White Christmas in Southern Utah

well we had snow for Christmas, it was snowing when we got home from visiting Janae's family Christmas Eve and kept snowing until about midnight, it was really cool, first white Christmas I have seen in St george (Ivins).

it really made me think about what Christmas is really about, as i saw the ground covered in white on the day we celebrate Christ's birth it reminded me of two scriptures "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" Isaiah 1:18 and alma 5:21 "for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins", to think that because of Him we can be as clean and pure as a snow covered field,and be able to stand in the presence of our Father again, we use the Christmas season to remember the Greatest Gift that was given to all that would accept it,
it brought a little concern as i listened to some of the Christmas songs on the radio, there were alot of "i saw mommy kissing santa" "jingle bell rock" or "Rudolf the red nosed reindeer" do those actually have anything to do with Christmas?
I remember when you would hear "silent night" "Away in a manger" "little drummer boy" "o little town of Bethlahem" on the radio and it would bring to mind our Saviour's birth, are we forgetting? as i looked back on why i was more aware of what this season is all about i realised that with the economy the way that it is we had to cut back, be more creative and do more creative things, and not worry as much about buying stuff---so our financial setback is a blessing, i think that our nation is becoming forgetful even to the point of pushing Christ out of Christmas so that people do not feel obligated to follow him or change their ways, it is becoming a world of changing the rules to suit our ways, and remembering Christ would not work with that.

looking back at 9-11 it was a painful day, all the destruction and lives lost, but look at the situation before---if you had a flag flying in your yard for more than a holiday or said something about the Constitution, even saying God bless America would have pretty much labeled you as an extremist, but after 9-11 people started praying for America, remembering God, now you can fly a flag year round and have a bumper sticker on your car that says "God bless America" and you are OK, was that a blessing?
is it possible that our country's current economic situation could be to humble us all and bring us back to Christ? change and growth are usually painful but what a great blessing and small price to pay considering that the only things we take with us are; who we have become, the things we have learned, and our families, lets look at the upcoming challenges with a determination to let them bring us to Christ and shape who we are into our Devinne potential.
wishing all a great New Year, Kerry