December 23rd- Toys For Tots

Many years ago (well not that many), Jeremy and I volunteered to juggle for several hours at a Christmas festival held in Salt Lake City. The entrance fee of this festival for the general public was a new unwrapped toy to be given to the Marine Corps for Toys For Tots. After we were done juggling, we chatted with the Marine who was collecting the toys as people were coming in. He gave us each a button that said, "I donated to Toys For Tots." Now we didn't actually donate toys then, but we did donate our time and talent to this festival. We still have those buttons. We were impressed with what the Marines were doing collecting those toys.

Since we've been married and had kids, we've tried to have our children donate to Toys For Tots. The first year we bought juggling balls to donate but were kind of disappointed that there wasn't a place with Marines to actually give the toys. And the place that we went to donate didn't have a box for it anymore either. Someone from the store took it to pass it on later however. Of course I think Nichole was a baby at the time so she didn't care.

After we got over the realization that we wouldn't actually be handing it over to a Marine and would be just putting it in a box, we still wanted to do it because those kids still need those toys. Last year as I mentioned before, we just ran out of time for everything, including donating to Toys For Tots. This year it was on our list of things to do, but we got busy toward the end and as of this morning we hadn't bought any toys to donate and figured we wouldn't because we wouldn't get around to it.

This morning I read the First Presidency Message in the Ensign for this month written by President Henry B. Eyring. There were a lot of wonderful things he said in that message and it would take too long to talk about a lot of what I read, but some things he said made me think that I'd really like us to donate to Toys For Tots this year if it was possible. He said, "You have already felt the joy of giving alms and receiving them. That joy in this life is a glimpse of what we will feel in the life to come if we are generous here out of faith in God. The Savior is our great exemplar. At the Christmas season we contemplate anew who He is and what generosity He extended to us by coming into the world to be our Savior."

After everyone else got up, we used this for scripture time. In this article in the Ensign, there were pictures of Mary with baby Jesus, the shepherds, and the wise men with the star. Nichole was very good at identifying the pictures for Daddy and we talked a little bit about Jesus, his life, his suffering, and dying for us so that we can be forgiven for mistakes we make- that great gift our Savior gave us. President Eyring said, "The Christmas season gives us encouragement to remember Him and His infinite generosity. Remembering His generosity will help us feel and respond to the inspiration that there is someone who needs our help, and it will let us see the hand of God reaching to us when He sends someone to succor us, as He so often does. There is joy in giving and in receiving the generosity that God inpires, especially at Christmas."

We took the kids to the store and after letting them explore some of the toys there, we explained to them about why we were there. We are very blessed. The kids know they are getting toys for Christmas. Both sets of Grandmas and Grandpas sent them presents. Some children, however, don't have families that are able to give them toys for Christmas. We have the opportunity to help out some of those children. Each child picked out a toy/present that we would buy and donate to the children. Nichole picked out a baby doll and Jr. picked out a toy tool set. Nichole was a little disappointed when we got to the front of the store that she wouldn't be giving them directly to the children (sound familiar?- me and wanting to give the toys directly to the Marines?), but we let her know that the Marines would take all the toys from the big box and give them to those children who normally wouldn't be getting the presents like we would get.

And we thought about those children who might get those toys our children picked out. Maybe a little girl named Cindy would get that baby doll and a little boy named Johnny would get that tool set so he could do as Nichole let me know- "fix his boy baby." Apparently Johnny was going to have a baby doll as well, but a boy baby- and it would need to be fixed. And I'm sure Cindy and Johnny would be very grateful for those toys and it would make them happy. And it can make us happy to be able to do it for them.

It is good to both give and receive. Every good thing we receive ultimately comes from God and we can realize His hand in those blessings. This evening, our home teacher brought over sugar cookies that his wife made. Also, some friends from the ward brought us over some treats with a cute poem that one of the kids had written.

We've had a few stressful moments (pink flannel, anyone?) and it looks like Jeremy's not going to be able to finish the project he's been working on in time for Christmas. However, with his talent in balloon art, he's going to make some objects out of balloons that will work in place of that project on Christmas morning then the kids will be surprised later on when the project is finished and they all of a sudden have another present even though it won't be Christmas anymore.

We've also had some special moments to bring our family closer together and to the Savior at this Christmastime. We are blessed in the Telford household and are enjoying a very merry Christmas indeed.