Now the joy of (Tova) was so great even that (she) was full; yea, (she) was swallowed up in the joy of (her) God, even to the exhausting of (her) strength; ...
Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
Last Wednesday a member notified us that he wanted to go proselyting with us. So he went with us! He´s 16 years old, and is amazing. We had a lesson with an investigator and afterwards he invited her son to mutual and the church, and he went! Thanks to all the members who help us out, it really makes the day of a missionary when this happens.
Also in Monday we´d made brownies and cinnamon rolls and piña colada (without alcohol, don´t worry) to bring to eat at the end of district meeting Tuesday. But at the end of the meeting our lunch called and said we had an hour to get there (and we were 1 1-2 hrs. away) so we left the food with the elders and to this day I will never know if it was delicious or not (besides taking their word for it, but I´ll never know for myself :( ...).
Then our weekend was amazing because WE SANG ALL WEEKEND!!
All of the missionaries in our zone sang chrismtas carols in three different parks that were next to train stations, and I got to play violin!! The funnest part was afterwards, as we all went home in the train we sang and I played violin some more. :)
I´ve been finishing Alma in my scripture study, and this is what I learned from Moroni. 1--we should be like him (he is ... Alma 48:7-16). 2--how to handle adversity: have faith and a sense of duty or motivation, receive counsel and comfort from leaders and loved ones, have unity, pray, endure with power, and forgive (see Alma 43:46, 48, 49, 50, 54, 44:20).
It also talks ALOT about preparation. When he isn´t fighting he´s preparing. When Teancumn doesn´t know what to do, he prepares. As we prepare we can face the trials and fights that come our way with courage and faith.
Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! I know it´s not there yet, but it´s basically there. :)
I know that as you do the Light the World program (even every other day) you´ll be able to feel the Spirit more, and see miracles in your lives and the lives of others.
Love you all!!
"May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white."
Whenever I start to get stressed about something, or worldly things begin to crowd their way into my mind, this is my go to hymn. Which is funny, because I've never identified it as my favorite or even a notable hymn. My mind just went to it. Presenting, "Be Still My Soul"...
In the Church's adult magazine (the Ensign) President D. Todd Christofferson-- one of our leaders--shared this quote:
The Holy Night, by Carl Heinrich Bloch
"With all of that to come, though, I think it’s appropriate this time of year to just think about that baby in the manger. Don’t be too overwhelmed or occupied with what is to come; just think about that little baby. Take a quiet, peaceful moment to ponder the beginning of His life—the culmination of heavenly prophecy but the earthly beginning for Him.
Take time to relax, be at peace, and see this little child in your mind. Do not be too concerned or overwhelmed with what is coming in His life or in yours. Instead, take a peaceful moment to contemplate perhaps the most serene moment in the history of the world—when all of heaven rejoiced with the message “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men”. "
I've been feeling fairly trapped at this period of my life. Trapped between school and mission and school; not really able to move forward with anything permanent.
While I was pondering the baby-- and just thinking of His birth-- the scripture "Be still and know that I am God" came to mind. Then came the impression that that where I'm at in life right now is a place where I just need to be still. Work at my job, be with my family, improve my mind and talents, and build up my spiritual foundation.
Knowing this has made this time a lot more peaceful.
I hope that you know that wherever you are in your life right now, this very moment, you can take time to be still. You are where God needs you.
What can we give to someone who has everything? He literally created the world and everything in it.
Incense and spices and gold we've a-plenty- Are these the gifts for the king of us all? Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising; Are these for him who will carry the tree? Tears for his mercy we'll weep at the manger, Bathing the infant come down from above.
Gifts we can give: gratitude, forgiveness of others, obedience, love, reverence.
A couple weeks ago, we adopted two little kittens: Tsunami and Noemi ("No-Amy"; it's Hungarian). We were heading out of town, so on Wednesday we dropped them off with their supplies at a friends house. Just as the second group of us were heading out, the friend called us saying that Noemi was looking sick, and that we should come pick her up.
I thought that it might just be the motherly instincts of the friend seeing things that weren't there, but when I went in to pick up the little kitten, she was laying stretched out on her towel while her sister climbed around her. The friend told us Noemi had diarrhea, and needed to stay hydrated.
For the two-hour drive I cradled the prone little body in my hands, feeding her water through a baby dropper one drop at a time. I watched for each sign of improvement: She blinked! She kicked her leg! She rolled over!
While I chose to take these as good signs, I also knew that they may also be signs of her final struggle.
Finally, we made it to Andover where we'd be spending the weekend. I handed off the little kitty to her owner, my nine-year-old sister. At first they took the cats (we'd brought both) to the barn, but then in order to give Noemi more water more often, our friends let us bring them into an outer room in their house.
Despite almost constant care, little Noemi died that night while I was holding her.
As she started leaving, I burst out crying. I'd worked for hours to keep this little kitten alive. Why couldn't she stay?
Comforting me, my mom said, "At least we were able to give her love and a home before she died."
Another woman told of her experience. She was finally fulfilling her dream to go see Mother Theresa. When she landed in India, she went off in search of the famous nun. The woman was directed to a hospital. When she entered it, she found herself in a long hall. Along one wall were 10 or so rocking chairs, and on the other side were dozens of babies lying on the ground.
The door at the other end opened and Mother Theresa walked in followed by some nurses. As she slowly advanced towards the woman, Mother Theresa would point at a baby and then point at a nurse, saying "That one. You. ... That one. You. ..." Obediently, the nurse would pick up the child and rock it in a rocking chair.
At last, Mother Theresa was standing in front of the woman. But as the woman opened her mouth to say something, Mother Theresa pointed at a baby. "That one. You."
Without another word, she left the hospital, leaving the woman who'd come so far to meet her.
Stunned, the woman stood there for a moment. Then she angrily began to leave. "Wait!" a nurse called. "You have to help."
"I'm not a nurse, I don't know what to do." The woman protested.
Quietly, the nurse explained. "There isn't enough care and medicine to save all of these babies. Mother Theresa knows which of these babies are going to die today. Our job is to rock them, and make sure they feel human love before they leave this world."
The woman looked back at the little baby that Mother Theresa had assigned her to love. Then she went over, picked it up, and then rocked it until it slept.
By that time, she needed to rush to catch her plane home, and she never saw Mother Theresa again. But she said that it wasn't a wasted trip. She learned what she needed to learn.
Mosiah 16: 7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. 8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. 9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.
Luke 1 26 And in the sixth month the aangel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a avirgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among awomen.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, aFear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name aJesus.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the aSon of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the bthrone of his father cDavid:
33 And he shall areign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no bend.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I aknow not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The aHoly Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall
be called the bSon of God.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Matt 1
18 ¶aNow the bbirth of Jesus Christ was con this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick aexample, bwas minded to cput her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a adream, saying, Joseph, thou son of bDavid, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the cHoly Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his anamebJesus: for he shall csave his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 aBehold, a bvirgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his cnamedEmmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his awife:
Luke 2
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all athe world should be btaxed.
2 (And this ataxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called aBethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his aespoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the binn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the aglory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you agood tidings of great bjoy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is aborn this day in the city of David a bSaviour, which is Christ the cLord.
12 And this shall be a asign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 aGlory to God in the highest, and on earth bpeace, good will toward men.
15 And
it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known
unto us.
16 And they came with ahaste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard itawondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and aponderedthem in her heart.
20 And
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things
that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the acircumcising of the child, his name was called bJesus, which was so cnamed of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her apurification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the awomb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of aturtledoves, or two young pigeons.
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
27 And
he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in
the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A alightbto lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is aset for the bfall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35 (Yea, a sword shall apierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
36 And there was one Anna, a aprophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age,
and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with afastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for aredemption in Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
Matt 3
1 Now when Jesus was aborn in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 aAnd when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he bdemanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou aBethlehem, in the land of bJuda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a cGovernor, that shall drule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When
they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they
saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the
young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 ¶And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary
his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened
their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and afrankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a adream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
13 And
when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to
Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his
mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word:
for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of aEgypt have I called my son.
16 ¶Then Herod, when he saw that he was amocked of the wise men, bwas exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and cslew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the dcoasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by aJeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In aRama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great bmourning, Rachel weeping for her cchildren, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 ¶But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a adream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the aland of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa in the aroom of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a bdream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called aNazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was bspoken by the prophets, He shall be called a cNazarene.
At http://mormon.org/christmas the Church talks about the reason for Christmas, and gives you links to more.
There are a couple "Mormon Messages" about this, I'll share both of them: From last year:
From this year:
Christmas is so often commercialized, with Santa, presents, and Black Friday. People often forget that Jesus is the reason that we celebrate this holiday. (Interesting note: Holiday vs. Holy Day....)
One of my favorite poems EVER (especially at Christmas time) is "Jesus Shed a Tear"
At Christmas time there
was a man,
who looked so out of place.
As people rushed about him,
at a hurried sort of pace.
He stared at all the Christmas lights,
the tinsel everywhere.
The shopping center Santa Claus,
with children gathered near.
The mall was packed with shoppers,
who were going to and fro.
Some with smiles, some with frowns,
and some too tired to go.
They rested on benches,
or they hurried on their way.
To fight the crowds for purchases,
to carry home that day.
The music from the stereo,
was playing loud and clear.
Of Santa Claus and snowmen,
and funny nosed reindeer.
He heard the people talk about,
the good times on the way.
Of parties, fun and food galore,
and gift exchange that day.
I'd like to know what's going on,
the man was heard to say.
There seems to be some sort,
of celebration on the way.
And would you tell me who this is,
all dressed in red and white.
And why are children asking "him"
about a special night.
The answer came in disbelief,
I can't believe my ear.
I can't believe you do not know,
that Christmas time is here.
The time when Santa comes around,
with gifts for girls and boys.
When they are asleep on Christmas Eve,
he leaves them books and toys.
The man you see in red and white,
is Santa Claus so sly.
The children love his joyful laugh,
and twinkle in his eye.
His gift packed sleigh is pulled along,
by very small reindeer.
As he flies quickly through the air,
while darting here and there.
The children learn of Santa Claus,
while they are still quite small.
When Christmas comes "he" is the most,
"important" one of all.
The stranger hung His head in shame,
He closed a nail pierced hand.
His body shook in disbelief,
He did not understand.
A shadow crossed His stricken face,
His voice was low but clear.
"After all these years they still don't know."
And JESUS shed a tear.
