It was not a good day. I'd been juggling kids and scrambling around trying to finish wrapping presents. I had a few last-minute gifts to pick up. When was I going to find time for that? And I still hadn't decided what food I was taking to my mom's for the Christmas Eve gathering that evening. I was stressed out. My lack of planning had robbed me of my joy. How does this happen? Have you ever overspent when buying Christmas presents? Have you ever neglected to plan meals or dishes you were taking to parties until last minute? Have you ever run out of ingredients you need for said dishes? Have you ever completely ...Read More

My twins love to act out scenes. Recently at lunch, they each had a couple strawberries that magically morphed into Superman and Batman in their imaginations. It was a red, bloody battle. Despite the fact that Batman and Superman turned into a mushy juicy mess, I think it was mommy was the big loser who had to clean up the sticky strawberry mess! Teaching our Kids Truth at Christmas There are many modalities we can use to help teach our kids at Christmas (and all times of the year). It's helpful to understand what kind of kids you have, so you can be sure to implement learning activities that help your kids ...Read More

I'm not much into doing crafts. But my son loves art, so this Christmas I wanted to make some crafts, including this DIY Noel plate. So I stocked up on craft supplies. My son's eyes lit up as I started to unpack my bag. Plates Paint Glue Sticks Glitter Painting canvas and lots more craft supplies... Sadly, my artsy son didn't get a very crafty mom. He doesn't see products like this emerge from my bags too often. But the look of delight on his little face was worth the extra expense and extra work to plan out some Christmas crafts. Why This Not-So-Craftsy Mom is Making Crafts a Priority If you're like most ...Read More

It isn't hard for kids to be happy around Christmas, especially if they think there's going to be a pile of gifts waiting for them on December 25th. But this kind of happiness is hardly the joy the Bible talks about. "Happiness" comes from the Middle English hap meaning "chance" or "good luck."  Happiness, for many people, is a circumstance: something that must happen to them in order to feel satisfied. Joy is something altogether different. Biblical joy is grounded in something eternal—in Christ whose coming into the world should be a cause of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10). Here are 6 ways to experience ...Read More

More stuff. That's what Christmas means to my kids—at least, that's what they say in their most unguarded moments. Oh sure, even my 5-year-olds can tell you all sorts of details about Jesus' birth, but it's tough to avoid the fact that Christ is not naturally their preoccupation throughout the season. As Christian parents living in modern western culture, we've inherited this holiday monster we call Christmas. A strange beast, if there ever was one—a twisted melding of middle-class capitalism, ancient Roman customs, Thomas Kinkade paintings, and medieval nativity scenes. And yet somehow amidst the mixed bag of ...Read More