Chocolate on my Cranium

Wrapped in God's Arms

2009-12-26T23:36:00.000-08:00

Teaching the lesson in Relief Society (the women's organization) in church today on Elder Neil L. Andersen's conference talk "Repent. . . That I May Heal You." There are so many wonderful truths taught in his talk!

Perhaps my favorite is the imagery created by the following,

"I have thought of the Lord’s invitation to come unto Him and to spiritually be wrapped in His arms. He said, “Behold, [my arms] of mercy [are] extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.”¹
The scriptures speak of His arms being open,² extended,³ stretched out,⁴ and encircling.⁵ They are described as mighty⁶ and holy,⁷ arms of mercy,⁸ arms of safety,⁹ arms of love,¹⁰ “lengthened out all the day long.”¹¹

We have each felt to some extent these spiritual arms around us. We have felt His forgiveness, His love and comfort. The Lord has said, “I am he [who] comforteth you.”¹²

The Lord’s desire that we come unto Him and be wrapped in His arms is often an invitation to repent. “Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.”¹³

Isn't that beautiful? I made a Wordle cloud from that quote. Wordle gives greater prominence to words that appear more frequently. I like how arms, come, extended, invitation, wrapped, and mercy pop out at you.

I also learned in my studies the Greek word for repent, metanoeo, denotes a change of heart or mind, i.e. a conversion.

Jesus is Born!

2009-12-24T01:05:00.000-08:00

One finally reading recommendation about that blessed night so long ago. Stephanie from Diapers and Divinity first posted an excerpt from this talk, "Maybe Christmas Doesn't Come From a Store" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland a few days ago. As with all of Elder Holland's talks this is beautiful and speaks to the heart.

Journey to Bethlehem by Joseph Brickey

About Joseph

"As a father I have recently begun to think more often of Joseph, that strong, silent, almost unknown man who must have been more worthy than any other mortal man to be the guiding foster father of the living Son of God. It was Joseph selected from among all men who would teach Jesus to work. It was Joseph who taught him the books of the law. It was Joseph who, in the seclusion of the shop, helped him begin to understand who he was and ultimately what he was to become.

"I was a student at BYU just finishing my first year of graduate work when our first child, a son, was born. We were very poor, though not so poor as Joseph and Mary. . .

Nevertheless, when I realized that our own night of nights was coming, I believe I would have done any honorable thing in this world, and mortgaged any future I had, to make sure my wife had the clean sheets, the sterile utensils, the attentive nurses, and the skilled doctors who brought forth our firstborn son. If she or that child had needed special care at the Mayo Clinic, I believe I would have ransomed my very life to get it.

I compare those feelings (which I have had with each succeeding child) with what Joseph must have felt as he moved through the streets of a city not his own, with not a friend or kinsman in sight, nor anyone willing to extend a helping hand. In these very last and most painful hours of her “confinement,” Mary had ridden or walked approximately 100 miles from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Surely Joseph must have wept at her silent courage. Now, alone and unnoticed, they had to descend from human company to a stable, a grotto full of animals, there to bring forth the Son of God.

I wonder what emotions Joseph might have had as he cleared away the dung and debris. I wonder if he felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if he wondered: “Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? Is it wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?”

But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could."

I have often thought about what type of man Joseph must have been to be entrusted with the task of being Jesus's guardian. Not much is said about him other than what is written of Christ's birth. He, Joseph, is an unsung figure, quietly doing his work behind the scenes.

And then there's Mary.

"I’ve thought of Mary, too, this most favored mortal woman in the history of the world, who as a mere child received an angel who uttered to her those words that would change the course not only of her own life but also that of all human history: “Hail, thou virgin, who art highly favoured of the Lord. The Lord is with thee; for thou art chosen and blessed among women.” (JST, Luke 1:28.) The nature of her spirit and the depth of her preparation were revealed in a response that shows both innocence and maturity: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38.)
It is here I stumble, here that I grasp for the feelings a mother has when she knows she has conceived a living soul, feels life quicken and grow within her womb, and carries a child to delivery. At such times fathers stand aside and watch, but mothers feel and never forget. Again, I’ve thought of Luke’s careful phrasing about that holy night in Bethlehem:

“The days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and [she] wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and [she] laid him in a manger.” (Luke 2:6–7; italics added.) Those brief pronouns trumpet in our ears that, second only to the child himself, Mary is the chiefest figure, the regal queen, mother of mothers—holding center stage in this grandest of all dramatic moments. And those same pronouns also trumpet that, save for her beloved husband, she was very much alone.

I have wondered if this young woman, something of a child herself, here bearing her first baby, might have wished her mother, or an aunt, or her sister, or a friend, to be near her through the labor. Surely the birth of such a son as this should command the aid and attention of every midwife in Judea! We all might wish that someone could have held her hand, cooled her brow, and when the ordeal was over, given her rest in crisp, cool linen.

A Savior is Born by Joseph Brickey
But it was not to be so. With only Joseph’s inexperienced assistance, she herself brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in the little clothes she had knowingly brought on her journey, and perhaps laid him on a pillow of hay.

Then on both sides of the veil a heavenly host broke into song. “Glory to God in the highest,” they sang, “and on earth, peace among men of good will.” (Luke 2:14, Phillips Translation.) But except for heavenly witnesses, these three were alone: Joseph, Mary, the baby to be named Jesus.
At this focal point of all human history, a point illuminated by a new star in the heavens revealed for just such a purpose, probably no other mortal watched—none but a poor young carpenter, a beautiful virgin mother, and silent stabled animals who had not the power to utter the sacredness they had seen."

In Favour With God by Simon Dewey

Dear Mary, tender and pure, so obedient to God's will. From this point onward little is said of Mary's teaching and nurturing care given to Jesus as he grew. Her works, her mothering goes unnoticed by the masses. But He remembers. Even while hanging on the cross Christ makes sure His mother will be taken care of.

So too, He remembers you and me.

May you have a most blessed Christmas!

No Room in the Inn

2009-12-23T01:49:00.000-08:00

There is an older gentleman at our church who is Greek. When biblical passages are discussed it is fascinating to listen to his viewpoints and to hear him explain certain words because of his knowledge of the Greek language, the original language of the New Testament. Is it any wonder I enjoy finding sources that expound on the Greek roots of biblical terms? I like to think it broadens my understanding somewhat. I was excited when I found the following:

" [Luke 2] Verse 7: "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."

Let's pause to ponder this verse. We need to be aware of the culture of that time and region, and we need to learn one word from the original Greek text. In the Greek New Testament, the root from which inn was translated is kataluma. We don't have an equivalent word in the English language. The Greek prefix kata- (or cata-) means "a bringing down." We see it in English words such as catabolism, catastrophe, and cataclysm. When the prefix kata- was joined with the suffix -luma, it meant literally "a breaking down of a journey." A kataluma was a guest chamber in a lodging place.
In those days an inn was not like a Holiday Inn or a Bethlehem Marriott. A lodging place in that part of Asia had to provide accommodations for traveling caravans, including the people and their animals. Caravans stayed at what was then known (and is still known) as a caravansary, or a khan. You may look in your own dictionary and find caravansary and khan, each defined as a rest house in some Asian countries.
Such a facility is typically rectangular in shape. It has a central courtyard for the animals that is surrounded by walled cubicles where the people rest. These quarters allowed guests to be elevated slightly above their animals with open doorways so that owners could watch over their animals.
The Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 2:7 indicates that there was no room for them in the "inns," suggesting that all of the katalumas or cubicles of the caravansary were occupied. In the Greek New Testament the word kataluma appears in only two other passages, translated in each instance not as "inn" but as a "guestchamber," which fits the concept that we have discussed.
As a youngster, whenever I heard those words "no room in the inn," I assumed that No Vacancy signs were posted at local motels or that the innkeepers were inhospitable or even hostile. Such an assumption is probably way off the mark. People of that part of the world were no doubt then as they are now--most hospitable. Particularly would this have been true at a season when the normal population of Jerusalem and neighboring Bethlehem would be swollen with large numbers of relatives.
At a caravansary, animals were secured for the night in the center courtyard. In that courtyard there would have been donkeys and dogs, sheep, and possibly camels and oxen, along with all of the animals' discharges and odors. Because the guest chambers surrounding the courtyard were filled, Joseph possibly made the decision to care for Mary's delivery in the center courtyard of a caravansary--among the animals. There, in that lowly circumstance, the Lamb of God was born." (Russell M. Nelson, Christ the Savior is Born)

The Arrival of the Shepherds, by Henri Lerolle

Helps me develop a better picture in my mind of the conditions surrounding Jesus's birth. We have farm animals. They are stinky creatures! Cleaning out stalls and coops is not the pleasantest of jobs. I can't imagine how it must have been for Mary to give birth in such conditions knowing that her son, the Savior of the World, deserved much better. I do wonder too, how others there, who most assuredly saw her condition, could not have shown some kindness or courtesy giving up their own room.

"Even in our day, although two thousand years have passed, there are many who say the same thing that was said on that night in Bethlehem. ‘There is no room, no room’ (see Luke 2:7). We make room for the gifts, but sometimes no room is made for the giver. We have room for the commercialism of Christmas and even pleasure-seeking on the Sabbath day, but there are times when there is not room for worship. Our thoughts are filled with other things—there is no room.” (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, edited by Clyde J. Williams [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997], 42.)

Am I making room for Him? Oh sure, I say my prayers and try to read the scriptures but many times at the end of the day I've found I'm only going through the motions, I have no recollection of what I prayed or read about. As Pres. Hunter stated, "[My] thoughts are filled with other things." This is a constant struggle to really allow Christ to enter first before my "inn" becomes too full.

“Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Settle This in Your Hearts,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 66)

I have to find quiet solitude, even if just for five minutes, where I can study, pray, focus. Singing the words to a hymn in the morning helps to keep the tune of the hymn on my mind throughout the day. I'll find myself humming it when rocking the baby to sleep. My days run so much smoother, or rather, I'm better able to handle the stresses of motherhood, when I "make room for Jesus."

So why don't I?

Everyday?

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December 22: Comfort

2009-12-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

Adding binding to the quilts we made so the girls can use them on Christmas Day.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Nativity Connections

2009-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

I've been reading some wonderful insights on the story of Christ's birth this week. Today I'd like to share the links to Donna B. Nielsen's "Notes on the Nativity" posts. Donna is the author of Beloved Bridegroom, a book detailing Jewish marriage customs at the time of Jesus Christ which helps us better understand Christ's metaphor when He called Himself the Bridegroom. I enjoy reading Donna's blog as she posts so many deep and clear explanations of biblical terms and Jewish traditions and customs.

Zachariah and Elizabeth
Zachariah in the temple
Mary (part 1)
Mary (part 2)
Joseph (part 1)
Joseph (part 2)
Shepherds and Angels

She'll be posting more articles so be sure to read them all at Connections.

P.S. One of children's favorite posts of Donna's has to do with the names of Puritans.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 21: Wise Men

2009-12-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

One of the many Christmas Nativity scenes we received as a wedding gift.

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December 20: Eternity

2009-12-20T15:14:00.000-08:00

Fifteen years.....eternity to go.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 18: Fairy Tales

2009-12-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

December 17: Calamitous Kitchen

2009-12-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

Please, oh please, tell me my kitchen is not the only one that looks like this after an afternoon of cooking and baking.

Please?

Mess created making tri-tip, funeral potatoes, raspberry jello, pull apart bread, Bon Bon's Yule Log cake, and gingerbread dough for the houses we will decorate tomorrow. . . still need to make Brownie's birthday cake and cookies for the church Christmas party, both are tomorrow. I think we'll clean first. Then make another mess.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Wordfull Wednesday Winners

2009-12-16T01:43:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed we haven't done a Wordfull Wednesday for a while? I'm taking a break until the new year. I've got some really good writing topics lined up. Really good. Here's a hint: It has to do with a 15 year anniversary. A prize goes to the first person who guesses correctly!

Now I haven't forgotten about awarding prizes for October's and November's Wordfull Wednesday participants. So without further ado...

October's randomly selected winner is Lucy from andalucy and November's winner is Momza from Momza's House. They will each be receiving a beautiful hand bound leather journal from Earthworks Journals based in the UK.

Lucy is in the process of writing a book and Momza writes poetry and is a professional calligrapher. I thought these journals would be perfect for both of them. Wouldn't you love to inherit an old leather journal that your ancestor had written thoughts, poems, or story lines in? Their children can thank me later. ☺

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 15: my mittens

2009-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love these mittens recycled from an old sweater and made by Dana.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 14: Entertain

2009-12-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

Purchased from Arts of the Heart, this nativity puzzle has been a HUGE hit with the littles.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

The Christmas Spirit

2009-12-13T01:46:00.000-08:00

How are your Christmas preparations coming? Are you stressed yet? Where is your focus?

Mary's Heart by Liz Lemon Swindle

Christ: The Real Gift of Christmas is a wonderful resource to help you and your family focus on Jesus Christ. It has coloring pages for the littles, music, videos, and ideas for a more worshipful Christmas.

There are also several family home evening lessons in my archives.
Christmas in the Book of Mormon
Names of Christ
Sing A Long Christmas Story
Symbols of Christmas

Have a cheer filled Sabbath!

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 12: Snowfort Fun

2009-12-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

A whole series of photos today. It snowed yesterday and most of the night. Today was clear and bright. Perfect for a snowball fight!

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Winners of the It's All About the Baby CD

2009-12-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the great response to the giveaway! The randomly selected winners of the It's All About the Baby CD are:

JRoberts from Welcome to the Madness

Debra Low who has a private blog.

Mamava

and Melanie from Heaven or Hales

Congratulations!!!

Please e-mail your addresses to chocolateonmycranium [at] live [dot] com so I can get them shipped out to you.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 10: Warmth

2009-12-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

December 9: Munch

2009-12-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

December 8: Brush

2009-12-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

December 7: Looking Glass

2009-12-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

It's All About the Baby - Christmas CD Giveaway!!!

2009-12-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

*****THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*****

Regular readers of my blog know how much I enjoy giving handmade, either by me or made by someone else. The time involved in creating, knowing someone chose to use their time to produce something for you is priceless.

Today I've got a special treat for you, a different kind of handmade gift - the gift of MUSIC. Christmas music to be more specific. As soon as Thanksgiving is over we play Christmas music practically non stop. I enjoy listening to old favorites, adding my voice, belting out familiar lyrics. Discovering new tunes is a treasured pastime. I've found a treasure to share with you.

One of my blog readers put a little bug in my ear about a new Christmas CD filled with ten original songs and three arrangements of familiar Christmas carols. I meandered over to It's All About the Baby to hear some of the songs while reading about the journey Victoria McDaniel has taken in writing, producing and recording this CD. The lyrics she has shared bear pure testimony of that wondrous night so long ago. The songs cover all different perspectives: Mary, the mother, Joseph, and even us. Victoria's arrangements of Silent Night and O, Holy Night are quite unexpectedly, very upbeat. Take a listen to O, Holy Night (scroll to the bottom of the post). My fingers itch to play just hearing the piano in this song! And, the cello, mmmm....heavenly.

I bought the CD. Actually I bought two, one for me and one for you.

And guess what? Victoria sent me three more. FOUR of you will get to own this lovely, took hours upon hours of talented people's time, gift of music.

Rules for entering:

*Leave a comment telling me what your favorite Christmas song or carol is to listen to.
*You can even tell me who sings your favorite version of the song for an extra entry.
*Spread the word on Facebook or Twitter and come back leaving another comment telling me you did so for another entry.
*Blog about the giveaway and get 10 additional entries. Just let me know in the comment section with a link to your blog post.
*That's a total of 14 entries you can earn! Although you can only win one. :)
*Comments will be open until Wednesday, December 9 at 5 pm PST. I will notify winners and also announce them on the blog. I will ship anywhere so international commenters are welcome to enter!

If you are like me and want a CD NOW and don't want to wait to see if you won one by all means go and order a CD from Victoria. They are only $10.99. That's a steal! She's getting down to her last few hundred, and they are selling fast. If she has to order more made, it will take about ten days, and since we are already in the first week of December, that cuts it close to get CDs before Christmas.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

December 6: Envision

2009-12-06T17:30:00.000-08:00

I Heart Faces Week 48: Sweet Dreams

2009-12-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

Hershey was blessed today at church. It was beautiful. She didn't cry but was awake and attentive. Afterwards she slept peacefully, looking like an angel. I sewed her blessing gown just as I made each of her sisters. Hopefully it will become a treasured heirloom for her.

December 5: Dream

2009-12-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

I so enjoyed posting a photo everyday in November I decided to do it again in December. I've joined the December Photo Project hosted by View From the Prairie Box. I'm only 5 days behind!

Chenille Stick Snowflakes

2009-12-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

The advent calendar activity for Thursday was to make these easy chenille stick snowflakes. Here's the five year old, Cookie, demonstrating how to make them.

Step 1: Cut 6 white or silver chenille sticks in half.

Step 2: Gather all but one stick together in a bunch. Wrap the one around the middle of the others as tightly as you can twisting the ends together.

Step 3: Spread the chenille sticks out in all different directions to make a snowflake.
(Don't mind the green paint on her fingers!)

Optional Step 4: For an added touch you can string on clear, white, or blue tri-beads to each stick.

My kids found the funnest way to hang them on the tree was to just throw them. No hooks required!

This was so easy and fun. We were done in 10 minutes with hardly any clean up.

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

The Symbols of Christmas

2009-12-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

"Christmas is such a joyful time of year. The spirit of brotherly kindness and charity is more evident in the hearts of men. We feel a greater desire to serve and give to others. Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christmas and what we, as Christians, celebrate can easily be lost because of all the commercialism that surrounds this holiday in our culture. To counteract that and bring the true meaning of Christmas back into focus we like to do “Christmas School” for the month of December. . .This year for part of our Christmas school we will learn about 12 symbols of Christmas and how they point us to Jesus."

Read more of my article at Heart of the Matter today. There's a Christmas Symbol unit study to download!

© 2007-2009 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved