The Christmas Season

This past Sunday Ryan and I had the experience of going to the Christmas Devotional up at the conference center with my mom and step-dad. Of course our first reaction when we were invited was a little grumbling becuase of how far it is to drive up there, and how long we would have to sit, and fighting the traffic, getting through the crowds, etc. But once we were up and in our seats it was fine. We sat in about the middle of the center so to make out the First Presidency's faces was out of the question but we could at least see them on the big screen. All their talks reflected on what the true meaning of Christmas is and the traditions some people have to help family remember the true meaning. As I sat there I realized we have no Christmas traditions other than opening gifts! I think that we have become subject to this horrible trend of forgeting our Savior with the hustle of gift buying during this time of year that we should remember him most. I am so grateful for the chance we had to be able to go up there and listen to the prophets words and be reminded of the love He has for us and we for Him. Going to church with our 3 children and teaching in primary it can sometimes be difficult to feel the spirit and I often wonder if I ever feel it at all. But there was a moment at the end of the conference, when the choir was singing Silent Night, and on the third verse the congregation was to sing along. When the crowd joined in, the power of all the united voices, singing together was incredible. I know that the spirit was there because it pierced through you. All I could do was sit and listen. It is a moment that I will not forget for a long time. I hacked this next story off of my friends blog because I think it has a great message.

Last December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience, I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writings, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas", I didn't expect anything other than a fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Clause, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow-caps upon their heads. Those in the front row - centre stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love." The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".The audience of 1st through 6Th graders snickered at the little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRISTWAS LOVE". And, I believe, He still is!