A WEEK B4 CHRISTMAS, I WROTE THIS 4 SOPHIE:

TOP 10 FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

10. AS A KID: DECORATING GINGERBREAD HOUSES–AS A KID, WE CRUSHED THE HOUSES ON NEW YEARS DAY, BUT WE ARE LUCKY IF MY KIDS HOUSES LAST 1 WEEK!

9. SEEING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

8. SHOPPING & BUYING GIFTS AT A GOOD DEAL! THEN FINDING THE RIGHT GIFT & SEEING THEM HAPPY.

7. DECORATING & EATING CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES. ALSO EATTING FUDGE & PEPPERMINT FLAVORED STUFF.

6. DOING OUR NATIVITY ADVENT CALENDAR.

5. CHRISTMAS SONGS–I LOVE “OH HOLY NIGHT”

4. THE CHRISTMAS SEASON DOES NOT BEGIN UNTIL I HEAR “THE FORGOTTEN CAROLS” BY MICHAEL MCCLEAN…I LOVE THE SONG “HOMELESS”, & I NOW HAVE A SPECIAL BOND 2 THE SONG “HANDEL’S DREAM”

3. WE GET 3 GIFTS, TO REPRESENT THE 3 GIFTS FROM THE WISE MEN

2. OUR CHRISTMAS TREE IS DECORATED JUST WITH NATIVITY ORNAMENTS (MANGER SCENE, MARY WITH THE CHRIST CHILD, GLASS BALLS THAT SAY “WONDERFUL” & “COUNSELOR”, ETC., STARS, ANGELS, WISE MEN, & EVEN A STAR AT THE TOP, WITH A MANGER SCENE!)

IF WE GO ON A VACATION, WE TRY TO BUY 1 ORNAMENT WHILE WE ARE THERE. FOR EX., WHEN WE VISITED HAWAII (WE HAVE BEEN TWICE), WE GOT AN ANGEL & A MANGER SCENE MADE OUT OF SHELLS. ANOTHER EX., WHILE VISITING THE GREAT SALT LAKE, WE GOT A STAR MADE OUT OF SALT FROM THE LAKE. 1 YEAR, I ATTENDED A LOCAL CRAFT FAIR, BUT USUALLY, IF WE GO NO WHERE, WE VISIT A LOCAL STORE ! IT IS SURPRISING HOW MANY NATIVITY ORNAMENTS THERE ARE, SO U HAVE TO BE “CHOOSY”!

1. WE MAKE GIFTS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS. MAKE, NOT BUY, A GIFT. SOUNDS A LOT EASIER THAN IT IS! WHEN I COULD NOT PHYSICALLY MAKE A GIFT, I MISSED IT THE MOST. THEY ARE MY FAVORITE GIFTS TO GIVE & RECEIVE.

HOWEVER, AS I DWELT ON ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD NOT OCCURRED, I BEGAN FEELING DEPRESSED, HOPELESS, & SAD THAT I WASN’T ABLE 2 SEE THESE THINGS THROUGH…BUT AS I LAID IN BED CHRISTMAS MORNING, THINKING ABOUT HOW MANY OF OUR TRADITIONS ARE THERE, 2 HELP US REMEMBER THE REAL CELEBRATION, I REALIZED I WAS MISSING THE POINT! IT WAS CHRIST’S B-DAY! WHAT GIFT WAS I GIVING HIM? HE DIDN’T WANT A COLD, BITTER HEART! (DUMMY ME, I SHOULD REALIZE THIS BY NOW-IT WAS THIS SAME THINKING PATTERN THAT HAD 2 CHANGE ALMOST 8 YRS. AGO…IT WAS SO EASY 2 SEE WHAT I COULDN’T DO, BUT WHAT MATTERED WAS WHAT I COULD DO! & WHEN I LOOKED AT THINGS THAT WAY (SUGGESTED BY MY HUSBAND), MY WORLD CHANGED!)

THOSE TRADITIONS ALLOW 4 FAMILY TIME, BUT THEY DID NOT MATTER! IF ALL OF THEM WEREN’T DONE, WHO CARED? ALL THAT REALLY MATTERED WAS FAM., & WE SHOULD REJOICE THAT WE ARE ALL THERE!

THE WEEK B4 CHRISTMAS, I HAD SHARED THIS IN A TALK IN CHURCH: “AT CHRISTMAS WE CELEBRATE MUCH MORE THAN THE BIRTH OF A BABY – WE CELEBRATE WHO THAT CHILD WAS, AND WHAT HE WOULD BECOME. ” HOW QUICKLY I’D 4GOTTEN!

THEN AT CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS, I WAS REMINDED: “As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always.” President Thomas S. Monson

FOR THE NEW YEAR, I HOPE 2 FOLLOW THAT ADVICE!