Christmas Eve 2012

It has been such a great night!  I really enjoy Christmas Eve and the family festivities that go on.  We spent the evening with Becky's parents and her brother's family.  We shared a nice meal together and then enjoyed opening gifts from each other.  We sang together and we felt of the love we have as a family.

 

 

There is great joy that comes from the valuable times we spend strengthening our family bonds.  I am a richly blessed man and I give thanks for all that I have.  It just doesn't get any better than this.



May your Christmas be filled with joy and may this time of hope and happiness bless your life.

We Can Count On Him

I sat in church today and was able to enjoy some really nice feelings.  One of those feelings came during a lesson where the discussion was about a talk given in General Conference of the LDS Church this past October.  One part of his talk touched me and I felt it appropriate to share.

"We have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord.  My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: “Did you love me?” I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” And if at such a moment we can stammer out, “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee,” then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty."  (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland~ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

The Savior, Jesus Christ is the One that we should look to at every moment of our lives.  It is He who brought about the opportunity for us to live again with our loving Father.  He did all that He did because He loves us.  I love Him!

The Temple Is Peace

We attended a performance where Laurel and Natalie were both participants.  It's their annual performance at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It was a nice evening with very nice music.  We listened and were reminded of this season of the year.  Following the performance, we were reminded of the temple and what it represents to us as a family.  We took a couple of pictures to remind us continually that the temples of God can always be with us.

 

 



I am very grateful for the meaning of the temple in my life.  If we will keep the promises we made with God in the temple, our family is promised that we will live together, forever, after this life.  The joy that we felt just the other night at the performance, and every other day, will be ours for eternity. 

What a blessing that is!

Sing Out Loud

I went to the grocery store and as soon as I got out of my car I could hear a man singing a Christmas song.  It sounded quite good and I wondered where it came from.  The closer I got to the entrance of the store I soon realized that the singing came from the voice of the older gentleman ringing the bell for the Salvation Army.  He rang the small bell and sang along with a smile on his face.  I wanted to sing along with him.  His voice brought a smile to my face.
His simple approach to the Christmas season was contagious.
Music has an immediate impact on any situation.  During this Christmas season make music an integral part.  You too will find yourself smiling.

Personal Revelation

Nope, this is not Sunday school class but I did want to share an experience that touched me and helped me realize that my own life is filled with the 'tender mercies' of someone who really cares about me and is well aware of my existence.
Each person is of worth and there are qualities that we all have that are divine and eternal.
I was at the store and I stopped to think about one of the reasons I was there when I spotted a woman who was a little 'down on her luck'.  I watched her for a few minutes and then the thought came to my mind that she somehow needed to know she was important and that somebody really cared about her on that particular time, and in that specific place.  I contemplated how I would communicate that to her when I didn't know her at all.  I mustered the cvourage to approach her and as I did so her head lifted and her face looked at mine.  I said hello to her and began some small talk with her.  She wasn't quick to talk to me but she did a little.  I finally found a good spot in the conversation to tell her that she had someone who loved her very much and that her Heavenly Father knew what she was experiencing.  She nodded her agreement and verbalized her knowledge of what I said.  It was a good thing for me to think about and to better understand that God is aware of all of our lives.  He loves us and wants us to be happy.  It is because of His love that I feel important and needed in all that I do.  Things are revealed each and every day.

A Picture

A picture gives a visual and allows the mind to clearly understand a concept or idea.  I have loved this picture of Jesus and it gives me a clear understanding of my simple recognition of Him.

When I was a boy we would go to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah and I loved to see 'The Christus' statue.  I found it to be beautiful and you can get a small idea of it's importance just by the picture.  Many of you have seen this and understand what I'm talking about.
I am thankful with every passing day that we have someone who understands clearly the struggles that we face and also knows of the joys that life gives to us.

Life is wonderful and it's richness brings a smile to my face!

It Means Alot

A recent conversation revealed the reality that a person I know doesn't feel like his life is worth all that much. 
I don't know about the rest of you but I believe that my life is everything!
It is worth the few minutes to me to express some of the things that make life truly valuable and worth living for. 
David Letterman has made famous his Top Ten List and I felt it appropriate to verbalize my own Top Ten Reasons Why My Life Rocks.

10.  I awaken every morning and get to enjoy the beauty of the world around me.
  9.  My health is good and I can see, hear, smell and taste.
  8.  I can feel the love of my family and those others who are close to me.
  7.  I have a home that is filled with love and harmony and where peace and safety dwell.
  6.  The act of gratitude brings peace and perspective to everything life has to offer.
  5.  Our parents.  They have taught and continue to teach me every single day that being a good boy is the best way to be!
  4.  Our four children: Natalie, Laurel, Brady, and Danny.  They are a joy to me personally.
  3.  I have Becky who loves me and cares for me more than any other person I know.  She brings me comfort and a lot of happiness.
  2.  Jesus Christ is my Savior and it is only through Him that I can return to the presence of my Father.  What He did for me allows me to fix the mistakes that I make and become stronger through the trials of life.
  1.  There is a clear and divine plan laid out by a loving Heavenly Father that allows    
perspective and direction.

I love my life and it is because of the experiences of my life that I am the person today who is trying to do what is right and trying to make continuous progress.