The New Tradition That's Helping Us Keep Christmas Christ-Centered

Mercy River shared this sweet post with us about the newest way they are trying to incorporate more of the Savior in their Christmas celebrations. Wait till you see the pictures! (heart eyes emoji!)

The three of us grasp at anything that helps keeps Christmas Christ-centered. That's why we love the idea of the Little Lamb from Bethlehem-- a visual reminder of The Lamb who was born to give us everything. Read on to hear how we use the lamb in our families!

BROOKE

When I first heard about the Little Lamb from Bethelem, I wondered if it was another version of the elf on a shelf. My kids love our elf, so I was skeptical. Would this be another toy to move (at 4:00 in the morning when I remembered to move it)?

But after I read the story to my family I found a major difference. This was a toy they could actually touch. And Although this resulted in the lamb being stolen a few times by my toddler, my kids loved the opportunity to involve the lamb in acts of service. The book lists several ways to use the lamb, so we chose to write letters to each other.

We wrote an “anonymous” letter to one of our kids, (can it be anonymous in a family of 6?), placing the letter on their bed with the lamb. That child then wrote a letter to a sibling, placing the letter with the lamb on that sibling’s bed. The lamb has quickly become a fun symbol of love for my kids. They knew if the lamb was on their pillow, there was a sweet note of encouragement waiting for them.

I'm hoping that this will become a fun tradition for them that requires little work from me. THEY can move the lamb from bed to bed, and it gives them the chance to serve each other without me forcing them to do it. We’re excited to have this lamb in our family! Now to give it a name…

SONI

I love the simple message the book that came with our Little Lamb. The lamb and Her story has helped my kids to picture what it really was like that special night.

We display the lamb on our mantle to remind us of Christ. I’m so excited to have a new special- and simple- Christmas tradition for my family.

WHITNEY

I have two goals for December:

First, eat dinner as a family as much as possible (there’s soooo much basketball), and second, help my kids look for ways to serve. The Little Lamb from Bethlehem is the perfect way to combine these two goals. After reading the book, we discussed as a family ways we can help others in everyday ways. Sitting by someone new at lunch, reading to a sibling, or helping with dishes without being asked. Small and simple acts of service.

At dinner, we are going to pass “Lamb Lamb” around (as named by my 2 year old) and report one thing we did to help another person. I’m hoping that these two practices-- spending intentional time together and looking for ways to serve-- will bless our family this season.

How do you use your Little Lamb from Bethlehem?