Thoughts on Christmas

Well, it's Christmas Eve and I am still not quite feeling that "Christmas spirit." It seems that the older I get, the more effort I have to put forth to get myself in that "mood" that goes beyond just the silly presents and centers on our Savior and His birth.

I remember when I was little, that Christmas feeling just came. I got so excited for Christmas Eve, and Santa and presents. I loved buying presents for my siblings and finding gifts for my parents. I loved sitting on my parents bed Christmas morning and opening my stocking. I loved sitting with my family by the tree and opening presents and giving hugs of appreciation after each gift was opened. I loved being with my family- my whole family and sharing in that Christmas spirit with each of them.

Now that I'm married and don't get to spend Christmas with my whole family anymore, I am desperately searching for a way to get that feeling back in my Christmas (especially since I'm also getting ready to start a family of my own) I just want Christmas to be as exciting for my soon-to-be-family as it was for me growing up. I want to make sure that Christ is remembered and celebrated as my parents taught us to do. I just want to find that spirit- and keep it all through the holiday. But what to do to get it? How can you get the true meaning of Christmas to light up the holiday season? Just thinking of Christ? Reading the Nativity? Filling the tree with presents? What is it?

As I was getting ready this morning, I was looking on the church website and found a Christmas link with talks, songs, scriptures and even this year's First Presidency Devotional. So I clicked on various talks and had Joey print them and then I started listening to the Christmas Devotional.

The music is beautiful (as always) and is definitely one way to get yourself in that Christmas mood! I could listen to Christmas songs all day- especially the ones about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Oh Holy Night, Angels We Have Heard on High....all those melodies and lyrics help to lighten my spirits and allow for the spirit of Christ to enter my home and heart.

But it was the first speaker, President Uchtdorf whose message really struck me. I listened to this one part over and over so that I could write it down as he spoke the words. Here is what he said in part of his message on the purpose and simplicity of Christmas:

"Think of the simple yet dignified way our Heavenly Father chose to honor the birth of His son. On that holy night, angels appeared not to the rich, but to the shepherds. The Christ Child was not born not in a mansion, but in a manger. The Child was wrapped not in silk, but in swaddling clothes. The simplicity of that first Christmas foreshadowed the life of the Savior. Though He had created the earth, though He had walked in the realms of majesty and glory, though He had stood on the right hand of the Father, He came to this earth as a helpless child. His life was a model of modest nobility. He had no place to lay His head and He walked ever among the poor, the sick, the downcast and the heavy-laden. Though He was a King, He cared neither for the honors nor the riches of man. His life, His words, His daily activity were monuments of simple yet profound dignity. Jesus the Christ, who knew perfectly how to give, set for us the pattern of giving."

He went on to talk about the Savior's life and how He went about teaching, lifting spirits, healing, offering forgiveness, loving, caring etc., and how that was His gift to all of us. His life was His gift. His example of HOW to live, was His gift to us. Nothing wraped in a package or with a bow. Nothing sitting under the tree- just His open arms, His love.

I was then thinking that there is no way for us to offer what He offered us, to anyone, but then I realized that we may not be able to offer Christ's forgivness, but we can offer our own to others who may have offended us. We might not be able to love quite as completely and unconditionally as our Savior, but we can still love others selflessly with our whole hearts. I can't heal anyone, but I can try to lighten the burden of those who might be suffering.

That was Christ's example. That is what He wants us to learn and do. He doesn't want us to break the bank trying to buy gifts for eachother that we don't need and that will be forgotten by next month. He wants us to love as He loves; forgive as He forgives us, live as He lived. That is what He wants this season to be about. That is what He wants us to give.

I am so glad that I decided to listen to that message. It has already put me in a better mood and given me the little push I need to stop thinking about "what to buy" and start thinking more about what can I offer others? What can I do to help? How can I follow my Savior's example and be more Christlike in my daily actions?

President Uchtdorf close by saying:

"But let us ever remember, that Jesus Christ is the light of the World. May we remember the humble dignity of his birth, His gifts and His life. May we through our simple acts of kindness, charity and compassion, fill the world with the light of His love and His healing power."

I wish I had listened to this earlier, but hopefully I can learn from it for next year at least and the remainder of this season. Merry Christmas!

Decions, decisons, decisions.

I can't quite explain what it is about decision making that tends to be so difficult for me. I don't know if it's the fact that whatever choice I make or path I choose to follow (especially if it's a bad choice) I have to take responsibility for it and where I end up because of it. I know it sounds ridiculous. I should be used to making decisions and very used to change. I've been doing it my whole life. After all, I went to college, got married, have a good job etc.--all of which were decisions I had to make at one point or another. I also spent most of my childhood being moved from one state to another or even from one country to another, having to make new friends and adjust all the while. I like to think that I was open to these "transplants" and enjoyed the change of scenery. So what exactly is it, now that I'm a little older and more set in my stubborn ways, that makes it so hard for me to make decisions.

What brings me to one of those difficult decisions is a job opportunity that I happened to "stumble" upon a few weeks ago. I've had my current job for almost 2 years and have enjoyed it for the most part (as much as someone can who doesn't like to work...) I've learned, grown and honed my skills and feel I've become a very valuable employee. The only down-side to this job is that we have our off season--a time when I get very bored for about 4 months at a time. Well, I don't handle boredom well. Yes, any good employee can find something to do to pass the time and continue to be a valuable asset to their company. So, call me a bad employee- you can only read so many tutorials and do so many silly projects, before you decide you've forgotten how to read and just can't take it anymore.

I was never really actively looking for a new job. I'm one of those people who wallows in self pity and complains about their problems, but never really does much to "fix" the problem, especially not if it requires doing something about it. Ya, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me either.

So I happened to come across a job with potential. 'I'll never get it', I figured, which is probably why I called on it and later applied for it. Lo and behold they called me in for an interview and liked what they saw. Weird, I know. That was still ok until they offered me a job. Now I really had to sit down, think about my current position and decide if I was miserable enough in my current job to actually do something about it. Was it enough for that dreaded word...."change." That required thinking... something I also tend to struggle with.

After many failed attempts with the "thought process" and much "pushing it aside" I realized I really did, finally, have to make a choice. I had to decide if I wanted to stay in my current job, be bored and stagnate, or if I wanted to start a new job (which is always a delightful experience--going somewhere where you don't know anyone or what's going on and have to start all over at square). Neither sounded all that appealing, but those were the choices I had.

It may seem like a no-brainer to most people, but for one who was never good at making decisions and adjusting to change, this posed a potential problem, because I couldn't choose neither, because even that would be a decision. (We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision. -Gary Collins)

After much "thought" a.k.a-asking my family members what THEY thought I should do, I knew I'd have to make the decision on my own. No one could make it for me (what a bummer, I know) because this was a choice I'd have to make and then take responsibility for the whatever the outcome.

So I've made my decision and only time will tell if it was a good one. As William Pollard said: "It is not always what we know or analyzed before we make a decision that makes it a great decision. It is what we do after we make the decision to implement and execute it that makes it a good decision."

Hopefully I can do what it takes to make it a great decision.

With that said, here are some great quotes I found on decision making that will hopefully help any of you fellow decision-making "re re's".

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. - H.L. Hunt

A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion (or his family's) -Chinese Proverb

The more decisions that you are forced to make alone, the more you are aware of your freedom to choose. - Thornton Wilder