He came down to earth from heaven

These last couple of days I have been stressed and overwhelmed at all that has needed to be done before Christmas. The finding, purchasing,wrapping, delivering of presents had made me cranky and not in the Christmas spirit. Then the 21st came. My anniversary of my spinal surgery and the beginning of the cancer lapses and the transplants. I had been discussing with Cami on the phone the events that transpired on that day.  After remembering and really thinking of the events of that Christmas, I was overwhelmed to the point where I had to pull over the car (for I was delivering said presents) to say a prayer of gratitude and one of comfort for those who may be sick, and struggling this holiday season.
It is hard for me to express all that I feel when I look back and those two Christmases spent in the hospital and all that went with it. The hardest part to express is the healing, the peace and the joy I received at that time as well. What a wonderful gift we celebrate this season, the gift of a Savior.
  One of my favorite Christmas hymns is Once in Royal David's City. I love the words and love to reminder of what this season is all about.

Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby. In a manger for his bed. Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall. With the poor, and mean and lowly. lived on earth our Savior holy.

And our eyes at last shall see him. Through his own redeeming love. For that child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above. And he leads his children to the place where he is gone.

I need to remember that it should be a Merry Christmas wherever we may be. The location and circumstances of the holiday are not as important as the reason.

Merry Christmas!

Picture taken at the wonderful Night in Bethlehem put on by the Tampa Stake. 

It is one of the highlights of Christmas for our family.