Ushering in the True Feeling of Christmas

Many years ago I purchased the most beautiful Nativity for Christmas.  On Christmas eve, we let our children open this most special package.  Our children were in awe of each piece hand painted and so beautiful.  That evening, we quietly played Manheim Steamroller/ Fresh Air's rendition of Silent Night.  Very carefully, each of our young children took turns setting each piece of the Nativity in it proper place.

This experience was very touching and sacred, and brought our family the true meaning and sacred feeling of Christmas.  For several years after, we have tried to re-create this experience to usher in this special feeling of  Christmas, and have always dedicated our Christmas eve to reflect on our Savior and his birth.

Now that our children are growing up, marrying, or living away from home, I have had a strong desire to bring them all back for our special Christmas eve experience.  Being that there are always so many other places to be on Christmas eve, this year I have chosen to start a new tradition, that might invite the true meaning of Christmas at the beginning of the season before all the Christmas hub-bub begins.

So, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I invited all those who could come celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season.  We ate homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner (a tradition after Thanksgiving, started by Myrt Hilton), decorated gingerbread houses, then gathered together to open and place our special nativity.  We were able to share the Christmas Story of Christ, while placing each piece.  After the pieces were placed, I ask for everyone to sing my favorite, Silent Night.  Our darling 2 year old granddaughter (who was the one in charge of getting helpers to place the Nativity pieces), made many  song requests after each song was sung.   She would say, "Now lets sing this, and lets sing this."   IT was a delightful night, and so sweet to share the true feeling of Christmas once again with my grown children, their spouses and their own children.

I am hopeful that this might be a worthwhile tradition that many of my posterity will learn to love.

Happiness

"The most fundamental of all human searches is for happiness.  We each choose our own happiness....President Harold B. Lee... once said:  'Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you.  It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.'"   (James E. Faust, "Who Do You Think You are?", New Era, Mar 2001, 4.)

Life can be so draining sometimes with the daily challenges that we are faced with.  When we focus on our blessings, and are grateful daily for the good things in life, our inner light will burst forth and help us view our lives with happy hearts.

Joy in our Journey Through Hardship

Our life is full of events, some we just don't understand.  Sometimes simple things like a bicycle,  accident can lead us in directions that we could have never imagined.

Our 15 year old son, had a very basic bicycle accident while on vacation this past summer.  Long story made short, he ended up with a bad break in his upper arm with a t-break down toward his elbow.  His accident was on July 3.  It is now 4 months later, and we are still taking him to intense therapy, have lived through 4 different surgeries, still have an open wound draining in his elbow, are trying to have him do home school for a month so he can work physical therapy throughout the day to keep his arm from freezing up from scar tissue, and have been recommended to see a plastic surgeon now to help restore some tissue in his elbow so his wound will heal.  Sometimes it is hard not to say, "are you kidding me, I need this challenge to be over".

But, each time we spend at the hospital for his surgeries, I am humbled by the challenges of those around us.  This past week, there was a boy in the room next to us that had an amputation from the  knee, another boy had both legs amputated from the knee, a mother in a wheel chair was there with her child who had both legs in braces with walking issues, another family had two sons in wheel chairs with physical and mental issues.  I stop and look around me at a friend who's daughter gave birth to a baby at 21 weeks--the baby died after a week.  Another family just lost a battle with their son to cancer, leaving a one week old baby and darling wife, while the same family deals with the father having MS, and struggling immensely.  My sweet sister continues to struggle to support her family while her x-husband spends time in prison.  Everywhere I turn, there are people struggling with huge challenges, so as my son was able to walk out of the hospital with intense challenges ahead, I almost felt guilty for ever being frustrated for our problems.

Now as I sit in the hospital room, with my son going through yet another surgery to find out what is causing infection, and seeing him hooked up to a picc line to be on antibiotics for 6-8 weeks at home, I am a little worn out, but have to stop and look at the wonderful blessing of doctors and people who dedicate their life to help us to be able to live healthy lives.  I am inspired by those around me.  While waiting for my son to come out of surgery, I visited with a darling gal who's daughter was also going through surgery.  While attending to her daughter, her car was totalled by a friend who was driving her two children to school in an act of service.  Later, I found out that this gal has two children in wheelchairs, and now having to worry about retrieving her purse, and Christmas gifts from her car, insurance premiums going up, a friend who certainly was tramatized, and getting a new car.  My heart went out to her.  She shed a few tears, but bursting from her countenance was the sweetest light, from graciousness, kindess.  With everyone she spoke, she radiated love, friendship, and admiration.  A being seeming so perfect, definetly had her own physical challenges as well as those of her children.

The fact is that while on this earth, we will be tested and tried, each differently.  We will face amazing triumph and defeat. Many of our experiences will force us to soley rely upon God.  Through faith and hope, we can be optomistic for our future, and find joy in our challenging moments. By asking God to help us to appreciate the postive in all things, I think we can quietly move away from deep sorrow, anxiety, deppresson, and can have joy in our times of struggle.

Perfection

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
                      Antoine de Saint-Exupery\
                    (French Writer (1900-1944)

Life

From a Tiny Seed

A mustard seed is so tiny that it is just a tiny bit bigger than a period at the end of a sentence.  But, this seed has big capabilities.  It can grow into a mustard plant over fifteen feet tall.  We often hear of faith being similar to a mustard seed, also yielding amazing blessing  from a tiny bit of faith.  Let us not forget that even a tiny speck of faith can help us accomplish great things. "It is a particle of that helps someone struggling with a life-altering illness endure to the end.  It is a particle of faith that gives hope to parents whose child wanders in the ways of the world.  It is a particle of faith that leads someone living in the darkness of addiction toward the light and freedom that comes from relying on Christ.  It is a particle of faith that gives strength to the family struggling with difficult financial burdens.  The lesson of the mustard seed lights the way on the darkest path.  Feelings of optimism, hope and confidence in Christ increase when we exercise and sow even the tiniest seeds of faith."  Rena Peterson "Walking With the Savior".

"If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expediant in me."  (Moroni 7:33)

"Fear can keep us up all night long, but faith makes one fine pillow!" (Unknown)

"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light."  Helen Keller

Faith is a principle of action.  We must act on what we believe.  "Faith without works is dead."  (James
2:17-22)

Faith and trust go hand in hand.  True faith, is placing our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Scripture Treasures

"Pondering a passage of scripture can be a key to unlock revelation and the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost.  Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one's ability to overcome the challenges of life.  They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior.  They can accelerate physical healing".        Richard G. Scott

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

"In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6