Joseph

I found these words from Elder Holland and loved them very much:

"As a father I have recently begun to think more often of Joseph, that strong, silent, almost unknown man who must have been more worthy than any other mortal man to be the guiding foster father of the living Son of God. It was Joseph selected from among all men who would teach Jesus to work. It was Joseph who taught him the books of the law. It was Joseph who, in the seclusion of the shop, helped him begin to understand who he was and ultimately what he was to become.

"I was a student at BYU just finishing my first year of graduate work when our first child, a son, was born. We were very poor, though not so poor as Joseph and Mary. My wife and I were both going to school, both holding jobs, and in addition worked as head residents in an off-campus apartment complex to help defray our rent. We drove a little Volkswagen which had a half-dead battery because we couldn't afford a new one (Volkswagen or battery).

"Nevertheless, when I realized that our own night of nights was coming, I believe I would have done any honorable thing in this world, and mortgaged any future I had, to make sure my wife had the clean sheets, the sterile utensils, the attentive nurses, and the skilled doctors who brought forth our firstborn son. If she or that child had needed special care at the Mayo Clinic, I believe I would have ransomed my very life to get it.

"I compare those feelings (which I have had with each succeeding child) with what Joseph must have felt as he moved through the streets of a city not his own, with not a friend or kinsman in sight, nor anyone willing to extend a helping hand. In these very last and most painful hours of her 'confinement,' Mary had ridden or walked approximately 100 miles from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Surely Joseph must have wept at her silent courage. Now, alone and unnoticed, they had to descend from human company to a stable, a grotto full of animals, there to bring forth the Son of God.

"I wonder what emotions Joseph might have had as he cleared away the dung and debris. I wonder if he felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if he wondered: 'Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? It is wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?'

"But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could."

happy weekend

See that chair behind Stella? That's where our Christmas tree is supposed to be, but we haven't had time to pick one up yet! Crossing my fingers it happens tomorrow. I think this is the latest we've ever gotten a tree and I am totally missing it. The pine scent I have in my wax melter thingy just isn't cutting it.

For the first time in a long time I didn't worry about cleaning my house this week. I mean, I picked up and tidied and cleaned the kitchen every night, but I didn't dust or do the bathrooms and it was sort of liberating. I just had other stuff to do, you know? Things like hiking Camelback with a friend or going to the temple or watching the Great British Sewing Bee. Important stuff!

If you are in town, don't miss the Mesa Temple Lights. We're hoping to be there tonight with hot chocolate and doughnuts.

Today's Light the World is: Jesus Visited the Lonely and So Can You. My favorite, totally easy and do-able idea: Send a friendly text to someone who could use a boost. No one come to mind? Pray and ask God for someone that needs an uplifting text. Another idea is to write a letter to someone who is living away from home. My kids and I are going to write letters to the missionaries serving from our ward after school today. Have I mentioned how much I love this Christmas advent?! I love it.

Have a merry weekend!

the shepherds

From Come, Let Us Adore Him, by Elder Patrick Kearon:

"In the well-known verses from Luke 2, we learn significant facts about those first witnesses of Christ's birth, the shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. When 'the angel of the Lord came upon them, ... they were sore afraid' (verse 9). But they heard 'good tidings of great joy' that the long-foretold Savior, the Messiah, the Christ, had been born (verse 10). They listened to know the sign by which they could recognize the Savior, that He would be 'wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger' (verse 12). When the heavenly host had concluded their joyful proclamation, the shepherds responded immediately, saying, 'Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass' (verse 15). They came 'with haste' and found the Christ child just as the angel had said, and then they 'returned, glorifying and praising God' (verse 20). Wanting to share the glorious news of the Savior's birth, 'they made [it] known abroad' (verse 17).

"Like the shepherds, we must respond immediately, with haste, whenever the Spirit speaks to us. In the words of President Thomas S. Monson, we must 'never, never, never postpone following a prompting.' Sometimes after heeding a prompting, we cannot clearly see why we have been guided by the Spirit to act in a certain way. But often, like the shepherds, we see miracles occur, and our faithful response to a prompting is confirmed. We can then take opportunities to share our joy and our witness with others. Doing so can strengthen others' faith and hope, further confirming our own testimonies and bringing us closer to the Savior and His ways."

The shepherds at Jesus's birth hold a special place in my heart. They listened and obeyed. They were so full of faith, never doubting the things they had seen and heard. I love to think about these humble men, the first to bear witness of the birth of the Savior.

painting by Carl Heinrich Bloch.

happy weekend

Kittens, kittens everywhere! You can't sit down at our house without a kitten climbing onto our lap (or back). This is perhaps my favorite picture of Mike ever. You can't really tell, but he is totally in his element. Ha!

We have a happy day planned today. First, Elliot is getting his stitches out and will hopefully be out of his knee brace. Then we'll pick up my parents from the airport. And tonight we are attending Mabel's MCO concert, Good Will Toward Men. These concerts are always the highlight of the Christmas season for me. They are so powerful. I am really looking forward to it.

Have you put up your Christmas tree? We haven't gotten ours yet, but maybe we can swing by the tree lot (I mean Home Depot) tomorrow.

I love the ideas for today's 25 days of service. I think "Tell your parents they were right. Be specific!" is my favorite. Good thing my parents are coming into town today. It is a small but good way to #LIGHTtheWORLD.

Have a happy weekend!

the star

I love to think about the night Jesus was born. In the middle of Christmas season busy-ness, thinking about this quiet story brings me peace and gives me proper perspective. I'd like to share some of my favorite pieces of the story this month, as we get ready to celebrate this miraculous night.

My friend, Reachel, reminded me of this quote about the star from Neal A. Maxwell: "Recall the new star that announced the birth at Bethlehem? It was in its precise orbit long before it so shone. We are likewise placed in human orbits to illuminate. Divine correlation functions not only in the cosmos but on this planet, too."

What a wonderful idea! The star was placed in its proper position before it was ready to shine. Just as Heavenly Father was aware of where the star needed to be, He is aware of us, and has helped us find our own personal orbit. With the same care that He placed that star over the stable in Bethlehem, He has placed me here, and that thought fills me with purpose and gratitude.

the temple

I try to go to the temple once a week, but because of illness or Thanksgiving or other things, I haven't been able to go for the last few weeks and I've missed it. I am thankful that this morning, I made it happen. When I go to the temple, I feel peace and an overwhelming love from my Heavenly Father. I think going to the temple makes me a better mother and wife and friend. And I always, always leave feeling lighter and more optimistic. I am thankful to live so close to a temple, and I am thankful that my schedule allows me to visit often. The time I spend there is the best of my week.

To learn more about mormon temples, go here.


And this concludes another month of Thanksgiving. Thank you for following along! I really believe in the power of gratitude. Recognizing my blessings and expressing gratitude for them makes me a happier and more content and more generous person, I hope. I look forward to this month all year long and I am thankful to have been able to post here each day. And now, welcome December!

Don't forget the Worldwide Day of Service to kick off the 25 Days of Service tomorrow!

shopping days

Mike finished up our Christmas shopping late last night. Even with his busy school schedule, he wanted to do the shopping this year, and I am so grateful. He is much more thoughtful about it than I would be, and I know that because of his efforts, our kids are going to have a really wonderful Christmas. I am thankful that we are able to provide a happy Christmas for our children. I am thankful that Mike is smart with our money and creative with our gifts. And I am really thankful that we don't have to step foot inside another store until next year. That really is the greatest gift of all!

fhe

Tonight's Family Home Evening was sort of a bust. That happens sometimes. We went all over town looking for ornaments for our tree. Every year, the kids pick out a new ornament, and then when they are grown and have a tree of their own, they will have a box full of memories to add to their decorations. It's one of my favorite traditions. We'll have to try again this weekend. When we got home, we watched the video I posted yesterday for the #LighttheWorld campaign. I think the 25 days of service are just what our family needs this Christmas season. I bore my testimony to my children about the importance of serving like Jesus Christ did. And then we had family prayer and sent the little kids to bed.

I am thankful for Family Home Evening, even when it's not as successful as I would like it to be. I love that one night a week is specifically set aside for our family to be together. It is the best place to teach the gospel to my children, and a good time to have fun as a family. I love this family of mine and putting away housework and homework and everything else for a little while to be with them fills my heart with gratitude.

my faith

I never intended to talk about my faith so often on the internet, but here I am, doing it again. My membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has formed every bit of my life. I was raised by faithful parents who sought the truth on their own as teenagers. They found it in this church, which I believe most closely resembles the church Jesus Christ organized when He was on the earth, and I am forever grateful for their dedication to it.

This Christmas season, the church is spreading the message that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, and through acts of service, big or small, we can help spread that light. I love this short video that shows people like me serving like Him:

Each day for the month of December, we are encouraged to get out and serve. There are even ideas for each day provided here. Things like writing letters to parents or donating blood or praying for a friend who is going through something challenging. These are simple, easy things that can help us come closer to Jesus Christ and spread His light. I can't think of a more wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas season. I know I'll be checking in each day at mormon.org to see what I can do. I hope you'll come along.

I am thankful for my membership in this church. I am thankful for the things it teaches, that it inspires me to be better, and for the way it makes me feel. I believe that it contains the truth, and through that truth, I can be with my family after this life is over and live with Heavenly Father again.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I was going to put up our Christmas decorations today. But then I didn't feel like it. And then I decided to do it anyway, and I'm so glad I did. Stella and Elliot had the best time setting up all of the nativity sets on our bookcase while I arranged the little winter village houses in the kitchen. It seems like every year I put up fewer decorations, so I am just down to our absolute favorites. And because there aren't many things to arrange, it took almost no time at all. Even so, tonight the house feels sparkly and cozy and I am so thankful.

siblings

This morning, Stella and Elliot were complaining that they were bored so I sent them downstairs and told them them to play a game. Next thing I knew, extreme giggling was coming from the basement family room. I am so grateful that my children are friends with each other. I've never been good at setting up playdates for them, and I am thankful that they have learned to play so well with each other instead. I especially love it when Oliver joins in.

We had a really relaxing day at home filled with leftovers and pajamas and naps. I hope you did, too!

stitches

Tonight I am grateful for the nice men and women who missed their own Thanksgiving dinners to show up for work at the Emergency Room, so that when Elliot gashed his leg open at Nana's house, they were able to clean him up and stitch him up. I am ashamed to admit that when I saw Elliot's wound, I freaked out a little bit. It was so big and gape-y and my brain didn't know how to handle what I was seeing. If you need help in an emergency, find Mike. He's your guy. He was calm and patient and helped Elliot (and me) process what was happening. I am so grateful that he was there with us.

After a few hours at the hospital, a couple of popsicles, and 18 stitches, we were back at Nana's for a second round of pie.

Elliot was a trooper through it all, from the moment he quietly walked in the house with his leg hanging open all the way through to the end of the stitches. What a day! I am feeling extra grateful for my little family and our safety tonight.

I hope your Thanksgiving was less eventful but equally pie-filled. :)

plenty

Yesterday I went to the grocery store to stock up my pantry and to get Thanksgiving supplies. This morning I put my turkey in the brine, and this afternoon I will bake a pie. This is the season of plenty, and I am thankful that my family and I have enough. Too many people in this world don't, and I feel very fortunate that I am able to feed and dress and house my children as comfortably as I can. Comfort is a luxury, and I am thankful for ours. I hope acknowledging this will help me be more generous, especially this holiday season. 

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

kittens

Mike caught me at a weak moment on Saturday when I was just coming down with strep throat. He brought home two kittens from the pet store. (Mike has a humongous soft spot in his heart for kittens and he just couldn't choose between the two.) That brings the total number of cats living in our house to three, which is just too many. We've officially crossed the line. We are now the people with all of the cats. But the thing is, I see how much joy these kittens bring to my family (real, pure joy!), and I don't even mind. They are sweet and sort of stinky, but they'll cuddle right up on your lap and start purring and I'd have to be a monster to not let that affect me. And so today, I am thankful for these little kittens (even though they make my eyes itch and my nose run). I am thankful for the joy they bring my family and for the tenderness they bring out in all of us.

a sick day

Stella and I took a sick day today. And so, in no particular order, I am thankful for: the walk-in clinic at Walgreens, the really kind, patient doctor in the walk-in clinic, modern medicine in the form of antibiotics, and sweet pharmacy employees, a nice sister-in-law who made us soup, and the sound of the rushing wind and unexpected rain outside my open bedroom window. Despite the positive strep test and terrible sore throat, this day has been really beautiful, and I am thankful for the kind people and wonderful weather that made it so exceptional.