It’s A Wonderful Time

by Pete Darnall, Guest Writer

What a wonderful time of year! Celebrating the birth of our Savior, decorating our homes, venturing out to find that perfect gift, singing carols, visiting loved ones, and generally feeling that beautiful Christmas Spirit. I love it!

My thoughts this Christmas season, are not so much turned to the giving and receiving of gifts, though that will certainly be on my mind. Over the past couple of years, I have tried to focus more on contemplating the very many blessings that our Father in Heaven has poured out upon me and my family over this past year. And I would invite each of you to join me in this beautiful walk down memory lane.

“Count your many blessings name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God hath done.” I’m not one for singing, but I do enjoy this hymn especially. If we don’t take time to reflect on the blessings that have been bestowed upon us, if we don’t really seek out to recognize and acknowledge each one, then we may well overlook so many ways in which we have been blessed. Sometimes we may feel lost or forgotten or alone. Sometimes we feel like our prayers just bounce off of the ceiling and go no higher. By actively seeking to identify the blessings we have received, we can recognize that we are connected together more closely than we often recognize,

Heavenly Father looks for ways to bless us. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you.” D&C 78:17. This scripture sounds like a mighty big promise. Blessings are already prepared for us. They are awaiting us. And I believe they are being shared with us more often than we see. I think it’s like when you go down the road looking for a particular type of vehicle. Before you look for them you don’t notice them; once you look for them you see them everywhere!

Finally, I think we should also take the time to remember how we have been a blessing to others. This isn’t to pat ourselves on the back and make a show what grand people we are. It is to remember the answer to the question “Have I done any good in the world today?” Over the last month your prayers, fasting, and concern have made a tremendous difference for me, Suzann, and our family. I know that you are making a difference in the lives of many others within your churches and throughout your communities. We need to be able to feel good about the positive differences we make.

As we get into the Holiday Spirit, as we contemplate the birth of our Savior, as we enjoy the fun of the holidays, we can remember: “And he that receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.” D&C 78:19.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Summer morning

Ann Voskamp writes at A Holy Experience,

When the sun slides down windows, beckoning us to come out now, you have time now to come out and be — it’s like hope and grace begin again with every summer day.

And these fleeting summer days unwrap like melting ice cream sandwiches, like gladiolas unfolding unabashedly glad in the garden, like monarchs unfolding out of pearled cocoons in His own perfect time.

Try, but really, are there fresher words than those two: summer morning? Summer mornings and the air thick with the spices of a thousand opening flowers and would it matter if we were one of the winged ones that lived only a handful of summer days, because we could fill those handful of open-handed days with more glory than a cynical seventy years might ever contain?

You unwrap the gifts you’ve always wanted most — when tight hands unfold into open-handed trust.

Ann's friend, photographer Esther Havens, writes,

We can choose to enjoy these moments God has given us to the fullest or let them pass us by.


This summer, I really tried to focus on thankfulness.

Thankfulness for every person’s life I get to be a part of!

We all get to be a part of the stories that are interwoven around us.

Today as I’m reflecting and writing this from Rwanda, tears fill my eyes with thankfulness.

God is good —

and His beauty surrounds us.

Read more here.

What is worship?

Ann Voskamp writes today that

Worship isn’t the add on to the Christian life; worship, praise, thankfulness, is the only language of the Christian life.

The real reason that you’re having a problem with an enslaving habit is because you are not tasting God. I’m not talking about believing God or even obeying God, I’m saying tasting — tasting God.

The secret to freedom from enslaving patterns of sin is worship. You need worship. You need great worship. You need weeping worship. You need glorious worship.

You need to sense God’s greatness and to be moved by it — moved to tears and moved to laughter — moved by who God is and what he has done for you. And this needs to be happening all the time.

This type of worship is the only thing that can replace the little if only fire burning in your heart.

Worship is the thank-you that your whole body speaks.