December 6, 2021

There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ. It is the time to love the Lord, our God, with all our heart—and our neighbors as ourselves. Thomas S. Monson

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Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

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Candle In The Window
written by Susan Longacre, Gary Baker, James Walton Aldridge Jr.
Performed by Alabama
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQT4HPUsJlU

There's a road that I remember leading to a special place
Where the door was always open to a smiling face
There's a picture on the mantle of a boy that looks like me
It's always the same, there's a stocking with my name

And a candle in the window, a flame against the night
There's a candle in the window, like God's perfect light
It don't take a lot of money to know what riches are
Just a candle in the window, oh it's Christmas in your heart, in your heart

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, I can hear the sleigh bells ring
Almost taste the pie she's baking, it's Christmas Eve

There's a candle in the window, there's a flame against the night
There's candle in the window, like God's perfect light
It don't take lots of money to know what riches are
Just a candle in the window and Christmas in your heart

Wherever the years may take me, no matter how far I go
There's going to be a candle burning, it's always nice to know
It don't take a lot of money to know what riches are
A simple candle in the window and Christmas in your heart
Your heart, your heart

A candle in the window
A candle in the window

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I have been looking through past Christmas musings I’ve written and found this from 2013. I no longer know who the mother or her daughter were. Time has stolen their names from me, but I remember their story.

“I was on the bicycle at physical therapy yesterday when a lady came in with her daughter. The lady went right back to the therapy room and her daughter came and climbed on the bike next to me. She chattered and talked about Christmas (can you imagine that?) She told me about all of the cooking they were doing and the decorations and the presents under the tree. I asked her what Santa was going to bring her. Her response surprised me. She scowled and said, “Santa better not bring me anything! I wrote him a letter and told him not to bring me any presents.” I asked her why. She looked up at me with this beautiful, innocent face and informed me that she told Santa he should give all of her presents to the poor kids, they needed them. All she wanted, or needed, was for him to make her mama not hurt any more. Oh, how I wish it was that easy. I told her that sometimes it takes time for the body to heal –time and lots of prayers.”

She loved her mother so much, and love is what Christmas is all about. “Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” Dale Evans Rogers

I remembered how much that child wanted her toys to go to children in need. Then I recalled being in the Dollar store and overhearing a woman talking to her children. They only had a few dollars to buy Christmas presents for their siblings and the children wanted just a little more—$1 dollar that they could give 2 presents instead of 1. Their Mom explained there just wasn’t any more money. As they turned away, I “found” some dollar bills on the toy aisle and asked the kids if they knew who this money was for. I told them that I found a note there saying it was for anyone who needed a little more money to buy presents for their family. The mother, of course, knew where the money came from. 5 $1.00 bills didn’t mean anything to me, but for them, it made a HUGE difference. Take the opportunity to find a new sharing project to add to your Christmas traditions.

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Here is a good story about sharing from “8 Inspiring Stories That Show the True Meaning of Christmas” 8 Christmas Stories That Show the True Meaning of Christmas (camillestyles.co All of the stories are worth reading

The Homeless Man With Terminal Cancer Who Gave Everything He Had

A homeless man in Colorado used what little he had to give a selfless gift during a toy drive at a local Walmart. Glen McCarthy walked to Walmart to get a cup of coffee, and was instantly touched by the toy drive that was going on. He ended up buying a Barbie and a Hot Wheels set, but he couldn’t stop thinking about a shiny new kid’s bike he saw “And I looked at that bike, and the bike was marked $59, but the tag underneath it said $44,”he said.

It’s not a lot of money for some, but for Glen, it was nearly everything. Later that night, he still couldn’t stop thinking about the bike and how happy it would make a kid in his shoes, come Christmas morning. He walked back to Walmart and asked about the bike, since the tag listed two different prices. Once a clerk realized what he was doing, she told him that he could have the bike for $44.

I got to thinking, this is probably going to be my last Christmas. I’m no one, so might as well make some little kid happy. It took my losing everything to realize that I’m happier now in my life than when I had when I had big money,” he said.

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Crock Pot Chicken Divan
2-3 cups cut up chicken (lg. chunks)
1/2 sm. onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. margarine
3 tbsp. flour
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen broccoli
1/2 tsp. curry
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Hot buttered noodles

Combine everything, but noodles. Pour into lightly greased crock pot and cook on low setting 6 to 8 hours (high 2 to 3 hours). Serve with hot noodles, spooning over top. Makes 2 quarts. Serves 4 to 6.

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Sweet Baby Jesus
poem by © Edna Massimilla
extracted from http://www.share-christmas.com/poems/babejesus/

Sweet Baby, Jesus, gentle and mild
Born in a manger, sweet, Holy, Child,
Shepherds and Wise Men came from afar,
Seeking a Savior, they followed a star,

Sweet Baby, Jesus, sent from above,
Son of our Father gift of God's love,
In realms of glory, angels did sing
Heavens rejoiced as they welcomed a King.

Sweet Baby, Jesus, Mary's sweet Child,
Light of our life, sweet Babe so mild,
There in a manger, Thou art adored,
Jesus, we greet Thee, our Savior, our Lord.

Sweet Baby, Jesus, send peace to earth,
Lift up all hearts through Thy holy birth.
Now at Thy crib, as evening draws nigh,
Hear this our praises from earth to the skies.