I felt convicted to make a list this year of all of my favorite things about Christmas…the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I was really excited to begin making my 25 Days of Christmas favorite things list and got 2-days in and then BAM! One of my LEAST favorite things about Christmas reared its ugly head. Insert Jackson’s infamous line here….Awwwooooh Maaaaan!
#25-(yesterday…December 1) I LOVE spending time celebrating with my family and friends at Christmas…to which I am so thankful that because of Jesus I am part of the family and a friend of God. (Romans 8:14-17)
#24- Special projects and activities with my kids are SO much fun at Christmas. Today I get to go and help Emalynn’s 1st grade class make gingerbread houses. I’m so excited! I don’t think I ever made one as a child? Really looking forward to this! Seeing their faces light up and get so enthused about the smallest things…Christmas lights…making cookies…hearing their sweet voices singing Christmas carols…it makes more than happy…it’s a reflection of the joy that the Lord just pours into my life!
So what is one of my least favorite things about Christmas? It was only a matter of time before I got the phone call or the email or the stern look from someone who would ask me in a matter of fact demanding way to tell my children not to say “Santa isn’t real” to their children. Thankfully this particular parent is a dear friend and completely understands our point of view. Believe me…I have told our children NOT to discuss their belief…or lack thereof…of Santa with other children! I’ve told them several times! We have made the personal choice to abstain from such a popular cultural tradition by personal conviction and have chosen instead to focus on the real reason for the season…Jesus birth with our children. As eloquent and careful as we try to be…it always comes back to bite us. For the record…please know…it is NOT my goal to ruin the tradition of Santa Claus for others. As much as I wish sometimes our children were not so vocal about their own realization that…in deed…Santa is not real…I am very grateful that they stand up for Jesus. I pray that passion continues for the rest of their lives.
I’ve made the decision not to let anything steal my joy of celebrating Jesus this year. While I am very sorry my children have been disobedient in saying that dreaded phrase that bring phone call and emails and stern looks…”Santa isn’t real”…I am not sorry they know the true meaning of Christmas and want to share it with others.
So let’s focus on the GOOD…what are YOUR favorite things about Christmas? Please share my friends! The Countdown to #1 has begun!
Wonders of HIS Love 
Thank you Jennifer for saying this!! I have just found church and Jesus in my life for almost a year now. I really wish I would have never started the tradition of letting my kids believe in Santa. I hate the whole Santa thing!! It just seems to me that with Santa, the kids just “want, want, want”. They don’t seem to realize what the real meaning of Christmas is all about. My best friend has never let her kids believe in Santa either and I commend her for that. If I would have found my faith before kids, then I would never have started the tradition.
Thanks again for sharing this!
Jenny Bidstrup Hendges