Lyons' Christmas Traditions (2012)

 So... I have been thinking about Christmas traditions a lot the past few weeks and honestly, I admit, sometimes I get so many ideas I want to do and get overwhelmed with wanting to be so intentional with my family that I feel too overwhelmed and defeated before I have even begun.  After talking to a few people about this, I was encouraged to try to make things simple and not get overwhelmed with trying to do "it all!"  My mentor at church suggested even with a toddler being intentional about slowly setting out a nativity- each day getting one of the animals or people out to build anticipation.  Great idea!  So we have decided on these few things for this Advent season.  Honestly, there is a really cute Fisher Price Advent Calendar for kids but it is a little too expensive for our budget right now. So I decided to make this little calendar with a muffin tin.  Jeremiah and I are opening one a day- inside I have little animals and figures I cut out from things on the internet that we will paste and color to this simple manger hung on his wall until we get to Jesus on Christmas Eve in the manger.  I think he is already getting excited as he points to the manger hanging in his room.  In each one I also have a name of a special friend or family member we will pray for at dinner each night.

 I also just set out 5 simple candles I found to use as an Advent Wreath for each of the Sundays leading to Christmas.  Michael and I have decided at dinner each night (or almost every night), we will pray for the couple that is in the tin and also go through this Advent Devotional by Piper.  David Platt's church also has a great devotional for kids too for Advent.

 I love Christmas and so we have decorated and have the lights up- I can definitely see why Christ says He is the Light of the World!!  I am always tempted to keep my lights up through the winter to ward off any winter blahs- I may esp. need to do that this year with a little one coming mid- winter and my tendency to be affected by cloudy, sunless days.

I browsed through Noel Piper's book, Treasuring God in Your Traditions, and she had a great idea about having your gifts on Christmas morning under a Nativity or Manger scene.  Last year, I had to put my Willow Nativity up on the windowsill to ward off a wandering baby.  I am thinking that putting gifts under the Nativity- could be a neat idea to point to the fact that Christ is the center- He is the reason for our gift giving as He has given us the MOST precious gift- Himself!!  God with us!!

And so whatever our traditions- let us keep them simple and keep Christ in the center as it is so easy to get so busy with all "good" things this time of year!  Happy Adventing!