Holidays - Meet the Shaneyfelts

My favorite time of the year starts in June and ends on New Years Day. If I have to be really honest, my most favorite time of the year is the Christmas season. There are so many reasons why I love this time of year that I thought I’d share them with you!

Why do I love Christmas?

-the hope that the birth of Jesus brings

-decorating my home

-watching Christmas classics like White Christmas, A Christmas Story, Elf, Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street, and Charlie Brown…just to name a few

-singing Christmas carols

-listening to Christmas music

-burning Christmas scented candles

-seeing the decorations in the malls

-keeping the Christmas lights on inside all day long

-baking seasonal treats

-family traditions

What are some reasons you love Christmas?

Ever since Victoria and I started planning this Christmas link up, I’ve been really excited about today’s prompt: How do you make Christmas about more than just the gifts and the craziness associated with this time of year?

Well friends, I’m here to tell you that I’m very intentional in how I view this Christmas season. My favorite thing to do leading up to Christmas (during the advent season) is to do an advent devotional. In the past I’ve done two different ones–She Reads Truth or ones written by John Piper. This year John Piper didn’t publish a new one so I am doing the She Reads Truth study.

I love the SRT study this year because it’s going through the different figures of the Old Testament–prophets, priests, kings–and showing how Jesus fulfilled each one and is the perfect prophet, priest, and king. By focusing on Jesus, I’m able to keep the true meaning of Christmas at the forefront.

Another thing that I do to remind myself what Christmas is truly about is listening to Christmas carols and really focusing on the words. When you focus on the meaning of the words instead of rotely singing it, you’d be amazed at how a song takes on a new meaning for you. My favorite song is O Holy Night:

O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name

If you have children, there are so many things you can do to point children to Christ during this time of year. One of my friends is doing Truth in the Tinsel this year with her boys. Each night they have a craft and a story. Each story shows Christ during this time of year. Having a nightly devotion with your children is something that I’m looking forward to whenever Dustin and I have kids because yes, Santa Claus is fun but he’s not what this season is about.