The holidays are a great time to bring the spirit into your home. You may be able to carry some of the suggestions into next year, so that you can have a home in which you can easily feel the spirit. This will help to cut back on fighting and discontentment. Here are a few ideas on having the spirit in our homes throughout the year.
1) At Christmas, many people have Christmas music on in the background. You can easily change this to hymns or Primary songs. Handel’s music can also set a peaceful tone. Classical music in general does, but I especially like the feeling that Handel can bring into the home. The music should not be so loud that it is distracting from conversations, but it can help to break up the silence, and it sets a better tone than the television.
2) People generally display Nativity sets at Christmas time. You may consider decorating your home with pictures of Christ. This will help to bring the Spirit into your home. We have a picture of Christ in nearly every room in our home. It is comforting to look up and see. My children have asked questions about Christ because they have seen the pictures.
3) There seems to be more focus on serving at Christmas time. You may want to carry this through the year. You can have a service oriented family home evening once a month. You may decide to have secret buddies, and swap every month. This keeps the idea of service fresh and fun in everyone’s mind. Continue to reach out to any families you may have befriended over the holidays, because they may still need help and companionship.
4) Another thing many people focus on at Christmas time is gratitude. Make a habit of expressing gratitude for your many blessings. President Eyring shared a story about how he wrote down the blessings his family had each day. This may be a great way for your family to focus on the things that they have.
5) Make it a goal. As the holiday season wraps up, it is time to begin thinking of goals. If you set this goal as a family, you will be more likely to actually have the spirit be in your home. You may talk to your children about being responsible for cleaning up after themselves. As you strive to work together as a team, the spirit will be able to enter your home more easily.
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