Joy of Christmas

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone's day is full of love and laughter, family and friends, new memories and smiles! Most of all I hope everyone remembers why we truly celebrate this day- our savior, Jesus Christ's birth.
While we are giving and receiving gifts, take time to remember the many countless gifts our savior gives to us. We receive everything through Him. We will always be in debt to Him, yet He keeps giving.
When thinking of the story of the birth of Christ, I ask myself 'am I part of the inn crowd or part of the stable few?' We all can improve more to be like Him. Make room for Christ in you life.
I also love reflecting on Mary's life. She is my biblical hero. To have the faith to trust what the angel told her; that she, a virgin, would have a son who will be the savior of the world. People mocked her and treated her poorly but she knew what was about to happen and she had faith the entire time everything would end up right. I try to be like Mary and be steadfast in my testimony and ignore the comments of the world around me because I know what is right and what will happen to me when I choose the right.
My favorite thing about Christmas is spending time with my family. I am so blessed with a wonderful family who loves me so much. I know that each member of my family would do anything for me and I would do anything for them. When I think of Christmas, I think of hanging out all day in our pajamas with my family. The love and happiness and laughter that is shared is irreplaceable.
Christmas is the time to celebrate our Savior's birth. "When we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the spirit of Christ, for the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit. It will block out all distractions around us which can diminish Christmas and swallow up it's true meaning." When Christ is the center of our lives, everything else seems to fall in place. "We all are inn keepers who decides if there is enough room for Jesus."
Merry Christmas. May you be blessed and loved. Enjoy the love and laughter the Christmas holiday brings. Let the joy of Christmas fill your hearts and the love of Christ fill your spirit.

The Christmas spirit

I absolutely love the Christmas season. I am one of those people who listens to Christmas music all year long. I love everything about this time of year. The music, laughter, lights, family, love, snow, service, and the reminder of the birth of our Savior.
Everyone is happier around this time. I always try to serve year round, but this time of year I can find so much service to do. I am so grateful to have friends who love to serve like I do. It can be as simple as making cookies and dropping them off at families homes, like my friends and I did this weekend. It was something so simple. The Lord works in small and simple ways. Sometimes the smallest actions mean the most.
This year, our family invested in the "elf on the shelf". Every night we move her to different places in our house causing mischief wherever she goes. I absolutely love seeing the excitement in my little sister's face as she tries to find her and the smile on her face when she finds what she did over the night.
I reflect on my life this time of year as I reflect on the Savior's birth and life. This is where I truly find the Christmas spirit. When I think about my Savior and all He did for me, I am reminded how much He truly loves me. I am so grateful for the love He gives me and the life He lived that I can strive to be like Him. He is why I serve. He is why I started this blog-to share my gratitude and blessings I receive from Him. He is why I love Christmas so much. He is the reason for the season.