01. I got a new phone that can actually send and receive texts! Welcome to modern technology, right? I still don’t know yet whether this is a good thing or not. I was gone to Reno all day yesterday and received countless texts from my daughter who also got the same style of phone. It was fun but I sure got tired of hearing the notification ding.

02. Wednesday our community had its 10th annual interfaith harvest dinner. Members of all faiths in the community gather together for a potluck dinner. The mayor gives a speech, the high school Swing Choir, the Civic Chorus and Swinging Seniors perform, and prayers from different ministers, pastors, and church leaders are offered. A collection of canned goods for the local food bank is also made. It’s really a fun evening.

Only Mr. Ferrero Rocher and I spent about 45 minutes in the kitchen and didn’t participate any other way. He helped carve turkeys while I stood in the corner trying to help without turning around. We brought a turkey in that my sister-in-law cooked. I held it on my lap and discovered about half way to town that the disposable aluminum pan was leaking turkey juice through a small crack in the bottom. By the time we arrived my pants were soaked and I smelled like I was the turkey! It was so embarrassing to walk in the building looking like I had wet my pants. Thus the reason for my standing in a corner while trying to do what I could to help. When the turkeys were all carved we left for home, but not until Mr. FR stopped to buy me some mashed potatoes from KFC. Besides chocolate, potatoes are my biggest food love and I was sorely disappointed to have missed out on the mashed potatoes being served at the dinner.  🙂

03. My body is in that in-between stage where my regular pants don’t fit but maternity pants are still to big and fall down. I took a couple of girls clothes shopping in Reno yesterday and disliked all the mirrors everywhere. I just look like a chubby person walking around rather than a pregnant lady. Ugh. Okay so I normally look like a chubby person anyway but since I am pregnant I’d rather look pregnant than just chubby, you know?

04. I had two posts published at Real Intent this past week. Both are rewrites of posts from last year. They cover the same topic of gratitude but approach them in different ways. Count Your Blessings is more practical, hands-on, while Eucharisteo delves into the meaning of words and the choice to look at our abundance or lack thereof and where that leads us. I invite you to go and read and join the conversation there.

05. Can I just tell you how much I love my Savior? This year in seminary we have been studying the New Testament. To really delve into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ has been a great blessing. I have been learning so very much.

There are three different options for teaching the gospels – straight through as they are in the Bible, in harmony so the life of Christ is in chronological order, or just the birth and last week of Christ’s life in harmony with everything in between straight through. I chose to teach the Gospels all in harmony. The way our schedule has worked out we are learning about the last week of Christ’s life leading up to Christmas. Basically one day of Jesus’s life is stretched out for a week of lessons as we learn the teachings and happenings of that day.

There is a wonderful chart that breaks down each day’s events and where it is referenced in the four Gospels. What a terrific resource for anyone who wants a more in depth study to the events leading up to Gethsemane and Calvary and the Resurrection! And to be studying this before we celebrate the birth of Jesus is even more wonderful. As President Hinckley stated,  

“There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.”

The last day before Christmas break we will listen to the whole Lamb of God album produced by Rob Gardner {while sipping hot chocolate and eating cinnamon rolls}. I can’t wait! To end this section of study with beautiful music is the perfect way to focus our attention more fully on Jesus Christ at Christmastime.