Definition of Christmas

One more post for today that helps me get in the right Christmas mindset.
I have read this a couple of times this last week and I love how it reminds
me of what Christmas is truly about.

"Christmas is more than trees and twinkling lights, more than toys and gifts and bulbs of a hundred varieties. It is love. It is the love of the Son of God for all mankind. It reaches out beyond our power to comprehend. It is magnificent and beautiful. It is peace. It is peace which sustains, which blesses all who accept it. It is faith. It is faith in His wondrous ways and message. It is faith in Him as our Redeemer and Lord. We testify of the divinity of His nature. In our times of grateful mediation, we acknowledge His priceless gift to us and pledge our love and faith. That is what Christmas is really about." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Trusting Change

Today I flipped open to Alma 48:17 and found a glue-in from the good old seminary days.
This verse talks about how if men/women were as valiant as Moroni, "the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever." The quote I found relates to how we can become more
valiant. It reads:

"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace." - Ezra Taft Benson

That quote sounds so full of potential! Letting go of what we want can sometimes be hard, but if we can have faith it will be worth it. I once had a bishop tell me that transformation is risky, which is so true, but when we are transforming to become like our Savior it is worth all of our effort.

Prayer

So I have been reading a book called "Divine Signatures" and today's thought comes from there.

"When we approach God, we will never get a recorded message like, 'Please listen carefully to the following options before choosing: Press one for customer service, two for technical support, etc.' We will never be told that He is on His lunch break, taking a holiday, or that this is His day off. Our Father is always there for us. He has put no restrictions on our access to Him. We can turn to Him at any time of the day or night. We can present Him any question, any problem, any petition. We can do this in any language, with no restrictions on the subject or the gravity of the problem. We do not need a visa or a passport to gain access to Him."

Blessed

So today I was reading in Jacob in the Book of Mormon and came across a part in Chapter 2 where God has blessed people with wealth and then they become proud and are in danger of the judgment of God upon them. As I thought about this I found it interesting that God had blessed these people with so much, yet at the same time it proved to be their downfall. Now that they have been so blessed they consider themselves so much better than their fellow man.

As I thought about this, especially in this Christmas season, how truly blessed I am and how I choose to let that affect me. The beautiful thing I learned in these verses is that God doesn't care how much wealth you might have - He values you based on you. This stuck with me a bit today and it changed my perspective as I look at people and realize that yes we are all in different situations, but that does not determine our worth - God loves us just the same.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! I was talking with a friend who mentioned that she had a blog where she posted things that she found inspirational whether from the scriptures, books, or just life in general. I thought this sounded like a good idea to help me keep track of those gems that I find. In addition maybe someday someone will happen across this and find something that they needed. Anyway, I am going to try to post something everyday that is a little uplifting thought. Enjoy!