Christmas: I Believe in Christ

This post is not about Santa, cute decorations, recipes, or funny stories. And this post is not even about the beloved story of Christ's birth (although all of those things are wonderful). This post is about my testimony of Jesus Christ.

Readers, I know that Jesus Christ was born in the most modest of circumstances and lived a very humble mortal life. I know the He is the Son of God. I know that He healed the sick, raised the dead, and caused the blind to see. I also know that He suffered every pain--physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental--imaginable. I know that He bore the weight of all my sins and yours too so that you and I can one day live with our Father in Heaven again with a clean conscience. I know that He died on the cross and that three days later He was resurrected. I know that He lives once again! I know that He loves me. I have felt His love and I can feel it now as I'm writing this. I know that if we repent, keep the commandments, and have faith in Christ, we can be healed and forgiven of our sins through Him.

Christmas is about Jesus. Not only the baby Jesus, but the one who performed miracles, atoned for our sins and pains, died and was resurrected, and who lives again and loves us all.

Here are the words to a song that should be a Christmas carol:

I Believe in Christ

I believe in Christ; he is my King!

With all my heart to him I'll sing;

I'll raise my voice in praise and joy,

In grand amens my tongue employ.

I believe in Christ; he is God's Son.

On earth to dwell his soul did come.

He healed the sick; the dead he raised.

Good works were his; his name be praised.

I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!

As Mary's Son he came to reign

'Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,

To save them from the woes of sin.

I believe in Christ, who marked the path,

Who did gain all his Father hath,

Who said to men: "Come, follow me,

That ye, my friends, with God may be."

I believe in Christ--my Lord, my God!

My feet he plants on gospel sod.

I'll worship him with all my might;

He is the source of truth and light.

I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.

From Satan's grasp he sets me free,

And I shall live with joy and love

In his eternal courts above.

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!

From him I'll gain my fondest dream;

And while I strive through grief and pain,

His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."

I believe in Christ; so come what may,

With him I'll stand in that great day

When on this earth he comes again

To rule among the sons of men.

Text: Bruce R. McConkie, 1915-1985. (c) 1972 IRI

Music: John Longhurst, b. 1940. (c) 1985 IRI

Merry Christmas! If you want to learn more about Jesus, go to www.mormon.org. 

Anxiety about Worms

Since I've decided to make writing about dumb stuff I've worried about a thing, I will go ahead and write this post.

I have an irrational fear of worms. Yes, worms. I suppose that worrying about tape worms and other parasitic worms is not so irrational, but I worry about blood worms (they eat sand, not blood), worms in trees, silk worms, and anything that looks like a worm. Okay, I suppose I have overcome my fear of earth worms through extensive study and handling of them.

Funny story: I just looked up worms in Bing images and now I'm even more terrified. I saw a picture of a guy getting a long white worm pulled out of his foot!!! HIS FOOT! I'm debating whether or not to show you. NO. No pictures.

So last night I had a dream that was completely terrifying. I was supposed to feed a worm. This worm was as big around as a softball, yellow and ridged. It also had purple spikes and it lived underground. It was probably about a foot and a half long. Anyway, my job was to feed it this sticky substance that wouldn't get off my hand. I ended up putting my hand in the hole with the worm, desperately trying to get the food off my hand. Before I was able to free myself of the sticky food, the worm was chomping on my hand with its pincers! At that point my husband woke me up because I was making scared, crying sounds. (Thank goodness for him).

When I was eight, my driveway was very long and my bus stop was at the end of the driveway. One day it rained a ton, so all of the earthworms were squirming around on the road, trying not to drown. I knew they couldn't hurt me, but I got the serious heebie jeebies walking down the driveway, seeing them and their trails in the mud.

I've changed my mind. I think that worms are not really such an irrational fear after all. Especially parasitic worms that come out of your foot. Also, blood worms bite really hard.

UPDATE: There were pictures here, but every time I would go back to this page, I got really freaked out. So I took them off. You're welcome.