Dec
5
Gifts of Christmas–Character and Laughter
Filed Under Family, Marriage, Parenting, Personal Light, Written by Emily
Tis’ the season for giving…and receiving! We put up our Christmas tree this week and in the past few days our children have loaded the bottom of it with handmade cards and treasures they found and wrapped for each other and their friends. I laugh inside at their “recycled” gifts, but I also smile because they are bubbling over with the spirit of giving.
I have felt that spirit of giving too–the real meaning of this Christmas season. My heart and mind have been seeking to understand better what the Lord would have me give to those in my life this year. I don’t mean tangible gifts that I have to buy, I mean gifts of the heart. This morning I had a chance to give a gift, and in so doing I also recieved a gift from Heaven.
I went to Wal-Mart today after I dropped the kids off at school. As I walked in I put a dollar in the red Salvation Army bucket and said hello to the bell ringer. I had noticed on a previous trip to the store (yes…I visit Wal-Mart often!) that he was blind. I have so much respect and admiration for someone who stands greeting others he can’t even see. So, when he asked how I was dong I stopped to chat for a moment. I told him I was great and he said, “Really?” I then admitted that I would rather be home snuggled under my covers, but sometimes I just have to act like a grown-up. He said he would try to do some magic and see if he could snap his fingers and transport me back to my bed. He snapped and asked if it worked. I told him no, but that I would appreciate it if he would keep trying because I could use some magic. We both chuckled, wished each other a Merry Christmas and I went on to complete my shopping.
Later, as I put my Christmas treasures in the suburban I noticed a stapler in my cart. I had gotten the cart from the customer service area and figured that was the stapler’s home. I knew I needed to walk it in–not because of my deep concern for lost staplers, but just because I felt it was right and I know that I want to be the kind of person that is guided by those feelings. After all, that’s what Living in the Light is all about to me. I started pushing the cart in that direction and the rationalizations crept in. It was too far. It didn’t really matter. I was in a hurry. Besides, I would have to walk by the bell ringer again and I felt like if I walked past him again I would need to talk to him again and something in me just felt awkward about that. So, I resisted. I parked the cart with the other carts and walked back to my suburban. When I got there I felt a very real prompting that this was a defining moment for me. There was more to it than a stapler and a bell ringer. I had chosen not to do what I felt was right because I felt awkward about a potential interaction with another child of God. I turned around, got the stapler, returned it, and as I walked out I stopped to talk to my bell-ringing magician. I told him I was done with my shopping and if he could do his snapping magic to send me home I would appreciate it. He chuckled, snapped, and asked me if it worked that time. As I walked away I told him it was working and thanked him. As I crossed the street I heard him laugh. Not a chuckle, but a hearty laugh from the soul. I felt the magic. Real magic this time. The magic of laughter that connects human beings and rains down joy from heaven. It lightened my heart.
My bell-ringing friend and I had shared the gift of laughter. I had also chosen to recieve the gift of character building that the Lord had offered me through that experience. Our loving Father in Heaven has so many gifts for us to open every day of this Christmas season. We choose to open them as we follow those subtle promptings He sends about what we should do or say, or how we can serve His other children. When we choose it, magic will flow! May we all use our agency to embrace the Heavenly Gifts of Christmas every day!
A great one from Stake Conference today.
“I doubt there will be very many people in the celestial kingdom who aren’t kind.”
-Elder Marlin K. Jensen
I love Spring! It showcases a beautiful world coming to life again. I planted some new varieties of flowers in our front yard this year. When I checked on everything after our trip to Arizona I noticed something peculiar. Two flower plants are growing right next to each other. One is growing well and blooming brightly; the other is still struggling to take root in the soil. I paused to reflect on what makes the difference. I prepared the soil just the same and both get the same amount of water and sunlight, yet one struggles and one thrives. I reflected on my children and how they are like those flowers. Sometimes they thrive and other times we face daily, weekly, and sometimes never-ending struggles with them. They are great kids, and yet each one has a unique set of challenges–mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. They are each different and, like the flowers, one “right” way may not be what each of them needs to thrive. That makes parenting the greatest challenge and adventure ever! I can’t make the struggling flower thrive any more than I can make a child get over whatever he or she struggles with. I can seek to understand why and nurture though. Nurturing–it is a glorious mix of gentle words, loving touch, unhurried time, and individualized prayer. Isn’t it funny that as I looked at the plant I realized I needed to pray more specifically for my children? I felt the sudden impression that my Father in Heaven is just waiting to lead me, guide me, walk beside me, and help me nurture my little ones in their unique needs. There’s a reason most gardening is done on our knees!
May
12
Women’s Conference–Sacred, Selfless Service
Filed Under Personal Light, Scriptures, Written by Emily
A conference about coming unto Christ could not be complete without messages about service. Service is the lifeblood of His example to us and the ministry to which we all are called. This class was a wonderful reminder of those principles. I am grateful for the quiet voice of the Spirit that spoke to me during this class about a specific thing I can do to serve my family more selflessly and a specific thing we can do as a family to serve in our community. I know that if you seek to know through the Spirit what He would have you do to serve more like the Savior, He will enlighten you too! Read more
Thanks to my sister Crystal for passing on this link. Great gospel-centered parenting ideas about teaching being more important than correcting. Check it out!
http://www.arbinger.com/downloads/parenting_pyramid.pdf
May
8
Women’s Conference–Learn to Listen, Listen to Learn
Filed Under Personal Light, Written by Emily
I needed this one! It was interesting that the two speakers took very different approaches to the topic. The first spoke on listening to the Spirit in our lives and the second spoke about listening to our own inner voice. Read more
May
6
Women’s Conference–Loving the Praise of God More Than the Praise of Man
Filed Under Family, Personal Light, Written by Emily
This is one of the concurrent sessions I went to. Three amazing women partnered to address this topic. Once again, these are just the highlights that touched my heart. Read more
May
5
Women’s Conference–Sleeping Giants (by Sheri Dew)
Filed Under Personal Light, Scriptures, Written by Emily
More great stuff from Women’s Conference! Sheri Dew was the speaker for the Thursday morning general session. As usual, she did amazing and was so inspiring! It seemed like everything she said was a “golden nugget” that I felt I needed to hear. These are some of the things that stood out to me. Read more
May
4
Women’s Conference–Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice
Filed Under Personal Light, Written by Emily
It was a remarkable experience to listen to a Prophet’s voice on Friday. Read more
Have you ever been in sun so bright that it hurt your eyes? My spirit feels like that tonight! I have spent the past two days at Women’s Conference at BYU being fed by the Spirit and by the messages and testimonies of many amazing men and women. My heart is so full…full to overflowing. It’s overflowing out my eyes in fact. Every time tonight I have related to Todd an experience from Women’s Conference I have had to fight back the tears. Happy tears. 3 Nephi 4:33 begins, “And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God.” God is indeed Good! I look forward to sharing many of those experiences and the many wonderful messages I heard there. I plan on posting daily for the next while to pass on all the wonderful rays of Light. Tonight I just wanted to share my testimony. The Light is bright. It penetrates our souls. The Light of Jesus Christ can reach into every corner of our pain-filled, aching, confused, lonely, tired, dark, sad, hurt souls and fill us with a beauty and warmth and love that is so amazing and so powerful that it almost hurts! I have many questions and worries and pains in my own soul, and in the past two days His Light has filled me and very specifically addressed each of those issues. They aren’t gone. They aren’t magically transformed into flowers and chocolates, but they are changed. Why? Because I know now that God knows they are there and that He is working on them with me. He has begun to show me that He is the answer to all of the issues, though they seem so varied–from callings to health concerns and home school to strained relationships–the answer is Him. The theme of Women’s Conference was , “Awake, Arise, and Come Unto Him” (Moroni 10:31-32). I feel like that is just what has happened. I have awoken to a bright, amazing sunrise–a Son-rise. I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He knows us and loves us, and because of the goodness of God and His incomprehensible grace, we can be filled with His Light and find peace and comfort and healing in Him!
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