The Spirit of Christmas

The Reason for the Season

-Greg Olsen-

"Enter a wonderland where twinkling lights shine on an array of symbols of the season. From attic hideaways come holiday treasures to cast their spell over the young at heart. The boxes and bows, tinsel and trim wrap you in a warm, cozy spirit. The ribbons and reindeer, the soldiers and trains turn your mind back to the storefront windows, and you can almost imagine your nose pressed against the cold, frosty glass. Reminders of Santa and sleigh rides, falling snow and shining stars bring back the excitement of a sleepless December night. Nuzzle a fuzzy teddy bear, and hear the sound of a jingling bell or a glistening golden horn. Put yourself into the miniature world of a Dickens village, and stroll the winter streets with the shoppers and carolers about. Toy-like angel dolls and little snare drums are found beneath the fragrant evergreen. The wafting scent of pine boughs carries you to a magical place called Christmas. All these things form the accessories of the season, the decorations that lift and cheer us, but they only reflect the light of that which shines most brightly, a humble couple and a tiny babe, lying in a manger -- the true meaning of Christmas -- the reason for the season!" - Greg Olsen

This year, more than others, I have been trying to think of our Savior this Christmas season. I know reading the Book of Mormon added to this, but since the day we put up our tree, I have wanted my children to focus on the real reason we celebrate and have the spirit of Christmas burn bright in their hearts.

When I recall my childhood Christmases I have a deep nostalgic feeling of love, kindness, warmth and happiness. For years as a family we would pick a few new families in the ward and do a secret 12 Days of Christmas dropping off presents and goodies on the doorstep each night. I remember gathering cans for food drives and collecting items for those less fortunate. I remember drawing names for sibling presents and working very hard to find just the right gift. I think of family parties, singing Christmas hymns and ward Christmas programs. One year for our ward Christmas party they decorated the gymnasium to look like Bethlehem. We all dressed up and had a live nativity. I think of the Utah Valley Children's choir concerts my brothers sang in and the songs of praise and love for Jesus Christ. All these memories are focused around family, giving and the Savior.

While we started our celebration a few days after Thanksgiving, I was touched and inspired by words spoken during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional on Sunday, December 7th. I have thought of the message President Uchtdorf shared over these past few weeks. I loved the truthfulness and simplicity his story conveyed and I felt a powerful desire to help my children find the Light of Christmas.

"On this beautiful night, we have come together to rejoice in and to honor the birth of Jesus Christ. The Savior and Redeemer of the world. I love this time of the year. For me, it is a time of fond memories and tender mercies. When I was very young and living in East Germany, Christmas in our family began four weeks before Christmas Eve with the beginning of Advent. We made a fresh cut wreath from fur or spruce and put four candles on top of it and placed it on our kitchen table. The fourth Sunday before Christmas we lit the first candle....

Advent was a time of anticipation and hope and it brought a special feeling into our humble home as we prepared for something holy and beautiful. Each Sunday we lit one additional candle. By the fourth Sunday our expectation for the coming joyous events had reached its peak. On Christmas Eve, one of our parents would take us on a walk through the city, while the other parent set up our Christmas tree. We passed from house to house enjoying the Christmas lights that were dimly shining through the windows of our neighborhood. There was little or no street lighting, but I remember very vividly how the smallest light penetrated the dark night. Often we visited a beautiful candle filled Lutheran church where a light flickered against the walls creating a vast theater of light and shadow. Oh how we loved this.

When we returned home, there like a miracle, was the Christmas tree, still smelling of the forest it had came from, beautifully decorated and lit with real candles. It radiated a beautiful light that filled our hearts with joyous feelings of hope, security and gratitude. Perhaps it is no wonder that I have always associate the Christmas season with light....

I began my talk this evening speaking of how as a child I associated Christmas with light. As I have grown in my understanding of the gospel I am even more convinced that Christmas truly is about light. Let us enjoy the wonders of the season, let us rejoice in the music, the festivities and the meaningful gifts. But let us ever remember that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. May we remember the humble dignity of his birth, his gifts and his life. May we through our simple acts of kindness, charity and compassion fill the world with the light of his love and his healing power."

I felt that his talk gave me ideas and guidelines. But it was up to me to decide how I was going to bring the spirit of Christmas into my home. I needed to ponder how could I be a light to others? What acts of kindness, charity and compassion could I do? What would make this year special and stand out from the others?

So I thought and then I acted. And I think as Christmas gets nearer each day, I can truly say I have tried to bring a bit of heaven into our home through these few ideas.

LIGHTS

I love Christmas lights. I love to sit by the tree and bask in their glow. They are the thing I miss most when we put away the decorations in January. I made the comment to Rich that it didn't feel like Christmas until I put up the lights outside and lit our tree. Lights are radiant, bright and reflect hope and joy. I also have challenged my children to be lights to those around them. To be examples to their friends. Josh knew a boy was stealing extra food from the lunchroom on a frequent basis. I encouraged him to tell the teacher. I didn't care if the boys was caught, but Josh knew it was wrong and it bothered him. With Matt's help they told the teacher on Friday. I was proud that they chose to do what was right. Another girl in the class also told the teacher she had seen a similar thing and the teacher said four other children had told her the same story. It was wonderful to hear that many children were trying to do what was right.

Sometimes being a light can be some as simple as saying Merry Christmas. I decided this year I was going to say Merry Christmas to everyone. No more Happy Holidays from me. I have told it to the teller at the bank, to the man in the store, to the postal woman who mailed my package, to the woman at the school and you know what everyone, EVERYONE has said Merry Christmas back. I think we often are afraid of what someone might think if they are not Christian or might not celebrate Christmas. But I am choosing to say what I feel and that is Merry Christmas to all.

MUSIC

Christmas songs are one of the easiest ways to invite the spirit into our home. Many nearly bring me to tears as I think about our Savior. I love playing songs on the piano and having my children sing along. I love playing music in the car and letting it set my mood for the day. Music is a powerful tool.

THE NATIVITY

I was shocked when I put out the Fisher Price Nativity for the girls this year and they picked up the baby and said, "Baby Jesus." I didn't realize they knew who the infant was. Having a Nativity prominently displayed in our homes takes the focus off the tree, Santa and the gifts and reminds why we are celebrating Christmas.

STORIES

I love books. I have far too many to count. I love Christmas books and while I love ones like The Christmas Extravaganza by David Shannon, I love the ones that have deeper meaning even more. One of my very favorite Christmas stories is The Grinch that Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess. The ending is perfect.

"It was quarter past dawn... All the Whos, still a-bed, All the Whos, still a-snooze When he packed up his sled, Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings! The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit, He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it! "Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!" "They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!" "Their mouths will hang open a minute or two Then the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry Boo-Hoo!"

And the Grinch put his hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow... But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY! He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?" "It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!" "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

We like the Grinch, need to see past all the tinsel and trimmings and boxes and bags and know that Christmas is certainly, much, much more.

Years ago my mother complied Christmas stories in a binder as a Christmas gift to her Young Women. This is a cherished part of my holiday items. I keep the book under the tree and try to read at least one story from it to the children each night. Stories like The Christmas Orange, The Christmas Truce, Trouble at the Inn, The Little Match Girl, Christmas Day in the morning and The Gift of the Magi remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas. I also think it is important to share our own stories with our children. Tell them why you love Christmas and bear your testimony of the Savior.

SCRIPTURES

Reading from the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, we can learn of Jesus Christ's birth, life, ministry, atonement, death and resurrection. These are the most powerful stories we can read that will give us peace and appreciation for our Savior during Christmas.

GIFTS of LOVE

I love giving presents. Rich often says I show my love for others by making or giving them things. Christmas is the perfect time to give gifts of love. Give of yourself. Give someone your attention, your time and love. Give them somethings handmade. Give them a note with a memory. Every time you give and think not of yourself, you are saving I Love You.

RELATIONSHIPS

I love giving and receiving Christmas cards. This year I bought a little candy cane garland that has small clips on the back allowing us to hang our Christmas cards in our kitchen door frame. I love seeing family and friends from throughout our lives smiling down at us each time I pass. Christmas is about remembering others. Send a card, make a phone call, type an email. Let them know you care. Let them know you are special to you. You are the one that will benefit the most from the effort.

SERVICE

When Ye Are in the Service of Your Fellow Beings Ye Are Only in the. Service of Your God. Mosiah 2:17

This is the perfect time to look for ways to serve others. Trey's cub scout troop organized a food drive and then took the goods to the Salvation Army. Our young women created care packages for military troops serving overseas. I am excited to feed the missionaries in our home on Monday night and feel of their goodness and spirit. I love how I feel when I know I did something good from someone else.

For the past few years, I have a very special box wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. It is lovely, with ribbons and a bow and yet it is different from the rest. There in the center is a small hole. This present is the most precious under our tree. It is our gift to the Savior. Each day we perform acts of service for others. At night we discuss what deeds were done and then it is written down and the paper is placed inside the box. On Christmas Eve we will open the box and remember all the good deeds done this Christmas season. My kids loves sharing the small and simple ways they helped someone that day.

LOVE

Hug your kids a bit tighter. Tell your spouse how much they mean to you. Call your parents and grandparents and let they know how much you care for them. Say I Love You a hundred times a day. Write a love letter. Simply love, love, love. This is the true meaning of Christmas.

The other day we watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas for Family Home Evening. This is one of my favorite Christmas shows. At the end little Clarissa said, "I love you Mr. Krueger." Then the narrator says, "I love you. That is what Christmas is all about. Clarissa said it to Mr. Krueger. Mr. Kruger said it to Jesus. And Jesus in so many ways has said it to all of us."

SACRIFICE

The most meaningful gifts are the ones that you worked for, that you sacrificed for, that took effort and work to achieve. That truly shows the person what they are worth. We read The Gift of the Magi this week under the lights of the tree. This story tells of a young poor couple trying to buy Christmas gifts for each other. The wife sells her hair and buys a chain for her husband's watch. While the husband sell his watch to buy some beautiful hair clips for his wife. They both sold their most precious possessions to buy a gift for the other. A few days later Josh told me how he gave his favorite new baseball card to Trey because he remembered the story and knew that the sacrifice was worth it. I was touched to know he was willing to sacrifice something he loved for his brother.

GRATITUDE

During this season of buying and gift giving and Santa Claus, I hope that I can stop and make an account of my blessings. That I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for all he has given me. For the Gospel and my family. Gratitude is one quality I stress to my children each day along with respect and obedience. When we are grateful, we feel happy. When you appreciate all you have, you are never left wanting more.

May we all search out and find the true reason for the Season, the real meaning of Christmas and let the spirit that comes last far longer than the decorations and the tree. That would be the best gift of all.