This year I decided to make a Christmas countdown to share with all of you. As I prayed about what I wanted it to look like, I contemplated what we as moms really desire to prioritize during the Christmas season. You can fill out the form below to receive the 21 Days of Surprises: A Countdown to Christmas game free by email!
Every year as Christmas creeps closer and closer, I am filled with anticipation for the joy of the season, but also anxiety sets in as I wonder if I will be able to get everything done in time. From preparing kids for Christmas plays, to hosting and attending parties, to determining the perfect gifts for each family member… it’s a crazy time of year!
What do your kids love about Christmas? Mine love decorating the Christmas tree (my husband’s least favorite part), making, icing, and eating Christmas cookies, and spending time with their cousins… Christmas is fun and full of exciting activities, but with so much to look forward to, if we are not careful, it can become easy to loose sight of the main reason for Christmas.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… a time we can bring God so much glory by enjoying the love story between Him and us. A story we want to share with our kids over and over every Christmas because it’s the greatest love story ever told- that the God of the universe would want to come down from Heaven and be with us!
One of my favorite things about Christmas is the spirit of love and generosity that embraces our hearts this time of year…We tend to look for ways to bless others by serving together as a family, and by doing so we are blessings Jesus in the process. Serving others with our kids not only demonstrates the heart of God and shares His love with His people in the process, but it is a great way to develop meaningful family traditions and foster a strong family identity.
Working in preschool ministry, I get an interesting perspective of Santa at Christmas time. Leading worship, it is my goal to encourage the preschoolers to get more excited about Jesus than anything else in their life. When I ask the preschoolers what they are excited about at Christmas time, this is what I often hear…
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s fun to think of something special to give our kids to celebrate the occasion. I enjoy giving my kids Thanksgiving books and books about thankfulness. Reading books together on thankfulness is a great way to encourage our kids to be thankful and get them excited about celebrating Thanksgiving!
The month of Thanksgiving is the perfect time to cultivate a heart of thankfulness in our children. With the remembrance of the pilgrims and how God helped them through their trials, we can appreciate how much God has blessed us and thank Him for all He has done in our lives too!
I hope you enjoy this devotional designed for ages 4-8 to teach your children how to have a thankful heart. Read the italic section or paraphrase with your children to fit their age level. -Taylor
Joey and Carla, it’s great to be interviewing you again! I learned so much from your book Why Can’t I get My Kids to Behave and appreciate your Mom’s Notes, podcasts, and mentorship over the years. I am excited about this new book and four-part video series you have out, How Temperaments Impact You, Your Spouse, and Your Kids. Can you tell us a little about temperaments and what they are?
