Christmas

No matter how hard we try, families become so focused on dinners, tree decorating, card sending, and gift giving during the Christmas season!  But keeping our minds and hearts focused on Christ during this season is the whole foundation to the season.

What if we made prayer the focus instead of all the Christmas items on our lists?  Here are 3 prayers to bring your heart closer to Christ.

When it comes to the joy and the stress of the holidays, how do you and your spouse approach it? As a united team? Or do tinsel, gift giving, and extended family get-togethers turn you against each other?

If you and your spouse are struggling to face the holidays together, here are 5 ways you can navigate the season hand-in-hand rather than back-to-back.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and everywhere I turn there's a tide rising of commotion, preparation, and pinning. It's enough to make my head spin.

But in the midst of it all, I feel a gentle tug at my heart.

"Come to Me..."

 

Seasonal depression can create major internal struggles, including feelings of isolation, rejection, and abandonment. If you experience seasonal depression, here are some practical tips to help and encourage you...

The holiday season’s air is thick with New Year's resolutions; well intended, but far more likely to fail than succeed. So let’s re-frame those good intentions and agree that any time of year is a great time to make changes that improve your health and life.

For all the holiday get-togethers you're planning, it can be to fix something nutritious as well as delicious.  

Here are some excellent ideas to serve to family and friends that will please the pallet and feed the body. 

Take just a moment - relax and reflect - on the REAL meaning of Christmas, as Mandisa sings her tender rendition of this Christmas classic - "What Child Is This?"  From her holiday album, It's Christmas

We have assigned so many attributes to St. Nick - except maybe some historical facts!  Where did St. Nicholas come from, and how do we separate historical fact from holiday fiction?  

Here's a narrative you can share with your family to help everyone appreciate Christmas all the more. 

Holidays are filled with traditions, but when someone you used to share those moments with has died, managing grief during the holiday season can be extremely hard.  Here are some ways to navigate this time - for a friend, a family member, or for yourself. 

Mandisa called up her friend, Matthew West to come over and perform an impromptu performance of "Christmas Makes Me Cry".   From her full-length Christmas album It's Christmas.

What do you get when you have one of the world's leading worship bands (Hillsong Worship) led by one of the world's most powerful Christian vocalists (Taya Smith) in a concert at one of the largest churches in the world (Hillsong, Sydney Australia)?  You get one of the best performances of the Christmas season!

Here's Hillsong Worship performing their rendition of "O Holy Night".

What impact on your finances does Christmas make? You'll be surprised to see!

Family members do mean well during holiday get-togethers.  They ask questions that single people absolutely dread.

Here are some of the questions single Christians hate hearing the most during the holidays, and better questions to ask instead. 

The talented group of Pentatonix simply amazes with their moving rendition of "Mary Did You Know?"

The beautiful harmonies of this Christmas classic will give your goosebumps goosebumps!

Before the festivities begin, it's important for pet parents to ensure their homes are as pet-friendly as possible. Here are some great tips to keep pets happy and healthy this holiday season.

Even though Christmas is the season of giving, it can also be a time when it’s really tempting to overspend. To keep from falling into that trap, you need to have a plan.

So here are few ways to keep your spending in check this Christmas.

This time of year is already chaotic enough, so choose traditions that encourage the wonder, that fill you and your loved ones with the hope we have as believers.

Here are 10 meaningful Christmas traditions to try...

Many people relish the Holiday Family Gatherings--but, alas, for many, attending a HFG is like going to the dentist!
Does thinking about an upcoming family gathering make you want to hide beneath a lead blanket and start spitting? Good ---because times of emotional stress are the times to heed Jesus.

It’s time to take your entertaining dreams and inspirations and make them a reality.

Create a holiday tablescape to set the mood and serve as the focal point for your holiday party or get-together so you can have the prettiest and most festive holiday party possible. 

While I certainly haven’t completely figured out how to navigate the time period from November to early January, there are a few things I’ve learned as a single adult that make the season more enjoyable.
It’s certainly not a definitive list—mainly because everyone’s situation is different—but it’s a good place to start.