Christmas 2010

Its December 23rd and Christmas is coming!  We're all excited and exhilarated.  As always this Christmas season there are many memories we ponder, and we often hear that question, "What is your most memorable Christmas?"  At the moment I certainly cannot remember any particular one, but I do remember parts of many Christmas's.  My favorite and most cherished memories are of Christmas Eve.  My family has traditions such as receiving new pajamas, reenacting the nativity, eating treats and that's about the jist of it.  I've always loved Christmas Eve so much more than Christmas day, even when I was younger.  With the songs we sang and the activities we indulged in the true spirit of the Christmas season was there, the spirit of Christ.  I would say that the single most influential thing in my life around truely understanding Christmas was these traditions.  I will certainly miss being able to be a part of it this year, but will yet enjoy my Christmas in New York just the same.  May we all strive to remember Christ this season, and not just on Christmas Eve, but rather make it a part of our celebration on Christmas day and through the rest of the year.  I will conclude with my favorite Christmas Carol: Silent Night (I've modified it a little the way I would have it sung, in a cappella).

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Sleep in heavenly peace

Merry Christmas,

Elder John R. Woodworth

The Spirit of Christmas

Its that time of year again, the one we all know and love.  Christmas!  But as always the commercial value of this season seems to overwhelm the airwaves, with advertisements and sales.  As Christians we understand the true meaning of Christmas, is to commemorate the Savior's birth.

"The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's Mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.^[8] "Cristes" is from Greek Christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa (the holy mass). In Greek, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ, and it, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ since the mid-16th century.^[15] Hence, Xmas is sometimes used as an abbreviation for Christmas." -(Wikipedia, Christmas).

I hope that sheds a little more light on the subject of the season.  There are many lesson's to be learned by the nativity story, and  on that I'll dedicate my next few blog entires on that.

The first of which is this statement:
Luke 1
37 For with God nothing shall be ^aimpossible.

This was given to Mary the mother of Christ by the angel Gabriel.  He explained how even Elisabeth, her cousin, had a son and that it was made possible by God.  We all must remember that this was a show of God's power that he truly can do all things.

(Wikipedia has changed the type on the definition above posted.  Links were added later to cross reference to the best source possible through Wikipedia.)

Angel story

 Here is the first edition of stories about how angels blessed our lives.  I only have one today, but please if you have a story, email me it at john.woodworth@myldsmail.net.  All will remain anonymous.  I think that everyone has a story to tell and they can bless us with the truth they entail.  Here is the first:

"Six years ago at the start of 8th grade I got very sick.  I was unable to attend school for the first 2 months.  It was the start of a new school year, groups and cliques had formed by the time I was capable of making it to school.  Because of this, it was hard fore me to make friends.  I was becoming depressed and felt like an outcast.
"My older, (and only) brother had recently entered the mission field.  He had known I was sick, but had no knowledge of the difficulties I was experiencing at school.  Despite this he wrote me a letter that changed my life.  We were not very close friends prior to him leaving on his mission.  The letter told me about how happy he was that we were brothers I looked up to him and wanted to be like him.  Hearing this from someone so important, at such a rough time gave me the self confidence to be courageous in my search for friends.
"Since his return, my brother and I have been the best of friends.  He changed my life at one of the most critical periods in a teenagers life.  He has been an example to me and helped me become the person I am today.  Had he not sent that letter, I don't know what would have happened.  But I do know I would not where I am today.
"I am eternally indebted and grateful for what my brother has done, and continues to do for me."
(Author, Anonymous).

Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day to all!  I love this time of year, just wish football could be a part of it.  Being Thanksgiving time, these are the days when we look at what we are grateful for.  President Thomas S. Monson gave a talk this last October about gratitude from which I will quote:
"We have all experienced times when our focus is on what we lack rather than on our blessings. Said the Greek philosopher Epictetus, 'He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.'⁵
Gratitude is a divine principle. The Lord declared through a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith:
'Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. . . . 
'And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.'⁶
"In the Book of Mormon we are told to 'live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you.'⁷
"Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.
"This is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways.
"We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that 'gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.'⁸
'How can we cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude? President Joseph F. Smith, sixth President of the Church, provided an answer. Said he: 'The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life.' He continued: 'Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!'⁹
"President Smith is telling us that a prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude.
"Do material possessions make us happy and grateful? Perhaps momentarily. However, those things which provide deep and lasting happiness and gratitude are the things which money cannot buy: our families, the gospel, good friends, our health, our abilities, the love we receive from those around us."
-(The Divine Gift 
of Gratitude, President Thomas S. Monson)

Let us all remember what blessings we've been given, and express our gratitude to those who have touched our lives.  And let always remember to thank our God who has provided everything that is needful.

I'm grateful for a family that loves me even for how neglegant I can be and will support through life.  And for friends who have been there in times of need and accept me for who I am, regardless of how reckless I truly am.  Please now if you would comment on what your greatful for.

Goal

Alright everyone, I'm going to do something a little bit different.  I have a goal, or a vision of what I want to see this blog page turn into.  My goal is to involve others through it and incite discussion, like bringing your ideas to pages of the blog instead of just me ranting on.  I have a whole list a awesome ideas I want to bring to the table but I need you help and input.  Firstly, if you have any friends who could use the gospel message, please ask them to check out the blog.  Also don't be afraid to comment or email ideas of what you want to see on the pages.  Its still a work in progress but I need your help.

OK for my first theme I have a particular idea.  I would like any and all to participate in this.  Before I continue here is a snippet from a talk given by Elder Holland.

I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind.  (The Ministry of Angels, October 2008 General Conference.)

I believe we've all seen or met angels in our lives, even for how corny it sounds.  I'm asking you if you would email me a story of when an "angel" so to speak has blessed your life, and please if you would provide a picture, we're all friends here, or if you would like to remain anonymous that will do as well.  I'm not asking for super personal experiences, note.  My email is: john.woodworth@myldsmail.net.  I'll also be sending a shout out to all those on my email list.  So I can't say please enough, PLEASE!!!

Thank You

Trying Not Enough

We've all seen that classic Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back.  And we all remember that corny yet profound line give us by master Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try."  Too often we get caught up in life giving only a partial effort instead of giving it all we got.  This relates to the gospel and gospel living.  Striving to be more Christ-like requires more than a simple try, but all our might and strength.  There is a short story I want to share about just doing it:

"An army officer called a soldier to him and ordered him to take a message to another officer.  The soldier saluted and said, 'I'll try, sir!  I'll try!'  To this the officer responded: 'I don't want you to try, I want you to deliver this message.'  The soldier, somewhat embarrassed, now replied: 'I'll do the best I can sir.'  At this the officer, now disgusted rejoined with some vigor:  'I don't want you to try and I don't want you to do the best you can.  I want you to deliver this message.'  Now the young soldier, straightening to his full height, approached the matter magnificently, as he thought, when he saluted again and said:  'I'll do it or die sir.'  To this the irate officer responded:  'I don't want you to die, I don't want you to merely do the best you can, and I don't want you to try.  Now the request is a reasonable one; the message is important; the distance is not far; you are able-bodied; you can do what I have ordered.  Now get out of here and accomplish your mission.' "  (Spencer W. Kimball.  The Miracle of Forgiveness.)
The Lord is the same way, he expects us to do.  We may fail and fall from time to time, but that is part of the test, to get back on you feet and keep fighting.
Diligence: industrious, not idle of negligent

In what ways can we be mor diligent and not simply try but do?  Please feel free to respond.

Forgive and Forget

I have choosen a topic from which all of us know quite a bit about.  All of us have to forgive and some time or another in our lives but it isn't always easy.  Sometimes it is extremely difficult to let go and to move on.  I'd like to share here a rather insightful definition of forgiveness: “Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.”  Many may still ask why we should forgive, quite simply because it allows us to let go.  It always bothers me when someone says, "I'll forgive, but I'll never forget."  That is not true forgiveness.  If we are to truly forgive someone, we need to put aside our petty differences and look at those persons who wronged us anew.  True you may never forget what they did to us, but if we aren't willing to re-embrace that person, then we are at fault.    
D&C 64
9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to ^aforgive one another; for he that ^bforgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.
10 I, the Lord, will ^aforgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to ^bforgive all men.

Matthew 6
14 For if ye ^aforgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye ^aforgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.


Let us all strive to be better people, I certainly fail at that from time time.  Though forgiving one is never an easy task, it is extremely rewarding.  For all who are reading this blog, I would like to suggest some reading.  Luke 15:11-32 is the parable of the prodigal son, and forgiveness is main theme.  I hope all of you can read through it.

Elder Woodworth

Love Others

Luke 10

  29 But he, willing to ^ajustify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my ^bneighbour?

  30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and ^awounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

  31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

  32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

  33 But a certain ^aSamaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had ^bcompassion on him,

  34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took ^acare of him.

  35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the ^ahost, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

  36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

  37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

    Everyone can learn from the parable of the good Samaritan.  In the previous verses a lawyer is commanded to follow the great commandment (see Luke 10:25-28), from which stems the question in verse 29.  As we also know from history the Samaritans and the Jews were the best of enemies, in fact they were thought of lower than gentiles or Romans (gentiles are all those not of the house of Israel).  Yet the Savior teaches us here to love everyone as neighbors because we are all children of God.  Everyone needs to work on loving our neighbors, but we can't merely pay lip service to this idea, we need to do it!

"Where there is love there is life" -Mohandas Gandhi

First Entry

Isaiah 53: 3-5
This here is my favorite scripture.  Lots of memories connected to it as well as spiritual expriences.  I'm Elder Woodworth a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I'm currently serving a 2 year mission in the area of western New York.

Thank You