WEBVTT

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Hey everybody, welcome back to redeem through

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his blood at Scott got Deb here. Hey Deb. Hi

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Hello friends. How are you sweetie? I'm good.

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Good. Good. Good. Good Deb and I just got back

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from a really fun weekend It's kind of an annual.

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I almost want to call it a pilgrimage Yeah, almost

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a pilgrimage we go down to the national finals

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rodeo every year Buy our tickets in March, February,

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March, April, and go in December. Go with Craig

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and Carmen, our cousins, my cousin closest to

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me in age, so my oldest and longest time. Earthly

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mortal friend. It's kind of cool. You know, we've

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been Craig Craig and I have been building memories

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since we were in diapers And I think and you

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will until you're in diapers again, I knew I

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knew you were gonna go there I knew you were

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started there. I I really teed that up well for

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you, didn't I? Oh, that's funny. Yeah, anyway,

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a lot of fun at the rodeo. We always do. And

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this year was no exception. Before I get into

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all that, though, because it will lead into our

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topic today. Last week, we talked about the gift

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of God's Son. I just loved the idea that you

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had around that and how important that was. We've

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got a lot of response about it, actually. a couple

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of emails and so forth and appreciate that. You

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can email us just to remind you he redeems us

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at gmail .com Responded to a couple recently

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have a young lady who might be going through

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some stuff Deb that under needed to understand

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and have some Maybe the podcast around forgiveness

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I can really yeah, I know that she wanted to

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share your experience with somebody and Yeah,

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so I thought that was cool. You needed to know

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you needed to know about that But anyway back

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to back to that topic of last week. Have you

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had something that you you said you? kind of

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felt like you wanted to. Well, it's interesting

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because I'm kind of a delayed, you know, when

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somebody says something to you and you have a,

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you think later about the response, I should

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have said this. I had that moment this last week

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with our topic and it hit me because we were

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down at the NFR. National Finals Rodeo, and I

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see John 3 .16 everywhere, and I'm like, that

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is exactly what we were talking about in our

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podcast. Not that this is a new scripture to

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me, but it's like. for God so loved the world

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he loved us that he gave his only begotten son

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that whosoever believeth in him should not perish

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but have everlasting life what do we want more

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than anything everlasting life i'm like why didn't

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i say john 3 16 so there's my there's my late

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response to last episodes It just kind of high

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-fived me in the forehead and said, duh, Deb,

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you've seen this your entire life around Christmas

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time, for God so loved the world. Yeah, and he

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does love us. He did give us his son. If you

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haven't listened to last week's episode, I encourage

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you to go back and do it. It's just a gem, absolute

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gem, because of some of the stuff that Deb brought

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up in that, and it's a great one. Anyway, thanks

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for doing that. Well, just remember John 3 16.

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You know, you know what, you know, one of the

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things that I love about rodeo and kind of the

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Western lifestyle is when we go there, you know,

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I don't know if you'll remember, I'm sure you

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do. We were there for so as this is a 10 night

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event, it's literally the Super Bowl of rodeo,

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right? And each night, they begin the rodeo with

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a prayer. and the Pledge of Allegiance. Yeah,

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they do. The prayer first, though. Yeah, they

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do. Before anything. They say a prayer. And I

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think it was the ninth night. Whoever said the

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prayer really spent a lot of time talking about

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how grateful we are this time of year for the

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gift of God's Son to provide forgiveness. And

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I think it was even said something along the

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lines to answer the effects of the fallen world

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because we are in a fallen world. Don't know.

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I think the more we live the more obvious it

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becomes that we're definitely in a fallen world

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but that but that's one of those things that

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just It's a it's a little positive thing in an

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area where there's just a total It's total chaos

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in the middle of Vegas. There's a pause there

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for a prayer. Yeah, it's pretty cool Yeah, it

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is pretty cool. Yeah, and you know, it was it

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was noisy. They have what's called cowboy Christmas

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And it's everywhere on these big venues and big

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events. And there's tons of swag. I mean, I don't

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even know what to call it. There's vendors from

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big trucks and trailers and, you know, hauling.

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What do they even call those? I don't know. And

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campers, trailers, trailers that have horses.

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And then you can live in them down to little

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trinkets and ornaments. jewelry and clothing

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and boots and hats and like literally cowboy

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Christmas and I remember a couple years ago we

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went down there and I was like I need nothing

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absolutely nothing and I ended up buying a whole

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bunch of stuff a set of patio furniture that

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has a 35 year warranty. Good thing you brought

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up that 35 year warranty that does dissipate

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some of the pain for me for sure. It's so funny

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anyway. It's just noisy and it's cowboy Christmas.

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But it's Christmas and it's crazy and there's

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chaos and we did take time to go to sacrament

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meeting on Sunday which was just a wonderful

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experience. We went to the temple on Saturday

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morning. We like diversity. changed, you know,

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when we first started going to this many, many.

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Over a decade and a half ago, you know, we were

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younger and had a lot more energy and wanted

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to see and do a lot more. And now today we just

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slow down and go to the temple and as soon as

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the road is over, we go back to the hotel. But

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you know what? Admit all that chaos, you know,

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and it's pretty apropos for this time of year

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to just everywhere you go, you have an opportunity

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to submerge yourself in chaos. We're in the middle

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of Christmas. in the middle of Christmas season.

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It's almost here. About a week, you know this

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I don't think this will be our last episode before

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Christmas We may be able to squeeze one in next

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week, but let's be honest, you know It'll be

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the days before Christmas and I'm not sure that

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we're all gonna get the time to listen anyway

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Because it just gets so crazy this time and we're

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busy Yeah, the hustle and bustle. Yes. Yeah concerts

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and performances and plays and I mean all kinds

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of Christmas things that we can go attend and

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you know our grandkids or kids or or or even

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if you want to just go enjoy a concert of some

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sort, Christmas concerts, you know, and play.

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Anyway, there's just so much going on. It's a

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glorious mess. Yeah, but with that glorious mess,

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you know, there's, for example, there's going

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to be some things for grandkids this Christmas

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season that unfortunately, because of a work

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schedule, I got to be in Miami in a couple of

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days for work to speak and do a few things. We

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miss the family Christmas. We miss a family Christmas

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party where we're gonna have to miss a couple

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of those grandkids things I will But the point

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is the point is is this is how Christmas can

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be, you know We get we get so many expectations

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and we get so wrapped up and even Even the good

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parts of Christmas we get so wrapped up in okay.

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We got to be here We got to get our ministering

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families all of these little things We got to

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make sure that we get our Christmas cards out

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We've got to make sure that we respond to we

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got to make sure we write to the missionaries

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We got to make sure that we're donating here

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We got to make sure that we're spending time

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here and just even saying this is exhausting

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me Yeah, right And so with all of that... It's

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the expectations we put on Christmas, for sure.

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Well, and I think it's the expectations that

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are put on Christmas by our society, by each

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one of us individually or whatever. But you know

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what happens when we do that? You know, the seed

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of resentment is expectation. A hundred percent.

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So when I get all of these expectations going

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around a holiday season or around anything else

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for that matter I'm really set myself up for

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an opportunity for whatever that is in this case

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Christmas or the Christmas season or the Christmas

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holiday to be affected. Maybe even ruined if

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something doesn't happen the way that I see that

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it should happen. Does that make sense? And I've

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been thinking a lot about that. There's a lot

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of expectations. we put on ourselves that others

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also could be putting on us that we may not know

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about. Well, as a mom and a grandma, I always

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like to have things in perfect order. Now, saying

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that, I do serve our Christmas dinner and our

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Thanksgiving dinner on paper plates and plastic.

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Forks and spoons because we have so many kids.

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However, I have this dream somewhere in my world

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that you know How awesome would it be to sit

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up to a table like dress, you know with China

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and a candle burning and it's just not my world

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It's as much as I would love that. It is just

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not my world. I don't know why but it's just

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it's It's how life really is it's like I have

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seven children with spouses and 16 grandkids

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and our gatherings get messy and noisy and chaotic.

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I think that's our message this week. You know,

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Christmas doesn't have to exist in ideal circumstances

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in order for Christmas to have the meaning that

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Christmas should have, right? Yeah, it's taken

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me a long time to realize that. I'm still trying

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to practice it, too. I'm trying to get better

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at it. For sure. Because I still have those.

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You know, I still have those. But here's the

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thing, Deb. Let's think about it. You know, why

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should Christmas be perfect? Because he was perfect,

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we want a perfect Christmas. Celebrate perfection?

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I don't know. Yeah, I guess so. But the first

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Christmas, what if the expectation around the

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first Christmas was perfection? You know what

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I've thought about that, and his nursery was

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not ready. I mean, let's just go to that detail

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in and of itself. It's like, you know, I look

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at these new moms that, and I was a new mom once,

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and I had to get the nursery all ready for the

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baby. It's like, where was Jesus' nursery? And

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I realize that was not the day and time, but

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it really does make you push pause and reflect

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on the importance, because His birth was not

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ideal. No, and it doesn't matter the day and

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time. Whatever the day and time is, the circumstances

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that Jesus was born into was sub... par to any

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any conditions of that. Yeah, exactly. Yeah,

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exactly. Yeah. Right. And she almost feel better.

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I mean, it makes me like, oh, it kind of gives

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me the reason to exhale because it's like, where

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are we really comparing ourselves? I know to

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Jesus or to others. Well, you know what I mean?

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And I think the answer to that's clear 100 percent.

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But it really makes me push pause. Yeah. Put

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the mirror in front of my face, for sure. Yeah.

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Yeah, well it will you know I want to just kind

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of take this and break it down a little bit You

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know let's let's just consider for example the

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conditions around the first Christmas now We're

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not going to get in I think we mentioned this

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last week We're not going to do a full traditional

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Christmas layout here. We didn't last week We're

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not going to this week, and we won't next week

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either We have done those in years past and encourage

00:12:22.059 --> 00:12:24.700
you that if you want to go back and Really get

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into some interesting detail that David had to

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to to share with us just an awesome awesome experience

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to go back and do that but we're gonna we're

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gonna talk about more along the lines of how

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do how does think how do things compare today

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to us and for us to what it was like maybe for

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them so let's think about that you know what

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were the conditions around that first Christmas

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number one Mary and Joseph were under Roman decree

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they're being forced politically to move, and

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we know that that was not probably 100 % pleasant.

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There's no room for them anywhere. Yeah, not

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staying in any hotel or anything. They couldn't

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stay in the inn. No, they couldn't stay in the

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inn. Part of the con, they had to go into the

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manger, and Jesus was born in a very lowly of

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circumstances, as you just mentioned, among the

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animals. God didn't wait. for peace on earth

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before he sent. Or until the circumstance was

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perfect. Exactly. Yeah, that's a good point.

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Yeah. That's a really good point. He didn't wait

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for that ideal circumstance to say, OK, now the

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King of Kings can be born. Right. That's that's

00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:42.879
an interesting way to look at that. Right. That

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God that loves us so much. Wow. Yeah. He sent

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us the answer in the middle and in the midst

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of humility and lowly of heart and all of that.

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Right. But so that helps me to understand that

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joy didn't result from the calm. It created the

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calm. Well, you think about Silent Night. When

00:14:07.950 --> 00:14:10.950
it says all is calm all is bright that star shone

00:14:10.950 --> 00:14:13.429
bright And I think it caused a lot of people

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that were living in that chaos They were not

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the only ones having to go under Roman decree.

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They were not the only ones that didn't have

00:14:21.490 --> 00:14:23.429
room in the inn You know what? I mean, there

00:14:23.429 --> 00:14:26.330
was a lot of chaos going on but when you think

00:14:26.330 --> 00:14:30.090
about the Calmness that came when that star shone

00:14:30.090 --> 00:14:32.950
so bright it got the shepherds attention. It

00:14:32.950 --> 00:14:37.100
got the wise men's attention it was all as calm

00:14:37.100 --> 00:14:40.159
all as bright what part do you think was calm

00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:42.340
and bright because there was chaos still going

00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:46.580
on just like I'm gonna go back to the NFR because

00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:49.919
I have association there but you know we went

00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:53.360
down the strip and and watch you know the the

00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:56.320
chaos and crazy and the noise and whatever it

00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.159
is and you can find what you're looking for and

00:14:59.159 --> 00:15:02.450
then you can go enter into a chapel or enter

00:15:02.450 --> 00:15:05.730
into a temple and find peace where all is calm

00:15:05.730 --> 00:15:08.990
and all is bright. So it's like, you know, and

00:15:08.990 --> 00:15:13.529
when Christ was born, yeah, He was born in the

00:15:13.529 --> 00:15:18.289
chaos, but He brought that joy and calm with

00:15:18.289 --> 00:15:21.889
Him, like all babies do. And I think the idea

00:15:21.889 --> 00:15:25.740
here is then, is that Christmas is... We shouldn't

00:15:25.740 --> 00:15:28.120
treat it with the fragility that we sometimes

00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:31.039
treat it. It's not fragile. You know, it's never

00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:34.019
going to be perfect. Probably. I mean, for some,

00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:37.100
maybe. You know, I doubt it. But for some, maybe.

00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:39.379
It depends on the expectation of what perfection

00:15:39.379 --> 00:15:43.120
is, what perfect means. You're 100 % right about

00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:46.279
that. To be able to manage those expectations,

00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:48.899
Deb, to the extent that we're able to manage

00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:53.580
those expectations through the lens of the spirit

00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:59.190
that that allows us to have a more peaceful time

00:15:59.190 --> 00:16:03.250
during this season. Well, I think, too, it's

00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:08.309
important to be able to go into the season and

00:16:08.309 --> 00:16:11.970
into the parties and to whatever it is that you

00:16:11.970 --> 00:16:15.289
plan or that you plan to attend or whatever that

00:16:15.289 --> 00:16:20.100
is of whatever. It's that, you know, it's like

00:16:20.100 --> 00:16:23.639
this could be calm and this could be chaos. And

00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.519
whatever it is, it's supposed to be and just

00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:29.139
honor where it is. You know what I mean? It's

00:16:29.139 --> 00:16:35.659
like our family gathering. It's when they start

00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:38.039
coming, it's peaceful and calm and welcoming.

00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.539
And then when we start getting the food out and

00:16:40.539 --> 00:16:43.759
things get spilled and kids tip over and cry

00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:47.480
or whatever happens. I mean, it gets it gets

00:16:47.480 --> 00:16:50.600
noisy and chaotic, but it's perfect. The chaos

00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:54.259
is perfect. The noise is perfect. The calm is

00:16:54.259 --> 00:16:58.639
perfect. The mess is perfect. And if we look

00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.559
at it with the expectation that it's all meant

00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:05.740
to be, it's all supposed to happen the way it's

00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:08.119
supposed to happen. Uncle so and so gets all

00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:10.839
upset because somebody said the wrong thing or

00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:13.259
whatever. I mean, there could be so many, so

00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:17.480
many things played out in whatever it looks like

00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:20.700
but just knowing literally when you when I go

00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:26.140
into a that a party or when I ever I host a party

00:17:26.140 --> 00:17:31.720
when I have the attitude of whatever for me it's

00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:33.579
important that I remember what we said earlier

00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:36.819
so I'm going to restate it which is this Christmas

00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:40.180
doesn't depend on ideal conditions right and

00:17:40.180 --> 00:17:46.450
Christ came in chaos and joy came with him, and

00:17:46.450 --> 00:17:50.690
joy came with him in chaos. And so, you know,

00:17:50.690 --> 00:17:54.289
how do we have joy in chaos? We look for Christ,

00:17:54.589 --> 00:17:57.349
right? I mean, that's just, so I think there's

00:17:57.349 --> 00:17:59.049
a couple of things that we really kind of need

00:17:59.049 --> 00:18:01.150
to make sure that we're identifying here, what

00:18:01.150 --> 00:18:04.650
that even means. So number one, we have to disassociate

00:18:04.650 --> 00:18:08.029
joy with happiness. Joy does not necessarily

00:18:08.029 --> 00:18:12.099
mean happiness, right? So what do I mean by that?

00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:14.920
I mean how would you explain the difference between

00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:19.339
or how joy and happiness, how is there a differentiation

00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:23.099
there? I think it's happiness as the world sees

00:18:23.099 --> 00:18:26.279
it or happiness or joy as our happiness as the

00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:28.900
Lord sees it because I think you can you can

00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:32.539
be joy you can have joy and happiness. However,

00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:36.900
I think we have this, again, expectation of what

00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:40.019
really brings us happiness in this life. Is it

00:18:40.019 --> 00:18:43.000
the perfect gift? Is it the perfect situation?

00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:47.220
Is it the perfect whatever? I think it's where

00:18:47.220 --> 00:18:51.359
our focus is. And when we focus on the worldly

00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:54.819
piece of what really makes us happy, there was

00:18:54.819 --> 00:18:57.759
a quote when President Nelson says, happiness

00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:01.140
is not about what's happening in your life, it's

00:19:01.140 --> 00:19:04.880
about the focus in your life. So who are we focusing

00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:08.539
on? Not what's happening, but who are we focusing

00:19:08.539 --> 00:19:11.099
on? And I think that's where joy comes from,

00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:14.279
right? Joy, if you really think about, for me,

00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:18.559
joy, presence plus meaning. You know, so in other

00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:22.480
words, but to have people present, you know,

00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:25.950
there. people of meaning in my life. That's where

00:19:25.950 --> 00:19:29.670
joy comes from. And it's not necessarily how

00:19:29.670 --> 00:19:31.769
they show up. It's just that they show up or

00:19:31.769 --> 00:19:33.569
that they desire to show up. And sometimes that

00:19:33.569 --> 00:19:36.490
just can't happen. But you know who showed up?

00:19:36.970 --> 00:19:40.250
And when we think about this, one of the names

00:19:40.250 --> 00:19:44.369
for Jesus is Emmanuel. Which means? God with

00:19:44.369 --> 00:19:49.470
us. Not God after us, but God with us. He is

00:19:49.470 --> 00:19:52.589
among us now. You know, one thing about Emmanuel

00:19:52.589 --> 00:19:58.250
is God with us. He also delivers. Another word

00:19:58.250 --> 00:20:02.450
for him is deliverer. Yeah. And he delivers peace

00:20:02.450 --> 00:20:05.589
and joy. Yeah, you know what? And that's a great

00:20:05.589 --> 00:20:08.309
point. Remember a few weeks ago when we were

00:20:08.309 --> 00:20:10.910
talking about when we were talking to Nick and

00:20:10.910 --> 00:20:15.569
Crystal? And Nick said that Jesus likes to get

00:20:15.569 --> 00:20:20.450
his hands dirty, right? We do find joy in the,

00:20:20.470 --> 00:20:23.250
did you say brokenness? Brokenness, messiness,

00:20:23.690 --> 00:20:27.970
or dirt, or whatever. Anything that doesn't feel

00:20:27.970 --> 00:20:32.579
right or misaligned. Right? We can find joy there

00:20:32.579 --> 00:20:35.579
if we find Him there. And so, Deb, are you suggesting

00:20:35.579 --> 00:20:37.980
then that in the middle of chaos and in the middle

00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:42.079
of non -met or un -met expectations and disappointment

00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:45.539
and all of that that comes in potentially in

00:20:45.539 --> 00:20:48.440
at Christmas season, that we still may find joy

00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:54.119
to the world? You know what? Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:59.259
I think the joy is where our focus is. I think

00:20:59.259 --> 00:21:02.960
that's truly the bottom line here is what are

00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:06.079
we really focused on? And to gather as a family

00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:11.140
or to even be invited to, you know, a stranger,

00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:14.200
be invited by a stranger or invite a stranger

00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:18.799
in, you know? I mean, that's, you know, everybody

00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.920
loves that connection and being present and being

00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:27.980
noticed and being... You know fed whether it's

00:21:27.980 --> 00:21:30.519
a physical food or whether it's you know, one

00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:33.160
of the traditions I love that we do is our little

00:21:33.160 --> 00:21:35.740
nativity We have all the grandkids dress up and

00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:37.619
some of them know nothing about the nativity

00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:39.900
and they want to be a superhero in there Some

00:21:39.900 --> 00:21:43.079
of them want to be a you know Not a donkey, but

00:21:43.079 --> 00:21:47.299
you know an animal that did never a zebra a giraffe

00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:51.480
or whatever a unicorn So it's it and it is it's

00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:53.839
perfect. It's like yes, you can be a zebra in

00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:57.410
our in our nativity Yes, you can, you can be,

00:21:57.410 --> 00:22:01.329
um, you know, Superman or whatever, but it's,

00:22:01.529 --> 00:22:05.150
I think it's important that we remained for me

00:22:05.150 --> 00:22:10.569
to remain focused on the deliver the Emmanuel.

00:22:10.809 --> 00:22:13.450
You know, one of the gifts that we got from our

00:22:13.450 --> 00:22:16.809
ward one year was a whole bunch of little tiny

00:22:16.809 --> 00:22:19.930
cards that sit on a pedestal that are all the

00:22:19.930 --> 00:22:22.430
names of Jesus. And I also have a lot of ornaments

00:22:22.430 --> 00:22:26.089
that have those, the comforter, the the deliverer,

00:22:26.190 --> 00:22:29.849
the redeemer. I mean, there's so many names for

00:22:29.849 --> 00:22:33.710
him. And when I push, literally again, when I

00:22:33.710 --> 00:22:37.230
push pause and just focus on how he shows up

00:22:37.230 --> 00:22:41.329
in my life, I stand all amazed and I'm overwhelmed

00:22:41.329 --> 00:22:44.869
because, you know, we had, you know, I talked

00:22:44.869 --> 00:22:47.309
about this before we have our little kickoff

00:22:47.309 --> 00:22:49.490
to Christmas, our Thanksgiving dinner, the Sunday

00:22:49.490 --> 00:22:52.049
after Thanksgiving and give our kids, their grandkids,

00:22:52.109 --> 00:22:55.380
their Christmas pajamas. And I watched such a

00:22:55.380 --> 00:22:58.720
little miracle there with, you know, our, our

00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:01.259
son who was triggered because he was away from

00:23:01.259 --> 00:23:06.279
his, his son. And I, we got, you know, and I'm

00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:08.500
thinking, Oh, I've done the wrong thing. Oh shoot.

00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:10.200
I shouldn't have given the kids their pajamas.

00:23:10.539 --> 00:23:14.119
Cause now Bowen misses Eli so much. And, and

00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:17.859
then I watched, I just sat back and I, I, I kind

00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:21.190
of pulled the whatever. and we were trying to

00:23:21.190 --> 00:23:23.750
get pictures and Lexi and Bowen were both missing

00:23:23.750 --> 00:23:26.789
and I found them at the side of the house both

00:23:26.789 --> 00:23:30.450
in tears because Lexi was mourning with those

00:23:30.450 --> 00:23:34.309
that mourned and then when I was talking to them

00:23:34.309 --> 00:23:36.789
I said is it okay if I go in the house because

00:23:36.789 --> 00:23:42.470
you have a family here that cares and a Tim who

00:23:42.470 --> 00:23:45.630
has a daughter in California Said, I know exactly

00:23:45.630 --> 00:23:47.569
what he's going through. And I watched that little

00:23:47.569 --> 00:23:50.529
miracle walk out the side of my house, put his

00:23:50.529 --> 00:23:52.730
arms around his brother and say, I know what

00:23:52.730 --> 00:23:55.309
you're going through. You know, that's Christmas

00:23:55.309 --> 00:24:00.410
to me. Trevor, who deals with very similar feelings.

00:24:00.690 --> 00:24:02.470
I know what that feels like. I'm going to go

00:24:02.470 --> 00:24:05.769
out there. And eventually puffy teared eyes came

00:24:05.769 --> 00:24:09.250
right back into the house and we got to witness

00:24:09.250 --> 00:24:14.170
such a tender little miracle of that gathering.

00:24:14.650 --> 00:24:17.990
I didn't plan that. You couldn't plan that. But

00:24:17.990 --> 00:24:21.869
it was perfect. It was absolutely perfect. There

00:24:21.869 --> 00:24:24.670
was joy in that. Pure joy. There was joy in that.

00:24:24.710 --> 00:24:27.799
And that's what you mean. That's what we mean

00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:32.420
when we say it's not perfect. And it shouldn't

00:24:32.420 --> 00:24:36.759
be perfect. And Jesus and Christmas do better

00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:41.099
where we really need Jesus and Christmas. I love

00:24:41.099 --> 00:24:43.259
that we put up the lights. I love that we do

00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:46.480
the decorations. I love everything about Christmas,

00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:50.900
I really do. But sometimes, Deb, the expectations

00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:54.940
that allow the accuser to just scream at me,

00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:57.279
it's not enough, it will never be enough, and

00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:00.160
everything along those lines really distracts

00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:04.259
me sometimes from what I really need to be focused

00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:06.220
on. What I really need to be focused on is what

00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:08.960
you just described, what we saw that night and

00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:11.660
what we have seen and still see many, many other

00:25:11.660 --> 00:25:14.339
nights, but it's really about receiving Jesus.

00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:17.799
Receiving Christ, just like we talked about last

00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:21.480
week, the Father's gift to us is receiving him.

00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:24.519
It doesn't require me to be ready necessarily.

00:25:25.220 --> 00:25:27.500
I mean, maybe ready with a broken heart and a

00:25:27.500 --> 00:25:30.680
contrite spirit or a breaking heart, maybe not

00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:34.380
completely broken yet, but broken enough to allow

00:25:34.380 --> 00:25:39.240
him in. It doesn't require even a semblance of

00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:43.509
perfection. You know, Christ's atonement covers

00:25:43.509 --> 00:25:48.549
sin. It covers it. And I need to know that. But

00:25:48.549 --> 00:25:50.690
receiving joy, so we talk about what receiving

00:25:50.690 --> 00:25:52.910
Christ doesn't require, doesn't require readiness

00:25:52.910 --> 00:25:55.910
or perfection. What about joy? You know, all

00:25:55.910 --> 00:25:59.049
we need to do to receive joy is give it permission.

00:25:59.750 --> 00:26:02.869
Absolutely. Just accept it. You know, the moment

00:26:02.869 --> 00:26:06.390
I saw those missing kids from when we were trying

00:26:06.390 --> 00:26:10.180
to take pictures, I went to panic and I'm like,

00:26:10.359 --> 00:26:13.079
oh no, we're not going to get the picture. And

00:26:13.079 --> 00:26:16.559
then it ended up being so picture perfect because

00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:21.460
of the mess. Because of the mess. And that picture

00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:24.420
is indelibly etched in the hearts of those present,

00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:27.440
for sure. All of us. Absolutely. It was so tender,

00:26:27.640 --> 00:26:30.799
so sweet. Much more valuable. So calm. Yeah.

00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:34.759
It was so sweet. And it also looks like just

00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:37.759
being present. Receiving joy looks like giving

00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.619
it permission to receive it and then just being

00:26:39.619 --> 00:26:44.160
present just showing up And being there so that

00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:48.140
Heavenly Father through his son and Through the

00:26:48.140 --> 00:26:51.299
Holy Ghost can bless us with that gift The gift

00:26:51.299 --> 00:26:53.759
was given to us Heavenly Father was excited to

00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:56.740
give me that gift that we talked about last week

00:26:56.740 --> 00:26:58.460
And if you haven't listened again last week,

00:26:58.519 --> 00:27:00.640
please go back and listen to that the gift of

00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:04.940
this of my of his son But but the that gift was

00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:08.980
given That gift was given to us knowing full

00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:11.619
well of what my reality would be on any given

00:27:11.619 --> 00:27:16.059
Christmas, Doug. He knew. And he knew my reality

00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:19.079
would be in need of that gift. I think it's important

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:21.460
because you've used some words that I think are

00:27:21.460 --> 00:27:27.039
so relevant. The word is receiving, present,

00:27:28.819 --> 00:27:32.819
giving. And that's what I think we have maybe

00:27:32.819 --> 00:27:38.450
polluted. Christmas season. Because what are

00:27:38.450 --> 00:27:42.430
we giving? What are we receiving? What are we

00:27:42.430 --> 00:27:45.869
present for? Or are we asking for His presence?

00:27:46.529 --> 00:27:51.349
I think it's really important for me to push

00:27:51.349 --> 00:27:56.549
pause and go, how am I defining this? How am

00:27:56.549 --> 00:28:01.470
I receiving? How am I giving? How am I being

00:28:01.470 --> 00:28:04.450
present? I love the verbiage because that is

00:28:04.450 --> 00:28:07.910
all Christmas verbiage. So receiving joy, receiving

00:28:07.910 --> 00:28:12.029
Christ, and the gift was, for God so loved the

00:28:12.029 --> 00:28:16.670
world that He gave His only begotten Son. So

00:28:16.670 --> 00:28:20.230
I think going back to your Christmas isn't fragile.

00:28:21.150 --> 00:28:24.269
Let it be strong. Let Christmas be strong. Yeah.

00:28:24.849 --> 00:28:29.089
Stop protecting, stop managing, stop putting

00:28:29.089 --> 00:28:33.000
our expectations on Christmas. But just notice

00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:37.759
that Christ is always there. When you put the

00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:40.880
glasses on to be able to see that, you'll see

00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:44.140
it in the mess. And that's where I see it probably

00:28:44.140 --> 00:28:47.220
the very most is when things start getting messy

00:28:47.220 --> 00:28:50.119
or things get a little chaotic. That's when I

00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:53.000
really kind of have to step back, take a big

00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:55.079
deep breath in and go, okay, there's something

00:28:55.079 --> 00:28:56.960
I get to learn here because there's no growing

00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:58.880
in the comfort zone, no comfort in the growing

00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.650
zone. What do I get to learn? What's the gift?

00:29:02.450 --> 00:29:06.509
If I'm truly present, what is the gift? I will

00:29:06.509 --> 00:29:09.609
never see that gift if I'm trying to manage outcomes.

00:29:09.809 --> 00:29:13.529
For sure. And that's where I sometimes get caught

00:29:13.529 --> 00:29:18.630
up. I want to set the table. I want to be the

00:29:18.630 --> 00:29:22.809
director of the play. I have this. for whatever

00:29:22.809 --> 00:29:25.650
reason this desire to just control and I don't

00:29:25.650 --> 00:29:29.170
know if I learned it or if it's if I brought

00:29:29.170 --> 00:29:32.710
it with me I don't know but sometimes that's

00:29:32.710 --> 00:29:34.890
the thing that gets in my way I think we all

00:29:34.890 --> 00:29:37.390
have that it hasn't it hasn't gotten away this

00:29:37.390 --> 00:29:40.980
year yeah much You know, I'm a little disappointed.

00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:44.039
I couldn't find my lights to put out on my house,

00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:49.579
but that's pretty, pretty benign. But the thing

00:29:49.579 --> 00:29:52.720
about it is, is I have to understand that I have

00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:54.660
to stay out of the outcome business. Instead,

00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:57.299
I really just need to know where Christ, notice

00:29:57.299 --> 00:30:00.819
where He already is, because He's already in

00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:03.740
so much of our lives. And that's where the gift

00:30:03.740 --> 00:30:05.980
is if we're looking for gifts outside of the

00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:08.460
gifts that we've already been given and Outside

00:30:08.460 --> 00:30:10.220
of the gifts and the most important gifts that

00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:13.059
we're going to receive or can receive We're setting

00:30:13.059 --> 00:30:16.799
ourselves up for grave disappointment Well, and

00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:19.880
I think it's also such a wonderful time of the

00:30:19.880 --> 00:30:23.079
year that people feel so generous and want to

00:30:23.079 --> 00:30:26.980
help others that maybe don't feel as Ready for

00:30:26.980 --> 00:30:29.500
Christmas. I mean you always hear about the angel

00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:32.759
tree and hear about you know people that may

00:30:32.759 --> 00:30:36.400
not have a Christmas and children and there are

00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:40.380
people so Passionate about making sure that every

00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:42.859
single child has something to open on Christmas

00:30:42.859 --> 00:30:46.240
morning that it's like they they It's their,

00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:50.579
it's their goal. You know, we have my, my daughter

00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:54.579
in law, Sam, her mom is such a generous woman

00:30:54.579 --> 00:31:00.319
that just gives tons of bicycles to, you know,

00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:04.099
donates tons of toys and bikes and so that kids

00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:06.619
can have a Christmas and people don't have to

00:31:06.619 --> 00:31:09.700
do that. And when you've ever been, which I have

00:31:09.700 --> 00:31:13.920
been on that receiving end and also been on the

00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:18.150
giving end. You realize it's just God's work.

00:31:18.750 --> 00:31:23.829
This is how He intended it to be. Because when

00:31:23.829 --> 00:31:28.170
we breathe in, we receive. When we exhale, we

00:31:28.170 --> 00:31:31.230
give. And without one or the other, we don't

00:31:31.230 --> 00:31:36.009
live. as this season comes, I mean as we focus

00:31:36.009 --> 00:31:39.849
on Christmas, just think about am I inhaling

00:31:39.849 --> 00:31:43.490
right now or am I exhaling right now? Because

00:31:43.490 --> 00:31:46.710
giving and receiving would not exist one without

00:31:46.710 --> 00:31:50.809
another and I think it's so important to remember

00:31:50.809 --> 00:31:54.769
that even our own breath came from our Savior

00:31:54.769 --> 00:31:59.470
Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Well as we kind

00:31:59.470 --> 00:32:02.859
of come to the Christmas season. I remember right

00:32:02.859 --> 00:32:05.559
in the heart of it just a few days away and here

00:32:05.559 --> 00:32:09.599
we are. I just hope that we can remember a few

00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:14.059
things. Number one is that Jesus entered the

00:32:14.059 --> 00:32:20.390
chaos willingly. So let's not get freaked out

00:32:20.390 --> 00:32:23.690
and worried about the chaos. Let's not set our

00:32:23.690 --> 00:32:27.990
expectations so high that Christmas becomes fragile.

00:32:28.670 --> 00:32:31.289
Christmas shouldn't be fragile. Christmas is

00:32:31.289 --> 00:32:35.049
a durable, an opportunity for us to have durable

00:32:35.049 --> 00:32:38.930
joy. Joy through the gift of our Heavenly Father

00:32:38.930 --> 00:32:43.609
Son. Also, just a reminder that Christmas cannot

00:32:43.609 --> 00:32:47.109
be broken. We can't ruin it. We're not going

00:32:47.109 --> 00:32:49.769
to undo it. It's going to be there every single

00:32:49.769 --> 00:32:51.910
year for every opportunity. And the older I get,

00:32:52.009 --> 00:32:55.109
the more I realize that things just don't matter,

00:32:55.789 --> 00:32:58.769
that relationships are what matter. And what

00:32:58.769 --> 00:33:02.150
a gift to be able to see that today because I

00:33:02.150 --> 00:33:05.250
have seen so many little miracles and are just

00:33:05.250 --> 00:33:09.920
among us. Our final invitation is to receive

00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:13.460
Him as He comes and find Him in the mess. Find

00:33:13.460 --> 00:33:16.259
Him in the joy. Find Him in the chaos. Find Him

00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:19.500
in the fear. Find Him. He's there. He is very,

00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:22.359
very present this time of year. And as you said,

00:33:22.539 --> 00:33:24.900
receive Him. Remember, you know, let's go back

00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:28.980
to Doctrine and Covenants 8833. We must... Received

00:33:28.980 --> 00:33:31.099
this gift this gift just doesn't open itself

00:33:31.099 --> 00:33:35.059
and present itself to us. It's there for us But

00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:37.920
we must open it and how do we open it? We open

00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:40.359
it by aligning with the will of our Heavenly

00:33:40.359 --> 00:33:43.700
Father and how is it administered to us? Through

00:33:43.700 --> 00:33:46.460
the Spirit of the Holy Ghost so each each week

00:33:46.460 --> 00:33:49.839
again as we Kind of wrap things up here today

00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:54.160
We really receive the gift as we partake of the

00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:56.920
sacrament each week and renew covenants and make

00:33:56.920 --> 00:34:00.480
yet another new covenant to always remember Him

00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:04.140
and keep His commandments so that as we do, we

00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:06.559
can have the promise that we will always have

00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:08.780
His Spirit to be with us. And that's really the

00:34:08.780 --> 00:34:12.219
gift, Deb. That's really the gift, the gift of

00:34:12.219 --> 00:34:15.320
the Holy Ghost administering to us the gift of

00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:19.960
the Son of God. For God so loved the world that

00:34:19.960 --> 00:34:22.860
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever

00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:26.000
believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting

00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:31.349
life. We love you. We're so grateful for you,

00:34:31.429 --> 00:34:34.309
and we wish you all a very very Merry Christmas