WEBVTT 00:00:04.469 --> 00:00:07.150 It's that time of year we play our Christmas 00:00:07.150 --> 00:00:09.970 songs and we find the perfect playlist and I 00:00:09.970 --> 00:00:12.929 had a Really cool experience the other day driving 00:00:12.929 --> 00:00:16.690 to work. I had I think it's world's best Christmas 00:00:16.690 --> 00:00:19.030 playlist or something I was listening to on Spotify 00:00:19.030 --> 00:00:23.070 and I I often hear songs I've never heard before 00:00:23.070 --> 00:00:26.129 as I was driving and I was listening to some 00:00:26.129 --> 00:00:29.120 of the words of a song that popped up it talked 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:32.399 about a father's heart how he could hardly wait 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.579 to give his children something too good to believe 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:37.740 and he had been counting down the days until 00:00:37.740 --> 00:00:41.600 he could give him the gift and and it was the 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.840 night before and and then he he talks about God 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.939 is this the way you felt on Christmas Eve the 00:00:47.939 --> 00:00:50.719 night before you gave the greatest gift to me 00:00:50.719 --> 00:00:54.780 and it like pierced my heart. I was like, Whoa, 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:58.619 that puts things in perspective for me. I just, 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:02.479 the way that the verbiage and I had never heard 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:05.159 the song before I had to, I had to go do some 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.680 research and I was driving so I didn't get my 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.739 phone and my phone, my car doesn't tell me what 00:01:09.739 --> 00:01:13.719 song it is. So I, I had just been constantly 00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:17.920 thinking about that verbiage of God, were you, 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:20.819 was this the way you felt on Christmas Eve? just 00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:25.079 thinking about the anticipated birth of his son 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:29.040 to the planet to give all of us the greatest 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:33.900 gift on earth and that really like changed me 00:01:33.900 --> 00:01:37.420 and and anyway I did some research we found the 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:40.900 the lyrics to this and then more of the words 00:01:40.900 --> 00:01:44.120 I'm like wow this is such a powerful song but 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:48.159 it says You planned it out before creation, Jesus 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:51.920 always on your mind, the holiest anticipation 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:56.079 for a Savior in a manger. So close, it's almost 00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:59.540 time. Oh, the joy that's on the way, the Father's 00:01:59.540 --> 00:02:02.439 heart could hardly wait to give his children 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:06.099 something too good to believe. I've been counting 00:02:06.099 --> 00:02:09.560 down the days. I wonder if you did the same the 00:02:09.560 --> 00:02:12.539 night before you gave the greatest gift to me. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:17.599 And I just thought, who sings this? Anyway, long 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.319 story short, we found the artist. So if any of 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:23.740 you want to find that song, it kind of changed 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:28.139 my perspective on Christmas and maybe how God 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:30.560 felt. You know, we think about Mary and Joseph 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:33.060 and the shepherds and the wise men. And, you 00:02:33.060 --> 00:02:35.479 know, I haven't really pushed pause to think 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:40.539 about how maybe God felt. that Christmas Eve. 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:43.840 Yeah, no kidding. Well, well, and even prior 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:47.560 to that, right? I when you came home the other 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:50.300 day and you brought that up to me, Deb, that 00:02:50.300 --> 00:02:53.120 that moment kind of just reframed everything 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.780 for me right then and there. Almost. You know 00:02:55.780 --> 00:02:57.919 what I mean? Yeah, you know, we talk about the 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:02.960 nativity, but. And as a matter of fact, I love 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.580 talking about the nativity. I love talking about 00:03:05.580 --> 00:03:09.680 the events of Christmas and all of those things. 00:03:10.259 --> 00:03:12.960 And David and I actually did two or three Christmases 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:15.539 together where we went through and did some real 00:03:15.539 --> 00:03:19.560 detailed stuff around Christmas, around the nativity, 00:03:19.699 --> 00:03:21.939 around the wise men, around the shepherds, around 00:03:21.939 --> 00:03:26.139 Mary and Joseph and Simeon. And all of that. 00:03:26.939 --> 00:03:29.740 And I look forward to being able to this week 00:03:29.740 --> 00:03:32.080 in Institute do a little thing that we call, 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:34.300 oh, come let us adore him, where we talk about 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:35.500 some of those things. But you know, when you 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:37.819 came home from, I think you were at work or wherever 00:03:37.819 --> 00:03:39.759 you had been, and you said, Scott, you gotta 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:42.199 listen to this. I'm like, holy cow, that just 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:44.620 kinda changed everything, everything for me, 00:03:44.620 --> 00:03:47.280 you know, because I'm not dad. I've had those 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:49.879 experiences where, and I don't remember what 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:51.960 they were, but I can guarantee you, if you ask 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:55.000 Trevor, our oldest son, Trevor, what was a magic 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:57.659 gift that you got, you know? And whatever that 00:03:57.659 --> 00:04:00.650 was, because he's a, pretty imaginative, right? 00:04:00.930 --> 00:04:04.990 Even at 38 years old, I mean, he just has this 00:04:04.990 --> 00:04:07.569 little kid feeling about him. And I can guarantee 00:04:07.569 --> 00:04:10.250 you that there was something. And whatever that 00:04:10.250 --> 00:04:12.530 something was, I can also guarantee you that 00:04:12.530 --> 00:04:16.910 we were so excited to give that to him or to 00:04:16.910 --> 00:04:19.329 any of the others. And I know what that feels 00:04:19.329 --> 00:04:23.910 like to be the giver of a gift that somebody's 00:04:23.910 --> 00:04:27.529 world they think is gonna change. And when we 00:04:27.529 --> 00:04:30.899 talk about... this season, we talk about Christ 00:04:30.899 --> 00:04:33.720 being a gift, and we talk about the giver of 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:35.540 the gift, and when I talk about the giver of 00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:37.540 the gift, I'm thinking of the giver of the gift 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:40.220 of the atonement of Jesus Christ, who is ultimately 00:04:40.220 --> 00:04:42.680 God, but I always think of Jesus Christ first, 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:45.160 and this just totally reframed it for me. You 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:47.759 know, in Revelations, there's a scripture, in 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.300 Revelations, I think 13, eight, or something 00:04:51.300 --> 00:04:56.300 like that, that talks about how Christ's crucifixion 00:04:56.300 --> 00:04:58.660 was even talked about in our pre -existence. 00:04:58.819 --> 00:05:01.920 So it wasn't like a big surprise to Heavenly 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.899 Father. This is a gift he had been planning to 00:05:04.899 --> 00:05:07.560 give to us. since the beginning of eternity. 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:10.360 Yeah. You know, it made me think about, and I've 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:12.259 shared this story before about Jessica talking 00:05:12.259 --> 00:05:14.920 about leaving the pre -existence and how she 00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:17.079 told me, Heavenly Father was sad when I left. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:20.319 And I just think, how sad was he when Jesus left? 00:05:20.540 --> 00:05:23.139 You know, I mean, not more sad. I mean, probably, 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:25.959 I don't know, but it just made me reflect on 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:30.800 that and just ponder, you know, we all had our 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:34.220 turn to leave the pre -existence. We were all 00:05:34.220 --> 00:05:37.420 there. And we've all, you know, we're all coming 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:40.379 here and then we'll all return back. But I just 00:05:40.379 --> 00:05:45.040 think, you know, what was it like when the Spirit, 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:49.019 when Jesus' Spirit left and came into that manger? 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:52.660 Yeah. you know, in the city of David. Right. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:55.560 And that's a big deal. But, you know, and I've 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:59.439 always seen that as being a big deal and impactful. 00:05:59.980 --> 00:06:02.040 You know, one of the most important things that 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:04.660 has ever happened in eternity, of course, was 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:08.319 the Savior's Jesus Christ advent into mortality. 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:12.339 But maybe, Deb, I don't know. I mean, I've got 00:06:12.339 --> 00:06:14.759 this has got my wills turning in my head, you 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:19.529 know, first off, because You know, again, in 00:06:19.529 --> 00:06:21.870 Revelation 13, eight, it says the lamb was slain 00:06:21.870 --> 00:06:24.209 before the foundation of the world. And so God 00:06:24.209 --> 00:06:26.790 knew this gift was going to be given to us. And 00:06:26.790 --> 00:06:29.850 so, you know, when I hear us say sometimes like 00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:32.649 he was sad that we left and he was sad that Jesus, 00:06:32.689 --> 00:06:34.250 and I know what you mean by that, but I don't 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:37.290 think he was sad. I think that he was joyful 00:06:37.290 --> 00:06:42.430 because this was the solution. This was the solution 00:06:42.430 --> 00:06:46.009 to our returning to him. So it was a gift to 00:06:46.009 --> 00:06:49.399 us that we We knew about right from the very 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:51.879 beginning. Obviously, the veil creates a little 00:06:51.879 --> 00:06:54.839 problem for us. Right. Well, and he knew the 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:56.839 whole picture, too. Exactly, the beginning from 00:06:56.839 --> 00:06:58.759 the end. But even knowing that he was going to 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:01.079 come down here and suffer and go through the 00:07:01.079 --> 00:07:02.720 things that he was going to suffer, I'm sure 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:05.360 he felt something. Oh, 100%. I'm sure he felt 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:07.980 something. You know, it's interesting because, 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:11.699 you know, our son, Bowen, is in a joint custody, 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:13.899 and he's away from his son right now. His son 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:16.279 is across the country. Yeah. And we had a little 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:18.300 gathering on things. that was really painful 00:07:18.300 --> 00:07:20.740 for him. He missed his son. It was painful for 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:23.819 all of us. It was painful for all of us. And 00:07:23.819 --> 00:07:27.300 it was one of those, you know, little moments 00:07:27.300 --> 00:07:32.740 that helps us remember that separation is temporary 00:07:32.740 --> 00:07:36.100 and not permanent. But it's separation nonetheless. 00:07:36.819 --> 00:07:40.800 Yes. Nonetheless. And separation can be difficult 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:44.139 and painful. And, you know, that's what we feel 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:47.519 here. is that separation when we talk about our 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:50.660 separation from Heavenly Father coming to earth 00:07:50.660 --> 00:07:52.899 and and then going through all that we need to 00:07:52.899 --> 00:07:57.759 go through and needing a Savior to come and redeem 00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:59.819 us from the effects of the fall of Adam and Eve. 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:02.660 I mean what greater gift is there? Oh yeah there 00:08:02.660 --> 00:08:05.060 isn't one and it's just like it's just like the 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:08.699 verbiage in this song to give his children something 00:08:08.699 --> 00:08:14.509 too good to believe. I just thought there's no 00:08:14.509 --> 00:08:18.389 greater gift literally for all of God's children 00:08:18.389 --> 00:08:22.029 because that is our hope to return home. This 00:08:22.029 --> 00:08:24.810 isn't our home. I mean, this is a temporarily, 00:08:24.810 --> 00:08:29.490 you know, playground or, you know, learning ground 00:08:29.490 --> 00:08:32.289 or whatever in school. And, you know, we get 00:08:32.289 --> 00:08:34.389 to learn a lot of things here, but ultimately 00:08:34.389 --> 00:08:36.110 we're going to live, you know, we're going to 00:08:36.110 --> 00:08:38.549 go back and live with him. And, you know, even 00:08:38.549 --> 00:08:43.990 when Jesus Came here and then he knew the will 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:46.230 of the father. I mean as an infant, you know, 00:08:46.389 --> 00:08:52.409 so vulnerable so so meek that he was just 100 00:08:52.409 --> 00:08:56.750 % dependent on on Mary and Joseph and I don't 00:08:56.750 --> 00:09:00.129 know I just it it just has really changed the 00:09:00.129 --> 00:09:03.850 way I have looked at the gift and the giver of 00:09:03.850 --> 00:09:06.350 the gift because I always I always you know, 00:09:06.490 --> 00:09:09.450 just thought oh, you know, we're celebrating 00:09:09.629 --> 00:09:12.509 you know baby Jesus baby Jesus baby Jesus right 00:09:12.509 --> 00:09:14.690 you know and the nativities that are just flooding 00:09:14.690 --> 00:09:17.629 my home and most people's homes and this time 00:09:17.629 --> 00:09:21.830 of year and you know I I love it I love it but 00:09:21.830 --> 00:09:25.110 then I think but ultimately who was the giver 00:09:25.110 --> 00:09:28.149 and and ultimately what did he give he didn't 00:09:28.149 --> 00:09:31.480 just give us a solution right Mean we think of 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:34.919 it that way and ultimately that's where we have 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:38.100 the manifestation I think of the gift and the 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:40.740 many gifts that come through the main gift of 00:09:40.740 --> 00:09:43.299 Jesus Christ his son But but you know what babe? 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.500 He was given so much more to us than than just 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:49.139 a solution to a problem think about this You 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:52.259 know think about our wounds. He gave us a healer 00:09:52.259 --> 00:09:56.299 for every single wound that we experienced spiritual 00:09:56.299 --> 00:09:59.759 yeah physical All of them, right? Think about 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:05.460 this. He gave us a Redeemer for every sin. Every 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:08.440 sin, and you notice I didn't say every sin that 00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:11.120 I commit. He gave us a Redeemer for every sin. 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:14.980 I'm affected by sin. I'm affected by your sin. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.100 You're affected by my sin. We're all affected 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:19.960 by each other's sin. You can't sin in a bubble. 00:10:20.419 --> 00:10:24.000 And we have a Redeemer for all of that. Every 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.419 sin. Think of this. We have strength in every 00:10:27.419 --> 00:10:32.100 weakness because of the gift. And I don't know 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:35.000 about the rest of the world, I think I do, but 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.480 we all have weakness and we need that strength. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.639 And we think of the enabling that comes with 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.220 the strength. He enables us to do things that 00:10:43.220 --> 00:10:46.659 are far bigger than we are capable of doing on 00:10:46.659 --> 00:10:49.889 our own. Exactly. Well, and then think of this, 00:10:50.269 --> 00:10:52.929 you know, you and I know people who have been 00:10:52.929 --> 00:10:55.990 and are currently in some pretty dark places. 00:10:56.789 --> 00:10:58.889 You and I have been in some pretty dark places. 00:10:59.669 --> 00:11:02.710 Maybe many, if not most of our listeners have 00:11:02.710 --> 00:11:04.830 been in some pretty dark places. And so because 00:11:04.830 --> 00:11:08.769 of this gift, there's light in the darkness. 00:11:09.289 --> 00:11:12.169 In every dark place, we can have light because 00:11:12.169 --> 00:11:15.129 of that gift. Here's one more I have that I thought 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:17.909 about, you know, in every hopeless place that 00:11:17.909 --> 00:11:20.690 we've ever been, you've been hopeless, I've felt 00:11:20.690 --> 00:11:23.309 hopeless, we've all felt that. But because of 00:11:23.309 --> 00:11:26.750 the gift, now we have hope in every hopeless, 00:11:27.049 --> 00:11:29.850 potentially in every hopeless situation, right? 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:33.409 I love that too. And I go back to Nick's comment 00:11:33.409 --> 00:11:36.350 about Jesus likes to get his hands dirty, which 00:11:36.350 --> 00:11:40.629 is true. He meets us in the darkness. Yeah, thinking 00:11:40.629 --> 00:11:46.340 about Jesus as a gift. You know, I also had an 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.620 eye -opening experience this morning, you know, 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:52.860 feeling sorry for myself, comparing why I'm, 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:55.120 you know, not having what everybody else is having 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.659 and experiencing what everybody else is experiencing. 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:00.659 And in my prayer and scripture study this morning, 00:12:01.179 --> 00:12:06.480 I got that little reprimand. And I was listening 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:10.440 to a conference talk and listened to the humble 00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:14.179 and meek beginnings that the Savior came, you 00:12:14.179 --> 00:12:18.360 know, almost basically homeless. But I just thought, 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:25.379 oh Deb, stop it. You know, it's, we have, we 00:12:25.379 --> 00:12:29.419 have, I have a tendency to, to, you know, pick 00:12:29.419 --> 00:12:34.379 up my crybaby, you know, attitude and feel sorry 00:12:34.379 --> 00:12:38.899 for myself. And I, I often, you know, when I 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:43.259 push pause and I, I reflect and remember you 00:12:43.259 --> 00:12:47.860 know Jesus really is such a gift to me and and 00:12:47.860 --> 00:12:52.159 his life and his example and his you know every 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:55.100 every single thing he did was by the will of 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:58.279 the Father and I've really tried to pick that 00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:00.360 up and carry it not my will but thine be done 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:03.059 not my will but thine be done and it's like I'm 00:13:03.059 --> 00:13:05.500 where I need to be because I'm doing thy will 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:07.919 I'm doing what I'm doing because I want to do 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:10.820 thy will I've often thought about, you know, 00:13:10.940 --> 00:13:12.919 the humble beginnings. You just talk about humble 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:14.860 beginnings. You know, I think about the humble 00:13:14.860 --> 00:13:17.899 beginnings and, yeah, homeless and, you know, 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:22.379 whatever, but humble beginnings. I don't want 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:24.899 to over exaggerate for the sake of over exaggerating, 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:31.429 but he was born in a manger. in a con, you know, 00:13:31.570 --> 00:13:33.750 in a con's a little bit different than what we 00:13:33.750 --> 00:13:37.690 think of as a manger. It was actually a place 00:13:37.690 --> 00:13:40.149 where people would come and stay, like a hotel, 00:13:40.570 --> 00:13:42.889 and there was no room for them in one of those 00:13:42.889 --> 00:13:44.950 rooms. So they actually literally had to go stay 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:47.690 out in the barn area, the manger area, where 00:13:47.690 --> 00:13:52.590 the animals were, right? And I think about that. 00:13:52.750 --> 00:13:55.570 I look at Bethlehem differently. since we had 00:13:55.570 --> 00:13:58.289 this discussion the other day. When I remember 00:13:58.289 --> 00:14:00.370 what the Father was giving, a manger, that was 00:14:00.370 --> 00:14:04.649 no accident. That was a message. I think that 00:14:04.649 --> 00:14:06.529 was a message to each of us. An important message 00:14:06.529 --> 00:14:08.809 when you push pause and really reflect on it. 00:14:09.090 --> 00:14:12.610 Right, because humility actually defined his 00:14:12.610 --> 00:14:15.429 entire mission. He came down, not just from heaven 00:14:15.429 --> 00:14:18.529 to earth, but into our own experiences and into 00:14:18.529 --> 00:14:22.090 our vulnerability and in places where we hide. 00:14:24.090 --> 00:14:29.269 I think that that's a totally different view 00:14:29.269 --> 00:14:32.610 than just being born in a manger, to me, right? 00:14:33.789 --> 00:14:37.110 It wasn't an accident. No, absolutely. It's all 00:14:37.110 --> 00:14:40.289 part of the plan. It was a message. Yeah, yeah. 00:14:40.629 --> 00:14:44.049 And when the king of king is born in a stable, 00:14:44.889 --> 00:14:47.570 it means he's not afraid to enter our mess. I 00:14:47.570 --> 00:14:52.480 know, yeah. part of our lives any part of our 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.759 world you know we we I recently listened to a 00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:58.159 story about a gentleman serving a mission in 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:01.059 a third world country and how these people had 00:15:01.059 --> 00:15:04.100 there were tons of people in that lived in this 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:06.840 little shack and how they invited him over it 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:08.919 was a missionary and he they invited him over 00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:11.120 for Thanksgiving dinner and he goes honestly 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:12.860 as a young missionary I wasn't looking forward 00:15:12.860 --> 00:15:15.720 to it because they had nothing and he says and 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:19.259 when we arrived there were two chairs And a table 00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:22.740 full of food and this entire family sat around 00:15:22.740 --> 00:15:25.899 the edge and watched these two missionaries eat 00:15:25.899 --> 00:15:30.480 this feast and Every child and adult were just 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:34.360 grinning ear to ear so happy to give that gift 00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:39.559 and I think You know what? Where's my gift giving 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:42.799 skills? You know what you know? We can really 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:45.159 put a mirror in front of our face and say what 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:49.399 am I willing to give that kind of gift, clear 00:15:49.399 --> 00:15:53.879 from the soul, intentional, and on purpose, you 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:57.500 know? I love your perspective on that. My perspective 00:15:57.500 --> 00:16:01.799 on that is a little different. I've been a missionary. 00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:05.399 I've been in a situation where I didn't necessarily 00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:09.159 want or appreciate a member's kindness. You know 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:11.700 what I mean? Sure. If I were to sit at a table 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:14.039 like that with my companion across the table 00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:17.509 from me and others watching me eat, The most 00:16:17.509 --> 00:16:20.009 difficult part of that whole night would be for 00:16:20.009 --> 00:16:26.399 me to receive that gift interesting I see the 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.480 sacrifice in the giving of that gift just like 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:31.860 I see the sacrifice in the giving of the gift 00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:34.659 of Jesus Christ from our Heavenly Father. And 00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:36.679 knowing that it was planned from the very beginning 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:39.059 from before the foundations of the world helps 00:16:39.059 --> 00:16:43.519 me to have more hope and more faith and actually 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:46.440 be a little gentler on myself because Heavenly 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:48.799 Father knew I would need this gift from the very 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.950 beginning. Yeah, but we are willingness to receive 00:16:51.950 --> 00:16:54.549 it. How do I receive it? That's interesting. 00:16:54.730 --> 00:16:56.250 That would be difficult because as soon as you're 00:16:56.250 --> 00:16:58.710 telling me, you know, the missionaries are sitting 00:16:58.710 --> 00:17:00.350 and everybody's watching them eat, I'm getting 00:17:00.350 --> 00:17:03.950 uncomfortable. I mean, my skin's crawling uncomfortable 00:17:03.950 --> 00:17:06.210 because I don't want to receive that gift because 00:17:06.210 --> 00:17:08.150 if that's the case, that means they're going 00:17:08.150 --> 00:17:11.829 without. There's a huge sacrifice attached to 00:17:11.829 --> 00:17:14.690 all of this. So how do I receive this gift? Yeah. 00:17:15.289 --> 00:17:17.410 And I guess there's something to be said about 00:17:17.410 --> 00:17:20.380 that. Maybe they before you don't know that. 00:17:20.839 --> 00:17:24.019 Right. Well, the fact of the matter is, you know, 00:17:24.019 --> 00:17:26.539 sometimes it's just as hard to receive that gift 00:17:26.539 --> 00:17:29.759 as it is to give that gift. I know. Well, you 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:32.259 know, and I'm also wondering, well, what does 00:17:32.259 --> 00:17:35.400 this gift to me mean right now? You know, you 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:38.920 know, one of the the names of Jesus is Emmanuel, 00:17:39.339 --> 00:17:45.420 which is God with us, not above us, not distant. 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:51.319 but with us. And when we think of being with 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:53.960 us, there's many different connotations to that 00:17:53.960 --> 00:17:58.160 thought. When I'm with somebody, that means I 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:01.740 can just share the same space. I could be with 00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:06.140 a friend in my car, right? But when I'm with 00:18:06.140 --> 00:18:10.569 you, When you come to me and you say, Scott, 00:18:10.630 --> 00:18:13.710 we have to be more united or we have to be this 00:18:13.710 --> 00:18:17.309 or we should do this, or I come to you with an 00:18:17.309 --> 00:18:19.630 idea or a concept or something that will draw 00:18:19.630 --> 00:18:21.690 us closer to Heavenly Father or anything else, 00:18:21.750 --> 00:18:25.950 and I say, yeah, Deb, I'm with you. That's different 00:18:25.950 --> 00:18:28.730 than just sitting by you. That's an emotional 00:18:28.730 --> 00:18:32.349 investment, right? That's more than just an emotional 00:18:32.349 --> 00:18:35.349 investment. That's a complete commitment to you. 00:18:35.869 --> 00:18:39.779 Deb, I'm with you. You know, Emmanuel, God with 00:18:39.779 --> 00:18:42.900 us, that doesn't just mean He's next to me. That 00:18:42.900 --> 00:18:44.579 doesn't just mean He's in the same room with 00:18:44.579 --> 00:18:48.539 me. That means if I align with Him, He will dwell 00:18:48.539 --> 00:18:51.440 within me. What does that feel like when He's 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:55.410 with you, Scott? when you fill him with you. 00:18:55.450 --> 00:18:58.829 When I fill God with me. So let me explain. When 00:18:58.829 --> 00:19:00.910 I fill God with me, the way that I would define 00:19:00.910 --> 00:19:03.369 that is anytime that I'm filling the presence 00:19:03.369 --> 00:19:08.190 of the Holy Ghost or participating in any kind 00:19:08.190 --> 00:19:12.309 of what I call instruments of grace. You know, 00:19:12.369 --> 00:19:15.430 so for example, I felt God today now when I got 00:19:15.430 --> 00:19:18.789 out of bed this morning It was a fine day. No 00:19:18.789 --> 00:19:25.230 big deal Today's my birthday Thanks, we're celebrating 00:19:25.230 --> 00:19:28.390 my 50th birthday for like the 12th time or something 00:19:28.390 --> 00:19:32.940 like that I think but But no big deal, you know, 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:36.000 and I do my dailies. I got up and I read a little 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:39.359 bit of AA material this morning, and I did a 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.720 little writing, and I did a little scripture 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:44.380 study, and I've done a lot of scripture study 00:19:44.380 --> 00:19:47.319 throughout the day. That's kind of a blessing 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:50.440 that I have an opportunity to do sometimes, and 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:53.420 I've done that today. But the way that I really 00:19:53.420 --> 00:19:56.759 feel him, Dub, is when I get to participate in 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:01.339 service towards him. When I see his work at work 00:20:01.339 --> 00:20:04.220 or when I see the manifestations or the effects 00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:06.700 of Christ's Atonement, I had an opportunity today 00:20:06.700 --> 00:20:10.759 to, again, offer a blessing, a priesthood blessing 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:14.140 to another young man who struggles with major, 00:20:14.180 --> 00:20:16.720 major, major depression, stuff like I've never 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:19.519 seen before. And when he came, he was hopeless. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:23.160 And when he left, he still felt a little bit. 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:26.039 but he was feeling a little bit better. And then 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:28.920 later in the day, I got this long text from him, 00:20:29.099 --> 00:20:34.059 and I wept the entire time I sat there and read 00:20:34.059 --> 00:20:38.319 that. God had changed his life through the Spirit. 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:42.160 And that's one of the things for me. Anytime 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:45.559 I can feel the Spirit, I know that God's at work 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:47.750 in my life. And we talk about it all the time, 00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:49.950 almost to the point where it's like, you know, 00:20:50.150 --> 00:20:51.869 I think people around me are like, Scott, you're 00:20:51.869 --> 00:20:53.690 a broken record. You say the same thing over 00:20:53.690 --> 00:20:56.490 and over and over again. Well, it's true. It's 00:20:56.490 --> 00:20:59.490 because it's true. Yeah. Yeah. It is true. Yeah. 00:20:59.690 --> 00:21:01.509 And so that's how I, you know, that's what it 00:21:01.509 --> 00:21:03.569 looks like when I feel the spirit or when I know 00:21:03.569 --> 00:21:05.930 that God's with me. You know, God will direct 00:21:05.930 --> 00:21:08.829 me. I'll have a thought. I'll pick up a phone. 00:21:09.029 --> 00:21:12.269 I know I've learned today that when I think about 00:21:12.269 --> 00:21:14.029 somebody, I pick up the phone and call them. 00:21:14.029 --> 00:21:16.769 Yeah. I don't know if that's God puttin' their 00:21:16.769 --> 00:21:19.609 name in my head or not, and many times it is. 00:21:20.210 --> 00:21:21.950 I'll call him, I'll just say, I was just thinkin' 00:21:21.950 --> 00:21:25.630 about you. Yeah, and then, yeah, the Spirit puttin' 00:21:25.630 --> 00:21:28.250 that in my head or what, but I'll just call him, 00:21:28.329 --> 00:21:31.210 hey, how's it goin', oh, and more times than 00:21:31.210 --> 00:21:32.869 not, well, probably not more times than not, 00:21:32.890 --> 00:21:36.589 but a lot of times, that phone call needed to 00:21:36.589 --> 00:21:40.009 be made. You know? Yeah, it's the Spirit. How 00:21:40.009 --> 00:21:45.589 do you? For sure. I think it's more, for me, 00:21:45.869 --> 00:21:52.369 peace. I get really distracted in the world, 00:21:52.869 --> 00:21:57.450 and I let work get me a little riled. I let... 00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:59.720 you know, my kid thing, you know, if there's 00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:01.980 things going on with my kids, I stress and worry. 00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:04.400 And even though I know I shouldn't, because that 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:06.279 was one thing I always judged about my mom and 00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:07.920 my grandma. I was like, you guys worry too much. 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:10.880 Good grief, quit stressing. And I find myself 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:13.500 doing the very same thing. But I think I think 00:22:13.500 --> 00:22:16.400 when I really feel Him is when there's peace. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.319 And one of the number one places I feel peace 00:22:19.319 --> 00:22:24.039 is in the temple. I love the temple. I love being 00:22:24.039 --> 00:22:30.480 in Jesus. When I enter into His house, I feel 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:33.180 Him. I feel that peace, I feel that calm, I feel 00:22:33.180 --> 00:22:36.539 that stillness. And I just be still and know 00:22:36.539 --> 00:22:39.240 that I am God is the temple for me. I love that. 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:44.019 Yeah, I love that too. You know, one of the things 00:22:44.019 --> 00:22:46.779 that you asked me, what was your question? How 00:22:46.779 --> 00:22:49.119 do I know God's my life or how do I feel it or 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:52.920 what does that look like or whatever? But, you 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:56.339 know, one of the questions that... One of the 00:22:56.339 --> 00:22:58.799 questions that I'd like to consider and invite 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:00.980 our listeners to consider is what does this gift 00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:04.279 to me? What does this gift mean to me right now? 00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:08.380 You know As we talked about, you know, we know 00:23:08.380 --> 00:23:11.920 that he's with us We know that he's behind us 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:15.839 that he's strengthening us enabling us Compensating 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:18.440 us all the things that we talked about but but 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:21.109 what you know One of the things that I think 00:23:21.109 --> 00:23:24.230 we sometimes get a little bit confused is that 00:23:24.230 --> 00:23:26.829 we sometimes see the atonement of Jesus Christ 00:23:26.829 --> 00:23:30.369 as like a spiritual debt relief. You know what 00:23:30.369 --> 00:23:33.849 I mean by that? Like I owe this huge debt now 00:23:33.849 --> 00:23:36.869 because of the atonement I don't owe the of Jesus 00:23:36.869 --> 00:23:39.789 Christ. I don't owe that debt anymore, right? 00:23:39.829 --> 00:23:43.569 But that's not what it is at all. I mean, you 00:23:43.569 --> 00:23:47.410 know, our sins are paid for. We are redeemed. 00:23:47.410 --> 00:23:51.480 All of that for sure. But what it really is, 00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:54.819 is it's strength, right? It gives me strength, 00:23:55.019 --> 00:23:59.940 it strengthens me to overcome. Enabling power 00:23:59.940 --> 00:24:04.420 to overcome my sin, right? Compensating grace 00:24:04.420 --> 00:24:08.720 to overcome the things that. derail me from the 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:11.920 past, present, future, whatever. And you know 00:24:11.920 --> 00:24:16.799 what? Finally, I think maybe one of the greatest 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:19.200 things that the atonement of Jesus Christ allows 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:21.880 for me is transformation, change. I don't have 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:25.160 to stay the same. Isn't that a relief sometimes? 00:24:25.299 --> 00:24:28.779 Oh, my goodness. I know. Yeah. Yeah, I just don't 00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:32.619 have to remain the same. Well, his birth, Jesus's 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:36.130 birth declares something about us, too. we are 00:24:36.130 --> 00:24:40.509 worth our Heavenly Father's greatest gift and 00:24:40.509 --> 00:24:43.990 the anticipation he had on Christmas Eve to give 00:24:43.990 --> 00:24:47.170 us the greatest gift we could ever imagine. We 00:24:47.170 --> 00:24:50.869 are worth that price and he was willing to pay 00:24:50.869 --> 00:24:55.029 every single one of us. I never thought of it 00:24:55.029 --> 00:24:58.630 that way. Yeah, his willingness to give this 00:24:58.630 --> 00:25:03.329 gift says a lot about me. I don't think we... 00:25:03.329 --> 00:25:05.690 I've never considered that until this moment. 00:25:06.049 --> 00:25:09.990 Seriously. Yeah. I don't think we really truly 00:25:09.990 --> 00:25:15.730 know who we truly are. Yeah, I love that. Well, 00:25:15.730 --> 00:25:18.809 I realized listening to that song, I hadn't been 00:25:18.809 --> 00:25:21.230 receiving the gift as fully as I had thought. 00:25:21.509 --> 00:25:23.589 And I'd been busy and distracted, like I said, 00:25:23.670 --> 00:25:26.349 overwhelmed. But I think, you know, finding peace, 00:25:26.630 --> 00:25:31.420 I decided my word for 2026 is peace. I just want 00:25:31.420 --> 00:25:36.140 more peace because life gets too busy. And I'm 00:25:36.140 --> 00:25:37.960 known as people. People always say, I know you're 00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:39.319 busy. I know you're busy. And I don't want to 00:25:39.319 --> 00:25:41.619 be known as busy. I want to be known as peaceful. 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:48.480 Or maybe just happy. Just peace. So I think more 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:51.059 than anything, this song helped me just kind 00:25:51.059 --> 00:25:52.839 of push pause and just put on a different set 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:56.400 of glasses and look at things very, very differently. 00:25:56.660 --> 00:26:00.440 Right. Well, and you know, I think it helps us 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:02.319 as we just kind of wrap everything up here I 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:04.980 think it helps us we're really focusing on receiving 00:26:04.980 --> 00:26:07.619 him this season Receiving that gift like you 00:26:07.619 --> 00:26:09.640 said exactly that table being uncomfortable. 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:12.200 Yeah, we might be uncomfortable receiving it 00:26:12.200 --> 00:26:15.759 But it doesn't mean being perfect true. It doesn't 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:19.839 mean it does mean however That we turn towards 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:22.900 him. Yeah, right and we turn towards him with 00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:26.349 complete Honesty or as much honesty as we can 00:26:26.349 --> 00:26:29.309 muster and I realize that sometimes that comes 00:26:29.309 --> 00:26:33.410 in layers and Etc and and and and we need to 00:26:33.410 --> 00:26:36.890 turn towards him with our needs Right, I think 00:26:36.890 --> 00:26:39.049 and I don't know if this is true, especially 00:26:39.049 --> 00:26:42.289 for men or not, but I sure find myself having 00:26:42.289 --> 00:26:48.789 a Deep compelling whatever within myself to cowboy 00:26:48.789 --> 00:26:55.150 up to just buck up Scott, right? And I know that, 00:26:55.150 --> 00:26:57.549 you know, that gift allows me to be different 00:26:57.549 --> 00:27:01.529 from that. The other thing is receiving doesn't 00:27:01.529 --> 00:27:04.930 mean being perfect. It means turning towards 00:27:04.930 --> 00:27:08.910 him. Again, receiving him doesn't mean being 00:27:08.910 --> 00:27:11.950 perfect. It means turning towards him with openness, 00:27:12.809 --> 00:27:16.049 right? Vulnerability. You know, we think it's 00:27:16.049 --> 00:27:18.309 so easy to think, and I've done this, you know, 00:27:18.349 --> 00:27:21.039 we'll go take your sins to the Lord. talk to 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:24.339 him about them. Well, he already knows. That's 00:27:24.339 --> 00:27:27.039 what I would think. He already knows. I don't 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:28.920 need to do it with openness. But he wants to 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:31.720 hear that you know. 100%. And he wants to know 00:27:31.720 --> 00:27:37.440 that I know that he knows. And that I know that 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:40.400 he knows that I know that there's a solution 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:44.400 in his son, the gift. That you have faith in 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:47.539 the name. Yeah. And maybe more importantly, I 00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:50.970 can't receive it without humility. And that's 00:27:50.970 --> 00:27:53.869 a difficult one for many of us especially people 00:27:53.869 --> 00:27:56.809 like me. That's a really difficult one You know 00:27:56.809 --> 00:28:00.269 sometimes so, you know as long as I can remember 00:28:00.269 --> 00:28:05.130 this That receiving him is all about my relationship 00:28:05.130 --> 00:28:08.710 with him knowing him loving him striving to be 00:28:08.710 --> 00:28:12.250 like him Knowing him loving him striving to be 00:28:12.250 --> 00:28:14.210 like him. It's all about that relationship. It's 00:28:14.210 --> 00:28:18.730 not a checkbox It's not did I or didn't I or 00:28:18.730 --> 00:28:21.130 should I or shouldn't I or you should have or 00:28:21.130 --> 00:28:23.910 you shouldn't have. It's about my relationship 00:28:23.910 --> 00:28:27.289 with him. And I need to continue to develop that. 00:28:27.369 --> 00:28:29.769 Yeah. And especially this time of year, sometimes 00:28:29.769 --> 00:28:34.750 the most spiritual thing we can do is that Christmas 00:28:34.750 --> 00:28:39.190 song still, still, still slow down, slow down 00:28:39.190 --> 00:28:42.450 long enough to let him in. find that peace, find 00:28:42.450 --> 00:28:46.529 that, I always go back to the sacrament of eating 00:28:46.529 --> 00:28:49.670 that little piece of, that broken torn piece 00:28:49.670 --> 00:28:53.230 of bread and ingesting, putting Jesus inside 00:28:53.230 --> 00:28:56.690 and wearing the garment to wear on the outside. 00:28:57.069 --> 00:28:59.369 You know, it's just, it's just, we need more 00:28:59.369 --> 00:29:07.109 Him in our lives. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I, as 00:29:07.109 --> 00:29:12.720 I, you know, reflect back on That song I don't 00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:14.559 think it was an accident that that played because 00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:18.720 I had never heard that song before and This time 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.019 of year. I just love all Christmas music. It's 00:29:22.019 --> 00:29:26.720 the fun the silly the Joyful that I love it all 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:30.460 and it was just no accident that that particular 00:29:30.460 --> 00:29:35.529 one had come up, I found the artist, it was Jordan 00:29:35.529 --> 00:29:39.690 St. Cyr, C -Y -R. So if anybody wants to look 00:29:39.690 --> 00:29:42.990 it up, it's called Christmas Eve. Yeah, it's 00:29:42.990 --> 00:29:48.490 such a great, great message. Anyway, I just felt 00:29:48.490 --> 00:29:50.369 like that was something that I would like to 00:29:50.369 --> 00:29:54.430 share with, you know, our listeners and even 00:29:54.430 --> 00:29:56.809 something that I can go reflect back on, because 00:29:56.809 --> 00:29:59.809 as soon as, you know, we push stop or whatever. 00:30:00.629 --> 00:30:04.710 I'll forget, and life gets noisy and life gets 00:30:04.710 --> 00:30:08.109 busy, but I'm grateful for this pause and this 00:30:08.109 --> 00:30:10.769 moment to just be able to reflect and remember 00:30:10.769 --> 00:30:13.990 and thank, literally thank my Heavenly Father 00:30:13.990 --> 00:30:18.569 for the most precious gift. I love that. I'm 00:30:18.569 --> 00:30:20.769 glad you had that experience. I think our listeners 00:30:20.769 --> 00:30:22.650 are glad you had that experience. This has really 00:30:22.650 --> 00:30:25.829 opened my eyes a lot and has been life changing. 00:30:26.049 --> 00:30:29.369 It's changed how I see things. I love that I 00:30:29.369 --> 00:30:32.490 can be at this age, the 12th anniversary of my 00:30:32.490 --> 00:30:36.769 50th birthday. For those of you who are struggling 00:30:36.769 --> 00:30:39.930 with math at 62, but I can be at this age and 00:30:39.930 --> 00:30:43.089 I can have an experience that opens something 00:30:43.089 --> 00:30:46.579 new to me in my experience with Christmas. I 00:30:46.579 --> 00:30:48.880 never considered that. I know what it's like 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:51.319 to be a father and how excited I am to give the 00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:53.980 gift, to give the gift of magic and all that 00:30:53.980 --> 00:30:57.400 stuff to my children. I never thought of Heavenly 00:30:57.400 --> 00:31:00.559 Father having that. That most precious gift. 00:31:03.079 --> 00:31:06.160 I know Christ didn't necessarily come. There's 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.240 a lot of discussion around exactly when was he 00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:12.380 really born. But symbolically, we celebrate Christ 00:31:12.380 --> 00:31:14.619 coming in the winter. And I know that many of 00:31:14.619 --> 00:31:18.019 us have various seasons in our lives. And, you 00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:21.059 know, physically speaking, we are in the winter 00:31:21.059 --> 00:31:25.660 time here in the northern hemisphere. David and 00:31:25.660 --> 00:31:28.619 his friends in the southern hemisphere are not 00:31:28.619 --> 00:31:31.039 quite experiencing the same way that we are. 00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:34.019 But nonetheless, we're in winter. And I know 00:31:34.019 --> 00:31:39.460 that Christ came into one of my winters in a 00:31:39.460 --> 00:31:42.799 really important time. And I think that I'm so 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:44.839 grateful that you helped me realize today that 00:31:44.839 --> 00:31:48.809 Heavenly Father was so happy. that I received 00:31:48.809 --> 00:31:51.289 that gift finally in that winter time. You know, 00:31:51.470 --> 00:31:53.730 it was... You sat at that table and enjoyed the 00:31:53.730 --> 00:31:56.970 meal. It was, yeah, exactly. Yeah, as uncomfortable 00:31:56.970 --> 00:31:59.349 as it may have felt. So uncomfortable. But October 00:31:59.349 --> 00:32:04.650 26, 1998, when he, when he allowed me to be broken 00:32:04.650 --> 00:32:07.670 enough or when I was broken enough to allow him 00:32:07.670 --> 00:32:10.970 into my life and to change everything, I was 00:32:10.970 --> 00:32:15.079 literally reborn. not in a day, but in a process. 00:32:15.579 --> 00:32:19.019 And that's continuing to happen to me because 00:32:19.019 --> 00:32:22.839 of his redemption. I'm so grateful for it. I'm 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:25.819 grateful for this time of year and the moments 00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:27.900 that it causes us to reflect. I hope I can just 00:32:27.900 --> 00:32:32.180 remember this all year, not just this time of 00:32:32.180 --> 00:32:36.599 year. And I hope I can find other messages, you 00:32:36.599 --> 00:32:42.130 know, those little miracles. So, my invitation 00:32:42.130 --> 00:32:46.130 is simple. Let the Father's gift be the center 00:32:46.130 --> 00:32:50.130 of your Christmas. Let Jesus be more than a story. 00:32:50.670 --> 00:32:53.150 Let Him be your strength, your peace, and your 00:32:53.150 --> 00:32:55.589 light. And you know what? Don't just rush past 00:32:55.589 --> 00:33:00.349 it. Slow down. Still, still, still. Receive Him. 00:33:00.789 --> 00:33:03.670 Let Him meet you wherever you are this season. 00:33:03.930 --> 00:33:06.569 And realize that He is willing to meet you wherever 00:33:06.569 --> 00:33:10.859 you are this season. He wants to be there with 00:33:10.859 --> 00:33:15.420 you. Yeah. Well, I know our Heavenly Father sent 00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:19.779 His Son because He loves me and all of us personally. 00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:25.180 He didn't give Him generically. He gave Him to 00:33:25.180 --> 00:33:29.599 me and to you. Yeah, so true. You know, and Deb, 00:33:29.700 --> 00:33:33.539 I testify that Jesus Christ is the gift that 00:33:33.539 --> 00:33:36.210 changes everything. He changes your past, He 00:33:36.210 --> 00:33:38.430 changes your present, He changes your future. 00:33:39.280 --> 00:33:42.819 And most importantly, he helps us through our 00:33:42.819 --> 00:33:47.240 identity determine our eternity. He is our eternity. 00:33:48.039 --> 00:33:51.500 I'm so grateful for that. During this Christmas 00:33:51.500 --> 00:33:53.839 season, we hope that you'll receive him. We hope 00:33:53.839 --> 00:33:56.220 that you'll consider and accept the invitation 00:33:56.220 --> 00:33:59.380 to allow him more freely and more completely 00:33:59.380 --> 00:34:01.380 in your life. Thanks for being with us today. 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:04.259 If you like what you're hearing here, please 00:34:04.259 --> 00:34:08.739 share it. Also, don't forget that you can reach 00:34:08.679 --> 00:34:12.739 that he redeems us at gmail .com with any comments 00:34:12.739 --> 00:34:15.079 or questions that you may have. May this season 00:34:15.079 --> 00:34:18.539 be great for you and may God's love be ever present 00:34:18.539 --> 00:34:21.440 in your life, we pray. Have a great one everybody. 00:34:22.119 --> 00:34:22.639 Love you.