December Day by Day
Sunday, December 1st
Really, I can not believe it’s already December! Thanksgiving was so late this year and we’ve been working so hard to move in and get everything organized that I feel like I need another two weeks between November and December to get caught up. But here we go!
We had a fun Thanksgiving with Emily, Ashlyn, Shelley and the Moons. Then yesterday after Chris, Ashlyn and Emily headed north I spent 8 hours in the living room getting all the Christmas bins out, the trees and shelves decorated, pillows placed, nutcrackers unboxed, Santas lined up on the shelf, front entry table arranged and did it all with either Christmas music, a Christmas movie and the BYU game playing to keep me company. Luke and Matt and I decorated the tree together and then Luke went to hang out with friends and Matt’s friends came over.
It was nice to wake up Sunday morning to a festive front room. I turned on the fireplace, listened to last week’s INKLINGS podcast and then read the chapter on THE LAMB in the Christ Centered Christmas book. I ended up reformatting the packet and sending it to Megan and her companion in her ‘Tis the Season’ Package — which she loved. Just revisiting it, prompted me to focus on the packet with the boys. I’m already so excited. We had a good study session.
In Sacrament meeting we sang “JOY TO THE WORLD’ as our first Christmas Hymn. I loved the line… LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM.
We fasted for Ryan and Cassie today. After church we ate pork nachos, the boys went to a youth fireside, I looked over Katie’s Cook Book that she’s trying to get on ETSY, I talked with Ryan and Cassie, I did my FIRST HOUR of online Christmas shopping (I’m so behind!), I talked to Brian for an hour and we bonded over moving in and unpacking, and the boys and I decorated the upstairs tree. Happy times!
T H E L A M B - R E M I N D S U S T O G I V E T H A N K S
The Lamb reminds us to prepare our hearts to recognize the hand of the Lord in our life, and then, in that instant, to give thanks.
Christmas Hymn… Prayer of Thanksgiving #93 A Story to Tell... Luke 2:25-38
C H A P T E R N O T E S from A Christ-Centered Christmas by Emily Belle Freeman
A nativity is not complete without the small figure of a lamb. Symbolic of many teachings of Christ, the lamb often represents a TRUE FOLLOWER.
Sheep follow, being attached to their masters, whose voice they instantly recognize.
Why is it that the shepherd’s voice is instantly recognized? Perhaps it is because his watchcare is constant; his sheep are never left alone. Maybe it is because he has proved himself as a keeper of safety – one who leads his flock to water and ensures that they never go hungry. OVER TIME, THE SHEEP LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE HIS HAND IN THEIR LIFE.
The Christmas story is filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. Within the sacred account found in Luke 2, two characters are mentioned who are often overlooked…
S I M E O N A N D A N N A
Simeon and Anna’s stories are similar, and they play an important role in the celebration of the birth of Christ. The lessons constrained within each are almost repetitive - one right after the other – each a powerful reminder of how we can become true followers of the Good Shepherd, what we need to do to prepare our hearts to recognize Him, and the gratitude that comes in that instant.
Simeon was an older man who was just and devout. He had been promised that he would not die before seeing the Lord, and his heart was filled with that longing. It was the Spirit that prompted him to go to the temple on the day Mary and Joseph came to present their son to Heavenly Father. It was there that he discovered the Christ child, and “he took Him in his arms and burst into rapt thanksgiving”.
What can we learn from Simone? Three life-changing lessons: He longed to know the Lord. He visited the temple frequently. In the very instant he recognized the Lord, he expressed gratitude immediately.
Anna, a widow of great age, was also in the temple on that day. Having been widowed for eighty-four years, she had led a life of mourning. We are told that she never left the temple, in fact, “it was her constant and loved resort”. Anna’s days were filled with service to God and much fasting and prayer. Just like Simeon, “Deepest in her soul was longing”. Service, prayer and fasting had prepared her heart to receive the Lord. On that day, filled with inspiration, she, like Simeon, was able to recognize the Lord, and “in that instant gave thanks” (Luke 2:38)
“No matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it. ”
Both Simeon and Anna were true followers of Christ. They had prepared their hearts to instantly recognize the Lord. Both know how to receive and act on promptings from the Spirit, they understood the power the temple has to bring us closer to Christ, and they both expressed humble gratitude for the testimony they had been given. I love that their recognition was instant and that their gratitude was immediate. Their stories must not be overlooked; the lessons are far too valuable. Although the figures of Simeon and Anna are not found in any nativity sets, USE THE LAMB TO REPRESENT SIMEON AND ANNA who recognized the Shepherd and followed him with grateful hearts.
We pulled the sheep from the Nativity and set them on the kitchen table in front of us while we talked. Then with sharpie I wrote on the bottom of each of the sheep their new names: Simeon and Anna to help us remember this lesson.
I’m so grateful that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas. A season of gratitude preceding a season of giving. Gratitude prepares our hearts. I felt inspired to journal three things I was grateful for each night in November. I loved the focus on blessings and relationships and events - instead of feeling the overwhelm. I think it made a difference in my outlook and allowed me to feel more peace.
“As we commune with the Lord each day, He will help us to know that which is most needful.”
Monday, December 2nd
Back excercises and Treadmill
Conference Talk: ‘SEEK HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART’ - Bishop L Todd Budge
We all slept in today. Luke worked on online classes, Matt did lots of jobs around the house for Santa Bucks, I did my back excercises while listening to a Conference and then walked on the treadmill in our workout room. Love it. Then we had our mattress delivery, I worked on some secretary things, talked to Megan a few times, took Matt to Dixie Rock to boulder with his friends and spent my whole afternoon at Target, Deseret Book, HomeGoods and Harmons among the millions of other shoppers doing the same thing.
When I got home Luke was already at work and Matt and his guy friends arrived ready for pork nachos and to hang out. Always fun to have his friends over.
Monday night Dad and I had our online Christmas shopping date. We both got on our computers (him from WY and me in St. George) and got quite a few things talked about and ordered. Feels good to have some good ideas on the way!
I jumped on a call with Katie and got the boys SIGNED UP for HXP for this summer! We finished our registration, paid the down payment and the boys have started working on their lists. Can’t wait to find out where they will go!
Megan’s Mission Email
hello everyone - this week was kinda crazy - - - exchanges, thanksgiving, transfer news and marcs baptism
I went on 3 exchanges this week: a 2 day exchange w/ the creole sisters in my district and a mega exchange on friday with sis nelson again! So fun, I love exchanges but I had lowk no idea what was going on in my own pool all week hah
Thanksgiving was so good, we got 2 really good dinners. One at 2 with a senior couple (seniors in palmyra, I miss you!!!!!) and one at 6 with a young couple in our ward. So much to be thankful for this year!!!! I'm grateful to be a missionary, grateful to live in nyc, grateful for my 9 best friends i call family, grateful for my missionary friends around the world & grateful for my savior, Jesus Christ and His perfect atonement!
On sat, i got a call from the aps who told me i will be training next transfer. I'm sorry... WHAT? thats crazy. im pretty excited and extremely nervous. if anyone has any advice for me on how to train pls lmk. we find out everything else tn and transfers are on thursday. I cannot believe I just finished my first transfer.
MARC GOT BAPTIZED! it was so awesome, he loved it! they only had to redo it 6 times because the guy baptizing him was so much shorter than him haha. so happy for him!!
I am so so excited for december. I really want to make it all about Jesus Christ. He is truly the reason for the season and i can't wait to focus everything 100% on him this month!
i love jesus - 10 wins, let go 🤙 - LOVE YOU GUYS - sister johnson
Tuesday, December 3rd
Back exercises and Treadmill - Conference Talk: ‘GOD’S FAVORITE’ - Karl D. Hirst
I attended the temple this morning with my Majestic Views Ward RS. There were able 10 of us there. I sat next to Lisa - who knows my Uncle Jim - and shared a couple of tender moments of why we were in the temple that day. I relayed to her that I was here to spend an hour with the Lord so he would magnify my other hours and I’d be able to get the things done that I needed to. I had thought that before I left for the temple, but sharing the words out loud made me emotional. I do believe that when we put the Lord first, everything falls into place. The session was great. I wore the bracelet that Megan sent me with the initials of everyone in our whole family and thought about and prayed for everyone — and then added names to the prayer roll. It was fun to get to know a few more sisters in the ward and I walked out with Mary-Jane and talked about all things Germany. So fun to get to know these new people.
Back at home I started with my classic “100 things” and raced around my bathroom and room getting everything organized and cleaned while counting to 100. Then I started working on designing my Christmas Card and writing this year’s update.
Luke spend a couple of hours working on his dream list of HXP sites. He has lots of Phillipines and Cambodia choices so we’ll see on Thursday where he’ll go. Matt will submit his choices on Thursday. Nice to get the registration done, the dates picked and Luke’s choices in.
Katie and Taylor are launching their missionary cookbook. I’m so impressed with the idea, the product, the design, the organization. Everything! We talked up until midnight about some of the logistics — just trying to think through some things. I’m happy to be an honorary board member!
“If you do feel filled with love in this season of your life, please try and hold on to it as efectively as a sieve holds water. Splash it everywhere you go. One of the miracles of the divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus’ love, we find ourselves being filled up.”
Wednesday, December 4th
Megan should have gotten her package a few days ago!! It was so much fun to put together! Love that Sister! I’m currently working on her second package filled with a few presents to open on Christmas Day!
It was fun to give Megan presents to open up throughout the month. A little treat or fun thing wrapped up to open every other day. Christmas soap, mints, Tic Tacs with instructions to open with as much enthusiasm as Becca, hot chocolate, Santa bucks with instructions to make a goal for yourself and then a Target giftcard reward, chocolates, and more. Couldn’t help myself with a few fun reindeer themed things.
Thursday, December 5th
So grateful for so many things today! Thank goodness Katie works for HXP and could help me out with some glitches that were happening with our accounts. Luke matched with Philippines Trip 1 but we needed (and thought we added) Philippines Trip 3. Luckily Katie talked to her boss and said, “I have a distressed Mom on the phone — AND IT’S MY MOM!” He just switched us right over. Whew!
Crazy that our two youngest kids are old enough for this fantastic adventure! With Katie working full time at HXP and Katie and Taylor doing another trip this summer (ALSO IN the PHILIPPINES!!), it just seemed like the summer to do it! Luke got the PHILIPPINES - Chocolate Hills Experience and later in the day, after hours of research and putting the trips in order, Matt found out that he got his top trip — In MALAYSIA. So excited for these boys!
Thursday night Matt got asked to Preference by Kylee. Kylee had previously asked me if Matt would be able to go and told me to keep him out of the front room while she set everything up. She’s been in a wheelchair for the last few weeks because of a weakness in her legs that they are looking into, so her poster and setup was especially clever. Alix came to help her get it set up and they had fun videoing Matt’s reaction from around the corner. Matt was super suprised and is excited to go with her at the end of January. Alix previously asked Luke to go with a Spiderman poster and stuffed Spiderman and so the two Johnson brothers will be in the same group.
Friday, December 6th - Saint Nicholas Day
Back exercises, treadmill and my new favorite fairlife Protein chocolate milk.
Conference Talk: Inklings - talking about the ‘GOD’S FAVORITE’ talk - Karl D. Hirst
It was a good cleaning, christmas spreadsheet, to do list kind of morning. I put my advent posters up on the wall too, which is kind of fun. Luke sat at the kitchen table working on his last on-line class and Matt did some jobs outside in the beautiful sunshine to earn some ‘Santa bucks’. I finally got on the treadmill and walked, first talking to Amy and then listening to Inklings.
The tile guys came to install my laundry room tile. My tile was sitting on a boat in Italy for months and finally arrived. It’ll be so good to have that done.
Luke headed to work at Mo’Bettahs and Matt hung out with friends all afternoon ending at a local Middle School where they played Nerf Gun Wars. Glad he has such a good group of friends.
I dropped off Matt — well, he drove while I texted the fam — and then I stopped at Walmart and then at the Post Office where I sent Megan’s package. YAY!
At 6:00 I hopped on FaceTime with Chris and we had a VIRTUAL DATE - great conversations about the kids and then some online Christmas shopping, flight purchasing and calendar planning. So good to chat with my man for hours. Love him.
Saturday, December 7th
This quote from Emily Belle Freeman’s Christ Centered Christmas hit hard today…
“There are no words to adequately describe a mother’s heart at Christmas, nor the thoughts that are pondered within. As the season approaches there are so many meaningful details that must be taken care of and arragements to be made. Part of the holiday preparation includes pondering moments — every mother wants every part of Christmas to be just right. We agonize over the perfect gifts: we contemplate how to creat lasting memories; and we long for meaningful celebrations.”
This is exactly right. needed details and arrangements, lasting memories, perfect gifts and meaningful celebrations. This perfectly describes my heart this year and every year.
Matt headed out for the fun morning of 4 Wheeling with Kylee and her Dad and brother. Luke and I headed over to the church to help clean but it only needed a quick touch up so we were back home 20 minutes later. Luke worked on on-line classes and I worked around the house until noon. The boys headed out to pick up the best Christmas treat ever — these brownie cookies from CRUMBL were the best. They picked one to answer Kylee back and we enjoyed the other three!
At noon I went over to the Stake Center to decorate two tables for the Christ Centered Ward Christmas Party. Fun to see all the different nativities. Lisa asked the boys and I to serve at the food table so we served roast and scooped potatoes for everyone in the ward - Fun to sit with Lisa and Shane. We enjoyed a program of songs and talks after the dinner and I appreciated that the talks were focused on the overwhelm and sometimes depression of the season and how Christ can help.
Fun to talk with Bishop and Chelsea as we walked out. Chelsea’s son is serving a mission in Colorado so she and I will both be reading talks from our missionaries in one of the upcoming Christmas programs. Bishop has already received the letters and said he was emotional reading his sons letter and also Megan’s. Such a neat idea.
Sunday, December 8th
Chris is in Wyoming for the weekend. I think maybe his L A S T weekend ever. So excited for the plan of coming home every weekend from now on!)
The boys and I had a Christ Centered Christmas devotional about JOSEPH before church.
J O S E P H R E M I N D S U S T O S E R V E
Joseph represents the desires of our hearts. He reminds us of the secret acts of Christmas kindness given with sacrifice and love to the broken, the weary, the lost or the lonely.
Christmas Hymn… Away in a Manger. #204 A Story to Tell... Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-7
C H A P T E R N O T E S from A Christ-Centered Christmas by Emily Belle Freeman
The early events of that first Bethlehem evening must have been heartbreaking for Joseph, the protector and guardian of his tiny family, as he watched the woman he loved entering into labor without a place to stay. The scriptures tell us that on that night “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). But the footnote for that scripture gives us an even better understanding of the circumstance. It reads, “There was no room for them in the inns.” It seems that the young couple did not just stop at one place to find shelter, but were turned away over and over again with the words that must have become discouragingly familiar, “no room”.
Our Christmas season sometimes resembles that first Christmas night. The season is packed so full that we may find ourselves echoing that same sentiment, “no room”. With parties and programs, shopping and decorating, it is hard to make room for anything extra.
Elder Holland describes what that night must have been like…
“One impression which has persisted with me is that this is a story of intense poverty. I wonder if Luke did not have some special meaning when he wrote not ”there was no room in the inn” but specifically that “there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7) We cannot be certain what the historian intended, but we do know these two were desperately poor.
I wonder 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 160 km 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? 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?
Perhaps this provides an important distinction we should remember in our own holiday season. Maybe the purchasing and the making and the wrapping and the decorating should be separated, if only slightly, from the more quiet, personal moments when we consider the meaning of the Baby (and his birth) who prompts the giving of such gifts. We need to remember the very plain scene, even the poverty, of a night devoid of tinsel or wrapping or goods of this world. Shepherds would soon arrive and, later, wise men would follow from the East. But first and forever there was just a little family, without trees or tinsel. With a baby – that’s how Christmas began.”
Cute story (too long to type) about a Swiss teenager spending the year in New York City with a family who seemingly had everything. She thought long and hard about what to give them to show her love and appreciation and finally decided to go buy a small present. In bustling New York City she asked several people for directions to the poorest area of town with no help. Frustrated, she stopped and then heard the faint sound of tinkling bells. She saw the Salvation Army man ringing his bells and decided to go ask him. Almost done with his shift he agreed to show her a family in need near his own home – one with a tiny baby who could use her little baby clothes. On Christmas morning, this Swiss girl told her host family of her gift of service in their name. It’s a touching story!
Can you hear the cheerful tinkle of the bell this season? What is it prompting you to do? The tradition of the tinkling bell suggests a whispered prompting that might be followed and an act of secret service that could be performed. In a season that is packed full with the hustle and bustle of Christmas, I hope each of us will make room in our hearts to hear the tinkling bell and live as true believers. Somehow the service and the sacrifice become part of the gift. When a gift requires great sacrifice it becomes more precious, both to the giver and to the one who receives.
This Sunday Lisa Woodard and I were asked to be the Narrators for the ward’s first Christmas program of the month. Between choir pieces and beautiful musical numbers we stood to read passages from President Nelson’s 2023 First Presidency Christmas Devotional - which was so good. Loved the whole program and so happy to be a part of it.
Mary Jane Rogers invited our family to their house for a German ADVENT party. It was fun to gather with them, listen to some Christmas stories, sing 12 or so Christmas carols and then enjoy some snacks. I figured a bowl of Hippos was the perfect thing to bring. It was really wonderful to be invited over and participate in an evening reminding us of GERMANY. Love it!
Our first time watching the FIRST PRESIDENCY CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL in the theater room. So good!
Monday, December 9th
Talked to Megan today. She’s in Rego Park with Sister Harris!
Another amazing online date night with Chris. We hopped on Facetime and thought through so many gift ideas for the kids and ended up getting a lot accomplished. It was fun!
We have a package from SISTER JOHNSON!
Megan’s Mission Email
hey hey - miss you guys - new transfer LETS GO
let's get through transfer news... we super thought I was staying in midwood buttt I am now serving in rego park, queens w/ sister harris!! she's a dawg missionary and we have so much fun together. this is her second transfer so technically I am finishing her training but like she's chillin
my district in midwood got so close by the end of the transfer so it was sad to leave them but i am excited to be in a new area. the few days I've been here has already been filled with miracles.
miracle#1 - we were on our way home from finding but we needed 1 more to hit our goal. we were feeling pretty discouraged but had faith we could find one more. we were almost home but then we found a FAMILY OF 5!! they were super hype and wanted baptism so bad. truly a miracle. God provides!
miracle#2 - JAMAL randomly pulled up to the church for his "weekly study" on thursday after not being in contact for 2 weeks. he was completely taught and had church attendances so we quickly started preparing for his baptism that sunday. we lost contact again (he can't pay for his phone bill) but he still came to church on sunday so he was able to be baptized! It was a crazy day trying to get everything ready last minute but he was so ready and had the most spiritual experience! grateful to be a small part of his journey.
It's gonna be a transfer of miracles bc God is a God of miracles. and that's true ☝️
love you all - so chill go cougs - sister johnson
Tuesday, December 10th
Back exercises and Treadmill
Conference Talk: The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again - President Russel M. Nelson
Do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment!
“Brothers and Sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority.”
“Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.”
I especially loved the quote: ”In the temple we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. It made me think of going in to the temple to receive our helmets, elbow pads and layers of bubble wrap protection. It might not protect us from every disasters but it’s definitely going to help as we navigate through this world. We need that extra protection!
“In the temple we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.”
Wednesday, December 11th
YAY! We’re finally getting blinds! Whew! Can’t wait to be able to open and close the blinds every day! Worked on cleaning, organizing, looking through Christmas addresses etc. It’s going to be a good day. (Minus the cold I have going on!)
Getting my Christmas cards all addressed today with some Hallmark type movies going on in the background. I didn’t watch a ton this year - but my favorite was one called the CHRISTMAS JARS.
Thursday, December 12th
The Relief Society ‘Favorite Things’ Party was so much fun! I sat at a table with Lisa, Chelsea, Megan, Kylie and it was just so much fun getting to know everyone. The food was delicous, and the favorite things gift exchange was really fun. I brought Squamish Bars to share and gave a Brooke Romney Modern Manners Book for the exchange. I ended up stealing the gift Chelsea brought… a cute Geometry candy cane towel and volcano candle. So perfect!
Always fun to decorate new spaces. 1. Christmas dishes in my new glass cupboard - 2. My entry table with my … let’s call it an ornate wooden snowflake purchased in a small town in France and my schwibbogen from Germany. 3. My Natural German nutcrackers from Seiffen. 4. My Good News Brand Christmas advent posters given to me by Chris, Katie and Emily for my birthday. I love having 8 of them up at a time!
Saturday, December 14th
Matt went to the temple with the teachers early in the morning and then out to breakfast - Luke went and took the ACT for his first ‘practice’ time - I slept in - Emily and I had eggs for breakfast - Chris and I worked on ordering some presents - we Facetimed with Ryan and Cassie and they shared with us some good news! Cute happy people! - we did some errands: checked out the Passports store and then over to Walmart to pick up a few presents - then home to eat dinner: chicken broccoli braid - and dad put together the last pottery barn stool - emily studied for her last byu final… another full productive day.
Saturday night Chris, Emily, Luke, Matt and I went to Barnes and Noble to wander around and pick up GIFT CARDS for Lindsey and her family - then over to COLD STONE to pick up a giftcard and then some ice cream for ourselves - we watched DEAR SANTA in the theater room (which we knew wasn’t that highly rated but it was fun to watch something new) - Em studied for her last BYU final.
Sunday, December 15th
We started our Sunday with fresh blueberry muffins and our Christ Centered study focusing on THE SHEPHERD — who reminds us to TESTIFY.
Lots of Green going on as we headed out to church this morning.
Christ-Centered Christmas Study: THE SHEPHERD
T H E S H E P E R D - R E M I N D S U S T O T E S T I F Y
The Shepherd is a reminder for us to come closer to the Lord, now and with haste.
Christmas Hymn… Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains #212 A Story to Tell... Luke 2:15-18
Each of us has the opportunity every Christmas to search for and find the Lord. If we carefully study the story of the shepherds found in Luke 2, we can learn much about what it means to search for the Lord IN THE MIDST of the celebration and sharing with others what we hear, see and feel after those experiences. We read some of the chapter and then took time to write down our personal testimonies of Jesus Christ and then share them with each other.
My testimony of Christ: “I’m so grateful for how personally Christ knows and loves me. He guides me and watches over me. He’s the BEST older brother… protecting, being the perfect example, listening to me, and laughing and finding joy in my successes. He forgives and inspires and corrects. I feel a deep and powerful witness that he exists, that he cares about me and that he created a way back for me and those I love. I trust Him. I honor Him. I love Him.”
Earlier in the week, Bishop Monson asked me to be a part of this week’s Christmas program. He asked Megan and three other missionaries serving from this ward to write a talk and then had the moms come to the stand and read them. At the pulpit was where we read the talks for the first time. It was a beautiful tender mercy that Megan’s talk was all about the Shepherds on the morning that we studied The Shepherd as a family.
Sister Johnson’s Talk: THE SHEPHERDS
The Shepherds in Luke 2 teach us so much and are inspiring examples of missionary work. They teach us to listen, find Jesus with haste and share the good news with everyone. Let us all follow their example and be modern day shepherds this month! We can do that by listening, seeking and sharing.
LISTENING - Just like the shepherds, we need to be attentive to God’s voice and promptings from the Spirit in our lives. I have gained a very strong testimony of specific prayers while being on my mission. I know as we pray and then take time to be still and listen, we can receive promptings from the spirit that leads and guides us. Having our hearts and minds open to listen can give us a deeper understanding of His plan and purpose.
SEEKING HIM - The shepherds didn’t just hear the message and stay in the fields, they went to Bethlehem to find Jesus with haste!! We also need to take action and seek a deeper relationshp with Jesus Christ. In Ether 12:41 it says “And now, I would commend you to seek ye this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in the forever.” Seeking for Jesus, like the shepherds did, can strengthen our relationship with Him and deepen our conversion to Him.
SHARING WITH ALL - After finding Jesus, the shepherds spread the word to everyone they met. As members of the true church, we really are so blessed to have the knowledge of the gospel. So many people don’t have that. In the New York, New York City Mission, our vision is that we talk to absolutely EVERYONE so we can bring as many people as well can to Jesus Christ. The shepherds were good missionaries and we can be too! I would invite each of you to share your testimony of Jesus Christ with all!
I have such a strong testimony of missionary work and I am so grateful to be a missionary at this time. I know as we strive to be modern day shepherds, we can strengthen our relationship with Jesus and experience the Joy that comes from sharing the gospel. I know that Jesus Christ is our brother and friend, the light of the world and the good shepherd. I say these things in the Jesus’ name… Amen.
It was so neat to be a part of the program reading Megan’s words. I was emotional as I stood to explain where she was serving and then was able to read her talk without any problems. Bishop texted to thank all of us for participating and we all agreed it was a pleasure. The musical numbers were beautiful. It’s wonderful to have THREE Christmas programs this month.
ELF PARTY
So excited to have the Farnsworth Family over for our annual ELF PARTY. We started with the first 40 minutes of the movie in the theater room and then made our way downstairs for our spaghetti, syrup, poptart, gumdrops and candy cane dinner — and watched while we ate. The Farnsworths gifted us with a little BUDDY THE ELF ORNAMENT which will not be the mascot of all future Elf parties! Some of the kids headed up to finish the movie while most of us cut snowflakes and talked about Christmas traditions and plans. It was fun to get reconnect and spend the evening together.
When the Farnsworth fam headed out we headed back upstairs and finished ELF and then went right into SPIRITED. So fun!