I am filled with so much love and gratitude this Christmas season. We have received blessing upon blessing. It is quite overwhelming and joyous all at the same time. We are blessed to have wonderful friends and family who love us. I am thankful for this each day. When we were sealed in the temple two years ago, we moved to Sherwood. This town has been an idyllic place to start a family and grow friendships that will last us forever. Our ward could not be more kind and caring. They welcomed us into the ward the day after we were married and have been a shining example of love and friendship ever since.
We have been blessed with a steady job. Jesse is working at Sprint and is excited to go to work each day. He is learning new skills and gaining more knowledge. He enjoys being able to help people and this is a place that he can do that. I am grateful that our lives are slowing down from their frantic pace and become predictable and boring.
We have been blessed by caring friends and neighbors who have left many surprises on our doorstep. I cannot express the overwhelming joy each gift brought to my heart. I have had more tears brought to my eyes in the past week than in many months. You have given me the spirit of Christmas in abundance. Thank you for acting by the spirit and sharing the spirit of giving.
We have been blessed to hold wonderful callings in the church this year. Jesse is a ward missionary. He loves going out each week and visiting families as well as joining the missionaries for some testimony filled lessons. We have seen a wonderful young man accept the gospel and be baptized recently. This brought back so many memories. We are blessed to be a part of his life and to be able to share in the joy and wonderment the gospel brings. I have been the teacher for the Valiant 8 class. What a great experience that has been. I had 12 amazing kids, nine of which were boys! That is a lot of 9-year-old boys in one tiny room each Sunday. I have had the opportunity to see them change, to see them dive into the scriptures and yearn for more. I have watched as they gained self-confidence and made decisions to stand for what they believe in, to stand as witnesses of Christ. They are amazing and I will miss them very much next year.
We have been blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives. The perspective that his teachings give us leave us with no fear of, possibly, any circumstance. We saw this financially throughout the entire year. We know the blessings of tithing are real and worth it. We have seen little to no money come in for months yet our bills are always paid. We have been blessed with food and shelter. We have learned what is needed and what is wanted, but not necessary. We have learned what really matters. Paying a full tithe brings more than just financial security; it brings stores of knowledge that help us in every part of life.
Most of all, I have been blessed with my testimony. That is the gift I would like to give most to my family and friends. Material possessions only last so long but the peace and joy that a firm testimony brings are endless. I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know that he is aware of my sorrows, my struggles, and my joys. I know that he is there with me through all of them. I know Jesus Christ suffered and died for me that I may repent and live with him again. I know that if we follow the teachings of this gospel we will find more peace and joy in this life than sorrow and suffering. This does not mean nothing bad will ever happen to us, but that we will be able to see our way out of it. We will be able to have hope. Someone once asked me how I could know these things. I know these things because I witness them in my life every day. I know these things because I choose to live the gospel of Christ. I know I would lose this knowledge the minute I chose otherwise.
We are grateful for all those around us. We feel very loved this holiday season. We wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
