For us, the holiday season starts with Thanksgiving and continues until Debbie has her birthday on January 7. This edition of our blog will cover this past holiday season, our most beloved traditions and the joy that the season brings, especially the powerful remembrance of the birth and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I thought the best summary of our feelings came from a journal entry made by Debbie on Christmas Eve:
"It is 7:15 am on Christmas Eve. I am sitting in our "parlor" surrounded by 21 nativities we have collected from all over the world. These nativities are each very different as they depict the birth of Jesus as their individual culture would suggest. However, they all have similar features. Of course all nativities include Mary, Jospeh, Shepherds, Wise Men, animals of some kind or other. The animals vary according to which country they come from. The center figure of course is the holy baby Jesus.
This year more than any other year I have been able to spend much more time focused on the "reason for the season". I have been actively involved in the "Light the World, one by one" campaign this year. This has allowed me an opportunity to reach out to someone each day of December.
I has been our tradition for years to light a candle each night in December before Christmas and read a Christmas story together as a family. The December Ensign this year included an advent calendar with quotes and activities for each day leading up to Christmas Day. Tom and I have shared these quotes and participated in the activities each night as we had our couple scripture study. The Come Follow Me curriculum for 2019 devoted one week to studying about Jesus' birth. All of these things have brought me to where I sit this morning full of an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude for the most precious gift ever given by Heavenly Father. That is the gift of His only Begotten Son.
I'd like to ponder on the role each nativity figure played on that first Christmas. I hope to be able to record my impressions.
I begin with the setting of the nativity. The stable or grotto that served as a place to keep animals made the perfect backdrop of one of the greatest stories ever told. Could there be anything that could depict the humble lowly birth of God's Only Begotten Son? Because there was no room for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Son of God's first days on earth were spent among cows, donkeys and other animals.
I think it is fitting that shepherds were the first to hear the tidings of great joy from an angel of God. These shepherds probably knew the significance of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. These shepherds could have been tasked to care for lambs that would be used in temple sacrifices. These lambs had to be the first born without blemish or spot. When these lambs were chosen they were wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The shepherds were humble servants. They showed great desire to spread the glorious news of the birth of the Messiah with all they could. They were ready to believe the words of the angel. they did not doubt but believed.
As I think about Joseph my heart swells with great admiration and awe at his willingness to do all he was asked to do. He had to be one of the noble and great ones in pre-mortal life. The role he was asked to play was like no other role any other man was asked to play. He was responsible for helping raise the Son of God as he grew from an infant to a child then a youth and finally a young man. I can't even imagine how Joseph must have felt with this responsibility on his shoulders. He had to have had great courage and wisdom in keeping Jesus safe during the time King Herod tried to kill the new born king. Joseph showed so much love and kindness to Mary I'm sure it was difficult to deal with the people who didn't understand their unique situation. Joseph probably wondered more than once if he was a good enough father.
Mary was so young when the angel came to her and announced that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus the Christ, the promised Messiah. I'm sure she felt inadequate and wondered why she was chosen. However she willingly submitted herself to the will of the Father. She must have had great faith and trust in Heavenly Father. She was probably selected not only because of her lineage but also because she was a virtuous, pure handmaid of God. She, like Joseph, was chosen before she was born to play this vital role in God's plan.
The Wise men came bearing gifts that would be used by Joseph and Mary as they took their journey to Egypt. Their gifts would sustain them for quite a while. These wise men had great faith that they would ultimately be able to worship the Christ Child. It didn't seem to bother them that it would take a couple of years to complete their quest to find the King. They had the knowledge necessary to follow the new star which led them to Jesus."
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| New addition to our Nativity sets, this one came from our trip to Israel this year |
Thanksgiving and pre and post Thanksgiving activities
Our holiday celebrations once again began a week prior to Thanksgiving with the annual Bells Concert at Temple Square. We traditionally come to hear this beautiful concert which is one of the highlights of the year for Debbie. This was what we were able to do the day after returning from our mission two years ago and continues to kick off the season.
Our daughter Camila had a Thanksgiving dinner at her Care Center the week before Thanksgiving for her family members. We start celebrating early and enjoy the presence of this special daughter of Heavenly Father.
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| Camila with Caide and Cherish, her oldest and youngest |
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| Another photo including her brother Ben, who has much love and care for Camila |
For the first time this year, we reserved our Clubhouse for our Thanksgiving celebration. With some families visiting other sides of their families, we only had about 20 for dinner. However, with another another 10 or so that came afterwards for pie, we still had a memorable time with our family.
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| Tables set and decorated for Thanksgiving dinner |
Thanksgiving always inspires Debbie to have cute table decorations and favors. These are the ones she made with Beckie's kids for the Thanksgiving celebration.
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| Some grandchildren together as we were waiting to get started |
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| Always plenty of home made pies, a few left over this year |
The week after Thanksgiving is usually the annual German Christmas Market at This is the Place Heritage Park. This has become part of our tradition since returning from our mission. It gives us a chance to eat a little German food and relive some special memories from our mission and our heritage.
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| Near the entrance of the "Christkindlmarkt" |
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| Beautiful weather for our German nostalgia |
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| We even ran into our friends for our mission, Elder and Sister Matheson |
Speaking of missionary friends, just a few weeks previous, we had a missionary reunion with those who served in the Europe Area Office. These are great individuals who are examples to us and forever friends.
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| A mission full of former missionaries from the Europe Area, serving Frankfurt during the years of 2015 to 2019 |
Light the World and Other Service Opportunities
As December began, we decided to follow the initiative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to Light the World - One by One, every day. Many of the ideas were centered on one on one interactions, which led us to honor special people in our lives and touch the lives of other individuals. One of the general ideas was to reach out to global charitable organizations. We chose to participate for our first time with the Giving Machine located at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.
There we were able to purchase blessings for others. Some of our choices involved humanitarian projects worldwide. I (Tom) was excited to purchase a Sheep, since we were aware of a humanitarian project in Albania to raise sheep on our mission.
However, after our purchase, Debbie reminded me that the project I remembered was to raise goats. So we went back and purchased three chickens since we had been integrally involved in the filming of chicken raising humanitarian projects in Cape Verde during our mission.
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| Buying Three Chickens for our Cape Verde friends |
Some of our greatest moments of the Christmas Season are service related. One of our favorite activities is to go Christmas Caroling with our Children and Grandchildren. This year we had three families going with us, providing a group of 17 going to different homes. We visit the homes of those we minister to and others in our ward that seem to enjoy it. It becomes not only service for those we sing to but also a growing experience for our grandchildren. After the caroling they all return to our Condo to enjoy homemade Christmas cookies and hot chocolate.
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| Photo of us taken by one of the families that we minister to |
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| In the patio of another of our sisters that we minister to |
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| In the home of Sister Winger who shared a powerful witness with our grandchildren |
Part of our service includes Debbie helping organize a Christmas luncheon for the Daughter of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) camp. She worked hard to create special Christmas favors in the form of trains, since that ties to the train and railroad themes of the DUP this year.
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| About 26 Christmas trains made out of candy for Christmas favors |
One of our sweetest gifts this year came in a letter that we received a few days before Christmas. It was written by the family of a man who had passed away and he had received his last hair cut in their home the night before he died. Our son, Ammon, cut his hair as an act of service to this gentleman who had been receiving haircuts from Ammon during the past year, while he suffered with cancer. The gratitude of this family for our son Ammon and their kind words gave us a uplift during this special season.
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| Letter received on December 19, 2019 |
Christmas Concerts, Plays and Performances
Christmas would not be Christmas without music and performances. We have several traditions that have become meaningful to us and usually have something new to experience.
We mentioned earlier our annual visit to the Bells Concert on Temple Square. We also have a local concert put on by a South Jordan choir and orchestra that is really amazing. It is right next to home, at Bingham High, and is performed without an entrance fee. However, the presentation is first class. This is the second year we have attended this concert and we plan on making it a tradition while we are living in South Jordan.
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| This was the 15th annual performance of the Sounds of the Season presented by the SoJo (South Jordan) Choral Arts |
Our long standing tradition, as long as we have been married, is to attend the Forgotten Carols presentation by Michael McLean. This performance has been going on since 1991. It has been part of our marriage since we first dated in 1997. We are always filled with an incredible spirit during this performance and feel special inspiration about the birth and life of our Savior. This year, the story was "reimagined", but the spirit was the same. We love this tradition. Almost always my mother goes with us.
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| Photo Opportunity before the performance with my mother |
Last year we received a gift certificate from the Hale Centre Theatre from our son, Sam. He was very generous and we were able to enjoy a few shows with this certificate. This year, it included "The Christmas Carol", the reenactment of the Charle Dickens classic. We attended this on December 23, a fitting way to prepare us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. This story never gets old and always inspires us to use the resources the Lord has given us to help others.
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| Our Selfie photo before the show |
One of the great performances that we enjoyed was in our Sacrament Meeting on December 22, as our ward choir performed in a special Christmas program. They are always good, but this year, for the first time, Debbie was highlighted in a trio presentation. She has always been a great choir member, but perhaps a new career is coming?
Decorations and Nativities
Decorating is a big part of our Christmas. Sometimes we fear that it takes too much effort. However, our favorite part of the decorations are the nativities that we have collected from around the world. Our parlor is full of 21 different nativities We also have others in our kitchen and downstairs, but our parlor becomes a sacred place for us.
During this year we followed along with the David and Emilee podcasts about the participants in the nativity during the last week before Christmas. They gave us a meaningful challenge for each of them. One of them was to ponder in our hearts about the Christ Child, as Mary did. This was our goal as Christmas was approaching, but our many activities seemed to stop this quiet pondering time. Finally, on the morning of Christmas Eve, we were able to spend probably about an hour, sitting in our parlor, reading the Christmas story from the scriptures and pondering as we looked at the many nativities. It was an amazing experience as we pondered not only the birth of that very special baby, but of His life and his atoning sacrifice. It really was the highlight of our Christmas season to just have time and let the Holy Ghost confirm to our souls all that we had studied this year about our Savior. We pondered the incredible gift given to us by our Heavenly Father, when he allowed His Only Begotten Son to come to this earth and sacrifice His life for us. Also the gift of our Savior, in giving His own life, so that we could receive the many gifts made available for us. We are so grateful for our Savior and for our increased understanding that we have received during our study of the New Testament during 2019. Debbie's recorded her feelings of that morning in her journal, which we shared at the beginning of this blog.
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| Our Newest Nativity brought from our trip to Israel, highlighted in our kitchen, right in front of a special picture of our Savior |
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| Our decorated condo as you come into our Condominium. We have put our Nativity where it can be seen be all, so we do not forget the reason for the season. Many of our neighbors have thanked us to have this nativity visible to all. |
Jordan River Temple Maintenance, opportunities to visit other temples
The Jordan River closed down for maintenance for the two weeks before Christmas. This gives us as ordinance workers time off of our duties. This does add time to accomplish other priorities during the holiday season, but we never want to stop attending the temple. We planned a few activities in other temples that helped us continue to do the work for our kindred dead and enjoy different experiences. The first week that the temple was closed, we were able to travel to Hyrum and visit with Jared and his family. We stayed over night there and the next day we were able to participate in two endowment sessions in the Logan Temple. It is always a privilege to attend one of the pioneer temples, certainly this beautiful temple in Logan.
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| A selfie with the Logan Temple behind us on December 11, 2019 |
The next week we wanted to have our last opportunities to attend the Salt Lake Temple before they closed it for a 4 year renovation. The following comes from my comments at that time:
"We really enjoyed participating in temple ordinances in the Salt Lake Temple one last time before the temple closes for modifications. Last night it took quite awhile before we could have a turn for our grandchildren could do baptisms for the dead due to so many youth in the temple. It was the first visit to this temple for our grandson Joshua. It was inspiring to consider that this same baptismal font has been used by the members of the Church for almost 130 years.
Today we went down memory lane with my mother as we performed endowments in this historical temple where we each received our own endowments and where we were each sealed for eternities. A 10:00 am session was completely filled with over 200 patrons. The view we saw in that beautiful celestial room filled with so many individuals dressed in white was simply inspiring. It gave us a glimpse of the celestial kingdom. We are so thankful for the dedication of those early pioneer who built this amazing temple unto the Lord.
As we watched those dedicated temple workers who present the entire endowment live, without the films used in other temples, we were in awe. We are excited as we contemplate their joining us as temple ordinance workers in the Jordan River Temple next month."
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| With grandkids on December 17, performing baptisms for the dead |
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| With my mother after attending an endowment session on December 18 |
Christmas Parties, Gifts
Of course, the holidays are not complete without joining with our families for Christmas parties. We held our party for our children and grandchildren on December 15 at our Clubhouse. We were blessed to have nearly all of our family that lives in Utah in attendance, totaling 59 individuals. We are thankful to have them together. This year we decided that rather than doing an enactment of the nativity, we would watch and contemplate the new video of the Christ Child that was released by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The parents tried hard to keep their children attentive and we felt really good about the experience. We hope that they enjoyed this 18 minute video as much as we did. It is a touching representation, without narration, of the facts that are documented in the scriptures and consistent with the location.
We finished the party with a gift exchange of cousins and siblings and their spouses. This party seems to bring a lot of joy and togetherness with our family, for which we are very grateful.
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| Decorated and ready to go before the party started |
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| The group heading to the table to serve themselves dinner |
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| One of many photos of the grandchildren exchanging gifts |
As part of this party, we were also able to bring Camila and her children. They were able to exchange gifts with their mother and also participate in the party. The extra effort to make this happen is well worth it in the joy that we see having this family together at Christmas time.
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| Our Christmas Gift to Camila, a Christmas tree with ornaments made of photos of her children |
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| Camila exchanging gifts with her kids |
I also invited a dear friend, Michael Johnson, to join with us at this party. He took a lot of pictures of all that was occurring. As Debbie took him to the train station afterwards he told her that he wanted to do a video of our party as a gift to us. On the morning of December 24, 2019, he sent us the files of his video, which were amazing. We were overwhelmed by his kindness to us. He spent his career as a camera man for CNN and Fox News and worked in Hollywood. We were blessed by his talents. What another amazing gift that we had received, even before Christmas morning.
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| A screen shot from the video that Mike Johnson produced for us. What an amazing gift to our entire family! |
The following Saturday, December 21, our extended Rueckert family party was held and hosted by my brother Jim. The party was well done with many of the extended family there. One of the highlights was when Gorilla Santa appeared and gave out presents to the young children.
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| Gorilla Santa giving a treat to our granddaughter Addie |
We hold a Christmas Eve activity in our home, primarily for our single sons and often we have a family or two also attending. We always call it our shepherds' meal, as we eat finger foods in knapsacks while we listen to some of the Forgotten Carols, especially of the shepherd who slept through the heavenly experience. He did not see the Christ Child but believed in the words of those who were there. We then share the Christmas story from the Bible and enjoy time together. This year we also watched the new video of our Family Christmas Party that we had received that day. This year Jacob, Sam and I ended up playing games until 2 am on Christmas morning.
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| All watching the Family Christmas Party video |
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| Many dressed in our Christmas shepherd attire |
We hold the Moeller family party (Debbie's family) on the first Saturday of January by ice skating at Noah's. This is also well attended and is the only family activity that we have during the year with this side of our family.
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| Food on the room on the side of the ice skating rink. |
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| Plenty of food and conversation with the adults. |
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| Many cousins and second cousins enjoying time on the ice skating rink |
Debbie prepared a work of love, typing and packaging many of the stories that she had been able to capture from her dad many years ago. She shared it with each of her siblings. Below, is her sister LuAnn, enjoying her copy which we were able to share with her on Christmas Eve day.
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| Debbie's Sister LuAnn |
We have lived in our ward since 2015 (with 2+ years on our mission) and I (Tom) have never had a calling, except to facilitate Self-Reliance groups, which we basically volunteered for. So when I received a call to meet with the bishop, we wondered what might be in store.
The night before the interview, I was in the temple, attending an endowment session. During the session, it was made clear to me that I would be called the Sunday School President. I also felt some very specific things that I should do or emphasize in this calling. I felt uncomfortable with these thoughts, because it felt that I was presuming what had not been even discussed. I told Debbie about my feelings and then we waited for the interview. The next day, I was called as the Sunday School President. I have never had this specific of a personal revelation before, but it certainly confirmed to me that this call came from the Lord.
I know that I bring one clear quality into this calling, I have a strong testimony of the value of the Come Follow Me curriculum and the importance of Home-Center gospel study. I feel a strong need to emphasize and support Home-Centered gospel study in our ward with all the different challenges of aging and illness. I have since had strong promptings as to my counselors and secretary and have seen the Lord's hand in these callings. They are wonderful men that counsel and perform in an amazing way.
One of the promptings that I had felt in the temple was to initiate a Facebook Come Follow Me group for our ward members so that many of them can share and teach one another in social media. As I initially mentioned this to the bishop he shared caution and asked me to wait. As I continued to ask, he finally told me through his counselor last week that he would not approve it. I was struggling with this decision, because I knew that the Lord had asked me to do it. As I was studying the story of Nephi and the brass plates, I knew that I needed to persist as Nephi did to accomplish the Lord's will. As I went to the temple and prayed, I was prompted to try a one on one visit with the bishop to share my thoughts with him and show him the way this approach was working with our family. On the day that the bishopric counselor communicated the rejection of my idea, I shared an example of what I was proposing. As I called the bishop, he agreed for me to visit with him last Sunday. I felt peace and felt that the Lord's will would be done, but I continued to pray. On Sunday before Church, the bishopric counselor told me that the bishop had approved the concept once he had understood that this was a private group with participation only by invitation. I knew that the Lord had answered my prayers and I was able to pursue the direction as prompted by the Spirit. We asked an individual to organize the Facebook group that very day, one I had felt strong promptings to ask. Wiithin 24 hours the group was organized and invites were sent. So far we have 11 members in our group and others invited. This has been a personal witness to me of the Lord's involvement and concern about all that we do. I pray that in this calling, I can be humble and more willing to do things His way than ever before in my life.
And we always have birthday celebrations. Besides the grandkids, we finished having dinner with all of our children and their significant others for their birthdays in 2019. It was great to get to know each of them better during this year. We are thankful for all of them and the special part they play in our family.
