Just a small thought, as we get close to the 25th.
Christmas is not a holiday created by toy companies or Hallmark. (Hey, people believe that.) The word "Christmas" is shortened from the original term "Christ's Mass" and is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Our focus should be on Him during this season. Even for those who don't believe in Christ, we should keep our focus on kindness, love, service, and charity, rather than on what gifts we'll get, parties, and making the "perfect" commercial holiday experience for ourselves and/or our children. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for decorating cookies and visiting Santa... but we should spend some time thinking about the true Reason for the season, aside from simply reading the nativity story out of Luke on Christmas Eve/Day and then forgetting about it.
We have a kid-friendly nativity set from Little People. For the past two years when I got the set out for Nicole to set up, she arranged all the nativity pieces so that each person and animal could see the baby Jesus. (Her arrangement from this year is pictured below.) I never prompted her to do this; she did it herself. Children know intrinsically where our focus should be. Let's not forget it. I know I can do much better, that's for sure.
Easter egg hunt pictures will be coming later, but for now... don't forget to spend time today remembering why Easter is such an important time of year! If you want a great Easter message, or to learn a bit about why Easter is so dear to me, watch the short video below! :) May we all be filled with joy in remembering all that He did for us, and that He lives!
Nicole will be 3 weeks old for her very first Christmas. 3 weeks isn't exactly old enough to decorate sugar cookies, pull ornaments off the Christmas tree, or enjoy the magic of Santa, so in many ways this Christmas will be fairly normal for the Kelly family. (When I say "normal", I mean not much different than how Christmas would be without a child.)
Nicole has helped me gain a deeper appreciation for the season in a special way, though.
I was sitting on the couch, baby girl was nursing, the Christmas tree was all lit up... it was a quiet, peaceful sort of morning. My mind kept marveling over the tiny human in my arms - how helpless, meek, and innocent she was. That was the day that The Piano Guys came out with their record-breaking Nativity video. I encourage you to watch it on YouTube, it's a beautiful arrangement. It had only been published online an hour or two when I discovered it, and I watched it immediately.
During the video, we see Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus. The magnitude of seeing that baby in the manger hit me hard at that moment - I looked back and forth between the video and the little girl in my arms in complete awe. I had heard the Nativity story my whole life, but it had never occurred to me with such potency that the Savior of the World began His life as a tiny, helpless babe like the one I held.
Needing to be cradled, to be comforted, to be cared for. The Greatest of us all was born in the most humble of circumstances, with no bed to be laid in and no room at the inn for his laboring mother. Having a baby of my own all of a sudden opened my eyes to how truly incredible the whole situation was. How amazing it must have been for Mary to hold that teeny infant and know what He would grow up to do.
Jesus was once a baby! You guys!!! A small and helpless baby like Nicole! I suppose I can't find the words to completely and accurately convey how this realization has touched me... but thanks to my baby girl, this Christmas holds deeper meaning than any before. May we all remember the real Reason for the holiday season and take a moment to appreciate the miracle that occurred years ago in the form of a tiny, innocent baby.
Our discussions in Relief Society focused on the Savior today.
My roommate Emilee was teaching the lesson, and she showed this video.
It's one of my favorite church songs, and is so powerful when combined with the video.
I'm not going to say much more... just let the video do the talking.
Beautiful.
"And though I'm not yet as I would be
He has shown me how I could be
I will make my hands like those from Galilee"
There will be more to come on my festivities in a later post.
But for now, I want to turn your thoughts to the One that we all should have been thinking about today.
The greatest Christmas gift of all was given hundreds of years ago in the town of Bethlehem. God gave us His Son... and it is a story that has been painted and filmed and reenacted over and over again. However, I'm sure that none of these depictions completely capture the serenity and peace that must have been felt by those who saw the star and the Babe that evening.
I love these pictures... the first two are photos taken by Mark Mabry and the second two are still shots from the movie The Nativity Story. Also, if you would like to see a short video depiction of the nativity, you are welcome to view the new video that the First Presidency came out with at the Christmas Devotional at the beginning of this month.
He is the greatest gift.
We celebrate His birth; there is no Christmas without Christ.
Take a moment to remember.
Picture a Christmasfrom the Primary Children's Songbook Lyrics by P.K Graham
Picture a stable in Judea.
Picture a sacred, silent night.
And can you hear
The angels near
And see the stars so bright
Picture the kind and gentle Joseph.
Picture the mother, Mary, fair.
And can you see
So rev'rently
The shepherds kneeling there?
Picture the little baby Jesus.
Think of his life and words so dear.
Sing praise to him;
Remember him,
As you picture Christmas this year.
I'm thankful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I feel that there are not adequate words with which to describe how I feel about my Savior. To list in detail everything He has done for mankind would take more than a lifetime. To repay Him for all of his service and love is impossible. The least I can do is show my gratitude to Him.
I've been taking a class this semester than focuses on the 4 Gospels and the life of Christ, and it has been a great experience. Learning about the miracles and teachings of Jesus is so very important, and I feel closer to Him when I learn more about His life. Perhaps that is why I found "Jesus the Christ" to be such an amazing (albeit linguistically tedious) book to read.
My favorite visual depiction of the life of Jesus Christ is the photography collection "Reflections of Christ" by Mark Mabry. Several years ago, we had the wonderful opportunity to have the collection come to Fresno. These humongous photographs were set up in the Cultural Hall of our church building and I got to take my time viewing the exhibit, and it was by far my favorite exhibit I've ever walked through. The video below has all 26 images from the exhibit on it, as well as an enchanting arrangement of one of my favorite hymns. Take the time to watch it (turn your volume up!) and if you ever get the chance to see the exhibit in real life, do NOT pass the opportunity up. Especially because the video does not do the photographs justice.
My favorite Christ-related topic to learn about just so happens to be the Atonement. This act that Christ performed for all of creation is the crowning jewel of His earthy ministry, the ultimate manifestation of love, and the single most important event to have occurred in all of history. Out of all the things for which I praise and love my Savior, this merits the highest amount of my gratitude. Through the Atonement, I can find peace. I can find solace. I can feel forgiveness and mercy. I can once again become worthy to enter the presence of God. One of my favorite books about the Atonement is "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad R. Callister because it goes in-depth about several different ways in which the Atonement's effects are infinite, and then some of the blessings we get from the Atonement. It also talks about the Atonement's connection to the Fall and to our salvation. Without the Atonement, our life would have no purpose because this act is the gate through which we can be resurrected and exalted. No Atonement = no way to progress after death because we would have no way of becoming worthy to return to our Father's presence. The effects of the Fall would be permanent and everlasting.
So, I am incredibly thankful that my Older Brother loved me enough to endure unimaginable suffering, cruel torment from His own people, and death by crucifixion... all so that I could have an opportunity to be like Him. And the sad part is that not everyone partakes of this amazing gift. The Savior suffered for all, but only a comparatively few people actually take advantage of the price He paid. Are we to let Christ's Atonement go to waste? I personally think that I need to work on taking better advantage of it.
He is the greatest example of service and charity. He is perfect, just, and merciful. He is my greatest role model, my truest friend, my advocate with the Father. He and my Father in Heaven have both blessed me so greatly, and sometimes I feel that I don't quite deserve it. They are both so good to me and I will forever be in their debt.
My favorite of David's Psalms is the 23rd one:
1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
I love it when Jesus is compared to a shepherd; He will never lead us astray and He will always make sure that not one member of His flock is forgotten. He knows each of us... our names, our dreams, our sins, our weaknesses... and He wants to help us.
Painting by Simon Dewey
I love my Savoir with all my heart! I look forward to being able to stand in His presence, feel the marks in His hands and feet, and look into His eyes and hear His voice. I want to thank Him a thousand times over and sit at His feet to listen to Him teach. I know that He is willing to guide my life when I take the time to let Him. I pray that I will stay worthy of the blessings and guidance that He has to offer me.
A few thoughts to leave you with... both scriptural and lyrical, some of my favorites...
Psalms 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Moroni 7:33 "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me."
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
"Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips reflect it still,
And all my life reflect thy will." - lyrics from the hymn "Savior, Redeemer Of My Soul"
