OH MY GOODNESS!!! 4 DAYS!!!!!!
Can you tell I am excited? Well you will be after this email! Some exciting things happened this past week! Wednesday we had our Christmas Zone Conference, it was a blast! Well all except the White Elephant gift i received... I got a...... Santa Claus Melon.... who knew that existed? i didnt... plus i dont even like melon!!! WHAT THE EVEN!!!! but other than that it was a great conference!! except…. President pulled Sister Dearden and I aside and said that he is closing New Glasgow sisters. We are not sure where we are going yet, but we do know that we will be staying together opening a new area! So PLEASE do NOT send anything! There will be no one in our apartment after we leave! I will know next Monday where I will be going!
During my studies this week I have been studying Christmas! I was reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Elder Holland refers to it as "Dr. Suess’s holiday “horror” story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, that the devilish Grinch determined to rob Who-ville of every holiday treat. In a nefarious scheme in which the Grinch dressed as Santa him self, he moved through Who-ville taking every package tree, ornament, and stocking.
We now come upon him as he leaves the city, chuckling to himself in delight over the pain he will have caused children like little Cindy-Lou Who.”
Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit,
He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!
“Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!” he was grinch-ish-ly humming.
“They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming!
“They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!
“Their mouths will hang open a minute or two
“Then the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry Boo-Hoo!
“That’s a noise, “grinned the Grinch,
“That I simply MUST hear!”So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow …
But the sound wasn’t sad!
Why, this sound sounded merry!
It couldn’t be so!
But it WAS merry! VERY!
He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!
Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN‘T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”
The Purpose of telling the story of Christmas is to remind us that Christmas doesn't come from a store. Indeed, however delightful we feel about it, even as children, each year it “means a little bit more.”
There are so many lessons to be learned from the sacred account of Christ's birth tjat we always hesitate to emphasize one at the expense of all the others.
We recall Joseph and Mary having very little. But the Wise men did come bearing gifts, adding some splendor and wealth to the occasion of the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. It is important to realize they traveled a long distance probably from Persia, or somewhere nearby. A trip of several hundred miles at the very least. Unless of course they started long before the start appeared, it is highly unlikely that they arrived on the night of the Babe's birth. Since in Mathew 2:11 it says “And when they (The Wise Men) came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
We need to be careful to remember the true meanings of the Christmas season. So what are the true meanings of the things we use to celebrate Christmas?
The Christmas Tree: Green is the second color of Christmas. The evergreen with its unchanging with its unchanging color represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenqward as well.
A Star: The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise of the night that Jesus Christ was born. God always fulfills His promises and that the wise still seek Him.
Red: The first color of Christmas. It is the color of the life giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God's greatest gift. Christ gave His life and hsed his blood for them that they might have eternal life.
Bells: Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Follow the true Shepherd who gave His life for the Sheep.
A Candle: The glow of the candle represents how man can show his thanks for the gift of God's Son that Christmas Eve long ago. Follow in Christ's footsteps… to go about doing good. Let your light shne before men that ll may see it and glorify God. This is what the symbolized when the twinkling lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright, shining candles, each of them representing one of God's precious children, their light shining for all to see.
A Candy Cane: White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus. The shape 'J' to represent the precious name of Jesus who came to earth as our Savior. It also represents the crook of the Good Shepherd which he uses to reach down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like sheep, have gone astray. The original Candy Cane had three small red stripes which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Christ so that we can have eternal life.
A Wreath: Tied with a bright red bow- The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven turned needles of the evergreen. The Bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ's sacrifice. Even the wreath's very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ's love. It is a circle without beginning and without end.
Santa Claus: Represents the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving.
This Christmas week, I want you all to remember the true meaning of Christmas. As we give and receive gifts and goodies!
This past Saturday one of our investigators Jasmine was baptized, Jasmine is 12 years old and know in her heart that this is the only true gospel on the earth today. She could not stop smiling before and after her baptism. It was an amazing experience to see how much joy this Gospel brings to those that let it effect their lives.
I know without a doubt that Christ's true church is once again on the Earth today. I wouldn’t be here in Canada away from my family if I had even a small doubt that this isn’t Christ's church. I Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!
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