Tag Archive for: christmas

Christmas Eve

It was noisy.
Then it changed.
Missionaries arrived.
Our focus changed.
Beautiful melodic music filled the air.
Cellos.
Piano.
Singing.
Joy. Love. Peace.
Together.
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Angelic. Glorious. Inspiring.
Thank you, dear missionaries.

The Candlestick

Recently, we discovered that the mission home didn’t have any candlesticks.
Our quest – find an appropriate one!
“What is Christmas without candles” we thought.
In town, we peered through the kringloop window.
Pointing to a Scrooge like candlestick, “I like that one…” I said.
And so, Monic and I walked inside the higgledy-piggledy tardis like little shop.
As we walked around, we gazed upon candlesticks of every size, shape, and material.
Eventually, we settled on the one that we admired in the window.
We purchased our favoured brass candlestick with another smaller one too.
Both were in need of a good polish.
We purchased some brasso and went to work on cleaning them, removing the dirt & grime of the yesteryears.
Why go to all this effort I hear you ask?

Powered by…

Our home, and Christmas tree are decorated with sparkling lights, all powered by electricity.
Jesus said to his followers, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” – John 8:12.
Wouldn’t it be much more powerful I thought, if each of our lives were powered and illuminated by Him, the light of the world?
In a like manner, each Christmas allows us to clean up, polish and rid ourselves of the dirt & grime of the year gone by focusing our heart and mind on the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, so we can enjoy the “light of life.”
He said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
The one thing our world needs more than anything right now, more than any other, is the 𝒈𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.
The boundaries of darkness must be pushed back.
Remember, we are the candles of the Lord.
“The spirit of man,” as the scripture says, “is the candle of the Lord.” Proverbs 20:27
This Christmas time, as you turn the lights on at home, or light a flickering candle, remember to polish the light of your spirit, with the great eternal light, even 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖚𝖘 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙.

My Finest Friend

Forty years ago this week, my missionary companion trainer (Kelley Gray) and I were serving together in Shepherd’s Bush in London.
We’d moved there in the first week of December 1983.
We were two bright eyed and bushy tailed young missionaries resolute on finding success.
Christmas was fast approaching, and we were determined to find new ways to share our message of Jesus Christ.
A couple of years earlier, the church had produced a new Movie, “Mr Krueger’s Christmas”.
Video recorders were still new, and not too many people had them in their homes yet.
We decided that we’d borrow a huge reel to reel projector (we’re talking massive) from the mission office in our Hyde Park Chapel, transport it to our area, and then use it to go door to door, offering everyone we met a wonderful at home Christmas movie experience!
Whacky idea – Yes! Creative – Yes! Successful – Yes!
We transported the projector by tenaciously balancing it on the centre bar of our bicycles and vividly remember my companion nearly crashing and burning on a couple of occasions!
We also ingeniously, used an OAP’s shopping trolley to pull the projector from neighbourhood to neighbourhood and door to door.
I cannot recall exactly how many people’s home’s we got into, but it was lots!
We watched that movie so many times. Even now, I can recite the words and songs of the movie almost perfectly.
Great times, never to be forgotten.
This year, I may well watch “Mr Krueger’s Christmas” once again.
In one scene, Jimmy Stewart who plays the lead role in the movie, as Willie Krueger, steps towards baby Jesus and says “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. As long as I can remember you’ve been right by my side. I’ll never forget when you walked with me right in those first few hours after I lost Martha.”
“I’ve always been able to count on you when I’ve felt dark inside” Krueger says.
As he kneels before the Christ child he says “I love you. You’re my closest, 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. And that means I can hold my head high, wherever I go.”
Forty years have passed since that Christmas experience.
In between, I’ve come to know the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, even more, much more personally.
Just like Willie Krueger I can say “I love you. You’re my closest, 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. And that means I can hold my head high, wherever I go.”
I hope you find Him too this Christmas Season.

Treasures

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” – Matthew 2:11
Gold – because Christ is simply, the King of Kings.
Frankincense – used as medicine, because Christ came to Heal all of us.
Myrrh – used at burials, because Christ came to die for all of us.
Perhaps it is time for all of us, to acknowledge Him as our King, our Healer and our Saviour this Christmas day.
Three gifts.
What gift will you choose to offer Him?

Three Gifts

𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮 𝓖𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓼…
Our missionaries have been very busy this week.
There has been lots and lots of service in the community.
And, in addition, at Christmas market’s, town squares and on many a street corner throughout Belgium and the Netherlands, missionaries have given away thousands upon thousands of gifts.
Greeting so many, the message is simple “𝓜𝓮𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓒𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓶𝓪𝓼”
We’re not talking about the latest Red/Blue Nintendo Switch for son, the Barbie Extra Deluxe for daughter, the beautiful new necklace and flowers for mum or the special new jumper and tie for dad.
No, none of those.
Set those and the many other gifts galore aside.
We didn’t even give away any gold, frankincense or myrrh.
Remember, the gold points to Jesus’ royalty, the frankincense to his divinity, and the myrrh to his humanity.
All of which we honour and respect.
Rather consider the little gifts we did giveaway.
Three little chocolate hearts filled with only one thing – 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮.
Through it all, there is perhaps one common denominator for Christmas – it is 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮…
“God be thanked for loving us enough to send His Only Begotten Son. Jesus Christ changed the world for each of us with His atoning sacrifice. He is the light of the world. He is the light we need to hold up. He is the light that fills us with good will toward all people.” Russell M. Nelson
We hope amid all the hustle and bustle of gifts and gatherings, you will let your life reflect the 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 of Jesus Christ this Christmas time.
Merry Christmas dear friends.

No Room?

Ｎｏ ｒｏｏｍ？
We had an incredible Christmas Conference in Brussels on Friday with our entire missionary force.
They are certainly a force to be reckoned with!
It was a wonderful experience, a real delight to be with everyone and one of many highlights of 2022.
Although the chapel was tightly packed, we had enough available room to spare for everyone to gather and sit comfortably.
During the course of the conference, I shared a verse of scripture from Luke 2:7…
“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 for them in the inn.”
Sterling W. Sill commented on that verse as follows:
“For His entire thirty-three years on earth, this cry of “𝒏𝒐-𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎” almost became a theme song for His life. With many people there was no room for His teaching. There was no room for His miracles, no room for His doctrines, no room for His faith.
Even in our day, with the judgment of time shining upon his life, we are still re-enacting the ancient scene of Bethlehem by crying, “No room, no room.”
We make room for gifts, but often we have no room for the giver. We have room for our own commercialism of Christmas and our pleasure seeking on the Sabbath day, but we have no room for worship. No room for service, no room for righteousness. The reason there was no room in the inn was because all of the available space was already occupied. And we are only following the ancients when we fill our lives so full of other things that we have no time or space left for the Light and Life of the world.”

Pause for a moment.

Look around, the annual commercialisation of Christmas is now well underway – again.
Christmas is what each of us make it.
Despite all the distractions, it is up to each of us to choose to put Jesus Christ at the very centre of our celebrations.
“Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Saviour the focus of the season. We can keep Him in our thoughts and in our lives as we go about the work, He would have us perform here on earth.” – Thomas S. Monson
I hope that as we start to count down the days to Christmas, each of us will remember the light that Jesus Christ brings into our lives’ and always remember to make room for Him.
What room are you making for Christ in your home this Christmas?

Glorious!

Ｇｌｏｒｉｏｕｓ！
Friday was a long day of missionary interviews in Rotterdam.
Arriving back at the house late afternoon, the mission home was filled with missionaries busy transforming the living room into a film studio for a Christmas video.
Observing from a distance, my first tuneful thought was, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”
It wasn’t long before a beautiful Christmas Carol was sounding melodically through the mission home, filling it with love, peace and joy.
“𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒅 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈, Glory to the new-born King…” they sang.
Many beautiful truths and countless Christmas traditions are even more powerful because they have been set to music.
We sing songs of praise, worship, and gladness as we recount the events of the glorious birth of Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Remember these inspiring Christmas carols…

“𝑱𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, the Lord will come, and earth receive her King!”
“𝑶 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒎, How still we see thee lie”
“𝑶𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒇𝒖𝒍, Joyful and triumphant!”
“𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉, sweetly singing o’er the plains”
“𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕! 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕! All is calm, all is bright”
“𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓, no crib for his bed”
“𝑭𝒂𝒓, 𝑭𝒂𝒓 𝑨𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝑱𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒂’𝒔 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔, Shepherds of old heard the joyous strains”
The Lord has said that the songs of the righteous are prayers unto Him and they should be answered with blessings upon the heads of those who sing them. (D&C 25:12)
The missionaries singing, brought greater peace and harmony into our home.
There was even more…
As their sweet voices, elegant music and sacred words passed through our ears, they penetrated deeply into our hearts, drawing each of us closer to God.
It was beautiful.
What is it that brings such love and joy into our lives?
It is the Spirit of Christmas.
Drop the last syllable and that becomes the Spirit of Christ.
His spirit had just entered our hearts once more.
One of the greatest glories of Christmas is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came to earth to help us get His glory into our lives.
Enjoy singing many carols this Christmas Season – they are truly 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬!
What is your favourite Christmas Carol?

Light the World

“Big bobbles at the bottom and small ones at the top” said Cristi, as she outlined her strategy for the Christmas tree.
That was part of our conversation as we enjoyed some catch up time with Kyle & Cristi at home in Scotland last night on our weekly video call.
Many years of observation, listening and practice with mum had taught her well. Both Monic and Cristi have been busy the last few days, with a regular tradition of decorating the Christmas tree.
Already Christmas decorations seem to be everywhere. It is of course a huge part of celebrating the season.
Yesterday, Monic put lights on the tree and was busy creating a number of beautiful candle decorations around our home. Sitting in the living room this morning, there is a beautiful menagerie of her creative talents on show and under construction on the dinner table. How grateful I am for her thoughtfulness and desire to light our life with these wondrous symbols, reminding us of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Light

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught: “Many of our memorable and enduring Christmas traditions include different kinds of lights—lights on trees, lights in and on our homes, candles on our tables. May the beautiful lights of every holiday season remind us of Him who is the source of all light.”
Indeed, light is one of the most beautiful symbols of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. In fact one of His many names and titles is “Light of the World.” He taught, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Christmas candles and lights can remind us that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. They can also remind us to be lights to others and to help others come unto Christ. The celebrations of Christmas can help us to remember Him.
I am especially looking forward to having our family time this Christmas season with our children, as each of them are shining lights to me.
I hope that as we start to count down the days to Christmas, each of us will remember the light that Jesus Christ brings into your life and choose to lighten someone else’s life through a kind act of loving service.