have list on the back of our front door. We do a great job of making Christmas wish lists, but this list is a "count your blessings" activity. We've enjoyed watching our children focus on what God has already blessed them with.

A few other wonderful resources full of ideas for reaching out this holiday season:

• More Than Candy eBook
• Passionate Homemaking's "Practical Ways to Reach Out to Others During the Holidays"

Enjoy teaching your children to serve and bless others this Christmas, and watch them grow in new ways you've never seen before. Everyone knows, when you bless someone else, you're truly the one who gets blessed!