Christmas 2013

Last year’s Christmas was probably the worst Christmas ever, and I have had some bad ones.  My brother’s family had the stomach flu so dinner was canceled and then my gifts were stolen off my front porch the day before Christmas.  My roommate was out of town and I was feeling very alone. This year I guess I had low expectations and that is a good thing because Christmas dinner was canceled again.  Let’s just say that a break-up in the family got in the way.  For some reason it didn’t bother me as much this year.

There was a gal who spoke at church last Sunday and she talked about how when she was in Jr. High her parents decided that they were not going to celebrate Christmas anymore.  No presents, no tree no nothing.  She never knew why but the season just left her with bad feelings for a long time until she realized that Christmas wasn’t about her.  It was about Christ and becoming the kind of person that emulated Christ’s life.  She said in the end she probably should have thanked her parents because they helped her learn more about the true meaning of Christmas.  Perhaps her talk prepared me to not think of myself and my problems this year.   I did have a good time at Temple Square with Marianne on Christmas Eve and I got some pictures for next year’s Christmas card.   Here are some of the highlights…