Our Christmas!!!

This is a really late post! Christmas is almost two weeks past, buuut in our defense we have had a ton of family stuff going on. More on that later. However, our Christmas was really nice. We tried to show our boys that Christmas isn't just about gifts and gimmie, but about Jesus and all the beautiful symbolism that Christmas ushers in. We had some special family home evenings where we made treats and shared them with neighbors. I will say that this year brought us a record number of neighbor treats, and some really creative Christmas cards. One family home evening we talked to the boys about giving of our substance to the poor. Then we had the boys go through and collect things that they could give those that are less fortunate. Our family adopted a little girl for Christmas, and all she wanted for Christmas was a warm blanket. How sobering is that!! We selected a Disney Princess blanket, and I can't tell you how nervous I was to give a blanket to someone for a gift, I felt like I should have given more. Her father was beyond grateful and was teary in his acceptance of all the gifts for his family (the family was adopted by a co-worker). I don't blog this to make us so wonderful or better than anyone, but to display that there are simple gifts that we can give that make a difference in the lives of others. For this family it was the mere thought that someone else was thinking of them, and wanted them to receive a gift. It made me think, "how thankful am I for the simple things that I have?" When you stop to look around you really have more than you imagined. Even the poorest person on this earth has something to be thankful for.
Our many experiences this Christmas have also brought me to a better understanding of the tender mercies of the Lord. On Christmas Eve, Jason's grandma, a woman I consider to be my own grandmother, told me that she had a lump in her breast. Now, being a mammographer I examined her and felt a sick in my stomach that I NEVER want to feel again. Crying all the way home from her house I couldn't help but think why God would give her breast cancer at her age, given her circumstances. The same script ran through my mind, "the God I know and love is caring, tender, and understanding this is NOT real" or "I am going to wake up". As my mind raced to a fever pitch a very gentle feeling came over me and in my ear I heard, "peace be still". John 14:27 a scripture that I am sure all Christians cling to in hard times, "Peace I leave with you , my peace I give unto you, Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart, neither let it be afraid." Has come to play in a very real way. In this past week and a half we have discover, diagnosed, and generated a treatment plan for her breast cancer. So as you can imagine it has been a very incoherent passing of days. The Lords tender mercies have been expressed in the loving actions of our neighbor Margo who took our boys for five hours so that we could drive down to Ogden and be available to Grammie during her surgical consult. My co-workers who stepped up and covered me when we were beyond over booked so that I could make sure that Grammie was properly diagnosed and understood what was to come. His mercy was definitely upon us when my doctor that I work with decided that she would rearrange her schedule so that Grammie could be seen first thing instead of having to wait for her scheduled appointment over a week later. Everything has echoed the mercy that God has for His children and the gentle care that he provides when others listen to His spirit.

Needless, to say that we believe more lessons will be forthcoming in this year but we/I am very thankful that as the year ended I was given a sweet reminder that just as the Lord was mindful of a young virgin in Bethlehem he is mindful of this mother of three in Tremonton. Please take a moment to remember Him. The season has passed but the wonderful feeling we get from helping His children lasts throughout the whole year.
Have a Happy, Healthy, and Loving New Year!!!!