Christmas Angels

In our family we come together once a week for what we call "family home evening." We have a prayer, song, lesson, activity, and treat. Everyone in the family participates. Sometimes it is something really simple and other times it is something that involves a little more planning. This helps unify our family and brings us closer together. At Christmas time we also plan some special activities to do as a family. One such tradition involves dressing up and acting out the Nativity (usually on Christmas Eve) but each year we do something a little different. Last year we had a "shepherd's in training" and everyone dressed like shepherds while we learned more about their role in the Christmas story.

This year everyone dressed up like angels. My husband had gotten a whole bunch of white material and he and our daughter made make-shift angel costumes. We had a special lesson about the visitation of angels from the Bible and then talked about angels on earth -- those people who have affected our lives for good. We talked about how we can be an angel for other people. Then we went and sang "Angels, We Have Heard On High," to some people in our neighborhood. It was a neat experience and my husband and I both were in need of a tissue by the evening's end! I hope it was a special experience for the children as well. Establishing traditions is an excellent way to promote positive feelings and bonding within one's family.