Merry Christmas

Christmas is here and I need to take a break from talking about raising kids for a few weeks.  

 Imagine I am holding a box.  Inside this box is the most precious gift you could or ever will receive.  Everyone imagine you are opening this box and you look inside. Not one person will see the same thing. It will be different for each and everyone of you. This gift is more precious then gold. A gift from Heavenly Father just for you.  As you look inside the box you see your reflection.  You see the one thing that no one else would ever see.  This is the most precious gift given to you from a loving Heavenly Father.  This gift is you. 

Afterglow sings a song about an old violin that was being auctioned off.  No one would pay $1, or even $2 for this old violin.  In the back of the room appeared an older man.  He came forward and picked up the old violin.  He began to play a beautiful tune.  After he had finished playing, he placed the old violin back down.  The auctioneer picked up the old violin and started the bidding at $1,000.  "The touch of the Masters Hand,"  changed the value of the old violin. 

    We think we can do so much by ourselves, but with "The touch of the Masters Hand" we can do so much more.  Doctrine and Covenants 11: 30  " Who ever receives him will be given the power to become the sons and daughters of God." What a promise, how is it we over look something that important. 

Do we really know Jesus Christ? We claim to be members of His church, but do we really know Christ.  When people look at us can they say He/she is a disciple of Jesus Christ. How can we become disciples of Jesus Christ? Every now and then I wonder about this.  I would feel truly sad if someone came up to me and said I can't believe you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I would have never guessed that by the way you act.  Jesus is master. He is the one that paid for our sins.  We need to look in the mirror and realize his hand in our lives.  We need to get him into our lives and keep him there.  

  A song from Janice Kapp Perry says  " Have you received his image in your countenance, does the light of Christ shine in your eyes.  Will he know you when he comes again because you will be like him.  When HE sees you will the Father know his child?"

When Christ came to earth, He said His own received him not.  D&C 10:57 , Would we have received him? That is the big question....  God has given himself to us, but have we given ourselves to him.  Would we have received him if we lived back then.  Would we have followed him.  Are we disciples of Jesus Christ?  Do we love him?  Alma 30: 8   "For thus saith the scripture: ^aChoose ye this day, whom ye will serve." Who do we love, do we love him?  Think for a moment of Jesus Christ.  He is our Savior, our Redeemer.  He suffered for our sins. He is the one that knows us more than we even know ourselves.  He died for you and me! Steven R. Covey in his book Christ Centered Life, the Divine Center, said 
"If you center your life around Christ every other possible thing in the world will fall into place."

If our life is centered around God, every other possible thing in the world will fall into place.  Heavenly Father promised "seek you first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto it. " I think some times we find that hard to believe because sometimes we just don't want to wait.  A lot of times in my life, little things happen to try my patience. Things happen in a different way than I thought it should turn out.  I over look my blessings, because I am to caught up in things going wrong.  

So, how do you  center  your life around Christ?  He promised that he will always be there for us. Will we always be there for him?   Here are a few suggestions on how to have a Christ centered life.  First and for most get on you knees and pray.  Have an open and honest conversation with God. Even though he knows everything already, he wants to  hear you acknowledge everything.  He wants you to acknowledge your frustrations, your struggles, you happy moments, your sad moments, your good times and just everything.  Even though he knows he wants to hear you.  He loves you.  After you voice your life, then sit back and listen.  You need to listen and read your scriptures.  You need to want to know what he wants in your life.  He wants to know you want to know.  Sometimes a quiet feeling will come over you, sometimes, his words will come to you in scripture, sometimes his words will come to you in conversation with a parent or friend.  Pay attention to those feelings and know he is the one talking to you.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you want things to change in your life start showing gratitude for the things you do have.  Find the one thing you can be grateful for.  Sometimes if is very hard but something is there.  Find that one thing you can be grateful for and then look for the second, and third and fourth.  Showing gratitude is one of the most important steps you can take to have a Christ centered life.  He loves you and wants to give you so much more, but first you have to show gratitude for the things you have.  When something bad happens to you, say to yourself, what do I need to learn from this?  What is the lesson in this particular trial?  He will help you see what you need to learn.  He loves you!  He wants what is best for you!     

    This Christmas season I struggled with feeling the light of Christ in my life.  Things are changing in my family and getting gifts was different this year.  My kids are older and my oldest has another family to share his life with. That means we are no longer the center of my grandson's world.  I am happy that he has another family to love him.  I am happy that my son found a good woman to love him and his son.  I am happy that we will be getting a grand daughter.  Even though things are changing, I look for the happiness to fill my void.  The void of things changing.  The void of knowing next year, my family might not be all  together.  But looking for the bright side, we were all together this year and It was a great time!  I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that sent his son to understand me.  He sent his son to know me and what I need at any given moment.  When I am sad, he went through that so he could know how to help me when I went through it.  He understands  a mid life mommy's heart breaking as her last child leaves home.  He understands the joy she feels when she sees that child get all the dreams  he wants.  He understands all that she feels all of the time.  That is something I am very grateful for this Christmas season.  The love and support given to me beyond this earthly life.  Jesus Christ is real and he is there for you if you let him in.  

Next week I will be talking about the New Year and setting goals.  Who's with me?  Lets set some goals and reach the best life we can have!  I'll talk to you next week.