I know, I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. . .and seeing the word “Christmas” may trigger a mix of excitement and terror.
My goal in this episode is to help prepare you. To empower you in sharing with your kids the good news of God taking on flesh and dwelling among us. To help you create meaningful family traditions that your kids can pass on to the next generation.
Today’s guest is my good friend, Jacki Rucksdashel, author of the Jesse Tree Project. She is a mom to two amazing kids, a former classical education teacher and a darling, godly woman.
Jacki and I chat about the value of creating Biblically-based Christmas traditions. Fortunately, there are lots of options these days for families to celebrate Advent. We’re gonna help you sort through them so you can stay sane in the holiday cray-cray.
Jacki & I encourage you to pick one (maybe two) of the options. And to consider your family’s interests, ages, and values when choosing. We also share personal stories of our “less-than-perfect” attempts at memory making. And how to be realistic when celebrating the holidays with little ones.
Loved this from Jacki, sharing the heart behind this conversation:
Am I teaching my children that Christmas is about busyness? Or am I teaching my children that Christmas is about sitting at Jesus’s feet, and resting, and enjoying his birth and the fulfilling of the promise? It can get so easy so forget that, even in doing all the good things.
Connect with Jacki:
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What we chat about:
- Choosing a few, enjoyable traditions for your family, instead of ALL of them
- Why are Christmas traditions such a big deal, anyway?
- You can be your family’s first tradition-starter
- The Jesse Tree Project, and how it’s made especially for families with young children
- Using children’s anticipation for Christmas to mirror the Bible’s anticipation for a Savior
- Our own funny stories of how “perfectly planned” traditions turned out…um…less than perfect (i.e.: being realistic)
- Why it’s a good thing Jesus is NOT like Santa or the Elf on the Shelf
- Other great tradition starters for young children: Shepard on a Search, Star from Afar, The Giving Manger, Light ‘Em Up
- How to “mix and match” to find the right fit for your family
- Setting priorities by reverse-engineering from Dec 26 and what you would consider a (realistic) successful holiday.
Links Mentioned:
- The Jesse Tree Project & How to Lead a Group
- Unwrapping the Greatest Gift **
- Truth in the Tinsel (OhAmanda Episode 3)
- Visiting Santa (Heather’s thoughts on using Santa to teach grace)
- Elf on the Shelf **
- Shepherd on a Search
- Star from Afar
- The Giving Manger
- Light Em Up (Courtney DeFeo Episode 50)
**Amazon affiliate link
How to listen to the podcast:
1.Listen on the blog. Click through to GodCenteredMom.com and click the play button at the beginning of this post.
2. Listen on your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch – There are a lot of great podcasting apps. Apple has a free one (that I mentioned) in the app store, there is also one called Downcast. It allows you to search for shows, subscribe to them and even speed up the audio. If you don’t have an iDevice, you can listen via Stitcher.
3. Subscribe to the Podcast – access the podcast in iTunes (Click here to access via iTunes). You can also search for it on your smartphone app (like the ones listed above) and subscribe.
I’ve just discovered your podcast recently and I’m LOVING it! Full of wisdom and practical God-centred advice. I really enjoyed this episode. I’ve got a new born and a 2 year old so it’s given me lots to think about.
I just found your site and I love it. It was a great podcast. You now have a new follower 🙂
We love and use The Christmas Angel! I really think you should add that one to your list :). Love your podcast!!