“I’m participating in the Keeping Christ in Christmas Blog Carnival, hosted by Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We’ll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Jesus as the Reason for the Christmas season. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.”
Nowadays, Christmas is equal to shopping, giving and receiving gifts, having the best Christmas decor, dressing up to the nines, attending Christmas parties and gatherings, gobbling up delicious food, and to have fun and enjoy the vacation.
I don’t think these are wrong, but as a Christian, it is important to keep Christ in perspective.
When I shop and give gifts, do I give them to please my family and friends, or do I give them out of love and out of showing appreciation that my family and friends are blessings from the Lord?
When I decorate my house with the Christmas tree, lights and vignette, do I put them up for aesthetic purposes only, or do I incorporate making and displaying cherished family memories?
When I attend parties and gatherings, when I devour food, do I gossip with the others and eat too much until my tummy hurts or do I say what is pleasing to the Lord and thank God for the food to be taken in moderation for the benefit of my health?
When I enjoy Elle’s vacation from school, do I just let her watch TV all day or do I read books to her and tell her the story of Jesus’ birth?
As a Christian mom, I need to focus on achieving a Christ-centered Christmas. I bought this book at the OMF Literature Bookstore to read to the children and help me tell the real Christmas story, it has a little customization to make it more interesting to kids.
come and see Christmas
Here’s a book I saw that could also help us celebrate a Christian Christmas.
101 ways to have a Christian Christmas
Advent Conspiracy, a website I stumbled upon, outlines the ways Christians could have a Christ-centered Christmas:
- Worship fully
- Spend less
- Give more
- Love all
Food for thought from Advent Conspiracy: Christmas is awesome! Christmas stress is not. This Christmas, are we celebrating a ‘what’ or a ‘who’?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to introduce Jesus Christ (not Santa Claus) to our children through Christmas season and to show the ways He exemplifies Christmas spirit throughout the year? I would like to leave the legacy of Christmas as a stress-free one, filled with gratitude and love. This is how I would like to keep Christ in Christmas.
Here are the links to the other blog carnival participants. I hope you’ll take the time to visit them and leave a comment on their posts! 
The list will be updated throughout the day, so please do come back and check on them. God bless us all!
Homeschool Mosaics: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Joy: Keeping Christ in Christmas: Advent Interruptions
The Breadbox Letters: Interrupted by Glory
The Learning Basket: Staying With the Nativity Story
Tercets: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Rosary Mom: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Ate Maui: Hoping and Bringing Hope
Written By the Finger of God: 12 Traditions for Keeping Christ in Christmas
Dominique’s Desk: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Felix at Fifty: What Jesus Wants for Christmas
Mommy Bares All: Birthday Cake for the Birthday Boy on Christmas Day
Between Now and Later: Keeping Christ in Christmas, I am trying…
Lique’s Antics: Family Antics: Christmas Reflection
Life of Fortunate Chances: Our First Ever Christmas: Keeping Christ in Christmas
The Mommy Journey: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Roller Coaster Ride: How to Remind Your Kids of Jesus Christ This Christmas
Cymplified: Christ -Centered Christmas: Cymplified!
Mountain Grace: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Touring Kitty: Grown-up Christmas List
Mommy Chinkysoup for the Soul: A Very Special Christmas
City Girl, Country Home: Finding Jesus in a Flurry
Coffee Moments with Sam: Christmas Unwrapped: 5 Presents Our Kids Truly Deserve
Raising Lifelong Learners: Keeping Christ in Christmas
The Diary of a Sower: Keeping Christ in Christmas: Celebrating the Golden Days
Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Raising (and Teaching) Little Saints: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Truly Rich Mom: The Greatest Gift of All This Christmas
Joy-Filled Family: CHRIST in Christmas
Blueberry 010: Keeping Christ in Christmas: Jesus is the Reason for the Season
Deeper Truth Blog: Keeping Christ in Christmas Carnival
Holy Ducklings: 10 Ways to Make Advent Special for Your Little Ducklings
Green Eggs and Moms: Keeping Christ in Christmas: Green Eggs & Moms Style!
About ceemee
Hi Cym!
So sorry for the late comment. Thank you SO much for joining the carnival! And for taking the time to visit everyone else’s entries and leave a comment! 
I LOVED reading your post — your questions really made me think! 
I love the book you got too, the one with the space for your child’s photo! 
Must look for that next year! Thank you for the reminder of how to keep Christ in Christmas! 
God bless always!
Tina @ Truly Rich Mom recently posted..A Grateful Christmas + Christmas Prayers for You!
Excellent questions…. they’ve really made me stop and think! Thank you.
Nancy recently posted..There’s Angels There!
Thank you, Nancy!
Great book suggestions. Will check them out so that I can read them to my kids too.
Dominique Goh recently posted..$200 Have it Your Way Giveaway- (WW) ends 21st Jan 2013
I agree with everything you said except…I’m dressing up to the nines to Christmas Mass. I am my present to Jesus this year
and our priest gave a wonderful homily on dressing up for every Mass of our lives. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Yes, I have nothing against dressing up during Christmas.
ceemee recently posted..Christmas Morning 2012
Lovely-It is all about motives, isn’t it?Outwardly you are still decorating, shopping buy iy is with Jesus and for Jesus
melanie jean juneau recently posted..Life or Death: A Four-Year old Chooses
True!