My Gift for 2013

One of my very favorite family traditions that we have that has carried over from child hood is our birthday party for Jesus.  It really isn't much, other than either telling the nativity story or acting it out.  Singing Happy Birthday and then giving a gift to the savior.

That is my favorite part.  Giving a gift just like the wise men did.  And it isn't just any gift.  It is something we are going to lay at the feet of the Savior.  Something we are going to do in the coming year to be more like him.  I will admit, this has become more precious to me in more recent years as I have really taken it serious and not just lip service.

Last year I gave the gift of forgiveness.  I worked really, really hard to forgive others as Jesus has forgiven me.  It was amazing to watch myself transform and grow closer to him as I continued to give that gift all year long.

I thought for a few weeks before our little party as to what I wanted to give for 2013 and I kept coming back to wanting to be a better record keeper.  But I knew how great I have been with it in the past and I kept brushing it off and thinking I should do something that I could actually follow through with.  But as I already said, I kept coming back to it.  We also did the gift giving a little different this year.  Normally we just say it out loud and move on to the next person.  But I wanted us to be a little more accountable.

 Several years ago my big brother came home from his mission to Russia.  Along with it he brought us all beautiful hand painted/crafted gifts.  One of the gifts he brought for me was this beautiful treasure box.  It hasn't ever really had a purpose other than to look pretty.  Well I thought it looked a lot like what I imagined the treasure boxes the wise men might have given to the Christ child.  It finally had a purpose.  To hold our gifts to the Savior.

We each wrote what we are going to work on this year and put them inside.  We will pull them out next year at the party, see how we did and then replace them with our new gifts.  I thought it would help us be a little more accountable.

So, along with what I wrote in the pretty box, I am putting it here as well.  I am going to be a better record keeper for myself and our family in 2013.