A Few Ways to Keep Christmas Sweet Rather than Sour
Merry Christmas church family! As we come to the end of another year we have the annual gift of being able to think on the greatest of all gifts given – Jesus Christ the Lord! Luke 2 tells us of an angel of the Lord declaring, “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” A gift for all people, a Savior for us! What a gift! I look forward to looking at this more fully on Sunday.
As Christmas day comes, Angela and I were thinking about ways folks have responded to the holiday’s… and how sour it’s gone at times. There are traps that can steal the joy from the season. This is a list of ways we can keep the sweetness of the holiday and avoid souring it.
· Don’t overschedule your calendar: Leave some "white space" on the calendar. Burnout is a fast way to lose your holiday spirit. Sometimes the best memories happen during unplanned downtime.
· Don’t threaten your kids with taking away their gifts: I know, you may be frustrated and downright mad in the moment, but threatening is not the most productive way to respond. This won’t help in the long run I promise.
· Don’t emphasis the Elf-on-the-Shelf or Santa as watching your kids: (You may even decide not to do them at all, which is good too.) Enjoy the fun that can come with these things, but it’s not the emphasis. Don’t let your kids think it’s all about these things at the expense of Jesus being the focus!
· Don’t expect the Best-Day-Ever: It’ll be a setup for being really disappointed and can steal your joy when everything doesn’t go like your internal script.
· Don't compare your situation to another’s: It’s a snare to compare. What someone else is doing or getting and what it looks like from the outside to you… it’s a danger to judge them and come to conclusions based on a post or picture you see.
· Don’t prioritize pictures over presence: It’s okay to capture a few photos, but don’t spend the whole event behind a screen. Being fully "there" is the best gift you can give your family.
· Don’t use the dinner table as a courtroom: Avoid bringing up old grievances or divisive topics. Choose connection over being "right" for these few days.
· Don’t expect others to change just because it’s a holiday: People are generally the same in December as they are in July. Accepting family members as they are—rather than how you wish they were—prevents a lot of frustration.
· Don’t abandon your healthy habits entirely: While it’s a season of celebration, try to keep up with a little movement or decent sleep. It’s hard to be "merry" when you’re physically exhausted.
· Don't deny all Christmas treats. But…
· Don't throw reason out either: Don’t think you can eat whatever you want without any affects.
· Laugh when things go "wrong": The burnt dinner or the lopsided tree often becomes the favorite family story ten years down the road. Embrace the imperfections.
I imagine you can add to this list from your own experiences as well. These are just little things to encourage you to not miss what our celebrations are ultimately intended to be. I do hope you can enjoy numerous times this season.
Let me encourage you to join us as well on Sunday the 28th for our annual dedication service. We will spend time as a church family worshiping, praying, celebrating communion, and rededicating ourselves to the Lord in 2026. I hope you will join us.
Held Abundantly By His Grace,
Pastor John
As Christmas day comes, Angela and I were thinking about ways folks have responded to the holiday’s… and how sour it’s gone at times. There are traps that can steal the joy from the season. This is a list of ways we can keep the sweetness of the holiday and avoid souring it.
· Don’t overschedule your calendar: Leave some "white space" on the calendar. Burnout is a fast way to lose your holiday spirit. Sometimes the best memories happen during unplanned downtime.
· Don’t threaten your kids with taking away their gifts: I know, you may be frustrated and downright mad in the moment, but threatening is not the most productive way to respond. This won’t help in the long run I promise.
· Don’t emphasis the Elf-on-the-Shelf or Santa as watching your kids: (You may even decide not to do them at all, which is good too.) Enjoy the fun that can come with these things, but it’s not the emphasis. Don’t let your kids think it’s all about these things at the expense of Jesus being the focus!
· Don’t expect the Best-Day-Ever: It’ll be a setup for being really disappointed and can steal your joy when everything doesn’t go like your internal script.
· Don't compare your situation to another’s: It’s a snare to compare. What someone else is doing or getting and what it looks like from the outside to you… it’s a danger to judge them and come to conclusions based on a post or picture you see.
· Don’t prioritize pictures over presence: It’s okay to capture a few photos, but don’t spend the whole event behind a screen. Being fully "there" is the best gift you can give your family.
· Don’t use the dinner table as a courtroom: Avoid bringing up old grievances or divisive topics. Choose connection over being "right" for these few days.
· Don’t expect others to change just because it’s a holiday: People are generally the same in December as they are in July. Accepting family members as they are—rather than how you wish they were—prevents a lot of frustration.
· Don’t abandon your healthy habits entirely: While it’s a season of celebration, try to keep up with a little movement or decent sleep. It’s hard to be "merry" when you’re physically exhausted.
· Don't deny all Christmas treats. But…
· Don't throw reason out either: Don’t think you can eat whatever you want without any affects.
· Laugh when things go "wrong": The burnt dinner or the lopsided tree often becomes the favorite family story ten years down the road. Embrace the imperfections.
I imagine you can add to this list from your own experiences as well. These are just little things to encourage you to not miss what our celebrations are ultimately intended to be. I do hope you can enjoy numerous times this season.
Let me encourage you to join us as well on Sunday the 28th for our annual dedication service. We will spend time as a church family worshiping, praying, celebrating communion, and rededicating ourselves to the Lord in 2026. I hope you will join us.
Held Abundantly By His Grace,
Pastor John
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