8 days till CHRISTmas

I can't believe we're down to almost one week!!  It's so fun to count down.  I told a girl at work that I wanted to make a red and green Christmas chain, but it wasn't worth it to me to start in December because it's only 25 days.  I told her I was going to make it this week and count down till next Christmas.  She thinks I'm nuts...probably true!!  Today's advent is 3 Nephi 23:1:  Jesus Christ commanded the Nephites to study the words of Isaiah.  Read Isaiah 53:3-5 and think about the Atonement.  I love this scripture.  When I was on my mission I memorized it and it's one of the few I can still quote.  I remember hearing a quote from someone that said something to the effect of no one would care about the baby in a manger if it hadn't been for the cross.  Not exactly but you get the gist.  Without the Atonement, Jesus Christ would have been just another baby born.  His whole mission, his work was to bring about the Atonement so the Plan of Salvation could continue.  I love 3 Nephi 27:13-14 which reads "Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I gave given unto you-- that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.  And my Father sent me that I might be lifted upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether thy be good or whether they be evil..."  I'm so grateful for the baby in the manger that became the man in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross.  I'm grateful that He knew His role and wasn't afraid to come down and accomplish it.  I'm so grateful that He loves me enough to let me come back to live with Him again.  I'm so thankful that I have the gospel which Christ gave.  God lives and He loves us and He proved it by giving us His son.  "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine son."