it's here!

december
the twelfth month
the end of the year
the reigning glory


being the visual person i am, i see colors when i think december
red and green
sparkles
i hear bells and laughter

you can roll your eyes if you must
i know it's cheesy

but i don't retract anything i just said
these are the things i picture in my mind
it's the magic of what Christmas can be


the beauty of this season is not in jolly old st. nick
it is the hope, faith, excitement, and trust we have in the future
--- in others and in ourselves.


this month is specifically reserved for the celebration of the One who brings love, peace, and comfort to a world in darkness.
we all try to be a little kinder, a little more understanding, a little more patient, a little more like Him whose season it is.


i was given a little booklet years ago by some friends --- it says "remember Christ during Christmas" on the front and has 25 pages. for each page, or each day, there is a quote or scripture passage to direct my thoughts toward Christ. here is day one's quote:

"He is utterly incomparable in what He is,

what He knows, what He has accomplished, and

what He has experienced.

yet, movingly, He calls us His friends.

as the only perfect person to sojourn on this planet,

there is none like Him.

in intelligence and performance,

He far surpasses the individual and the composite

capacities and achievements of all who have lived,

live now, and will yet live!

He rejoices in our genuine goodness and

achievement, but any assessment of where

we stand in relation to Him tells us that

we do not stand at all.

we kneel!"

--elder neal a. maxwell

ensign, november 1981

may these coming weeks bring us a chance to remember and truly ponder the reason for rejoicing together.

happy december!