Jesus, Santa and our thoughts on Christmas.

(Disclaimer....I wanted to share my view of things because I feel like there is a lot of judgement out there during the Christmas season. Some parents believe that you can not be a true, strong Christian family and still introduce your kids to Santa. Some parents believe that Santa is the end all, be all of Christmas. I just hate that the competition that pervades parenthood has reared it's ugly head in the Christmas season as well. So, I wanted to share my thoughts proudly. We all do what we feel is best for our family...and this is what works for us. No judgement here!) 

We praise the Lord in this house. We teach our boys to give thanks for the blessings He has given. We study the Bible and pass along the stories and teachings that make up our faith. We are a God fearing family.

We also believe in Santa.

And we decorate for Christmas....like, full on. 

And this year, we will be visited by a silly little elf from the North Pole.

And I am not going to apologize or feel ashamed. Are the holidays becoming too materialized? Yes. Have many, many people lost the real focus of Christmas? Yep. Does that mean that "good Christians" can't let their little kids believe in Santa? No way. I am a huge stickler for traditions. When I think about my childhood, almost all memories come from my favorite traditions of each holiday. And, like basically every other kid in the history of the world, Christmas has always been my favorite. (I admit, I believed in Santa just a tad bit too long...) But, beyond the traditions and memories of Santa and his reindeer, I cherish the traditions of holidays spent with my family...Going to church on Christmas Eve and singing Silent Night with candles, opening a present on Christmas Eve that is ALWAYS pajamas that my Mom picks out while we eat tamales and chilis....Just because I believed that Santa brought me toys each Christmas, didn't mean I neglected the fact that the ONLY reason we were celebrating was to honor and remember the birth of Jesus Christ. I remember singing Christmas carols at church and nearly crying at the words to Silent Night....and I was young. Even then, I knew where the truth stood. You know how I knew those things? My parents. They made sure that I knew that Santa might bring me some toys, but Jesus was the REAL reason for the season (to borrow the old cliche....) 

I think that is what matters the most. If you do a good job of teaching your children the true meaning of Christmas, there won't be any issues. There has to be a good balance of the two. The magic and fun side of commercial Christmas: Santa, Elves, reindeer.....and the important and life changing side of Christmas: the birth of Christ Jesus. 

So, this year, we will navigate the season to find the balance. We will let our silly little Elf come visit....but instead of simply watching for "naughty" kids, he will be watching to make sure our kiddos are acting the way Jesus wants them to act. He will be watching for them to be kind, loving and supportive of each other. That they are respecting adults and remembering to Thank God for their blessings. If they are not acting that way, our Elf will remind them the next day by sharing stories and verses from the Bible that show us how to act. Our boys will make "wish lists" of gifts they would like from Santa, but they will also make lists of things to give others. We will find ways to bless others during the Christmas season. We will show them that it is better to give than to receive. 

And hopefully, when all is said and done....they will have experienced the magic and excitement of the Christmas season.....but more importantly, they will know and understand the greatest story ever told.