It is easy to get caught up in the seasonal frenzy and forget that Christ is at the center of Christmas; so here are ten great ways to put Christ back into Christmas!

1. Purchase cards that say “Merry Christmas” as part of the message; don’t settle for “Happy Holiday” cards! And if it has been a while since you’ve sent Christmas cards, make this the year you start again. Christmas cards with a personal note are a great way to put Christ back into Christmas.

2. Lots of people have service jobs that we often take for granted. Decide which person (or people) you would like to notice at Christmastime and purchase some small gift. Maybe purchase a set of pretty, padded hangers for the school bus driver or a gift card for a coffee shop for the mail carrier. Make sure a Christmas card is included with the gift!

3. This year make sure you have a nativity set for your most used room in the house. The crèche doesn’t have to be large or expensive. A small, inexpensive one put on a pedestal serves the purpose of remembering what Christmas is really all about. Be creative: use a cake pedestal as a platform!

4. Grab a friend and make arrangements to visit a local nursing home or assisted living facility and read Twas the Night Before Christmas and then spend some time visiting with the residents.

5. See if Christmas Carol is playing at a local community college or playhouse. Get tickets and go!

6. Make a decision to buy less and give more this season. Record your efforts in a journal and ask God to show you other ways to serve Him through a servant’s heart.

7. Gather a few friends and make a couple of Christmas baskets to deliver to the nightshift of a local hospital—or your fire department or police station. Remember to include a Christmas card!

8. Volunteer to be part of your church’s Christmas cleaning and decorating crew. More importantly, be part of the cleanup crew!

9. Offer to read Christmas books at the local library.

10. Go ahead and make that edible gingerbread house (and don’t fret if it isn’t perfect) and then invite a friend over to enjoy it with you—or give it to someone who needs a lift.

Putting Christ back into Christmas is fun and easy—and will bring Him more fully into your life as well.

Cheryl Dickow is the president of Bezalel Books and is the author of Elizabeth: A Holy Land Pilgrimage and Our Jewish Roots. Cheryl lives in the beautiful state of Michigan with her husband of 27 years and her three grown sons. Her works appears on a number of faith-based sites and has been published in a variety of magazines and papers.