Advent Calendar Days 19 to 24

Advent Calendar Day 19:

Today we are sending you a Christmas quote:

"Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Savior the focus of the season. We can keep Him in our thoughts and in our lives as we go about the work He would have us perform here on earth. At this time, particularly, let us follow His example as we love and serve our fellowman."

-- Thomas S. Monson, 2012

Advent Calendar Day 20:

President Monson said that the wise men "presented gold, frankincense and myrrh. These are not the gifts Jesus asks of us. From the treasure of our hearts Jesus asks that we give of ourselves."

This video really demonstrates this.

Love, your family

Advent Calendar Day 21:

Dallin –

Linnea and Robert wanted me to send you something today about shepherds and sheep, but while I was searching on the internet for just the right thing I found this video and I thought that it captured the spirit of Charity (true charity) that I desire to have that I wanted to share it with you. It doesn’t have any talking so maybe they have a Spanish version of this, but even if they don’t I think you could share this with your investigators and members and just translate the scripture for them at the end. Have a happy day Dallin!

Love your family

Advent Calendar Day 22:

Dallin –

Some piano sheet music (free to print off) we are sending a pretty easy one since you only have a couple days until Christmas! That guiding light will still lead us to the Saviour today; it comes to us in our darkest hour if only we will seek Him. Love from

Your family

Advent Calendar Day 23:

Dallin –

Happy almost last day of Advent! Below is a familiar scripture with one small but significant change:

And the angel said unto you, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:10-14)

Love, your family

Advent Calendar Day 24:

For our final advent e-mail, we are sending you a story:

Once upon a time a family went to a cottage on Christmas eve.

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They kind of stole a Charlie Brown Christmas tree from a nearby small town tree lot so that they could have a tree for Christmas morning.

While the mother and father worked on supper, the children went out to play and of all things to find on a frozen lake. they found ice.

They got an idea and started to work.

After their Christmas eve dinner, when all was dark outside, they turned off the lights in the cottage and brought their parents to the picture window. Like the star that led the wise men to the baby Jesus, they shone a flashlight out the window onto a stable they had dug out of the snow.

In the stable were the most beautiful Nativity figures their parents had ever seen -- three wise men, Joseph, Mary and Jesus -- shining in the darkness.

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Children can be silly, and children can be difficult, but children can often perceive the most important things more easily than adults. So it was on that day, when the family's children saw divinity in ice and warmth in cold.

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

Merry Christmas, our spiritual ice carver!

Love, your family