Darkness, and Light

Advent embraces the whole arc of the Christian cosmology. 

The Bible begins in darkness. "In the beginning . . . the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light" (Gen 1:1-3). 

Darkness, and light. 

Then, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. . . . The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. . . .The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:1-14). 

Darkness, and light. 

Finally, "I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. . . . The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. . . .There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light." (Rev 21:3-4, 23-25; 22:5)

Darkness, and light. 

God's light broke into darkness at creation. God's light broke into darkness at Christmas. God's light will break into darkness at the end. And in every moment between - God's light is breaking into darkness. 

This world is cyclical. Darkness, and light. Darkness, and light. Darkness, and light. We continually experience darkness. And God’s light continues to break in. 

Advent remembers the ways that God has broken into our darkness in the past (Christmas). Advent acknowledges that we still live in a world of darkness. Advent hopes that God will break into darkness again. Advent hopes. Advent hopes. Advent hopes. Advent remembers the First coming and clings to the promise of the Second Coming. 

“Because God has been faithful and kept His promises in the past, we can hope with confidence that God will keep His promises to us in the present and in the future” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf). In Advent, we look back. We say, “Yes. God has kept God’s promises. God has been faithful.” supported by the security of God’s past faithfulness, we turn our gaze forward. We say, “Yes. God will keep God’s promises. God is faithful. God will not leave me alone.” 

Advent is a time of darkness. And yet, each Sunday we light a candle. Light. Through the darkness of this season, God gifts us with glimmers of light. Through the darkness of our mortal sojourn, as we wait for God to make all things right, God gifts us glimmers of light. Our life is a constant cycle of darkness and light. Advent reminds us that God’s light will always break in. 

How Long, O Lord?

In the darkness of waiting, it appears that God has abandoned God's people. There is silence, there is oppression, there is darkness over all the face of the earth. In first-century Judea, God has promised so many things and has not delivered on the promise. The people suffer under Roman occupation. The people remember the glory of King David and Solomon's temple. The people remember how God has been mighty! But it is not so now. Stricken down, the people have long waited for God's promises to be fulfilled. Has God forgotten? Has God abandoned us? How long, Lord, will we suffer so?"

It appears that God has abandoned God's people. Yet - it appears. It is not truly so. 

In the darkness of despair, the people wait for God. The people cry out, "How long?” 

“How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” (Psalm 13:1-2)

“How long, O Lord, wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions” (Psalm 35:17).

“How long, O Lord? Wilt thou hide thyself forever?” (Psalm 89:46)

“How long, O Lord, shall the wicked triumph?” (Psalm 94:3-4)

“How long, O Lord, shall I cry, and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2)

How long, God, will we be left alone in the dark? How long will You watch silently? How long will You see us suffering and not act? How long will evil prevail? How long will you ignore us? 

Advent is for the waiting. Advent is for the asking. Advent is for the soul-wrenching despair and grief. Advent is the time to lay bare our struggles and doubts. Advent is the time we ask, “Has God abandoned us? Has God had enough of our sinfulness? Will God refuse to aid us?”

Christmas is the answer. Christmas says, “God has not abandoned us. God has not left us alone in darkness.” 

Christmas says, “Behold! The day is coming.” Indeed, even, the day is here. The Kingdom is at hand. The Lord is come, with healing in his wings, to save us all. God came before. God will come again. 

We don’t know how long we will wait here below. We don’t know how long darkness and wickedness will prevail. But we have the promise - Christ will come again. Light will break forth over all the earth. Our darkness will have an end. 

Miracle on 34th St (1947): Discussion Guide for Parents

20th Century Fox, 1947

All information below is general suggestions and ideas. 

Always adapt to your family’s situation and beliefs and the needs of individual children. 

Content Warnings:

• Alcohol - drunk Santa, a husband tricks his wife by preparing triple martinis without her consent.
• Coffee
• Tobacco, smoking
• Susan’s parents are divorced before the movie begins.
• Santa Claus, fake Santa’s, Santa as fantasy/myth
• Mild violence - Santa knocks a man on the head with his umbrella 
• Santa described as mentally ill, prone to “violent outbursts,” committed to a mental institution, tried for “lunacy”
• Kissing

Discussion Questions

• Kris Kringle complains about the commercialization of Christmas and says no one cares about the real meaning anymore. What do you think is the real meaning of Christmas? How can we remember the real meaning of Christmas amidst all the business of the season?
• Alfred says he enjoys dressing up as Santa and giving presents to children. Why does it feel good to give to others? Who can you help today?
• Mr. Macy says Macy’s will be known as “the friendly store, the helpful store” when they send customers to other stores when they don’t have what the customer is looking for. Why are these important qualities? Gimbel’s store decides to copy this strategy, expanding the “spirit of goodwill.” How do good deeds multiply when one person starts it off? How can you set off a “spirit of goodwill” in your home or community?
• Kris tells Mrs. Walker, "Christmas isn’t just a day; it’s a frame of mind.” What do you think that means? How are our lives different every day because of Christmas? 
• Mrs. Walker is very concerned with truth and reason. Why is it important to examine the evidence and learn what is true? Are there some things that can’t be known by rational inquiry? What are some examples? 
• Examples of things that can’t be proved with reason include matters of faith in God, trusting or forgiving other people, love, and more. 
• At the beginning of the movie, Susan is very serious and doesn’t like “silly,” childish, or imaginative things. Why is it important to keep a childlike spirit? Why are imagination, silliness, and pretending important? 
• Susan tried to make a deal with Kris, saying that if he gets her a house, then he’s the real Santa, but if not, he’s “just a nice old man with whiskers.” Kris tells Susan, “Just because every child doesn’t get his wish doesn’t mean there isn’t a Santa Claus.” Susan tried to prove Santa’s identity by gifts. Sometimes we get this way with God - demanding that God answer our prayers or else he’s not God. What’s the danger in this way of thinking? Why might God not answer prayers as we expect?
• Unlike most of the other characters, Mr. Gailey always believes Kris. He is a friend to Kris stands up for him when others don’t. How can we be like Mr. Gailey?
• Mrs. Walker tells Susan at the end of the movie, “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.” How do you define faith? Why is faith valuable? How do we develop faith? 

Scripture Connections

• Christmas. Matthew 1:18-2:14; Luke 2:1-20; 3 Nephi 1:4-21
• Giving, Generosity. Gen 47:15; Deut 15:11, 16:17; Prov 25:21, 28:27; Matt 5:42, 10:8, 19:21, 25:35; Mark 10:21, 12:44; Luke 6:35-38, 14:12-14, 14:13; Acts 20:35; 2 Cor 9:7; Jacob 2:17; Mosiah 4:16, 18:28; Mormon 8:39; D&C 42:31, 52:40, 56:16
• Friendliness. 1 Sam 18:1; Prov 17:17, 18:24, 27:17; Luke 14:12-14
• Helpfulness. Gen 2:18; Ex 2:17; Deut 22:4; Moses 3:18; Abraham 5:14
• Gen 2:18 - Research the original Hebrew word usually translated as “helpmeet.” Use BibleHub.com to see where else this word is used in the Bible. 
• Truth. Deut 32:4; Ps 51:6; Prov 8:7, 12:19; John 8:32, 8:44; 1 John 4:1; Jacob 4:13; Ether 3:12; Moroni 10:4; D&C 1:39, 50:40, 88:40, 88:66, 93:24, 93:30, 93:36
• Believe, Faith. Gen 15:6; 2 Chron 20:20; Hab 2:4; Matt 8:10-13, 17:20, 9:28; Mark 5:36, 9:23-24; Luke 8:50; John 3:16, 11:27, 12:36, 12:47, 20:25-29; Rom 4:12-18; 1 Cor 13:7; 2 Cor 5:7; Eph 2:8, 6:16; 2 Tim 1:12; 2 Tim 4:7; Heb 11:1-12:2; James 1:5-6; 2 Nephi 31:19; Enos 1:8; Alma 32:21; Hel 8:15; D&C 46:14; Moses 6:23

Ideas for Further Study

• Learn about the history of Santa Claus and St. Nicholas.
• In this movie, Santa is known as Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, and Sinterklaas. Learn about different names for Santa in other countries. 
• The movie begins with Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Research the history of this annual tradition. 
• The movie includes a court trial. Learn about court and the judicial process. 

Recognize the Darkness

Christmas is joyful. Christmas is bright lights and warm cocoa and fresh cookies and gifts and singing children. We like to skip over Advent and go right into Christmas. We like to just get to the good part. 

But Advent invites, perhaps even requires, us to consider darkness - the darkness in our world, the darkness inside our own hearts. Pain, regret, sadness, loneliness are the proper backdrop for advent. We lose much if we refuse to acknowledge the darkness. If we try to ignore and push away the darkness, it remains, staring us down at all times. 

Christmas recognizes the light; Advent recognizes the darkness. 

Lehi taught, ”It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (1 Nephi 2:11).

Phil Schaefer of Christian Fellowship Church in Columbia, MO said, ”Advent leads us to consider our darkness that we may more profoundly see the light.” (Watch the sermon here)

We like to run from the darkness, but God doesn't. Christmas, like all holidays (holy days), serves to re-story us. It causes us to remember our stories. It teaches us about the character of our God. When the world was dark, God didn’t wave a magic wand and turn it to summer. When the world is dark, each December (and usually even more often than that), God doesn’t wave a magic wand and woosh the darkness away. Nope. 

God enters in to the darkness of our world, of our families, of our hearts. By entering into the darkness, into our darkness, God invites us, “Watch. Stay. Look. Observe the darkness.” When we embrace and enter into the darkness, when we allow ourselves to feel the full weight of how dark life can be - then, we are able to move past it. 

Advent is for waiting. Advent is for pain. Advent is for darkness. 

We waited for Christ to come then. We wait for Christ to come again. We have hurt and we have pain. We need God to join us in our darkness. 

And thankfully, God does enter in to our darkness. We need not face it alone. Our God will join us in the dark, in a stable, alone, rejected, cast out. God joins us even there. In the depths of the darkness, we are not alone. 

Noelle: Discussion Guide for Parents

All information below is general suggestions and ideas. 

Always adapt to your family’s situation and beliefs and the needs of individual children. 

**Spoiler Alert**

Discussion Questions

• Christmas often involves a lot of talk about “naughty and nice.” At the beginning of the movie, Santa asked Noelle whether she had been naughty or nice. Why is it valuable to perform personal inventories of how we’re doing? How can we use the sacrament as a time reflect and ask the Lord to help us improve? 
• Santa uses elves to help him make and deliver toys. We all need help sometimes. How has someone helped you? How have you helped someone else? 
• Noelle says the “essence of Christmas” is getting the perfect gift. What do yo think is the “essence of Christmas”?
• Noelle tells Nick, “It’s not about what the kid looks like, its about what’s inside the heart.” The Bible says, “the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature. . . for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Why is important to see what’s inside? 
• Noelle advises Nick to take a break for a weekend. Why is important to take breaks and rest? This is why we have the Sabbath. How can rest and help others do the same? 
• When Cousin Gabe becomes Santa, he decides to withhold presents from children who have made mistakes. Why do others think this is naughty? What would be a better alternative?
• Cousin Gabe wants to update Christmas with the FALALA system to measure niceness and use drones to deliver Christmas presents. When is new technology useful? When is it better to stick to tradition? Why is it important to embrace both the past and the future?
• After Nick says that Noelle should be the new Santa, one of the elder elves asks, “What makes a Santa?” Then he asks Noelle, “What does Christmas mean to you?” How would you answer those questions? What makes a Santa? What does Christmas mean to you?
• Noelle says the Christmas gives us hope and inspires us to be nice. How does Christmas give hope? How does Christmas inspire us to be kind and selfless? 

Scripture Connections

• Sacrament, Repentance. 
• Teamwork, Body of Christ. 
• Sabbath, Rest. 
• Hope. 

Ideas for Further Study

• Noelle meets a Buddhist man who says he doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Learn about some other holidays that are celebrated in winter (examples: Winter Solstice, Hannukah, Kwanzaa). 
• In Phoenix, Nick teaches yoga. Learn more about yoga. Where did it come from? Why do people practice yoga? What are the spiritual and physical benefits? Learn a few yoga poses. Consider attending a yoga class (if you have small children, many cities now offer “Mommy-and-Me” classes at yoga studios or libraries).

Christ the King Sunday: A Different Kind of King

One year ago, I was a new Methodist Sunday School teacher. I didn't know what I believed.

I began teaching the first Sunday in November, and our theme for the month was thankfulness. We celebrated All Saints Day with gratitude for saints and the church universal, Veterans Day with gratitude for veterans and God's protection, National Bible Week with gratitude for scripture, and ended the month with Christ the King Sunday before moving into Advent - a season of waiting for God in the form of a baby.

At this time, I really had no idea what I believed, especially about Jesus. I didn't even know if I believed in Jesus! But here I was, writing a lesson on Christ the King?

I decided to focus on the figure of Jesus Christ in the gospels and the way that this character is presented as a king utterly opposed to the kings of his day. Christ is King of the World, as Natalie Grant sings, but He is a different kind of King. Jesus is not greedy but generous, not violent and warring but gentle and kind, not a dictator but a servant. The people were expecting a king and they got something completely different.

Christ is in charge of this whole thing. I believe in the Christ principle - as the spirit or energy that animates and courses through the universe, in each of us. Some might call it the Light of Christ, the Inner Light, or the atman. But that principle, that true self, I believe, is pure, true, loving, and ruler of all. And I devote myself to the pursuit of this principle within myself by worship the anthropomorphic Jesus Christ, a character described in the New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and other texts.

Christ the King Sunday recognizes Christ as King and Ruler over all the earth. We recognize our submission and obedience to Christ. We rely on Christ and we remind ourselves that evil does not rule, but Christ does. Love does. Love is in charge. NO matter how dark it looks, Christ is in charge.

I focus my trust on King Jesus as a different kind of King. We have lots of thoughts about what kings are like. And Jesus, with all his power, is none of those. And I am so grateful and willing to submit my life to this gentle, generous, different kind of servant King. My Lord and my God!

Anna the Prophetess: Luke 2:21-38

Epiphany & the 12 Days of Christmas!

Well, Christmas has come and gone. Hopefully it was a pleasant holiday for you and yours.

In the church calendar, Advent and Christmas are followed by a period called "Ordinary Time." This term, conveniently, refers to any time that isn't Advent or Lent (the season before Easter). Ordinary Time is filled with lots of little holidays, though, that vary from denomination to denomination. Not all of these are celebrated  by every church.

In the church, Christmas actually isn't just one day. Like most holy festivals - Chanukah, Ramadan, Chinese New Year - Christmas is traditionally celebrated over a period of time. We usually think that the 12 Days of Christmas begin before Christmas, with December 25 being Day 12. Wrong! The 12 Days of Christmas actually start on the night of Christmas Eve and lasts until January 6. The end of the Christmas season is marked by its own holiday, the Epiphany.

Epiphany remembers and celebrates when the wise men visited Jesus. It was more than 12 days later, but we shrink the whole Jesus story up to make it fit in one calendar year. Epiphany is always January 6, while Epiphany Sunday fluctuates. It's the Sunday closest to January 6.

As I said above, Epiphany Sunday remembers and celebrates when the wise men visited Jesus. Epiphany is a word that means "manifestation" or "showing." At the Epiphany, the wise men recognized that the Light of the World had manifested itself, had shown up. That's why they traveled - to visit the King.

The wise men, also called Magi, were from Persia. Magi means king - equivalent to emperor, pharaoh, etc. Think "we three kings." These kings were fancy, also studying math and science, especially astronomy. Some scholars believe that the wise men were Zoroastrian priests. Zoroastrianism is actually the world's oldest monotheistic religion (that we know of, I suppose), even older than Judaism. The religion gets its name from Zoroaster, a prophet who solidified most of the teachings. He was not God, and no one thought he was. They just named it after him. I guess this is very similar to how Mormons are called after the prophet who compiled our holy book, the Book of Mormon.

According to the story, the wise men were waiting for Israel's king. By studying the stars, they learned that the king had come, and they traveled to where Jesus was. And, though we put these nice gift-bearers in our nativities, it may have taken them up to two years to travel.

Today, we put stars atop our trees in remembrance of the star that shone when Jesus was born. It was the light of the star that helped the wise men know where they should go. We remember the coming of the Light of the World and we remember that it took time for the wise men to travel. Just like we don't just *snap* arrive at the Lord's feet. We've a journey, too. But no worries - we know God leads us home.

The voice of the Lord came unto him, saying:

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. . . .

And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was nodarkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came. . . .

And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth.

For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand . . .

And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.

3 Nephi 1:12-19

Emmanuel

Emmanuel. "God with us."

Before Jesus was born, an angel visited Joseph and told him what to call Mary's baby. One of those names was Emmanuel. Translated, "God with us."

Sometimes, we think Emmanuel means that nothing bad will ver happen. Sometimes, Christians of all varieties imagine that life with God will be free from strife. Sometimes non-Christians or non-religious people think that God and religion are an opiate that solves problems. Not so.

And I don't think that's what was meant by "Emmanuel."

Instead, Emmanuel means that the worst thing will never happen to us - being away from God. Being completely, eternally alone.

Emmanuel means that God is with us always. That God cares.

We couldn't go all the way to God on our own, so God came. Emmanuel. God with us.

Emmanuel means that even though we're imperfect and messy and confused, God wants to be with us.

Emmanuel means that there will never be any space between us and God.

Emmanuel means that we are never alone.

Emmanuel means that God wants to be with us forever.

Emmanuel means that God will always be as close as our breath. Breathe in, breath out. There. That's God. Right up in our noses. So close. The words originally used in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles for Holy Spirit are in Hebrew ruach and in Greek pneuma. Ruach is the Hebrew word for wind. In Genesis, when God's spirit brooded over the waters before creation, that word is "wind." God's wind was there, God's breath. The Greek pneuma is recognized in English pneumonia. Breath. God is breath. Emmanuel.

Emmanuel. What a miracle. Emmanuel for all. Emmanuel not only for the rich and powerful, but those like babies and children - those who are small, helpless, without rights. Those who cannot help themselves. Those who have nothing at all to offer. Emmanuel. For those like this. For us.

Emmanuel means that everyone's invited and there's nothing we can do to earn our invitation and there's nothing we can do to take it away.

Emmanuel means that God already came down and delivered our invitation and scooped us up and brought us to the heavenly banquet.


When we worry we're not good enough - Emmanuel. God with us.

When we're scared  - Emmanuel. God with us.

When we're sad - Emmanuel. God with us.

When friends aren't being so friendly - Emmanuel. God with us.

When the prognosis is bad - Emmanuel. God with us.

When college and work is real tough - Emmanuel. God with us.

When there's no job and no money - Emmanuel. God with us.

When there's cancer - Emmanuel. God with us.

When there's depression and anxiety and eating disorders - Emmanuel. God with us.

When we don't know what's up next - Emmanuel. God with us.

When faith is hard to come by - Emmanuel. God with us.

When we wonder if we've ever felt the Holy Spirit speak peace to us before - Emmanuel. God with us.

When we've messed up REAL bad and feel we'll never be able to make restitution - Emmanuel. God with us.

When oppression seems to reign - Emmanuel. God with us.

When the fight for justice feels neverending - Emmanuel. God with us.

When racism and sexism and homophobia and islamaphobia and antisemitism and xenophobia seem rampant - Emmanuel. God with us.

When children are homeless and cold and hungry and we can't save them all - Emmanuel. God with us.

When the justice system puts innocent people away - Emmanuel. God with us.

When abusers run free and victims have to live in fear - Emmanuel. God with us.


And, when life is rainbows and sunshine and bowls of ice cream - Emmanuel. God with us.

All the time.

Highs and lows.

Hills and valleys.

In the harvest and in the famine.

Both/And.

Emmanuel.

God with us.

Advent & Annunciation

As I said in my previous post, I have been teaching Sunday School to a group of crazy awesome elementary schoolers. I inherited a curriculum organized around the church year - All Saint's Day, Reformation Sunday, Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Pentecost. We're teaching our kids about all of those little holidays that have been honored by Christians for hundreds of years but are often overlooked. Now, we're in Advent, the time when the church universal prepares for the coming of Jesus Christ, both his coming as a baby and his coming again.

As I'm growing up into adulthood, I am appreciating more and more the seasonal changes that help us as humans keep time through the year. While I usually complain about holidays in terms of "why the heck do we have to have like one day that's randomly different from all other days for no reason?? why do we have to change our schedules and stress over family and big meals??" Despite that, I am beginning to understand and value these seasons that allow us to focus more specifically on certain parts of life or faith. While we can definitely celebrate Jesus' birth, for example, at any time through the year, there is value in dedicating a season to meditating on the lessons of this story each and every year.

These stories are rich with metaphor and symbolism. Most scholars agree that Jesus probably wasn't born on December 25. We don't have any recorded dates, and Christmas wasn't celebrated until a couple hundred years after the fact.

Christians began celebrating Christmas on December 25 because they were recycling and repurposing a pagan holiday. Before electricity and advanced agriculture practices, humans relied on the patterns of the sun and moon - days, months, years. They noticed patterns that we, with 24-hour light and vegetables that are in season all year long, overlook. Winters can be hard now, but they were deadly for humans past. They watched the passage of the sun, they noticed when the days got shorter, and they celebrated the winter solstice as the day that the sun returned. They celebrated the return of light to the world. It was not uncommon for this day or time to be celebrated as the day of the birth of the Sun God.

Later, Christians co-opted the holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who from very early in the Jesus movement was called the "Light of the World" (John 8:12, 9:5). Jesus - the Son of God - replaced the Sun God, and His birth began to be celebrated near the winter solstice.

Advent, as the time when we prepare our minds and hearts for Christmas, is a time when we meditate on the Light. We think about how no matter how dark the world gets, God will always send light. This world has been going around for thousands of years, so winter has ended thousands of times. God has sent light to the world all those times - will not God do so again?

Traditionally, the church universal has assigned a certain theme to the four weeks of Advent - hope, love, joy, and peace. In this second week of Advent, I taught a Sunday School lesson about Love. We talked about how God loved us by sending Jesus, by sending the Light. We watched some darling videos about Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Click below to watch (they're kiddie, but so so good):

• Mary visited by Gabriel
• Joseph has a dream
• Elizabeth visited by Mary

We talked about how God loved us, so God sent Jesus. We talked about how God showed love by telling us about the gift of Jesus - God sent an angel to Mary and a dream to Joseph. Then, Mary loved Elizabeth by sharing the news of Jesus. 

I so love the little video of the annunciation. It's a story I love in general. I love Mary's hymns in Luke. What I really love about this video is how it handles Mary's "but I'm a virgin!" questions. I love that when the angel says, "you're going to be his mom," Mary knocks the stool over and falls down. It's so cute and so relatable. 

Then she says, "Are you sure you've got the right girl? God must have meant someone else." The implication is - "I'm nobody. I'm not cool or great or especially faithful. I'm just a normal person. Are you sure God wants to use me?"

And isn't the the question we all wonder upon receiving a calling? God, are you sure you want me? 

But the angel says, "Yep! God wants you." Why? "Heaven only knows." Just cause. Just cause I want you. Just cause I love you. Because I'm God and I get to pick whoever I want and I pick you. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3). 

God loves, so God calls and God gives gifts and God sends messages. 

Artwork depicting the Annunciation (Google Images)

 And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. . . . For with God nothing shall be impossible." 

And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And the angel departed from her. 

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? . . . Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." 

And Mary said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name."

(Luke 1:35-49)

When You Don't Meet Your Own Expectations

I intended to do this cool advent study. I meant to lean about hope and peace and joy and love. For the week of "love," my brother and sister were out of school, so we hung out. And I was TIRED from learning so much in the previous three weeks. I didn't study Love.

I also meant to celebrate Christmas majestically, compiling and reading the story of Christ's birth, from all the scriptures. Starting with prophecies from Isaiah (and here) and Micah and Hezekiah and Nephi and Alma and Samuel the Lamanite. Going forward to the Annunciation to Mary and Joseph's dream, to the sign given in 3 Nephi, and the wonderful journey to Bethlehem and the birth and the angel choir in Luke.

It would be so beautiful, I knew, to read it all together.

But that didn't happen.

I'm not sure exactly why.

Things haven't been bad. Maybe that's why, because things have been so gloriously peaceful and calm for a few days. Maybe I just missed my old fashioned hot chocolate and Book of Mormon, no additions or explanations. The purity. the simplicity. "For behold, my soul delighteth in plainness" (2 Nephi 25:4).

Either way, I thought about Love last week. I thought about my family. I thought about the gifts I'd purchased, hoping they'd like what I'd chosen. I thanked my Father for the gift of His Son. "For God so loved the world."

I know it must have been difficult for Him to let His Son go. "He gave His only begotten Son"

Because He loves us so much. He loves us. He loves us. He wants us to live with Him forever. "That whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

I thanked my Father for the Atonement, knowing the pain and restraint it must have taken to watch His Beloved Son, even as He cried out, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26:39).

I know He loves us. I know He loves me.

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. 

Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong."

My studying didn't exactly go as planned, but I still learned. He always teaches us, even when we don't realize it.


So even though I'm late, Merry Christmas, guys.

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Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, 

the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world. . . . 

At the going down of the sun there was no darkness . . . There was no darkness when the night came. . . .

There was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day.

3 Nehpi 1:13-14, 19

Is This Who We've Waited For?

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Follow the star to a place unexpected,

Would you believe after all we've projected,

A child in a manger?

Lowly and small, the weakest of all,

Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in His mother's shawl,

Just a child -

Is this who we've waited for?

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts,

    to romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior,

All that we have, whether costly or meek;

Because we believe.

Gold for His honor and frankincense for his pleasure,

And myrrh for the cross He will suffer.

Do you believe,

Is this who we've waited for?

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts,

     to romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

"How Many Kings," downhere

"Would you believe after all we've projected a child in a manger? Lowly and small, the weakest of all, unlikeliest hero, wrapped in His mother's shawl, just a child." 

The Old Testament is full of prophecies about this Savior, Messiah, Christ, anointed One, the special person who would come to rescue and deliver the Jews. Grand prophecies, wonderful expectations. But the angels came with songs of a baby, born to a common girl, in the little unknown town of Bethlehem. He was not great. He did not wield political power. He would not overthrow Caesar. 

"Is this who we've waited for?" Is this really the One we've been waiting for? Could it be, just a child? 

He is the King of kings, stepped down from His throne, to be one of us. He's the Lord of lords, who abandoned His home to live among His people. He's the Greatest of greats, who "humbled Himself," and "[had] not where to lay His head" (Philippians 2:8, Matthew 8:20). 

"How many gods have poured out their hearts to romance a world that is torn all apart?"

"The God of the whole earth [has] been slain for the sins of the world" (3 Nephi 11:14)

"Behold the sufferings and death of Him who did no sin" (D&C 45:4)

"How many fathers gave up their sons for me?"

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, 

and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

"Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior, all that we have, whether costly or meek, because we believe." 

Because we believe, bringing our gifts to the infant Savior, in a place unexpected. Gifts of time, gifts or love, gifts of life, gifts of self. "We can, out of faith in Him, give a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We can repent and make sacred covenants with Him. . . . You can give Him the gift of doing for others what He would do for them. . . . Each act of kindness to anyone becomes a kindness to Him . . . With all the kindnesses we give for Him, the greatest we can offer is to point those we love and serve toward Him, the only source of eternal life. The most precious gift I have to give is my witness of the Savior" ("The Gift of a Savior," Pres Eyring, First Presidency Christmas Devotional 2010). 

Is this who we've waited for?

How many kings stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts,

     to romance a world that is torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Is this who we've waited for?

This is. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Stronghold breaker (Meredith Andrews). He is the one who authors salvation, who paid the price of sin, who extends the arm of mercy, who releases us from the chains of darkness, who publishes peace.

This wet, squirmy infant, "wrapped in His mother's shawl," is the magnificent Savior we have been waiting for. 

This is who we've waited for. 

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The Gospel is Made for Us

The principles and patterns of the gospel are given that we may know peace and a fulness of happiness, in eternity, yes, but also here among the trials and afflictions of this life.

Yesterday was a very hard day for a few reasons.
1) I've been having some difficulty lately with my mental illness, and was told on Wednesday by a new professional that she wouldn't be able to help me.
2) Today I had a 10-page paper due, that yesterday was about halfway done.
3) My supervisor at work is moving ten hours away, with about two weeks' notice (her husband's company is transferring him), so she's training two of us to take her place, while trying to square away moving. On top of that, this week is one of the busiest of the year with a Christmas program this weekend.

So a lot of stressors. I was freaked out all day yesterday.


I have loved my advent study. I have loved filling my life with hope through the words of the prophets.

But yesterday, I needed peace.

So I bypassed my self-imposed rules and meditated on the concept of Week 2 - peace.


These verses came to mind:

"I will not leave you comfortless: 

I will come to you. . . . 

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:

 not as the world giveth, give I unto you. 

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

(John 14:18, 27)

And He did. He calmed my spirit so I could get all of my work done. He restored my soul.

"Because God has been faithful and kept His promises in the past, we can hope with confidence that God will keep His promises to us in the present and in the future. In times of distress, we can hold tightly to the hope that things will “work together for [our] good” as we follow the counsel of God’s prophets. This type of hope in God, His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges and gives strength to those who feel threatened by enclosing walls of fear, doubt, and despair"

(Pres Uchtdorf, "The Infinite Power of Hope," October 2008)

This life is hard, but His love is bigger.

~ ~ ~

"It's love so undeniable, I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable, I can hardly think . . .

You're a Good, Good Father

It's who you are . . .

And I'm loved by you, it's who I am."

(Christ Tomlin, "Good Good Father")

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Advent: He's Coming

"A Savior is Born," christmas.mormon.org

An advent is "a coming into place, view, or being; arrival" (source). For Christians, Advent is the time before Christmas, when we remember and prepare our hearts and homes for the birth of Christ. 

I grew up doing Advent calendars counting down to Christmas Day, lightning Advent candles each week, and hearing Advent sermons in church. 

Since my conversion, since being a Christian has started to mean something to me, Christmas has become more of a special and holy time for me. As a preteen/teen, I didn't really care about Christmas, honestly. We decorated and got happy for no reason, we had to spend time together (usually fighting), and more miserable things? Why would I like that? Why would anyone like that?

"He is the Gift," mormon.org, 2014

Last year, mormon.org released a video entitled "He is the Gift" (above). I attended a Christmas missionary event at my friend's ward (congregation) and watched the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional. I realized just how monumental and significant this event was, this birth. This time of celebration became more important and holy to me. I began to think about what this season means, what the birth of this little guy really shows us. Just like everything Heavenly Father does, it's hope. It's peace. It's joy. It's love. That's what it's all about. 

Traditionally, Advent was celebrated by families or churches with an Advent wreath, holding five candles - four purple and one white. The purple are lit, one each Sunday, for four weeks preceding Christmas. And the final white candle is lit on Christmas Day (or Eve) to signify the birth of Christ. Each candle, and each week of Advent, has a theme. They are, in order: hope, peace, joy, and love. 

The Christmas season has taken a special importance in my heart this year, even more than last year. I'm amazed that Heavenly Father would send His Beloved Son, cold and alone, and watch Him to the point of His tremendous suffering for me. I'm so grateful that my God choose to become human like me - with this not perfect body that aches and gets hungry, with this flesh that's wants unholy things, in this world that is nothing close to His heavenly home. It's amazing, to me, to think of my Savior, the Lord, the King of Kings, a little squirming baby, unable to walk or talk or anything. Cold and crying, because He was human like us. To think of His mother, this young girl who was an amazing servant for God, to accept this calling, to mother our Christ. Being a mother is scary enough, but to mother this one? Unimaginable. 

So this season, in this time of Advent, when we wait for our Christchild, I've decided to embark on a special study pattern, to study what prophets ancient and modern have taught about these four things that Christ brought to our world when He was born - hope, peace, joy, and love. 

Join me? 

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"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:6