spreading holiday cheer

Christmas

it's a wonderful time of the year. full of giving, good tidings and cheer. it's a season of joy, peace, and love. it's a holiday to celebrate our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love Christmas! it's my favorite holiday. but for some reason...I hadn't been getting into the christmas spirit this year like i would have hoped. I had everything crossed off my list. greeting cards, check. presents, check. updated budget...eh, not quite. I was set for christmas. But it did not feel like christmas was a week away. what's up with that? I started wondering why christmas wasn't feeling all that great.

I had a relief society christmas lunch with my ward today. the bishops wife spoke, and asked us to remember a christmas that you remember, and what made it so great...
 Christmas 2005, my family and I traveled up to idaho to spend the holiday with my grandparents. I remember getting a koala bear beanie baby from my grandma Jensen. I loved that beanie baby. I remember this christmas and that beanie baby distinctly because it was the last christmas i ever had with my grandma. she past away two months later.
Christmas 2010, my family and I traveled up once again to idaho. this time however, we traveled up to our family cabin. we snow shoed into the cabins with all our gear. my dad had a christmas tree lit and it was nice to have family around. the best part about that chirstmas, was walking over to our cabin neighbor maraline who lives up there year round, with some treats and to sing some carols. that was the first time she has had carolers in decades.
the bishops wife made an excellent analogy. "its not the places or the gifts that makes the holiday special, but the people."

i remember christmas '05 because it was the last christmas i enjoyed with my grandma jensen.
christmas '10 was important to me because my family and i brought joy to our friend and neighbor who was alone on christmas.

what you do for others, and what you do with your loved ones make the holiday bright.

I am grateful for that lesson from the bishops wife. it really set the tone for me, and got me in the right mind set for christmas. I hope and pray everyone spreads holiday cheer, whether be by word or by action. no one should be left giftless this christmas season. its all about giving of ones self to make another's life seem a bit brighter. i am thankful for jesus christ, and this holiday to celebrate his birth. he is the ultimate symbol of hope. which everyone should feel a bit hopeful this time of year.

if you are having a hard time feeling the holiday cheer, try giving something away to someone. let me know if you feel the holiday cheer after you have spread it around a bit.

merry christmas everybody!