There’s a difference between watching Monday Night Football on ESPN and actually being in the Superdome when the Saints beat the Patriots. There’s nothing like just actually being there. And when it comes to Christmas, we all know how much it means to just actually being there with those we love.

The best present you can give is often just the gift of your presence at home. Be fully present with them. Think about it this way: What better gift can you give your spouse than to stay fully committed and faithful? What greater thrill is there than to love and cherish your children?

The perfect Christmas gift this year may not be something you can wrap up in a box and put a bow on. It isn’t something that’s going to rack up more debt for your credit report, either.

The perfect gift this year is an all-out commitment to deeper devotion to your family and loved ones. Being together is the best way to celebrate this season. Do stuff together! Here’s 10 ideas of things you can do together:

1. Do an outreach together with your church.
2. Have an “everybody-help-make-cookies” evening in the kitchen.
3. Go together to take those cookies to a neighbor.
4. Load everyone up in the car and drive around looking at homes decorated with Christmas lights.
5. Read the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20) to your family one evening.
6. Make some hot chocolate and start telling about your favorite Christmas memories.
7. Pull out the old photo albums and videos and watch them together.
8. Let your kid make special Christmas decorations (drawings, extra lights, ornaments, etc.) and decorate a part of your house with them.
9. Play a board game together – like Scrabble… or if you have younger kids, pull out Chutes and Ladders and get after it!
10. Pray together at bedtime for missionaries (Here’s a list you can use.)
11. BE THE ONE in your family to invite the rest of your family or friends to get together for a Christmas party at your place. Make it a no-pressure, everyone-bring-a-small-dessert type of party, and just have some fun being together!

The next few weeks at Healing Place Church, we’re going to be talking about being “Home for the Holidays” – check out this video promo our team put together:

Make sure you invite someone to come with you this week to church! See ya there!