• Parenting
  • Marriage
  • Spiritual Growth
  • Home Life
    • Email
    • Facebook

Christian Mommy

Providing mom's with practical, thought provoking articles to equip and encourage them in their parenting journey and nourish their spiritual life.

  • Contributors
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • MOM
    • Children
    • Tweens
    • Family & Parenting
    • Freebies & Projects
  • Contact

Holidays Spiritual Growth

Spend a Silent Night Celebrating Jesus This Christmas

In our house Christmas starts the day after Halloween. No, we’re not those people—you know, the kind of people who put up a giant lit-up Santa in the front yard weeks before Thanksgiving (wink). Rather, my husband and I have a conversation in early November about the upcoming holiday season, and we make a plan.

My husband is a pastor, which makes the Christmas season extra, extra busy. Not only do we have the regular family holiday activities—decorating, dinner planning, gift buying, and such—but we have additional commitments to our church and community. My husband and the church staff are busy planning toy drives, parties and gifts for their ministry teams, and special Christmas Eve services. And guess who helps him? You’re right—me!

Christmas times two or three is enough to make any mama lose her holiday cookies. It’s easy to lose sight of Jesus during the holiday busyness, even under normal circumstances. Being a pastor’s wife and mama, I have learned an incredibly important thing over the years:

Making Jesus the center of Christmas takes intention.

Enter the plan.

 Here are a few things on our plan:

  • We make a goal of getting all of my gift shopping and wrapping done prior to Thanksgiving. We schedule the Thanksgiving weekend for visits with family, and we deliver the Christmas gifts then. Not only does this save a lot of time in December, it also saves on shipping costs.
  • We intentionally schedule silent nights in December where we are home together as a family, watching a Hallmark movie or simply sitting on the couch with a cup of tea enjoying the Christmas decorations.
  • Our family time goes on the December calendar first. We then consider all of our other obligations and invitations, and graciously say no to activities that take away from our family time. While perhaps disappointing to others (and us at times), we make our silent nights a priority.

The opposite of busyness is—you guessed it—being still. Stillness, quietness, silence makes room for us to focus on what’s really important: Jesus and each other. It’s hard to do unless you intentionally plan to do it. (And just so you know, our family is not perfect at it. Some years are better than others, and we work at it all the time.)

What if you made a plan for silent December nights this Christmas season? What would that plan look like? What would need to change in your household?

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” It’s no wonder Joseph Mohr’s famous carol “Silent Night” is the most famous Christmas carol of all time, both in the United States and throughout the world. Silence is a way to connect with—and worship—the baby king.

From the Ford household to yours, we wish you a blessed, joyous, peaceful, and still holiday season. Merry Christmas!


Leave a Comment

Amy O'Hana

About Amy O'Hana

Dr. Amy O'Hana is a Christ-follower and a licensed professional counselor. Her day job as a university professor fulfills what her mama always told her she was born to do—teach. But her biggest passions are writing and speaking, inspiring growth and healing through simple tools rooted in faith and psychological principles. She lives in the mountains of Central Oregon. Amy has parented six children and has loved many more kids as an auntie and advocate.

« The Case for Charity and How to Give It
How to Preserve Your Peace This Season »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up and get a free family garden planning guide!

Popular Posts

  • Enter Our Holiday Bible Giveaway
  • Enjoy a FREE One-Week Meal Plan Courtesy of Christian Mommy
  • Here’s How to Write a Beautiful Love Letter to Your Husband
  • Prepare Young Hearts for Easter
  • Best Summer Ever! Download a Free Activity Pack for Your Kids

More from the blog…

Going from Guilty to Grateful This Christmas

Simple Prayers of Thankfulness

What to Say to Our Kids While We Wait

What Does Being a Great Parent Mean to You?

How to Raise Your Children to Be Brave and Bold

connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
Subscribe

Copyright © 2021 TheChristianMommy.com · Theme by Restored 316 · Design Customizations by Moritz Fine Designs

Copyright © 2021 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in