The Spirit of Christmas

    So, how is life suddenly different?  Just because of a change in months?  I am not talking about whether school is in or out of session, or a change in the weather patterns, but the change in how we act towards one another during this time of year.  Just think about it for a while.  What time of year to do you see the the seemingly soul-less come to give help to the needy, when the rest of the year he is as mean as ever?  What time of year do you see the soup kitchens suddenly so full of volunteers they do not know what to do with them, but the rest of the year, they barely have enough people to run the place?  What time of year do you see the general population looking for ways to serve their fellowman, when the rest of the year we are out to serve own interests?  Why is this time of year so very different from the rest of the year?
    Now, this is not to say that the rest of the year is all horrible, but this season, we are all striving to do just a little bit more to help those in need.  That little extra we give every Christmas season is what we remember from year to year, beyond the gifts we receive.  It's the stories we tell around the fireplace with the family all gathered round.  Many of these stories center on the joy we feel from rendering service to others.  It's an absolutely marvelous time of the year.  Everyone is striving to do what they can for others and trying to put others' needs above their own.  These acts of service are what make this time of the year so very special in everyone's hearts.  It's not about the sparkle of the wrapping paper, its not about what we did or did not get, or even how much we spent for others, although those acts of giving are a wonderful thing.  It's about our Savior's birth and coming closer to Him by trying to be like Him, the Perfect Example.  These wonderful acts of service help us to feel the Spirit of Christmas and to have that wonderful joy this time of year.  What's really cool, though, is this quote from President Thomas S. Monson:

"When we Keep the Spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ, for the Christmas Spirit is the Spirit of Christ."

     How cool is that!  What I got from this is that we can do the same wonderful things and express our love for our fellowman throughout the year, and we can feel the same marvelous feelings as we do the same things we do during the Christmas Season.    Let us all strive to keep the spirit of the season throughout the year so we can all feel the Spirit of Christ a little bit more in our lives.

Come Unto Christ

     You know that time when you all of a sudden remember something that you used to do, and now want to start doing it again?  Well that happened to me the other day.  Now while that may seem like a bizarre set of circumstances, this actually did happen to me and I would love to share it with you.
     So, the other day I received some news of a friend of mine who was going through a really rough time in her life.  It seemed to her like everything was adding up against her, and there seemed to be no end in sight for all the pain that was hers to bear alone.  After learning about her struggles, I decided to do just about the only thing I can do out here on a mission for her, which is to fast and pray.  After I started my fast, I put her on the back burner of my mind so I could continue to focus on the work that was ahead of me that night, because I still had two lessons to help teach and people to help bring closer to Christ.  So, I went forth unwavering in my determination to do the very best that I had been called to do:  inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.  In short, I focused solely on other people's needs and not on what I wanted or needed.  Indeed, my heart was turned outward in my attempt to be as Christ-like as I could be.  Now, I really did not notice all of this until a few days afterwards when I was writing in my journal.
     Tonight as I was writing in my journal, I was in a reflective type of mood, connecting the dots of my actions to who I want to be in the future.  As I was doing this, I was remembering the night I just described a tiny portion of, and I started to understand a little more about how we can have true happiness in this life.  In a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar that I watched while I was in the MTC he says, "Christ always turned out when the natural man turns in."  True happiness is being able to live with God again, and to live with God again, we have to become like Jesus Christ.  To become like Christ, we have to be completely unselfish, and have charity in all that we do.  This night gave me an example of why this is so very important to have charity towards my fellowmen and to do all that I can to serve them.

A More Peaceful Home

     Ever since Sunday, life has felt... different.  Good, but different.  Something's changed, but I cant quite put my finger on it.  Maybe it's the turkey from Sunday.  Maybe it's the fast I held that day.  But something most certainly changed.
     To start off this turn of events, Sunday December 1st was the first Sunday of the month, which meant that it was the day set apart for a fast, or in other words, to go without partaking of food or drink for a space of 2 meals.  Waking up on these mornings is often difficult and trying for me because the first thing I do in the morning is drink a cup of water, which help me out in the morning.  When we realize that it is Fast Sunday, one of two reactions usually happen. 1)"Oh snap, it's Fast Sunday, can't eat anything til dinner.  Ugh..." or 2)"It's Fast Sunday, its going to be hard, but it will be worth it."  Now, this may not be exactly what we say or think, and it may even be a mixture of the two, but to say the least, I had mixed feelings about this Fast Sunday, and wasn't really feeling up to fasting.  However, I did it anyway, and my purpose for the fast was seeking to improve myself for the people around me.  So, I put this thought on the back burner and kind of just left it there until we broke fast that evening, and even until I went to bed that night.  The thought was kind of just lingering there of,  "What can I do?"
     Waking up on Monday morning, having completely forgotten about most things related to yesterday, I went about doing business as usual.  Somehow though, the same kind of thought pattern kept crossing my mind with my interactions with my companion--something like, "Now Elder, do you really need to respond like that?"  I did not consider that this might be related to yesterday's fast, and did not realize that it was prompting me change for the better.  So, for once I listened to that little voice in my head and started to respond in kinder and less contentious ways to my companions and my roommates.  With that, I have been happier, and the people who I live with for now have been happier with me because there is less contention in the home when I respond in kindness towards others.  Not to say that I have always responded in anger, but I can be kind of prickly, and I am noticing that I am behaving this way less and less, and life is improving because of this.
     Now, some may say these two events are not correlated and and separate in their entirety, but I will testify to you, my friends, that while my fast may have not been the best.  I still strived to keep the commandments of God with a sincere heart, and because of such, the Lord has blessed me in helping me to change my heart and come closer to Him.  I know that He lives to help and bless me as I seek Him, as I have just related to you, and He can do the same for you.

Through the Thick and Thin

    For the past little while, life has been very interesting within my awesome little tri-panionship.  One of my companions has been trying to cut all sweets out from his diet as so he can build a good lifestyle for after he gets home.  To begin, he threw out all the cookies we had in the apartment so that the temptation would not be there for him.  He was trying to last a week, but as time went on, members in our ward have been giving us more sweets than usual to take home with us to enjoy later.  This turned his abstinence from sweets into a battle ground, making it difficult for him to overcome this temptation of his.  In addition, we, his would-be protectors, like to tempt him in any way possible because of how we have grown to be like brothers.  So, how does any of this relate to seeing the Hand of the Lord in my life?
     To begin with, I would like you to think about the life of Jesus Christ and all that He went through.  As He started on the descent, slowly everyone began to stop supporting the Him.  During the most difficult part of His life, none were with Him, and even God had to step away so that the Savior could perform the Atonement for all of the world.  His sanctuary with God went away for a time, as did His friends when He needed them the most.  He was utterly alone...

   

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

     This verse from John 16:33 is why my companion, despite us, he does not have to be alone to face his temptation with sugar, because he can ask God for help in his time of trial so that he can overcome it.  While many may not think this to be a trial in his life, the fact is he wanted to change and try to improve his willpower so that he could overcome other temptations that may come his way in the future.  As I have tried to stay the course with my companion and be a help to him, I have realized how difficult it can be to not eat something that is in great abundance sitting right in front of you, day in, and day out.  I too can work on my willpower as I rely on my Savior for all that I do so that I can be strong in the day of my temptation.