River's Christmas Message

River was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting - we belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as Mormons). The topic was Christmas. She was given a blank word document. I only corrected spelling and added 4 words to her talk, but other than that these are her words. 

River lives joy - she finds something to enjoy every day.

River Joy's Talk:
So I want to start out by saying last Christmas was a lot different than what I think this Christmas will be. I think it will be a normal Christmas for me I HOPE. I was really excited when I could go home for Christmas last year. I was really really really sick and in a lot of pain last year.
I am so very glad that Jesus was born, and that he is my Savior. Sometimes in the hospital when I was in pain or having a bad day, I would say a prayer and most of them went like this:

Dear Heavenly Father if you can’t take it away, then help me find a way to enjoy it . He has he has helped me enjoy it. I have made great friends and I have changed. I used to be a shy little girl and now I’m not that shy little girl.

Here is a different version I used to be a caterpillar, but now I’m a butterfly. Heavenly Father is the king so that makes us princes and princesses. He is our father too so that makes us brothers and sisters. Has anyone ever heard the story of the princess and the peas? Well I’ll tell it to you .

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Hans_A...

We don’t feel peas to tell if were princesses or not we have to feel peace. Through those 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds we have to feel the Holy Ghost. Through all the challenges in our lives we have to feel the peace , comforting and the warning of the Holy Ghost.

My mom read me, silver, and summer the princess and the pea. She had us lay down on our pillows as she read. At the end of the story she had us look in our pillow cases and we each pulled out 3 peas in a zip lock bag . We could not feel the peas during the story. After we knew they were there we could feel them. People who don’t know about the gospel that’s like having 3 peas in your pillow.  Me and my sisters were excited to find the 3 peas just like some people will be excited to find the gospel. If you have the gospel in your life and you believe it you will be blessed.

In the hospital my mom and dad could buy me toys, food, and medicine, but they could not buy me spiritual comfort and everything the Holy Ghost gives.  You need to be baptized, confirmed and live righteously to have the gift of the Holy Ghost with you always. I’m so very glad I was baptized before I got cancer. Remember if you were here at the primary program the song I sang. “Help Me To Stand”  (See Below)

Songs help us remember Jesus and Heavenly Father. When I was really sick in the hospital and if you came and visited most of the time I would be a sleep. But if you were lucky you would come when I was awake. You would get a friendly hug from my mom and dad. We would sing a song from my mom’s handy dandy app.

When you sing the word “me or I” do you just sing a song because that’s how its written? Or because you have a testimony right here in your heart.

Do you sing I AM A CHILD OF GOD? Or do you sing I am a child of God because that’s how its written. I want you to think about that. Do you sing it because you have a testimony of it or because that’s how its written. When we sing songs from the Hymn Book or primary songs we're praising God.

God has dried my tears, he’s walked beside me, he’s comforted me. He gave us so much like food and water, a body, each other, the Earth and so so so much more. Here are some ways to thank him.
Pay your tithing, read your scriptures, say your prayers and thank him in them for every thing you have, go on a mission, and be a righteous person.

Have any of you studied history, well if any of you have noticed history well my mom showed me that history becomes “His (Jesus) His-story. So I want you to study his story - you can find it in the scriptures.
Now when each time I look at the word history I think of His- story. I LOVE CHRISTMAS I can’t remember what year or what month they said this in general conference I don’t even know who said it but I do remember what he said. Quote “if you drop the last syllable in Christmas it becomes Christ” end quote.

Now when I look at the word Christmas I remember Christ. I think that green and red are the perfect Christmas colors why? red symbolizes the blood Jesus bled in Gethsemane and green for life because Jesus is the life of the world.
I would like to end my talk by saying one scripture that means a lot to me:

“But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength”
2 Timothy 4:17 in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

River has had 7 surgeries. At her last surgery we met the anesthesiologist in the waiting room. He explained what was going to happen and then took us down the hall. We came to a door where we had to go one way and River with the anesthesiologist the other. River felt afraid. She said that she took a deep breath and prayed to Heavenly Father: "Help me to be strong".

After the surgery she was in the recovery room and the words "Help me to stand, help me to be strong" came to her mind. When she got to the Ronald McDonald House and to her bed she then wrote down these words in her journal and put it to music:

By River Joy Henderson, age 9
Sung to the tune: Can a Little Child like Me?  (Page 9 Primary Children's Songbook)


verse 1
Help me to stand
Help me to stand
Help me to be strong
In thy own Hands
Help me to stand
Help me to be strong
If It is Thy will
If it is Thy will
Father in Heaven
If it's Thy will.

verse 2
Help me to stand
For the right and not the wrong
Help me to be strong
Use my courage for the right
I thank Thee for the right
We will follow in the light
Father in Heaven
Father in Heaven
We will follow in the light.

Spoken:
We thank Thee for the truth
That we know of Thee
And we thank Thee for blessings
We will follow in the Light
And if we follow in the Light, then we will receive everlasting light and life.

This song is especially touching to me as her mom watching her struggle at times just to be able to stand by her bed. She needed to get out of bed 3 times each day. Sometimes it was more than she could physically do just to stand :( 

Help me to stand. If it's Thy will.