Traditions

I've let Rachael do the blog posts this month.  She's very diligent and I find myself busier than I think with my three kids.

I just wanted to share a few traditions we enjoyed (and are still enjoying) this Christmas and New Year's.

  

Christmas Eve, wearing jammies from our Auntie

Our Tree

One my family started this year is called a Shepherd's Dinner.  We learned about this from some friends we made in Lompoc, CA where we used to live.  A Shepherd's Dinner is a simple and easy way to remember the birth of Jesus Christ--the reason we have Christmas.  You dress up like shepherds, unless you're my kids who have a hard time enjoying the dress up clothes.  You eat a simple dinner of things shepherd's might have eaten.  We ate pita bread, humus, dates/raisins, apples, bananas and oranges, ham (although I think pig is non-kosher, so we kind of cheated with that one), string cheese--it's an easy way to have easy in pieces, and nuts.  We drank water and we enjoyed our food by the Christmas tree lights while sitting on the floor.  After it was all done, we sang some Christmas carols.  It was really awesome and I'm glad we invited another family over to share our tradition with us.  I felt this was a simple way for our family to focus on Christ and his simple birth.  

Our Shepherd's Dinner

Another tradition we have (or mostly me) is that I have to watch "Its a Wonderful Life" every Christmas season.  There's soooo much I love about this movie and I always cry when I do watch it.  I'm amazed at the lessons I learn from it every time.  It's just soooo good!  I'd share my favorite line, but my favorite changes every year.  

Randy and I have combined some traditions we had growing up into our Christmas day.  When we wake up with our kids, everyone has to be dressed and have their beds made.  Then we gather as a family and have family prayer in mom and dad's room.  This comes from my family.  I don't remember a single Christmas we didn't do this.  It reminds me to slow down and give thanks for all our gifts, especially the Gift of Christ's Love rather than just rushing to the tree and presents.  Randy grew up eating Goldenrod Eggs for breakfast (before opening presents).  So, we have this for breakfast before presents too.  Goldenrod eggs are delicious!!!  An easy and super tasty breakfast.  Here's the recipe:

hard boiled eggs: whites and yolks separated afterwards

Sauce:

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl flour

salt and pepper to taste

1-1 1/2 cups milk

Melt the butter in a pot, then add the flour.  while on medium heat, slowly add the milk as the sauce thickens.  Add the salt and pepper as you like.  Chop the hard boiled egg whites up and add to the sauce. (about 3 eggs was enough for 1 1/2 cups of milk)

Then make some toast.  Break the toast up in pieces on your plate, pour the warm sauce on top and then crumble 1/2 - 1 whole egg yolk on top.  My kids didn't really go for it, because Sam has a thing against all sauces and Haley just wasn't into something new.  But Randy and I loved it!!!  We used three hard boiled eggs among us and it was just the right amount of eggs and sauce.

Making Cookies for us and friends, another tradition

Our yummy treats to share!

Even though we couldn't be home with our family in Utah, we are happy for the traditions that help us feel close to them and to enjoy this Christmas season.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!!

Sarah

Hot Chocolate Kits

I've been meaning to put together Christmas gifts to five to friends and neighbors for several weeks now but have quite gotten to it. Despite all my best efforts to start early this year, it's recently come to my attention that Christmas is a mere few days away. 

It's OK though because what I planned to do is actually pretty simple- Hot Chocolate Kits! And let's all be honest here. We love our neighbors, but we don't love them all $40 or even $20 worth. These hot chocolate kits are super economical and are perfect if you need to make a bunch. You probably already have some of the items in your cupboards waiting to be gifted. 

First, I had some mini dessert a spoons left over from my daughter's baby. I got out some chocolate chips from my baking stash and zapped enough in the microwave to dip the spoons in. Voila, chocolate covered spoons! Just let them dry on some wax paper. 

I got out some holiday tins, another find from the dollar store, and began filling my kits. You could use baskets, boxes, or just group the items in cellophane.

I already had white cups on hand, the kind that are perfect for hot beverages.  You could decorate them with holiday washi tape or stickers. If you're giving this to a neighbor with kids, maybe put the stickers on as part of your kit so they can decorate their own cup. If you don't have paper cups ready on your pantry, again, the dollar store is a cheap place to find some.

Then start filling up your kits with foodies that would go great with hot chocolate! Some of the things I used were:

Pirouline cookies

Candy canes 

Mint cookies

Marshmallows 

Chocolate dipped spoons

Red striped paper straws 

Chocolate Santas

I put each item in clear, self-sealing bags to make it look nice, but ziplock bags would work just as great. I even dug out some stickers I had made last Christmas glad to finally put them to good use. The straws were also another left over item I had from a BBQ over a year ago! 

Here's how one of the finished kits turned out! Pretty cute if I do say so myself.

So if you are like me and it just occurred to you that Christmas is in two days, (that's right I said In TWO MORE DAYS!) then this is a great last minute but thoughtful gift you can put together quickly. It'll be just in time to deliver on Christmas Eve. Maybe keep a couple on hand for that friend who brings by a gift even though you didn't know you were close enough to be "gift giving friends." Or put it together for yourself. Nothing makes a winter blizzard bearable like some hot cocoa. 

Christmas Letters...

This is it. This is the year. The year I finally get to write a Christmas letter! You get to summarize all the wonderful things that happened in your family throughout the past year, catch up with people you never hear from all year long until you get their Christmas letter, and brag about the wonderful things your children do, and wish everyone in one fell swoop Merry Christmas and Happy New Years'!

The Christmas Letter can be thought of as a primitive form of Facebook. For you youngsters out there, its an actual piece of paper that has words on it, and it comes in an envelop with curbside delivery. It usually printed on beautiful holiday stationary with a border of poinsettias of a little image of the Nativity in the corner, sealed together with a fun Christmas sticker.

Now that I have a little family of my own, it's more acceptable to write a Christmas letter. Yes I could just choose the latest design from Tiny Prints and add a darling picture of my daughter for all to see. "Merry Christmas from the Smiths," the only type added. But typing out a Christmas letter takes a little more thought and lets you share with others your gratitude for all the blessings you've received throughout the year.

If there's only one or two young kids in your family, your mom tells everyone about the new words you're learning, what grade you're in at school, what your Halloween costume was. As you get older it boils down to who you're dating and what job you have. If you're an adult still living at home, the language is tricky. You don't want your mom to announce to everyone that you're a failure - you're unemployed or something. I lived at home between graduating for college and getting married. While I basically had the basement to myself and came and went as I pleased, it's not like living at home until you're 24 is an accomplishment. My mom attempted to make it sound like a wonderful thing, that I was living in my "own apartment style living downstairs." I made her take it out and just say I was keeping busy by working and dating. This also makes it sound like I was dating lots of people, instead of the truth, not dating anyone.

I got a sneak peak at my Grandpa's letter this year since he still hand writes his and my mother types it out for him. It's a big deal if you make an appearance in this letter because with the family sprawling out bigger and bigger every year, there's only so much room on a one page letter and and so much to cover. You have to do something big to get rewarded with such an honor. Back when there were fewer than 30 cousins your high school graduation or new job may have been enough. But that doesn't cut it anymore. Unless you're serving an LDS mission or recently had a baby, kiss your chances goodbye. With little Liberty joining our family, our chances this year are good.

While sharing all your fun and excitement the  year has brought, the most important and exciting part about writing a Christmas letter is getting to share the spirit of Christmas by expressing your love and thanks for the Savior, Jesus Christ. My grandpa's always expresses his testimony of the birth of the Christ child, and his gratitude for this beautiful time of year. Whether I've "made it" in the letter or not, this part truly is my favorite part of reading Grandpa's Christmas letter. And I'm looking forward to putting our own thoughts about the true meaning of Christmas in our own.

What a marvelous time of year Christmas is. When its cold and dark outside, we have the Light of the World to bring us warmth, peace, and joy. The birth of Jesus in that humble stable in Bethlehem gives us the most wonderful reason to be cheerful and full of joy. It truly is most wonderful time of the year.

Dollar Store Decorating...

I have the most beautiful wreath to hang on our front door at Christmas time: beautiful faux boughs of blue spruce, twigs woven in to give it depth, big pine cones, and pretty heather and lemon leaves throughout. And my husband hates it. He thinks its too big. I just keep telling him he hasn't learned the art of leaving the house without getting tangled in the wreath yet.

So when I had the opportunity this year to make my own wreath with real cedar, I jumped. I figured I'd have the wonderful smell of  real pine and make my husband happy. All the supplies to make the wreath were provided and it was free!! Someone had even gone around collecting extra pine cones to add. I just had to bring anything extra if I wanted to add it. Of course I was late to the wreath making so I had to finish the trimming when I got home. Its been so cold out that I flipped my wreath hanger around on my front door so I could do my decorating from the cozy confines of my living room.

 I made sure to hit my local Dollar Tree to get a few things. There were some great looking berries that I tucked in here and there for a little pop of color. I found this great ivory poinsettia flower with just the right amount of glitter. The best part is the clip it has so no glue gun needed on this project! Just clip it in where you want it. 

I already had a spool of some sparkly green ribbon in my stash. With a 4 yard piece, I used the same "folding" technique to make my bow that I used in making our witch hat. Check out those instructions here! Since my ribbon was 3" thick, I used a small piece of floral wire (also from Dollar Tree), to keep it all together. I kept the wire ends long and used it to attach it to the wreath. 

I had another ivory and gold ribbon that I wanted to use, but it only had gold foil on one side. Have you ever struggled with making a bow and getting the right side to stay "out." Here's the trick I use...

 I still fold my ribbon back and forth, but after each loop I twist the ribbon over in the center so the back side if facing up. This way, when you fold the ribbon back over for another loop the right side will be facing up. Just keep twisting the ribbon in the center each time you make a loop. Again, I used wire to secure it all together and secure it to my first bow on the wreath.

I clipped in my flower and for the finishing touch I hung a glittery gold dove from the top of the wreath with some floral ribbon. Done! All together, I only spent 5 bucks! And I think I got a great looking wreath that also smells wonderful.

 I asked my husband what he thought of our new wreath and if it passed the not-too-big test. He said it was nice, but I could still trim a couple branches. Well, guess you can't win 'em all.

The Big Fat Christmas Lie.

W

e lied for the first time to my baby girl this past weekend. She's only 4 months so she's probably not affected that much. But I plan to keep up this lie. I'm supposed to protect and love her, shield her from shady creeps and con-men, including future high school jocks, and here we were, planting the seedy seeds of deceit. What did we lie about you ask? Well, we put her on Santa's lap and that was it. We didn't have a big philosophical discussion about whether or not we were going to follow the mainly commercialized tradition of Santa Clause, whether it was so-called idol worshiping or taking away from what Christmas is all about, we just did it. Our parents did it to us, and we turned out OK. No feeling of resentment or ill will towards our parents; no doubts of our faith have crept in because of Santy Clause. This is how the lie went down...

She slept for nearly the entire family party, for which I was grateful, but I was worried she'd miss the big moment when Santa showed up! I wanted her awake for the big moment when she'd get to sit on a strangers lap and I could take a picture! He wasn't really a stranger, one of the cousin's spouses who got roped into putting on the big red suit this year. Poor guy was sweating from the heat. Who wouldn't in a giant velvet outfit with fur cuffs? She loved it. She stared at him with her wide grin and bright eyes, and that's why we did it. Because Christmas is a magical time full of wonder, especially for little children. Don't get me wrong, she's no dummy. She's bright as can be and right away flipped his beard up to reveal the backing was nothing more that a piece of white fuzzy fabric, not even a real fake beard. "Quick, get the pictures while she's smiling!" And that was all there was too it. Easiest lie I ever told. And now I have a picture to save for all time of my daughter's first time meeting Ol' Kris Kringle. 

I remember the last Christmas that I believed in Santa Clause as a child very vividly. I remember because it was the year Santa saved Christmas! At least I thought he did. I wasn't as savvy as Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street I guess.  I had asked for a ukulele that year. Seems a little nerdy now, but it was the cool thing to get since all the kids at school were learning how to play them. Now I had asked my parents for one, because I was beginning to suspect it was them all along. When Christmas Eve rolled around my mother told me she had tried to get one, but there wasn't one to be found. She had gone shopping too late in and told me not to be too disappointed. Of course I believed her - why would my mother ever lie to me? Oh the irony.  

Needless to say, my hopes were dashed. There was only one last resort, I had to write a letter to Santa!  I remember going straight to my room and scribbling out my desperate letter telling Santa that he just had to get me a ukulele because my mother had tried but couldn't. I begged and pleaded and even wrote "You are my only hope." I presented the letter to my dad so that he could mail it, but after a quick skim, he decided he first better read it out loud at the party for all to hear. I realized I was being mocked after the laughing ensued. Even still, I was just sure Santa could fulfill my Christmas wish. I bundled up with my dad and he took me to the post office at 11 pm Christmas Eve. Apparently by 3rd grade I hadn't yet figured out how the post office worked.I truly believed it would get to the North Pole in time for Santa's elves to crank out one more ukulele for me. It was before midnight after all, Christmas hadn't come yet. 

When Christmas morning came, I looked at all the presents under the tree and there wasn't a single box shaped like it should. Wait, what was that triangle box up on the mantel? My very own ukulele. It worked! Santa got my letter! He saved Christmas! I'm sure my parents gave each other a sly wink once they realized they had convinced me for at least one more year of the existence of St. Nick.

Does it mean because we've introduced Santa that we aren't teaching our daughter the true meaning of Christmas? Is she too young still? 

I was going to do the decorating myself. Not really the kind of thing my husband gets into. And Liberty is much to young to do much other than stare at the mesmerizing Christmas lights as I try to string them evenly on the tree. But if she's not to young to introduce the story of an ancient jolly man who lives in frigid temperatures while employing all the world's elves to make toys, flies around the world on a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer just to squeeze into your chimney at night, the only man who's been pardoned in every county to commit breaking and entering to leave gifts and eat the cookies you really want to keep for yourself. While she may not "get" who Santa is, she's bright and I'm sure she's pickin' up some of what we're puttin' down. So of course she's old enough to teach her the TRUE story Christmas. The story of God sending His Son to Earth as a tiny, innocent and beautiful baby boy, born in a stable to Mary and Joseph, where humble shepherds came to see and worship Him. In fact, I'm sure she could teach us a thing or two having come straight from heaven not that long ago. While I'm handling the majority of the holiday decorations, we'll be setting up the nativity sets together this year.

-Rachael 

Becoming Grateful Day 30: Doing Chores for Others

Thinking back on all the things we have done this month to increase our gratitude, we hope you've become more grateful in some way.  Today is the last day of November, and the last day for our little series, but becoming grateful doesn't stop here.  When we become something, it is a part of us and something we are always in the process of.  You don't arrive at a finish line for gratitude and say "Well, I made it. I'm grateful now."  Each of us will spend all our lives becoming grateful.  Hopefully each day we remember to give thanks and love a little more.  I hope that this month has prepared you for today's idea:

Chores!

How is doing a CHORE going to help you feel gratitude?  At my house chores are never really done and sometimes there's an uneven balance of who does them.  We all enjoy having a clean home, organized closets, crumb free cars, and so forth, but sometimes the doing just doesn't get done all the way all the time; life happens.  Do you feel like the one on the Right or the Left?  Haha, I freely admit I have felt like both ladies sometimes.

                                    

or

But do you see the little boy on the left?  How happy is that kid?  He's not complaining.  He's helping.  Maybe he helps all the time, or maybe this is just a one time thing.  Okay, he's just a cartoon, but imagine all the possibilities here.

 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25:40

When we serve others, we show love for them and we feel love for them.  When we feel this love, we also feel gratitude for them.  In my house there are some chores that are done by certain family members by default:  I usually (not always) wash laundry, my husband usually takes out the trash and our kids are learning how to do their share of picking up their toys and so on.

Someone I know stayed up late ironing her son's shirts the night before he left to go on a mission.  At first when I heard this, I thought "psh, that boy needs to learn to iron his own clothes!"  Later I thought, "I think that mom loves her son and wanted to serve him every moment she could while she could."  What a difference in gratitude our attitude makes.  

When I think about serving someone in this way, I think what a blessing it could be to them.  We can feel sympathy and love by helping our family members with things that might be normal mundane chores.  We will feel grateful to them that they do it all the time.  We will feel grateful for the hard work and dedication it takes to keep things organized and clean.  We will feel good that we gave them a break because they might be just a little tired from all the other things in life.  

We can feel grateful by saying "thanks Dad for taking out the garbage," but it is by doing that we grow the most.  So instead of saying thanks, give thanks.  Show you love someone and are are grateful to them by doing something for them.  We really do feel gratitude when we serve others.  I know that when we choose the simple, regular ol' chores to serve by, that we'll find we are more grateful than we thought we were at the beginning.  Happy cleaning Saturday!  

Happy day of Gratitude!  We hope you Become Grateful every day!!!

Becoming Grateful Day 29: Give a Donation

GIVE A DONATION

This is the first year in a long time that I haven't gone out in the wee hours of the morning to hit the big sales with all the other sale-crazed Black Friday shoppers. Its true that I'm experience some symptoms of withdrawal, but when a baby keeps you up most nights, getting up at 3 or 4 am to save a few bucks doesn't seem  as appealing as it usually does.

But if you headed out as soon as the Thanksgiving meal was done to get your spot at Walmart and were out there trying to use a Grande Caramel Apple Cider as your only heating source, chances are you've come away with a big score. Good for you! (I'd like a mini Ipad too, but like I said, sleep is a far more precious commodity around here.) And chances are, you now have to find a place to temporarily store all the "stuff" for the next 26 days, and then find a permanent spot for it. It makes for a perfect time to de-clutter and go through what you have and don't need and donate it!
I always wanted clothes for Christmas when I was a teenager but it usually meant I had to give up some "oldies" but "goodies" that were in the back of my closet. In between setting up the tree, stringing the cranberries and popcorn, and hanging the wreath, take some time to go through some of your clothes or your children's toys and pass them onto someone else who could use them. It's always humbling to recognize the abundance you have compared to someone else who doesn't have as much. Take your children with you to drop off your donations. It's good for them to see where their toys are going and who they are helping. They will appreciate the experience and not just see it as having toys they sorta still like being taken away.

“Y

ou simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.  

                                                              -Sarah Ban Breathnach

Here is a list of a few places you can donate in the Salt Lake City area. This is the smallest list compared to so many places! As you go through your things, think about how much you are blessed with that you even have an opportunity to give to others. And the gratitude others will feel by receiving your gift is a wonderful expression to see.

Salvation Army - Salt Lake City
The Road Home
Deseret Industries
Junior League of SLC - Women Helping Women

Becoming Grateful Day 28: Pray for Gratitude

PRAY FOR GRATITUDE

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice. - Meister Eckhart

"The First Thanksgiving" by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe

“…doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving…”

Doctrine & Covenants 46:7

Happy Thanksgiving! I bet those William Bradford's little band of those original pilgrims and Native Americans would be amazed at what their harvest celebration has turned into these days. After getting over the shock of what an automobile is, I think they'd be impressed with how many hundreds of miles family members will drive to be with loved ones, even when a blizzard is raging. And I think all the women would love having an oven to cook that big bird in, especially since they didn't have to pluck and clean it themselves but just pick up a nice plump Butterball at the local grocery store. But they may also be disappointed in the commercialism that comes along with Thanksgiving and pretty much every major holiday these days. For some, Thanksgiving is just a day to prep for the Black Friday sales. As soon as the meal is cleaned up and the men are settled with a plate of pumpkin pie in front of the 72"er watching whichever football team is winning against whatever other football team, the ads come out and the planning begins. Especially now that the sales start on the holiday, you've got to shop nearly through the night to hit the big deals. 

With so much going on today, from getting the food mixed and cooked and baked (or in my case, crock-potted), to laughing and playing with nieces and nephews, a round or two of Dominion, catching the latest flick at the IMAX theater, it's actually possible to get through the entire day of Thanksgiving without giving thanks. I'm not only talking about being socially polite and thanking mom or grandma for the wonderful meal she made. Although you better be sure to do that. And its more than going around the table and letting each person take a turn to acknowledge something nice in their life they appreciate, while this can be a good start and darling when little children are included.

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every

 man has many--not on your past misfortunes, 

of which all men have some - Charles Dickens

Amidst all the action and family time, take a moment to thank God for the day and all the blessing you have been given. Have you ever said a prayer and never asked for anything? Only gave thanks for the blessings you have recieved? The first time I made an attempt to do this following a youth leaders encouragement, it turned out to be harder than I thought. I really had to focus on the words I was saying in my prayer. While it is great to ask for blessings for our family and loved ones or for what our needs may be, it is also good to try saying a prayer where you only give thanks and not ask for anything. Try it. You'll find the list of things you are grateful for will grow as you concentrate on thanking your Father in Heaven for them. You'll find the words you say will be more meaningful, like Christie Skrinak did. She shared her story of offering a prayer of only gratitude :

As the week progressed, my prayers changed from “I thank Thee for food, clothing, and shelter” to “I thank Thee for the family that Thou hast preserved and kept well, for the protection Thou dost continue to afford us. I thank Thee for the provisions Thou wilt continue to bless us with.” I also remember praying, “I thank Thee for our dependence upon Thee, for Thy mindfulness of us, and for the pathway Thou art preparing for us to escape this bondage, whatever it may be.” Somewhere along the line, my prayers became prayers of not just gratitude, not just humility, but of faith also. Without asking for blessings, I was expressing faith that the Lord would provide for us, and my faith was growing exponentially. (Excerpt from My Prayers of Gratitude by Christie Skrinak)

If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dance, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Doctrine & Covenants 136:28

Thanksgiving 2012 - We smoked a 20 lb. turkey just for the two of us! (Rachael)

“Think to thank. In these 

three words is the finest capsule 

course for a happy marriage, 

a formula for enduring friendship, 

and a pattern for personal happiness.”

-Thomas S. Monson

Take time to meditate and think about what you want to pray about.  This will help you to avoid rushing or rambling in your prayer.  Prayer is two way communication, not just a drive through order for Heaven's help.  I think it helps to make sure you won't have interruptions, even if that means you tell the family--I'm busy for a little while.  I also think actually kneeling down makes prayer just that much more reverent.    

Thank you to our small little group of readers.  Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Rachael and Sarah

Becoming Grateful Day 27: Read About Jesus Christ to Increase Gratitude for Him

Read About Jesus Christ to Increase Gratitude for Him

And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.

Doctrine & Covenants 46:32

—See True to the Faith (2004), 78-79

     

During this whole month of Becoming Grateful I can't help but feel an immense sense of gratitude, and indebtedness really, to God, the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ for all the goodness in my life. I have been granted life long blessings as well as daily mercies to be grateful for. Most importantly I'm grateful for the life of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement. When we cultivate gratitude, we will also increase in our love for God and His Son. Christ is also the supreme example of how to live in gratitude, and as we read about His life we can learn how to live with gratitude in our hearts. When we do this, we will also grow more happy and spiritually strong. 

One story I love about Jesus Christ is found in the New Testament where we learn about Jesus healing the ten lepers. When I think of this story I ask myself, "Would I have been the one who returned to thank Jesus? Or would I have been one of the nine?"

In the New Testament we read in Luke 17:

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save the stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go they way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

by James Christensen

Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that they name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psalms 75:1

This time of year is a great time to read about Jesus Christ, especially as we approach the Christmas season. As I've been working on another project, I've been reading several short holiday stories. I came across a beautiful story about a couple who lost both their daughters while crossing the plains to Salt Lake City. A young boy from another family lost his mother, and soon after reaching the Salt Lake Valley, his father. The couple took the young boy in, but the mother had a very hard time as Christmas approached to celebrate, even for the young boy's sake. In fact, she found it hard to love the boy at all while still mourning the loss of her own children. The little boy told the woman his own mother used to sing a song at Christmas about Jesus, but he couldn't remember it. On Christmas Eve, she went out to the barn to find the little boy playing in the hay with a makeshift cradle he'd fashioned from some sticks. The woman was suddenly overcome with emotion at the sight and began singing Silent Night. The little boy turned and said it was song his own mother used to sing to him. The story goes on to tell how they prepared a small Christmas celebration and that the woman loved the young boy as her own from then on. 

I hope as we continue to cultivate our own grateful heart we can especially thank God for the wonderful gift of His Son during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

-Rachael

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

Rachael has written some beautiful thoughts and I just want to add a few of mine to this one.  As you can see, Rachael has used a lot of scriptures about Jesus Christ.  That is the best place I know of to read about Jesus Christ.  Alma 34 is one of my favorite chapters of scripture because it teaches me the meaning of mercy and more particularly the mercy provided by Jesus Christ.  Alma and Amulek taught that we need to "live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which He doth bestow upon you." (Alma 34:38).  And isn't that so true?  When we LIVE in thanksgiving we see His mercy and grace.  We see that He has done all things for us and provided us a way back to the presence of God.  We see and understand that He blesses us every chance He can because, simply because He loves us.

Here's my some of my favorite scriptures to study that help me understand Jesus Christ better:  reading the miracles Jesus performed in the 4 Gospels in the Bible.  Abinadi's story (study it specifically with the purpose to understand Christ) in Mosiah 11-16, King Benjamin's sermon in Mosiah 2-5, Isaiah's beautiful prophecies in Isaiah 52-54, and 3 Nephi 11-27.  I am grateful for a loving, merciful, forgiving Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  I am grateful to learn of Him and strive to become like He is.  I know as you read and study about Him, your gratitude for him will increase too.  - Sarah

Becoming Grateful Day 26: Look at the Stars & Moon

When I was a kid, I was in love with the night sky.  I have always been fascinated by the vastness the sky has to offer.  You can look in one spot and see so much.  Even the darkest spot of the night sky is filled with millions of stars and galaxies.  So, today's idea is actually for tonight (or any night).  Go look at the stars and moon and ponder your gratitude for these things.  Pull out your Gratitude Journal and write about it.

Here's a great little video that gives ideas on how to help children enjoy star gazing.

If you want to have a great look at stars, try to get away from city lights as much as possible.  It's a benefit that the sun sets fairly early (in the Northern Hemisphere right now at least) which means you don't have to stay up extra late to see the stars.  Also, looking at stars is best if it's not the night of a full moon.  The light of the moon acts much like city lights.  Here's a website that can tell you what the phase of the moon for your location: http://www.almanac.com/moon

But then again, you might want to look at the moon.  The link above will tell you the best time to look at the moon is.  One of my favorite movies is Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks.  At the beginning of the show everyone is gathered around the TV to witness Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon.  Later Jim Lovell (played by Hanks) goes outside and stares up at the moon.  I love the part where he raises his thumb up and tries to cover up the Sea of Tranquility,right where Apollo 11 landed.  I think I love it so much because it's a peaceful moment of pondering amazing things--the universe, the moon, the fact that man stood on it, and as you can imagine for Jim Lovell who was a part of the Apollo program, his own potential.  I don't know if Jim Lovell ever actually did the something like that scene, but I think it's well done in the movie.  Especially because he does it later while on Apollo 13 as he accepts he's not going to moon afterall.  (Seriously, I love this movie).

But I find so much to be grateful for when I look at the night sky.  It's beautiful and reminds  me of my potential.

Enjoy and be grateful as you do!

Sarah

Becoming Grateful Day 25: Share 5 Things You're Thankful For

SHARE 5 THINGS YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR

I made a pretty mean lasagna tonight, and some awesome rolls to go with it from a recipe I found on Pinterest. In fact, it was so good that I went back for seconds. My husband on the other hand ate a healthy portion and called it quits. I asked him if he wanted more, (it means I did a really good job of dinner when he goes back for more), but he said he was full. It wasn't soon after that I realized I had eaten too much. Much too much in fact, and I felt sick. I regretted that second helping and the extra roll and wished I had stopped with the first plate because it really was enough. 

I think in life we're like that. We are given something wonderful, and all we want is more rather than recognizing that what we have is already enough. We get a bad case of the "gimmes" and don't pause to feel "full." If we don't work on being grateful on a daily basis, we end up feeling like we're lacking in some way. We often wind up trying to fill our plate with more "stuff" that we don't need and focus on the getting instead of the thanking. We live in a time now where entitlement pervades our society. Not only is everyone looking for more, but they think they deserve it just because. It's easy to get caught up in this way of thinking. Before you start wanting more, wait a minute. Think about what you have already been given and let that emotional satiety kick it. It's interesting to me that one definition of satiety is the condition of being gratified beyond the point of satisfaction. Fill your soul with gratitude, which will translate into happiness and joy. 

Design by Sisters Becoming

To help recognize all the things we have that already "fill" us up, try to say 5 things you are thankful for to each person you talk with today. Try not to just say "Thanks for all you do!" While that's nice, be heartfelt and specific. If you're going to be with someone a lot today you can weave your thanks into your conversations, rather than all at once. But other people, like someone you run into at the grocery store, will end up getting bombarded with your grateful praises. It might get uncomfortable. In fact, it will probably get weird and awkward if you're not used to expressing your gratitude. Especially when you don't stop after the 2nd thing you're thanking them for. That's OK! They will probably end up thanking you for thanking them! And soon you'll see all the many blessings you have, people and things, that can "fill" you up. You'll end up not only recognizing that you have enough, but that you have more than enough. 

Here's something to ponder next time you get hit with the "gimmes"...

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead

and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish

someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more

blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of

imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are

ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a religious meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,

torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the

world.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ...

you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the

shoulder ... you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion

people in the world that cannot read at all.

Count your blessings!

~ Author unknown ~