Week 5 Merry Christmas!

 

Hope, joy, love, peace.  That is what I wish each of you this week!  

If you’re not feeling joy every minute, then maybe you can at least hope for joy to return, and with that hope, make choices to build and attract more joy.  

If you’re not feeling peace right now, then maybe at least you can think of things and people you love and who love you, feel secure in that love, and push more love out into the areas that don’t currently feel at peace.  

If you are reading this, I love you!

Nephi saw a vision which connects love and joy in the hope of the Savior's birth:

"And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father⁠! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul. (1 Ne 11:20-23)

Here are some photos from the past week celebrating simple joys, sublime joys, and all sizes of joys in between.

Signs of Hannukah are everywhere!

Our substitute organist Ina is an amazing musician and teacher.  She plays organ professionally at St. George's church north of the Old City, and she is wonderful with the groups of Russian speaking people who often come to tour the center.  I helped lead a tour this week, showing people the models on the balcony and the Biblical garden.  There is a video that does most of the explaining in 5 or 6 different languages.

Here are a few pics from inside the center.  This is the office shredder.  I thought the wry humor was cute.

This is the library, remodeled two years ago to let in more light.  

Here are some images from our trip to David's Citadel.  

The students gave a concert/fireside for branch members on the Sunday before they left. 

This is my new scripture bag/purse, made by Palestinian artisans.  I went with other friends from the center to Sunbula crafts in a downpour to make this purchase.  It will forever remind me of squelching socks.  

Here are photos from our trip to Bethany and Lazarus' tomb.

Poinsettias grow into trees?  How did I not know this?

Then we went to Bethphage.

This small chapel marks the spot where Jesus lamented that he tried to gather his people as a hen gathers her chickens, but they would not.  

This church is called Dormitian Abbey.  Tradition in some churches says that Jesus spared his mother the agony of death by bringing her directly to heaven, so her death was described as falling asleep.  This church has recently been renovated, and the mosaics annd colors are vivid.

The church of Pater Noster commemorates the Lird’s prayer with ceramic tiles in dozens of languages.

We climbed down a very long stairway from the top to T near the base of the Mount of Olives.

These pics give a glimpse of the Church of St.Peter in Gallicantu, which references the crowing rooster who punctuated Peter’s third denial of Jesus.  This is a low moment in Peter’s life, just as the crucifixion and burial were a low moment in the life of all of his disciples.  Here is a picture of an ancient stairway of the right time period which Jesus might have climbed as he was led to judgement.  

This church has ruins of cisterns which show evidence of being used as a prison, and there are many places here to ponder the moral and emotional low felt by all involved with Jesus Christ at this moment in the narrative. But this is not the end of the story.  Christ would heroically endure to the end of his mortal life, and then majestically rise again.  Peter would go on to find his own redemption arc and then lead the fledgling church against a storm of opposition.  Both held on through the lows of Thursday and Friday and Saturday to ding the joy of Sunday.  This church is ornate with vibrant colors and gold highlights embedded in the mosaics making it strikingly beautiful inside.  

The Garden Tomb is always a peaceful and hopeful place.  We enjoyed hearing students share their feelings about Christ in this beautiful garden.  The miracle of Easter is the foundation for the significance  of Christmas. 

I met some second cousins at church today, Mark and Chalane Wride.  Mark’s grandpa is the brother of my Grandma Gwen Wride Fillmore.  Way cool!  Another good reason to be friendly, or at least nice, to strangers!

I went on a hike to Ein Kerem with my dear friend Raghad Muzafar. 

This time of year brings with it memories and expectations that may bring other feelings, like comparison and envy, perfectionistic thinking and discouragement.  Like Charlie Brown, we can so easily turn a perfectly good holiday into a problem.  When this happens to me, I find joy and peace from recentering my belief in Heavenly Parents who love each of their children as they are, even with a full knowledge of all we lack.  And when I have crossed the line from self care to vegging out and wasting time, I feel hope from Heavenly Parents encouraging me to take the next step.  They love me as I am, but they want me to not plateau or regress but instead press forward.