Christmas Open House Tradition

Annual Neighborhood Christmas Open House
16 years ago, we thought for Christmas that it would be nice to open up our home to our friends and neighbors for a Christmas Open House. Just a chance for us to get to know each other better and to share some Holiday Joy. Since most of our family leaves far away, this became really important for us to thank those neighbors, teachers and friends who had become like family to us.
I was grateful for friends and the kids plus Jeff for helping out so much, it would be hard to do on my own. I think we had about 70 some people come through this year, it was a blessing to have the time to reconnect with all our friends ( if only for the evening ).                                         

Some of you could not come and so I thought I would show you the photos of our home that Lauren took before it started. I just love decorating our home for Christmas. Love the spirit that all the lights, decorations, nativities and service give at Christmas time. It truly is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Of course ... not every year has been like this for our family, there have been some really hard Christmases,  so I am grateful for the years that are good!

 

 I pray that we will remember to be GRATEFUL this Christmas season, and go about Doing Good like the Savior did!
Good night dear friends!

The Art of Giving!

I love this article that I read today. What a wonderful reminder for this Christmas Season!

---

THE ART OF GIVING  by Lori Huff Goldade

Some people have very little but give everything.

10712_000_017

Whenever I reflect upon this joyous time of year, I remember a Christmas from long ago when I learned the art of giving.

I was in the fourth grade, and my friends and I were filled with holiday excitement. As was customary in our class, we drew names for the Christmas gift exchange. I hoped that the cute boy across the room had drawn my name. Another boy named Paul sat behind me. He often came to school with unclean clothes and dirty hands. My friends and I had made no effort to befriend him.

When the day of the big party arrived, the teacher distributed our gifts. The package I received was large and appeared to be hastily wrapped. Anxiously I tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was the book Lassie Come-Home. It wasn’t a clean, new copy as I might have hoped but had worn, frayed pages and a stain on the cover. Dismayed, I quickly hid it in my desk. Then I noticed something else hidden in the wrapping paper—a rattlesnake rattler in a pill bottle. On a name card was carefully written “From Paul.” In tears, I ran to the girls’ restroom.

Embarrassed, I remained in the restroom until the party was over and then hurried home. My mother, seeing my tear-stained face, asked about the Christmas party. I expressed to her my disappointment about the gifts. My mother lovingly put her arms around me, looked sadly into my eyes, and then taught me a great lesson. She told me that Paul, most likely too poor to buy a gift, had probably searched through everything he had at home for a meaningful present and, after much thought, had probably chosen some of his most prized possessions to give to me.

Again tears came to my eyes, but not because I hadn’t received something I wanted. This time they came because I had been so selfish and had not accepted the best gift given that Christmas. I had rejected a gift of love and sacrifice.

Some people have much and give very little. Others have little and give everything. Whenever I am tempted to be critical of another’s offering—whether it is of time, resources, or effort—I try to remember that some give all they can, just as in the account of the widow who “did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:44). The art of giving is to give all that you can, even if it is only two mites.

I didn’t express it as a fourth grader, but I am grateful for Paul’s Christmas gift of sacrifice and love.

Merry Christmas dear friends!

 

Will you start the Christmas Jar tradition?

Many of you know that one of my favorite Christmas Traditions in our Christmas Jar that we do each year. I received the book when it first came out 9 years ago and ....now it is one of our most prized memories of Christmas. If you haven't read the book...you should, it is simply amazing.
I even give the Christmas Jar Books as wedding gifts, hoping that will become one of their first Christmas traditions. It comes in paper back too and is very affordable. I hope you can enjoy the Spirit of Christmas that this book will bring into your homes.
Night dear friends!

Christmas Jars tradition celebrates 9 years of miracles

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Jason Wright

When my novel Christmas Jars, was first released in 2005, our goals were modest. We aimed to sell a few books and inspire readers to experiment with the tradition for themselves. On a personal level, I hoped to reignite the spirit of Christmas in my own heart and home.
In 2005, it was about a book.
Nine years later, it’s about a movement of miracles.
For the uninitiated, the tradition is simple and works for anyone and any size family. Simply place an empty pickle, peanut butter, jam or other Mason jar on your kitchen counter or desk at work. Each day, every member of the family drops their spare coins into the jar. Even in this day of electronic money and debit cards, you’ll be amazed at how quickly a few shiny pennies and a quarter will accumulate into real change.
When Christmas arrives, gather with your family, church friends or officemates and select someone who might benefit from a little boost. During the last nine years, based on thousands of emails and anecdotes, we’ve calculated that by the time a jar is given away, the average Christmas Jar holds just more than $200.
For many of us, $200 is the difference between keeping the lights on and paying for prescriptions. For too many, it could be the difference between young children experiencing disappointment or a moment of magic on Christmas morning.
Don’t take my word for it. Read just three recent submissions to our Christmas Jars Story Library. These are real people, real jars and real stories. For some, they’re miracles.

---

North Ogden, Utah
“My husband is a seminary teacher and loves his students and is loved by them. Just after school started, the headaches he had been experiencing for a long time suddenly escalated and became unbearable. It was discovered he had blood and fluid on the brain. After waiting for it to be re-absorbed, he finally had surgery to drain and release the pressure. He was in the hospital for most of a month, and is still recovering at home, but still even a shower exhausts him. The doctors have said this is akin to having a stroke and will take time to heal. His students and former students are all so wonderful and have done many things to cheer him up. He so wants to be back and they so much want him back. Time will tell if and when that will happen.
“Anyway, last Sunday night, we heard a knock on our door, and when I answered it, no one was there. Then, some time later, we again heard a knock on the door and this time, when I answered it, there was a huge (I mean, HUGE) jar on our front step. It took a lot of work to get it inside, because I couldn’t lift it. I weighed the four bowls I had filled with the coins and cash and it all totaled up to about 80 pounds! No wonder I couldn’t lift it. This is such a wonderful thing that will help to pay the doctor’s bills that are still coming in and help with physical therapy. We can’t begin to express our love and thanks for this act.”
St. Joseph, Minn.
“Our family has been through one of the most difficult years ever this past year. First, our daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. In the midst of it, I lost my job. While I eventually found work, it hasn’t been enough to provide for our family.
“On Thursday, I spent an hour in specific prayer — at Eucharistic adoration — praying that God would provide some sign of hope. I felt very near despair.
“So, you can imagine our surprise at finding our first Christmas Jar on our deck last evening (a day after praying). The large jar had the initials ‘C.J.’ (Christmas Jar) written on it.
“We are filled with joy and hope and are in disbelief of some anonymous person/family’s generosity, and how God provided during a particularly difficult week when we most needed it.
“The jar had a little note on the top of it. We immediately prayed as a family, in thanksgiving for the gift, and prayed for the intentions of those who had so generously given to us.
“I cannot explain the hope that this act has given all of us. God is so very good, and acts through each of us. To whomever left us the jar, please know of our gratitude and prayers.”
Tacoma, Wash.
“Hey my name is Josh and I’m visiting my family out here in Las Vegas and last night my aunt went to leave the house to go somewhere and she opened the door and found a jar full of money and a book with your name on it. I’m not (sure) if you dropped it off but i do wanna say THANK YOU!! Thank you for your generosity for this. My aunt is goin through a hardship right now ’cause she got laid off on her job and she’s having a hard time trying to figure out how she’s gonna pay rent and keep a roof over her and her kids’ heads. This was a huge blessing for her and as soon as she seen the jar she came in crying. We just know that this is an act of God and we give him the glory for this.”

---

Will you join the movement?
Those new to the tradition might say, “That’s a nice idea, but it’s too late for this year. Maybe we’ll start a jar in 2014.”
Why wait?
With Christmas still two weeks away, there’s plenty of time to gather change in between those couch cushions, clanking around in your washing machines or accumulating in your car’s cup holder. You could even bend the rules by adding some cash or going to the bank and getting rolls of coins to get the jar started.
In the final days before Christmas, make a list and prayerfully choose a recipient for your jar. Often the need is financial, but sometimes it’s also spiritual and emotional. People need to be seen, and the jar has a miraculous way of seeing people.
Give it a try. You might just find the jar isn’t just about giving away spare change — it’s about finding the change in you.

Not just your ordinary Christmas Greetings!

I send fewer Christmas cards every year, probably because I stay in touch with so many friends and family through face book and email. Still after watching what this family does, I wondered if in the future ...that is what more and more people will do?  The videos were fun to watch. It's great to see a family do what they love and be able to share their talents at the same time. People are so creative, it amazes me at times. Check out their Christmas videos and see for yourself.
Good night dear friends!

“We really enjoy just doing this as a family, and at the heart of it all, that’s why we’re doing it.”

Micah Slade

Christmas greetings from the Slade family of Gilbert, Ariz., do not come in an envelope. For the past three years, the family has sent out Christmas videos on YouTube, showing that they’re not afraid to get a little messy or creative.

“We’ve been married 13 years, and we’ve never sent out a Christmas card or anything like that, and I don’t know why, but we thought it would be fun to start a new tradition,” Micah Slade said in an interview with the Deseret News. “So we did the swimming pool one, and we figured we’d send it out to family and friends … and I don’t know what happened, but it just kind of blew up. People started watching it and sending it everywhere, it went viral a little bit.”

 

The Slade family’s first Christmas video card in 2011 featured the family of six singing “Blue Christmas” underwater in formal wear and pajamas. The next year showed the family members each fending for themselves in a food fight.
“We used almost all expired or non-edible food,” Slade wrote on the 2012 video’s YouTube description. “The food looks good, but really it was absolutely disgusting, and the smell was awful.”
This year, the Slade Christmas video shows each family member with his or her ideal Christmas gift: animals, a full head of hair, order to the chaos, and even “Anti-Gravity Dust” that allowed the family to apparently walk on the walls and ceiling. The family pulled off the “anti-gravity” illusion in the video by using a gimbal room built specifically for the Christmas video.
“The whole room spins 360 degrees, and it took a lot of calculating and trying to figure out exactly how to make it work,”said Slade, who said the movies “Inception” and Fred Astaire’s “Royal Wedding” helped spark the idea of how to make the rotating room a reality. “We just researched a bunch of different ones, and then I made a popsicle stick little bottle, and I put little pins in it and made it work. I did the math to say, ‘Oh yeah. Sure enough, that works and that’ll spin, and this is what I would have to do on a larger scale.’ ”
Making the rotating room into a cozy Christmas scene had a few technicalities to take into account, such as making a counterbalance on the “ceiling” for the heavy furniture on the “floor.” To create the effect that the Slade family was walking on the walls and ceiling rather than propelling the room to move, a GoPro camera was secured to the room itself and spun with the rotations.
But beyond the logistics of creating and filming the family Christmas videos, Micah and Whitney Slade are glad their four children enjoyed the memories of making them.
“It’s just fun with the kids; they enjoy it. It’s something that they’ll remember,” Micah Slade said. “What we kind of envision is 10 years from now when they’re able to look back on all these, or even with their kids later on (and) that they’ll have these memories of, ‘Oh my gosh, we did all these things that you just dream of doing.’ ”
On each of the Slade Christmas videos, Micah Slade included a link to charitywater.org, which is a nonprofit organization that provides clean drinking water to people in need.
“We just thought … the most basic need that someone could need is water, and so although we’re not making a huge impact with it … it’s just something our family … really believes in,” Slade said.
Slade said he has some ideas in the works for next year’s Christmas video, but what the planning, filming and editing all come down to is spending time together as a family.
“We really enjoy just doing this as a family, and at the heart of it all, that’s why we’re doing it,” Slade said. “It’s just a family tradition … and kind of the byproduct is to lift people’s spirits, especially during Christmas.”

 

Found the article and video's HERE:

Even the simplest things...

I love this story because it shows that some of the simplest things can mean everything in the world to others. t 

Cookie Cutter Chaos
  by: Tracy Moeller Cary, , Source Unknown

When I was in elementary school in Saginaw, Michigan, back in the 1950's, Paul Davis was my neighbor as well as classmate. Paul's birthday is December 16th. Every year for his birthday treat he would take to school wonderful Santa face cookies, complete with raisin eyes and coconut beards. I would always make sure to walk home with Paul on those days, just in case someone had been absent and he had an extra cookie or two. Somehow, one cookie survived long enough for me to show my mother. She got the recipe from Paul's mother and bought the special cookie cutter at Morley Brothers, our wonderful all-purpose department store. Over the years, my mother and I would continue to make these cookies. After I got married in the mid-60's, I bought my own cookie cutter. We had three daughters and the cookies remained a must-do at Christmas time. I was a stay-at-home mother in those days and would make the Santa cookies for my daughters' class parties. Some special teachers would get a plate of them years after they taught our daughters. Eventually, my mother gave me her Santa cookie cutter and I guarded both of them because Morley's had closed years before and we never saw anything even resembling these wonderful Santa faces. Several years ago in late December, I had made several batches and the two plastic cutters were sitting on the cupboard waiting to be handwashed and put away for another year. Well, my oldest daughter decided to help out by loading the dishwasher. You guessed it ... the two treasured plastic cutters came out distorted and totally unusable. I was sick! For some reason, I had kept the original paper insert from the cookie cutter box. So, I knew that they were from Aunt Chick's in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now, it was time to see if that company was still in business. Honestly, I wasn't optimistic but if I couldn't replace them, then a long-standing tradition had come to an abrupt halt. That January, I wrote to the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and inquired about Aunt Chick's cookie cutters. I enclosed a copy of the insert that I'd kept for so many years. Within days I received a reply. They even sent me newspaper clippings about Aunt Chick (she had died in 1982) and they told me that the cookie cutters were still available at The Final Touch in Tulsa. They also told me that Aunt Chick's granddaughter, Pat Kimbrel, had taken over the business and it was now called Chickadees Cookery Company in Irving, Texas. I was elated! I phoned The Final Touch and explained what had happened and said that I wanted to buy TEN Santa cookie cutters. The woman told me that they were only available in sets (Santa, star, tree, stocking.) But I didn't want the other designs and couldn't afford to buy ten SETS. So, I decided to call Chickadees Cookery Company. I was able to talk with Pat Kimbrel and tell her about the happy memories connected with her grandmother's cookie cutters. She said that she hoped to get them back into distribution once again. Through Pat I was able to buy four Santa cutters. Then, several weeks later, I received a note from The Final Touch saying that they found six Santa cutters and asked if I still want them. I phoned to say "Yes!" and sent a check. So, within about four months I went from having no Santa cutters to having ten, the exact number that I stated that I wanted in the first place! It was wonderful to be able to do business with two women who went out of their way to satisfy a customer. And, now the family tradition of the Santa face cookie cutters continues not only in our house but also in the home of our oldest daughter, who has since married. At this point, it's three generations strong. So, Happy Birthday, Paul Davis, this December 16th wherever you are. I'll bet you just never knew that your old friend, neighbor and classmate would perpetuate the cookie tradition for nearly a half-century. Thanks to you and your mother and with the help of some dear women in both Oklahoma and Texas, we'll be enjoying our very special Santa cookies for many years to come. Sometimes you just never know how many lives you affect or for how many years the influence will be felt. Merry Christmas from Kentucky.

 

Talents...everyone has them!

What a beautiful Christmas message!
Talents...everyone has them!
Check the video out  here:

It will get you in the Christmas mood!
Merry Christmas dear friends!

Listening to Christmas!

Christmas Jar 2013

Today was a fun day because our son Lee got to fly to Texas and visit with Brad, Krystal and Kai. How grateful I am that my kids love their brother and sisters soooo much! That's what I always dreamed of for my family when I grew up. No matter what, they are always there for each other and that is exactly the way it should be.
Also John, Amy and girls came to church with us today and so that is always a neat experience to have some family there. Tonight we went to Bellevue to a Festival of the Nativity, it was amazing.... it told all about it here  www.bellevuenativity.com, some friends went with us, and I just kept saying I had no idea how much there was there for everyone of every age. It was neat to see Nativities that were from countries all over the world, to hear the Christmas choirs, and to once again be reminded of the life of the Savior and the true purpose for the season.
Speaking of trying to be more Christlike this holiday season, reminds me to share with you what the girls and I did yesterday when they were on their Sleep Over.
A few years ago I read the book CHRISTMAS JARS by Jason F. Wright, what a wonderful Christmas story and now it has become our family tradition each year. We get a mason jar and collect our change all year long. Then at Christmas time, we count out the money and decide who we think could use our Christmas Jar of money or what gifts we could buy with it. Angie and I have been doing this tradition for a couple of years and she remembers a couple of them, I think this is the first year that Jenny really understood enough and was excited for it.
So we got the jar down.






Then Poppa ( Jeff  ) helped the girls divide up the money and make money charts and helped each one count their pile of money. It was cute to see how excited they got!

 Then came the fun part of buying and wrapping the gifts. They asked that they not be completely wrapped, so they would know which kids they would need to give them too. So we added cute ribbons and tags with the size and age of the child it would fit. The girls decided that they would get things that they themselves would love. So since there are 3 girls in their family, they got gifts for 3 little girls their ages. We found warm blankets, matching Christmas pajamas, a toy and of course their favorite...a stuffed animal. I was so proud of them not asking to keep anything for themselves, but being excited for kids that wouldn't have much... if anything for Christmas.
After everything was wrapped and ready to go, we took them to a local store that was doing a Toy Drive and they got to put all the packages under a tree that they had there. The girls kept talking about all the other presents were under the tree, and how good those kids were going to feel on Christmas morning.
I know it is a little thing, but I hope to continue this tradition and soon add Kai and Audrey in on the fun. I love the sweet hearts that little kids have, and I pray that they will remember this tradition their whole life, and especially how it made them feel! Doing what Christ would do if He were here, that is truly what the Christmas spirit is all about!
Good night dear friends!

 

Friends, Family and Snowflake Lane!

Today was Day 2, of Jenny and Angie's Sleep Over. We started out the morning with a photo shoot with some dear friend's kids. Lauren had so much fun photographing these cuties! What a blessing it is to have so many near and dear friends in our home... that feel like family!

 

Then we did something else for the 2nd half of the day, but I will tell you about that tomorrow.

Tonight we took the girls to Snow Flake Lane in Bellevue. It was 20 degrees out, that is cold for Seattle, actually I think that is cold for anybody! We first stopped by Starbucks and got Hot Chocolates for everyone ( well, I actually got hot water for my Chocolate Coconut  Herbal Tea...yum. You should try it, it is by Republic of Tea ). The girls were cold but still said they wanted to go. Thank goodness the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Flake Queen stopped by to dance with them. Dancing helped keep them a bit warmer ...I hope!

Plus, I think the peppermint tootsie roll suckers help fight off the bitter weather! :)

Then after the parade we went to Mod Pizza to get warm and have dinner. Jenny was so tired, she couldn't even laugh at Poppa trying on her hat. Plus, she had to hold her head up to eat.

Aunt Lauren helps makes doing anything...way more fun! Sorry that Uncle Lee had to miss the fun because he was working tonight!

Yes, it was a full day, a cold and fun day!  

The girls had my scarfs on to help fight the cold. Poor Jenny, her scarf was so big around her neck...she could hardly get the hot chocolate to her mouth! :)

What a great day, can't wait to take Kai to Snowflake Lane when they get here and Miss Audrey some day!

Good night dear friends!

Not just another thing to check off!

Found this story and loved it! How great it is to remember all year long the reason we celebrate Christmas. Learning how to remember Christ more during this season, is something I know I need to do. So who ever wrote and pinned this...thank you for sharing!
Good night dear friends!


It was Christmas night, and I was sitting quietly in the living room all by myself. I was tired—OK, I was exhausted. Christmas was done. Giant check mark on that one.
I sat in the soft glow of the Christmas tree and enjoyed its beauty. We had a good tree that year. I enjoyed all the ornaments and the “thousand points of light” we joked about every year as my husband wound ten strands of lights around the tree.
Christmas tree—check.
Upstairs the kids were playing with Dad. We had gotten the boys some cool remote control cars, and they were enjoying them noisily. I was so glad the gifts had worked out this year.
Gifts—check.

 On and on I went through my mental checklist for my “Christmas To-Do List.” It was Christmas night. The checklist was done. Christmas had been a success this year.

Or had it?
Somehow I felt vaguely unsettled about it all.
Don’t get me wrong—I absolutely love the drama of Christmas celebrations. I love the decorations, the turkey with stuffing, the gifts for grandparents, visiting with friends and family, the concerts and the parties, and . . . everything. I love everything about the holiday season.
So what was missing? Why did this Christmas night feel so . . . flat?
I glanced to my left and my eye caught on the big nativity set on the mantel. I saw the baby Jesus.
That’s what was missing.
As a family, we try diligently to talk about Christ and focus on Christ during Christmas. But it was almost as if He just fell somewhere on the to-do list between the Christmas cards and the cranberries.
It was my focus that was off. And I was distressed that now, on Christmas night, the entire family thought, “Christmas: focus on Jesus—CHECK!” Like it was done. Like we were done.
That made me feel ever so sad.
I wanted things to be different. I wanted to find a way to turn Christmas into an experience focused on Christ. Not only that, I wanted to find a way to focus my family more on Jesus throughout the entire year. But how?
I prayed quietly in the dim light that Christmas night that I would be guided to find a way to help my family turn to Christ more fully.
And I kept praying.
The answer came four months later. It was a lovely day, and I had stopped at my friend’s house. We were chatting in her living room when I noticed something.
“Whoops!” I said to Susan. “You forgot to put away a stocking from Christmas. It’s hanging on your mantel.” I was forever finding little things I had forgotten to pack away at the end of the Christmas season and assumed she had done the same.
“Oh, no,” she replied. “That stays there all year long.” I thought that was little odd, so she explained. “Many years ago I was at my friend’s house and she had a stocking hanging on her mantel. She explained that the whole family would write down a gift they wanted to give to Jesus and would put it in the stocking. They kept the stocking  up all year as a reminder. Ever since, we have done the same.”
I looked again at the beautiful white lace stocking hanging there and thought, “This is it!”
I went home and explained the idea to my husband, who probably thought it was another one of my bright ideas that would fall by the wayside. But it did not. From that moment forward, I kept my eyes peeled for a beautiful stocking. Finally, I found a lovely small gold stocking with white trim. Perfect.
Christmas came once again. And on Christmas night, we gathered our four sons together. I showed them the stocking and explained what we wanted to do as a family. We each filled out our card and put it in the stocking.
The days began to march on. Often at family home evening, we would refer to the stocking and talk about how we were doing on our gift for Christ. Sometimes one of the children would see the stocking and comment on it.
The next Christmas came. Christmas night our family gathered around the tree and opened the stocking. By then, it had become almost like a treasured friend in our home. All of us talked about what we had done all year long to give a gift to the Savior. It was one of the most profound Christmases we had ever shared.
Things felt much different that year. The stocking hung on the mantel, full of new cards promising new gifts for the coming year. Truly, our family was more fully focusing on Christ that season and throughout the year.
That year, the glow wasn’t from the tree. It was from within.

Service Christmas Star

I found this sweet post from a friend's family blog. I loved this idea, probably because we had it as a tradition when the kids were little. They loved when we had our Family Home Evening and brought out our Giving Star ( that is what we called it). It was fun to see the excitement in the air as the kids tried to secretly do something kind for someone in the family and then leave the star ( so they could in turn do it for the next person ).
I love Christmas, have I mentioned that lately? :) I love that everyone seems a little nicer, kinder and much more willing to GIVE! Yes, that is exactly what I believe Christ would do if  He were here. Even now, I watch my kids in awe as I watch them get excited to give to so many, something from their heart! Yes, I think this is a great tradition for any family!
Thank you Kelly, Trisha, Natalie, Shari and family for the reminder!

Hope you are enjoying the Christmas Season!

Night dear friends!

Christmas Service Star

  

Many of my most vivid holiday memories have very little to do with the “prettiness” of Christmas. Pictures of these moments-if we even had them-would surely not be very Pin-able. I was probably wearing my over-sized basketball shorts, the lighting would have been awful, and there were definitely no burlap banners with matching drinks in mason jars.
No, none of that was there.  And funny how that doesn’t seem to matter.
One memory in particular stands out.
I remember my nine-year-old self walking between the tables and sweeping up the remnants of a holiday dinner in a downtown Houston homeless shelter. I understood so little about the people who were there-but I began to understand that as I swept and smiled, I was doing what Jesus might have done.
It was one of hundreds of little experiences when my parents, figuratively speaking, invited me to the manger-to find Christ in Christmas.
But it wasn’t about the homeless shelter. It was about people needing to feel a little love, a little goodness. And those kind of people are easy to find.
Those kind of people live right down the hall.
And that’s the power of the Christmas Service Star. The Christmas Service Star is an uncomplicated and sweet way to remind us-all of us-that the Spirit of Christmas is love and that all of our homes could use a little more of it.
So here’s how it goes. You make, re-purpose, or find a star that accompanies small acts of service throughout the month of December. (We found our star wand for a great price at the Wood Connection.) When you’re anonymously served and the star is left on your sneakily-made bed or in your miraculously-emptied dishwasher, it’s your turn. You have 24 hours to pass on the star by doing something for someone else.
And there you have it. Warm fuzzies. Everywhere.
It’s easy to tie in a Family Home Evening at the kick-off or the wrap-up (or hey, the in-between) of the Christmas Service Star.
The main idea goes a little something like this: A long time ago, wise men followed a perfectly placed STAR to find the Christ child. When they found him, they gave him precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
You and I are on a similar journey as we seek this Jesus. And we find him and prepare ourselves with precious gifts to give him as we love and lift and serve the people around us.
So here’s to a little more love in all of our homes this holiday season.

"We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give"  ~ Winston Churchill

One life!

I loved this photo and thought Lauren did a great job of capturing the love that the Savior has for each one of us. When she asked Jeff and Angie to pose for this photo over the summer, I really had know idea what she was trying to get. Now that she has finished it... I am amazed at her talent.
Thought this quote went along with all three of these photos that she took.

 

 

"One cry
Awakened the world,
One birth
Changed History
One life
Made all the difference."

 

 

 

Christmas Presents!

Naturally as the Christmas Season arrives, we begin to think of the gifts that we want to make or give to our friends and loved ones. This is definitely something that I have been thinking of for quite some time... since I started Christmas classes in July at work. When you make most of your gifts, you need to start earlier than normal.
 I do love making Christmas gifts, actually any gifts! I really think I was suppose to be an ELF! I love putting the time and effort into making that special gift for someone that means so much to you. Still I have to be careful not to get caught up in the gift giving and preparations so much that I forget the true meaning of Christmas.
Last night I found this perfect reminder of what the true gifts of Christmas are! I hope you will take the time to watch it and catch the true Christmas spirit!

The video is called The Reason Behind the Season... that I found HERE:

A perfect way to start off the Christmas Season!

  Yesterday I woke up with a stomach ache, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to go to church, and today is December 1st I thought, I have to go because today we will begin to start singing Christmas Carols! I love all the Christmas songs! I love Christmas and everything about it.
   I still remember going to church as a little girl and loving to sing all the Christmas Carols with the congregation...it seemed almost Magical! Some times I cry when I sing or hear them, because the first week of December was when my Mom passed away 14 years ago! So it is definitely bitter/sweet.
I was also glad that I started to feel better before Church began. I was blessed to hear a dear friend of mine teach a  wonderful Christmas lesson about Christ. I took notes but, I got these notes from her, they are more complete. It is a bit long but if you read it...I think you will be glad you did. What a wonderful thought to begin the Christmas Season!
Good night dear friends!

“The Living Christ”

 .

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). ..His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example…He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

.

You can feel their strong conviction of all the truths that they proclaim in this testimony.  I love all the words they used to name the Savior and I underlined as many as I could find as I read and reread their words. Then I stopped at the title. The Living Christ. I began to ponder on the idea of “living”. As I did, many ideas came to my mind, but the one that struck a chord with me was that He exists…He is ever present. I knew this but for some reason it hit me so strongly as I reread the declaration and I thought to myself, if he is ever present in my life, how well do I know Him? How can I obtain a stronger testimony of Him and know Him better?

Today I want to extend an invitation to all of you…  It is an invitation that Christ Himself offered freely throughout His ministry, to come and know Him. 

Today your invitation is not as glamorous. . It is a simple request to come and learn and know the “living” Christ and gain a testimony that you will spend your whole life strengthening. For what is a greater treasure than to know the Savior. This journey may be hard at times. Your testimony may be shaken. C.S. Lewis once said “For all that can be shaken will be shaken. And only the unshakable remains.” Hopefully that is our testimony.

So the first invitation I extend to you is to Come and Seek Christ. I know for me that I usually seek out the Lord when I have questions, am in need of direction, or in need of comfort. It is during these times that I allow myself to really feel the Savior’s love for me. In the scriptures there are many stories of individuals who sought out the Savior in time of need.  In Matthew 9:18-25 is the story of Jarius who traveled day and night to seek out the Savior because his daughter was near death. When he met the Lord, Jarius begged Jesus to come and “lay hands on her that she may be healed; and she shall live.” (Mark 5:23) How many times in our lives do we do plead to the Lord to give us aid? To physically or spiritual heal us or lighten our load?

 Christ immediately went with Jarius and on their journey a woman who suffered from an illness for many years saw Jesus in the crowd and with faith sought Him out to help her in her time of need. She probably saw the Savior as her last hope and reached out to touch the hem of the Christ’s robe.  “For she said within herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”  But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Matt. 9;21-22) – I can just imagine how Jarius felt as the saw this miracle unfold before his eyes. He must have felt such hope maybe his faith was increased from this small act. Shortly after this event however, a messenger arrived with the news that his daughter had died. I can only imagine the devastation he must have felt. I wonder if this small miracle happened in his presence to help him exercise faith even though all seemed lost.

When have you exercised faith and sought out the Savior for help?

Your journey (self-reflect) – Think of a time in your life when you have sought out Christ. Have you ever sought him out to give you extra strength, comfort, support?

How did you seek him out?

What are some distractions that prevent you from seeking out the Lord?

I think of the scripture of the young rich man in Mark 10 who sought out the Savior and knelt at His feet and with probably what he felt as pure intent told the Lord how he had kept the commandments his whole life and wanted to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. The answer he received was not the one he was prepared to hear.

Do we have times in our lives when we are the same? How do we prepare ourselves to receive His answers?

My second invitation is to Come and Hope in Christ.

When I think of lack of hope I think of darkness. I feel like those times when I had little hope in my life, I felt the most alone and surrounded by darkness and despair. I believe we have all had hard times in our lives where we feel like we are in the dark.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “It is part of our condition as mortal beings to sometimes feel as though we are surrounded by darkness. We might have lost a loved one; a child might have strayed; we might have received a troubling medical diagnosis; we might have employment challenges and be burdened by doubts or fears; or we might feel alone or unloved. But even though we may feel lost in the midst of our current circumstances, God promises the hope of His light – He promises to illuminate the way before us and show us the way out of darkness.”

In the John 9:1-38 there is a story about a man that was blind from birth. He spent his whole life in the dark. Though he was “surrounded by people” he was completely forgotten and left alone in his trial.

How many times in our lives do we feel completely alone in our trials?

He must have wondered why him? Why did he have this trial? What was the purpose of it?

Emily Freeman in her book states, “There is a moment of epiphany after the soul has doubted all it knows, when it begins to search out for solid answers and firm ground. This moment is defined by one emotion that sustains and creates a desire for change. Before faith or knowledge is found, before joy or happiness is experienced, before the healing begins, one emotion starts to stir from deep within the depths of despair. It is hope.  Hope is the light that will begin to lead through the darkest hour, which will enable us to move forward along the darkened path. It was this light that the blind man sought. Sometimes this epiphany, this small portion of hope will bring a change in thought. This change simply helps us to evaluate the situation from a different view than we have previously seen. We are given small portions of knowledge, line upon line, as we work through the abyss.”

I’m sure as this man experienced the Lord’s touch and as He put the clay over the blind man’s eyes, and then later as the man washed the clay off in the pool at Silom, he must have experienced this. The small portion of hope he probably felt as the Lord gently touched his eyes and bid him wash them must been new to him. He probably felt and viewed life differently when his eyes were opened. He knew he had been healed by Christ.

Dieter F.Uchtdorf said this about hope, “The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, the hope of His light will begin to awaken, enliven, and ennoble your soul. The darkness may not dissipate all at once, but as surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come.”

“Never underestimate the purpose of a trial. It is through adversity that we experience the sweetest parts of the Atonement. Enduring our trials allows us to experience the healing power of Jesus Christ. This process strengthens our testimony of the reality of Christ…  Come forth from the darkness, despair, and discouragement that surround you, come forth from the sorrow and be healed…We do not experience trials just to see if we will make it through. Each of us experiences the refiner’s fire for one reason – to come to know the Refiner. We are no just tried; we are proven. Priceless lessons can be learned from the Master during times of adversity. It is in these moments of heartache that we come to know the Savior and more fully appreciate His atoning sacrifice. Lessons thus learned will prepare us to better endure what may follow and will sustain us through the darkest days of our lives. Christ is always there. In the darkest hours of the night and the longest hours of the day, He is there. He is accessible and available at a moment’s notice.”

Journey :  How has Christ guided you through your darkest times? Think of an experience when you have felt Him guide you through a trial. How did you know of his presence? How does feeling His presence give you hope?

The third invitation is to Come and Align yourself with Christ.

Boyd K. Packer told a story of a fair that he went to where there was an oxen pulling contest. The oxen were in teams of two with a heavy wooden yoke and a sledge that was weighted with cement blocks that held ten thousand pounds (5 tons) to begin with. The object was for the oxen to move the sledge three feet. He noticed a well-matched very large pair of big boned oxen that were supposed to be the favorites. Each team was given three attempts to move the sledge. If they were able to do this easily, more weight was added until each team was eliminated leaving just the winners. The teamster would get the oxen ready and with a loud command they would slam forward against the yoke. Either the weight would move or the oxen were jerked to a halt. The team that was the favorite to win didn’t even place! A small pair of oxen not very well matched in size, moved the sledge three times. Pres. Packer turned to the man next to him and asked him to explain how this could happen. The man said the larger and stronger  team were better matched for size than the other team but the little oxen had better team work and coordination.  They were better aligned. They hit the yoke together. Both animals jerked forward at exactly the same time and the force moved the load.

I want to liken us to the mismatched team. By ourselves, there are loads that we cannot bear. There are times when we are not enough but when we are equally yoked with the Savior, He makes up the difference. “For all things are ours, if Christ is ours.” He compensates for our limitations and He makes us enough. This is what makes the atonement so amazing and personal.

In Mark 9:17-27 – There is a story of a man that came to the Savior, begging him to heal his son, who was possessed of a “dumb spirit”. He probably felt so hopeless at this point, knowing that there was nothing within his power that he could do for his son. He had asked the apostles to heal him but they were unable to do so. He knew he needed help. He immediately sought out the Savior. He knew by himself, he could not overcome this challenge. The Lord had compassion on the man and said: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (vs 23). I know that this man believed that the Savior could heal his son because he sought him out. The Savior knew he believed. The man’s reply with tears in his eyes was, “Lord I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” This father knew that he believed, but that his faith was not perfect and that he needed to the Lord to make up the differences.

When have you had a similar experience like this father, when you have needed Christ to help you become more than what you were to overcome a challenge?

 The last invitation is to Come and Follow him.

In John 10, there is the parable of the good shepherd. In this chapter, Christ “reminds His listeners that a good shepherd, “goeth before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice” (vs 4). The sheep learn to rely on this shepherd who earns their trust because of his watchcare. He leads them to green pastures and finds them still waters to drink from. He anoints their heads to keep insects away. He protects them from danger and offers healing when they are wounded or ill. He is their guardian, their defender, and their comforter. He makes sure they want for nothing.

Christ said of Himself:  “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”(vs 11). As the Good Shepherd, He has promised to lead us, protect us, heal us, defend us and comfort us. HE gave His life for us. In return He asks each of us to “come, follow me”. But to follow Him we must know His voice.”

Do we know Christ’s voice? How does He speak to you? When you hear it do you follow?

Search and Rescue story – a couple of years ago we had a big search and rescue drill at our school. One of my students was chosen to be a child that pretends to be hurt and hide in the room. The child that was selected was a bit of a worrier, however she was also a very dependable child. I was worried that she would be nervous about this task so I took Monica aside and gave her specific instructions. As I talked to her I could see that she was very nervous about it. So I told her specifically what was going to happen, where she was going to hide and what she needed to do. I also told her that I would not have her do this if I knew that it was unsafe. I knew that she would be protected and not truly alone as there would be other teachers in the building that were searching for her. I knew that it was going to be a specific teacher (who Monica knew) that would come and find her so I told her to listen for this teacher’s voice and when she heard the voice she was immediately to follow her and she would lead her straight to me. Monica’s nerves were immediately calmed and she said that she would listen for this teacher’s voice.

When Monica was delivered to me, she was smiling. She commented that it was easy because she knew who to listen for.

Sometimes I wonder if my life would be easier if I was more like Monica and listened carefully for the Savior’s voice.

In Luke 24:13-32 is the story of two disciples who were walking down the road to Emmaus and were joined by the Savior, who they thought was a stranger. They were so caught up in their journey, conversation, and sorrow from the loss of the Savior that they did not recognize or know Him.

How often are we on our own road to Emmaus and fail to see the miracles around us? What keeps us from recognizing that the Master is accompanying us in our lives? Are we following his direction?

Sisters, I hope that as we read this beautiful testimony of the apostles and feel of their love and knowledge of the Savior that we will be touched and want to know more of Him. That we might want to know is His voice and seek Him, hope in Him, align ourselves with Him and follow Him on our journey of life so we can be with Him again. I want to close with the final words of the apostle in their testimony of Christ…

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

May we always remember that Jesus is present and the greatest gift we have been given…
Thanks to my friend Jaimie for a beautiful Christmas lesson!

Happy December!

I guess you can imagine that life has been a bit crazy here with Thanksgiving and also trying to put up Christmas. Well, I realized late last night that I haven't even touched my computer in 2 days! Sorry about that. Yesterday we spent the whole day pulling out Christmas Decorations and trying to get the outside decorated before the cold weather and possible snow hits on Monday. Every year it seems like we put up less and less....does that mean we are getting older? ( Don't answer that !),
Today I wanted for the 1st Day of December to share a Christmas Story with you.

THE GRINCH STOLE OUR CHRISTMAS by John Hilton III
"One of my favorite Christmas memories was the time that the Grinch stole our Christmas. I was 23, recently married,  and my wife and I were spending Christmas with my parents and three of my siblings ( ages 13 to 18 ). As was our custom, all of the kids gathered in my parents' bedroom while my dad went downstairs to check and see if Santa had come to visit us. "Uh oh," we heard him call out. "Something bad has happened!" My dad is prone to saying that type of thing on Christmas morning, so I wasn't worried. But when we came downstairs there were no presents, no stockings, and no Christmas tree. Even the decorations were gone. Everybody was stunned.
On the fireplace was a note from the Grinch saying that he had stolen our Christmas! The Grinch had left a box containing 20 sacks, and he said in his note that if we would drive into downtown Seattle and distribute the sacks amongst homeless people he might bring our gifts back. Each sack contained some fruit, McDonald's coupons, and a few other items.
So the five of us drove into Seattle and started searching for the homeless people. They were not hard to find. It was humbling to see many people on the streets, obviously not enjoying the warmth and goodness that we knew was waiting at home for us. We parked the care and began approaching people.
The vast majority of those we met gave us friendly smiles and expressed thanks. As we drove home, I felt a profound gratitude for the wonderful Christmas I was experiencing, in contrast to that faced by so many others. When we arrived, everything had magically reappeared-stockings, gifts, tree and decorations. It was a Christmas that my family remembers and stands out as having an impact-not because of the gifts we received, but because of how "the Grinch" helped us give to others.