Christmas Lessons

 Yaya from Whispering Pines got me this beautiful plate for helping her on a project.  I love it!  It encompasses the way I feel this Christmas.  I have had a beautiful testimony building month.  It seems through trials, life lessons are learned.  I want to preserve this lesson in my journal.

As mentioned before we have a lot of big hits to our budget.  In the midst of all that annoyance, we found out that I had miscalculated the tithing.  We had not paid enough in for our upcoming settlement.  We would have to report this to our church.  Humbling.  Discouraging.  We have been cutting every corner we could making minimum payments, forgoing groceries and using food storage, cutting the entertainment, everything.  We rolled coins, we even withheld allowance for chores that are rarely performed any how.  We scrimped and scrapped and we did it.  We got the money together to make up for my miscalculations.   I feel the love this Christmas.  The warm cozy feeling of knowing you are doing the right thing.  The warmth of the Spirit, whispering reassurances on truths long ago impressed on the heart.  Whispering that all will be well when faith is exercised.  My favorite type of learning is spiritual gifts from the Spirit.

Today, I heated up the oven to make my dad's Christmas present.  No package, box or bag, but instead a homemade German chocolate cake.  This is my dad's personal favorite cake.  My step-mom doesn't bake, so I thought I'd give this a whirl.  I think it turned out okay.  It brought back a lot of memories the smells from this cake.  My mom made this every year for my dad when we grew up for his birthday.  I hope he likes it.  I wish I wasn't the only one who liked this cake in my house.  I certainly do not need to eat a whole one myself.  Lesson learned: it is okay to give gifts of love instead of money.  (things you forget sometimes in the hustle and bustle)

Last lesson of the week, was giving hope even if the talent is in the beginning stages of learning.  Kayla and I finished our first scarves for the pink scarf project.  Kayla made the hot pink one and mine is the pastel.  Each has some imperfections as neither of us our accomplished crocheters.  However, lots of time and love were poured into them.  I kept putting the scarf around my neck to see if the length was long enough and when I got to the finishing point, I could feel the warmth of the hug that is going to be passed on to women having breast cancer surgeries.

Christmas is magical when the love of the Savior is very evident to me. I have enjoyed being less distracted by life this week and being able to hear the lessons being taught.  My heart is full of joy.  I hope I remember these lessons often.  A Merry Christmas it will be.