Day 331, December 7

“Make yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts! None of us yet know, for none of us have been taught in early youth, what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thoughts, proof against all adversity; bright fancies, satisfied memories, noble histories, faithful sayings, treasure-houses of precious and restful thoughts, which care cannot disturb, nor pain make gloomy, nor poverty take away from us; houses built without hands, for our souls to live in.” --John Ruskin, 19th century writer

I love the imagery of "nests of pleasant thoughts."  I picture happy, industrious birds gathering bits of twigs and straw and angel wings, fashioning nests to shelter their families from a cold world.  We, too, can craft nests.  What thoughts would I put in such a nest?

My gratitude that our tiny (3 pound 1 ounce granddaughter) is now home and growing stronger.
My joy in meeting another granddaughter for the first time.
My pleasure in spending time with my friends.

With so many pleasant thoughts from which to choose, why do I spend so much time and energy on unpleasant ones?  Any answer I come up with is an indictment of my lack of gratitude and my poor attitude.  I resolve to change both.

"The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts: and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible." ~ Montaigne

Joy for today:  building nests of pleasant thoughts.

Day 330, December 6

We shall find peace. We shall hear angels.
We shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds. ~Anton Chekhov

Where do you find peace?  When do you hear angels?  When do you see the sky sparkling with diamonds?  Chances are likely that our answers will be as unique as snowflakes.

I find peace in my home cuddled up with my cat.  I find it when I attend church and partake of the Sacrament.  I find it when I gaze upon pictures of my newest granddaughter.

What about hearing angels?  I hear angels when I attend concerts where my grandchildren are playing an instrument and singing.  I hear angels when I listen to the voices of the Primary children as they sing about Jesus.  I hear angels when I listen intently after giving a prayer.

And the sky sparkling with diamonds?  Crystaline snowflakes dancing in the air outshine any diamond as does the glint of the sun on a glass-smooth lake.

Joy for today:  finding peace, hearing angels, seeing the sky sparkle with diamonds.

Day 329, December 5

" ... to recognize Him as the Creator of the earth, the Redeemer of mankind, the Only Begotten of the Father, the King of kings, the Prince of Peace."

Did you count the number of titles referring to Christ listed in the above?  There were five:  Creator of the earth, the Redeemer of mankind, the Only Begotten of the Father, the King of kings, the Prince of Peace.  There are more names for Him, of course:  Messiah, Counselor, Almighty God, Mediator, Everlasting Savior, Alpha and Omega, the Lamb, and others.

Each of these titles or names refers to Christ's role in saving us, in bringing us back to live with Him and the Father when we have finished our mortal probation here on earth.

Joy for today:  recognizing Him.

Day 328, December 4

"As we draw nearer to Him, we truly begin to find Him and to recognize Him ..."

How do we draw nearer to the Savior?  One of the best ways is to serve His children. Service is often most effective when it is done privately, without fanfare, without drawing attention to the act.  Christ singled out the    
forgotten people, the woman with the "issue of blood," the lepers, those people who were shunned by mainstream society.

We emulate His example when we serve quietly and humbly.  It's great to help our friends and family; it's even greater to help those who cannot give us anything in return.

Joy for today:  drawing nearer to Him.

Day 327, December 3

"As we engage our faith and commit our energy to draw closer to Jesus Christ, we begin to understand more fully who He really is.  As we seek Him diligently, we gain a deep and abiding testimony of His matchless love, His perfect life and example, and the blessings of His great atoning sacrifice.  As we draw nearer to Him, we truly begin to find Him and to recognize Him as the Creator of the earth, the Redeemer of mankind, the Only Begotten of the Father, the King of kings, the Prince of Peace."--Craig C. Christiansen

For the next couple of days, we're going to take apart this quote and examine the pieces.  For today, let's talk about the first part:  How do we "seek Him diligently?"  One way is through prayer.  When we pray to the Father through the Son, we gain a greater appreciation for Christ as our Mediator to the Father.

Another way to "seek Him" is by studying His life.  Through study, we learn that Christ was not about grand gestures, but focused on small acts that had grand results.  Most of us will not have the opportunity to perform grand gestures, but we can each make small acts.

Joy for today:  seeking Him diligently.

Day 326, December 2

One cannot tell when he is going to be healed, so do not try to set an exact time limit. Faith, not time, will determine when the cure will be effected. ~ Paramahansa Yogananda

Do we not all need to be healed in some manner?  Whether we are grieving over the death of a loved one or we are trying to come to terms with an abusive childhood or we are hurting because of the cruel actions of another, all of us need the healing power of the Savior.

As I read the above quote, I struggled with it, wondering if the author meant that if we have faith enough, we will be healed faster.  I don't think that was his intent.  I believe he meant that faith will bring us healing in the Lord's time and in the Lord's way, which are perfect.  The trouble is, we don't understand what His time and His way are.  Our understanding is finite, that of spiritual children who are trying to run before they can walk.

I know my understanding is that of a child.  I see a problem and I want to direct the Lord in how to fix it.  How arrogant.  How foolish.  How naive.  What I see what my mortal eyes is such a tiny part of the larger eternal picture.  I am trying to "let go and let God."

Joy for today:  being healed in the Lord's time and in the Lord's way.

Day 325, December 1

Today is December 1.

For many, New Year's Day is a day of reflection, of goal-setting, of trying to get your life on track--again.  For me, this process starts in December.  In trying to figure out why this is, I came up with a couple of answers.

One: The busy-ness of December can cloud priorities and values.  Though it sounds counter-intuitive, making time to reflect on those priorities and values can restore a measure of peace to the days and deflect some of the busy-ness.

Two:  The buying of gifts causes me to do some self-evaluation:  what do I want in life and what do I want my children and grandchildren to have.  Material gifts are fun, but gifts from the heart matter far more.

Third:  And most important.  Remembering that the Savior should be the center of our activities and thoughts (as He should be throughout the year) requires me to focus on what is truly important ... and what is not.

Joy for today:  reflecting, evaluating, remembering.