Great gift

I believe the most popular present for Christmas this year were these D Blocks.  Inspired by the Keva planks or the Citiblocks, these simple blocks of wood have been amazing and fun for all ages.

 I've named them D blocks in honor of Tall One who made them at wood shop class at the high school with lots of scraps.  We have cedar, oak, black walnut, and maybe mahogany.

We also had great fun with craft sticks and creating stick bombs by getting ideas off youtube such as this one.

I love simple toys.

Come, Lord Jesus

We are singing this Come, Lord Jesus daily and we're happy to find this video.  I am so unworthy but I desire His spirit, His light to guide my life.  I want to say with my whole soul "Come, Lord Jesus come".  May your Christmas be filled with Love, Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, the Vine, the Holy One, our Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ.

sweet reminder

I really enjoyed this flash mob.  I don't know the first song but really like it.  Watch to the end, it is worth it.

Do YOU have room?

Betrothal, Bride and Bridegroom

The betrothal of Joseph and Mary as portrayed in Savior of the World.  Micham is Joseph's uncle who has arranged with Mary's father and now Joseph comes to offer the contract:

JOSEPH: Mary, I will betroth you to myself forever, betroth you in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness. I will betroth you in faithfulness. And you will know the Lord.⁸

MICHAM: The drink.

(Joseph pours from a pitcher into a cup and places the cup on the table before Mary. Silence.)

FATHER: Now, Mary, it is time for you to choose. Joseph is a good man. If you pledge faithfulness to him, he will provide for you and care for you forever, as a wife and mother in Israel. (Pause) Drink, and you have a covenant. Put it away, and all is forgotten.

MICHAM: You won’t regret it!

WOMEN (Mary’s aunt and cousins): Shhh!

FATHER: As you choose.

(Mary takes the cup and drinks. All erupt into joyous congratulations.)

MICHAM: Wonderful! Wonderful!

JOSEPH: It is done. You are set apart for me according to the law of Moses and Israel. And one day we’ll be married.

Having attended Savior of the World I have been thinking more about how the betrothal of Joseph and Mary could apply also to us today and our relationship with Jesus.  He is the bridegroom.  We as a church are the bride.  He comes to us and offers himself.   He makes us promises/covenants to provide, protect, and care for us.  He presents the contract.  Our part is simple and we are free to choose to accept this contract (gift).  Like a bride, as we accept the contract we take His name upon us.  We become His.  We are bought with a price (a bride price) and the tokens of that price are in his hands.  Each Sunday in sacrament meeting we renew our commitment to him and our acceptance of his offer.  We do this by partaking of the bread and the water.  We literally take into ourselves the symbols of the covenant.  That covenant then becomes a part of us both physically and spiritually.  And if we are wise it becomes a part of us mentally as well as we put our thoughts of Him and pleasing Him in the forefronts of our minds.  As a good bride we trust Him, care for him and his household, love his family, seek to be wise stewards of those things he offers us.  We grow and flourish under his tender care and we become more than we ever could alone. . . and one day we will be with him again.

Christmas videos

We have been enjoying these Christmas videos.  What a treat!  Hope you enjoy them too.

The are also new videos announced tonight at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  For more information visit this blog or go straight to the new site The Life of Jesus Christ Bible Videos.  I love these kinds of gifts that make it easier for me and for my family to come closer to Christ and follow his example.

December fun already

 First real snow brought a snowman

 He soon collected his family and we realized it was the Porter family come to visit.

 After a night of doing whatever snowmen do at night!

Mary Magdalene

For our Relief Society Christmas social we had a program that I loved being a part of.  It was called Followers of Christ and 5 sisters were asked to portray different women who were followers of Christ.  There was Mary the mother of Jesus, the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene,  Sarah from Nauvoo, and Julie Beck.  We were just to share 3 minutes in first person about the woman and her testimony of Christ.  It was a powerful evening and a very different way for me to study a woman in the scriptures.  I was asked to portray Mary Magdalene.  At first I thought there just wasn't much information but with the help of Jesus the Christ by Elder Talmage it all came together.  I'd like to share my thoughts here so that I can keep track of them.  Read this as if you are the one portraying Mary.  It is a blessing to think and feel in an effort to better understand.

I am Mary.  I come from a place on the western shore of Galilee called Magdala.  I am referred to as Mary Magdalene.   I am one of many who were healed by Jesus.  I had suffered physically and mentally.  Jesus cast out seven devils from me.   I know it was by the power of God that I was healed.  I became a follower of Jesus.  I had the privilege of traveling with him and his apostles as he went through every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  Joanna, Susanna, and I as well as other women ministered unto him of our substance.  I saw him healing the sick.  I heard him teaching the people.  My testimony grew as did my  love for him.  I recognized him as Christ. I, like you, was lived in a fullness of times.

He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross.  Pilate would have let him go but the chief priests and elders had convinced the people to let Barabbas go.  The people cried “Crucify him”, “His blood be upon us and are children”.  They did not understand.  I was there when he was crucified. I watched from afar at first but found myself at the cross with his mother Mary.  Jesus, my Lord, was crucified.   He called out to his Father.  He, who was living water, thirsted and then he gave up the ghost.  As the Sabbath approached I watched as he was quickly laid in a borrowed tomb and a stone was rolled across the entrance.

After the Sabbath several sisters and I hurried towards the tomb bringing ointments and spices to anoint the body.  We wondered who might move the stone for us.  As we arrived we found the stone had been rolled away.  We looked inside and were frightened to find a young man in white who said “Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.”  Jesus was gone.  We carried word to the disciples.  I told Peter and John “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him.”   I had not comprehended the words “He is risen”.  Peter and John ran to the tomb.   I followed them.  I waited outside weeping as they also saw that the tomb was empty.  They left but I was filled with grief.  I looked in the tomb again and saw two personages.  They asked me “Woman, why weepest thou?”  I told them “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him”.  All that was left of my Lord was now gone.  I became aware of someone else who I thought must be the gardener.  He also asked “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?”  Thinking he might have information I answered “Sir, if though have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”  It was then that I heard that familiar, tender voice, filled with love say Mary.  I went from despair to joy.  Rabboni!  I wanted to rush to him.  It was my Lord.  He asked me not to touch him.  He had not yet ascended to his father.  He asked me to go to his brethren.  Some of the other sisters  also visited the tomb and were returning to Galilee when they, too, saw Jesus.  We all brought word to the disciples.   We told them the wonderful story of our experiences.  They were skeptical and hesitated to believe.  I knew I could trust the words of the angel which had proclaimed he is not here, for he is risen.  I had both seen Him and heard His voice.  They would come to know too.  My Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled every promise.  He lives.  His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who will ever live upon the earth.  He loves me and he loves each of you.

It was fun to imagine some of the things Mary may have experienced.  Learning that she traveled with Jesus and his apostles and ministered unto them reminds me of our modern day Relief Society sisters and the many things they do as disciples of Christ.  Relief Society is part of the restoration of all things and since THE fullness of times was when Christ was on the earth organizing his church I think it is safe to suppose that it was the Relief society that was ministering, following Christ, and preparing his body for burial.  It will be an amazing time when I can meet these great sisters in the gospel that lived during this fullness of times.