June: Let's Think about Christmas Blessings

Blessings for Christmas! Who doesn’t want those? We can give and receive Christmas blessings, and it won't take much time or money. Here’s how:

Glass candy box with lid, lined with holiday tissue paper
plus an angel pen and a stack of note paper

1) Give the gift of a blessings box. Take any box with a lid, be it wooden, ceramic, cardboard–you get the idea. It could even be a handmade container or something unusual you find in a thrift shop. Fill it with slips of paper on which you have written or printed blessings: special quotes, Bible verses, and memories of ways in which the recipient has been a blessing in your life. This is something that you could make a family affair, with everyone contributing their own little notes on slips of paper. Collect 365, and you'll have a blessing to offer for every day of the year. What recipient wouldn't love such a heartfelt gift of love? 

Metalwork bowl lined with holiday tissue paper

2) Bless yourself (and your family) during the holiday season with a blessings bowl. You don't have to use a bowl; a candy dish or wide-mouthed vase would do just as well. Put it near the door you all regularly use. Beside it, place a small note pad and a pen. Starting at the beginning of the month, family members can stop by the blessings bowl to jot down blessings that come to mind. As guests drop in, ask them to take a moment to write a blessing on a note and drop it into the container. Save them all for Christmas Day. Some time in the afternoon or evening, after gifts have been opened and the holiday feast has been devoured, when the day's festivities have otherwise ended, you can extend the celebration by reading the blessings that you've collected. What a heartwarming way to end the day–reflecting on the blessings of Christmas, God's love, family, and friends!

Craft-project candy bowl with notes inside