Christmas

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Tween-Friendly Christmas Activities

Remember the days when your little girl wore footie pajamas and pigtails? As our daughters grow older, they may no longer listen for reindeer on the roof, but they still value Christmas traditions and quality family time. Here are some ideas for making this Christmas season special for your growing tween.

 

Cake for breakfast—Girls love to bake! Invite your daughter to bake and decorate a birthday cake for Jesus. Then serve it for breakfast on Christmas morning!

 

Secret St. Nick—Give your tween a small budget for “secret” giving. Take her shopping and encourage her to pick out little gifts and goodies for neighbors or friends at school, then help her deliver them anonymously. Watch as she learns the joy of selfless giving!

 

Outdoor sports—Go ice skating, skiing, or sledding as a family. If you live in a warmer climate, go hiking or swimming over Christmas break. These simple family outings are often a child’s favorite memories over the years.

 

Crafty Christmas—Have fun searching Pinterest together for tween-friendly crafts such as these wooden stick snowflakes or no-sew holiday throw pillows. If you’re truly ambitious, consider selling your creations and giving the money to a ministry or charity of your daughter’s choice.

 

Decorate!—Buy colorful lights and string them around your daughter’s bedroom or homework area. Take her shopping at a home goods store to choose a few fun winter décor pieces she can add to the household decorations. This will encourage her love of design and give her a sense of ownership in your home.

 

Lights, camera, action—Encourage your daughter to create a Happy New Year video where she can highlight blessings from the past year, say thank you for the gifts she received, and share her goals for the coming year. Then send the video to friends and family as a special greeting from your tween.

 

However you choose to spend this holiday season, be sure to thank God for the gift of a growing daughter. Each day she is one step closer to becoming the woman God designed her to be!

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Favorite Family Christmas Movies

You’ve watched It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas… but have you seen these lesser-known Christmas films? For parents seeking family-friendly flicks this holiday season, here’s a short list of recommendations from your friends at Faithgirlz.

 

The Nativity Story—A must-see for Christian families this time of year, The Nativity Story is an accurate telling of the Bible’s account of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of the Christ child. Parents beware, young children might be frightened by the opening scene involving a raid by Roman soldiers, so use your discretion; yet be encouraged, there is no vulgar language or violence to filter. This beautiful film is an emotional and thought-provoking depiction of life in Bethlehem during the time of our Savior’s birth.

 

The Christmas Candle—Based on the book by Max Lucado, this story is set in the sleepy English town of Gladbury at the turn of the century, where townsfolk place all their faith in a “magic” Christmas candle. When a young minister arrives to challenge the town’s superstitions, he is forced to face his own shortcomings as together the people of Gladbury discover the true meaning of faith and Christmas miracles.

 

Saving Christmas—Starring Kirk Cameron, this family comedy aims to tackle the commercialization of Christmas by refocusing our hearts on what really matters most—faith, hope, and love.

 

The Christmas Shoes—Inspired by the popular song of the same title, this movie tells the story of a little boy wishing to buy a special pair of shoes for his dying mother. When the boy crosses paths with a workaholic lawyer (played by Rob Lowe), both characters discover the true meaning of life, love, and the holiday season.

 

Beauty and the Beet—Veggie Tales has quite a collection of Christmas movies to choose from, but here’s one you might not have thought of. Starring country music singer Kellie Pickler, Beauty and the Beet is not a Christmas tale per se, yet the story is set in snowy winter and features a theme of love and acceptance—which are certainly two starring characteristics of Jesus himself.

 

The Star—New in theaters this season, The Star is an animated depiction of the nativity story told from the point of view of the animals! It’s getting fantastic reviews from sacred and secular film critics alike. Take a break from all your Christmas preparations and head to the theater for this fun and biblically sound movie the whole family will enjoy.

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Keeping Christ at the Center of Christmas

 

As Christians, we know Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season. Yet it can be easy to lose sight of that fact when we’re bogged down with the usual tasks this season brings. There’s nothing wrong with shopping, baking, and addressing Christmas cards. Those activities can bring joy to our families and others. But when those tasks start to take center stage in our Christmas preparations, it’s time to recalibrate.

 

Here are some simple ways to keep Jesus at the center of your family’s Christmas celebrations this year.

 

1. Pray! Make good use of all those Christmas cards you’re getting in the mail by praying for each of the families who send you good cheer. Pray together at dinner time that God would bless their health and bring them prosperity in the coming year.

 

2. Not just to the people on your shopping list, but how about identifying a family in your school or church who needs some extra care this holiday season. Make a plan to deliver a meal, a gift card or other blessings.
3. There are lots of ways to keep your heart focused on Jesus even as you go about your Christmas preparations. Play worship music or Christ-centered Christmas songs as you wrap gifts and bake cookies. Go for a drive to admire the beauty of snow or the sunset; thank God for His creation. And for every gift you receive, thank not just the giver but God, too, because He is the giver of all good things.

 

4. Focus on Scripture. As a family, read the story of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:1–20. Challenge older kids to memorize Mary’s Song, Luke 1:46–55. Choose a Friday night to pop popcorn and watch a nativity film together to reinforce the truth of Scripture.

 

5. Play with your décor. Set up a nativity scene and place the wise men across the room. Leave Jesus out of the display for now; wrap him in a gift box and place him under the tree. Each day, move the wise men closer to the scene. On Christmas morning, have the kids open the Jesus figure and set him in his rightful place within the manger. This is a reminder that Jesus is our greatest gift!
6. Call it what it is. Rather than referring to the holiday only as “Christmas,” try calling it “Jesus’ birthday.” Create a chain of paper rings to count down toward the big day, and each morning ask the kids, “How many days until Jesus’ birthday?”

 

7. Let them eat cake! Every birthday needs a birthday party—with cake and ice cream! Bake (or buy) a “Happy Birthday, Jesus” cake and let the kids eat it for breakfast on Christmas morning. They just might look forward to that as much as the presents. And that would be a victory for Jesus indeed!

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DIY Advent Wreath

Advent is the special time of year when we prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus. One special way to symbolize this event is with an Advent candle wreath. Each Sunday of Advent, light one of the candles and say a prayer of thanks to God for sending His son to live on Earth and die in our place. You could also choose to read a passage from Scripture or complete your weekly devotional from Faithgirlz Advent Devotional.

Here is a simple step-by-step project to make your own Advent wreath. This is a fun and meaningful activity to do with your children, which will inspire them to focus on the true reason for the season.

 

What you’ll need:

  • Candle platform: This can be anything from a pie plate to a piece of wood to an old picture frame. It just needs to fit five candles and surrounding greenery.
  • Four candles: Traditionally the first candle is blue, although feel free to get creative! Choose any size candles you like; for this wreath, stand-alone candles are best (vs. tall tapers that need individual holders). Just keep in mind they need to last 28 days, so tea lights may not be the best option.
  • Greenery: A traditional wreath is made of evergreen needles, but you can choose artificial flower/greens, pine cones, even ribbon or Christmas ornaments. Make it your own!

 

 

How to assemble:

  1. Place the candles on your candle platform.
  2. Arrange the greenery around the candles.
  3. Display in a (safe) prominent place in your home.

 

How to enjoy:

Starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas (Dec. 3 this year), light one candle every week. Invite your children to ask questions, share prayer requests, or name their blessings so that each lighting becomes a special time of reflection, gratitude and joy for your family.

 

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Faithgirlz Christmas Gift Guide for Tween Girls

It’s that time of year again! Kids love getting gifts at Christmas, and as parents we’re blessed to give. Why not fill their boxes and stockings with gifts that will not only entertain, but also encourage their faith? Here are some of Faithgirlz’ hottest books and other gift ideas for the tween girls in your life.

Bibles and Bible Tools

 

Faithgirlz Bible—The Faithgirlz Bible (NIV) contains special features designed specifically to capture the heart of girls 9–12 years old, such as quizzes, relatable commentary, highlighted memory verses and much more. Girls will enjoy the shiny cover design, bright pink and purple text, plus several pages spelling out God’s promises and perspectives in the back of the book. There’s even space for girls to write their own notes!

 

 

 

Faithgirlz Backpack Bible—The NIV Faithgirlz Backpack Bible, Compact, Imitation Leather, is just the right size for girls ages 8 to 12 years to grab and go with its small, portable size that will fit in almost any backpack or bag. This Bible shows tween girls that the Bible is real, relevant, and best of all, that the story of God and His people is also their story.

 

 

101 Verses That Stick—Tweens love sticky notes. Put that obsession to good use with this pack of 101 Bible verses written on post-it notes, perfect for sticking to a mirror, locker, desk or other favorite spot. Comes with a magnetic pad!

 

Devotionals

 

 

Glimmer & Shine—Written by Natalie Grant, his daily devotional will challenge and inspire girls ages 8 and up to be their very best selves. Includes 365 devotions, prayers, and interactive weekend pages with quizzes, coloring pages and more.

 

 

 

 

Brave Beauty—As girls grow into young women, they’re likely to have questions, anxieties and fears. This special devotional by Proverbs 31 author and speaker Lynn Cowell offers 100 courage-building moments for tweens ages 8 to 12 to reflect on Scripture and find confidence in God above all else.

 

 

 

 

Promises For You—This beautiful coloring devotional features 60 original works of line art for girls to color as they reflect on Bible verses proclaiming God’s promises. Each coloring and journal page is printed on high-quality, thick stock paper that can withstand markers, pencils or pens.

 

 

 

Fiction Books

 

 

Lena in the Spotlight—Co-written by War Room star and tween blogger Alena Pitts, along with her author mom Wynter Pitts, this new Faithgirlz book series reflects Alena’s own experiences as she reaches for the stars while still making her faith the number one priority.

 

 

 

Glimmer Girls—This four-book series by Christian recording artist (and mom) Natalie Grant follows the adventures of Mia
and Maddie, 10-year-old twin sisters who travel the globe with their famous singer mom. What mishaps will they get into next? There’s always a great lesson learned in the end.

 

 

 

The Lucy Series—Lucy is a feisty tomboy with a tragic history. She questions everything, especially God. This series by Nancy Rue helps girls work through their big questions as Lucy’s wise housekeeper teaches her about God’s love and perfect plan for her life.

 

 

 

The Good News Shoes—Riley Mae Hart is the spokesgirl for Swiftriver Shoe Company, a job that sends her on some crazy adventures where she learns tough lessons about what it means to be a godly young woman. Written by Jill Osborne, this fun three-book series is sure to please readers who love a good page-turner and a happy ending.

 

Faithgirlz - Off the Record - Samantha Sanderson

 

 

Samantha Sanderson—Meet Samantha, an ordinary girl with extraordinary dreams. In this four-book series by Robin Caroll, Samantha and her friends fight crimes drawn straight from today’s headlines, from bomb threats to bullying, all while navigating the rocky terrain of middle school.


 

 

The Sophie Series—Meet Sophie LaCroix, a creative thinker with big dreams to become a famous film director one day. Her wild imagination often lands her in a pickle—but her faith and her friends always come to the rescue. Written by Nancy Rue, each title in this series offers two books in one!

 

 

How-To Activity Books

 

 

101 Ways to Have Fun—Never hear the words “I’m bored” again. This book is filled with activities tweens can do alone or with friends, anytime!

 

 

 

 

Best Hair Book Ever—Created by the editors of Faithgirlz and Girls Life magazine, this full-color book is filled with pictures and instructions for fun, lovely and funky hairstyles that all tween girls will enjoy.

 

 

 

101 Things Every Girl Should Know—Give the gift of expert advice on a wide range of topics of interest to tween girls, such as changing a bike tire to talking to a teacher about a bad grade. What do you do when you’re at a party and you don’t know anyone? What’s the formal way to set a table (and why does it matter)? This random collection of problem-solving strategies helps with everyday stuff, big and small. With tips, advice, and lots of humor, this is a book every girl needs.

 

 

Redo Your Room

 

 

Re-do Your Room: 50 Bedroom DIYs You Can Do in a Weekend—Empower your daughter to express her style with this wonderful collection of simple bedroom décor ideas that she can do all by herself (or as a fun family project with you)!

 

 

Bible Bags and Carriers

 

 

When your tween receives these wonderful Faithgirlz gifts, she’ll need someplace to keep them. Choose a special book bag from our collection of Faithgirlz carriers and messenger bags. She’ll love them all!

 

 

 

From all of us at Faithgirlz, happy shopping—and thank you for keeping Christ in your family Christmas celebrations!

 

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Breaking Out of the Material Mold

I used to spend money like a deranged Rockefeller every time the holidays rolled by. The only way to go, in my opinion was all out, so I did. Anything less seemed like not keeping up with the season.

Indeed, one did not skimp at Christmas. If it had a designer label, was (about) the right size, and could be returned, I’d snap it up. The important thing was that come December 25th there were elaborate presents for everyone I knew under my tree. Going into hock this time of the year was expected, and all my friends reciprocated. I’m not quite sure how and when the custom started. (Was I the ring leader?) It was just something we all did.

Worse still, this all-consuming-shop-until-you-drop tradition clashed with the slow-down-and-savor-the-sights-and-wonder of the season…and won. So sharing the spirit of Christmas was totally out of the question. There was too much buying and wrapping to do.

Then, a couple of years ago, I decided to leave my job and go out on my own just as a shakeup hit the publishing world. As publishers pulled in their belts, my work slowed. And while I waited to hear about this book or that, my rainy day funds trickled down and evaporated. When Christmas was upon us, I had pretty much drained all my reserves. I thought this would be the worst Christmas of my life. But as it turned out, it was not only the best, but also made every holiday since (including this one) more meaningful.

See, because I had no money, I had to call friends and, with a face redder than Santa’s suit, announce there would be no presents. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.       To my surprise, though, collective sighs of relief greeted me. What’s more, I actually turned out a hero. Seems everyone’s pocketbooks had moths in them that year. So nobody really had money to burn. Yet no one wanted to be the first to come out and say so. That made me wonder how many times before I had inadvertently put pressure on friends to buy presents they couldn’t afford.

Lesson Number One: Being a good friend has nothing to do with buying expensive gifts.

It was then our group decided to break out of the material mold for good. We made a pact to stop the shopping frenzy, forgo the hoopla, and instead, spend some quality time together. We had a pot luck gab fest at my house instead. We drank mulled cider, and ate the tidbits everyone brought. And you know what? We each still got a pretty nice Christmas gift in the bargain. Only this time, it didn’t strap us financially …since the gift we gave was the gift of ourselves.

Lesson Number Two: Giving the gift of yourself is better than any you can buy in the store.

Canceling the Christmas gift-off proved better than I had imagined in other ways as well. It left me free to enjoy holiday happenings like Christmas tree lightings and the singing of the Messiah at the neighborhood high school.

Then, too, without all the pressures of gift-buying, I was able to concentrate more on what this holiday is intended to commemorate: the birth of Christ. I thought about how awesome it was that the King of Kings would even consider leaving his throne in heaven to come into a world like ours. I thought of Him being born a helpless baby, in a cold stable, without even a crib for His bed. I thought of the love He must have for us, and how that love shines far and away brighter than any bauble I could own or give. I thought about how His love will be the one present that’s as new tomorrow and every day after as it is on Christmas Day.

Lesson number three: God’s love is the best gift of all. It doesn’t break and it won’t wear out.

Indeed, stepping out of the material mold has taught me a lot. And as my friends and I get ready for our Annual No-Gifts-Allowed Get-together, I hope this new custom will be the norm for years to come. What’s more, last night, when I sat down to breathe in the scent of pine, and enjoy the twinkling lights, I thanked God that there was nothing but a tiny stable under my Christmas tree.

– Allia Zobel Nolan

Be sure to check out Allia’s newest Faithgirlz release, Whatever Is Lovely: a 90-Day Devotional!

This article is used by permission. copyright © 2016 Allia Zobel Nolan

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Twelve Days of Faithgirlz Giveaway!!

In case you missed it, we are holding a Twelve Days of Christmas with Faithgirlz Giveaway on both our Facebook and Instagram pages! We are giving away a Faithgirlz book each day for the first 12 days of December! Simply follow along with both Faithgirlz’ accounts for the book image posted each day. Once posted, you have 24 hours to comment on the image and you’re automatically entered! A winner will be randomly selected each day and one person who comments on all 12 images will have a chance to win all 12 books!

Merry Christmas!

For official rules please visit Facebook and Instagram.

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The One Thing We Can’t Forget This Christmas

What We Can't Forget

I’m guessing there are at least 47 things on your mind right now, Mom.

And if you’re anything like me, you may very well forget about things number 48, 49, and 50.

We have our limits! (Wouldn’t you like to shout that out to the world a couple times today?!) We’re going to blow it on a few things. Burnt cookies, a missed dentist appointment, overdue library books, an important Christmas card, a crockpot that never got plugged in…

It’s okay. Really.

I’d love to step into your messy kitchen, laugh with you at the chaos and then reassure you that you don’t have to do every single thing well right now. You’re going to forget about a few things, you’ll fail in a few areas, you’ll compare yourself to pinterest or your best friend or your mom and you’ll fall short. But guess what… the world will keep turning, and no permanent damage will be done.

You don’t have to do it all!

There’s just the one thing. The one thing I’m afraid I’ll forget. The thing you might forget too, unless we remind each other, over and over again.

I’m afraid you and I will forget what’s real.

I’m afraid our lists will be full of things to do. Gifts to buy. Food to make. Chores to be done. I’m afraid our next few weeks will wear us out on that which is seen. When what is unseen is what is real.

…We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  —2 Corinthians 4:18

The thing about life here on earth is that we work constantly in the “seen.” We have to. It’s our God-given assignment.

We feed our families, we deal with money, homes, cars, clothes, and right now with Christmas gifts and decorations. That’s fine. We’ve got to be practical and deal with this stuff.

But our God calls us past what we see. These things are temporary. That’s why I can assure you in all confidence that if your clothes, meals, and decor are not pinterest-worthy, it’s no big deal.

But the ability to focus on true reality, to push past what the eye can see to what is eternal is what makes all the difference.

What does that look like for you? I’d love for you to share what you’re focusing on this Christmas. The possibilities are endless… as varied as each of our personalities and our own families.

  • It could mean turning the tv, phones, and tablets off in order to direct your family’s attention to the Scriptural account of our Savior’s birth. Sharing the beauty of the gospel with your little ones.
  • It could mean sharing with your children (on an age-appropriate level) the truth about persecuted believers across the world, then spending a few minutes in prayer for our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • Maybe it means stepping away from your to-do list and snuggling with your husband or babies on the couch.
  • Or maybe it’s visiting a friend or relative in the hospital or retirement home.
  • Perhaps it’s spending time in prayer for our hurting, bleeding world. For the victims of terrorism. For the terrorists.
  • It could mean sending a missionary a care package. Financial support.

There’s no right or wrong list. It’s not a legalistic thing. All it’s about is redirecting our attention to the things that last forever.

And what are they?

Our God. His Word. People.

That’s it.

This world, it’s demands, and all the “stuff” will pass away.

I don’t want to waste my time serving what’s temporary. I’ll push through and deal with all that’s necessary — some of it fun, some of it not so fun.

But what I really want to remember this Christmas is to use my time, my resources, and my energy for what matters most. For all that’s real. For all that lasts forever.

You too?

by Jennifer Ebenhack

{This post first appeared at TheBetterMom.com}

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