Showing posts with label Heavenly Father. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heavenly Father. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Orange
CHRISTMAS ORANGE
Sometimes it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. The busy traditions of the season and the appealing advertisements for material goods can leave the pure and simple truths far, far behind.
Jake was nine years old with tousled brown hair with blue eyes as bright as a heavenly angel. For as long as Jake could remember he had lived within the walls of a poor orphanage. He was just one of ten children supported by what meager contributions the orphan home could obtain in a continuous struggle seeking donations from townsfolk.
There was very little to eat, but at Christmas time there always seemed to be a little more than usual to eat, the orphanage seemed a little warmer, and it was time for a little holiday enjoyment. But more than this, there was the Christmas orange!
Christmas was the only time of year that such a rare treat was provided and it was treasured by each child like no other food admiring it, feeling it, prizing it and slowly enjoying each juicy section. Truly, it was the light of each orphan's Christmas and their best gift of the season. How joyful would be the moment when Jake received his orange!
Unknown to him, Jake had somehow managed to track a small amount of mud on his shoes through the front door of the orphanage, muddying the new carpet. He hadn't even noticed. Now it was too late and there was nothing he could do to avoid punishment. The punishment was swift and unrelenting. Jake would not be allowed his Christmas orange! It was the only gift he would receive from the harsh world he lived in, yet after a year of waiting for his Christmas orange, is was to be denied him.
Tearfully, Jake pleaded that he be forgiven and promised never to track mud into the orphanage again, but to no avail. He felt hopeless and totally rejected. Jake cried into his pillow all that night and spent Christmas Day feeling empty and alone. He felt that the other children didn't want to be with a boy who had been punished with such a cruel punishment. Perhaps they feared he would ruin their only day of happiness. Maybe, he reasoned, the gulf between him and his friends existed because they feared he would ask for a little of their oranges. Jake spent the day upstairs, alone, in the unheated dormitory. Huddled under his only blanket, he read about a family marooned on an island. Jake wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life on an isolated island, if he could only have a real family that cared about him.
Bedtime came, and worst of all, Jake couldn't sleep. How could he say his prayers? How could there be a God in Heaven that would allow a little soul such as his, to suffer so much all by himself? Silently, he sobbed for the future of mankind that God might end the suffering in the world, both for himself and all others like him.
As he climbed back into bed from the cold, hard floor, a soft hand touched Jake's shoulder, startling him momentarily and an object was silently placed in his hands. The giver disappeared into the darkness, leaving Jake with what, he did not immediately know!
Looking closely at it in the dim light, he saw that it looked like an orange! Not a regular orange, smooth and shiny, but a special orange, very special. Inside a patched together peal were the segments of nine other oranges, making one whole orange for Jake! The nine other children in the orphanage had each donated one segment of their own precious oranges to make a whole orange as a gift for Jake.
Sharing what we truly value is the true spirit of Christmas. Our Heavenly Father gave us His beloved Son. May we, like the children in the orphanage, find ways to share His love with others less blessed.
-- Anonymous
Sometimes it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. The busy traditions of the season and the appealing advertisements for material goods can leave the pure and simple truths far, far behind.
Jake was nine years old with tousled brown hair with blue eyes as bright as a heavenly angel. For as long as Jake could remember he had lived within the walls of a poor orphanage. He was just one of ten children supported by what meager contributions the orphan home could obtain in a continuous struggle seeking donations from townsfolk.
There was very little to eat, but at Christmas time there always seemed to be a little more than usual to eat, the orphanage seemed a little warmer, and it was time for a little holiday enjoyment. But more than this, there was the Christmas orange!
Christmas was the only time of year that such a rare treat was provided and it was treasured by each child like no other food admiring it, feeling it, prizing it and slowly enjoying each juicy section. Truly, it was the light of each orphan's Christmas and their best gift of the season. How joyful would be the moment when Jake received his orange!
Unknown to him, Jake had somehow managed to track a small amount of mud on his shoes through the front door of the orphanage, muddying the new carpet. He hadn't even noticed. Now it was too late and there was nothing he could do to avoid punishment. The punishment was swift and unrelenting. Jake would not be allowed his Christmas orange! It was the only gift he would receive from the harsh world he lived in, yet after a year of waiting for his Christmas orange, is was to be denied him.
Tearfully, Jake pleaded that he be forgiven and promised never to track mud into the orphanage again, but to no avail. He felt hopeless and totally rejected. Jake cried into his pillow all that night and spent Christmas Day feeling empty and alone. He felt that the other children didn't want to be with a boy who had been punished with such a cruel punishment. Perhaps they feared he would ruin their only day of happiness. Maybe, he reasoned, the gulf between him and his friends existed because they feared he would ask for a little of their oranges. Jake spent the day upstairs, alone, in the unheated dormitory. Huddled under his only blanket, he read about a family marooned on an island. Jake wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life on an isolated island, if he could only have a real family that cared about him.
Bedtime came, and worst of all, Jake couldn't sleep. How could he say his prayers? How could there be a God in Heaven that would allow a little soul such as his, to suffer so much all by himself? Silently, he sobbed for the future of mankind that God might end the suffering in the world, both for himself and all others like him.
As he climbed back into bed from the cold, hard floor, a soft hand touched Jake's shoulder, startling him momentarily and an object was silently placed in his hands. The giver disappeared into the darkness, leaving Jake with what, he did not immediately know!
Looking closely at it in the dim light, he saw that it looked like an orange! Not a regular orange, smooth and shiny, but a special orange, very special. Inside a patched together peal were the segments of nine other oranges, making one whole orange for Jake! The nine other children in the orphanage had each donated one segment of their own precious oranges to make a whole orange as a gift for Jake.
Sharing what we truly value is the true spirit of Christmas. Our Heavenly Father gave us His beloved Son. May we, like the children in the orphanage, find ways to share His love with others less blessed.
-- Anonymous
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sabbath Day, Primary Talks, June 22, 2008
My son had to give a talk in Primary this week. So, trying to be efficient, I typed into the Google Search Engine the words, "LDS Primary, Talks". By doing this, I came upon a gold mine of a resource for those of you who have Primary children. This site, listed at the end of this talk as my source, has talks (for free) that have been put together for each month's Primary topic and list additional resources for visual aids, etc. on the topic of each talk. It is amazing! Here is the talk that my 11 year old gave today.
June 2008, Talk #1
"I will live now to be worthy to go to the temple and do my part to have an eternal family.
Before we were born on this earth, we all lived together as brothers and sisters in the spirit world. We were part of a heavenly family with loving heavenly parents.
Adam and Eve were the first parents on earth. Heavenly Father told Adam and Eve to have children. They had the first family on this earth.
Heavenly Father loved Adam and Eve and their children. He told Adam and Eve to teach the gospel to their children.
In our day, Heavenly Father has sent each of us to a family, just like he did with Adam and Eve's children.
Heavenly father loves all children and has told all parents to teach their children the gospel. When we die and leave this earth, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to live again as families in heaven. They have shown us the way for this to happen.
An important part of being together as a family forever takes place in the temple. Inside temples we make special promises to Heavenly Father and Heavenly Father makes special promises to us.
In the temple, a husband and wife can have an ordinance performed that helps them be together forever. This is called a sealing or a temple marriage. If a couple is married outside the temple for this life only, they can go to the temple and be sealed so that they can remain married for eternity. Their children can be sealed to them and are then a part of their family forever. This special blessing is given only to those who are sealed in the temple and keep the promises they make there.
In order to receive the blessings of the temple we must be worthy. To be worthy means that we are living our lives the way Heavenly Father wants us to.
As primary children, we can prepare to go to the temple by following the commandments of God and the advice of our living prophet. We should do things such as keep the sabbath day holy, treat others with love and kindness, be honest, treat our body with respect by following the Word of Wisdom, pay our tithing, obey our parents and serve others.
I am thankful that Heavenly Father has sent me to a loving family. I am happy to know that Heavenly Father has provided a way for us to become an eternal family. I know that if we will follow Heavenly Fathers plan and do what he has asked us to do, we will be happy."
Source:
http://primarytalks.googlepages.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)