Hark! The Herald Angels Sing & Joyful, Joyful

God is so good!! 🤍🙏🙌

I had a difficult night. At 2:30 in the morning I found myself on my knees pleading for forgiveness. Overwhelmed with guilt from sins I can't seem to stop repeating. I promised my Heavenly Father I wouldn't do it again. But, I've made this promise so many times before and haven't proved to be very trustworthy.

This morning wasn't much better. I slept in way too long. I didn't want to face the day or myself. I was lazy. I was grumpy and snappy for no reason. I finally knelt down to pray once again at 3:00 this afternoon. I asked for forgiveness again. I prayed to feel God's love and forgiveness and for His Holy Spirit to be with me. After I ended my prayer, I decided I needed to read something uplifting (as I didn't read from my scriptures this morning like I always mean to). I decided to read a little book I got from my grandmother's home after she had moved out (and who is now no longer here so it's extra special to me 🤍). 

The book is entitled, A Christmas Parable by Boyd K. Packer. As I was reading this short story, tears immediately filled my eyes. The story spoke about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the washing away of sins. The gift of this Christmas season is Christ, everything about Christ. Not just His Holy birth but his entire life, culminating with the greatest act of mercy and compassion, the Atonement. The ability for our sins, through grace, baptism, sincere repentance and a willingness to follow Him all the days of our lives, can be washed away and we can become clean. He paid the ultimate price and sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world so that, through Him, we could be saved. 

I know the Spirit inspired me to pick up this sweet parable today. I have felt so miserable and ashamed for so long. Now, all I feel is peace and joy and forgiveness. I feel the spirit of the Lord with me. I feel changed and pray that as I move forward, I will remember this moment and these feelings I have. This doesn't mean I won't sin again or make mistakes or have bad days. But I know God hears my prayers, that He sees me in my lowest moments. I know He will always forgive me when I sincerely repent and try my best to follow Him. To give Him my heart 🤍 That is enough.

This is what Christmas is all about. I pray we all might find THE gift this Christmas season. God is good! God is real! He is there. He sees us. He hears us. He is with us. Always. 🙏

This poem was included at the end of the book 💓

In ancient times the cry “Unclean!”

Would warn of lepers near.

“Unclean! Unclean!” the words rang out;

Then all drew back in fear,

Lest by the touch of lepers’ hands

They, too, would lepers be.

There was no cure in ancient times,

Just hopeless agony.

No soap, no balm, no medicine

Could stay disease or pain.

There was no salve, no cleansing bath,

To make them well again.

But there was One, the record shows,

Whose touch could make them pure;

Could ease their awful suffering,

Their rotting flesh restore.

His coming long had been foretold.

Signs would precede His birth.

A Son of God to woman born,

With power to cleanse the earth.

The day He made ten lepers whole,

The day He made them clean,

Well symbolized His ministry

And what His life would mean.

However great that miracle,

This was not why He came.

He came to rescue every soul

From death, from sin, from shame.

For greater miracles, He said,

His servants yet would do,

To rescue every living soul,

Not just heal up the few.

Though we’re redeemed from mortal death,

We still can’t enter in

Unless we’re clean, cleansed every whit,

From every mortal sin.

What must be done to make us clean

We cannot do alone.

The law, to be a law, requires

A pure one must atone.

He taught that justice will be stayed

Till mercy’s claim be heard

If we repent and are baptized

And live by every word. …

If we could only understand

All we have heard and seen,

We’d know there is no greater gift

Than those two words—“Washed clean!”

Song: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Artist: BYU Vocal Point

This has been one of my favorite Christmas songs this year (and I have especially been loving this renditon lately!). I join the joyful, angel chorus in praises to our Lord and Savior and KING! In whom brings "light and life" to our lives!

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!"

Hark! The herald angels sing,

"Glory to the new-born King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled"

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic host proclaim

"Christ is born in Bethlehem"

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the new-born king"

"Glory to the new-born king"

Christ by highest heav’n adored,

Christ, the everlasting Lord!

In the manger born a King

While adoring angels sing.

Peace on Earth, to men goodwill

Bid the trembling soul be still.

Christ on Earth has come to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

Ris’n with healing in his wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die;

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

Song: Joyful, Joyful

Artist: Pentatonix

This song just popped into my head and I have to include it because I feel so JOYFUL! I feel a burden has been lifted and I can move forward in the grace of God for, "He is MIGHTY to save!" This is my song today and every day! "Joyful, joyful, Lord, we adore thee! God of glory, Lord of love! Hearts unfold like flowers before thee, Hail Thee as the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness fill us with the light of day!" 🙌

Joyful, joyful

Lord, we adore thee

God of glory, lord of love

Hearts unfold like flowers before thee

Hail Thee as the sun above

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness

Drive the dark of doubt away

Giver of immortal gladness

Fill us with the light

Fill us with the light

Oh, fill us with the light of day

Joyful, joyful lord, we adore thee, God of glory, lord of love

Hearts unfold like flowers before thee hail thee as the sun above

Melt the clouds of sin, sin and sadness drive the dark of doubt away

Drive it away, giver of immortal gladness fill us

Fill us with the light of day

Light of day!

Joyful, joyful, Lord we adore thee

An' in my life I put none before thee

'Cuz since I was a youngster I came to know

That you was the only way to go

So I had to grow an' come to an understandin'

That I'm down with the King so now I'm demandin'

That you tell me who you down with, see

Cuz all I know is that I'm down with G-O-D

You down with G-O-D?

(Yeah, you know me)

You down with G-O-D?

(Yeah, you know me)

You down with G-O-D?

(Yeah, you know me)

Who's down with G-O-D?

(Everybody)

Come and join the chorus

The mighty, mighty chorus

Which the morning stars begun

The Father of love is reigning over us

Right away

What have you done for Him lately?

Ooh, ooh, ooh yeah

What have you done for Him lately?

He watches over everything

So we sing

Joyful, joyful lord, we adore thee, God of glory, lord of love

Hearts unfold like flowers before thee

Hail thee as the sun above

Melt the clouds of sin, sin and sadness

Drive the dark of doubt away

Drive it away

Giver of immortal gladness (fill us)

Fill us (Fill us with the light of day, Lord, fill us)

Fill us

Fill us (yeah, fill us)

Fill us, fill us

Fill us with the light of day

Light of day!

LIVE! From 2021

They performed this at the show I attended! It was so very JOYFUL!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

GOD BLESS! 🙏