Brightening My Light

 ldsclipart.com  Sacrament meeting is the most important hour of the week. It is the reason we attend church. And yet, it seems to be when we are the most irreverent. During sacrament meeting, people are talking, texting, sleeping, eating, preparing lessons, reading scriptures, and playing with babies. What's worse is when these things go on during the actual passing of the sacrament, the time we should be thinking of Christ, His Atonement, and the covenants we made. It is the time to reflect on our week, repent of our mistakes, and promise to improve. We should also be reverent during the talks. You all know how daunting it is to go up there. We should give the speakers our respect and attention, no matter how boring or "bad" the talk is. As John Bytheway notes in his talk "The Best Three Hours of the Week," we decide what we get out of church. There is no such thing as a bad talk; we can always come away with something if we are listening with the Spir

painting by Liz Lemon Swindle I love this painting of Mary and baby Jesus, featured on lds.org. Reminds me of my own "holy [i]nfant, so tender and mild" ("Silent Night," Hymns , 204). Can you imagine being the mother of Jesus and getting to see Him grow, watching His milestones, teaching Him how to walk and talk? Can you imagine cuddling with Him, playing with Him, singing Him to sleep? Mary was truly blessed among women ( Luke 1:28, 42 )! Challenge: Treat your children as if you were raising Christ. All are children of God!

In conjunction with the previous post, I have listed below three articles that will help you accomplish some of the Christmas activities: How to Remember Christ during Christmas How to Have a Family Christmas Pageant How to Do Random Acts of Kindness Sharing Time: Any other ideas?

Mesa Temple ....for missionary work! There is no better time to share the gospel than during the Christmas season. People are more receptive because the Spirit is strong, everyone is kind and cheerful, and there is a lot of focus on Christ. Invite friends and family to: walk the temple grounds, especially if it has a visitors' center, is decorated with lights and a nativity, or hosts mini concerts. watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional the first Sunday in December. watch Joy to the World , the Church's short DVD on the Savior's birth. watch any Christmas video by the Church. read or reenact the story of Christ's birth. go to a religious Christmas pageant. participate in service. attend your ward's Christmas party. go caroling, singing Christmas hymns. write letters or send care packages to missionaries. join you for Family Home Evening. come to church. read the Book of Mormon. Challenge: Invite friends or family to do one of the above activities. Share you