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    Keeping Christ AS Christmas
    Keeping Christ AS Christmas
    Keeping Christ AS Christmas
    Ebook181 pages2 hours

    Keeping Christ AS Christmas

    By Jennifer Crawford Walker

    ()

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    About this ebook

    If your plate is full, your money is tight, and your Christmas expectations seem impossible, this book was written for you! Keeping Christ AS Christmas is not another volume of "to do" lists for the holidays. It is a fresh approach to familiar traditions through simple strategies and sanity savers.

    With practical and inspirational ideas, information, and instruction, Keeping Christ AS Christmas will help you and your family both seek and find Jesus in every Christmas activity. As you put into practice some of these simple strategies and sanity savers, your Christmas will be meaningful in a new and treasured way.

    Keeping Christ AS Christmas: Preparing hearts, households, and homes for PEACE this Christmas season.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJennifer Crawford Walker
    Release dateNov 18, 2011
    ISBN9781465979209
    Keeping Christ AS Christmas
    Author

    Jennifer Crawford Walker

    Jennifer is a grateful Christ follower, full time minister's wife, mom, daughter, sister, homemaker, Bible student/teacher, writer, blogger, coffee drinker, chocolate eater, and truster of the Lord. Being the wife of James (a Minister of Education) and the mom of Nathan and Abigail (two teenagers) is Jennifer's full time job. The Walkers live and serve the Lord in a small town in the Mississippi Delta. Jennifer is a popular speaker for retreats and conferences and writes the blog, SmellingCoffee. You can visit with Jennifer on the Smelling Coffee Facebook page. Also, during this holiday season, look for KeepingChrist on Twitter and the hashtag #KeepingChrist for inspirational ideas posted throughout the Christmas season. Share your own ideas for Keeping Christ AS Christmas on the Keeping Christ AS Christmas Facebook page.

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      Book preview

      Keeping Christ AS Christmas - Jennifer Crawford Walker

      Dedication

      This book is gratefully and lovingly dedicated to

      My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him,

      there would be no Christmas, and no life.

      My parents, Gilbert and Mary Crawford,

      who taught me to know, love, and enjoy the Real Reason for the Season.

      My husband and children, James, Nathan, and Abigail Walker,

      with whom it is my deepest joy to celebrate Christmas

      and every other day of the year.

      Preface

      Hopefully this is the first of many books to be authored by Jennifer Walker. Jennifer has been known and loved by her family and many friends throughout her life, and she continues to be a positive Christian influence to numerous others through her blog, retreats, special presentations, and Bible teaching. Jennifer is the most well-rounded, gifted, and godly young woman that I have ever personally known. She is an inspiration to all the lives she touches as she practices what she preaches. She is a wonderful Spirit-filled example of how to pray without ceasing, how to study the Scriptures, how to recognize God’s call, how to follow God’s will through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and how to love as Jesus loves. However, she would never accept this praise of herself because she gives God all the glory for every original idea she presents and implements

      Jennifer’s e-book Keeping Christ AS Christmas is filled with ways to live the holidays honoring the real reason for the season – Jesus. The book is informative, inspirational, and entertaining. It has been a privilege to read the book and plan with renewed conviction to have the most Christ AS Christmas holiday season my family has ever had.

      Janie Arnold Allen Bradley, Ph.D.

      Contents

      Dedication

      Preface

      Contents

      What Can Keeping Christ AS Christmas do for you?

      Section 1: Prepare Your Heart

      Chapter 1: Placing Jesus at the Center of the Season

      Chapter 2: Renewing Your Relationship with Jesus

      Chapter 3: 10 Minutes a Morning with Jesus

      Chapter 4: Stealth Holiday Quiet Times

      Chapter 5: An Attitude Like Mary

      Chapter 6: Just Give Me Jesus

      Section 2: Prepare Your Household

      Chapter 7: What is it That You Really Want?

      Chapter 8: Gift Giving to Them as Unto Him

      Chapter 9: What are You Giving Jesus This Year?

      Chapter 10: Advent

      Section 3: Prepare Your Home

      Chapter 11: Christmas Traditions that Point to Jesus

      Chapter 12: Christmas Cards and Letters

      Chapter 13: Using the Names of God In Your Christmas Décor

      Chapter 14: Setting the Tone of Your Home

      Section 4: Preserve Your Sanity

      Chapter 15: Impromptu Gift Ideas for Any Occasion

      Chapter 16: When it’s Time to Pack Away the Christmas Décor

      Chapter 17: Christ AS Christmas Sanity Savers

      Chapter 18: The Extras

      Chapter 19: The Days Before Christmas

      About The Author

      Acknowledgements

      What can

      Keeping Christ AS Christmas

      do for you?

      It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

      It’s the most wonderful time of the year

      With the kids jingle belling

      And everyone telling you Be of good cheer

      It’s the most wonderful time of the year

      It’s the hap-happiest season of all

      With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings

      When friends come to call

      It’s the hap- happiest season of all

      There’ll be parties for hosting

      Marshmallows for toasting

      And caroling out in the snow…

      And tales of the glories of

      Christmases long, long ago

      It’s the most wonderful time of the year

      There’ll be much mistletoe-ing

      And hearts will be glowing

      When love ones are near

      It’s the most wonderful time of the year

      Eddie Pola & George Wyle

      To me, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. I look forward to it all year long and begin seriously thinking about it in mid October. But I’ll be honest. Sometimes all of those parties for hosting and marshmallows for toasting and caroling and mistletoe-ing leave me exhausted instead of glowing. How about you?

      If you’re like me, you know what Christmas means, and you know that you need to slow down enough to soak in the richness of the season. But your plate is full, your money is tight, and your expectations seem impossible.

      In the past, just thinking about what needs to be done between now and Christmas used to leave me feeling overwhelmed. Then The Lord revealed some Truth to me as I studied and prayed through His Word.

      I’m a natural procrastinator who often enjoys the thrill of the last minute, but God showed me that if I would take the time before the busy Christmas season to prepare my heart, my household, and my home, I would begin to enjoy the Christmases I have always dreamed of.

      Years ago, God called me to write this book. A few months ago, He finally said, It is time. It has been a true joy to sit down with Him and see the things He has placed on my heart come to life in Keeping Christ AS Christmas.

      As I write, I am praying for everyone whose hands hold this book:

      Dear Jesus, YOU are the Christ of Christmas, the Child born, the Son given, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6). Thank You for Your promise to us in James 1:5 that if we ask you for wisdom, you will give it fully, and not hold it back from us. So in your name, dear Jesus, I ask on behalf of myself and all who come across this book that YOU flow off of every page and pour into every life. Please give us Your Wisdom as we savor this information and listen for You to guide us as we make decisions concerning our hearts, households, and homes. May YOU, who are the One and Only Reason for this Season, ignite these words and bring them to life within each person. Prince of Peace, please reign over each mind, heart, and home represented. Please inspire our hearts with the breath of Your Spirit, and glorify Yourself as we seek to keep You AS Christmas this year. In the beautiful name of Jesus, A men.

      To get started, answer these questions as honestly as you can:

      • Do you want to get the most enjoyment out of this holiday season?

      • Do you put pressure on yourself to create the perfect Christmas for everyone?

      • Does thinking about all that needs to happen during this upcoming holiday season make you wish it were January already?

      • Do you get too stressed out and stretched out to enjoy the Reason for the Season?

      • Are you missing the joy that you know you should have during this special time of year? (Further, are you experiencing guilt for lack of this joy?)

      If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then this book is for you! In Keeping Christ AS Christmas, you’ll learn practical how to steps in letting Jesus prepare your hearts, households, and homes for this upcoming Christmas season.

      Keeping Christ as Christmas is not another to do list for the holidays. It is a fresh way of thinking about Christmas and inspired strategies in acting and reacting to this season in a refreshing and peaceful way. Jesus Christ is not merely in Christmas… He IS Christmas. If we keep our focus ON Jesus during these busy days, He will keep Himself AS Christmas in our lives.

      This book is divided into four sections: Prepare your Heart, Prepare your Household, Prepare your Home, and Preserve your Sanity. Each section’s content builds on the other. Because I am in the throws of motherhood and family, much of what I share in Prepare your Household is more applicable to a full household. However, even if you live quietly alone, there is something in each section that will meet your needs.

      At the end of each chapter is a section for prayer and action called Christ AS Christmas Commitment. The Christ AS Christmas Commitment activities will help you move from head knowledge to heart change. Please don’t skip them. They too, build upon one another.

      The Scripture verses quoted in Keeping Christ AS Christmas are from various translations and are linked to BibleGateway.com. Following each verse is an abbreviation of the translation used.

      Amp = Amplified Bible

      Msg = The Message

      NLT = New Living Translation

      NIV = New International Version 1984

      NCV = New Century Version

      I pray that what you gain from this book will impact your Christmases for years to come. I’d love to hear from you about how God used this book in your Christmas celebrations.

      Please e-mail me at Jennifer@ChristASChristmas.com. Also, look for KeepingChrist on Twitter and the hashtag #KeepingChrist for inspirational ideas posted throughout the Christmas season. Share your own ideas for Keeping Christ AS Christmas on the Keeping Christ AS Christmas Facebook page. For daily inspiration on faith, family, food, fun, life, love, and living it all through Jesus Christ, visit with me year round on my blog: SmellingCoffee.com.

      Thank you for joining me on this journey as we seek to Keep Christ AS Christmas. May He be pleased and glorified through all we do at Christmastime and every other day of the year.

      In Jesus’ joy,

      Jennifer Crawford Walker

      November 2011

      And whatever you do,

      no matter what it is, in word or deed,

      do everything

      in the name of the Lord Jesus

      and in dependence upon His Person,

      giving praise to God the Father

      through Him.

      Colossians 3:17 (Amp)

      Prepare Your

      Heart

      "The most important part of

      Christmas

      is the first six letters."

      Anonymous

      Chapter 1

      Placing Jesus at the

      Center of the Season

      "Good Christian men, rejoice

      With heart and soul and voice!

      Now ye hear of endless bliss;

      Jesus Christ was born for this!

      He has opened heaven’s door,

      And man is blest forever more.

      Christ was born for this,

      Christ was born for this!"

      Good Christian Men, Rejoice

      14th century carol

      To many Americans, the word Christmas can be defined by: days off work, time with family and friends, presents, shopping, spending too much money, decorating, cooking, eating too many rich foods, caroling, Hallmark movies, greeting cards, red and green, Santa, staying up too late, lazy days spent in pajamas…

      None of these things is bad. In fact, our family enjoys and looks forward to most of them. But these things do not define Christmas. To those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,

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