I can #LightTheWorld by loving.

I was able to be at home today for Bridger's ordination to the Aaronic priesthood. I'm so proud of him! It was good to be with my family and a good start to this week's #LightTheWorld initiative, which is Light Your Family. Serving with your family can bring you closer together, but serving your family members can bring the light of Christ into your own home. This week, focus on ways you can serve the people you love most.

I am so glad that I was able to be home today! My mom is the ward choir director and since I'll be home next Sunday for the Christmas program, I'm going to help sing. My little brothers are so excited to have me home for Christmas! I can't wait for them to see what I got them for Christmas!

It's kind of hard to serve your family when you live either super far away, or when you live far enough away that your lives don't always cross. So here are some suggestions that I have:

1. You can text, call, or FaceTime your family each night, or just one night this week. You can study scriptures together, or even just chat with each other about life.

2. You can write letters to your family and send them! Or you could send them a package. Whatever you like.

3. You can have a group chat and send silly memes to each other, or even your favorite scriptures. Just let them know that you are thinking of them. 

There are so many ways that you can serve your family! I am so excited for Christmas! I may or may not have gotten everyone in my family a gift this year. And they may or may not be absolutely perfect for each member of my family. And I may or may not be extremely excited to see how they react when they open their gifts.

While I'm waiting to go home, I'm going to try and serve those closest to me as if they were my family. And I'm also going to be making plans to serve my family this week while we're apart. I'm so excited for the holidays and I can't wait for the New Year! 

I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father! Last night I went to Temple Square with my ward (and had a fantastic time and took some amazing pictures, which I will show here in a second)! We were able to pass out 113 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to homeless people on the streets and it was so awesome! Afterwards, we were so blessed to be able to make it to the 9:03 train because it was delayed so we didn't miss it! It was super cool to spend a bunch of time looking at the lights and the temple and just being so amazed and in awe of the beauty of the temple and of the world. I am so excited to be able to go through the temple next month and I can't wait!!

These are my peeps! This is my ward! Love them so much!

I really had a fantastic time taking pictures!! There were a TON of people around so it was super crowded but it was super fun! It wasn't too cold, which was perfect! 

Thought this was a cool angle!

So pretty!! 

I really loved the moon!

I loved the blue lights, the red lights, and the white temple!
And the moon was cool, too!

This was so serene. I loved the lamps!
They reminded me of the lamp in the Chronicles of Narnia!

LOVED the temple through the lights!

Beauty.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to go see the temple lights! I am grateful for my family, and for the love that I feel for them and from them. I am so excited to be celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and I am so grateful for all the love that He has for us, and all that He has done for us.

I hope y'all have a wonderful week! I'm just trying to get through till Thursday...scheduled finals on the last two days is the worst, but somehow, I know I will make it through! 

Xoxo
Mattie