with thankful heart and joyful mind

merry Christmas everyone! (a little early, but i'm bad at waiting!)

i love everything about this song. the best part of the video, though, is homeboy playing the tiny bells. plus, i wish i could play the cello. and sing like alison krauss. i want her to sing me to sleep every night.

the other night i watched "the nativity story" and i cried. (i'm thinking i need to do some serious consideration about continuing to bill myself as a non-crier. i seem to be crying more in my old age. or maybe i'm just selective...)

the part of the movie that got me was the end, with the shepherds coming to the stable. the shepherds have always been my favorite part of the story (besides the most important part, of course.) and while i was watching that part, i kept thinking of John chapter 10, which is one of my favorites. i remember when we studied the new testament in seminary and my teacher had us go through the chapter marking the characteristics of the sheep, and the hireling, and the good shepherd.

watching the shepherds come and worship the newborn Savior led me to thinking about the Atoning Savior - the Good Shepherd. i love these characteristics of our Good Shepherd:

- "he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."

- "i am the good shepherd, and know my sheep"

- "he goeth before them"

- "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep"

those lonely shepherds have always amazed me - coming to worship a baby in humble circumstances, with faith that someday He would be their King.

my home teachers came yesterday and talked about what gifts we can give the Savior. i know we hear that a lot, but i was thinking about it in conjunction with these other things, and i want to be a better sheep - a better follower of our Savior. i want to know His voice, and follow Him, trusting in His love and His teachings. and i want to be a better shepherd, with more faith in His plan and more love for the people around me.

i love the line in that song up there that talks about Mary "attending on the Lord of Life, who came on earth to end all strife." thinking of the Good Shepherd, and the sacrifice He made for everyone to "end all strife," helps all of the frivolous things that can creep up on me this time of year to fade into the background, and helps to strengthen my resolve to be a better person (just in time for new year's resolutions.) i think it's a nice refresher at the end of the year, preparing me for the challenges in the next one.