Christmas Contest Entry #5

In my efforts to teach my children about the true meaning of Christmas, and put Christ as the focus in our home, we make him part of our family. We hang a stocking for the Christ Child too, along with all of our stockings. And throughout the days and weeks preceeding Christmas, we give gifts to the Christ child. Gifts of ourself. We write a letter to him of what we can do to serve our neighbors, teach his gospel, live his example. We write prayers of improving our testimony, our parenting, our relationships with our loved ones and with him. And it helps strengthen the spirit in our home to remember what the season is about: His gift for us, of himself. And in return, our gift of ourselves to others. When the season is over, we put the letters in a special box that looks like a present box, but inside is a picture of Jesus Christ, because that is the true gift of this season. And the next year as we begin putting up decorations, we have a special family devotional where we read the letters from the previous year to see how we did throughout the year. One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Little Drummer Boy" where he gives a gift of himself to the christ child, and we begin with this song every year as we put up our decorations and enjoy the blessings we have in our family.

April M.