On this episode of the Journeywomen podcast, I chatted with my friend, Kimberly Wootten, about all things Christmas! Kimbo and I took the three simple joys concept and extended it to three things about Christmas, like three Christmas traditions, three things we want our kids to know about Christmas, and for all of you last-minute shoppers, three gifts you can give, no purchase required. As wonderful as the gifts, traditions, and symbolism around Christmas can be, we’re right there with you feeling on the brink of overwhelmed and over-programmed. If you’re burned out by all that you’ve committed to, we want to encourage you with the grace of the true Christmas message: we don’t have to do it all because Christ has done it all for us. Praise the Lord that even in the hustle of the holidays we are presented with practical opportunities to embrace the actual meaning of Christmas as we look away from ourselves and look to Jesus. We hope you feel encouraged to do that even now!   THREE FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS Food and song Advent Christmas traditions   THREE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS TO IMPLEMENT Advent Giving to others Remembering   THREE THINGS I WANT MY KID TO KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS Christmas is about Jesus We give because of what Christ has given to us To see their mommy yearning for Christ’s coming   THREE FAVORITE CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS MEMORIES Sleeping with siblings on Christmas Eve; reading the Christmas story together Candlelight service on Christmas Eve The expectation of not putting real names on packages   THREE FAVORITE CAROLS Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Joy to the World Hallelujah Chorus   THREE PAINS OF CHRISTMAS Materialism Busyness Loneliness   THREE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS Red and green symbolize Christ’s death and the life we have in him. Evergreen trees have life year round, in the same way that we experience eternal life through Jesus. Bells are a symbol of ringing in the good news of the Gospel.   Bonus: We see candles out and about around Christmas time not just because it’s darker for longer periods of time during the winter, but also because this season revolves around the light of the world: Jesus.   THREE GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE Words of Affirmation that communicate value and identity An Experience Gifts of Remembrance   HUNTER AND KIMBERLY’S CHRISTMAS RESOURCES Journeywomen Christmas on Spotify SheReadsTruth Advent everything -  women, men, kids Risen Motherhood: Making Christmas Traditions Matter Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson     SPONSORSHIP DETAILS Zola is reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience by combining compassionate customer service with modern tools and technology. It’s free, easy to use, and fun! Zola Registry has everything you love about your favorite department store, plus things like honeymoon funds, fitness classes, wine subscriptions, and so much more. They have over 500 top brands and 50,000 gifts, experiences, and cash funds. I actually found out about Zola because the couple from a wedding I’m attending is using Zola to built their wedding registry! It is so easy to use for couples and their guests. As I shopped for my friends, my favorite aspect was that they have a “group gifting” feature that lets multiple guests contribute to big-ticket gifts! Plus, you can do it all--both registering and shopping--in your PJs. I wish Zola would have been around when I was registering for our wedding, but it’s not too late for you guys! To sign up with Zola and receive a $50 credit towards your registry, go to zola.com/journeywomen. FOR MORE EPISODES OF JOURNEYWOMEN:   SUBSCRIBE Subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to the Journeywomen Podcast. On Android, click this podcast RSS feed link and select your podcast app. You may need to copy the link into your favorite podcast app (like Overcast or Stitcher).   WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other women on their journeys to glorify God find and utilize the podcast as a