Saturday, December 21, 2019


Post # 157 – Come, Follow Me – Week # 47 -- Christmas “Good Tidings of Great Joy”

Dear Family and Friends

How are your holiday plans coming along?? Mine are coming along very slowly. I went home Friday night after work and fell asleep until it was time to take my grand daughter to work. We got back home about 1am. I went right to bed and didn’t really get up until probably 6:30p.m. when the kids woke me to come up to make them some Spaghetti Omelets 😊

Don’t make that face until you have tried them😊 They are really tasty and a good way to reinvent your leftovers😊 Do you ever have too much of one thing or another left over after a meal? Having had a fairly large family I needed to learn how to manage my leftovers, you know so that the kids didn’t say ‘we are having …. (that) again’ and this is one of the dishes that I came up with😊

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I got them made and went right back to bed and didn’t wake up again until just about time for church Sunday morning. I missed Sacrament, but I went anyway. After I got home, I changed my clothes and went back to sleep until it was time for her to go to work again😊

After she got off work we went home, and I went right back to bed and slept until time for work Monday morning😊I am not just sure exactly why I am sleeping so much or need to sleep so much. I stumbled across this way to Light the World by donating to Water Aid ---

48% of people in Madagascar live without clean water.

With your help, we are going to change that.

We are proud to partner with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

If any of you can donate – even a small amount will be so very helpful. This makes me more grateful that we have clean water here in our country😊 You can read more about this program here:  


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I wanted to be sure to share with all of you about how my cancer journey is moving along. My last tests were good, they showed n sign of the cancer growing. This means that my chemotherapy every three weeks is working😊 I am so very grateful to my Heavenly Father for inspiring the knowledge of the medical advancements in the treatment of all cancers – especially breast cancer.

One of my younger sister was diagnosed with stage on breast cancer last year and she had surgery to remove the affected part of her breast – with a breast reduction on the other side so they would match (which she was very excited about) 😊 I am also very grateful that she is doing so well😊 she is taking chemotherapy through pills I believe.

I just found out that I have a soft tissue infection under the skin which is more prevalent when you have lymphedema. I thought maybe the red dots were just more ingrown hairs because I had had a few of those recently. I thought my sleeve had caused them by maybe rubbing against the incoming hairs causing them to become ingrown.

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Then I kept getting more red dots, and more and more – all within a few days. I wasn’t sure if I should make an appointment at the clinic with my regular PA or try to get in to see my oncologist because they might know more about the conditions of an arm with lymphedema 😊

You know – I don’t know if anyone ever wears their compression sleeve 24/7, but had I not noticed this it very well may have been fatal My sleeve covers my entire arm from the shoulder to the wrist and then I have a glove for my hand which covers all of the affected area.

So please be care with our selves. Watch your whole body for any type of changes. Take pictures of things and see if there are any changes each day. If you even wonder about something please, please go get it checked out. At the very least please call your doctor or oncologist nurse and ask questions.


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I called the cancer center and they told me that I could stop by and they would take a look at my arm and take pictures to send to my doctor – who was at another clinic on that day. I did not need an appointment – Wow! Like, when does that ever happen in this day and age??? I stopped by, the nurse took the pictures and I was waiting for the news from my doctor.

The next thing I knew one of his partner doctors came out to see me and he ordered labs and an antibiotic to be started right away. He also had me go to the hospital for an ultrasound of the arm. Right now, it is only in the arm that I have lymphedema in. This happened because of a very tiny opening from a pore not even a cut on my hand where the virus was able to get under the skin and develop into an infection.

If you have Lymphedema be sure to cover all cuts or scrapes no matter how small they are. What I thought was a spider bite or an ingrown hair left a very small place for the virus to enter in—the affected area was smaller than the size of a pencil eraser and that included the redden area around the entry point – like pores in your skin. I will go back to the oncologist PA on Monday so they can recheck it. I know that I am not out of the woods yet, but I am hopeful.

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I will be getting a priesthood blessing on Sunday😊 because I can get through all things in the strength of the Lord. When I was just looking at my arm earlier today, I was wondering if this is what the lepers had to deal with – except all over their whole body. – I know it is not the same thing, but it did cross my mind, so I thought I would share that thought with you.

I mentioned this to each of you because of the importance of washing your hands so as not to spread germs. Also, to remind each of you how precious our water is😊 I cannot even imagine someone in my condition living without proper water, and sanitization, for cleanliness as well as trying to keep infections out of my body. If you cannot give to the Water Aid / Light the World, please make sure to pray for someone that can do so to help our brothers and sisters all around the world😊

Our lesson this week was the Christmas lesson. Our instructor wanted to teach this lesson and he would be out of town next week, so we got our Christmas lesson a week early😊 he said that we would do Revelations 1-11 next week. He did say that they tie in together nicely though.

We learned about the birth and mission of Jesus Christ. He asked us as a class how we each individually and with our family members and friends celebrated the birth of our Savior in some ways that brought each of us, and our family members and friends closer to Him.

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Some of things that I have done with my children over the years; we chose a family in need and provided them with Christmas presents anonymously.  We have been involved in our Ward plays about Christmas; we read the Christmas Story from the scriptures; made Christmas goodies and taken them to our neighbors; we would choose a few names off the tree and buy gifts for whomever was on the tag.

I think serving others is always a way to come closer to Christ. I also think singing Christmas songs about Christ help you to stay more focused on Him. Listening to Christmas songs or songs about Jesus Christ help me to stay my focus on Him and all that He has done for me😊

I am so very grateful for His willingness to come to earth to die for me. To pay for my sins and transgressions. To make a way for me to return to live with Him and my Heavenly Father someday😊 I cannot even imagine the pain and anguish that my Savior suffered for me alone and He did this for every single person who has and who ever will be born on this earth, Wow!!

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These are some places you can go to find ideas if you need some to help you to keep Christ your focus during this Christmas Season.


 How to Make Jesus Christ the focus at Christmas --https://www.comeuntochrist.org/blog/how-to-make-christ-the-focus-of-christmas




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 This first part comes directly from the Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:

Why does the birth of a baby bring such great joy? Perhaps because a new baby can be a symbol of hope. There’s something about a brand-new life full of possibilities that invites us to ponder what life might hold for that child and what wonderful things he or she will accomplish. Never has this been truer than at the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Never has there been more hope placed in a child, and never has there been one born with so much promise.

When an angel invited shepherds to seek a newborn child in a manger, he also gave them a message about that child. It was a message of hopethat this baby had come to earth to fulfill a sacred mission. The shepherds made their message known abroad and all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:17–19). Perhaps it would be good to follow Mary’s example this Christmas: to ponder in your heart the things you have learned about the Savior this year. How did He fulfill His mission of redemption in the accounts you have read? And more important, how has His mission changed your life?

Our instructor asked us what the condescension of Christ is? I believe this means that He left His place in His Heavenly Father’s home voluntarily to come down to earth and to be born of a mortal mother. Let’s search the following scripture verses and see what we can find out:

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1 Nephi 11:14–26

14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!

20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.

25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!

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You know, Christmas is a very good time for each one of us to take the time to ponder and to celebrate the condescension of Christ—to really think about His willingness to leave “his Father’s courts on high, with man to live, for man to die” (“Again We Meet around the Board,” Hymns, no. 186).

1. Again we meet around the board
Of Jesus, our redeeming Lord,
With faith in his atoning blood,
Our only access unto God.
3. Help us, O God, to realize
The great atoning sacrifice,
The gift of thy beloved Son,
The Prince of Life, the Holy One.
2. He left his Father’s courts on high,
With man to live, for man to die,
A world to purchase and to save
And seal a triumph o’er the grave.
4. Oh, bless us, Lord, for Jesus’ sake,
That we may worthily partake
These emblems of the flesh and blood
Of our Redeemer, Savior, God.



If you wanted to help inspire a discussion on this topic, the condescension of Christ, you could ask your family members and friends the following question: What have you and your family members and friends learned in your personal or family group study this week about who Jesus Christ was before He was born. You can have a quick review with the following scripture passages: John 17:5; Mosiah 7:27; D&C 76:12–14, 20–24; Moses 4:2.

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John 17:5

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Mosiah 7:27

27 And because he said unto them that Christ was the God, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the image of man, and it should be the image after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of God, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—

Doctrine and Covenants 76:12-14; 20-24

12 By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God

13 Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning;

14 Of whom we bear record; and the record which we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision.

20 And we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness;

21 And saw the holy angels, and them who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him forever and ever.

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.


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Moses 4:2

2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

With your family members and friends gathered together, read about the Savior’s birth in the following scriptures: Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; 2:1–20. Grab your scriptures. Are all of you ready to learn more about the Savior’s birth? Okay, let’s begin with Matthew and then move right into Luke😊 Do you all have your scriptures out and ready to read?

Matthew 1:18-25

18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.


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Luke 1:26-38

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

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Luke 2:1-20

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

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 What thoughts and feelings do you and your family members and friends have as you compare the Savior’s premortal glory with His humble birth?  A good way to start a discussion with your family members and friends might be to ask a question like the one the angel asked Nephi in 1 Nephi 11:16. You may also want to write on a poster board the question –What is the condescension of God?  And the answer is … To condescend means to voluntarily descend from a position of rank or dignity.

Then as you and your family members and friends read 1 Nephi 11:17–33 you should ask them each to think about this question. What is the condescension of God? As you know we have already read 1 Nephi 11:14-26 earlier in this post so I will add verses 27-33 here:

27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.

29 And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.

30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.

31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.

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Next it may be good for you to share any thoughts about the Savior that these verses inspire you might want to ask your family members and your friends what they think these verses teach us about our Savior. What pictures could you show the class that depict scenes from the Savior’s life described by Nephi? They could also think about the condescension of the Savior as they watch a video about His birth, such as the following:





As you probably know music is a wonderful way to invite the Spirit into your homes and into your family study and discussions about the Savior😊With that said, and if you and your family members and friends are musically inclined you may want to encourage a performance of a Christmas song. One of my favorites is ‘What Child is This,’ ‘Silent Night,’ you know the old songs😊
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There is a music video -- by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,” or “He Is the Gift” (all of these can be found on LDS.org). • your class. Consider playing Christmas hymns performed by the Tabernacle Choir (see mormontabernaclechoir .org), I found a lot of Christmas music videos here: https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/videos/christmas.html

If you are like me and cannot sing very well or at all😊 you might at least consider reading of a few hymns together with your little family study group the Christmas songs are located in the Hymns, book nos. 201–14.  You can look these up here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/music/library/hymns?lang=eng&_r=1

 You and your family members and friends may want to look for phrases in these hymns and the scriptures listed there along with the hymns that increase their gratitude for the Savior and His willingness to come to earth.

LUKE 4:16–21; JOHN 3:16

3 Jesus Christ fulfilled His mission,  which made it possible for us to  inherit eternal life.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

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John 3:16

16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 It could be helpful at this time for you and your family members and friends to discuss together the reasons Jesus Christ was born; in doing so you may consider inviting them each to find and share one or more scriptures that summarize His mission

(see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families for some examples). Perhaps class members could look for and read verses in pairs or small groups. What do they learn about Christ’s mission from the verses they found? What do we learn about His mission from some of the titles He is given in the scriptures? You may want to check out “Christ, names of” in the Bible Dictionary here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/christ-names-of?lang=eng

You do know that you and your family members and friends could learn about the Savior’s mission by reading “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” (Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, inside front cover)  here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2000/04/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints?lang=eng

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and then sharing together the statements they find that explain why He came to earth. Or you may want to could review with your family members and friends the following message by President Gordon B. Hinckley:

The true essence of Christmas. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: “When all is said and done, . . . nothing is so wonderful, so majestic, so tremendous as this act of grace when the Son of the Almighty, . . . He who had condescended to come to earth as a babe born in Bethlehem, gave His life in ignominy and pain so that all of the sons and daughters of God of all generations of time, every one of whom must die, might walk again and live eternally. He did for us what none of us could do for ourselves. . . . “This is the wondrous and true story of Christmas. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea is preface. The three-year ministry of the Master is prologue. The magnificent substance of the story is His sacrifice, the totally selfless act of dying in pain on the cross of Calvary to atone for the sins of all of us.

“The epilogue is the miracle of the Resurrection, bringing the assurance that ‘as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive’ (1 Cor. 15:22). “There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.

“I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal, Living God. None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. . . . “For each of you may this be a merry Christmas. But more importantly, I wish for each of you a time, perhaps only an hour, spent in silent meditation and quiet reflection on the wonder and the majesty of this, the Son of God. Our joy at this season is because He came into the world. The peace that comes from Him, His infinite love which each of us may feel, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that which He freely gave us at so great a cost to Himself—these are of the true essence of Christmas” (“The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas,” Ensign, Dec. 2000, 4–5).


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 After you and your family members and friends have finished reading you may want to discuss together what you / they have learn about the Savior. How can we make time this Christmas season for “silent meditation and quiet reflection” on the Savior and His mission?

You and your family members should take some time to stop and reflect on your individual testimonies of Jesus Christ and His mission. You and /or your family members and friends may even want to share any personal experiences or stories you and / or they may remember from the Savior’s life that have increased yours or their faith in or love for Jesus Christ” 😊

I want you to take a few minutes to think about your study with your family and your friends- (and of course😊 😊 😊 all of our cyber buddies) of the New Testament during this past year, then get together and answer the following questions: in what ways has studying the New Testament this year with your family and friends contributed to a more meaningful Christmas season for all of you? It might be a good thing to review some of the New Testament accounts that you and your family members and friends have learned about this year, to help with this you may consider showing one or both of the following videos: “For God So Loved the World” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media-library/video/2011-10-042-for-god-so-loved-the-world?lang=eng



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Did you know that it has been said that by studying Revelation 12–22 this week it can deepen your family and friends in their appreciation for the Savior’s role in the plan of salvation and add meaning to their observance of Christmas.

Well, my dear family and friends here we are at the end of our Christmas lesson. Please be sure to study up on Revelation chapters 12-22 for next week. I hope and pray that you all are healthy and well during this Christmas season. Please remember who you are😊 Each one of you are either a son or a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves you😊

My hope and prayer for each one of you is that you each will have a wonderful Christmas and that you will remember to keep Jesus Christ at the center of all of your celebrations😊 remember He is the reason for the Christmas season. Without Christ there would not be any Christmas. Until my next post --- Make it a very Merry Christmas!!!

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