President Monson quoted Elder Evans saying, "It takes someone…to thaw out the memories of the past and keep them warmly living in the present." (Nov. 2009 Ensign p.86)
How about being that someone. It is almost Christmas. It might be a good time to write down a Christmas memory that includes someone in our family. If you send it to me I will be happy to post it here.
Later, in that same conference, he quoted President Joseph F. Smith, “Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their [people] here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.” (ibid. p. 5)
I challenge us all to start (or continue) rejoicing in this wonderful way. May the light from our perfect Savior shine in our lives and may we bring it to others.
2 comments:
One of my VERY MOST wonderfulest Christmas memories is possible because my big sister loves me. I was about six or seven years old. (We lived at the motel, for those of you who know what year that was) I was already absolutely in love with DOLLS…when wasn’t I?
I woke up to the most spectacular doll house I’d ever seen! Marthella had taken a dry milk box and made it into my dream doll house. She had made little furniture, walls and everything to amaze and delight a little girl.
That was only the beginning of many Christmas’ to come in which there was always something creative waiting for ME from HER. As I got older, she always gave me things to spark my imagination and increase my creativity: art kits, needlepoint kits, paints, …the list goes on. I guess you could say she’s the reason I’m a craft-a-holic! Thanks Marthel, you’re the best! Love ya, Leda
In the spirit of family history, I will share a memory of our dear grandmother, Thelma Bybee. I am quite certain I never received a Christmas gift from my Bybee grandparents that WASN'T a recycled gift. They just did not buy new things! Grandma shared treasures from days gone by like little pieces of jewelry, books, or (my personal favorite) a pocket sewing kit from about 1950. Furthermore, she did not buy wrapping paper. If Grandma Bybee was ever present when gifts were being opened, she would hover over the process making sure the least amount of damage was being done to wrapping paper so she could take it home with her to re-use for her future gifting. Ditto for bows. She was not quite as good at recycling tape (though she was not above trying), but she did not buy transparent tape. When purchasing tape, it was always masking tape. I assume she felt this was the best use of money because it was more versatile (in her opinion) than transparent tape. Therefore, all adhesive needs were met with masking tape; i.e. giftwrapping, attaching pictures to pages in Books of Remembrance, attaching items to walls, weatherstripping windows, etc. If the masking tape was running low, we wouldn't have been surprised to find electrical tape pressed into service. My dear Grandma Bybee, I value your frugality and ingenuity, and though I do buy things like wrapping paper and transparent tape, I feel blessed by your example of "Make it do, or do without." I do wish, however, you had not used masking tape to attach pictures to pages of Books of Remembrance. :-) A number of my family history projects have involved time in trying to remedy that archiving problem. Merry Christmas, I love you!
Post a Comment