Christ's Love

Today as I was thinking of what time in Christ's life to focus on I thought of this picture and knew that it's exactly what I wanted to do. This picture is "Christ's Love" painted by Del Parson. This year I'm an RA at Wyview and as an RA we're supposed to come up with a theme for our building for the year. My theme for the year is "Spiritually-Minded Is Life Eternal" from 2 Nephi 9:39. I searched all over trying to find a picture that would fit with this theme and then I found this picture and I instantly fell in love with it. This is now my favorite picture of Christ. It's so simple and yet so loving. I always picture Christ as smiling and happy and laughing. Not many pictures of Him depicts this, so I was really happy when I found this picture. As I was searching for a scripture to go along with this picture I found one that doesn't necessarily talk about Christ's Love but still fits. John 13:15, 17 says "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Written next to verse 17 I have written "Love as I have loved you." Christ is the perfect example of love. He loved us so much that He willingly came to this earth and atoned for our sins. He loves us so much that He wants us to become like Him and in order for that to happen, He paid the ultimate price. What great love He has for us and I hope I can follow His example and love as He loves me. I also love how it says that if we follow His example we can be happy. I truly believe that by following my Savior's example and loving others that I can be happy. I find that I am so much happier when I am loving and caring for someone. This sounds cheesy, but love really does make the world go round. If there wasn't any love in this world nobody would do service. Therefore, everybody would be on their own which is very difficult to accomplish things that. Christ is the ultimate example of love. Charity is defined as the pure love of Christ, which I know is true. No greater love abounds than His love for us. "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all thing, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." -1 Corinthians 13:4-7. I love this explanation of charity. Charity is self-less and does last forever. Christ served others because He loved them, not because He wanted the fame and glory of it. He died for us because He loves us unconditionally and forever. Charity never faileth; it will always abound in this world. I pray and hope I can implement charity and Christ-like love into my daily life, that I can treat others with the love that Christ treats me with. When I'm having a hard time, I sit and look at that picture of Christ on my bulletin board and I can just feel His love for me from His warm smile. I hope that by the way I treat others or simply by smiling at them, they can feel the love that I have for them. I have gained a greater testimony of loving others this year. I want all of my residents to feel they have a friend in me and that I do truly love them. I feel a motherly-like love for them in that I want them to do what's right and build on their testimonies of this gospel. I love being at this wonderful university and the opportunity to have such love for the friends I've already gained this year. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with. I love the RA's this year and I'm so grateful for all of them. I love my roommates; they are such good friends to me already. They are always there for me when I need something and can make me laugh on a really bad day. I love being there for them when they need me and just being able to spend time with them. I couldn't have asked for better roommates. I love my family and the love that they give to me. They are a great support system. I do miss them while I am down here at BYU but I'm grateful for the opportunities to talk to them. Lastly, I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. No one knows me the way They do. I'm so grateful for everything They have given me, good or bad. I feel I have been taught so much by Them in the month and a half that I have been here. I'm grateful for the love They show me. Christ's love is an everlasting principle that I will never forget.

Birth of Christ

I decided to start out this blog with pictures of the Birth of Christ. Normally I will probably only post one picture per post but I found two great pictures that I couldn't decide between the two. The first is a picture of Mary holding baby Jesus on her shoulder. It's called "Be It Unto Me" by Liz Lemon Swindle. I originally found the other picture and was just going to go with that one until I found this one and I knew I had to include it. Why you may ask? Because this is one of my mom's all time favorite paintings. I'm not really sure why it's one of her favorite pictures, it would probably be a good thing to ask her. I remember when I was younger one Christmas my dad was searching everywhere to find it in print because it was her favorite picture. (If I remember right, the picture went out of print so it was difficult to find. But don't quote me on that.) I found a few scriptures from Luke 1 that I thought would fit well with this picture. "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." -Luke 1:30-31. "For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." -Luke 1:37-38. Mary must have been an incredible woman to find such favor with God at such a young age. She must have had immense strength to be able to believe the angel and say that she is a servant of the Lord and will do whatever is needed. To me, the picture shows in her eyes that she may have been a little fearful, but she knew that her journey ahead of her was not impossible and that she could do it. She was about to become the mother of the Son of God and to be able to say that and know that is incredible to me. Mary was a strong woman and mother. I hope that someday I can be half the mother she is.
I chose this picture by Ted Henninger because it not only shows the joy in the faces of Joseph and Mary, but baby Jesus looks so happy and peaceful. I have 8 nieces and nephews so I know how cute and adorable little kids are. I love when newborns smile and laugh. This picture depicts just that. The scriptures I chose to go along with this picture are as follows. "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." -Luke 2:6-7. I chose this scripture for some obvious and not so obvious reasons. Obviously, this scripture relates by the depiction of Jesus being laid in the manger, swaddled in clothes. I also chose this scripture for a less obvious reason. In my New Testament class, when we went over this scripture, Bro. Griffin asked us if we were going with the "inn" crowd or part of the "stable" few. Of course it was funny because there's a pun there but it really stuck with me. Am I part of the "inn" crowd or the "stable" few? I like to believe that I'm part of the "stable" few and I hope my Father in Heaven sees that and comes to that same conclusion. It seems that each semester there's something that Bro. Griffin says that sticks with me for life and I believe this will be it. I hope that I can continue to walk along the path of righteousness to be part of the "stable" few. This is probably a little out of order but it just came to my mind that you may be asking, what does it mean to be part of the "stable" few? I think essentially it's something that each person defines themselves. I believe to be part of the "stable" few you need to have a testimony of Christ. This gospel is based the Atonement, which was done by Him. Christ atoned for my sins and your sins. He knows how I feel at this very moment. I have a testimony of Christ, that He lives and that He is the Savior of the world. I think you also need to be moving forward. None of us are perfect, but we can become perfected in Christ. We all make mistakes and have up and down weeks, but as long as we are moving forward, we are part of the "stable" few. I am so grateful for this opportunity to come to know Christ better by learning about His life through the scriptures and through these pictures. I was inspired by Kiley Cash to do this blog because she had done a blog for her Book of Mormon class. I'm grateful to her for that because I feel this is a great way that I may know Christ better. I'm grateful for all that He did for me, does for me, and will do for me. He is my Savior and I say these things in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.