Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas traditions, so  I thought I would list some of my favorites.

11.  Santa's Elf ~ this will be a new tradition with our kids (thanks Jenny).  An Elf will show up at our house the day after Thanksgiving and will report to Santa every night how the kids are behaving and will be in a different spot in the house every morning. 

10.  Watching Christmas movies -It's a Wonderful Life, The Sound of Music, Christmas Vacation, Elf, Rudolf, Frosty, White Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas

9.  Driving around looking at Christmas lights

8.  Putting up the Christmas tree and decorations

7.  When we have kids we will let them open 1 gift the night before Christmas and it will always be new Christmas pajamas for them to put on and wear for pictures the next morning. 

6.  Christmas breakfast

5.  Serving at the local rescue mission

4.  Spending time with family 

3.  Sponsoring a child at Christmas ~ we have been sponsoring a child/children for the past several years and it's one of the things I look forward to the most.  I especially love sending money for our Compassion child, she has such a sweet heart

2.  Candlelight Service ~ there's just something about coming together and worshiping and reflecting upon the birth of Christ and the what an Awesome gift God gave us. 

1.  My #1 favorite tradition is on Christmas Eve listening to my grandpa read from the book of Luke about the birth of Christ.  We all sit around him and intently listen, and then he always asks us questions - simple to difficult questions.  It's such a wonderful memory year after year.  I love stopping to think about Mary carrying and delivering Jesus (probably the OB nurse in me), what she and Joseph must have been thinking during the whole process( Luke 2: 19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."), the shepherds seeing heavenly hosts praising God (that would be an awesome sight), and the Magi bringing the 3 gifts.  I have also thought about the innkeeper who gave a pregnant woman a barn to have a baby in. 

~ I love traditions, but don't want to lose focus on what Christmas is actually about ~ JESUS~