A Conversation Between Christmas and New Year's

    If Christmas and New Year's could talk, I think I know about how the conversation might go.
   "You know, New Year's, I think there's something I could learn from you."
   "Oh, and what is that, Christmas?"
   "Well, seems to me my day has drifted a bit, from what it really could be."
   "Yes?"
   "Yes. Oh, giving gifts can be fine enough. The thing is, the stress of getting something for everyone, the stress of not having the money to do it, and just that the money element isn't what my day is truly all about got me thinking how I really ought to take a lesson from you."
   "Go on. Exactly what could you learn from me?"
   "Well, if we were to mix the two days together . . ."
   "You mean, take the best of our two days and combine them?"
   "Yes. That's is precisely what I mean."
   "Well, Christmas, what would the day end up being, if they were one and the same? What would you take from me that would make your day a little better?"
   "You've got that New Year's resolution thing, don't you?"
   "Yes."
   "Well, it's just that I was watching this cute little video the other day."
   "Yes."
    "Yes. And, the narrator started off saying something about how some people think my day has become too commercialized."
   "Yes."
   "About then, the actors started fighting over the presents. Chaos right there on the stage."
   "Oh, my!"
   " 'But it doesn't have to be that way' " the narrator cried. 'But it doesn't have to be that way! the narrator pleaded a second time.' "
   "Oh, my! Did they stop fighting over the presents?"
   "They did. Then, they cleared the stage of the cash register. They reset things up. Had the actors come back with a new set of gifts."
    "Yes?"
   "This is where you come in, Father Time."
   "Yes?"
    "This is how I think I could learn from you."
   "Yes?"
   "Yes. You see, in the video, they each went and put a new gift on the table. As they did, they announced their gifts."
   "Yes?"
   " 'This year for Christmas, I'm going to say I'm sorry more,' said the first, placing a nicely wrapped box on the table."
   "Oh! That's a wonderful Christmas present!"
   "This year for Christmas, I'm going to play with my kids more,' " said the next. Then, one after another the actors offered such gifts. 'I'm going to help the old lady next door with her garden,' said one."
   "Wonderful!"
   "Yes. It was wonderful. And, soon the table was full with all these wonderful gifts."
   "But, I don't see what this has to do with me, Christmas. I thought you said you could learn something from me?"
   "Yes! Of course!"
   " 'Yes, of course' what?' "
   "New Year's Day, my friend. You are all about New Year's resolutions. That's the feel-good, do-gooder thing about New Year's. Just like one of my good sides is giving gifts."
   "Yes. I do like it when I can get people to make New Year's resolutions."
   "Yes. Things like resolving to say you're sorry more, and playing with the kids more. And helping the elderly lady next door."
   "Yes, but I'm afraid most of the resolutions on my day don't quite go like that."
   "Resolving to lose 10 pounds can be good. I'm not saying quit resolving to improve yourself. I'm just saying, if we took part of your holiday and moved it over to mine, we'd have people resolving to do good for others."
   "Maybe, Christmas, my friend. I could learn a little from you, too. Like you say, it doesn't mean we have to let go of  the resolutions on self-improvement, but we could also make resolutions to help others."
   "Yes. Our two holidays come one after another. It's all the same season. Being so close, we can share in some of what we do."
   "Merry Christmas, then, and happy New Year!"
   "It's a single phrase. We mix our two holidays together, already. What could be more wonderful than mixing them some more?"
   At this point, the conversation between Christmas and New Year's was about to end, when Christmas bowed his head, and quietly said, "New Year's, my old friend, I've one more thought."
   "Yes."
   "I just don't want to go away from this conversation without mentioning Christ."
   "No, of course not!"
   "I mean, it's what my day is all about."
   "Yes!"
   "Well, I like to think we share something there, too."
    "Yes? Well, I suppose we do, if you are thinking what I'm thinking."
    "Yes?"
    "Yes, yes! After all, I number my years. There was 2012 and 2013 and 2014 and it'll keep going on."
   "Yes."
   "And, the idea is that the years commenced from when your Savior was born. It all got its start with the birth of the Savior."
   "The birth of the Savior, then. We really do have that in common."
   "Yes. We share a beginning point."
   "All the more reason to mix our seasons a little more, and to take the best of each fit them together."

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd6d9Qq9Wmk

America is a Nation of Immigrants and Home of Ephraim and Manasseh

   It occurs to me that it is of great note that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants. We have heard the phrase much of late in immigration discussions. Juxtaposition that thought, if you will, with the teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that America is a gathering place for some of the Tribes of Israel. I understand there are more Jews who have moved to the United States than to any country other than Israel. But that would be a small part of it, for the Jews' gathering place is, indeed, Israel.
   America is a gathering place, though, for the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. When Jacob blessed his sons, he said Joseph  (the father of Ephraim and Manasseh) would be a fruitful bough, and even so, there currently are more from these two tribes than from the other tribes. Jacob said Joseph was even a bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall. Even so, reaching America meant meant the branches had to cross waters. In blessing Joseph, Jacob referenced "the everlasting hills," and, even so, a series of mountains stretch from Canada all the way down through South America.
   So, it does seem of interest that America is an immigrant nation, which is another way of saying, it is a gathering place.
   I wonder if it is also of note that some are adopted to the Tribes of Israel. As it says in Isaiah 54, which is, significantly, one of the portions of Isaiah quoted in the Book of Mormon:
   "Sing, O barren, thou that didnst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord."
   I wonder if there are more adopted to the Tribes of Israel living in America than there are "children of the married wife." And, I think of how those who are adopted  might go for their inheritance to a land other than that where the Twelve Tribes originated.
   (One sentence added 1/1/15)

Would Hope this is the Reason for Abortion Rates Declining

   And the debate proceeds over what is causing abortion rates to decline. Among all the possible reasons, the one I would like to believe is that more and more people just don't like taking life away from the unborn.

A Truce of the Soldiers' Making, Not from Their Commanders

   When people do uncommonly good things, it should be newsworthy, and when they do something that can be hailed as a miracle -- for so rare a thing it is -- then it should be celebrated.
   But, the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Miracle of 1914 went largely unnoticed, alas and alas.
   It was 100 years ago this year that German soldiers raised little Christmas trees with lit candles. They raised them from their trenches as a show of peace. And, they sang a Christmas song. American soldiers responded. Soon, all along about a 27-mile span, different sets of combatants were breaking out of the trenches to smoke with each other, play football, fraternize . . .
   They were pausing to observe the birth of a Savior.
   It started on Christmas Eve, and continued on Christmas Day, a truce not drafted by military leaders, nor by the leaders of the nations, but by the soldiers who refused to fight that Christmas Day, soldiers who laid down their weapons of war to honor the birth of the Prince of Peace.
    Was it a miracle? I don't know whether it warrants that, but perhaps. You certainly might look in vain for how many times soldiers, in the name of peace, have laid down arms without the approval of higher officers.
   It is a story that begs a telling, and a place in our history books. It remains one of the more unusual occurrences in all the history of America, and of Germany. War has seldom been marked by such an outbreak of peace.
   (Edited 12/29/2014)

Is Israel being Held to a Different Standard?

   So, do we justify Israel's settlement of the West Bank by the fact the settlements are on conquered territory? Israel took that land in the Six-Day War in 1967. Now, it is common among all nations to keep land they take in conquest. Part of America is land taken from Mexico. (Yes, we paid Mexico for the land, but we forced them, by virtue of conquest, to take our offer.) There are from World War II lands that were conquered that were not returned to their previous governing bodies. When the U.S. went into Iraq, it was to remove the government of the time and, rather than rather than telling Saddam Hussein that once we conquered him, we would give him his land back, we sought his removal from power.
   Is the world expecting different of Israel? The international community would have Israel return the lands. Is that a different standard than what we have for other countries?
   Perhaps, if I am to understand that what Israel is doing is wrong, I need to be reminded of the times the United Nations or the international community has not allowed conquerors to keep conquered territory. Perhaps I should study on that first, then get back to you.

Christmas Day Brought Word of More Israeli Settlements

   On Christmas Day, Israel announced preliminary approval of 243 new homes in the West Bank, with another 270 to come later.
   The settlements are on land Israel captured in the Six-Day War of 1967. Question is, is Israel entitled to keep the land, or should it give it back to the Palestinians?
   If you expect me to weigh in with an opinion, perhaps I will disappoint. Or, perhaps I will give it some thought and weigh in tomorrow.

Hold Fast to that which is Good -- Including things We Might Reject

   Notice the Muppets came in for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert? What does that have to do with Christ? you may ask.
   I also noticed one of the Tabernacle Choir's CDs, that it was largely of songs with no mention of the Savior's birth. And, I picked up my Christmas Day Church News to see an article with "Happy Holidays" in the headline.
   As the 13th Article of Faith says, "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
   And, I Thessalonians 5:21, "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good."
   Family and giving and Muppets and "happy holidays" are good things, so hold fast to them.
   This does not mean we do not strive to make Christ the center of our Christmas. it just means we don't have to give up other things which are good to get there.