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.
Sorry. I'm bad at keeping up with my blogs :S.
But at least I'm here now, right?
I just finished listening to the first session of General Conference. I'd been advised by leaders to write down questions that I had, but I couldn't think of any questions. Finally, as this session was starting, a big question that I've been pondering came to mind, and I wrote it down. I havn't recieved any direct answers to it, but I've been feeling more at peace about it.
Each year, the Church comes up with a theme for the youth based on a scripture.
A few years ago, it was D&C 115:5 "Arise and shine forth!"
Last year it was D&C 87:8 "Stand ye in holy places"
This year, it's Moroni 10:32 "Come unto Christ"
I love that it shows such different and real struggles: self-worth, death/illness, parental/family relationships, and addiction. He really can help us with ANYTHING!! No matter how unique your trial is, He knows what you feel! Because of the Atonement, He can relate with us.
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the bdeep;
if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become
thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements
combine to chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee eexperience, and shall be for thy good.
I know that Coming Unto Christ is what we have to do in this life (or at least TRY to do :)). The more we try to become like Him, the better we'll be, the more peace and happiness we'll have, and the better our lives will be (but not neccessarily in a worldy sense ;))
Moroni 10:32Yea, acome unto Christ, and be bperfected in him, and cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
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.
Mary is a hero to many. She is to me! She was worthy to be the Mother of Christ. And she had the courage to accept that calling from the Angel.
Luke 1:37 For with God, nothing is impossible.
In the culture back then, if you were pregnant outside of marriage, you would be severly punished. Both Mary and Joseph must've struggled.
And then the glorious night in Bethlehem!
To sum up, this is one of my favorite songs, and the video is really powerful, too: "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant
I know that Mary was chosen to bear Jesus, and that she had great courage and faith to accept that, and follow through. I know that she is a daughter of God, and that she played an important part in His plan.
It was turning out to be another rushed and harried holiday season.
When
I was younger, I had envisioned peaceful Christmases filled with
twinkling lights and glistening snow, with me seated before a fireplace
and surrounded by my dream family.
To
my disappointment, however, as a young adult I still had not seen the
fulfillment of that dream. Instead, my time and energy during Christmas
were being spent on my work as a schoolteacher and on various
holiday-related activities. As my involvement in these activities
increased and my to-do list grew longer, I felt more and more
overwhelmed.
In
the middle of the chaos came a request from a friend for our young
single adult group to sing at a local nursing home. It was to be a
family home evening presentation for the elderly patients there. I must
admit that I didn’t really want to go, but I halfheartedly consented
anyway.
Monday
evening came, and when I got to the nursing home I was relieved that
the hour had arrived—the service project would soon be erased from my
to-do list.
A
group of patients in wheelchairs had been gathered together in a cold,
sterile room. A woman with silver hair and a tremulous voice opened our
family home evening with prayer. She petitioned our Heavenly Father and
sincerely and humbly said, “We thank Thee for all of our many
blessings.” Blessings? I was puzzled by
the thought. How could she see her world of wheelchairs, bedpans,
hospital food, lonely days and nights, dependency, crippled limbs, and
faded youth as blessings? The woman finished the prayer, and my thoughts
were filled with wonder at her expression of gratitude.
Our group stood and began to sing.
Slippered
feet tapped on foot rests, gnarled fingers kept time, and smiles
appeared at the sound of the familiar melodies. Their expressions
mirrored ours as we sang of Christmas delights and heavenly gifts.
Something warm and magical gradually seemed to fill the room.
I
gazed into the ageless eyes of the onlookers and found myself floating
in their warmth and wisdom. They too had been teachers or carolers in a
choir—married, single, parents, or childless.
The
final notes of the closing song drifted softly around the room: “Sleep
in heavenly peace.” A benediction was offered. My spirit was subdued and
quieted.
My
view of Christmas and of life began to change that night. For one
moment I could see that I didn’t need to worry so much about what I felt
was lacking in my own life. I sensed that within the withered physical
bodies of those to whom we had sung were spirits filled with happiness,
gratitude, and God’s love. No matter the person’s age or station in
life, a portion of that love and happiness was there, if only I had eyes
to see, ears to hear, and a heart to fill—with gratitude.
