Merry Christmas Eve! I am so glad you came to read my blog today, I know it is a special day and you are probably with your  family. I also know that the holidays can be a very stressful time. Today, I want to encourage you on ways you can make your Christmas more meaningful.

What do I mean by that? I don’t want it to be a day that you dread, or that you are stressing yourself out over. I want this to be a day of celebration, and love.

3 Ways to Make Your Christmas More Meaningful

1. Remember the Reason for the Season

Why do we celebrate Christmas? It’s not because some big man with a beard delivers presents to all of us on this day. Rather, on this day mankind was given the greatest gift: a savior.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. He has provided us grace, salvation, and hope. Don’t forget to thank God today for all of that! I want to share with you one of my favorite Bible verses:

^“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? …  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

-Romas 8:31-32, 38-39

2. Give Gifts with a Conscience

Many kids this year will ask for gifts like PlayStations or a hoverboard. However, one of my favorite things to do is to buy gifts from companies that give back. You can often search by issues you care about, like poverty, international justice, or hunger.

Here are some examples: the little market, TOMS, FEED, Solo Eyewear, and many more!

Do you have any companies you shop from that give back? Let me know in the comments below!

3. Family & Grace

Most people will spend the holidays with their family. However, this isn’t always easy for everyone. You may have the crazy aunt or the annoying cousin. Some families may have even more drastic problems like addiction. Whatever you are dealing with, here are my top tips on keeping the peace over the holidays.

1. Listen intentionally. Don’t just think of what you want to say while the other person is talking. Also, don’t just tune them out. Truly listen to what they are saying and you might find yourself glad you did.
2. Think before you speak. We all know the topics we can’t bring up around certain family members, so pay attention to that. It’s very hard to win arguments and fights over these big issues, so it’s often better to just keep the peace for a day.
3. Know that it isn’t about you. Often, when people lash out they can say mean things. However, what they say isn’t usually a reflection of you, but more so about them. You can repeat what God says about you and your worth over in your head if you’re struggling with this.

I hope this guide will help your holidays go a little smoother. Have a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Thank you for sticking around this year and reading my blog. It truly means a lot to me!