In all the earth is growing...

I love Christmas.  I love the feelings of warmth and joy that surround the season.  I love the tree and the lights and the songs and decor.  I love the white blanket of snow that covers up the "dead" of Fall.  I love that people are doing things for each other.  I love that it's a bit easier for each of us to feel a little less selfish and look out for the needs of others.  I love that we try to find ways to surprise the ones we love with the perfect gift.

At the same time it does get a little stressful.  The perfect gift is often quite hard to find and sometimes never makes itself known.  It's easy to fall into the trap of commercialism and think that maybe the simple Christmas that you have planned this year is kind of stupid.  That you should budget more or throw caution to the wind and stop worrying about how much to spend.  And then...

You stop.  Remember your goals.  Remember why the good feelings that come with Christmas are actually there.  In sacrament meeting today we sang "With Wondering Awe" for the closing hymn.  It's one of my favorites.  "With wond'ring awe the wise men saw The star in heaven springing, and with delight, in peaceful night, They heard the angels singing: Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to his name!"  I know that Christ is the reason for the season.  It is Him that makes this time of year so special. 

I have the privilege of leading the music in sacrament meeting every Sunday and I have really come to love it.  I have paid more attention to the words of the songs that ever before in my life.  I try to add expression to the words and feel in my heart what it coming out of my mouth.  "By light of star they traveled far To seek the lowly manger, A humble bed wherein was laid The wondrous little Stranger."  "The heav'nly star its rays afar On every land is throwing, And shall not cease till holy peace In all the earth is growing.  Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to his name!"

The message of Christ, His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, is the light of that star.  Every year we get that reminder and it "shall not cease till holy peace in all the earth is growing."

This year we will have a simple Christmas.  We'll enjoy the lights and the music.  We'll give small gifts of love.  We'll skip the debt, the shopping mania and the stress.  We'll enjoy the company of family and friends and thank God for the gift of this season, the gift of good friends, the gift of forever families.  And most importantly we'll thank Him for the gift of His Son.