Day of The Three Kings

Loved Ones,

Greetings! Actually, I can still say Season's Greetings, because today
is the Day of the Three Kings in Latin cultures. They make a special
bread for the holiday that looks delicious. I hope that January 6 is
as good as the most festive holiday for all of you. May there be
rejoicing and much gladness in your hearts! There is so much to
rejoice in. Life is brilliant; love is pure. All of you are angels; of
that I'm sure! (I have to give credit to James Blunt for that one.)
Life is exponentially more brilliant and pure when it is populated by
all of you. Thank you for continually adding to the canvas of my life
with strokes of brilliance and light. This seems an appropriate time
to thank the good soul who sent me an awesome new watch. I completely
love it, and I will long wear it as a reminder that we are never
alone. That gift came on a day when I needed to know that someone
cared. To my secret benefactor I say, May God bless you for your
generosity. I have also been the recipient of countless invisible
gifts of love and prayers, and though these gifts are not as easy to
recognize, their power is felt, and I am deeply grateful for them.

So, the big news of this week is the Great Blizzard of 2014. I've
never seen so much snow in my entire life! At least, if I have, I've
forgotten, because this was a new experience. We spent the day after
the blizzard hit shoveling snow for a few different people. It was a
blast! Shoveling snow is pretty fun. Also, I giddily frolicked through
the winter wonderland, making snow angels, sliding on ice, and
marveling at the beauty of snowflakes. Oh, what fun! What could be
better than combining service with fun? Even better, there was no
frostbite or hypothermia to put a damper on the delightful day. Though
the cold is not as appealing to me as a warm summer day, I do love the
snow.

I'm glad to hear that there have been some family reunions over there,
and I hope that everyone is enjoying their passes to Disneyland. See
if you can capture some of the magic and send it my way in a picture!
I would love to see your smiling faces at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Don't worry about making me jealous. It makes me happy to see you guys
happy. We'll have a chance to have a Disneyland trip together soon
enough! Keep being glad.

Last week, the Lord blessed me with a witness of the divinity of Jesus
Christ, and so I feel that it is now my duty to bear that witness.
When we get ourselves stuck in a rut because of one thing or another,
we really can't progress without some help. We sometimes break things
that we alone cannot fix. I think these experiences can teach us to
"rely wholly upon the merits of Him who is mighty to save." I testify
that through the Atonement, we can get unstuck. We can start
progressing again, and our path will be opened up to lead us to a
glorious vista of truth and light. I hope that we can always give
great attention to the weekly partaking of the sacrament. That
ordinance has real power, and I am grateful that we can become renewed
each week.

I love you all! Thank you so much for EVERYTHING. Be well, for surely
all is well when our way is lit by the Light of the World.

Love,
Elder McDonald