Christmas changes when you become a parent.
This year, my son is four—and Christmas is pure magic for him. Santa, reindeer, presents, lights. All of it. And while that wonder is beautiful, it also stirred something deeper in me: a quiet question I couldn’t ignore.
How do I keep Jesus at the center of the season—not just in what we say, but in how we live—when the cultural noise is so loud?
That question led me down a path of reflection, Scripture, and history, and ultimately back to something the Bible emphasizes again and again: remembrance.
We Forget More Easily Than We Realize
Scripture calls us to remember—over 1,200 times.
And yet, forgetting is kind of our thing.
Even the disciples struggled with it. In Mark 8, Jesus expresses frustration when they worry about bread right after witnessing the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. In Matthew 17, they fail to heal a demon-possessed boy despite having seen God’s power firsthand. Jesus’ response is not gentle reassurance—it’s a lament over their lack of faith and memory.
Remembering matters because it anchors faith. When we forget what God has done, we lose confidence in what He can still do.
Traditions Were Meant to Teach
In researching Christmas traditions, I was struck by how many of them began as teaching tools—especially for people who couldn’t read.
The Christmas Tree
The first Christmas trees appeared in medieval Germany as symbols of the Garden of Eden. Apples represented the fall, and later, communion wafers symbolized redemption and restored relationship with God. What we now see as decorative once told the entire story of sin and salvation.
Advent
Advent is the four-week season leading up to Christmas—a time of preparation, anticipation, and waiting. The word comes from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” Advent reminds us that we live between Jesus’ first coming and His promised return, forming us into people who wait with hope, not impatience.
The Advent Wreath
The Advent wreath began in 1839 when Johann Hinrich Wichern created it to help underprivileged children count down to Christmas. Its circular shape represents God’s unending love, the evergreens symbolize eternal life, and the candles remind us that light continues to shine in darkness.
Hanukkah
Though I’m not Jewish, Jesus was—and the roots of our faith are deeply Jewish. Hanukkah is a remembrance holiday marking God’s miraculous provision when a small group of faithful rebels reclaimed the desecrated Temple. With only one day’s worth of oil, the flame burned for eight days. Light endured. God provided.
Hanukkah teaches us:
Never be afraid to stand for what’s right
Even small acts of faith matter
Light is meant to be seen and shared
Sound familiar?
Light Was Never Meant to Stay Hidden
Across Scripture and tradition, one theme keeps rising to the surface: light.
Light that exposes.
Light that guides.
Light that endures.
Light that transforms darkness.
This season isn’t just about remembering Jesus’ birth—it’s about remembering His sacrifice, His calling, and the miracles He has already done in our lives.
As Lamentations reminds us:
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases…”
What We’re Practicing at Home
This year, we’re choosing to slow down and live into remembrance:
She Reads Truth Advent Devotional – A daily anchor that keeps our hearts rooted in God’s story rather than the pull of consumerism.
Good Kind Advent Block Traditions Set – A nightly rhythm with my son, reading the story of Scripture from beginning to end—often while he’s in the bathtub. This year, he’s really listening.
Celebrating Hanukkah – As a way to pause each night, remember God’s miracles, and pray expectantly for the ones still to come.
An Invitation
As you enter this holiday season, I invite you to step back from the hustle and breathe.
Remember your salvation.
Remember the sacrifice.
Remember your calling to shine outward.
Remember the miracles—past, present, and future.
Let the lights you kindle—through candles, traditions, prayers, and acts of kindness—point back to God’s faithfulness and love.
Because remembrance shapes faith.
And light was never meant to stay hidden.
