How to Make Christmas Meaningful and Memorable

1. How to Make This Christmas a Meaningful, Memorable One! There are many ways to make Christmas meaningful and memorable! Unfortunately, sometimes that's difficult with the cluttered maze that has become Christmas in our culture. Many people are more concerned with buying the "perfect" gift for others (and anticipating what they will receive!) than focusing on the true meaning of this holy season. Want to get back tobasics? Here are 5 tips to help you make your Christmas this year a joyous, meaningful and memorable one: 1.Give of Yourself. No matter what you can or cannot afford, there's always one gift that only you can give to others: the gift of your time. * Your time is the most precious gift of all. There are many ways that you can give of yourself to others this Christmas season: * Be a friend who listens * Spend time with a loved one * Help someone with their household chores * Babysit for a mother or father who really needs a break * Let others know that you are available if they need your help * Visit an elder with no family close, an incarcerated person with few visitors, a child hospitalized 2.Use Your Talents. No matter how nice that watch appears to look in the jewelry case, the homemade pen holder or the homemade blanket that you create for your friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member could be much more appreciated than anything you might buy in a store. * Ultimately, handmade gifts are priceless. Here are some homemade gift ideas: PO Box 101393 | Nashville, TN 37224 | Tel: 615.226.7668 | TowelandBasin.org

2. * Fresh-baked cookies, pies or jams * Hand crafted candles * Hand sewn quilts or crocheted scarves * Framed photo collage * Personalized scrapbooks * Custom made jewelry 3. Cherish Your Time Together. Our time can be “lost” in so many ways on a daily basis. And we cannot get it back. * Place your priorities on family and friends rather than on the shopping and holiday preparations. * Instead of spending the night baking alone, plan your baking so you can enjoy the company of a friend or family member and share the work together. If you want to make your holiday trulymeaningful, remember to spend the time that you have with your loved ones. Make lasting memories instead of worrying, shopping, cooking, buying gifts and over-stressing. 4. Attend a worship service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day * If they are not read in the service, set aside time to read the both the Old and New Testament scriptures for Christmas as found in resources such as the Book of Common Prayer. * Read (or sing!) and meditate on the true meaning of Christmas so powerfully proclaimed in the “Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord” by Charles Wesley. 5. Remember that Christmas is a 12 day celebration * Reclaim the tradition of Christmastide – and commit to “keeping Christmas” for the full 12 days that take us to Epiphany on the Christian Calendar. Follow the tips listed here, and you will be on your way to a meaningful, memorable Christmas this year and every year! PO Box 101393 | Nashville, TN 37224 | Tel: 615.226.7668 | TowelandBasin.org