One of the ladies in my mom’s group at church shared this wonderful activity that she did with her children when they were little. She would set up her nativity scene minus the shepherds. The shepherds would start their journey to the stable far away from the nativity scene somewhere else in the house. Each day the shepherds would appear in a new location in her home closer to the nativity scene. They would move closer and closer until they appeared in the nativity on Christmas Eve.

This activity could be started at any point leading up to Christmas. It won’t be to late start it this week. I am going to try it with JDaniel. It will be fun to search the house and look for the shepherds.

My friend Elaine’s family writes birthday promises to Jesus every year. She places a box like the one above under their Christmas tree. In the box are birthday cards to Jesus and a set of pens. The first present they open Christmas morning is this special box. Each member of her family given their card to write a promise to Jesus they would like to keep for the year. They have been writing in their cards for years. Each person can look at the promises they have made over time as they write their new promise. The members of her family take a few minutes to reflect on their prior promises and pray for the promise they are making. Then each person places their card back in the box. No one needs to know what the others have promised in their cards. This is a special promise they each make to Jesus alone.

This year we are going to start this tradition too. My mom and dad along with a friend of my husband’s will be with us for Christmas this year. I am hoping they will all enjoy participating in this birthday promise to Jesus activity.