Teaching RS and the Christmas Spirit

As 1st Counselor in the RS Pres I have the opportunity to teach every third month.  The topics that we teach are the First Presidency's Message for that particular month.  Now I say opportunity because i guess it is an opportunity...but more times that not I would like to skip this particular opportunity. I would much rather listen to another's lesson than teach.  It's not because I am particulary shy but it just seems that when I get up to teach that I say and do things that afterwards I ask myself why in the world did I ever say or do that?!!  Nonetheless I did teach this past Sunday.  The topic was "Can We See the Christ?" by Elder Uctchdorf.  Here is the link to the article:  http://lds.org/liahona/2010/12/can-we-see-the-christ?lang=eng.

I started out by commenting how much I dislike Christmas.  Now I was exaggerating somewhat to make a point but I really would just rather skip Christmas altogether mainly because the stress of it all. It just seems that before Thanksgiving even gets here that Christmas is on and overpowering everything!  Now don't get me wrong...I love the true meaning of Christmas of course!, but can really do without all the hoopla!  In the past I have always over bought for my kids because I was worried one of them would feel disappointed and unhappy.  This to my knowledge has never happen, so I am not blaming my kids, but rather myself for thinking that they had to have material things to be happy.

17 years ago at this time of the season I was holding in my arms my second son, Sam.  I was asked to sing with some sisters for RS and the song that was chosen was, "Mary's Lullaby" or better known as "Tonight You Are Mine".  As I held Sam and sang this song I thought of how Mary felt as she held her newborn son.  How she wanted to shield and protect him for the world as we all want to do.  She wanted to divert the "pangs of Gethsemane" and the "red drops of Calvary".  She knew he was a King, but that night He was hers.

I had a group of sisters along with myself sang this song.  The spirit was present and the sisters felt it.

I then had 3 sisters tell ways in which they put Christ in their Christmas.  The first sister said she felt His Spirit when she taught her children the true meaning of Christmas.  The next sister was from a German heritage and she said it was the songs sung in German that brought the Spirit to her Christmas and the last sister said it was service that she did to bring the true meaning of Christmas.

The lesson went well, I am glad I am done for a few months and most of all I am glad for be able to do it because it put me in the right spirit for this wonderful Christmas season!

Here are the word to Mary's Lullaby:

All mine in your loveliness baby, all mine.

All mine in your holiness baby divine.

Sing on herald angels in chorus sublime;

Sing on and adore, for tonight you are mine.



The wise men are coming to worship their King,

The shepherds are kneeling their homage to bring.

Out yonder the star over Judah will keep.

No harm will befall thee, then sleep baby sleep.



O let me enfold thee, my baby tonight,

While legions are singing in joyous delight.

A new star has risen to hail thee divine,

For you are a king, but tonight you are mine.



Away spectered future of sorrow and plight,

Away to the years that must follow tonight.

The pangs of Gethsemane, let them be dim,

The red drops on Calvary, not Lord, for Him!



O let me enfold thee, my baby tonight,

While legions are singing in joyous delight.

A new star has risen to hail thee divine,

For you are a king, but tonight you are mine.



Sing on herald angels in chorus sublime;

Sing on and adore, for tonight you are mine.