Press Pause by Merideth Tullous

We live in an age of fast-forwarding. When we watch a show, we can choose the one, two, or three-arrow setting of fast-forwarding. On some streaming devices, there is even a four-arrow option. WOOSH!

Fast forward… the Christmas season is upon us! The trees are up, the mantles decorated, the matching family pajamas have been purchased, and the twenty rolls of wrapping paper are overflowing out of the craft closet. We glance to our calendars and see that every weekend is full of Christmas fairs, Christmas concerts, family gatherings, and school class parties.

Fast forward… Christmas Eve arrives. Wait, how did that happen? Wasn’t it just December 1^st?

As parents, I think we can all relate to this scenario. The festivities are joyous and lasting memories are made. But, we hit the quadruple-arrow fast-forward button and find ourselves on Christmas Eve. As our children are all nestled, snug in their beds (at 11:30 pm after multiple attempts to put them to bed at 8:00 pm), our parent-guilt creeps in. Did we take time to help our children REMEMBER the true meaning of the holiday?

I missed the most important button on the remote…the PAUSE button. When I press pause, and intentionally carve out time at the holidays to just ‘be’ with my family, I make room for God. When I press pause and stop rushing from one event to the next, I make room for God. When I press pause to have a daily devotional, I make room for God. When I press pause to read Christmas books about Jesus to my children, I make room for God. When I pause to talk about the star ornament I’m hanging, I make room for God. When I help my children find a charity to give to, I make room for God. In the stillness, I make room for God.

So, don’t forget to grab that remote and occasionally press pause this season. He will faithfully be at the center of our celebrations because we made room for Him. And when we make room for Him, we will experience the true magnificence and splendor of Christmas.

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm…”

Looking for some Christ-centered family activities at Christmas? Here are a few suggestions:

• Gather your children’s Christmas books that talk about Jesus and place them in a large gift sack/bag. Have your children close their eyes and pluck a book out of the bag to read as a family on evenings in December. (You can also wrap books and have them choose one to unwrap).
• Grab a manger craft to make with your children. Leave it on the kitchen table along with your Bible, and chat about each character throughout the month of December.
• Contribute to a local charity as a family.
• Make paper snowflakes and have your children write the true gifts of Christmas on them (blessings in their life). Each snowflake God makes is unique, as are His blessings. Hang them in the kids’ rooms for decoration.
• Bake Jesus a birthday cake!