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The Christmas Story
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
A Prisoner’s Choices
During World War II, Viktor Frankl was kept in a Nazi concentration camp for three years. During that time, he could make few of the choices we take for granted. He could not choose how to wear his hair; his head was shaved. He could not choose what clothes to wear; he was given a prison uniform. He could not read or write or talk freely. Someone told him when to get up and exactly what to do every minute of the day. He was treated cruelly, and if he did not work hard enough, he was in danger of being killed.
What choices could Viktor Frankl make?
He later wrote this about his experiences:
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. … They offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
“And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour offered the opportunity to make a decision.” (Man’s Search for Meaning, trans. Ilse Lasch, rev. ed. [New York: Simon and Schuster, 1962], p. 65.)
Viktor Frankl found out that no one could force him to be bitter and angry, no matter how much they hurt him. He could still enjoy the beauties of nature; he could love and show kindness to other people.
I highly recommend Viktor Frankl’s book titled “Man’s Search for Meaning“
-Source: Family Home Evening Resource Book: Lesson Eight: We Can Choose
-Shared by Brandon D. Byrge
From Coal to Diamonds
I was speaking with a friend today and she mentioned that even though she is going through tough trials and hard times right now in her life, that she knows that even though it seems hard and doesn’t feel great, that she is being refined and that she is growing. I think she nailed it!!
Think about it, the whole reason for trials in our lives is to refine us, to help us grow and progress, and to make us better!!
Did you know that a piece of coal only becomes a diamond after it is exposed to extreme temperatures, temperatures that are over 2,000 degrees F; and intense pressure, pressure which is about 50 times stronger than the pressure here on earth’s surface..? Isn’t that crazy!?
The coal is refined, beautified, and transformed into a beautiful diamond ONLY after it is exposed to so much pressure and heat!! If the coal was not exposed to these “trials” it would just remain a lump of coal and it would not undergo it’s transformation into that beautiful diamond!! Incredible!!
I know that this same principle applies to us!! Not that we should go out and put ourselves in hard situations so that we can be refined, but I have found that right in the middle of my darkest days and most extreme trials, I have been able to find comfort knowing that no matter how bad I felt, or how bad things got for me, that what I was experiencing was ALL for my own good and that I was growing and being transformed into something better!! I was going through the same process that coal had to pass through to be transformed into a beautiful diamond!! I found comfort in the fact that even though it didn’t feel good and things were very hard, that I was being refined and that I was growing!! I was being transformed from the lump of coal that I was!! It’s an incredible process!!
This knowledge brings me peace and hope, even in the most dire of situations and I share it with you in the hope that it will also help you to find peace, comfort, and hope in your lives, especially during your hardest trials and darkest days!!
Remember that ALL these things are for YOUR good, YOU are growing, YOU are being refined and YOU are transforming into a beautiful diamond as a direct result of your trials and hard times!! YOU will become that much better and that much stronger as you overcome your trials!!
And the best part of YOUR transformation is that as you overcome your trials, YOU will be able to comfort, assist, and guide your family, friends, and even strangers, in a way that you would have never been able to before your transformation took place!! And that transformation came as a direct result of your trials!! Think about that for a minute!!
I can’t believe I am going to write this but… I am grateful for my trials!! Trials, Thank you for working on this old lump of coal!!
God Bless YOU in your trials, refinement, and growth!!
-Brandon D. Byrge
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Brandon could probably sell anything to anyone and everybody would feel good about the transaction. 
Brandon D. Byrge 
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