Unwrapping the REAL Gifts of Christmas

This Sunday will be a review of our songs for the Christmas program, including practicing the songs with the musicians that will be playing along with us. I will introduce this activity by sharing that I love Christmas including wrapping presents and putting up Christmas lights, but that I never want to forget about the real gifts of Christmas, and why all the symbols of Christmas bring me joy. I will share that I have wrapped up some of these real gifts to remember today. These are just some of the gifts that we can give to our Heavenly Father and some of the gifts that he has given to us.

If I had more time during singing time, I could have simply used scriptures and had the children look them up, but instead I will wrap up the following quotes that I researched and found on LDS.org (below) (so I can focus more on preparing for our Christmas program).

Update: This was an amazing, spiritual lesson and singing time. I could have heard a pin drop! I called children up that were singing reverently to pick another present to unwrap, and simply used the "presents" to motivate them to sing well, but to also help teach them to pay attention to and appreciate the beauty of the music they were singing.

To keep it simple with preparation, I just cut out the below quotes, rolled them up, tied a ribbon around them, and put them under a little Christmas tree. We read the first quote, and then I likened it to "He Sent His Son" and asked them to think about what that song really meant - how it was about gift our Heavenly Father gave us, while we sang. Normally, I would have attached a song and even a special way to sing the song to the present they selected. This time, I just called out what I wanted them to do, and likened the quote to the selection. This worked amazingly well and allowed me to focus our songs on preparing for the program next week.

Intro

The Christmas season is a time to reflect and act upon the blessings and opportunities we have because of the birth, life, Atonement, and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As our Heavenly Father “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16), we express our love toward one another and toward God and his precious Son by giving of ourselves.
http://www.lds.org/topics/christmas

Gifts we give to our Heavenly Father

We can give our Heavenly Father joy by repenting and making sacred covenants with him.
How to Gift Gifts to Christ by President Henry B. Eyring 2010 First Presidency Message
http://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/12/how-to-give-gifts-to-christ?lang=eng&query=gift

Gifts we give to our Heavenly Father

We can give our Heavenly Father the gift of doing for others what He would do for them. For example, we can feed the hungry, visit the sick or more simply, help our parents do the dishes without being asked, write a letter to a missionary … (Matthew 25:37 – 40)

How to Gift Gifts to Christ by President Henry B. Eyring 2010 First Presidency Message
http://www.lds.org/new-era/2012/12/how-to-give-gifts-to-christ?lang=eng&query=gift

Gifts from our Heavenly Father
He sent his son to be a perfect example for us, so we could learn about “how to reach out to those in trouble or distress, wherever they may be.”
(President Thomas S. Monson, 2011 First Presidency Christmas Devotional)
http://www.lds.org/topics/christmas

Gifts from our Heavenly Father
“Because He came, death has lost its sting, the grave its victory. We will live again because He came.
(President Thomas S. Monson, 2011 First Presidency Christmas Devotional)

http://www.lds.org/topics/christmas

Gifts from our Heavenly Father
He has restored the Church of Jesus Christ in the latter days.
The Gifts of Christmas by Henry B. Eyring, Christmas 2011 devotional
http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/christmas-devotional/2011/12/the-gifts-of-christmas?lang=eng

Gifts from our Heavenly Father
He has called prophets and apostles to guide us to safety in this life and eternal life in the world to come.
The Gifts of Christmas by Henry B. Eyring, Christmas 2011 devotional
http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/christmas-devotional/2011/12/the-gifts-of-christmas?lang=eng

Gifts from our Heavenly Father
“Because He came and paid for our sins, we have the opportunity to gain eternal life.”
(President Thomas S. Monson, 2011 First Presidency Christmas Devotional)
http://www.lds.org/topics/christmas