Christmas afternoon, and my heart is already full. For those of you who don’t know, on Sunday evenings I host a little activity on my Facebook page where folks can post the single best thing that happened to them that day – (excluding food and sports.)
Well, today is Sunday AND Christmas, so I am going to do away with any sense of tradition and post my check-in early, without limits. Too much good stuff to limit my day to one thing.
By some miracle, the entire family (minus our missionary) spent the night here at home. (My sons have not followed my wise counsel to only date and marry orphans). We started the morning opening gifts and watching the grand baby, which ups the entertainment factor by 10x.
Breakfast, messing around and off to church.
Church. What a glorious Sacrament meeting. The choir was stellar. Usually I sing, but this year I opted out and just soaked it in. Our first speaker was an amazing young man that we love dearly who has been waging a war against cancer the past 6 months. Just seeing him stand and bear testimony shoved whatever personal challenges I face into the corner with the discarded wrapping paper in our living rom.
Then, a quiet brother in the ward stood and gave what I can only describe as a masterful, G.A.-level talk about Christmas, the Savior and our Heavenly Father. (No details, as I want to browbeat him into publishing it.)
The concluding speaker spoke of Mary and her wonder influence on the world. Couple with wildly talented musicians and voices, the choir was compelling. I had spent most of the meeting wiping my eyes and feeling a depth of gratitude and Spirit that made my Christmas.
Now, we are watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” (noting that the swimming pool scene could never happen today due to cellphones) eating treats, and waiting for our missionary to Skype in from Mexico. The anticipation is thick in the air.
What do all of these things have in common? Family, and the Savior.
As we celebrate Hs birth on Christmas, the impact He has made on my family cannot be overstated. Because of His birth, sacrifice, death and resurrection, gospel and the authority that drives His church, we have the potential to share these glorious family relationships forever. Eternally.
The link between Christmas and family goes much deeper that gifts, togetherness or even love. It resonates with eternal significance – and hope.
This weekend our family has been basking in the warm kindness of friends, family and strangers who have shown great charity in helping my kids. We have felt the goodness of the season and seen the love of Christ reflected in the eyes and actions of those around us, and we are filled with gratitude.
It has been beautiful, and humbling – as has been this entire Christmas day.
Obviously too much to share on a single Facebook post, but that is one of the great perks of having a blog…
I invite all of you to join with me in expressing our Christmas joy.
3 ways: (Pick at least 2)
- Join us for Sunday NIght Check-in. Today it is running all day on my Facebook page. either here as a comment: Sunday Night Check-in link.
- Post your comment here in the comment section.
- Pray.
Merry Christmas to all. (C’mon Skype!!!)
Discover more from Thus We See...
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I have nothing profound to add, but it was just a good day. We started with sacrament meeting and a nice program from the choir (with FOML3 contributing violin to one number, which was very cool). Then lunch and opening some gifts. We had three of the four kids home, and everyone seemed to have a good time and just enjoy each others’ company. In the evening we got together with parents and cousins for more family time. We concluded the day by reading Luke 1 and 2.
Then this past weekend the other child and her husband stopped in for a couple of days, and we had kind of a second Christmas with them.
As you say, Family and the Savior. That made it a great week.
Nice to hear from you – you’ve been missed.
I was not able to coment yesterday from sheer exhaustion.I attended church yesterday like none I have ever attended or heard of. Not especially reverent, and yet it was. I went with my daughter and her husband to a church assignment in Coolidge, Arizona to a special facility with scores of mentally and physically handicapped whose average age is 65. Most were in wheelchairs many were blind, some I had never seen so handicapped and here was a whole room full of them, many age 4 or 5 in development. I saw the sacrafice a whole ward made to come spend a joyful Christmas with these new ‘friends’. There were some youth who looked a little apprehensive at first and ending with happy smiles and excitement for being there. Scores of people are called as my daughter and her husband to attend church there every Sunday, even though it is about an hour drive. There was lots of singing and the story of Christ’s birth acted with each friend and those who were with them, Mary, Joseph, Shephards and Wise men in their robes and hats, All were given angel halos. Santa came and visited with each personally and gave each one a bright red envelope with a Christmas card inside. The excitement each one who could exhibit was overjoyed. Some raising their red envelopes over their head so everyone could see or holding it to their heart. It was a lesson in pure gratitude
The presence of our Savior was so powerful there. I have never been in such a large group of those who have already earned Celestial status. I cannot describe how powerful it was to be in that room and with those who were so lovingly serving.
Although the rest of the day was spent with happiness of being able to hug and see a large number of my wonderful descendants in laughing and enjoying the antics of all ages, that morning in heaven yesterday shall forever be etched in my memory.
What a wonderful Sabbath Day! My youngest son and his wife who live next door, came with me to church today. It has been a long 9 months without them at church. So blessed that he is feeling better, happier and wanted to come. The Sacrament was very sweet today. A young man spoke on the pure love of Christ with an example of his being rescued by his older brother, on a dark road with an exploded tire he could not fix himself. The children (all boys today) sang a new song, Can I Hold the Baby?. A string quartet of brothers played, the Bishop spoke of our Savior. The choir sang the Hallelujah Chorus while I sat in the pews and sang along the best I could. Hallelujah!
AuntSue
For some reason tears are very close to the surface for me today. Christmas can do that to me anyway, but it seems even more so today. Perhaps it is because it’s also Sunday and there is a greater tendency to focus on the Savior because of that. I participated with our ward choir for our Sacrament Meeting program and as we sang the 3rd verse of ‘It Came Upon the Midnight Clear’ – For lo! the days are hast’ning on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heav’n and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.’ – it was a reminder that our Savior’s birth was just the beginning and that He will return again.
I also took the opportunity to attend a second Sacrament Meeting in my friends’ ward because several members of their family were taking part. It was a Spirit filled meeting. A beautiful flute accompaniment was created to ‘Silent Night’ and was a poignant addition and reminder of that first night. The culmination was the adult choir, a Primary choir, and a soloist – my friend – singing ‘One by One’ each building on the last. It was powerful and another reminder that as much as the Savior came to save all of mankind, he came to save ‘the one’. What more precious gift could there ever be?
So much I could write, of the feelings of love, joy, and peace, that transcend those other feelings of frustration, tiredness, not being able to ‘do it all’…Also, as MMM mentioned, going to Sacrament, I felt the happiness of being able to meet with others and share the gladness of the birth and life of our Savior, of being able to take the Sacrament…the songs shared, well, in a word, BLESSED.
Thanks for your thoughts. Today has been a wonderful Sabbath and Christmas Day. Sacrament meeting was deeply meaningful, and the musical program was perfect. I sang in our stake choir’s program last Sunday, which is usually the best Christmas present which I give myself (and to others who attend),But, today’s musical presentations, consisting of different musical groups or instruments, was deeply touching and I had free flowing tears through much of it. Then, I had two of my daughters, their husbands and their children (2 treasured grandchildren) together for dinner and for a relaxing day of simply being together. Priceless!
Except for the missionary in South America, all our kids are at the spouse’s families this year (as they have not married orphans either, too bad!). It’s harder than I thought to be without family for Christmas, but it’s still been a great day. Thankful for everything, and probably extra thankful for Skype today!
Wow, where to begin? My gratitude is extremely personal in that I am so grateful I can’t find the words. Christmas is no longer about “stuff” now that I have found the gospel again. I dont get stressed anymore about “who gets what”, and “when we are suppose to be where” like I use to!! It may start, but then I am able to breath and let it go (I didnt use to be able to do that).
I am able to love my family more now that I am learning to love my Savior!