What Christmas Activities Are You Planning?

It is Christmas. The shopping is finished, and the wrapping is done. Now it is time to make the pies and give assignments for Christmas dinner. Whether you have your big dinner earlier in December, on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, Christmas is a suitable time to gather with family and friends.

Christmas holidays are also a suitable time for activities with family and friends. My family has an activity that my husband and I started when our oldest children were toddlers. Our children carried the activity into their homes. Christmas Eve is the time that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We have our big Christmas dinner, act out the Nativity story, and end by singing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus before eating angel food cake. This is, of course, the most meaningful activity of the Christmas season for us. However, there are numerous other activities to do.

In places with snow, sledding and skiing are fun. In warm climates, other activities are acceptable for Christmas. However, there are times when outside activities are not possible – after dark, in sub-zero temperatures, and other such times. At such times, a common activity is to watch movies.

Since the Christmas season is magical, the classic movies seem to “capture the heart, humor and nostalgia that make Christmas movies so enduring.” This site suggests the following classics. 

‘The Santa Clause’ (1994)

Rated: PG

Streaming: Disney+, Hulu

Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) isn’t expecting his life to change on Christmas Eve, but then Santa falls off his roof and Scott inherits the job. Follow along as he accepts his new role as the one and only Santa Claus.

‘A Christmas Story’ (1983)

Rated: PG

Streaming: Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube

All Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants for Christmas is the “Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time.” But every adult has the same warning: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” A favorite full of charm and a bit of holiday chaos.

‘White Christmas’ (1954)

Rated: Not rated

Streaming: AMC+, Amazon Prime Video

Two Army buddies turned musical-comedy partners (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) cross paths with a pair of rising singer sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen). They follow the sisters to a Vermont inn owned by their former Army commander, and soon hatch a plan to save the charming lodge from closing. A heartwarming, song-filled

classic.

‘Miracle on 34^th Street’ (1947)

Rated: PG

Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, YouTube

Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) steps in as a department-store Santa and immediately causes a stir – not because he’s bad at the job, but because he insists he’s the real Santa Claus. A skeptical world soon learns that a man in red suit just might be their miracle.

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (1966)

Rated: Not rated

Streaming: Amazon Prime Video (requires add-on)

Dr. Seuss’s classic tale comes to life as the Grinch (Boris Karloff), a grouchy green fellow who lives at the top of Mount Crumpet, plots to steal Christmas from Whoville. But even he can’t predict how the holiday spirit might expand his heart.

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ (1946)

Rated: PG

Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu

George Bailey (James Stewart) feels the weight of the world during the holiday season – until an angel gives him a profound glimpse of how deeply he’s impacted the lives around him. A timeless story filled with hope, community and redemption.

‘Home Alone’ (1990)

Rated: PG

Streaming: Disney+, Hulu

When his large family takes off to Paris for the holidays, they accidentally leave Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) behind. However, while he is home alone he becomes the sole protector of his family home when a pair of burglars target the house, leading Kevin to engineer the ultimate homemade security system to protect it.

‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ (1992)

Rated: G

Streaming: Disney+

A Muppet twist on Charles Dickens’ beloved story, this adaptation is packed with signature Muppet humor, heart and faithful retelling of the classic tale.

‘While You Were Sleeping’ (1995)

Rated: PG

Streaming: Disney+, Amazon Prime Video

A lonely transit worker rescues her commuter crush after he falls onto the tracks. Through a series of misunderstandings, she’s mistaken for his fiancée while he’s in a coma, but finds herself unexpectedly falling for his brother instead.

‘Elf’ (2003)

Rated: PG

Streaming: HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube

Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human raised at the North Pole who heads to New York City to find his long-lost father. However, things in the Big Apple aren’t what he dreams of finding.

 

How Do You Celebrate Christmas?

            My family celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve in a religious way. This is the night that we have our big Christmas dinner with our fanciest dishes. After the dishes are cleared, we act out the Nativity story. Then we a dessert made with angel food cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Our celebration continues on Christmas Day with the opening of presents and doing fun things. However, our annual celebration always starts with Christ. The Nativity story can be found in Luke 2: 1-20 as follows:

1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

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.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

            Another annual event is the Christmas message from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Russell M. Nelson, President Dallin H. Oaks, and President Henry B Eyring released the following message on Friday, November 26, 2021. 

When we sing “Silent Night,” we know the life of that Babe of Bethlehem did not begin there, nor did it end on Calvary. In a premortal realm, Jesus was foreordained by His Father to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all humankind. He was foreordained to atone for us. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). He came to make immortality a reality and eternal life a possibility for all who would ever live (see 1 Corinthians 15:20–22; 3 Nephi 27:13–14).

At this sacred Christmas season, we testify that our loving Heavenly Father “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

            My family has completed its religious celebrations, and all members are ready for bed. We wish you and yours a wonderful Christ-filled Christmas. 

Jesus the Christ

            My VIP for this week is Jesus Christ because He is the very most important person to have ever been born on earth. He is important for a multitude of reasons that begin with the fact that He is the literal Son of God. He is the Creator of the world. He is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.

            Christ was born in the humblest of circumstances that He might descend below all people. He took the pains, sicknesses, embarrassments, griefs, and sins of all of us that we might follow Him and become as He is. He did it all for me, and He did it all for you! All that He asks in return is that we remember Him and keep His commandments.

            Some years ago I decided that I would give a gift to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for Christmas, and I decided that it would be an additional session in the temple. I have continued to do a special session in the temple each year as my gift to them, and I completed that gift a few days ago. I feel certain that many other people prepare themselves to give a gift to Heavenly Father and to the Savior.

            Marilynne Todd Linford is one of those individuals, and she shares some of her experiences with her readers in an article titled “Selecting a Christmas Gift for the Lord.” She begins her article by expressing the joy and ease of purchasing gifts for little children. She then explains some of the difficulties of gift giving to teenage and adult children.

            I could readily relate to her experiences because I had and still have the same ones, but I was fascinated with her next statement: “Every Christmas, I meet these same dilemmas in desiring to give a gift to Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. I know I cannot surprise Them, but is it possible to delight them? Is there anything They, the perfect gift givers who have everything, want?”

            I realized that I had become too complacent in my gift giving because I did not invest any time in attempting to learn what They might want from me this year. I feel much like the person described in Christina Rossetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter” as quoted by Linford:

What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,

If I were a wise man I would do my part. Yet what can I give Him? Give my heart.

            How do I go about giving my heart to God? The heart is associated with feelings of love, so I can give Him my love. It is one thing to consider giving Him my love, but how do I actually go about doing it? As a parent and grandparent, I am deeply grateful for those people who say or do anything that help my children and grandchildren in any way. I feel certain that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have similar feelings to all those who help Their children along the pathway of mortality.

            In this way, I feel certain that my gift of a temple session was acceptable to Them, but I wonder if it was what they really wanted from me this year. Elder Neal A. Maxwell spoke about something else that I can give.

The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. The many other things we “give,” are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give (As quoted by Linford).

            Elder Maxwell said that we should give our “will” to God. How does one go about doing so? One way is in our prayers. I offer daily prayers in pleading for God’s watchful care over my children and grandchildren. My oldest daughter recently made a business trip, traveling by car from Anchorage to Homer. She left Anchorage about the middle of a string of eleven days when we received measurable snow fall and had to travel over a dangerous mountain pass. She later reported that she could hardly see anything ahead of her at the pass and mainly followed the lights of the cars ahead of her on the highway. I pleaded with God constantly to protect her that day as she traveled and was relieved to hear that she had arrived safely. I continued to pray for her often until she returned safely to Anchorage. However, it was not until the final day that I actually delivered my will to God when I pleaded for His blessings upon my daughter and then added, “Thy will be done.” That is kind of a scary thing to do even with faith in Jesus Christ and His ability to know what is best!

            It takes courage and faith in Jesus Christ to actually give Him my will or to be willing to accept whatever way that He chooses to bless me and my family. So faith is another gift that we can give to God. Linford suggests others gifts in her article, such as honesty, mercy, service to others, repentance, and being a peacemaker.

            Another great gift that we could give to God is gratitude for the many blessings that He bestows upon us. I often express gratitude for fresh air and clean water because I am grateful for them. I was even more grateful for clean water after an earthquake hit Anchorage on November 30. The warning came out that we should not drink or cook with the city water until after it was tested because there were several breaks in the system. The water certainly looked clean, but I took the extra precaution to boil all the water that we used for drinking and cooking. Now I am even more grateful for the constant stream of clean water!

            Tonight in our home we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and sing “Happy Birthday” to Him. We have held similar celebrations for more than forty years, and we always end with a birthday cake especially for Him. It is, of course, angel food cake. I recently discovered a tasty recipe that includes strawberries and whipped cream, but it is the angel food cake that is meaningful to me.

            However you choose to celebrate the birth of Christ, I hope that you will include your own gift to Him. I hope that you will make it something meaningful to you and something that will bring delight to both Heavenly Father – who gave His Son – and Jesus Christ – who gave His lift – that all of us may have eternal life with Them.

Jesus Christ and His Prophet

            I would normally write about a principle of the Constitution for my post tonight. However, I feel that I should write something for Christmas Eve. The people of the world, including many so-called Christians, have fallen to the allure of the commercial side of Christmas and forgotten the true reason for this season. Jesus Christ is the reason that we celebrate Christmas, and tonight I had a glimpse of the heaven that He desires for me.

            My younger son brought his wife and daughter over to my house, and we called our family in Salt Lake City on Facetime. My older son and two daughters, along with their spouses and children for a total of eighteen people, met together tonight for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. They held their get-together a day early this year because my son has to work Christmas Eve as an emergency room doctor. We were grateful to have the opportunity to join their celebration this year because we are having a quiet Christmas this year due to my daughter-in-law fighting brain cancer and have too small of group to do our usual nativity.

            We did the nativity, watched the children decorate graham cracker houses, visited, and generally had a wonderful time together. I witnessed heaven as I saw and heard the love expressed between siblings and their spouses and watched the grandchildren play and interact with each other with love. The experience tonight is all I need for a wonderful Christmas.

            This family activity came about because a Baby was born in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago and grew to be a man capable of overcoming death and hell. We do not celebrate Christmas because a baby was born; we celebrate it because that Baby brought to pass immortality for all mankind and eternal life for all who will follow Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. In other words, we would not celebrate Christmas if there had been no Easter.

            President Gordon B. Hinckley shared his thoughts about the birth, ministry, and atonement of Jesus Christ at a First Presidency Christmas Devotional in 2001. He begins his talk by greeting everyone and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and then explains the reason for being together that evening.

… We are met tonight to pay homage to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, whose life and death mean so very much to each one of us. This is a gathering for prayer and song and speech, in tribute to the Master of all, the Lord Omnipotent, who condescended to come to earth, to be born in a stable, in a conquered nation, under the humblest of circumstances. He was the Prince Almighty who left the royal courts on high and came among us to teach us and to lead us in His quiet and wonderful way….

So it is. When all is said and done, when all the legions of the ages have passed in review, when man’s terrible inhumanity to man has been chronicled, when God’s great love for His children has been measured, then above all stands the lone figure of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind, the living Son of the living God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One.

He was the lowly babe who came to earth in the meridian of time and brought to us the gift of Christmas. He was the Resurrection and the Life, who brought to us the wonder of Easter. And it was He who in this most glorious of dispensations was introduced to the boy Joseph by His Father, the Almighty Elohim, the God of the universe. And this same Joseph has become the preeminent witness of His living reality in this season of earth’s history.

            Is it any wonder then that there is only one day between the birthdate of Joseph Smith and the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? The Savior was born in Bethlehem as a wee Baby. He organized His church on earth in the meridian of time and gave His life that all mankind could live again. He appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 and began the process of restoring His gospel to the earth. He will come again to earth in the near future to gather the faithful followers of the House of Israel. We love Him. We honor Him. We praise Him, We worship Him. Above all, we are grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to send His Beloved Son to earth as a Baby who grew to become the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

Reason for the Season

            Today is the Sabbath Day. It is also Christmas Eve. Since my family does its big dinner and celebration on Christmas Eve and because it is also the Sabbath Day, today was a little different than our normal Christmas Eve.

            The first thing that is different is that I did as much of the cooking as possible yesterday in order to have a more restful Sabbath Day. We attended our regular sacrament meeting where we took the opportunity to renew our covenants with Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We worshipped them with music and with words.

            I returned home and invested a couple of hours in the scriptures. I completed the food preparation that I could not do yesterday. We had the unique opportunity because of Facetime to watch our family in Utah do the Nativity. That was fun to feel a part of a larger gathering.

            Local family members arrived in time to watch the Utah nativity. Then we had a delightful dinner together. We did an abbreviated Nativity reactivation because we were short on actors. (We invited three families to join us for dinner and the Nativity, but none of them could make it.) We played a Christmas-oriented game. We sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and ate angel food cake. Then we went our separate ways until tomorrow.

            It is now late on Christmas Eve. As we enter Christmas Day, I believe it is important for us to continue the holy feelings that have been a part of this day. You see, we would not be celebrating Christmas if the events of Easter did not take place. If Jesus Christ had not atoned for the sins of all mankind and then was resurrected, we would not be celebrating His birthday. Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season.

            Here is a poem that expresses my feelings this night. I do not know the author of it.

            One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village.

            He worked in a carpenter shop

until he was thirty. He then became

an itinerant preacher.

            He never held an office.

                        He never had a family

                                    or owned a house.

            He didn’t go to college.

He had no credentials but himself….

Nineteen centuries have come and gone,

and today he is the central figure

            of the human race.

All the armies that ever marched,

            and all the navies that ever sailed,

            all the parliaments that ever sat,

            and all the kings that ever reigned

            have not affected the life of man

            on this earth as much as that…

                                    One Solitary Life

Nativity

I love the Christmas story that tells of the mortal birth of the Son of God. The Christmas season reminds us that Heavenly Father loved all of His children so much that He sent a Baby - His Only Begotten Son - to earth on a mission to save all of us. I love the description of Mary who is always depicted as young and virtuous, fair and beautiful. I honor Joseph who showed great love, courage and strength in his marriage to Mary. I am awed by the idea of a God being born in a stable. I feel the excitement of the shepherds as the angel announced the birth of Christ and understand the haste with which they traveled to the stable. I seek to find the Lord just as the wise men did when they followed the star. I love this story so much that I choose to decorate my home with scenes of the Nativity. At my latest count, I have twenty-nine Nativity sets of different sizes made of various materials. I have sets with multiple pieces as well as ones with all the figures in one piece. I have music boxes and snow globes as well as a quilt, pillow covers, a lamp, a cookie jar, a stamp for making cards, pictures of various types and sizes, books, and many ornaments. I have both very inexpensive sets as well as some very nice ones. Most of my sets cost less than $30, and none of them cost over $50. I should say that I have never paid more than $50 because I shop around and find some good Christmas sales as well as off-season sales. My newest Nativity set is one that I made this year from pre-printed fabric. The figures are cut out, sewed together and filled with batting. I like this set because it is my first one that I feel comfortable about putting under the Christmas tree. I have slowed a little in my collection of Nativity sets. Now I purchase only those which are extra special or fill a certain place. I also satisfy part of my need to collect by giving Nativity scenes as gifts to my children. I am always pleased to receive Nativity sets as gifts, especially those made in other countries. I have a desire for a particular Nativity scene. I want one of those large, outdoor Nativity sets with lights. I haven't seen any of them in the stores, but I haven't actually gone looking for them either. I am hesitating about this set because I don't know where I would store it. If I could solve the storage problem, I would immediately start shopping for one! My favorite Nativity scene is the one enacted by my family each Christmas Eve. My husband and I started this tradition more than thirty years ago when our oldest daughters were just tiny tots, maybe the year our oldest son could play Baby Jesus. I am pleased that our children are continuing this tradition in their own homes. Some of our family Nativity plays have been elaborate like the one where a roving reporter interviewed the various participants in the Christmas story. Some of them are very simple with just reading the story in Luke and Matthew as it is acted out. For many years, our costumes consisted of bathrobes, towels, etc. even though I wanted real costumes. After most of my children were adults, I started making costumes, usually adding just a couple or three every year. Last year I made six new costumes because I needed one for each grandchild. I have also found that graduation gowns serve very well as costumes. Everyone in the house participates in our Nativity play in some way, whether it is someone there for the evening or someone just stopping by for a few minutes. In fact, we have sometimes had friends stop by just to take part in our Nativity play! The saddest play we did was done with just four or five people using the figures from a small Nativity set to act out the parts - but the good years make up for the poor ones. I remember our Nativity from last year with fondness as we had nine grandchildren as well as five children and spouses taking part in our Nativity. There were two brand new babies to play the part of Jesus. Thank goodness that they never cried at the same time because we would pass the crying baby to his mama and put the non-crying child in the manger. We had three little two-year old girls playing the part of the wise men, riding on the back of the camel (our oldest son who also played the part of Mary's donkey). The wise men were all crying by the time they reached King Herod. Our oldest daughter always plays the role of King Herod because she is so realistic in the role, but she was not at all realistic last year as she took pity on the crying wise men. Our older grandchildren - all under the age of nine - played the parts of Mary, Joseph, the angel, and a shepherd. Adults filled helping roles - such as the fourth wise man that helped the little ones, the adults who accompanied the angel or served as shepherds as well as the inn keeper with his wife. Others took pictures and read the story from the scriptures. Most of my children and all of my grandchildren are spending Christmas with their other families this year so I have invited some neighbors and friends to join my husband and myself, along with our oldest daughter and husband, for the evening. I found a family with enough children to help with the Nativity as well as some other adults. It should be a pleasant evening - but nothing like it would be if all of our children and grandchildren could be with us!