Pride.

Wow. Thanksgiving came and went. And I'm hoping so did my pride. Some things happened this week that Brian and I definitely learned from. We found ourselves being covetous. Silly, when we are so blessed. We have everything and more then we possibly need. We have been extremely blessed. And of course the time of year when we should be most thankful for what we have we fail to give thanks. After we finally realized how prideful we were being we had a little talk and decided to change things. We changed our mind set. We suddenly realized everything we have is from the Lord. We have been so blessed. I keep repeating that but really we are.  The rest of the weekend we spent trying to focus on being more grateful and not so much on what we don't have or what we don't get to do. We tried to put our focus more on giving. Pride is such a nasty cycle. And no matter how much we try to avoid it, it always seems to slip back in to the picture and then we have to push it back out before some real damage has been done. The Lord has given us everything we have. He has provided us with this life. All the things we do, opportunities we get come from Him. How silly it is for us to forget that. Forget that you would not even be reading this if it weren't for His blessings He has provided. This time of year there seem to be two types of people. The type that get so carried away in the worldliness of Christmas and then the type that seem to do nothing but give more and more without once ever thinking of themselves. The ones who don't even get a Christmas. What would the world be like without all the Christmas hype. All the presents. All the craziness. All the Pride. We would be simply celebrating the birth of Christ.  What joy. After all, His birth was the start of such greatness. The start of the life of a man who provided the world for us. Provided peace. Provided the atonement. A way out. Such love and mercy from this Man. Eternal life. Hope. What more can we do for this Man then to show our appreciation. Celebrate Him. Do as He has done. Give. Sacrifice. Love unconditionally.
Lesson Learned:

(Alma 26: 35-37)

"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name. 

Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my savlation, and my redemption from everlasting wo....

Now my brethen, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

I would hope that this time of year that we can all take the time and effort to sacrifice a bit more for others. Give thanks a bit more. Do something a bit more then you have in the past. Make it a more joyful time of year for people. Give a bit more. Remember Him. Give as He does. Love as He does.