I just finished preaching a message on Christmas blessings (maybe I’ll do a short blog about that!) and one of the things I talked about was something we probably all think about – how to make Christmas special without spending more and more money. It’s one reason why we are big believers in traditions. Traditions, especially around special seasons like Christmas, give your family something to look forward to. Many times they cost very little if anything at all. One of those traditions in our house began pretty innocently. Kelli was wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. It was late and she was tired when she realized we were out of tags to label presents. We were just getting ready to cut wrapping paper into little squares to use as homemade tags when we happened upon an idea that has become a Pritchard family staple.

Kelli had enough new rolls of wrapping paper to dedicate a different roll (twelve) to each of our kids as well as the extras people we had living in our home. We decided it would be much easier to simply put the presents under the tree with no tags and no possible way to figure out whose paper is whose. Then on Christmas morning, when we were ready, we would reveal each child’s particular paper. That’s when we came up with the idea of having some fun with the announcement. Rather than just presenting them with a sample of their paper (which was our original idea) we came up with a creative and affirming scheme. I wrote a poem that said something about each kid and then revealed their wrapping paper. So starting with Sina and ending with my sister Becca (who lives with us) I dedicated a paragraph to each. Since that first year the poem has grown. This past Christmas (2009), the poem begins with some general comments about our family’s year – taking advantage of the opportunity to have fun as well as speak words of affirmation and blessing into my children. Here is a short excerpt from the 2009 edition:

It’s not about our stockings, or about our tree,

It’s not about decorations, or even you or me,

It’s not about doing, the things that please us,

We’re here to honor, the birth of Jesus.

God sometimes confuses, we can’t see the light,

It doesn’t seem fair, it doesn’t seem right.

But God’s in charge, we should never be rattled,

Tavita gets to finish, “back in the saddle”.

Together we eat, we laugh and we cry,

Houses to stay in, passes to fly,

In our van we are driving, mile after mile,

2009, is ending in style!

Last year our family drove together from Washington to Menlo Park to Phoenix to El Paso to watch Tavita play in his last college game, the Sun Bowl. Tavita had been displaced earlier in the year as the starter and he was going to finish his career as the starting QB against Oklahoma. So as you can see it recaps our year and hopefully reminds everyone what’s most important. As I said earlier, the poem has gotten longer and more elaborate, but it still serves the purpose of revealing which presents belong to which child. For example here was Dani’s paragraph:

How about Dani, here’s what Krista has said,

Who needs a manaquin, when I’ve got Dani’s head.

A hint for you all, if you want to survive,

Stay off the road, she can legally drive!

She’s a state champ in soccer, tho’ written up by no columnist,

We’re still very proud, though the sport be communist.

Now open your presents, though maybe not lots,

Find red and with green stripes, and white polka dots.

Obviously there are inside jokes with each kid, but you get the idea. The point is to do something the kids look forward to, something positive and in this particular case it actually becomes a way to speak a word of blessing into my children.

So this Christmas – be creative. You don’t have to write a poem, but begin thinking and praying about establishing some fun and positive traditions for your family. Focus on things that don’t cost a lot of money. And if at all possible, let it be something that reinforces the things that are most important about Christmas.