Gifts for the Savior

We have started a new family tradition.

Christmas is severely commercialized. I don't know anyone who would argue to the contrary. We decided to try a new Christmas tradition to refocus our thoughts to the true meaning of Christmas this year -- and every year after.

For Family Home Evening tonight, we talked about things that the Savior would like to receive for Christmas. What would make Him happy? We came up with a list of things including being kind to others, keeping the Sabbath day holy, reading our scriptures & saying our prayers every day, sharing the gospel with others, and being worthy to attend the temple. Our list was actually most of a page after only a few minutes. Then I challenged each of us to choose one item from the list that they would like to give to the Savior this year for Christmas. We each chose one item that we could improve on, wrote it on a piece of paper, and signed it. We shared with each other what our goals were, then placed those papers in a decorative wood box. We tied a pretty gold ribbon around the box and placed it under our tree.

Next year, on the Monday before Christmas, we will untie that ribbon and review how we've done over the past year on the gifts we chose to give the Savior. We will then choose new gifts, and repeat the process.

Merry Christmas!!

p.s. We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more information, please visit www.mormon.org.