Post # 155 – It is the Christmas Season



Dear Family and Friends


I have been thinking about what I wanted to share with you today, I was looking for quote for something that I am getting ready for Christmas and I ran across first one quote and then another and then another. These quotes are all about Christmas so I thought I would share them with you as well😊 I hope you enjoy the ones that I have chosen, there were so many to choose from!

I do hope that you and your family members have  checked out and embraced the Light the world Campaign and that you have invited your friends and neighbors to join in with you for these wonderful, meaningful activities each day😊 The activities are small and simple but very meaningful😊 don’t forget that you can sign up for the app that will send you a daily message of something that you can do individually or with your family members, your friends and your neighbors as well😊

Which of these gifts will you give to your family members and friends? Gifts for Christmas do not have to be costly to be a good gift. Homemade gifts are often the most meaningful to the receiver. Remember it is the thoughtfulness, the labor of love, the care in which a gift is chosen or made that is most important – not the cost. Do you remember the story of the Magi?

Some of the following quotes tell portions of the Christmas story. Be sure that you read the whole story with your family members and your friends😊 You can find the traditional version of the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20. In Matthew 1:18-25 also tells of the birth of Jesus Christ. Luke 1:1-14 begins with the decree from Caesar Augustus.

You will find the Christmas story from Nephi’s perspective in 3 Nephi 1:9-21. Then Matthew 2:1-12 you will find there described what happened after Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. In Helaman 14:1-8 you will find the prophecy of Samuel the Lamanite about the sign at the time of Christ birth.

What are your family traditions? We have had many over the years, and that is quite alright. Your traditions might change if you need to change locations for work or for school. We used to have a tradition of making goodie bags for all of the prisoners in our local jail. I worked with the Sherriff’s wife and I knew him quite well. He would give me the number of prisoners he had in the jail during December and that is how many bags that my children and I would make.

When we moved to another state, we no longer did that tradition. The laws have changed and everything needs to be prepackage and there are so many more people who have special needs for their diets. This makes it awful costly and out of our budget, but since that move we have developed some new traditions and that has worked for our family.

I think when you have young children you may have certain traditions and as your children grow you may need or want to add more or change up the traditions your family has. I heard it said on a Christmas movie that ‘traditions are the stories that your family writes together.’

I had made some Christmas stencils out of card stock and the children would decorate each lunch bag. Even my very youngest children were able to join in on these festivities😊When that was done, we would make various Christmas cookies, mints, and brownies. We would always buy cases of fruit to add to their bags and of course Christmas candies. We had so much fun doing this small thing so that the prisoners would get a gift on Christmas day😊

 

What gifts are you going to give to your Savior this year for Christmas? This is another tradition we had in our family – I say had because when each of my children have married, they have developed new traditions in their own families. I believe that it is important to focus on the Christ child and what His birth truly means to each one of us that come into this world😊

Tell them of the angel’s visit to Mary, then to Joseph. Of the angel’s visit to Mary’s cousin Elisabeth who became pregnant in her old age. Elisabeth became the mother of John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus Christ.

These quotes tell of giving instead of getting. They remind us that we must follow the Savior’s example and do the will of the Father as He did. remember that He – Jesus Christ is the Gift. Another quote is of renewing our covenants to follow the Savior and to do the will of our Heavenly Father. Yet another is reminding us that the Spirit of Christmas is the Spirit of Giving😊

You may want to read some Christmas articles from Church Leasers and share the messages with your family members and your friends and neighbors. The following are only a few of the many choices you can make:

‘The Peace and Joy of Knowing the Savior Lives’ by President Russell M. Nelson. ‘Because He Came’ by President Thomas S. Monson. ‘The Gifts of Christmas’ by President Henry B. Eyring. I have only shared three with you here, but there are so many more on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website here;

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/magazine?lang=eng

There are also several Christmas videos that have been put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I think you might enjoy. You could share with your family members and friends and neighbors as well😊”A Gift to the World;” “He Is the Gift;” “ The Nativity;” “An Angel Foretells Christ’s Birth to Mary;” “Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem;” “Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Christ;” “The Wisemen Seek  Jesus.”

There is a quote here that asks us each to give of ourselves during this Christmas Season and I will add – throughout the New Yes as well😊 I believe that it is very important that we try hard to keep the Spirit of Christmas every day. This is going to be one of my goals for this New Year to become much better at this and I will challenge each one of you to up your goals and add this one to the very top of your daily goals list😊

I love this quote by Thomas S. Monson: “As we seek Christ, As we find Him, As we follow Him, We shall have the Christmas Spirit, Not for one fleeting day each year. But as a companion always!” what a promise! Don’t you think?  What do you think of the quotes by Dieter F. Uchtdorf and David A. Bednar? I think they too are very powerful quotes😊

What do you think of these Christmas tree shaped quotes? Very clever and very artistic. I wish that I knew how to do this sort of thing. I would love to be able to make my own quotes to share with each one of you. I want to send out a huge “Thank you” to all of you out there in cyber space who share your talents with the rest of us who are not as talented😊

Well everyone, it looks like I have been rambling clear through this entire post☹ I hope I have shared something of value with each one of you and all of our cyber study buddies😊 Please remember to put Christ at the center of your Christmas celebrations. Remember too just why His birth is of such great importance to every single person who has come to this earth!!! It is because of Him…  To learn more, you can check out President Thomas S. Monson’s message here:  ‘In Search of the Christmas Spirit’

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1987/12/in-search-of-the-christmas-spirit?lang=eng

You can read a Frist Presidency message here: ‘Make Time for the Savior’  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2015/12/make-time-for-the-savior?lang=eng

I ran across this little tidbit in some of my searching for what I could share with you during the Christmas Season/ this was directed toward the youth but I don’t think age matters.

Ways to Serve at Christmastime

President Monson takes the time to visit the elderly and those in care centers, especially at Christmastime. He noted that there are those who are happy because they’ve received visitors, while others only hope for visitors who never come. There are people waiting for somebody—maybe this Christmas, you can be that somebody.

The following is a list of just a few ways you can help make sure no one feels alone this Christmas. Feel free to think of more ways you can reach out in your community this season. “Is there one who awaits your visit?”

Make Christmas cards to send to the missionaries and the single and elderly members of your ward or branch.

Volunteer with a local community organization.

Give copies of the Book of Mormon as Christmas gifts to your friends and neighbors.

Visit elderly people in your ward or family.

Make treats to deliver to your neighbors.

For more ideas on how you can serve in your community, go to lds.org/topics/humanitarian-service/help.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/humanitarian-service/help?lang=eng

You can find a Family Home evening lesson here: FHE: The Birth of Christ

http://www.ldsliving.com/FHE-The-Birth-of-Christ/s/5411

There are three talks in one about Christmas. Prophets and Apostles Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas -- President Monson: ‘No Better Time Than Now;’ President Eyring: ‘Gifts We Can Offer to Others for Him;’ President Uchtdorf: ‘Christmas Is about the Christ’ You can find them here : https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/prepare-your-heart-for-christmas?lang=eng

 I ran across this talk that I truly enjoyed it is entitled: “By Way of Invitation” (Alma 5:62) by Sister Betty Jo N. Jepsen, I thought you mightg learn a lot from it. Now this talk is directed towards membersof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but I think we cal all learn something from it. I have only shared a portion of her talk. If you would like to read the rest of it you can go here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1992/10/by-way-of-invitation-alma-5-62?lang=eng

A friend of mine was encouraging her children to get into the car so they would not be late for their Sunday meetings. “Please hurry, Matthew,” she said. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” came a voice from somewhere in another part of the house. Mother replied, “Yes, and so is Christmas!”








At that moment three-year-old Matthew appeared in the nearby doorway, and he said, “Oh, goody, goody, I just love Christmas.” Today I am here to tell you that I just love Christmas, too. And one of the wonderful things about being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we make the events of the Christmas season a part of our day-to-day living.








As I read the account of the birth of my Savior, I long to have the experience the Wise Men had—to be led by a star; or to experience what the shepherds did—to be invited to Bethlehem, invited by a choir of angels. I want to kneel at the manger and smell the clean straw and see that tiny baby with His earthly mother, to witness for myself this miracle. I believe that in every mortal there is an instinctive desire to come unto Christ. Perhaps we have a basic human need, because each of us is a child of God, to make that commitment to the spiritual part of our being. We each try to meet this need according to what we know.

As members of His true church, perhaps we do not need to be taught new things as much as we need to be reminded of what we already know. This is what pondering the birth of our Savior does for all of us. I believe it reminds our mortal minds of things our spirits already know.

In this latter day I have been invited to witness marvelous things for myself. The invitation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Come unto Christ” and “Come back,” is meant for each of God’s children. This invitation has stood true since Jesus said to His disciples, “Come, follow me.” (See Matt. 4:19.) Through the dispensations, prophets have issued the same invitation to all who will listen.





The prophet Alma, the son of Alma, carried this important message to the members in Zarahemla who needed to be reminded. The prophet said,

“Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you. …

“Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness.” (Alma 5:33, 35.)

As a baptized member of the Church, I hear the invitation, and I wonder, How do I get there from here? Because I know the Lord intends to include all of us in this invitation, my personal, honest response is the same as my friend Matthew’s—“I’m coming.” Now, what is my duty? Alma reminded the people of Zarahemla of their duty, ending with the important phrase, “Come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness.” (Alma 5:35; see also Alma 4:3.) By using Alma’s counsel as our guide, come with me on a journey to remember what we can do to answer His invitation.

We Can Search the Word of God

We Can Pray

We Can Participate in the Saving Ordinances

We Can Increase Our Talents

We Can Serve Others

Remember who you are – you are each one a child of God. You are either a son or a daughter of God😊 This knowledge has helped me to get through some very difficult times in my life and I hope and I pray that this knowledge will help each one of you through your own difficult times as well😊 Remember too, that it is very important for each one of you to learn of Christ. He loves you, He has paid the price for your sins and mine too!

 

Keep saying your prayers every day😊 remember that we speak to our Heavenly Father through our prayers and He speaks to us through the scriptures. That is why it is so important for us to read and study our scriptures each day😊 Your Heavenly Father can also speak to you through His Living Prophets, seers, and revelators, who are on the earth to teach us and warn us. This is why it is so important for us to listen to them during our semiannual conferences😊 Until my next post, please make it a good week!