What I Love about Christmas

There are many favorite things that I love about Christmas. Like the usuals: Most everyone is more pleasant with the thoughts of love, peace, hope and joy, the Christmas lights and pretty decorations, going to temple square, the treats and sweets, candy, pecan brittle and English Toffee (yummy), yearly traditions of making gingerbread houses with my daughter and brother and I love to watch the old classic movies - "Miracle on 34th and It's a Wonderful Life" are just two of my favorites. I love to watch gently falling snow as it lays a white blanket on the ground, covering everything in brilliant, sparkling white diamonds. I love listening to and singing, even though I can't sing, all the Christmas songs. I like to watch choir performances and wonderful entertainers such as "Eclipse", a spectacular a capella group that Lynnsee and I recently attended a concert for , if you ever get the chance, go it will be worth it, ( www.eclipsesingers.com/index.html ). It helped me get in the spirit of Christmas, which I hadn't felt quite yet.

I was reminded of something, that I only needed to drop the last syllable from Christmas and voila...you have the "Spirit of Christ" - the whole reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place, to comemorate the birth of Christ and the gift our Father in Heaven has given to all men...the opportunity for eternal life. When I ponder all this, it humbles me and I truly want to be a more dedicated servant than I am. My gift to you all this year is a heartfelt prayer of love, health, hope, joy and happiness and the means to find strength and comfort in the Lord's tender mercies as He bestows His infinite love upon all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Time Already?

So basically we haven't blogged for like...eternity! And Marisa was kind enough to let me know that this afternoon, so I am gonna prove to her that I can blog! :p . So my life has either been really busy, or really boring depending how you look at it. The musical is over (it has been since October) but it was all good! Um... I got sick like I said I would, I still feel like a sack of Icecubes, but theres not much we can do about that... Um... I really don't know what else is going on... We're just livin' and yeah... Well Im' gonna go enjoy the exciting education that homwork provides... so you all have a wonderful day, or night, or whatever. :)

Reflection time

For the past few days, I have been reflecting on a play I saw on Friday night. It was a wonderfully funny and exciting musical play titled "The Ark" and was written by Michael McClean. If you don't know who Michael McClane is, he also wrote and starred in "The Forgotten Carols" another great play with wonderful music which he also wrote. I thought this play was fantastic and if you get the chance you should see it. It was so funny and has a great moral to the story. Anyway, he actually introduced himself and welcomed all the theatre guests and briefly talked about how and why he wrote a play about Noah and the Ark. He talked about the all the problems and difficulties each person faces in their life and we have it in ourselves to overcome them if we just hold on. In the play, there is a moment where Noah's wife has just had it. She's tired of being cooped up in a boat, with the animals, the stink and the mess and etc. etc. As she is talking to him and telling him that she has always stuck with him through everything she doesn't think that she can do it anymore. Noah very tenderly and lovingly assures her as he is singing to her and telling her to just "hold on, hold on . . . the light will come." She is not so sure this time and tells him so, he is going to have to hold on for her, she thinks she is ready to let it all go. It was during this part of the play that I could identify with the feelings this woman is having and when I heard this song it was all I could do to keep from letting go all my emotions, but I kept it in check and only wiped away a couple of tears. (I know I wasn't the only person this affected because I could hear sniffles all around.) I am so glad I went to this play because I really needed to hear this even if it has caused me to reflect on life and such. Somedays it seems like I am ready to let go but I am afraid to because I know better and I know I am not alone. I think I finally realized I don't have to depend solely on myself. I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and has sent his Son to take my burdens upon Himself if only I will allow it. Sometimes, we make things more difficult for ourselves when we don't need them to be and when we have endured what we can, we need to turn it over to the Lord. I think this helps make it easier to "just hold on!"