The True Meaning of Christmas

The time of year is always coming around and with so much fun and excitement. Families are shopping and enjoying each others company. Sweethearts are always looking for mistletoe and kids count the presents they eagerly await to open on Christmas day. Christmas is the time of year that nobody would miss with the snow and seeing loved ones and sitting by a roaring fire with a mug of hot chocolate. Then when Christmas day finally comes it's time to see what lies behind the wrapped presents. Kids with new toys and candy. The father with the certain appliance he always wanted. Mom with her new jewelry and cooking supplies and the teen aged girl and boy with their new clothing or electric guitar.
This has been the tradition of Christmas for a long time. But now a days it seems to be the only thing that people look forward to; the shopping and getting this and that and on Christmas after everything has been unwrapped, it becomes and normal day of the week. We will play and use the things that we got and then get bored with them. Is that all Christmas is about?
No. Christmas means much more than that. Christmas was about the Savior and about how he saved us all from sin. Which is why we look to serve one another this time of year like the Savior did for us. Here is a story about how a man found the True Meaning of Christmas
A man walked down the cold streets of the city. A fun tradition of his since he was a boy was to look at all the windows and see the toys and Christmas things. When he walked by an old candy store that was now a store called "unnecessary things." A salesman walked out and invited him in. When he walked into the store, the salesman started to try to sale him some of his unnecessary things. "It's a bargain," the salesman said. "Its only half of and you get your money back if you don't like it. Merry Christmas!" The man declined and said he was looking for the true meaning of Christmas. The salesman looked at him puzzled and stayed that he didn't have any of those so the man left. As he continued down the street, salesman kept inviting him in and trying to sale their products to him. He refused and asked if they had the true meaning of Christmas and their answer was no every time. All of a sudden, the man lost interest in his walk and decided to walk home. He missed being able to see the holiday spirit in all of the shops as he walked by and now it seemed like everybody was just trying to sale their products with reduced prices. As he walked up the street, he came across a small shack at the end of the last street that was near his home. The shack was called "Christmas Spirit." So the man walked in and found out that the shack was in fact Christmas Spirit. Everything that he remembered as a kid was lined out on the shelves. An old woman came up to him and asked him if he was looking for something special. He replied he was looking for the true meaning of Christmas. The old woman smiled and and beckoned him to the rear of the shack. In the back was a set up of some dolls. The doll figure of Joseph and Mary. The doll figures of the sheperds and the wise men and the animals of the stable. But in a manger of hay he recognized the tiniest doll as the Savior of the world. As he looked at the tiny doll figure he said "Thank you dear Jesus for your pure life. Because of you I know I can be healed from sin of the world." He had in fact found the true meaning of Christmas. He treasured the scene in his heart and thanked the old woman and went on his way.
The true meaning of Christmas is not about what we get from shopping, but remembering who came into the world so that we could be forgiven of our sins. Christmas time is about Christ and what he did for us. So forget about getting the most expensive thing to give someone because its half off, but rather serve them from the heart as the Savior did for us. That's the true meaning of Christmas.
-Merry Christmas

The Sweater Vest - Our Heavenly Fathers Love.

I know the title may seem a little funny, but in fact I am talking about a sweater vest.
Once upon a mission, a certain missionary (before his mission) had bought three sweater vests (well his parents did because of the goodness of their hearts. They really love their missionaries.) One day, when the weather got cold, this certain missionary decided that he wanted to wear his sweater vest because he wanted to stay warm and not freeze when they were outside. When his companion saw what he was wearing decided to rebuke him instead of complementing him on how professional he looked. Now this missionary decided that he liked his sweater vest a lot and it kept him warm, so he decided to ignore the comments from everyone that would make a comment about what he wore.
Now in our own individual lives, we have what is called our "comfort zone." What we wear. What we eat and how we eat it. How we speak and our many different opinions. Everybody who has walked this green earth (and the brown parts too) has had or has a "comfort zone." But others will look at someone and decide because you don't share the exact same views as they do, your not normal. First off, everybody is different and that makes us pretty normal. Second off, we are uniquely different because if you could imagine if everybody was the same. I think that would super boring.
 But the most important thing that we can remember is that no matter who you are, where you've been and what your personality is, your Heavenly Father loves you the way you are. Heavenly Father loves this missionary who wears sweater vests as much as he loves Albert Einstein or Adolph Hitler or the hobo who doesn't have a home because he's addicted to alcohol. You are His child and he loves you very much for the person that you are. So when your teased for something that you wear or eat or say or do, just remember Heavenly Father would be at your side and would praise you for the good things that you do in this life. Your not an alien in His eyes because your His child. So don't let what others say about you stop what you wear and say and what ever it may be because you are special in your own unique way and just remember that Heavenly Father loves you for who you are and that's all that matters.

The things of nature are a testimony

Whenever I need to think about things that revolve around in my life, I like to take a walk out in nature. When I'm alone, it gives me space to think without interuptions. But then a single thought will interupt everything; Is there really a Father in Heaven? I have never seen Him or any of his angels. I have never seen the Savior. Why should I believe what others say about him? Then, it hits me in the gut. Look around you and see the trees and the rocks and the mountains and the animals. They testify of our Savior and Heavenly Fathers love for us.
This earth, and everything in it were not created by accident. Everything that we see is from our Heavenly Father and His Son. They created it for us and there is no doubt that everything we see is from God. Once, while camping in the Uinta Mountains in Utah, my dad sat us all down around the camp fire and said, " I believe in my Heavenly Father and His Son because of all the wonderful things he has created for us."
So if your ever questioning your faith in our Savior and Father in Heaven, take a walk out in nature and examine the things that you walk by and you will find that not one thing could've been man made. Their cries tell us that they were made by a supreme being that has all power to His will. People will make an argument about scientific facts, but even scientist will find that the root of everything will lead back to a Heavenly Creator who created a world full of beauty for us because he loves us. Never again will I question my faith in my Savior and Father in Heaven because of the testimony of nature.

Just Starting

Well this is my blog page. Im not the greatest blogger, but I hope that to all who read my blogs are more spiritually uplifed and that they will bring spirit into your life and the lives of others. Feel free to comment on anything you think I can improve or things that you liked. You can also follow more of what I do on Facebook. Just look up Elder Sten Isaacson and I would be glad to answer any questions you have or if you want to hear a thought or to have a lesson. Hope you have a great day :)