Time Experience Thoughts

Over the last two years we have fallen in love with one of the sweetest Christmas carols, The Little Drummer Boy. Last year in California we sang it with our grandsons who, in turn, sweetly sang it for my mom keeping the beat on bongos from the recreation room. This year in Kansas we all sang it again just after Thanksgiving for Scott’s mom, and her sister convalescing at home. We were asked to make a presentation at this year’s ward Christmas party. We chose to focus on this song. Last week we enjoyed a sweet spirit as two little children sang about the little drummer’s gift to the Savior. Scott added three beautiful overhead slides helping everyone visualize the scene. Interpreting the song (see below), Scott suggested we can think of ourselves as the little drummer boy. So, what is our drum? What gift of ourselves might we give this babe who grew to become the Redeemer of all mankind? It is in and through our continual gifts to Him that we, through His grace, become more like ...

~ Grandma's Christmas Thoughts ~ Someone recently said that in the doldrums of winter while all the earth goes to sleep and the gardens die and the trees go bare (at least here in Virginia) that this is truly the best season of the year… There is a spirit that permeates the world. Imagine a world without Thanksgiving and Christmas. To me, as the years roll by, the two holidays become inseparably connected. Thankfulness turns to honor and worship of that One Sacred Life that gave us ALL. It is a season in which we celebrate new life… the birth of our Savior… the hope of the world. It was also in this season of the year that new life came to our family—twice. Every year, I remember rocking my tiny little infants in front of the Christmas tree, gazing into the sparkling lights, and singing Silent Night as a lullaby. Imagine a new mother, holding her infants in her arms, and deeply contemplating the layers of meaning in that song not only for the world, but for our family. To me, they ...

Thanksgiving 2007