The Christmas season brings with it a reminder of the importance of sacrifice. When I give a gift, the receiver of the gift is not the only one who benefits. In fact, I dare to say that I've benefited far more than anyone who has ever been on the receiving end. From the time spent brainstorming ideas for the perfect gift to the time and money put into the actual gift, the sacrifice that produces a gift is what makes it special.

With this in mind, I have been thinking about the greatest gift that anyone can receive: eternal life. We are all eligible for this gift because of the goodness and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As I thought about this, I began to wonder what it is that makes this the greatest gift. Obviously, the ability to be like our Father in Heaven and live with Him and our families forever is one explanation. This is the explanation that has always come to my mind previously when I thought about this beautiful promise. As I thought about this principle in light of Christmas, however, I had an insight that had never before come to my mind.

Think of the sacrifice that went into this gift that the Savior gave to all mankind. He experienced true loneliness. He was rejected by His brethren. He was mocked and treated with unprecedented cruelty. He suffered for the pains, afflictions, and sins of all mankind. He gave His life so that we could live again. And He continues to give to us freely. The power of the atonement never ceases. Ever. He continues to stand with arms outstretched toward us and a welcoming plea upon His lips. His love is unending and His kindness unmatched.

So, I discovered for myself, that the Savior's gift to us is the greatest gift not only because of what it means for us, but also because of the sacrifice that went into that gift. This revelation was a tender mercy for me this last week and it will forever influence the way I think about giving gifts. I am grateful for a Savior who understood the true nature of giving and was not afraid to sacrifice everything so that we could receive that gift. Christmas is a reminder of this magnificent sacrifice for us, and emphasizes the importance of giving generously to those around us. I am so grateful for this sacred reminder and pray that the spirit of Christmas could remain alive in my heart through the coming year.

I know I've already written posts about Jesus Christ in the past, but with Christmas coming next week, I can't imagine writing a post about the miracles in my life and not writing about my Savior. I love Christmas because it is a time to renew my commitment to Jesus Christ and evaluate my priorities. The miracle of Christmas does not lie in the presents that rest under the tree or the treats and surprises that stuff the stockings. The miracle of Christmas lies in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us all.

As I contemplate the miracle of Jesus Christ's life, my heart is filled with gratitude for the life that He led. Although His entire life taught us many lessons, I feel like some of the most profound and important lessons that He taught come from His final hours here on earth. He was sentenced, over a true criminal, to die upon a cross. Little did these individuals know that this man whom they accused  had just suffered for the sins, trials, and afflictions of all mankind. Among those were the sins, trials, and afflictions of those very accusers. Can you imagine giving someone the greatest gift that you could possibly give, only to have them turn against you and sentence you to death less than a day later? Being the natural man that I am, I would be extremely upset and bitter! The Savior, however, teaches us a beautiful lesson through His reaction to this event.

Though He could have easily been angry and bitter at those who convicted Him to a torturous death, He chose the higher road. He chose to love and to forgive. The Savior did not say much while He was on the cross, but what He did choose to say taught us the importance of loving and forgiving everyone - even those who do not want or even recognize the need for our forgiveness. Did those individuals need His forgiveness? Of course they did! Did they recognize that they needed that forgiveness? Probably not. However, the Savior recognized that He needed to forgive them. He left this world in peace because He brought peace to those around Him. He left this world as a loving person because He chose to love those around Him. He left this world as a perfect person because He chose to keep the commandments perfectly.

The Savior taught us that we have control over our divine destiny and who we ultimately become. By what we choose to do in this life, we shape who we ultimately become. Jesus Christ is a miracle in my life because He helps me become better every day. The memory and record of His example inspires me to reach beyond myself and strive to be more like Him. My relationship with Him through prayer gives me the power that I need to improve and become a better person.

I rejoice in my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Redeemer of my soul and the giver of the greatest gift I've ever been given. The Christmas presents we give and receive will fade away or break, but the gift our Savior has given to us will never leave us.  No matter how many times we fall, or how many times we break, His gift is always there and waiting to make us whole again. His is the gift that helps us reach our divine potential, just as He did.

I know that Jesus Christ came once, and He will come again. I pray that my life can be a miracle and a gift to Him, for I know that this is the greatest gift we can give.

The following is a tribute to the life of Jesus Christ, written by the Prophet and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would invite you to read it, as it is the perfect reminder of what we celebrate with each passing Christmas.

 http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/testimonies-of-him/articles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints

I know that I usually post on Thursdays, but I want to make sure I write about this while it is still fresh in my memory. Also, I am just so excited to write about this miracle that I can't wait any longer! A dear friend of mine, who also happens to be my visiting teaching companion, recently ended up in the hospital because she had a stroke. Even though I have known her for only a short time, she has become a sweet friend to me and I have grown to love her dearly. She's the kind of person that is just so wonderful, you can't help but adore her upon meeting her.

Early Monday afternoon, I had a thought that I should get a group together visit her and sing Christmas carols to her for family home evening. At first, I thought that it was such short notice to ask any families to go, and that everyone probably had plans for family night anyway. The thought persisted, however, and I realized that this was a prompting and that I needed to act on it. So, I did. As I acted on this prompting, the Lord gave me a tender mercy and confirmation that I was doing what was right; I was able to find two families that were willing to go with us and sing to my friend.

Monday evening arrived and we all met at the hospital to visit and sing to our friend. As we went into her room, I entered thinking that this would be a great experience because we'd be able to bring her some holiday cheer. I quickly realized, however, that the reason I needed to go see her was not to lift her spirits. I was both surprised and delighted to see my friend's spirits high and her good humor still present. We sang her two songs of her choice, and the spirit that I felt while we sang to her lifted my soul and reminded me of the true purpose of Christmas.

The highlight of our visit, however, was a sweet moment when this dear sister shared her testimony of Jesus Christ and how His atonement has been lifting her and her family to help them through this trial. The spirit in the room was tangible as she bore a sweet and simple testimony of Him. Even the children there seemed to sense the reverent and special nature of that moment, as they just stood still and listened to her words.

Hearing about the miracles that are happening in my friend's life was a miracle for me. This experience lifted me up and reminded me, once again, of the very real power that is available to each and every one of us through His atonement. Thank you, my dear friend, for filling my heart with the true spirit of Christmas. This was truly a miracle for me and has made this Christmas season special.

I am grateful that my Heavenly Father knew where I needed to be on Monday evening. I did not even realize it, but my spirits needed to be lifted and my sights needed to be set higher than they were. Because my sweet friend was simply willing to share her testimony of Jesus Christ and the miracles that He has bestowed upon her, I was lifted higher. Remembering Jesus Christ, wanting to be closer to Him, and feeling closer to Him are beautiful miracles.

I will forever remember this experience as I strive to more readily share my testimony of Jesus Christ with those around me. Perhaps if we were all a little more willing to share our testimonies of Jesus Christ, we could be someone's Christmas miracle this year too. Our testimonies certainly bring light into this world as we share them with others! I hope that this can be our brightest Christmas yet as we remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, and testify of the sweet blessings that flow from Him without reserve.

One of the greatest ways that I see the tender mercies of the Lord is through the thoughts that He puts in my heart and the knowledge that He shares with me through the promptings of the Spirit. Over the last few days, my thoughts have been turned toward one of God's grandest blessings and miracles: children. Children are little miracles that teach us too many lessons to recount in just one blog post.

The way that we feel about our children is a vital reminder to us of how God feels about us, His children. Just the same, as a child, the way we feel about our parents reminds us how we should feel toward and interact with our Father in Heaven. It would be ridiculous to call this similarity an accident or a coincidence. God has given us earthly relationships that are a pattern for eternal relationships. Through giving us a mortal relationship that our finite minds can experience and understand, the Lord is able to help us gain insight into our eternal relationship with Him. By drawing comparisons between these earthly and heavenly relationships, we can strengthen our relationship with Heavenly Father and draw near unto Him.

I have seen in my own life that as I improve my understanding of the relationship between me and God, and the unique roles that each of us plays in that relationship, that bond is strengthened. My prayers improve and become more frequent. My thoughts are turned toward God more often. My tendency to think before I act or speak grows. I see myself improve in every aspect of my life because my relationship with my Creator and Father in Heaven is stronger.

As I have observed my daughter over the last few days and looked for insight into the plea in the scriptures to become like little children, I have learned a lot about why God instructs us to become as little children. Although my daughter is still quite young, I have noticed her watching and studying what I do. And then, she copies me. She wants to be like me!

Do I study about God? Who He is? What He does? Do I then try to implement those things that I learn from studying about Him and try to become more like Him? Not nearly as much as I should. I get busy and distracted - especially around this time of the year that is so busy for moms. I am grateful for this tender reminder that came to me this past week and in such a timely matter. Presents and decorations are wonderful parts of the Christmas season, but they fade. The gift of a better person would be the best gift that I could give to both my family and to my Heavenly Father.

Recently, my daughter has started giving me hugs as tightly as she can and giving me kisses on the cheek. It means so much to me to know that she loves me. She can't even speak, and yet, she is able to express to me that she loves me and needs me. I cherish these moments. Sometimes, we may feel that we are limited in our ability to show God that we love Him. We aren't in His physical presence, which makes it feel more difficult to find those ways to reach out and love Him. But, yet again, we can learn a lesson from the children! If we dig deep inside ourselves, we can find different ways to express love, even though we may be limited by our current state.

I love my Heavenly Father and I want to become like a child so that I can return and be with Him again. I believe that He admonishes us to become as children so many times in the scriptures because there are many life lessons to be learned through the precious example of little ones. We are to Him as our children are to us. He should be to us as our parents are to us. This Christmas season, it is my hope and prayer that we can reach out to our Father and try to be a little better. May we search for and find the child that lies within each of us.