"Come Follow Me," was His only plea

'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Debra Coe

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care

With thoughts of St. Nicholas and what he'd bring there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds

Without a moment of bowing their heads.

The scriptures were thrown on the shelves without care.

Little hope of remembering the precious words there.

And I with the tinsel and Ma with the lights

Had prepared for Christmas with no thoughts of Christ.

We had snowmen and elves and of course Santa Claus.

We thought we had decorated without any flaws.

For weeks we'd prepared with lots of traditions,

Cards of course and so much work in the kitchen.

We'd been to parties galore all dressed up in frills

And spent hours at stores to get the best deals.

The lights on the house were all flashing with fun

Lots of presents under the tree; we thought we were done.

We thought not of the needy, nor help to a stranger,

We thought not of the poor, and not of a manger.

No angels were singing in our house that night

We hadn't invited them so none were in sight.

The real spirit of Christmas was absent as well.

For only Christ's spirit will make our hearts swell.

And I wondered that Christmas how it could be

That the Christmas spirit wasn't stronger in me

Why Christmas didn't seem as it was in the past

Why Christmas just came and went by very fast.

When out of my wondering mind did appear.

Some scriptures I'd learned as a child so dear.

Of a loving kind Father who gave His own Son

God saw all our needs and chose Christ as the one.

Christ has the power to serve us so well

Healing the things that can lead to spiritual jail

I could change if I wanted with eyes that could see

"Come Follow Me," was His only plea.

I decided to change and begged forgiveness please

And asked how to serve Him while down on my knees

Serve others and do it as if unto Him

Was the answer I heard in the sound of a hymn

I rushed from my bed and I got scriptures for all.

So we could start Christmas just right after all.

So Christmas day we planned for the months yet to come

Of people we'd serve and we talked of the fun

Now Angels are singing in our home today

We finally invited them to come our way.

And Christmas is lasting the whole long year through,

With scriptures, prayer and devotion His spirit grew.

Ready for Him

READY FOR CHRISTMAS

Author Unknown

"Ready for Christmas," she said with a sigh,

As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high.

Then wearily sat for a moment and read

Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.

Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream!

"Ready for Christmas!  What do you Mean?

When only last week

You wouldn't acknowledge your friend on the street."

"Ready for Christmas, while holding a grudge!

Perhaps you better let God be the judge.

Why, how can the Christ child come and abide

In a heart that is selfish and filled with pride?"

"Ready for Christmas, when only today

A beggar lad came and you turned him away

Without even a smile to show that you cared!

So little he asked, he could have been spared."

"Ready for Christmas! You've worked, it is true,

But just doing the things that you wanted to do."

"Ready for Christmas, your circle's too small.

Why, you are not ready for Christmas at all."

She awoke with a start, and a cry of despair.

"There's so little time, and I've still to prepare!

Oh, Father, forgive me, I see what you mean;

To be ready means more than a house swept clean."

"Yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree,

It's the heart swept clean that he wants to see,

A heart that is free from bitterness, sin,

Ready for Christmas means ready for Him!" “It is my prayer that the Spirit will bless us this Christmas and in the years to come with the power to offer other gifts of love and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. I know that the Spirit can lead each of us in many and simple ways to give love, faith, and joy to others at this season of rejoicing.”   Henry B. Eyring

The Joy of a Child

Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in my life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what Mom," he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me:

"I've been chosen to clap and cheer."

When someone else’s Happiness is your Happiness, that is Love

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different color hair than the other family members.

One child suggested that maybe he was adopted.

A little girl named Jocelynn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted."

"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child. "It means that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy." said Jocelynn.

Author Unknown

When an ice cream sundae cost much less than now, a young boy entered a coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied intently number of coins in his palm.
"How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired.

People were now waiting for a table, and the waitress was impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said angrily. The little boy again counted the coins in his hand. "I'll have the plain ice cream."

The waitress brought the ice cream and walked away. The boy ate his ice cream, paid the cashier, and departed. When the waitress came back, she swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies her tip.

Author Unknown

As I was driving home from work one day, I stopped to watch a local little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-baseline, I asked one of the boys what the score was. "We're behind 14 to nothing," he answered with a smile. "Really," I said. "I have to say you don't look very discouraged." "Discouraged," the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face,

"why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet."

“Often the greatest lifts we receive come from within the ranks of our families. Sometimes the hands needed most are those closest to us. Often the hands closest to us are the strongest…God has decreed family members are to help family members. God has decreed family members are to be a blessing to family members. When some of us in a discouraged frame of mind identify a family member as not worth a hand or a lift, may I remind us that when we continue to lift, regardless of the apparent results, added strength is ours.

The more we lift, the more we are able to lift.”

Marvin J. Ashton

A Childs Love

Jake was a resident of an orphan’s home, one of ten children supported by what contributions the home could secure on a continuous struggle.  There was very little to eat, but at Christmas there always seemed to be a little more than usual to eat, and the home seemed a little warmer.  It was a time for more than usual enjoyment, but more than this, there was the orange.  At Christmas time, each child received an orange; the only time of year that such a rare item was provided… and it was coveted by each child like no other thing they ever possessed.  They would save it for several days, admiring it, feeling it, loving it, and contemplating the moment when they would eat it.  Truly, it was a “piece de resistance” to the Christmas tide, and the year, for many would wait until New Year’s Day or later to eat it.

This Christmas day, Jake had offended the rules of authority at the home in some manner and his punishment was loss of the orange privilege.  After a year of waiting for this rare occasion, and this most desired of all rewards, it was to be denied.  The plaintiff’s pleading was to no avail.  Although the offense was rather minor, still it was an infraction of such rules that must govern in regulated society.  Jake spent Christmas day empty and alone… it even seemed the other children didn’t want to associate with a person who didn’t have an orange.

Night time arrived and this was the worst time of all for Jake; he could not sleep.  There could be no God that would permit a contrite little soul to suffer so much by himself.  Silently, he sobbed for the future of mankind, and perhaps the world, but mostly because he didn’t have an orange like the other kids had.

A soft hand placed on Jake’s shoulder startled him momentarily and an object was quickly shoved into his hands.  The donor disappeared into the dark of the room, leaving Jake with what he did not immediately identify as an orange.  Not a regular run-of-the-orange, but one fabricated from segments of nine other oranges.  Nine other highly prized oranges that would, of necessity, be eaten this day instead of several days hence.

May we all share a part of ourselves this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Warm Skillet Bread with Artichoke Spinach Dip

Warm Skillet Bread with Artichoke Spinach Dip

Ingredients

• Bread Dough: (or use one loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed)
• 2 3/4 – 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. active dry or instant yeast
• 1 tsp. fine salt
• 1 cup milk, warmed but not hot
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter
• Artichoke Spinach Dip:
• 4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (or 1/2 of a 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained)
• 170 ml jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped (can also use regular canned artichokes, about 2/3 cup chopped)
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature (1/2 a typical brick)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce (or any "hot sauce" you like)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded + more for topping
• Salt and pepper
• To serve:
• 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. For making bread dough: (If using pre-made dough, skip ahead to make the dip and then Cutting/shaping dough below)
2. Add two cups of the flour to a large bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook. Add salt and combine. Warm milk to lukewarm. Stir in yeast and let stand a few minutes. Add yeast mixture to bowl, along with the vegetable oil or melted butter. Mix and add additional flour in 1/4 cup increments until a smooth dough forms. Knead until smooth. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Make Dip: Meanwhile, place fresh spinach in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. of water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, leave covered and let stand 15 minutes to cool. Drain spinach well and add to a medium bowl.
4. Add the remaining dip ingredients and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
5. Cutting/shaping dough: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 16 equal pieces. (I cut in half, then each piece in half, then repeat cutting each piece into equal parts until I have 16 pieces). Shape each piece into a ball by pinching the edges together underneath.
6. Generously butter an 8-inch cast-iron skillet. Find a bowl that is about 5 1/2-inches across the top, spray the outside with cooking spray and place it, top side down, in the center of the skillet. (*If you can't find a bowl, take a sheet of tin foil and shape it into a tight circle about 5 1/2-inches around and 1 inch high and place it in the centre. Spray it with cooking spray.
7. Arrange the dough balls around the outside of the skillet, pushing them together as needed until they all fit. Brush dough balls generously with melted butter. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
8. Pre-heat oven to 375° F. with rack in center of oven. Remove bowl from center of skillet. Spoon prepared dip into the center space, pushing it right up to the edge of the dough. Sprinkle top of dip with additional mozzarella/Parmesan. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes, until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped and the dip is bubbly.
9. Remove from oven. Raise oven rack to the top third and switch oven to broil. Sprinkle the rolls with additional mozzarella cheese and return skillet to oven under the broiler, until the cheese and dip is browned.
10. Let skillet stand at least 5-10 minutes, or until just warm (not hot). Add a bit of freshly ground pepper on top, if you like. Do watch the hot skillet handle and wrap in a towel if it is still to hot to hold. Serve with a dip "knife" and let everyone serve themselves.

Mary did you know

I love this song! :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCWN5pJGIE 

"...For unto us a son is Given."

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know.. 

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again.

The lame will leap.

The dumb will speak

The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know

that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know

that your Baby Boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you're holding is the Great, I Am.

Follow His Footsteps to Celebrate His Birth

"If the Savior were among us today, we would find Him where He always was ministering to the meek, the downcast, the humble, the distressed, and the poor in spirit. During this Christmas season and always, may we give to Him by loving as He loves."

 Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Know this, that ev'ry soul is free To choose his life and what he'll be; For this eternal truth is giv'n: That God will force no man to heav'n. He'll call, persuade, direct aright, And bless with wisdom, love, and light, In nameless ways be good and kind, But never force the human mind."

With the pure love of Christ, let us walk in His footsteps as we approach the season celebrating His birth. As we do so, let us remember that He still lives and continues to be the Light of the World, who promised, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  
Thomas S. Monson

Christmas Continues Sacred

Times change, Years speed by, but Christmas continues sacred.

"This Christmas season and always, 

 we give to Him by loving as He loves." 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days". "Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation… cometh the blessing". 

"For most of us… what is required is not to die for Christ but to live for Him. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one's life. But the cross is not as heavy as it appears to be. Through obedience we acquire much greater strength to carry it." 

James E. Faust

Grace, the divine gift of the Atonement, is a healing balm readily available to relieve our pain, a nourishing manna to assuage the hungers of our daily lives.  In the arithmetic of the universe, how may grief, regret or disappointment be accounted for when repentance does not apply or restitution is not possible?  Only God's grace can balance the account. 

Elaine Shaw Sorenson

Maybe the greater blessing for us is to have to walk 

through it with Him.

 D. Todd Christofferson

Perfect Christmas

We have in our minds a picture of how everything should be—the perfect tree, the perfect lights, the perfect gifts, and the perfect family events. … But sooner or later, something unpleasant occurs … and the picture-perfect Christmas we had imagined, the magic we had intended to create, shatters around us.

However, if we focus our hearts and minds on the true spirit of Christmas we will recognize wonderful things happening around us." "It is usually something small—we read a verse of scripture, we hear a sacred carol and really listen to its words, or we witness a sincere expression of love. In one way or another, the Spirit touches our hearts, and we see that Christmas, in its essence, is much more sturdy and enduring than the many minor things of life that we too often use to adorn it.

"We realize in these precious moments what we feel and know in our heart—that Christmas is about the Christ."
 Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Always shine

Cocoa recipe

Homemade Hot Cocoa

yields 5 cups

Ingredients

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup hot water

⅛ tsp salt

4 cups milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Combine the cocoa, sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.

2. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

3. Stir in the milk and heat, but do not boil.

4. Remove from the heat and add vanilla; stir well. Serve immediately

Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) loaf day old French bread

2 and ½ cup milk

1 cup half & half

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, softened

1 and ½ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup pecan, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cube bread the place in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, beat eggs, milk, half & half, sugar, salt, and vanilla to eggs; whisk. Pour over bread. Allow to sit

5 to 10 minutes

4. In another small bowl, combine with a fork, softened butter, brown sugar, and pecans. Mixture will have the

consistency of wet sand.

5. Pour half of the bread mixture into a 8x8 inch pan.

6. Top with half the pecan mixture.

7. Spoon remaining bread mixture over and top with remaining pecan mixture. Press down into pan slightly. Pan

will be really full.

8. Top with remaining pecan mixture.

9. Place pan on a cookie sheet with a edge to catch mixture that may boil over. Bake at 350 degrees F 45 to 55

minutes. Center will be slightly wiggly, but will set when cool.

Let it snow

Very touching live Nativity musical number by "The Piano Guys" and David Archuletta

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLoWt2tfqg&feature=share

 

Twig of faith

:D

....allow Him to work miracles in your life!

The time to listen is when someone needs to be heard. 

 Marvin J. Ashton

 "Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped."  
Marvin J. Ashton

"Greatness is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved." 

Marvin J. Ashton

"Do not allow yourselves to be made to feel inadequate or frustrated because you cannot do everything others seem to be accomplishing. Only you and your Father in Heaven know your needs, strengths, and desires. Around this knowledge your personal course must be charted and your choices made."  

Marvin J. Ashton

"We must remember that each of us is made in the image of God, that no one is unimportant. Everyone matters to Him. Never forget how valuable you truly are, worthy of our Heavenly Father's eternal love. In His eyes, there are no unimportant people, and He wants you to remember how much you mean to Him. No matter how insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten you may feel at times turn to God, and allow Him to work miracles in your life!   Marvin J. Ashton 

God in His infinite wisdom

"As our understanding increases, we realize that tears of sorrow can be exquisitely beautiful and that they ultimately give way to tears of eternal joy."
Glenn L. Pace

"Sometimes in the midst of trials we cry out, 'What have I done wrong to deserve this?' Often, tribulation comes into our lives not because we are doing something wrong but because of what we are doing right. We are striving for the purification and sanctification that will lead us to exaltation. We all must pass through a certain amount of fire so that our spirits will be pliable in the hands of the Lord."

"Each of us must pass through our own Gethsemanes."

Glenn L. Pace

"Let us face head-on where we are and where we want to be, and not dwell on the 'what ifs' of yesterday."   

Hugh W. Pinnock's 

God in His infinite wisdom will 

make all things right in due course. 

Bruce R. McConkie

"The pathway of life is generously sprinkled with hurdles to be overcome and difficulties to be surmounted."  Strength and struggle go hand in hand when we decide that hardships will make us better rather than bitter. 

What matters is not what happens to us, but how we interpret and handle what happens to us. Each of us has the marvelous ability to decide what will become of our lives regardless of whatever challenges we encounter. 

 Sterling W. Sill

Sometimes

Have you ever known a thoroughly depressed person who was counting his or her many blessings-naming them one by one? "Dwelling on what one owes in honest gratitude is one of the Lord's most mighty therapies against depression and despair." 

Truman G. Madsen

Worthiness and perfection don't mean the same thing! All of us are "works in process." We can be worthy while still needing improvement.  
Cecil O. Samuelson

"There are times when the Enemy simply tries to distract us, to lull us into complacency, or to get us so caught up in the comings and goings of mortal life that we lose our focus on the things of eternity." 

Kim B. Clark

 "Do we frequently reject the Lord's love that He pours out upon us in much more abundance than we are willing to receive? Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love? When we allow ourselves to feel 'encircled about eternally in the arms of his love we feel safe, and we realize that we don't need to be immediately perfect. We must acknowledge that perfection is a process. 

This is a gospel of eternal progress, 

and we must remember to appreciate the journey."

Bonnie D. Parkin

"It's not enough to do our best, 

sometimes we must do what is required."  

Wm. Rolfe Kerr

True happiness

"Happiness is a byproduct of helping others. No man ever finds happiness by thinking of himself. True happiness comes when we lose ourselves in the service of others when we are merciful to our fellowmen." 

Royden G. Derrick 

"True happiness comes only by making others happy-the practical application of the Savior's doctrine of losing one's life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring 'peace on earth,' because it means-good will toward all men." 

David O. McKay

"In our day the spirit of giving gifts plays a large role in commemorating the Christmas season. I wonder if we might profit by asking ourselves, What gifts 

would the Lord have me give to Him 

or to others at this precious season of the year?"  

 Thomas S. Monson

 " Gordon B. Hinckley has said that those who reach out to lift and serve others 'will come to know a happiness … never known before. … Heaven knows there are so very, very, very many people in this world who need help. Oh, so very … many. Let's get the cankering out of our lives, stand a little taller and reach a little higher in the service of others.'"   

Joseph B. Wirthlin

"Christmas is a desire to sacrifice for others, to render service, and to possess a feeling of universal brotherhood. It consists of a willingness to forget what you have done for others, and to remember only what others have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and think only of … your duties in the middle distance, and your chance to do good and aid your fellow-men in the foreground-to see that your fellow-men are just as good as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts-to close your book of grievances against the universe, and look about you for a place to sow a few seeds of happiness and go your way unobserved" 

Howard W. Hunter