I don't know how many Christmases ago it was.

Rooney and I stopped by HomeGoods (or TJMaxx?) to get some Christmas placemats for our kitchen table. It took all but five seconds before she abandoned our hunt and went meandering down the toy aisles that were overflowing with ‘stuff’.  

She walked with purpose up and down each section, pointing out toys and games and figurines and dolls and cribs for the dolls and strollers for the dolls that were all going on her Christmas list.

Hold on a second.

In our house, we hadn't really decided on the whole Santa thing in general. She had already asked about it though, shortly after we saw a Santa at our local outdoor mall and then she saw a completely different Santa on a billboard as we were driving home from the encounter.

"Mom, are there a bunch of people that just dress up as Santa, and they're just pretending, so he's not real?"

A very direct question deserves a direct and honest answer. 

"Yep," I said. 

And that was that.

She asked and I told her the truth.

So as we shopped, and she walked around the store talking about all of the items she wanted to add to her Christmas wish list, I thought about how, since that fateful car ride, our family really didn't have a clear-cut approach to the whole Santa business.

But one thing was certain: we definitely had not discussed writing out an entire list of things we want for ourselves.

Moms, even though we battle cultural norms daily, can we still be intentional and strategic about flipping the focus this Christmas? You bet we can. 

As a family, we have a blast every year doing the SANTA Switch. It is seriously so fun to do and now it's even better because I get to hear about all of the cool ways your family is meeting needs during the holidays. It's so beautiful, and I love watching this tradition get bigger and better every year! 

Last week, I talked about how SANTA Switch became a thing in our house during the holidays, so if you need some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing, here are three real entries from some of our past journals.

November 28, 2018

We were driving to Home Depot to get our Christmas tree. On the opposite side of the street, going the other direction, an ambulance passed us with its lights flashing and its sirens going off. After a few moments, my daughter (totally on her own) said, “Hey, we need to pray for those people the ambulance is going to help.” We prayed together in the car for wherever that ambulance was headed and for healing and safety for whoever was involved.

November 11, 2019

Today is Veteran’s Day. While we were sitting in church we watched a video that paid tribute to the men and women of our military. Our pastor asked all of the veterans to raise their hands so we could honor them as a church family. My husband elbowed me. “I want to ask the people sitting in front of us who raised their hands if we can take them to lunch after church,” he whispered. Once the service was over, he got their attention and asked if they wanted to go. They did! So we met them at In N Out down the street, chatting with them over hamburgers. Jim was from Indiana and lives with his wife just a little south of us. Tony had just moved here from Detroit and he’d only been in town for two days so far. It was great getting to know that they hadn’t been attending our church for that long. They also showed us how to order Flying Dutchmans off of In N Out’s secret menu. :)

November 26, 2019

I was in New York City with my husband last week. We were walking down the street on the way to Times Square to decide where we should eat lunch. We noticed a mama, standing on the sidewalk in front of us. She was holding her infant son. It was cold and windy, and the baby had no hat. My husband was holding his new beanie in his hands when we saw her. He walked straight over to the woman and gave her the hat for her baby. 

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,

if you love one another.

John 13:35

It’s not too late for you to hop on board the SANTA Switch Express! Start this fun and intentional Christmas tradition with your family. All you need is a journal, something to write with, and a commitment to notice the needs you see out in the world and do something about meeting them.

Seriously, who’s in? Keep it simple and let me know in the comments below where God leads your family as you look for people to bless this holiday season.

Have an awesome day!

If you’re looking for ways to develop your daughter’s character and faith in God, be sure to check out our brand new digital subscription, Bible Belles Monthly! We've got fun and practical ways to engage your girl and build her connection with God and you in this season. Registration for the Founder's Group is closing soon...so click here to learn more. I can't wait to do this with you!