Remembering Him

Christmas Eve is filled with anticipation and excitement in the Morkel home. Our family goal for this coming year is to remember the Saviour in all we do. And so here is a brief quote from President Monson's Christmas Message. He reminds us that remembering Jesus is not just a mental exercise, it is a vital part of what we should be doing as His followers:

Remembering Him

"When we have the spirit of Christmas, we remember Him whose birth we commemorate at this season of the year. We contemplate that first Christmas day, foretold by the prophets of old. You, with me, recall the words from Isaiah: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"⁴—meaning "God with us."

On the American continent, the prophets said: "The time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent . . . shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay. . . . He shall suffer temptations, and pain. . . . And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God."⁵

Then came that night of nights when the shepherds were abiding in the fields and the angel of the Lord appeared to them, announcing the birth of the Savior. Later, Wise Men journeyed from the East to Jerusalem, "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. . . .

"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."⁶

Times change; years speed by; but Christmas continues sacred. In this marvelous dispensation of the fulness of times, our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved."

Snugly in our new PJ;s

Summer was so fun

This is a shot from a few months ago on Laguna Beach near Newport where we spent our summer vacation for a week. It was such fun, and we never did post any pictures so here we go.

Mortgage Meltdown

Who really is to blame? Failed social engineering policy enacted by liberal politicians with no mandate from the people created incentives for Wall Street to set up a house of cards. Now we will all pay one way or the other.

Why do we love smiles so much...

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" James 1:17

For me one of the most precious gifts is a smile from one of my kids.

It makes my heart melt, and makes a whole day's worth of stress and anxiety just disappear.

A day for a princess...

Debbie's wedding was lovely in so many ways. Here are some pictures.

When a lion nibbles at your coat...

you just sit very still and smile. These are some of the fun lessons we are learning in South Africa right now. My son used to be terrified of dogs, but with all the animal interaction he has had, Ewan now would even let a baby lion climb on him, or pose with a warthog .

Ginger

A quote of overwhelming proportions

I recently found this quote and while I like the sentiment of self sufficiency, it made me realize how much I could learn, it also made m chuckle.


"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
-- Robert A. Heinlein

Planning a South African Adventure

My family and I are super excited about a trip I am taking to South Africa with my oldest two for my sister Debbie's wedding. It has been a few years since I went home and in my heart it is still very much home.

My children's excitement is childlike and all about making friends, seeing family and mostly seeing the wild animals. The kids have no real concept of the culture I grew up in, the culture that shaped me. Ironically, some of the things that are South African about me, my kids just regard as things about Dad. When my daughter referred to our living room as a 'lounge' in her kindergarten class, I'm sure her teacher had no idea what she meant. Or the way my son calls an 'airplane' an 'aeroplane.' They learned these things and many others from me, but they don't know where I learned them.

So much can be said about this, but for now I have to wrap up, so all hail the non-rotic "r" and bring on the braaivleis and pap.

They grow so fast

Happy Groundhog Day

My kids love the snow, but that is simply because for them it is a substance they play in. They don't have to drive in it.

Here are some recent pictures of them playing up at Bridal Veil Falls in the snow.

Goodbye

My appreciation for President Gordon B. Hinckley comes from one simple fact. I knew he was who he so humbly claimed to be: a prophet of God and witness of Jesus Christ. I knew this because repeatedly, consistently over the last 13 years my prayers have been directly answered by the words he spoke or wrote. Sometimes it felt like he was speaking only to me.



As I have started to review all the talks he gave in conference, I have come to appreciate another of his gifts: his calling as a seer.

Try doing this review and you'll see what I mean. His influence on the direction of the Church will be felt for the rest of its' history, his influence on me and my family I pray will last a lifetime. Goodbye President Hinckley, we love and miss you.

Christmas Elf

We spent Christmas and New Year's day in Saratoga, CA. While there we got to go to the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose, a real blast for kids under 10.

We had so much fun. The best holiday picture goes to this one of Fiona Clementine. She looks like a slightly sad Christmas elf.

I wonder which side of the family those ears come from?