Category: Jesus Christ

Chasing sunlight

We had some dreary days this week, again. I chased sunlight by working with gold and yellow thread and spending an afternoon with a friend.

I chased it by reading a novel by Amor Towels, a favorite author.

I chased it by listening to a new piece of classical music every day. (See the book, Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton-Hill.)

I found sunlight as I wrote out a story from my dad’s life.

I found it as I studied about the mission of John the Baptist. (See The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ From Bethlehem to the Sermon on the Mount, edited by Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Thomas Wayment.)

This week, rather than put away the Christmas cards, I hung them on an empty wall in my kitchen where they will stay. The faces on the cards feel like sunlight to me.

No resolutions, no word of the year.

I read my planner for pleasure. The cover needs to have a certain feel, and the pages need to accommodate my planning style. This year, I shopped many stores to find just the book. It is my biggest tangible tool for progress. (There are several intangibles, all related to faith practices.) I always have a plan, and often the plan is to do nothing. Still, the New Year invites the concept of resolutions. Should I be making resolutions beyond my intricate system of journals, calendars, planners, targeted goals, and dreams? 😅 I believe resolutions might be for people who are not like me. Don’t mistake me, I have my plan, but I also know how to throw out the plan pretty freely. I write everything in pencil, unless it is a journal of what I have accomplished. This is where I use ink. I recommend this practice.

I work in my paper planner so much, I identify as “a planner.” Being a planner has taught me to be forgiving to myself and to trust the process of small, incremental steps. I don’t feel a lot of personal guilt for things that I can’t accomplish in a day, maybe because I am always looking forward. I definitely have times when I erase goals and move them to a later time slot or cancel them when I fail. Failure is part of the overall plan.

And let’s talk about the word of the year trend among women in my culture. I can see the value, really I can, and I admire the foresight and inspiration that women have about their upcoming year. One word seems inadequate to the many things I lack. Just one? I can think of many. But maybe I am overthinking it…Likely…Absolutely. If cornered with this question, my one word that would inspire me to improve would be Christ. Every single year. But this word is not really playing by the rules.

Just the Baby

Here we are at Hale Center Theater to see A Christmas Carol. It was wonderful.
Temple Square
Tim turned 20 this week.

To celebrate Tim’s birthday, Richard and I made a temple appointment. As I finished our temple session and entered the celestial room, I was greeted by a temple worker as I never have before. He simply said “Hi,” not a more formal “hello” or reverent nod, but a joyful “Hi!” It made me think of the welcome I hope for in heaven, just a familiar “Hi.”

Last Sunday at dinner, I gave a simple baby in a manger to each of our children for Christmas, a reminder that Christmas takes different forms during our lives, and sometimes it feels incomplete, with a loss or absence of a loved one. I have learned that Christmas can still be celebrated without the full scene. The simplest Nativity, without any of the other characters surrounding Christ, is still complete because of the Baby in the manger. Christ is the only essential, and he is always there. I also believe He wants a familiarity with us, a relationship that will continue forever. I believe he also wants to greet us with a familiar, “Hi,” someday.

Praise Him Advent Calendar 2022

2022-Praise-Him-Advent-Calendar

Dear friend,

Here is my 2022 Advent Calendar, with a scripture to praise God every day leading up to Christmas. Whatever you are going through, I know that His goodness, grace, and mercy are able to reach you.

In celebration,

Angela

P. S. If you would like a copy of the pdf file, send me a message. I will be happy to send it to you.

Children Preach, Part 2

This is a continuation of my notes of really heartfelt messages from children’s sacrament meeting presentations that I have attended this fall.

Reflecting on what she learned from reading Daniel in the Old Testament, “I know that Heavenly Father will help us when we face troubles of our own. He gives strength through hard things. He will keep us safe. I am thankful for the example Daniel is to us. (girl, age 10)

After telling the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale, this boy said, “That’s why I like the story of Jonah though; he teaches us how hard it can be when we have to own up to our mistakes and face the consequences. But he also teaches us that through repentance we can be forgiven.” (boy, age 10)

“My favorite name of the Savior is a Shadow by Day and a Pillar by Night because the Savior is there to keep us protected and lead us with his light. (boy, age 9)

My favorite name of the Savior is Light because Jesus is the biggest light in my life! He is a light for me when I am scared. When you’re in the dark you get scared, but when you are in the light you are going to be fine! (girl, age 9)

Spoken with clarity and confidence, this tiny boy had these words memorized, “Jesus Christ came to earth to live as a mortal man. He suffered and died for us. His suffering is called the Atonement. Jesus was resurrected and came to life again. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can live forever with Heavenly Father.” (boy, age 6)

This boy showed his maturity in gospel knowledge by saying, “We believe that Heavenly Father will continue to teach us and reveal many important things through our prophet. I can also receive personal revelation and learn much about Heavenly Father’s plan for me. I am thankful for President Nelson who receives revelation for our Church. And I am thankful for the restoration of the Gospel.” (boy, around age 9)

“I think the gathering of Israel and the Second Coming [are] important because I want to see Jesus again. I think He will visit all the neighborhoods and will knock on everybody’s door and say “Hi” to them. Because I believe in Jesus, I want to do what He would do. He would help those in need. I wanted to help those in need, so I worked to raise money to help people in need at the Road House.” (boy, age 10)

“The Eleventh article of Faith is talking about religious freedom…I am thankful I could choose to be baptized. I know not everyone in the world has the chance to worship any way they want. It is a blessing to have the freedom to believe and act according to my beliefs.” (boy, age 10)

A tiny little girl recited this from memory, “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; Indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul–We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things (with her arms extended and moving in a circular motion, as if to show “many things”), and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” (girl, just barely age 5)

“Whenever I am having a bad day, I can always sing one of the Primary songs to feel better. My faith has grown by understanding each of the Thirteen Articles of Faith and how they make me become closer to Jesus Christ.” (boy, age 11)

Behind the scenes

This is just a portion of the cookies we decorated.
Refreshments and handouts ready to go.

It has been a busy few months preparing for a stake Primary training about temple and family history work. On the day of the training, Paige and I decorated 70 temple cookies, and that was a big job. Thank you, Paige!

Most of the effort to prepare for this evening can’t be shown. Truly, it was not about the pretty cookies. There was a lot of personal and collaborative work. It was a spiritual journey. By the end, I realized this wasn’t “my” training at all. My original ideas for the evening slowly changed to something better, thanks to counseling with my presidency and an enthusiastic high councilor. Answers to prayers came. My small hope for some help from a few temple and family history consultants resulted in around 16 people showing up to teach.

It’s my birthday weekend, and as I look back on my last week of being 47, I can say that it was one of the best weeks. I was with my Sanchez family in the temple, along with Richard, Paige, Daniel, and McKenna. I got to see ordinances performed for people from my own labors in family history research. And towards the end of the week, I believe miracles happened at our training.

We gathered at the grave for my grandparents the morning after we completed their temple ordinances.
Modern apostles, including David A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, Neil L. Andersen and Dale G. Renlund have promised many powerful blessings to those who participate in Family History and Temple Service.