the LIGHT of the WORLD

tears well up in my eyes as i think about all that Christmas means to me and what a joy it is to now share it with my boys. more than jingle bells and mom's cheese danish, new pajamas on christmas eve and cookies for santa, more than evergreen trees and pretty packages, Christmas is Christ.

strolling the grounds of temple square in salt lake with every limb and branch aglow took my breath away. though i have been there many times at Christmas, it was the first time i'd seen the magic of millions of lights through new eyes as a wife and as a mother. the illumination impressed me greatly. not only was it breathtaking and enough to make one giddy and drunk in the christmas spirit, its' symbolism has been burned into my heart.

Light in the darkness. He marked the path and led the way. your Light in the wilderness. He is the Light which lights every man. Light which cannot be hid. my Light and my salvation. let your light so shine before men. bring up your children in light and truth. I am come to light the world.

i love the knowledge that we can always have a beautifully lit path even through times of terrible darkness if we will but rely on He who is the true LIGHT of the WORLD. and teaching my children that will be my greatest endeavor on this earth.

may we all remember that His birth and His life gives us all a reason to celebrate every day of our lives.

wishing His love and His peace to you and yours this christmas.

xoxo, jess and fam.

"Christmas is more than trees and twinkling lights, more than toys and gifts and baubles of a hundred varieties. It is love. It is the love of the Son of God for all mankind. It reaches out beyond our power to comprehend. It is magnificent and beautiful. It is peace. It is the peace which comforts, which sustains, which blesses all who accept it. It is faith. It is faith in God and His Eternal Son. It is faith in His wondrous ways and message. It is faith in Him as our Redeemer and our Lord. We testify of His living reality. We testify of the divinity of His nature. In our times of grateful meditation, we acknowledge His priceless gift to us and pledge our love and faith. This is what Christmas is really about. " Gordon B. Hinckley