One More Day!!

December 24, 2012

Dear Family,

One more day!!

It got one step closer to being officially Christmas last night. We made gingerbread houses! We stopped in to see a less active family in our ward, and the husband isn't a member. The wife invited us right in and they invited us to stay for dinner. It wasn't quite ready yet, so they asked if we would make gingerbread houses with their girls. I still can't decide if they were actually happy to have us do that with them. Who would want to give up the opportunity to make a gingerbread house? I hope the pictures that I sent turned out... After dinner we shared a message. We shared a quote from President Monson, "Before we can successfully undertake a personal search for Jesus, we must first prepare time for Hin in our lives and room for him in our hearts." We asked them what that meant. The husband explained it perfectly for his little girls. I had been under the impression that he wasn't really religious, so I was a little blown away with his response. Both of the girls prayed while we were there, which made me so happy to know that they have worked on that with them. Their eight year old wants to be baptized, hopefully that will also help the husband.

I have learned so much this Christmas season as we have prepared our Christmas message to share with the people we come in contact with. I have been humbled as I have been studying. I have read the Christmas story many times. The story is simple and the nativity scenes that are displayed all over tell the story in a blink of an eye. But this year I have come to a better understanding of how much more there is to Jesus Christ's birth. The shepherds who urgently followed the sign to find our Savior, humble setting of a stable, a manger for a bed, the inn that was full of people coming into town to pay their taxes. I have thought of how much love Mary must have had as she held the Baby Jesus in her arms that night. I love babies. And I haven't had one. I'm sure that a mother's love for her baby is even greater than my love for babies, especially when the baby is her own. I can hardly imagine the love Mary must have had for our Heavenly Father's Only Begotten Son, whom she just gave birth to. It must have been incredible.

I hope you have fun with the family tonight! I love you all!

Love,

Sister Scott