Keeping Christ at the center of Christmas is a huge challenge. Busy parents are constantly pushed and pulled a hundred different directions, especially at the holidays. Our event calendar in December can look like a flow-chart from an international airport with constant departures and arrivals. It is easy to forget Christ in the hustle and bustle of baking, shopping, wrapping, and party-hopping.
 
How do we keep our families focused on Christ during the hectic holiday season?
Bethany Kimsey, host of the Warrior Mama Podcast, joins Catherine again to discuss how to keep our hearts and our families concentrated on Christ during the Christmas season. These two moms have over 40 years of parenting experience, and in this episode, they share their favorite Christ-centered family traditions. These traditions are:
 
*Don’t compare yourself to other families.
*Study the names of Jesus.
*Celebrate Advent.
*Watch Christ-centered entertainment.
*Create a Jesse Tree.
*Assign Scripture passages to each family member for Christmas.
*Educate your kids and give to a Christ-centered mission.
*Celebrate Jolaboklaflod (an evening of book-giving) with Christ-centered books.
 
Employing some of these wonderful family traditions will help counteract the busyness, the commercialism and materialism, and the overall stress of Christmas.
Bethany’s bio: As a mother to 8 children, Bethany Kimsey has seen God radically change her messy motherhood from weary, anxious, and frantic to peaceful, joyful, and triumphant. She helps weary mothers win the battle against worry and fatigue as they understand their identity in Christ and rest in the hope of the Gospel in community with other moms.
 
Bethany recently authored A Warrior Mama’s Prayer Journal to help mothers pray intentionally over their children and anchor in gospel truths. This can be purchased at  www.Bethanykimsey.co. 
 
She would love to connect at her website bethanykimsey.com or her Warrior Mama podcast https://whengodbreaksthrough.libsyn.com found on your favorite podcast platform. You can connect with Bethany on Instagram or Facebook as well. 
Get Catherine's original Scripture songs by subscribing HERE. 
 
OTHER EPISODES MENTIONED:
 
EPISODE 83: What Huge Lie Does Culture Teach Our Kids at Christmas? (w/ Bethany Kimsey)
EPISODE 81: How Can Celebrating Advent Enrich Your Christmas Season (w/ Laurie Christine)
EPISODE 51: 5 Family-Centered Films for Christmas
Advent Devotional Guide with information on the Jesse Tree (by Laurie Christine)
 
5 Heartwarming Films You Should Watch This Christmas (article by Catherine Segars)
 
World Vision’s Gift Catalog
 
Jolaboklaflod – Icelandic Christmas tradition of giving books. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.