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On the fifth day of Christmas

December gave to me....
An amazing Young Womens activity

A sister that has studied Hebrew, been an LDS tour guide in Israel and teaching Institute, came to speak to us last night. All year the Young Women have been focusing on adding oil drops to our lamps. At the beginning of the year we made clay vessels. I've kept mine by the side of my bed next to a picture of Christ. Then every Sunday we wrote down things we've done during the week to get more drops. They were things like reading scriptures, going to church, kind deeds, Personal Progress, journaling, baptisms, and sharing your testimony.
The night was all about the story of the Ten Virgins. I came late because I was teaching a ballet class in Syracuse, and when I came in I saw Ruby with a scarf wrapped around her head. All the Young Women had them on and looked so beautiful and righteous. There were white lights and a picture of Christ in the room. It was so pretty! We had bread with oil/vinegar, funeral potatoes, ham, salad and desserts. It was delicious! Then a Beehive, Mia Maid and Laurel spoke about their experience with the oil lamps this year. Corinne, Alyssa and Rachel did such a good job!
Then the sister I mentioned earlier spoke.
She was enthralling, enthusiastic and filled with the love of Christ. You could tell she really had fasted and prayed for the spirit to be there, just as she told us she did. She told us stories from her life and a little bit about the story of the Ten Virgins. She told us that in Israel in those days, it would be horrible for a young women to be walking publicly in the dark without an oil lamp. They were supposed to carry their vessels in front of their face, to light their faces so everyone could see who they were. They also always carried little bottles of oil in a pouch around their waists. Her knowledge of Israeli traditions made the parable seem so real and even more applicable.
She talked a lot about how drops are powerful.
She said that little drops of righteousness might seem insignificant, but that together they add up and are incredibly powerful. The dams in Oregon power 1/3 of the nation's hydroelectric power! And all that water is made from drops.
It reminded me of Elder Bednar's call "to sweep the earth as with a flood." The messages of the gospel are simple, but they change lives! The truths of the gospel are crystal clear, and they can make clean any sin, confusion or sorrow. I'm so thankful for the drops in my life. I hope to be ready when see Christ again and I want to be prepared now so I can light others' paths in this life.
Happy Sabbath! - Vintage Wanna Bee

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