Away in a Manger

This is truly a gift, free to us, without conditions, to bring Christ into our home this Christmas.

The Christmas Story

This is The Christmas Story shown during the 2011 First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

The Spirit of Christmas

Artwork by Simon Dewey

 

Last week, we’ve put up our Christmas décor at home and it immediately placed me into such a festive mood!! We have simple ornaments and trimmings, but we have the basic reminder of what this season is all about. We have a modest nativity set that helps us keep in mind that all this festivity and celebration is to commemorate the birth of Him who, despite being born in humble circumstances, was really meant to be the King of Kings—even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is disheartening to note that some people downplay the reason for this season in order to be politically correct and not offend those that are non-Christians. They would prefer to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas!” They even discourage the display of characters that would depict the Christmas story, such as the nativity scene or the wise men or even angels. I thought it was partial one way—in favor of those who do not believe. But what about those who do? I think we can all live together and be respectful of each other’s beliefs without the expense of one or the other. Live and let live would be a good rule to follow.

Here’s wishing you the best that this Christmas season brings!!! May you have all the righteous desires of your hearts! May your days be filled with love, compassion, forgiveness, and all the happiness that you can find in this world! May we all be blessed with joy and love within our families, abundant resources to share, good health to perform our duties, strength of character to overcome all our challenges, and the wisdom to see the best and learn from them.

Merry Christmas everybody!!! Let us all keep in mind whose birth it is we are celebrating this season!!

Be Happy!

Photograph by Reddie J.

This morning I read in the news that the husband of an old lady that has been missing was finally found. The old lady put a paper sign on her clothes, front and back, with the photo of her beloved missing husband and sat for many days around the area where he was last found, hoping someone would recognize him. I was moved by the gesture and thought it was such an adorable way to show how much she really loves him. Someone posted that photo on a popular network site and somehow paved the way for them to find each other again. I’m glad they are back together in each other’s arms. They deserve to be happy.

Similarly, on my drive to work, I always see a homeless man sitting or sometimes lying down on the pavement of a certain street of a posh subdivision. He seems like a tall guy to me with a good posture. I know that some people driving by give him food and clothing, and today it made me smile to see him wearing a decent haircut!! Such a wonderful way to show love and kindness towards a fellow human being. This time I could see his face and I had to take a second look to view it. May the generous person who did it for him be abundantly blessed.

While waiting for my daughter to arrive for our movie date on Monday, I asked my son how his day was. He said nothing much happened in school. Same old, same old. Then I asked if he had done any good to anyone that day. He paused. I guess he was surprised that I deviated from the drill—and I suppose I was surprised too. But it got me thinking.

It’s a shame that sometimes a day passes by and we miss the chance to do something good to anybody. Sometimes we get too caught up with our own world and activities that we forget there are people around us whom we can serve in many little ways. Yet I know that it is when we go outside our comfort zones and make others happy that we experience true happiness.

May we open up our hearts and hands to those who need some type of comfort or help. May we learn to give more of our time, talents, and resources liberally that we may experience the real meaning of being happy.

Have a great week everybody! Let’s try reaching out to others and experience the joy and happiness that it brings!

Come What May and Love It

The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

I’d like to share these excerpts taken from a general conference talk of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin as he spoke of an advice given him by his mother when as a young man he came home discouraged after losing a game of football.

The complete transcript of his talk may be found in:

http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng&query=come+may+love

Enjoy watching!!

Updates on Church Resources

I’ve added a new section in this blog site where you can see Church updates on new resources that are available from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Please feel free to click on the link under Blogroll and find something that may be useful to you. Have a fabulous weekend everybody!!!

Keep in Remembrance

I have truly missed writing.

Lately, I have been preoccupied with my profession that I didn’t get a chance to write anymore. I realized that if it’s something that I really love, then I’d better make time for it. And so here I am.

It had been a remarkable weekend. I spent some quality time with my dearest sister planning and preparing for her daughter’s upcoming birthday. We see each other every weekend, together with the rest of our brothers and their families, but it has been awhile since we spent that much time alone. I kinda miss her.

But I recognize that love is eternal and it’s something we feel even if we haven’t seen those who are dear to us for a long time or even if they’ve already gone beyond the veil. Our hearts just never forget.

Hence I was touched to hear the words spoken by President Diether F. Uchtdorf during his address to the largest women organization on the earth. He spoke about a tiny flower called forget-me-not and used it as a metaphor to remind his audience to consider five things he would want them never to forget.

He said: “Forget not to be patient with yourself… Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice… Forget not to be happy now… Forget not the ‘why’ of the gospel… [and] Forget not that the Lord loves you.”

It was a very inspiring talk. I was reminded of a lot of things that I have almost forgotten.  Just like President Uchtdorf when he was a young boy, I sometimes feel small and insignificant in this vast world we live in. It was good to be reminded that we are “known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe!” That “He who created and knows the stars knows [us] and [our] name.” That our ‘Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes [us].” It was a humbling thought and it gave me such a reverent feeling.

I’ve posted President Uchtdorf’s talk here for those of you who haven’t heard it. And to those who have, it wouldn’t hurt to listen to it again!

Enjoy the rest of the week everybody!!  Take care!!!

Warm Fuzzies

A simple act of kindness goes a long way.

Andrea Bocelli – The Lord’s Prayer

I am a Child of God

At times I forget who I really am. Sometimes I hear hurtful, accusing words that make me question my worth… my value. I try to dig deep and then realize that after all the wrongs I have done in my life, I must’ve done something right, because at the end of the day a little spark of truth whispers in my soul… that I am a child of God.

 

The Foolish Fly

I was once enjoying late lunch with a friend when out of the blue a large fly swirled around us trying to get its share of our exotic meal! The waitress at the restaurant was embarrassed yet attentive enough to see our situation and immediately brought a medium-sized candle on our table –apparently to help shoo away our uninvited guest.

But instead of avoiding the clear sign of danger, the impulsive insect dove straight into the candle light as if toying with its fate. It naturally burned its wings and within a blink of an eye dropped onto the plate of my horrified friend. We couldn’t believe how fast things happened. We found ourselves trying to get the fly off the table while its body wiggled and struggled to get out of its predicament. It dropped onto the floor and while my friend told me to step on it, I only watched it literally “walk” its way out of our presence, limping and squirming with pain. It must’ve been terrified by the thought of its imminent death as well. We never knew if it made its way back home, or if its wings ever healed again, but it certainly suffered the excruciating consequence of its action.

We paused for awhile and thought how foolish that fly was for going straight into the candle light without thinking of the consequences. Yet between the long pauses, all my friend could utter was this: “Temptation.”

How many times in our lives have we acted like this foolish fly? We recognize danger and yet we sometimes think we are strong enough to withstand it so we head straight towards it and eventually burn our “wings.” Hopefully when this happens we won’t be placed in a situation where it’s too late to turn back and like the foolish fly suffer the consequences of our actions. I pray that in our dealings with our weaknesses and temptations we can gather the essential courage to mend our ways, get back on the right path, and be given enough time to eventually make amends and set things right.

Enjoy the weekend everybody and keep these thoughts in mind the next time you see a fly swirling around a candle light.

What Matters Most

I strongly believe in the message of this video clip. I believe that for relationships to work, we should spend time with, cherish, and express love to the people we hold dear. Enjoy watching!

Of Winds and Waves

A snorkelling trip last weekend left invaluable impressions in my mind.

It was a good day to travel. We had clear, blue skies and we were on a convoy with family members in the short two-hour trip. My sister was very excited to snorkel and to just spend some serious time with the fishes. Well, at least that was her ultimate goal for this vacation.   

But when we got to the place, other fun activities caught our attention and we spent a lot of time enjoying them. There was this very long slide (about 3-storey high) that brought us down to a funnel that twirled us around several times before it dropped us onto a small pool. Wheeee!!! Then, there was this regular 2-storey high slide that made us splash onto a regular pool. There was also a large pool that created waves mimicking the ocean. And of course, there was the beach where kayaking and jet skiing were available. It was already mid-afternoon when we decided we still wanted to go snorkelling.

By this time, the wind was already blowing hard and the tide was up. Our two boat guides discouraged us from pursuing our snorkelling goal, but the group insisted. They said we won’t be able to see the fishes any longer and that the waves and the winds will make it a bit more dangerous to snorkel as anybody can easily get adrift. But the group was determined to do it. So we sailed.  

Amidst the waves and strong winds, our guides brought us somewhere in the middle part of the beach where there were interesting rock formations. One of them had to swim to where the rocks were to tie the boat up so it won’t float away. My 14-yr-old son, who probably was very excited to see what was underneath, jumped from the boat without warning. When the guide who tied the boat saw this from where he was standing, he waved frantically to my son asking him to get back into the boat. We later found out that this area had a lot of large sea urchins beneath that could sting divers fatally. My son was stung by one of them after he jumped, but fortunately not too deep because he was able to heed the guide’s warning right away.

I find this incident very similar to our life here on earth. We are here on “vacation” as this is not our permanent home. We came with a purpose, but we sometimes get distracted by a lot of fun activities that we forget what we came here for. As we navigate the waters with strong winds and waves, we sometimes plunge into it right away without first asking for instructions, not knowing that what lies beneath can spiritually kill us. We sometimes get stung because of these choices, but our Guide will always be there to frantically wave to us and lead us back to safety.

It was a fun weekend that brought me relaxation and happiness. Above all, I am grateful for the lessons I’ve learned out of it. It’s good to be able to commune with nature and bask at the beauty of God’s creations while at the same time be reminded of the love of our ultimate Guide who will do everything to lead us safely back to shore.

Enjoy the rest of the week everybody!

The Lost One

Artwork by Liz Lemon Swindle

Some people would’ve considered last week’s Friday the 13^th an unlucky day. Not for me. It was one of the best I’ve ever had! That day, my daughter and I both received answers to our prayers that came at a time that we didn’t expect. It was such a pleasant surprise and we couldn’t have been more grateful. YayYyY!!!

Later that night, I had some company over at our place that brought fun and joy to my heart. One of the topics we discussed stayed with me over the weekend and significantly contributed to the spirit of the lesson I taught in Sunday School. I had to stay in control of my emotions as I choked up several times during the class. It was about the “lost one.”

Nobody is perfect. Each of us have missed the mark in some degree or another. It is ironic that some people feel they are in a position to judge those who have fallen astray. It’s sad to see how people change their countenance when they find out that a person once lost their path and have found their way back. Shouldn’t it be enough cause for celebration instead? Such was the example shown by the Savior Himself in His parables. He rejoiced. Yes, for the prodigal son when he returned…and for the lost sheep when he was found. I think we should also try to do the same.

The Civility Experiment

Learn how civility and kindness go much deeper than appearances and quick judgments.