How do you picture Christmas?

It's been forever since I've posted anything on here. The past month has been a whirlwind of commotion at our house. It all started with a fantastic trip down to Idaho Falls with some of the best gals around. We shopped and shopped, ate Mexican Food until we couldn't stand ourselves anymore and we saw the production of the Forgotten Carols....but more on that in a minute.

Growing up, I had the best Christmas's ever. They was always joy and happiness in our home. My parents always got us great gifts, even if I still bug my mom about the geese jogging suit she got me one year. All I'll say about that is....it was a good quality jogging suit....haha, love ya mom!

So, I've tried to carry on the tradition of love and joy in my own home. I made a special effort this year to bake a little extra and take goodies and christmas cards to lots of families in our ward. We made special gifts for our Home and Visiting Teaching families and even did special gifts for all the kids in our kids' classes. Ry's primary class got treats, our neighbors got properly spoiled, and we have donated to every Salvation Army bucket thingy that we've found. Basically, I haven't blogged this past month because of all the great stuff that we are doing. But before you roll your eyes at us......let me expound.

All of these things have brought our family great joy. Our children are learning to serve others and are getting great spiritual rewards from all of their service. I have been exhausted this past month with all of this running around but we feel like maybe we have brought a little bit of joy to someone's life. Just doing this has brought a lot of joy to ours.

This year though, I think I have truly realized that there are sad people on Christmas Day. Not just the "starving children in Africa" or the poor homeless man down at the shelters. Yes, I've always considered them and we have done different things every year to help in those situations. But this year, as I sat in Relief Society on sunday, our Pres. got up and asked us to contact our sisters that we visit and to give some extra compassion to sisters in our ward because there were a lot in need of that. That's when it really hit me.....there are "regular" people that are sad at Christmas time....maybe the sister sitting next to me in RS, who lost her daughter this past year and this will be her first Christmas without her...or the sister and few rows over who's husband just found out he has cancer again....or the sister that lost her father around this time last year and is having a hard time....or the sister who lives by herself and has no family coming to see her.......or the sister who's children are straying from the principles that they have been taught.....or the mother with small children that feels overwhelmed and exhausted from her daily chores and the expense of christmas, with no way to pay for it....

When we went to the Forgotten Carols, Michael McLean, after the production was over, had us close our eyes and picture the Savior at Christmas......maybe you picture him as a babe in a manger, maybe you picture him suffering in Gethsemene, maybe you picture him healing a blind man........... We all closed our eyes and pictured our Savior and then sang Silent Night. It was a profound moment for me. As I sat there, picturing my Savior, I was overwhelmed with the thoughts of what He has done for me and what I need to do for others.

Christmas for me, this year, has become so much more than the joys of gift giving and doing nice things for others. I have realized that "feeding the hungry" and "clothing the naked" are great acts of service but I have tried so much more this year to mourn with those who mourn and to comfort those in need of comfort because as I sat in the auditorium in Idaho Falls, singing Silent Night, I knew that is what He would want me to do. This has been so much harder for me than buying gifts, giving food to the food bank or making donations to other charities. This is opening myself to someone else, crying with them, talking with them, and sharing hugs(which is not my specialty).

So, when you picture Christmas, what do you picture? I hope that my Christmas and yours is filled with service that our Savior would have done because he helped those in need, regardless of situation or circumstance. I hope that I can look past the folly's of others and most of all, my fears and short comings to truly be as Christ would have me be this Christmas.