Actress Candace Cameron Bure, who grew up on television
playing D.J. Tanner on the hit sitcom Full
House, knows first-hand that you can create a Christ-centered Christmas for
kids while still enjoying Santa Claus and the commercial aspects of the holiday.
That's exactly what she does with her three children because it reflects how
her celebration of Christmas has evolved through the years.
During a recent interview on Christopher Closeup to discuss both the Christmas movies in which
she stars on the Hallmark Channel along with her book Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose, Bure
said, "Christmas for us growing up as kids was about Santa and presents, and
also serving because charity has always been important to my family, particularly
to my mom, who modeled that so well. We definitely were taught the 'giving'
part of the season."
It wasn't until a conversion experience years later that
Bure fully appreciated the fact that Christmas was about the birth of the
Savior. Now she incorporates the best of both worlds into life with her
husband, former hockey star Valeri Bure, and their children Natasha, Maksim and
Lev.
Bure said, "As a mom, I make sure the season is really
focused around Christ, but I still love the commercialism of Christmas too! I
think it’s wonderful, and I think that you can do both! With our kids over the
years, we scaled way back on presents and told them, 'It's just not about this;
Christ gives us a gift.' And the saying is so true, 'It's better to give than receive.'
I love watching my kids on Christmas morning when one of them has saved up
their money and they give their brother a Christmas present. The joy of giving
is almost bigger than the one receiving."
There's one tradition that's especially important to the
Bures: "For us as a family, we started serving at a shelter on Christmas
morning. We wake up at about 5 a.m. and, with some other family members and
friends, we go to a local shelter that has about 40 or 50 people staying there.
We bring breakfast and we cook it there for them and then we sit down and we
eat, share stories and listen to them and encourage them. For us it's about
giving back first, and then coming home and having the traditional
present-opening at our house and then a big family Christmas dinner with all of
our relatives."
Jesus isn't just someone Bure talks about at Christmas time,
but someone she makes time for every day. She said, "The busier you are, it's
easy to put [God] at the bottom of your list. I don't and I won't. I make time
to read my Bible. I just read the Bible this morning with the kids. Before
going to school, at 6:45, we all sat on the couch and read a chapter of
Corinthians. We talk about it about 15 minutes before school, but it sets your
day."
Ultimately, everything comes back to being humble before God
for Bure. When asked how she moves forward in hope during times of darkness,
she said, "It's on my knees, literally. I have my prayer spot in my room right
by my bed. And [I use it] every day, not just when times get bad. When you have
that ongoing relationship and dialogue with God, I think that, overall, you
will just be calmer and more peaceful, even in difficult times."
(This essay is a recent “Light One Candle” column, written
by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns
that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)
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