10 Ways to Add More Christ to Your Christmas

I didn't blog yesterday because I was too busy finishing my FINALS!!!!

WOOHOO!! Totally done!!!





I got onto LDS.org and found this really cool post about 10 things we can do to bring Christ into our Christmas this year, and every year for that matter!



 

“Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Savior the focus of the season,” taught President Thomas S. Monson (“Christmas Is Love,” 2012 First Presidency Christmas Devotional).

The Church provides many online resources to inspire and focus members' attention on the Savior. Here are just a few free and easy things you can do to make Christmas this year less about what you purchase, give, or receive and more about the Savior Jesus Christ.

 1. Watch the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional with seasonal music and inspiring messages.

2. Watch the “He Is the Gift” video and share it on social media with a personal message (#ShareTheGift, #ShareGoodness).
3. Watch the Bible Video “The Nativity.”
4. Scroll through the Church History Museum’s online gallery to see inspiring paintings relating to the Birth of Christ.
5. Listen to commercial-free Christmas music online on the Mormon Channel.
6. Listen to the 24/7 stream of Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas music and be sure to download five free Christmas songs.
7. Do the “Seek the Star” activity in the December 2014 New Era for a Christmas family home evening. Find more ideas for teaching children about Christmas from the Friend.
8. Browse the LDS.org Media Library for Christmas images and Christmas videos you can download, use, and share to bring the Spirit of Christ into your life and home.
9. Read how you can follow the Savior  through service.
10. Read 5 Gift Ideas That Bring Christ into Christmas for more ideas on giving Christ-centered gifts.




MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Gift of Music

day 17

I think it is a miraculous thing- music that is.




When I think of music, I always think back to my musical career, playing in high school and college and then serving a mission where everything I did revolved around music.

I am sensitive to the spirit whenever music is involved. It is a way that the spirit can speak to me and help me feel the love that my Savior has for me.

He knows that I LOVE music. He has given me the talent of playing/performing music and I used it for good, to help others come unto the Him and partake of His love.

I LOVE THIS GOSPEL SO MUCH AND I KNOW IT IS TRUE!!!!!!!!!







#sharethegift #sharegoodness

gift of obedience

day 16







“Because our Savior was obedient, He atoned for our sins, making possible our resurrection and preparing the way for us to return to our Heavenly Father, who knew we would make mistakes as we learned obedience in mortality. When we obey, we accept His sacrifice, for we believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws, ordinances, and commandments given in the gospel.”
Robert D Hales


I love the idea that the more we obey the commandments that are so generously given to us, we can feel the love that the Savior has for us more readily.

The commandments were given to us to help us grow and learn while we are in this mortal life. They are the foundational principles for happiness and a continuing relationship with our Savior. When we obey, we are blessed.
It's literally that simple.

I remember while serving in Nauvoo, one of my main focuses as a missionary trying to improve herself, I kept the idea of obedience with exactness a main part of my experience.
When I would make my study time more about obedience and how I could obey the mission rules/commandments, I would find the blessings in my life more abundantly. I was kept healthy the entire time, I was given to strength to overcome certain obstacles and then I was able to help others follow that same pattern of exact obedience.

 

I am thankful for a Father in Heaven who has blessed me with commandments that are designed to help me stay on the path of happiness. I am also thankful that He has blessed us with the gift of agency so that we can make decisions on our own.

When we walk down a path and find a fork in the road, we can choose which one we want to go down. There will always be one that will benefit us the most, but we are not forced to take a certain one.

As hard as it may be at times, I am so grateful for this blessing.



#sharethegift #heisthegift

Gift of Life

day 15

 

 

 

 

 

I woke up yesterday to this:

and then this picture came through and I died a little of happiness.

 

 

What a gift to the Jex family. This beautiful baby boy has answered so many prayers and is a representation of PURE LOVE!

 

 

I can only imagine the Savior, laying in a manger on that night, surrounded by people and animals who loved Him dearly, knowing that He would save them all. His gift to us is His life, His example, and His Atonement. It's hard to think that this child would one day take all the sins of the world upon Him and then die for all mankind.

 

Luke 2:15-21

 

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 haste, 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 it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them 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 circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

 

 

He loves us so completely and unconditionally- this little baby who grew up to be about His Father's business.

 

 

The gift of the season and our reason for living.

 



Jackson Steiner Jex
12-14-14
8:17am
9lbs 8oz
22 1/2 in





#sharethegift  #sharegoodness

gift of healing

day 14










today in church we talked a lot about the temple and our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

I was really moved by some of the scriptures we read in Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 47:11-12

11 But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

 12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

We discussed the dead sea and why it is considered "dead". Then we talked about what it is going to be like when it is healed. The thing that I thought about the most was the fact that the dead sea had no connections with any outer water source that could help it. When it is healed, there will be channels of other water sources running in and out of the sea.

It made me think about when we are going through hard times.
Do we cut ourselves off from the very source of our healing?
Do we put barriers that prevent any help from getting to us?


The Atonement literally makes it possible for us to be able to connect with the Savior and be healed again. Every wound we may feel and emotion we experience is there for the Atonement to take hold of.

I know with every part of my soul that the Atonement can heal and make us alive again. We may feel that our souls are "dead" but they can be made perfect again.



#sharethegift #sharegoodness

Gift of Love

day 13








this is like barely making it for the 13th, but I will type super fast!!!!

(literally, so beautiful)

I was in the temple this evening and as I sat waiting to do my assignment, I saw a picture on the wall of the temple. It was of the Savior with all the little children surrounding him. (3 Nephi)

I looked at His face and saw the most all encompassing love. It was genuine and beautiful to witness as a representation of His love.

I read the scriptures and thought often of the commandment He has given all of us- to be like the little children.  

Meek, Humble, Prayerful, etc.

I pray continually EVERY day that I may feel of His love. I know it is there waiting for me to seek it out. Buckets and buckets of LOVE!

This Christmas season, always remember the reason we celebrate it. Remember that He set the example and path for us to follow. It will lead us right back to Him. 

#sharethegift  #sharegoodness

gift of happiness



day 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't amazing how we can go from feeling so overwhelmed and stressed to feeling light and loved?

 

 

I LOVE that feeling.

 

 

It is one of the most beautiful feelings I have experienced. I seek that feeling knowing exactly where it is coming from.

 

You know how people say when you have weaknesses or trials, you need to humble yourself and give them to the Lord. I always say that and I literally have to imagine giving the Lord my load of burdens in order for me to do it. Then it is like magic.

 

LITERAL MAGIC!

 

 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

 

 

 

I can promise you that if you give it over to Him, you will have the most wonderful feeling EVER! It is different for everyone, but for me, I always feel so freaking HAPPY and light.



#sharethegift #sharegoodness

Exemplify the Gift

day 11

"When He comes I so want to be caught living the gospel.  I want to be surprised right in the act of spreading the faith and doing something GOOD if I can.  I want the Savior to say to me, "Jeffrey," (because He knows all of our names), "I recognize you not by your title but by your life.  The way you're trying to live and the standards you're trying to defend.  I see the integrity of your heart.  I know you've tried to make things better, first and foremost by being better yourself, and then by declaring my word and defending my gospel to others in the most compassionate way you could.  I know you weren't always successful (He will certainly say) with all your own sins or with the circumstances of others but I believe you honestly tried.  I believe in your heart you truly love me."

Jeffrey R Holland

 

 

I think to myself, the Savior is watching us now, seeing how we treat people and act in hard circumstances. He knows the temptations we experience. He understands the feelings of inadequacies and failures.

 

He gets it.

He knows us.

 

So my testimony to you today, is about the power of following and exemplifying his example. He was perfect in every way and although we are all far from being perfect, we have all the abilities in the world to try to be more like Him, and be perfected through Him. I know that we can accept our inadequacies and be able to give them over to the Savior, He will take them and make them strengths.

 

Don't ever feel that you are not worthy of help or love because of your past. We all have a future that is as bright as we make it to be.

 

 

 

#sharethegift #sharegoodness

Trust the Gift

day 10

 

 

 

We have all heard before that we need to be patient, and things will all work out. Trust in the Lord's timing and things will happen when they need to happen.

I testify that when we trust in the Lord's plan for us, we will find the greatest happiness.

Waiting is hard and sometimes unfair (see previous post regarding "unfair") but the Lord has the most wonderful blessings waiting for us if we can hold out a little longer.




#sharethegift #heisthegift #sharegoodness

Love the Gift

day 9




I went to my cousins house last night for FHE and had a blast make Candy Trains. Because who makes gingerbread houses anymore.
(observe picture below of my "train wreck")

Pretty legit, right?

And yes, the snowmen have fallen over the railroad track, awaiting their death. Somewhat morbid, I know.

 

Anyway, on my drive home, I turned off my music and listened to the heater blow warm air on my face and hands. I allowed my thoughts and feelings to come to the front of my mind.

 

I thought about how blessed I am.

I thought about how scared I am for finals.

I thought about Matt and Greta and their adorable baby boy, who will be arriving in this world SOON!

I thought about my sister and her wonderful life and how much I miss her.

I thought about my mom. I LOVE HER.

I thought about my inadequacies and my strengths.

I thought about my friends.

I thought about the difficulties and hardships I am facing.

 

It is so easy to go from happy and wholesome thoughts, to hard and depressing thoughts. I got trapped in an array of emotions that caused me to feel as though I was less than the dust of the Earth. I started to feel that the experiences I am going through are not FAIR.

 

Why am I the one stuck with hard roommates year after year? Why do I have to be the one who is verbally attacked and talked about behind my back? What have I done that has caused this to happen to me?

 

Look at all I've done. I've been so good lately and yet, I am still suffering.

 

Then today, at work, I found this glorious quote.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the precise power that we need to overcome our natural man tendencies. We may feel that the world is against us and we are the target of people's jokes. We may feel bullied and unloved. That is not fair.

The Atonement takes away all those feelings of "fair" and "unfair". The Atonement fill us with all those happy feelings that we are missing.

 

When I read this, I was filled with LOVE because that is what I needed. I needed to feel LOVED by someone. I was seeking the love from the people around me and I wasn't getting it. I needed to go to the one and only person who understands what I am going through and can perfectly love me in the exact way I need.

 

What can we fear, when filled with such love. 

 

I know that the Lord is there  is fill us with the kind of love and happiness that we need. I know that when we go to Him, we will find the strongest and most powerful love we can ever imagine.

 

 

#sharethegift #heisthegift



 

Follow the Gift

day 8

"We need not walk by the shores of Galilee or among the Judean hills to walk where Jesus walked. All of us can walk the path He walked when, with His words ringing in our ears, His Spirit filling our hearts, and His teachings guiding our lives, we choose to follow Him as we journey through mortality. His example lights the way. Said He, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”"

—Thomas S. Monson

The Savior set the perfect example for who we should be, how we should act, and what we should do. By following His example, not only will we find more joy in our lives, but we will be able to reject any evil messages that come from Satan and his followers.

We know what is expected of us on this Earth. We know the commandments that have been placed before us. We know that they are given to us for our good, so we can improve ourselves and become the people that God needs us to be. We know these things.

So why do we not obey them?
Why do we think that we know better than the one who knows all?


We have been given the beautiful gift of agency wherein we can choose for ourselves the path that we want to take. And sometimes, we choose the wrong path.

But that is why we have the Atonement.

To know and experience the Atonement of Jesus Christ does not require us to be in the Garden with Him. We do not have to "see" in order to believe. It is ALWAYS there and it is ever flowing with the love and compassion that only the Savior can give.

#sharethegift

Press towards the gift

day 7

Philippians 3:13-14 

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

I found an old talk of mine in my journal and as I was reading it, I came upon this scripture which really took hold on my heart again. 

To forget things that are in the past, reaching forward to the things that are before me. Personally, I have been struggling with doing this. It is hard to let go of all that is behind us and focus on the future and all the potential it holds. 

There is a quote from Elder Holland that says, "Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ is the 'high priest of good things to come". 

To be able to trust in God that he understands our circumstances and the things we struggle with in the past, the result will be a more complete understanding of the Lord's will and the Lord's time. 

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who sees from the beginning to the end, knew very well the road He would travel to Gethsemane and Golgotha. 

The road may be rocky and unsteady at times, but it is the sure path that will lead us back to our Savior again. 

He suffered in the Garden and died on the cross so this could be possible for us to be with Him again. As we press towards the Savior, we will be met with adversities and obstacles that will challenge our mind and body. But if we take advantage of the Atonement in our lives, we can overcome ANYTHING that is placed in our path. 

He is the high priest of good things to come. He is the light at the end of the tunnel, but He is also the light that can light our path RIGHT NOW. He is the mediator of all conflict, the Prince of Peace and the one who can calm any storm. 

I know that when we seek after and press towards the Savior, He will be everything we need to succeed in our lives. 

#sharethegift 

Celebrate the Gift

day 6



 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

"That is the spirit of Christmas, which puts in our hearts a desire to give joy to other people. We feel a spirit of giving and gratitude for what we have been given. The celebration of Christmas helps us keep our promise to always remember Him and His gifts to us. And that remembrance creates a desire in us to give gifts to Him.

He has told us what we could give Him to bring Him joy. First, we can, out of faith in Him, give a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We can repent and make sacred covenants with Him. Within the sound of my voice are some who have felt His invitation to the peace His gospel brings but have not yet accepted it. You would give Him joy if you would act now to come unto Him while you can."
- Henry B Eyring

Let us make each and every day an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful gift the Savior is to us.

Let us show our gratitude by helping others see and feel of the love that the Savior has for us.

I know that when we do these things, we will feel of his love more intensely and unconditionally.

#sharethegift #celebratethegift

Open the Gift

day 5



When someone gives you a gift, you see the beautiful wrapping (or maybe not so beautiful) with the colorful bows and ribbons, and your first instinct it to rip it to shreds.

Right?

Well, that is just an assumption on my part because I would say I am that way. My dad is always one of those people who carefully pulls the tape off of the paper (in order to save it) and slides whatever is inside, out. But that is off topic.

Anyway, I wanted to talk more about what we can take from having the greatest gift of all in our lives.

What does He give to us?

"Jesus the Christ, who knew perfectly how to give, set for us the pattern for giving. To those whose hearts are heavy with loneliness and sorrow, He brings compassion and comfort. To those whose bodies and minds are afflicted with illness and suffering, He brings love and healing. To those whose souls are burdened with sin, He offers hope, forgiveness, and redemption.

If the Savior were among us today, we would find Him where He always was—ministering to the meek, the downcast, the humble, the distressed, and the poor in spirit. During this Christmas season and always, may we give to Him by loving as He loves. May we remember the humble dignity of His birth, gifts, and life. And may we, through simple acts of kindness, charity, and compassion, fill the world with the light of His love and healing power."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 

I challenge each and every one of you to think of the different gifts the Savior has given to you. Think about how those gifts have impacted your lives and how you have drawn closer to the Savior.

 

 

I guess my best advice that I can give today is to Open the Gift that the Savior has given us. Don't let it sit underneath the Christmas tree to look pretty. What He has offered to us is more than we could ever dream of and I know that if we take the time to open the gift that He has given us, our lives will be filled with more happiness and gratitude for all we have been given.

 

 

The Savior has given me all that I have:

• my family
• my friends
• ability to learn
• provided me with knowledge so I can increase my temporal and spiritual knowledge
• the gospel
• Atonement
• experiences to learn and grow closer to Him
• reassurance that everything will be okay
• comfort
• healing
• repentance/forgiveness
• ability to appreciate every good thing in life

 

#sharethegift #openthegift

 



Remember the Gift

day 4

 

Yesterday, I had one of the greatest days ever. It wasn't due to any cute boys asking me out or getting 100% of any test.  It was because I was able to see all the good in my life and recognize that all good things come from God. If we can remember that, then our lives will be filled with such joy and happiness.

My heart was so overwhelmed at each moment of the day, I saw good and happy things. I had experiences that made me appreciate the people around me and appreciate myself.

I even had a moment when I was on the phone with my dad when I started to dwell of some negative things in my mind, but with the help of my dad and a sweet text message from my bishop, I let it go and forgot about the heartache that it initially caused me.

When we choose happiness over sorrow, love over hatred, gratitude over whining, it is so much easier to push away the adversary in other parts of our lives. When we choose Christ over everything else, we put ourselves on the path of righteousness walking towards the Savior.


“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.” —Moroni 10:32

Come unto Jesus from ev’ry nation,

From ev’ry land and isle of the sea.

Unto the high and lowly in station,

Ever he calls, “Come to me.”

 

Come unto Jesus Christ and He will lead us in ways of truth and righteousness and EVERLASTING happiness. (it's the best kind)

 

Remember the gift. Remember the Savior.

 

 

 

#sharethegift #rememberthegift

Discover the Gift

day 3

On Monday night, I had the pleasure of planning and conducting my Family Home Evening.

I had originally planned to do some sort of graham cracker building activity, but I didn't have the money to buy all the supplies so I was racking my brain for what else I could do.  I thought about the goal I have to find scriptures or thoughts about the Savior every day in the month of December in order to #sharethegift. Then the thought came to me to talk about "The Living Christ".

 

In the lesson, we watched this video:

 

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-03-07-he-lives-testimonies-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng



Then we read The Living Christ all together. Listening to all of their voices read the testimony with softness and respect, I will filled with the Spirit. I was so overwhelmed that I just wanted to sit there with everyone and not say anything. I wanted to feel the Spirit and see everyone else feel Him too. We then went around in a circle and everyone had come with their favorite scripture of the Savior. They shared their favorite name of the Savior and then their scripture and why. Hearing their testimony of the Savior only increased mine further and I was so amazed at the power of the Spirit. I don't know if everyone felt the same as I, but I cannot deny that the Spirit was absolutely present that night.

As I read and studied this wonderful testimony, I discovered my own testimony of the Savior and the GIFT that He is to us.

Jesus Christ lives. He loves us. He suffered for us to carve the way back to Him easier and simpler. I cannot go a single day without thinking of Him and the wonderful example He is to me of what I need to become.

It can be difficult to stay focused on the Savior when the world tells us that He is not the important thing.

BUT HE IS!

He is our ADVOCATE, BROTHER, SAVIOR, REDEEMER, WONDERFUL FRIEND, IMMANUEL, and everything we need at any time.

If we give place and importance for Him in our lives, I know that the way will become clearer and we will be strengthened to accomplish all that is asked of us.

Embrace the Gift

day 2



“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”—Isaiah 53:3–5


What has the Lord done for us?

EVERYTHING

How could we repay him for all that He has done?

Take what He has given and use it!

The Atonement is not for looks or for show. It is a real thing, with so much potential energy.
Use the Atonement! Use it until you feel you have used it all, then you find that there is still so much for you to use!
The Lord has experienced ALL of our sorrows and pains. He felt our weak spirits, literally when we are about to break into thousands of pieces. His Atonement holds us together, never letting the pieces fall through the cracks. With the love that only a God can give, He gently and kindly puts us back together.

"and with his stripes we are healed."

We can be clean and whole again through our Master and Savior. The Prince of Peace, our Advocate and our Brother. As we embrace and act in accordance with the Atonement, we can find everlasting peace and an endless love that rivals all the rest.

Through the month of December, I challenge each one of you to think about ways you can #embracethegift in your own lives and help others do the same.

SHARE THE GIFT

#sharethegift

http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

Day 1

Every day until Christmas, I plan to #sharethegift in my own personal way.
I find that some of the greatest revelation I can receive, comes from sharing what I have learned and discovered with others.

Today I have been thinking a lot about the scripture in Ether, chapter 12, verse 27.

It reads: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I can literally imagine, in my mind, giving the Lord my weaknesses, physically putting them in a bag and giving them to Him. Then saying, "I don't want these anymore. I don't want to feel weak and powerless against the adversary. Please take them away."
Then I see Him take the bag, hug me, look me in the eyes and say, "You have me, you are NEVER weak. I will make you strong."

That is a GIFT, to be able to have Him on our side, strengthening us continually.
He is on our side. He is our Defender and Advocate, someone who fights for us.

I know the Savior is there to lift us and help us at ALL times. He cares and His love is pure power. I know that if we can come unto Him with a humble heart, He will make us strong and whole again.