Christmas Links

 December is the Perfect Time for Christmas

Advent - A Season of Hope, Love, Peace & Joy

Christmas Reflections

Being the Fruit

 In our fast and testimony meeting today, one of the littlish kids shared a different take on the tree of life. He said that Heavenly Father (or maybe Christ - I don't remember for sure) is the tree and we are the fruit, and that some of us are on the tree but some aren't because Jesus hasn't finished making us yet.

He went on to say some good stuff about Jesus helping us grow and He is always there with us to help us, but I found myself thinking about people as the fruit on the tree.

When Nephi had his tree of life vision, he said the tree represents the love of God (not too far from what the boy said, actually). So, as a piece of that fruit, how can I help people partake of that love?

I think it's something worth thinking about.

Christmas Links

 “We Have Waited for Him, and He Will Save Us” Audio Roundtable (long - 55:46)

Advent 2022 - A song, quote, and scripture for every day in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. There are also links to the articles/talks the quotes are pulled from

Christmas Links

 Soul Music Podcast - Coventry Carol

3 Ways to Share the Light of Christ in a Darkening World

Why Did Jesus Come As a Baby

The Real Christmas

Four Gifts that Jesus Christ Offers You

Christmas Links

Jimmy Stewart's Other Christmas Movie

The Satisfaction of Mathematically Efficient Christmas Cookies

In Nome, Alaska, Santa is a Gravedigger Named Paul

Some Opt For a Candlelit Advent Season of Longing and Hope

The Christmas Story: A Harmonization of Matthew, Luke, and John

Exploring the Symbolism of Christ, Adam, Eve, and Mary in Ancient Carols and Traditions

And since I didn't see a link to somewhere to stream Mr. Krueger's Christmas in the first story, I'll embed a video here for the time being:

Plus some pretty music:

Christmas Links

Advent
"The Light Began to Come Back to My Heart"
Christmastime: When Our Souls Can Sing
Joy in Times of Lament
Open This Gift and Try Not to Cry
He Did It

Long-Procrastinated Piece To Be Titled Later

Every so often, I learn (usually through facebook) that somebody I used to know has been having struggles with their testimony. My response to such news usually involves an evaluation of my own testimony. As I was doing so several weeks ago - definitely over a month, but I can't say exactly how long - I did as the Lord directed Oliver Cowdery to do and cast my mind back to the sure communications I had received. And I realized something.

My strongest confirmation had changed.

As a young teenager, I bore my testimony in seminary. On this particular occasion, I clearly remembered the confirmation I had received upon praying about the Book of Mormon after I finished reading all the way through for the first time. It had only been a couple years earlier, so that makes sense. During my recentish personal inventory, I remembered that such an event had occurred, but the intervening years had majorly eroded the impression.

I now have a different most clear and vivid witness that the Lord wants me in this church, along with a few newer, subtler messages confirming the same thing.

I have often heard in church that gaining a testimony isn't something that you just do once and check it off your list. You have to continually work at building and strengthening it. I had understood that you need to be continually strengthening it because life is going to get more challenging, so you need a firmer foundation. But now I see an additional reason in that memory fades. And as memories fade, so, too, can the knowledge the events brought you.
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I intended to wait a week or two, then write this up and post it. Obviously, I didn't get to it quite that quickly. Then this morning, I decided I would definitely get to it today.