The Reason For The Season.

I cannot believe that Christmas is on Friday, this year has gone by so fast and especially this Holiday season. In sacrament meeting today the talks were centered on the birth of Christ as Christmas is near and it is the time we celebrate his birth. Today was such a GREAT reminder to me on the real reason for the season. It is so easy to get caught up in the lights, gifts, shopping, and everything else that goes along with the "worldly" Christmas. I admit I do get so caught up with everything that comes along this season. With all the wonderful talks that were shared today, it helped me focus on the meaning of this wonderful time of year. A lot of what was shared today had to do with service. For, service is a gift from our Heavenly Father. It also is a wonderful way to show our love for this Christmas season. What is more selfless than giving service to others. A few weekends ago the branch had the chance to go to the "Heather House" and provide them with service. We went in the cold, wet, nasty weather and filled sand bags for them. Yes, it was cold and rainy but it was fun and such a neat experience to help others in need. After that I had the chance to provide more service to our stake. Along with many other girls for the branch we "babysat" several kids while the parents could do some Christmas shopping and such. That day was such a wonderful experience to be able to put others first and forgot about my worries. We all need to strive to be less selfless and be willing to help others. We also need to show our Heavenly Father service by following the examples he has given us and strive to be like Christ. I found this wonderful quote from President Thomas S. Monson and I think that it sums up everything I am trying to say..

"The spirit of giving gifts has been present in the mind of each Christian as he or she commemorates the Christmas season. Our Heavenly Father gave to us His Son, Jesus Christ. That precious Son gave to us His life, the Atonement, and victory over the grave."What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps. It was said of Him that He 'went about doing good.' As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours."