Christmas Traditions & Santa

In this festive episode, Kendra and Ande dive into Christmas Traditions and the history of Santa Claus! Where the story began, how traditions have changed, and why the magic of Christmas still matters today.

Before they begin, they give a gentle heads-up to parents: this episode isn’t meant for little listeners who still believe, so make sure those tiny ears are out of range so we don’t accidentally spoil any Christmas magic.

It’s a fun, lighthearted conversation filled with curiosity, childhood wonder, and holiday cheer.

For more Aha Moments visit https://buildingallchildren.org/podcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey you guys, we are getting ready to jump on and do the Rise and Build Podcast, and we are talking about Christmas traditions and Santa. So if you have little ears, you might not want them to hear all of what we are about to share. Welcome. My name is Kendra Morgan, and I'm the host of the Rise and Build Podcast, where we hope to empower you to rise up and build a strong family, knowing you have to strengthen your hands to do the good work. Come with us as we rise and build. Hey you guys, welcome to the Rise and Build Podcast. Today we are talking about Santa, traditions, and the heart of Christmas. I am sitting with Andy Arbuckle, one of the Building All Children Child Development Specialists, and we are gonna jump into this topic. Hi, Andy. Hi, Merry Christmas. Oh my gosh, what a mic favorite seasons. The best, right? It's the best.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

But it's not easy to parent. It's not. I was just talking to a parent before I came in here, and they were talking about Christmas coming up, and we were talking about Santa, and they were like, oh my gosh, Santa. Yeah. What do we even do about Santa? Is that okay? How do you feel about Santa? So I think it's important to talk about.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

Well, it's it's such a busy season, and I think parents don't know what is Santa good? Is Santa bad? What do you do? What do you tell them? So I'm excited. I think this is a great topic. I think it's good. Well, let's start with Santa. Like, let's start with the origin of Saint Nick's. Could you, I mean, tell us about I feel like you're good in this area.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Well, I did a little bit of research because you hear about you know Saint Nick. Was Saint Nick real? Well, Saint Nick was real from Turkey from about the third century, I believe. Nice, okay. Um, and Saint Nick is a Christian bishop who was really generous and loved kids and did all kinds of great things for kids. I love that. And so I love that his legacy lives on today through our holiday. Yeah. As a model for how to be generous.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Yeah, no, I love that. I think people think he is they don't know the history of it. They think he's fake, made up, they don't want to lie to their kids. Um, and so a lot of times we'll hear the negative side. You do hear a lot of that Santa.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

But I personally love Santa. Yeah, I think it can be done really well, but I want to hear how you guys do you guys do Santa in your house?

SPEAKER_01 2:30

Yeah, we've always done him. So growing up, Santa was a big deal, and I was my name is Cox. So in the Cox household, um, my parents did Santa Big. And um, I don't know, like Ryan, my husband, his Santa toys were like never wrapped. So he had two or three from Santa that weren't wrapped. Interesting, yeah. Mine were all wrapped. Everything. Everything. But I don't know if I really knew it's a different wrapping. No, like I don't know if I really ever paid attention, like what my parents got me versus Santa. I don't know. I don't remember ever. But it Santa was a big deal. Um and and my parents would even be like, I mean, I remember like little being pretty little and them saying, Well, Santa's watching. If you're a bad girl, Santa doesn't bring on the naughty list, like that kind of stuff. I was we were a little careful with that. Same. Um, now my kids did watch like the internet and to see where Santa was flying around the world. Did you guys do that? Yeah, we did that. Um, and the kids loved, I mean, like they would get so excited. And so I mean, there was some definitely fun, good traditions with Santa.

SPEAKER_00 3:39

Absolutely. I think Santa can be done really well. It's just all about that heart behind it. What are we after there? Are we trying to manipulate kids? Right. Or are we trying to instill um what it's like to be generous and how to give with knowing you're not gonna get anything in return. Um, and so I think there's beautiful things about it. It's just that intent behind it. Right. We always have done Santa. Okay. My kids love Santa. Um, however, I would say I try to not make the whole holiday about Santa. Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

And w and I have to pay attention to that because I do have a lot of Santa's decorations. Yeah. I do too. And so I have had to make sure that I'm keeping it Christ centered about the nativity, which I think we'll talk a little bit about some of that too. But growing up, was Santa a big deal in your household? Yeah, we did Santa. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

But our presents were not wrapped under the tree. We generally had like one big present from Santa not wrapped. And then um our stockings were from Santa. Okay. And then we also did um like parent parent gifts too. Yeah. Those were all wrapped. So we kind of do follow that same tradition. That's what Ryan's family did too. Which I think my mom knew I was too perceptive. Yes. And I would pick up figure her rapping style or be like, I've seen that rapping before. So I think it felt safer.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

Yeah. Okay, so I do have to share a funny story. So when Ryan proposed to me, he went and asked my dad for permission, and then he asked me to marry him. And of course, I first person I called were my parents. And my dad, his first comment was, Now, you do know when you get married, there is no more Santa. And I was like, No, let me think about this marriage thing because Santa was pretty good to me. And so, I mean, I really was like, really? And he was right. Like, once I got married, there was no more Santa. So when and I I know I'm older, like that's ridiculous. I knew Santa wasn't real, but we never I just let it go. Like I never had that conversation with my parents about Santa not being real. Did you have that conversation?

SPEAKER_00 5:39

Well, there was never like a let's come to the table and I'm gonna tell you the truth. I think it just evolved over time as I grew. I put the pieces together. Yeah. Um, I think once I moved out of the house, there was no more Santa. Okay. Um, and then what's interesting is my in-law's house, we still everybody gets presents from Santa over there. Really? And it's just kind of random presents under the tree will say from Santa. So there's not even like he left this pile over here. You just go to open a gift and that that tag says from Santa, and my mother-in-law kind of smiles and shrugs her shoulder. My kids are like, but Santa came here too. I love it. Like, I guess. I love it. So do your children still believe in Santa? So my um youngest is eight, and I would say she's questionable on Santa. Um, she asks questions and I kind of like answer them. Yeah. But I think it we have to think about our kids, and when they're ready to know the truth, we know it. Yeah. My son is 10, and last year, right after Christmas or before, he was like, Mom, I don't think there's a real Santa, right? Like you're Santa. Yeah. And I was like, Are you ready to know the truth of all of that? And he goes, Yeah, I think I already know. And at that point, I was like, You're right. That's good. Um, but we practice Santa because it's a way to teach how to give without any expectation of receiving. Yes. And it's a way to learn to believe in something you can't see.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Yes. Okay, I want to talk more about that for sure. Okay. Um, but I wanted to say my because my kids are older. So both of my girls found out from the same little girl that just she had older brothers. It was innocent, great family. She just had older brothers, and she told both my girls, and they came home and were like, Mom, so and so told me that saying is not real. And so I just was it in the same like moment, or it was two different moments, which is kind of sweet because I think it was two different, but I think Maggie found out first and kind of kept it quiet. And then once Addie found out, she was like, Wait a minute. Everybody knows now. So um, and then they both came and talked to me. So I think maybe Addie went to Maggie. I don't know. I need to ask him. It was a long time ago. Um, and we just had that conversation. Um, and you know, I I've heard because I spoke one time and I had parents quiz me on Santa, and one dad was like, I just don't want to lie to my kids. Um, but I have to say, I never felt like my parents lied to me. I don't either. And when my girls asked questions, I just answered them and was honest. Um, I mean, I think I think if you were to ask my kids since they were older, I think they would tell you Christmas was always about Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

100%.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Right. And the Santa brings a little bit of fun into it and brings a little bit imagination. Yeah. But I love the giving without the expectations. Yeah. So talk a little bit about that. I love that. What what did you mean by that?

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Well, I just want my kids to always know that um we don't give to receive. That's good. And I think in the Christmas season it's that's a temptation to think like, well, I got so-and-so a gift. What are they getting me? Yeah, that's good. Um, and I want kids to know like you don't always give a gift in order to receive something, it is not a transaction that happens. We give out of the fullness of our heart. We give to show love. Um, and then I also want them to remember that faith piece. Like we give Santa brings us things and we're so grateful for all that he gives us, just like we're grateful for the Lord and what Jesus has given us. Yeah. Um, but I think it lays a really beautiful foundation for teaching kids that we may not see Santa, but we know he we know he's there, we see the gifts of his love. And just like with Jesus, we yeah we can feel the gifts of his love even though we can't see him.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Yeah, no, it's good because it's sometimes I feel like the Jesus and the God part is hard for kids to understand because it's not anything they can touch or see. Um, and I never have really thought about Santa's kind of a little bit like that because it's a kind of imaginative person too. And I really don't think it confuses children as long as you just keep communicating with them.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

I don't think so either. And when that time comes for that serious conversation, I think that's a perfect point to say now our faith is nothing like this. Jesus is the real thing and the real meaning of the season. Santa is something that we enjoy and we have fun with to bring joy to the season. Yeah, but Jesus is real.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Yeah, no, I think it's good. And I think families listening to this, they just have to do what's best for their family.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Yeah, and you may have a strong conviction that you don't want to do Santa, and that's don't too. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

No, I think that I think you have to, especially if you're married, you come together and you guys have different the way you celebrated Christmas might be different than your spouse, and you just have to work it out. Make compromises. Yes. And I feel like the the Christmas season where it gets hard is splitting your time with families, and it's just it's busy and it's hard.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

So many expectations, so much busyness, lots going on.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

It is, it is. And so it's just slowing down and enjoying that time. Yeah. Yeah. What about tradition? Traditions. So we talked a little bit about this, and it was fun to hear just even some of the people in the office, the ladies in the office, the different traditions they did as kids or they do now. Um so we kind of made a list, but let's kind of talk about that. Let's talk through them because we definitely had some um we've had some parents that don't do a lot of tradit traditions, and then we have some that um they do some. And so I personally think traditions are so so important. I do too. For just making memories and for that's what the kids typically remember. Um it I've had parents say, but I don't have time for it. I don't have time to bake cookies, I don't have time. It's just it's the busyness. But I think the traditions are really important.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

I think the traditions are those core memories that kids go back to. When I think about my childhood, it's the things we did every single year that were so grounding and anchoring for me. Yes. So I want to provide that for my kids. And it doesn't have to be fancy. Right. It doesn't mean you have to be a Pinterest mom and do all the super cutesy things. It's just a matter of like remembering, okay, next year we're gonna do the same thing on Christmas Eve or we're gonna read the same Christmas story every year to build that m memory.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Yeah, I love it. So let's talk through some of these. Um, you mentioned the advent candles. Yeah, we do those. Yes. Did you guys do those? So we did it when the kids were younger, but I started a few years back, and I'm so grateful that I just studied that. It was probably four or five years ago. Yeah, I guess we studied it and kind of understood the whole meaning behind all of it. And I'd always done it as a kid, but I'm not sure I really understood what we were doing. Um, and so we have we started that a while back, and I love it.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

I love it too. I grew up doing Advent in our church. We did Advent, so that's always kind of a marked thing for us and our family. Um, and so we got our own little Advent wreath at the house. It is not fancy. I think I ordered it off Amazon. Yeah, me too. But it's got all of the candles, and we've started like on Sunday nights. We try to kind of have or Saturday nights, dependent on our schedule, but sometime over the weekend we try to sit down that night and we have this kind of a special meal. Set the table, get out the fancy water cups. Yeah, um, the kids like to dress up, sometimes they don't have to. Um, and just try to have like a moment that we all sit down together and read through some sort of advent devotional or study. I love it. Um we're gonna be sharing some of these on our social media account soon. So pay attention to that because those will be coming. Um, and you can see some studies that we recommend that you can do with your kids or just you and your spouse just having a way to mark that advent season. Yeah, it just kind of gets you grounded in the season. Yeah. It's easy to forget, right? It's easy for me to blink and it's Christmas Eve, and I'm like, I haven't slowed down to like really remember the reason for the season. So I think that's a good way to do that.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

I love that. And one thing that we did, and it honestly kind of it just kind of happened. It wasn't a thought that I like went out to create, but I bought the kids' stockings and Ryan and I stockings, and I thought, well, I'll buy the girl's husband's matching stockings so that we'll all be the same someday. Well, then we had Jace and it messed up my stockings.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

There's an extra.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

So I was like, ah, what am I gonna do with this extra stocking? And so we made a Jesus stocking. I love that. And so he the Jesus stocking is first, and then you know, it goes in birth order or whatever. But what I love is when the kids were little, we just talked about writing Jesus a letter. And when they were really little, we would just have him color a picture. So sweet. And then what I I mean, not I did not think through any of this. We just kind of went through it. But what's so cool now is we every year we would just put those letters and those coloring. They just set in this, they stayed in the stocking. And so every year we hang, I mean, it is full of letters and coloring pictures, and um, and it just we never took them out. We just always put them in there, and then every year we'd you know put the stocking away and get it out, and next year do the same one. And so, I mean, he his stocking is full of letters. Sweet. And I know I it really too late for me to start. No, I might get a Jesus stocking this. I think it's easy and it's sweet. Um, and then even Ryan and I wrote some just things we were just it's just slowing down and thanking him for all that he did for us. Um, and and just celebrating him, you know. So we did start that. It was not anything I learned from someone or anything. I it literally just happened. Jace came and I had an extra stocking and I was like, what am I gonna do with this? And so we just made a Jesus stocking.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

Yeah, and how easy is that? You don't even have to remember that. You just buy the extra stocking and put it up every year. And those are the things kids are like, Oh, it's the Jesus stocking. I know, I know. And they probably love reading through it too.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

We always pull out stuff and giggle on the stuff that they've said or colored or misspelled, or you know, just the little things. Um, yeah, that is one thing. I love that one.

SPEAKER_00 16:12

We did. Sometimes we will leave an empty spot or we'll set an empty spot at the table around Advent and we say, Oh, that's the spot for Jesus. I love that. So you could do something like that too. Yeah, that's simple. We do the birthday cake for Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Okay, we've always done that too. Um so that is a big deal. And it's something that the kids make. I mean, it's not fancy. We don't spend a lot of money on it, um, just cover it with icing and decorate it for birthday. And we actually sing happy birthday. Yeah, we do too. Um so yeah, that was that was easy and fun. Yeah, that's that's not hard at all.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

Um we do books too, leading up to Christmas. Let's talk about that. Um for years we've done the 12 days leading up to Christmas. We have a different book that's wrapped under the tree. Um, and there for a while I was like, am I just like feeding this like present thing because they're opening a new gift every night? And then I thought, no, I think it's okay. Um, I just don't want my kids to get too hung up on all of the gifts and make that what they're excited about. But I try to be intentional about those 12 books, and they all have something to do with Christ and the um Christmas story, or even just the spirit of Christmas that I want to focus on. So those 12 books I rap every year, we read one before bed every night, and my oldest is 13 and she still loves to do it.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

So sweet, sweet, sweet time. Yeah, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 17:31

Now they kind of read them to each other. It's not always me reading them anymore. That's sweet, but that's okay. And then I hope one year I can kind of give each of them their own set to take to their families. That is sweet.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

What is sweet. Yeah, I love that. Well, we also nativity sets and nativity scenes. Um so reading Luke out loud and having the kids like so. When they were little, they had like their little people one. Um and uh now that they're older, they're big. But just when they were little, we had them hold the pieces and play with the pieces, act it out, act it out, and be a part of it. And um, so we would read the story and they'd have to put their pieces as we read the story. That was something that we kind of did.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

I have this memory of when I was a kid. Every year at my grandparents' house, all my cousins and I would dress up and act out the Christmas story. That's fun. So we would go back in my grandma's closet, find old shirts and wrap up in them like Mary, and um get the baby doll, and we would act it out every year. Such sweet memories.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

Yeah, I love that. That's fun. And it kind of brings it to real life to be able to do some of that. Absolutely. Yeah, I think it's just it's just about kind of being in that moment um and and just enjoying the kids because it goes so fast. I know. Now that I'm here, I tell people all the time, just enjoy them when they're little because it just goes so fast. It's crazy. And it is set there, it's crazy. It's just a crazy season. I know that, but it does go so fast.

SPEAKER_00 19:01

Yeah, we're trying to really focus on not doing quite so much this year. We did it last year. Um, so when things come up that I'm not like, oh, we for sure want to do that, I'm trying to say no to some things just to give us that breathing room to slow down. Um, because if you're not careful, it's awful and then it gets a day.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

And some of the stuff you can't say no to, like the plays and the absolutely you're still gonna do all of that. You're gonna do all that. Um, but I think you're wise to just think through what you don't have to do, you know. Yeah. Um what about we've had some families say, um, this kind of came up in the office that they give three gifts or um we do the four gifts, something you want, need, wear, read.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Okay. Just to keep it simple. I love that. Um, but I think there is a girl in the office that does the three gifts of the wise men. I was like, maybe we should switch to that. That's real. I I like that. Yeah. Um but I mean, they get the four gifts, but then they also get grandparent gifts. I know. Santa gifts, stocking gifts. Yeah. There's plenty of things.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Well, and I think again, it just depends on family. We've always done Christmas kind of big. Um, I don't buy them a lot of stuff in between the birthdays and the Christmas. So I've always kind of done it big. Um, and they know that they don't ask for much in between. Um, so I think you just have to do what's whatever works for your family.

SPEAKER_00 20:24

Yep. Um, we try to do an angel tree. Have you guys done angel trees? Every year. Or something like that. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

And my kids still get so excited about it.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

I love that. Um, I think somebody mentioned they their kids make wish lists for the year, like their Christmas list, but then they make the give list.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

Love it.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

So things they want to give to people or ways they want to give to people of your time or your efforts. So I think that's really sweet too. I think it's important to take the focus off of self-100 on other people. Yeah. Um and teaching our kids to do that. It takes intentionality. It does. It doesn't come naturally to a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

And it doesn't have to be expensive. Like if you're listening to this going, I can't even afford Christmas for my family. Right.

SPEAKER_00 21:06

It's more about baking cookies and taking them to the neighbor or writing a letter to someone, going and knocking and doing a little caroling session for your neighbor that you know needs to be cheered up. So it doesn't have to cost anything. No. Just thinking of others.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Just just putting others before you training our kids to do that too.

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

I love it. Yeah, I love it. What other um we talked about Christmas Eve service. Yeah, we do that every year. Our church does candlelight. I feel like most churches probably do. Um, and then one thing we started, we started this years ago, but the Morgan Five, we draw names and we buy a gift for that person, and we open that gift Christmas Eve night. Oh, that's fun. So after church, we open that gift. And honestly, that's probably the gift we're most excited about. Like we put it's never expensive. We put a dollar amount on it. Um, but it It's the one that we're all super excited because most of the time the kids use their own money. Um, so they're excited to kind of have their sibling or mom or dad open it. And so that has been fun. I think about that.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Mm-hmm. My kids like that too. We kind of do a date night. So I'll take my son, for instance, on a date night and he gets to buy something for his two sisters. Okay, fun. And then my husband will take one of the girls and we kind of take turns. Um, but they put so much effort into picking the perfect gift for them. And I think it's so sweet.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

Well, and they'll even throughout the year, someone will say something and then Addie will be like, I gotta remember that that's what Jace wants. And I'm like, oh my gosh, you know, so yeah, it's just it's keeping the siblings thinking about each other too, which is important. It is important. Okay, so let's talk about decorating. Are you a big decorator?

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Yeah, we do, and we just did a remodel, so we are going to do some new decoration. That's fun. I got a new Christmas tree this year. So I'm so excited about it. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

So I I go big. I have a lot of decorations. When do you put them up? Before Thanksgiving or after? Well, so I used to never do it before Thanksgiving because I didn't want that holiday to be forgotten. So I think it's so important to be thankful. But the kids, like what would happen is we would travel on Thanksgiving, and by the time we got home. I know. It seems like the last few years it's been closer together. Well, Thanksgiving's late this year.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

And then also now that my kids are big, when they come home from college, I don't want to be decorating. Like I want them to come home and just be like, oh, it's Christmas. You know, so I do decorate earlier and earlier now, just because I literally want them to walk in the door and feel like the Christmas season. Yeah. So, but talk to me about that. I have multiple trees.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

I I have two trees every year. My husband's like, Are we doing both trees? And I'm like, Yes, we're doing both trees. Yeah. And over time it's kind of become our family room tree has the homemade ornaments that I just cannot bear to part with. Um, and our new living room will have all of the pretty, prettier, fancier ornaments for sure. But I love, I love decorating. My kids love it. Yeah, it's so much fun. It's something they beg for every year. Every year, my husband pretends to go to the forest to cut down the tree, and he's like, I'm going to the forest, and climbs up the attic and is silly about it, but they think it's hilarious. Um, putting the lights on is always like takes forever, and they're just so anxious. Um, we have a good friend who they order Chinese food every night that they really do their tree, and I think they love that tradition. So fun. I think it doesn't matter what you do, just make it fun and exciting.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

Yeah, I agree. No, we're the same. And even the outdoor lights, I feel like we all get involved. Um, I hope it's cold.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

I don't know the way it's going. It's still in the 80s. Um, but yes, and go into look at lights. Yes. We have this tradition where that we put the we kind of know what night we're gonna stay up late and go look at lights, but we still have the kids go to bed. They don't know what night it is, and they get in bed and everyone is down for the night, and then we we come through and like play music and ring bells. We're like, wake up, wake up, we're going to look at lights, and they love it.

SPEAKER_01 25:16

And we drive through Starbucks, yeah, get hot cocoa. The best. So we would always um and it we started it when the kids were pretty little. Um, now they're like, don't do it because it's embarrassing. But we would drive around, and if the houses like were super impressive, we would do three honks. And if it was just like uh we would do one honk. Um and so rate them. I mean, and the kids were like, it's a two-honker, and we would honk at ties. And but I mean it was annoying and loud. And now that they're older, they're like, no, do not do it. Um but we used to do it when they were little and they loved it. We still do it. I know we still do it. Well, Ryan does some yeah. Um and then there's just gosh, so much to do.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Like there's places to go see and go walk around and get bundled up and we love going ice skating every year. Um making gingerbread houses. I usually save all the Halloween candy smart and put them on the gingerbread houses. So that's a big deal at our house. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

So that became a big deal when the girls like got older. The fancy gingerbread houses. Oh my goodness. They have their friends over and they just I want to do that. I mean, they're pretty elaborate. Gingerbread. I mean, they they buy the kits, right? They buy the houses, but then the candy and the icing, and it it's a big deal.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

So yeah. My girls make tons of snowflakes and they put them on all the windows.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

How fun.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

So we tape snowflakes on all of the windows. What a cute idea because it's so inexpensive. It's just paper. Paper. Yep, and some YouTube videos that show you some really fancy snowflakes to make. I love it. So it doesn't have to be expensive.

SPEAKER_01 26:52

No, it's just about doing I think it's doing things that are a little different. It's exciting. I also think it's about doing traditions over and over, because that's what they kind of tend to remember. Um, and just keep everything intentional about Jesus. Yeah, that's what it's all about, really. Yeah. Um, is there like as far as the Merry Christmas, is there anything else you can think of that we should share?

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Um just build the memories. Yeah, that's we're gonna build the memories, slow down, soak it up. Um, spend time with Jesus on your own. I love that. Um, so that you can also soak that up in the preciousness that the season offers. Um that's hard to do sometimes though.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

Yeah, no, I love that. I love that. Okay, well, building all children, and we always wrap up our Rise and Build podcast with this scripture. Okay. So do you have a scripture?

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Yes, I picked Matthew 6, 3, and 4. When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be done in secret. And your father, who sees in secret, will reward you. So I love that one when we think about Santa. Um, and I love the idea of even coming up with a family secret giving challenge. Yeah. So thinking of something the the four or the five of you are gonna do that nobody's gonna know about.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

In a way to kind of give and show love to someone. Yeah, I love it. I think that scripture is so powerful.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

So good. And I think all of our kids need to know it because there is something about giving just because it's yeah in your heart and the right thing to do versus letting everyone know what you're doing. It's powerful. I love that scripture. Okay, well. Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas. I hope you guys just enjoy this season.