Christmas in July

Painting of Christ's birth by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Hold up. Why am I posting something about Christmas in the middle of Summer? Because Christmas is one of the most important times of year and we need a reminder of its greatness! It is the time of year that we celebrate and recognize the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We always need to remember our big brother Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. His miraculous birth was only the beginning of His miraculous life. The following video from http://www.lds.org/ is amazing. It helps me to remember the incredible Christmas story.

Christ's perfect life is what makes everything come together. The suffering He endured on our behalf in Gethsemane, the shedding of His blood on the cross, and His glorious resurrection comprises the Atonement. This is the reason that we are able to repent, have Forgiveness, and live again. It is through Him that we are able to move on from past mistakes and have burdens lifted. It is through Him that we can have peace in the present. It is through Him that we can have hope for a brighter future. Isaiah, an Old Testament prophet, said this, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Christ has a divine calling and He fulfilled it so that we may have everlasting joy. What a glorious thing to celebrate!

It is easy to get caught up in the gifts and the chaos that often comes with Christmas. But all of that hoopla  is not what Christmas is all about! I am reminded of my favorite Christmas movies. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Ron Howard. I love this movie. It simply makes me happy! With it being a full-feature film (an adaptation of the original cartoon) a lot of things are added to the movie to fill some space. I love it all! But the moral principles of the original are conveyed just the same - making the movie both funny and touching. Jim Carrey plays the role of the Grinch and he does a great job. The Grinch hates Christmas. He finds that a good portion of the whole town of Whoville is stuck in the "gifts rut". The Grinch finally "succeeds" in stealing Christmas. He takes all of the presents of all of the Whos in Whoville. However, when the town begins singing in spite of their lack of gifts (and through the help of young Cindy Lou Who). It is all about love! It's all about heart! BUT when he climbs to the top of Mt. Crumpit he finds that Christmas "came just the same" and he realizes something very important. Here's a scene from the Ron Howard classic:

The Grinch was able to see that Christmas is all about love. When he did that his heart grew three sizes! When we take it a step further than the Grinch and realize that the true meaning of Christmas is the love of Christ and the miracle of His Atonement...our hearts will grow infinitely. We will have the capacity to endure all trials, conquer all fears, and dismiss all darkness. When we allow Christ into our hearts and partake of that "living water" we will have an unending supply of love. "But whosoever drinketh of this water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

Christ is the ultimate supply of love, compassion, and mercy. Let us celebrate Him not only once a year...but every minute of every day! So please...let us have Christmas in July!