See that spike right there? That’s what happens to our traffic on this website around Halloween. People really wonder if members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrate Halloween. I hope that those who wonder got a little more insight into that answer (short answer — the if, how, and how much varies for everyone, but on the whole, the answer is yes).

I hope we will have fewer people wondering about whether or not we celebrate Christmas (although some still may wonder, given the pagan connections to some of the Christmas traditions).

At the very heart of our faith is Jesus Christ, so when the birth of the Son of God is celebrated around the world, you can believe that we celebrate with the world! To us, He is the the Life and Light of the World. Once again, when it comes to how individuals and families might celebrate the Christmas season, that will vary.

But this post is about one way we as a worldwide church community celebrate the season. It’s called #LightTheWorld.

The intention is to turn the Christmas season into a month-long focus on service. This year, the #LightTheWorld effort has been expanded to say “Light the World with Love.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist

There’s a calendar of service ideas if you and/or you and your family would like to join in along the way. Or you can create your own service calendar. There’s also a child-friendly service calendar for those who have little ones.

And although the pandemic is still here with us, this year, the #LightTheWorld Giving Machines are back.*

If you haven’t heard of the #LightTheWorld Giving Machines, you can read more here. What started as an experiment a few years ago has expanded into a continually-collaborative effort in multiple cities across the United States, with nonprofits that serve people around the world. 100% of donations go to help the charity you choose, and the charities with which the Church collaborates all care about helping people one by one, just as Jesus did.

All credit card fees are covered by the Church of Jesus Christ to also serve the nonprofits to which you are donating.

“Imagine swiping your credit card at a vending machine—but instead of buying a candy bar for yourself, you’re buying a sheep for a family in a third-world country. Or a polio vaccine. Or a pair of shoes. Or 100 meals for your local food bank. With the #LightTheWorld Giving Machines, that’s exactly what happens. The Giving Machines provide a way for people to follow the example of Jesus to help those in need and make the Christmas season a little more meaningful for themselves and for countless others.“

You can also give online by donating to one of the charity partners working with the Church to do more good, together. Or, of course, feel free to donate to your favorite charity, with time or goods or funds or a social media share or whatever feels right for you.

“The organizations featured in the Giving Machines represent a wide variety of global and local causes—all with pressing needs and the goal of helping people one by one. If you’re wondering what you should donate, consider spending a bit of time learning about the charities before visiting the machines or donating online. You might find a cause or item that resonates with you. As you give that gift, remember that your donation is truly helping someone in need.“

#LightTheWorld starts on November 30 by encouraging people to participate in #GivingTuesday. There are so many ways to share more light and goodness and love. Although we can’t measure it here, we hope that this Christmas season, there will be a spike in service and good will as we each try to find ways to #LightTheWorld.

*As COVID is, unfortunately, still causing issues around the world, and there are those around you whose bodies may be more at-risk, please be cautious and considerate of others if you choose to use the machines and as you are out and about this Christmas season.

The post Celebrating Christmas: #LightTheWorld with Love appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Last night was the first ever #LightTheWorld (virtual) Social Sing and Serve event. It was a beautiful virtual concert of performances, along with simple invitations for ways to show kindness and love to people in our spheres. (e.g., text the 11th person in your contact list and share a compliment or some kind words; mail a note of love to a parent, teacher, or other special someone; reach out by video or phone to someone who might be feeling extra lonely this year).

The music includes a variety of performances, including GENTRI performing in perfect harmony even though they were each in their own homes. Elenyi (which means “ray of light”) sings “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful” — like three angels! David Archuleta expresses how Christ brings hope in dark, difficult times through the song, “In The Bleak Midwinter.” Steven Sharp Nelson plays “Away in a Manger” while friends from the deaf community perform the lyrics in American Sign Language. Exquisite. The virtual choir of Aberdeen Lane and friends singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is incredible. And you can see last year’s special video of Claire Crosby singing “Silent Night” while Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Besides music, there are also some heartwarming moments of service captured in this video. If you haven’t seen the wheelchair version of BMX, you’ll see some amazing video clips of Jared “Wheelz” Fotheringham. He shares some of his indomitable spirit with wheelchair-bound children and youth. And Stuart Edge does some of his fun hidden camera magic, with help from some college students (and a huge teddy bear) to brighten the days of some healthcare workers.

It’s amazing to see what people are doing to adapt to the limitations that COVID-19 has brought. We wouldn’t have had such a concert without the pandemic. There are bright spots in this difficult time. Keeping looking for the light in your world. God is aware of you, of us!

The video of this #LightTheWorld event is embedded below.

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This week, invitations included spotlighting someone who shows Christlike love, going without food for at least a meal and donating what would have been spent to a food charity, and watching “The Christ Child.”

If you have participated in any of this past week’s activities, let us know in the comments what you have learned, observed, or felt.

If #LightTheWorld is something you have never heard of, we invite you to take a look and consider joining in with some of the invitations.

The heart of #LightTheWorld is about trying to live and love more as the Savior did and does, and especially about noticing the one. There are many ways to do that, ways that may not be listed on the #LightTheWorld calendar. But it does a heart good to think of Jesus as we interact with others and look for opportunities to be of service, even with — and perhaps especially because — of all the pandemic restrictions in place.

It’s interesting to see how two years ago, women were invited to fast from social media. It gives me pause that during this difficult time, we’re being asked to use it as a way to try to bring more hope and light into the world.

It struck me as I write this that social media is also a way to see others and their lives and needs. Of course, there are many downsides of these tools, but if you are using them, keep looking for ways you can use them with a prayer in your heart to be of service somehow.

And remember that the tools we have at our disposal can include private texts, emails, and other one-on-one conversations.

If you haven’t had a chance yet to watch “The Christ Child” or the behind-the-scenes video about the making of the film, both are embedded below.

You can find this week’s invitations here.

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I missed seeing this #LIGHTtheWORLD concert live (broadcast from YouTube’s space in New York City), but fortunately, the Piano Guys have a recording of the concert on their YouTube channel.

What an amazing group of performers, including Peter Hollens, David Archuleta, Lexi Walker, Nathan Pacheco, Dave & Claire Crosby, Tiffany Alvord, and Taylor Davis.

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I have a confession to make. I grew up loving advent activities; my mom was AMAZING about Christmas and other special occasion traditions.

But relentless health issues the past 14 years has made any kind of consistent anything difficult. So advent efforts have been hit and miss at best over the years.

I also have come to realize that for me, already-set expectations about how something should go can often be unhealthy for me. I’ve had to learn to roll with the punches in order to keep my health and my sanity.

So here’s the confession: When I heard about the 25 Ways in 25 Days challenge, my instinctual reaction was a combination of some mild overwhelm with even a hint of skepticism. I can’t even begin to paint a picture of how stressful and over-full our lives are right now. I have three teens who have been blessed with a variety of amazing opportunities in their lives (as have I); it’s a time of life for our family where it is good and right that we are all busy, as God is busy at work in our lives. But that means we’re all pretty saturated. And then I got sick this week and was in bed most of the weekend, so any kind of formal introduction to the #LIGHTtheWORLD initiative definitely didn’t happen in our home.

But my kids have Seminary. They have friends. They know what is up. And I’m hearing some chatter to indicate that some things may be brewing in their minds.

As I have been watching some of the chatter on social media, my heart has been touched and opened to more of what I think the heart of this initiative is — to help us realize how simple and personal being Christlike really can be. I am enjoying watching how people interpret some of the invitations with their own twists. I love the encouragement to look at both the literal and the figurative ways we can do what the Savior did. And I’ve been delighted to feel some unexpected ideas flowing in my own mind about ways I could do something small, or something I’d already been planning to do and haven’t done yet (like donate clothes). Sometimes I just need a reason to push that thing a little higher on my list.

Most of all, I think this initiative has the potential to not only impact people in the little ways, one-on-one, but also to impact us collectively as we share and see the patterns in what people are doing…or what others are doing for us.

I have seen some reticence to share, because who wants to go around boasting about service? On the outset, that can seem counter-productive, since service is about the one being served. And maybe there are things that are best kept silent, secret.

But I’m grateful all the same for those who are sharing, because we are seeing the creativity, inspiration, and variety of simple ways we can do little things to be more like the Savior. There’s a deliberateness to the daily focus that invites that kind of creativity and inspiration-seeking. Being mindful is a good thing.

And there’s something special about a collective surge of idea-sharing, because it can foster even more creativity.

I think it was Elder Bednar who said something along the lines that this challenge wasn’t meant to be burdensome, or just one more to-do that none of us needs at this time of year. So I’m happy to share that what I’m feeling is my heart taking a breath, desiring to savor the season a little more in a different way as I witness the spreading of the spirit of light and service and love.

So thanks to the creators of this initiative. I can see already that I may not hit all the days but I’m looking forward to see what unfolds in my mind and in others’ lives, and I hope to keep sharing a few highlights along the way.

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Today’s LIGHTtheWORLD theme of giving sight to the blind is a beautiful one because it can be interpreted both literally (helping those who are visually impaired) and figuratively.

I wanted to highlight some of the thoughts and ideas I’ve seen shared for Day 3 of the #LIGHTtheWORLD challenge. (It was inspiring to see that nearly 90,000 people were talking about the challenge today on Facebook.)

• One friend talked about the blessing of friends, teachers, and others who help her see the world through a different lens.
• Another friend talked about going through her family’s closets to find used eyeglasses that could be donated.
• [Added after the original post was posted] A friend who has suffered from periods of temporary blindness called to thank people who helped her during those times.
• My cousin encouraged all on her wall to know that they are worth more than they think — that they were bought by the Savior’s sacrifice. Along those same lines, a former missionary companion talked about helping others see the good in themselves…and she shared this wonderful music video with David Archuleta.

• • A teen shared about using texts to send uplifting messages to friends.
  • Yet another post talked about friends commiserating with each other about the diminished eyesight that comes with age, and how alongside the physical impact of age comes, perhaps, a heightened sense of spiritual and emotional sight. (LOVED that.)
  • I’m not sure if this is the app someone shared about on Facebook (my Chromebook has been crashing a lot lately), but look at the kinds of things technology can do to help those with sight help those who are blind!

Be My Eyes – helping blind see from Be My Eyes on Vimeo.

• I am on an email list for Eyes4Zimbabwe, and they shared three awesome videos about the volunteer work that eye doctors do in that country.

What #LIGHTtheWORLD stories are lighting up YOUR world?

(This one made me chuckle tonight.)

The post #LIGHTtheWORLD Day 3: Eyes to See appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

We are being invited to think and look for little ways in our daily lives that we can be more like the Savior.

See the daily invitations at Mormon.org: 25 Ways over 25 Days, or see an at-a-glance calendar. I like the opportunity to ponder the Savior’s life and how His actions and characteristics can translate into our own mortal lives.

As I have been watching the chatter about the #LIGHTtheWORLD invitation, my favorite posts so far are those who are talking about service that others have done for them. I hope over the course of the month to share a few such posts.

I also really like this video. We are His hands.

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