Happy Birthday, Bryant

Dear Bryant,

Happy 9^th Birthday on the 9^th of December!!!  That is a very special thing – like when your Mom was 21 on the 21^st of May, way back many years ago!

But what a super time of year to have a birthday – when everyone is excited and happy, and when all the lights go up.  Hey, Bryant, remember a couple of years ago when we were at your house around this time of year and you had your birthday, and your neighborhood all got together and put up a whole bunch of lights on your street?  That was awesome!  Did you guys do that this year too?  Did your Dad put that big reindeer on top of your roof?  Anyway Bryant, we noticed in all your pictures, that you always have a really great smile.  Like it lights everyone up!  Amazing how smiles spread so fast!  You are a “bright spirit” and we love you.  

So keep being A LIGHT TO YOUR FRIENDS.  

“You bright spirits could not have chosen a better time to be born, with more neighbors waiting and needing to be shown the gospel.  I know you have been properly placed because God did it....”

BYU Devotional, "All Hell is Moved" by Neal A. Maxwell who was a President of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 8 November 1977.

Chistmas is happening here even though it is about to be summer!

 

On Saturday we went shopping at Jumbo. But first we decided take the nearby ascensor up to see what we could see.

 

A new view of the bay

Then we shopped and came home and decorated our tree,

 set up our nativity

 and just last night Grandpa put up lights on our balcony.

 

That same Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate at Christmastime, is your Friend now and always, and He is the same Jesus whose love for you is never changing. He loves all children, and has need for their hope, their faith, their cheerfulness, and their clean and bright spirits to help light the way for those whose lives have been clouded by sadness.        

Friend , Christmas Message to Children of the Church in All the World from the First Presidency December 1974

  

There is a fun blog post on www.lds.org:

At a family home evening the Mom set the timer for one minute and asked her children to write down the answer to:

“What do you want for Christmas?”

Her 7-yr old daughter said the time was too short!  The Mom then set the timer for another minute and asked:

“What do you want to give for Christmas?”

Her 4-yr old son said he wants to give  “good stuff that people would like. Or stuff that could make you have a lot of powers.  Real powers.”

Then she asked the question: “What can you give of yourself this Christmas?”

And because of the answer from her 4-year old son, she said, “All of us can follow the example of the Savior in giving as He gave.  In doing so, we give ‘stuff that gives real power’ and see our own power grow as we become more like Him….”

    

“Give the good stuff this Christmas.    Give love.”

Blog: What Can You Give of Yourself This Christmas?, By Irinna Danielson December 4, 2015 

We enjoyed Elder Bednar’s talk at the Christmas Devotional about light and what they observed in the Americas the night Jesus was born:

Third Nephi chapter 1, verse 17 And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear....

18 For they knew that the prophets had testified of these things for many years, and that the sign which had been given was already at hand....

19 And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.

20 And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets.

21 And it came to pass also that a new star did appear, according to the word.

“Jesus Christ is the light that dispels fear, provides assurance and direction, and engenders enduring peace and joy.”  David A. Bednar

The Savior is bringing into our apartment - a warmth and  love, peace and joy.  Now that is real power!!

So, yes, we are enjoying our summer in Chile.