Kristen Welch
About the Author

Kristen writes at her parenting blog, We Are THAT Family and is author of Rhinestone Jesus: Saying Yes to God When Safe Sparkly Faith is No Longer Enough and founder of The Mercy House. Follow Kristen on twitter as @WeareTHATfamily.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. Hiding baby Jesus and then seeking him is such a great idea. I’ll have to put that on my list for next year when hopefully we’ll have littles in the house 🙂

  2. It truly hard to find the meaning behind the season! With all the hustle and bustle–I just want to sit back & get redeemed–think more of Jesus!

  3. This is a fantastic idea! We make a point of reading the Christmas story after decorating the tree. I have three special ornaments, Jesus, an angel and a star. This is how we add Jesus to our tree. But, it’s important to find him other places, too.

  4. I love your daily encouragement on focusing on Jesus. Thank you!
    May I ask where you got the sign over the fireplace. And how big is it, the statement on it is soo true.

  5. Thank you so much for that beautiful Christmas reminder today. It reminded me that when my youngest daughter was 2 (she just turned 22) she used to steal the baby Jesus out of the manger on the mantle and run off and hide it. Too bad I didnt have the werewithall to make that a wonderful searching/finding Jesus game then.
    I will remind her of it today.

    Thanks! Happy Jesus’ Bday to you and yours,
    LIna

  6. What an astute little girl! There’s hope for the future. Yes, we need to dethrone Santa and not let Him usurp Jesus as Lord of Christmas. He can have a place, but if he becomes the focus, then he’s become a Christmas idol.
    Personally, I wish Christian carols services could be different to the worldly ones and be Santa-free!

  7. My family couldn’t agree more. We’re keeping it very low key this year. Forget the mall, won’t catch us there. Our nativity comes out first. Our tree will go up now that bed delivery for which we needed to leave space, has been accomplished. We want so badly to have a nativity outdoors. If we wanted Santa, snowman, penguin or any of the dozens of inflatables out there, we’d be set. We would have to make it ourselves, which would be really cool, except it requires remembering (our weakest trait) to do it in warmer weather. We hear “Happy Holidays”, we answer “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” My exception this year was to someone I know is Jewish and I wished him a good Hannukah. What can we do?
    Janet

  8. My grandson asked (he’s 4), if we were going to have balloons for baby Jesus’ birthday. I told him great idea!

  9. With the whole family gathered around the table we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus before dessert during our Christmas Dinner. It’s a tradition that began with my mother’s family when she was a little girl. My mother has been gone many, many years, but the tradition and keeping the focus on Christ continue!

  10. My heart goes out to your little girl. I remember feeling the same way as a child. It’s hard to focus on what really matters because of the market-driven craziness Christmas has become. Blessings to you and yours and have a wonderful Christ-centered season.

  11. We too are taking back Christmas. I have made Christ the center. There is not a tree this year because in the childrens eyes it is “santa” instead we made a huge star lite it and but a big manger scene under it this is in the center or our house. We put another smaller but significant nativity above our picture window with lights drawing attention. WE are doing minimal gifts and all of them are for the whole family not individual. A birthday cake will be made with a message (I am baking a red velvet cake) here is the lesson. Red velvet cake starts out as a chocolate cake (sin) then you add the red food coloring (Christs blood shed for us) Then after you bake it you put a white chream cheese frosting on it (we are washed white as snow) then add a few red sprinkles over the frosting (We still have sin in our lives but it does not matter because christ still covers us)