Visiting Teaching Conference- "Called to Serve"

We had a wonderful Visiting Teaching conference yesterday during Sunday School and Relief Society. Thank you to the priesthood for covering all of the teaching that took place in the other auxiliaries so all of the RS members of our ward could attend the conference. I don't think we had an empty chair!

As the sisters entered the room, they were giving a personalized missionary tag. We had a map of the "mission boundaries" (ward boundaries) and push pins dotting the homes of each of the sisters in our ward. We decorated around a harvest theme (D&C 4:4) with fruits, vegetables, loaves of bread, etc. The take home gift of 2 oz. of homemade raspberry jam and a mini loaf of bread were on display too. Sheryl and Kayla made each loaf of bread and made and filled each jam jar...both were delicious!

Our RS Pres., Sheryl opened with a list of things her husband said he learned on his mission. She reassured us that through Visiting Teaching, all of these lessons (the power of testimony, gospel knowledge, fasting, loving those you serve, etc.) can be a part of our souls as well.

We stood together and recited D&C 4. Returned missionaries (RM) will recall memorizing D&C 4 and reciting this from MTC days and regularly throughout the mission. It felt GOOD to do this in RS!

We heard from our newest sister RM (of 2 weeks!), Kelly. She took the "responsibilities of Visiting Teachers" near the bottom the RS VTing page at lds.org and taught us how VTing is much like missionary service.

“Missionary work is but [visiting] teaching to those who are not now members of the Church, and [visiting] teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members.” -Harold B. Lee

Kelly referred to "Preach My Gospel," the section on "charity" in particular which teaches us that striving to serve with charity enables us to feel the love that Heavenly Father has for those we serve. She reminded us of Paul's teachings of charity found in 1 Cor. 13, and highlighted verse 12.... "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Kelly taught that we do not know our sisters as perfectly as our Heavenly Father does, therefore we should seek to understand, to discern, and follow the Spirit when we are on the Lord's errand of watchcare.

Kelly shared how while serving her mission in UT, she saw firsthand how important faithful visiting teachers were in helping sisters come back to church.

We are blessed to have Kelly back in our Relief Society!

Bishop B. spoke about why we report visiting teaching each month.

Kayla played a beautiful piano solo. Thank you, Kayla for sharing your talent with us!

I spoke on Pres. Eyrings talk, "Rise to Your Call" and related that to VTing. On my mission we were given a handbook, rules, and discussions. I found success and didn't have a problem with any of these things, but found that my mission meant so much more than "following the handbook." We need to understand a few crucial things in order find success in our call to serve as visiting teachers....1. You are called of God.

2. You are promised that the Lord will guide you by revelation. Answers will come to your prayers of faith on behalf of the sisters you visit teach. President Eyring taught, "To know [the Lord's] will you must be committed to do it. The words "Thy will be done," written in the heart, are the window to revelation. Pondering the scriptures will lead you to ask the right questions in prayer. The answers come by the Holy Spirit.

3. Just as God called you and will guide you, He will magnify you. The adversary will try to bring you down and thwart your efforts with doubt ("I doubt this sister cares about the letters I send her each month because I never hear from her.", insecurity (I don't understand what this sister is going through. Sister So-and-so would be a much better VTer for her than me!), feeling overwhelmed, and feeling inadequate. President Eyring taught, "You are inadequate to answer a call to represent God with only your own powers. But you have access to more than your natural capacities, and you are not alone." As sisters in Relief Society we should seek for ways to express and show support for one another...
"Good luck on your job interview. You'll do great! I'll be praying for you."
"I don't know exactly how you feel, but I'm here for you and I care."
"I feel so blessed to be your visiting teacher."
"I feel the Spirit in your home."
"Our Relief Society is better because of you."

4. Your service as a visiting teacher will have eternal consequences...for you and for the sisters you visit. Just as we offer gratitude for those who've impacted our life for good, our sisters and their ancestors and descendants who chose eternal life because of something you said or did will be eternally grateful for your kindness. Our every effort to offer watchcare to our sisters truly matters.

“[Visiting Teaching] is one responsibility that is certain to increase our faith and personal righteousness and strengthen our own homes and families as we become partners with the Lord. A sister in this Church has no other responsibility outside of her family that has the potential to do as much good as does visiting teaching.” -Sis. Beck

We closed with prayer and had lemon, lime, and citrus bars, and fruit salad for refreshment as we all visited until our kids came in with hungry tummies wanting to head home:) What a blessing it is to be a part of our ward Relief Society! May we each express that love, in no uncertain terms to the sisters we visit teach, so that each of our dear sisters will find herself clearly inside our circle of sisterhood.

With Love,
Sheryl, Jan, Rebecca, & Kayla

The Holy Ghost- lesson by Lorainne

A loving Heavenly Father sent the Holy Ghost to comfort, help, and guide Adam and Eve and all of his spirit children following the Fall.

Adam and Eve called upon Heavenly Father in prayer. The Lord sent the Holy Ghost to testify of the Father and of the Son and to teach Adam and Eve the gospel. (See Moses 5: 4-9)

Through the power of the Holy Ghost, Adam "began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God" (Moses 5:10). Because of the witness of the Holy Ghost to Eve, she said, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient" (Moses 5:11).

• How is our need for guidance from the Holy Ghost similar to that of Adam and Eve?

The mission of the Holy Ghost is to bear witness of the Father and the Son and of the truth of all things.

• Think about times when the Holy Ghost has helped you grow in your testimony. Take time to record your testimony.

"...Make every decision you contemplate pass this test: What does it do to me? What does it do for me? And let your code of conduct emphasize not ‘What will others think?’ but rather ‘What will I think of myself?’ Be influenced by that still, small voice. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head at the time of your confirmation and said, ‘Receive the Holy Ghost.’ Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice that testifies of truth.” -Thomas S. Monson

"The inspiring influence of the Holy Spirit can be overcome or masked by strong emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. When such influences are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating a jalapeño pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the Holy Spirit." - Richard G. Scott

Compassionate Service (& a goal for 2010)

Last Sunday church was canceled due to the poor quality of the snowy/icy roads. Kayla was supposed to teach Relief Society, and sent out a note with the following thoughts and challenge:

The Visiting Teaching message for December was on Nurturing through Compassionate Service. My testimony is that this message is true. "...In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. ...Let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."

Sisters, may we keep the spirit of Christmas with us throughout the year of 2010, and throughout our lives. I would encourage you all to make a goal to read the Ensign each month, cover to cover. I know that as you do so, you will be blessed and your testimonies will be strengthened.

Thank you all for your diligence. Let's continue to strive to recognize the divine inspiration of Visiting Teaching.

Love, Kayla

Click HERE to read the January Ensign online. Have you started reading the January Ensign yet? If so, what article(s) did you enjoy? Here are a few that I've read and enjoyed so far:

The New Gospel Principles Manual

How We Learned about Happiness (short and very sweet)

Coming to My Ancestors' Aid

Hold on a Little Longer (includes a helpful personal assessment)

Gratitude

I've been nursing a cold that has given me a horse voice, and although I really wanted to teach my lesson on Sunday, I'm so thankful for Lisle for stepping in for me on a day's notice. I enjoyed finding the information and content of the lesson. A comment by Robert Emmons, the professor whose study I referred to in the lesson, has stood out in my mind. He said, "Far from being a warm, fuzzy sentiment, gratitude is morally and intellectually demanding. It requires contemplation, reflection and discipline. It can be hard and painful work." Why? ...something to think about as you read through the lesson.

GRATITUDE

President Monson taught, “Through divine intervention, those who were lepers were spared from a cruel, lingering death and given a new lease on life. The expressed gratitude by one merited the Master’s blessing, the ingratitude shown by the nine, His disappointment.

Like the leprosy of yesteryear are the plagues of today. They linger; they debilitate; they destroy... We know them as selfishness, greed, indulgence, cruelty, and crime, to identify but a few. [Consumed] with their poison, we tend to criticize, to complain, to blame, and, slowly but surely, to abandon the positives and adopt the negatives of life.

• Think about the "plagues of today" President Monson mentioned. Maybe you can think of a few more.
• How do the plagues of today effect you? What do you do to lift your spirit and make yourself feel better?

“Gratitude is literally one of the few things that can measurably change people's lives [for the better]." - Dr. Robert Emmons

The following are the results of a “gratitude study” by Dr. Robert Emmons at UC Davis.

Experiment: More than a hundred adults were all asked to keep a journal, and were randomly assigned to 3 different groups. Group A had to write about things they felt grateful about. Group B about things they found annoying, irritating. Group C about things that had had a major impact on them. 2 out of the 3 different experiments were relatively intense and short term (keeping a daily journal for 2-3 weeks), while one required a weekly entry during 10 weeks.

Those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.

Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.

A daily gratitude exercise resulted in increased positive alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others).

In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in increased high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.

Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families. (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008)

Well-Being: Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress. The disposition toward gratitude enhances pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions without denying or ignoring the negative aspects of life.

Socially: People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be understanding and to take the perspective of others. They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks.

Spirituality: Those who regularly attend religious services and engage in religious activities such as prayer reading religious material are more likely to be grateful. Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others (McCullough et. al., 2002). Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful.

Materialism: Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons.

A conscious focus on gratitude may also remind you of unassuming pluses that get lost in the ups and downs of a busy life. "The most important blessings are the ones that are most consistent," such as family, health and home, says Philip Watkins, an Eastern Washington University psychologist. "And those are the ones we take for granted." Grateful reflection helps you pick out and savor the good in life, even if the good isn't flashy. Gratitude helps bring to focus, highlights, and underscores what you DO have, and frivolous wants are seen for what they really are- fun and lovely, but absolutely optional.

SUMMORIZE: "The benefits from counting blessings are tangible, emotionally and physically," he said. "People are 25 percent happier and more energetic if they keep gratitude journals, have 20 percent less envy and resentment, sleep 10 percent longer each night and wake up 15 percent more refreshed, exercise 33 percent more and show a 10 percent drop in blood pressure compared to persons who are not keeping these journals."

Gratitude is literally one of the few things that can measurably change people's lives," -Dr Emmons

Gratitude unlocks the fulness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. -Melody Beattie

Besides thanking those who bless our lives, as members of the church, we know to Whom we give thanks...

Alma chapter 34 is the heartfelt sermon given by the great missionary, Amulek. He and Alma are preaching to poor among the Zoramites who have been humiliated and cast out of the synagogues because of their poverty. As Amulek teaches them he doesn’t waste much time getting to the heart of the matter...

“And we have beheld that the great question which is in your minds is whether the word be in the Son of God, or whether there shall be no Christ.” Amulek, a fairly new convert himself, bears fervent testimony of Christ, and in conclusion he offers one of my favorite invitations found in scripture....

“Live in thanksgiving daily for the many mercies and blessings which He doth bestow upon you.” -Alma 34:38

We can be thankful for our blessings, but when we acknowledge the source of all goodness not just in our daily prayers, but in our hearts throughout each day, we live in thanksgiving and are filled with the Spirit.

Thankfulness helps you see that you're an object of love and care. When we show gratitude for our Savior we acknowledge that He loves us and blesses us individually. We are worthy of His love.

• How did the Savior “live in Gratitude daily”?

He expressed gratitude to His Heavenly Father in prayer when performing miracles (see John 11:41)

He expressed thanks for earthly things such as food (see Matthew 15:36)

He gave credit to Heavenly Father for giving us all things (see Matthew 11:27).

Through obedience to all He was commanded to do.

Professor Emmons said, "Far from being a warm, fuzzy sentiment, gratitude is morally and intellectually demanding," he says. "It requires contemplation, reflection and discipline. It can be hard and painful work." In the gospel light, Jesus showed that gratitude is more than a sentiment, rather gratitude is a VERB. We too can show this kind of gratitude to our Heavenly Father and “live in thanksgiving daily.”

WAYS TO DEVELOP AND EXERCISE GRATITUDE

some of these are fun for kids

• Keep a running gratitude list
• Keep a daily journal recording at least one way the Lord has blessed your life.
• Create a gratitude paper chain that counts down to a holiday or birthday.
• Take a conscious look at the beauty of the earth & recognize the Creator.
• Say a prayer of gratitude; asking for nothing, but simply expressing thanks.
• Study “gratitude” as it is taught in the scriptures.
• Make a gratitude collage.
• Spend time with grateful people.
• Be cautious about being critical---seek understanding and don’t waste energy on negativity.
• List gratitude ABC style: A- apples, B- brother, Jim, C- church, etc.
• Don’t gossip or listen to gossips.
• Write a gratitude letter to your children.
• Write a letter of gratitude to someone who has blessed your life in some way, but whom you haven’t thanked (enough).
• Celebrate other people.
• Sing and/or listen to hymns or songs of gratitude
• Collect gratitude stories.
• Establish a Gratitude Book at Thanksgiving.
• Play Gratitude ”I Spy.”
• Contemplate your divine worth; you are worthy of the Lord’s love & blessings.
• Find gratitude in every situation.
• Simplify your schedule, possessions and relationships. It’s harder to be grateful if you are overwhelmed in any one of these areas.
• Don’t deny yourself the basics – sleep, healthy food, exercise, solitude, etc.
• Practice CONTENTMENT by practicing delayed gratification & honestly identifying needs vs. wants.
• Simplify possessions- Be content with fewer, but good quality clothes.
• Say “thank you” OFTEN.

May each of us carry the gratitude we focused on during the Thanksgiving holiday throughout our Christmas celebrations. And beyond that, as Amulek taught, may we “Live in Thanksgiving daily for the many mercies and blessings He doth bestow upon you.”

Post edit: The March 2010 issue of the Ensign has a wonderful article on Gratitude that compliments this lesson very well. Click HERE to read the article.

The Restoration- lesson notes

Sara gave a very nice lesson in Relief Society today. A couple of points I want to pass on to all of you sisters....

Every lesson of the restoration brings an opportunity to contemplate the blessings the gospel in its fullness brings to our lives. In class we discussed the blessing of the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us as we teach, in our callings, and in our roles in life. The crowning event of the restoration was the restoration of the sealing power. Just as Joseph Smith felt great urgency in building temples for the progression of the Saints, so too have recent prophets admonished us as members to get a temple recommend, live worth of attending the temple, and attend. At great cost and sacrifice we have been blessed with temples dotting the earth, and our Boston temple within a close drive. We encourage each of you to attend the temple before Thanksgiving in the spirit of gratitude for the restoration of the sealing power and temple ordinances that bring strength, clarity, and light to our souls. We are indebted to our Saviour, to the prophet, Joseph Smith, and those who have sacrificed so much before us to bring a temple in our midst. Our gratitude is best expressed by attending the temple often.

Sara emphasized that we all have a part in the restoration! As the lesson stated, Jesus Christ himself is our co-worker in this great work of building up the Kingdom of God. We shouted for joy at the opportunity to follow our Saviour, Jesus Christ's Plan of Salvation, and now that we are here faced with choices and opportunities to actively participate in the restoration, we can feel strength and purpose because Christ is the author and "co-worker" in this great work. We are not alone. Sara shared that in all of the countless lessons she has taught in church, without fail the Spirit has taught her and guided her in her preparations. The same can be said of our roles in our families and as daughters of God. He will always be there to lead us in righteousness.

“The heavenly Priesthood will unite with the earthly, to bring about those great purposes; and whilst we are thus united in the one common cause, to roll forth the kingdom of God, the heavenly Priesthood are not idle spectators, the Spirit of God will be showered down from above, and it will dwell in our midst. The blessings of the Most High will rest upon our tabernacles, and our name will be handed down to future ages; our children will rise up and call us blessed; and generations yet unborn will dwell with peculiar delight upon the scenes that we have passed through, the privations that we have endured, the untiring zeal that we have manifested, the all but insurmountable difficulties that we have overcome in laying the foundation of a work that brought about the glory and blessing which they will realize; a work that God and angels have contemplated with delight for generations past; that fired the souls of the ancient patriarchs and prophets; a work that is destined to bring about the destruction of the powers of darkness, the renovation of the earth, the glory of God, and the salvation of the human family.” -History of the Church, 4:609–10; punctuation modernized; paragraph divisions altered; from “The Temple,” an editorial published in Times and Seasons, May 2, 1842, p. 776; Joseph Smith was the editor of the periodical.

Thank you, Sara, for your beautiful lesson; for your unique perspective, and how obviously thoughtful you are in your preparations. We are blessed to learn from you each month.

Have a wonderful week, sisters!

With much love,

Sheryl, Jan, Rebecca & Tammy

Journaling- A record of your personal journey

Dear Sisters,

It was amazing and wonderful to have so many sisters in Relief Society on Sunday for our lesson on journal keeping. I would have loved another hour together to discuss and share. We all have stories, experiences, and life lessons that when shared are edifying and strengthen our sisterhood. I'm including a recap of the lesson, as well as a few things I wasn't able to share due to time....

First of all, we talked about different systems of journaling....

• Blogs. These can be printed in book form- see me for more info

• I shared a binder filled with emails between my family members. We all understood we were commenting for a family journal and my sister would start an email thread off by asking something like, "What are your memories about family vacations?" In the binder there's a tab called "Vacations" and our email notes on family vacations are printed out there. We also discussed holidays, pets, dinnertime, mom & dad, & rough housing. At the back of the binder there are a few letters my parents wrote to college kids and there are some pictures. Here's an excerpt from a letter found at the back of the journal (I shared part of this in the lesson)....

"You should have seen [Adam's] birthday cake (yes, he FINALLY had one). I made a Texas sheet cake, then filled tow huge balloons with confetti by putting the lip of the them over the wide-mouthed canning funnel and scooping in the confetti. then I blew the balloons up and tied a candle wick in the knot, and put the balloons round side down on the cake. We lit the wicks, sang, and waited in a kind of anticipation you've never seen before. Jim was even about to crawl under the table. We really didn't know what was going to happen. Then, BOOM! I mean really BOOM! Confetti went everywhere--even through the kitchen and the entry to the front door! We laughed our brains out. I'm still finding confetti a week later!"

NOTE: Including recipes and how-to's is a great way to make it easy to pass things on to others.

• Steno Pads--- Priscilla H's daughter Jenny shared, "When we were little mom kept steno pad notebooks by her bedside, and she would take turns journaling about each of us from her perspective. They were consistent, but there are a treasure. Because of the little journal that my mom kept for me, about me, from a loving mother's perspective (she would mention that she was disappointed in me because of decisions I had made, or proud of me, etc. always keeping a gospel perspective) I have don the same thing for each of my children. I started them when they reached 2 years of age (past the major baby book phase) and have sporadically, but at least monthly or so, kept them up even until now. My oldest son's book is filled, but I continue to jot things down in margins. I know that the children have snuck away to a corner with their journal from time to time, and enjoy reading things about their childhood that they didn't know, didn't remember, etc. I love to journal quotes that the kids have said. I thing journaling for self is valuable, but I also think a mother's touch on journaling is worth so much."

I passed around decorated steno pads & would love to give you one if you weren't there. Drop me a note if you didn't get one.... (rebecca@menzie.org).

• Dora shared how she started keeping her family Christmas letters as journal entries (Great idea!) and that turned into pulling other journal-type things, photos, notes, etc. together in a folder. She said it feels good to do something that can be called "a journal." There's no one system or look for a journal, and if you can find a process that works for you, go with it!!!

• Jan shared that she considers her letters to her missionary son a journal. Absolutely! I shared a binder my dad put together of letters my parents wrote my grandparents while they were on their mission in Germany. From "Letters to Germany" I shared this note from my mom:

"Last week was a bad week. Nothing went right and I was cross with the children before each day was through. S&J are in the 'quarrel over anything and everything' stage, and I had such a hectic schedule for the week, and it was all too much. Finally, on Thursday I really gave them a good paddling and suggested to the three that they ask Heavenly Father to help them be kinder to one another and talk gently and that I'd do the same. I came downstairs and heard murmuring upstairs and thought they were probably saying their prayers. I felt like a heel. A I listened at the door I heart them making big plans to pack up and run away from home. 'No, we can't go there, it might get dark first,' and "shall we take suitcases?" After a while they came down, suitcases packed and announced they were all leaving. I said OK, I'd fix them a lunch to take, but that I didn't want them crossing any streets. So, they all trooped 2 doors up to Collette's and asked if they could live there. Well, they came back home before dark and are all settled and happy again."

What should we write about in our journals?

• 2 Nephi 25:23 reads, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are save, after all we can do."

Share your testimony in your journal. Whether convert or "life member" we all should have a conversion story--prayers answered, how we know God lives, significant experiences visiting church history sites, knowing our prophet is called of God, experiences with the Holy Ghost as comforter, purifier, testifier of truth, etc.

I referred to Pres. Eyring's talk, "O Remember, Remember" as an illustration of journal writing including testimony. Pres. Eyring said, "Before I would write, I would ponder this question: Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?" As I kept at it something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done. More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew."

I shared a few journal entries from my mom's journal:

"At 4am this morning I was feeding and rocking Ben, pondering over my feelings of frustration and self-defeat which had been so strong and heavy in me for the past few days when I had the distinct, peaceful message given to my mind and heart, 'Be of good cheer, for I the Lord God am with you.'"

Further on in the journal....

"Another rough Sunday. I have trouble with Sundays- they're more work than ever. Things have been creeping in on me for some time now. I keep finding myself wishing I were alone away somewhere for a long time. It's hard for me to actually face up to and admit to the fact that I'm only me & not Deanne, Jeanine, Christ Cottam, Jeri Edwards, etc. It seems all I can do physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. is to take care of my family and home- just the routine chores & daily demands. Pres. Munns described it once as feeling like a rubber band, stretched to capacity, unable to stretch further without breaking; needing to ease up a bit before trudging on....(later that evening)...Read a couple of excellent articles in the August issue of the Ensign. One on dealing with ambiguity and the other on family planning. Just what I've been groping for. The Lord is so helpful to me. He must love me to keep working with me as He does."

• A scripture journal. When you read the scriptures, write lessons learned, how they apply to your life, and/or use what you have read as a prompt to record past experiences....a great way to record your journey in the light of the gospel.

• Write about things that bind you with others..... Recently I learned that my grandmother, my mother's mother, who died when I was 1 year old, quilted. I didn't know we had that hobby in common. Like my grandmother, I don't have a lot of time for quilting (& I send the quilt tops I've sewn & "the quilt sandwich" away to be quilted), but looking at my grandma's quilting that my aunt just sent me, I marvel at and appreciate her craft. My aunt told me that when she and my mom would visit grandma, my mom would help my grandma work on quilt blocks. I never knew this! It's fun to find common interests, hobbies, and talents among family.

I shared a note from Charlene H's daughter, Trisha, who wrote how her mom taught her by example how to have an organized home. She wrote, "My parents moved about 19 times in 20 years, so mom got really good at keeping the essentials and organizing her life. Lists have always played a major part in her day-to-day activities and my sisters and I follow suite by making lists as well. My mom also gave us weekly and daily chores that not only taught us how to clean, but also gave her a well deserved break! One of my favorite and most important things that my mom taught me was to "clean as you go" when you're cooking or baking. I learned this lesson early on because I loved to help bake with my mom. Not only have these lessons helped me maintain my house, but they've enhance my life and career. I work in an environment where 50,000 little products need to be organized, clean, and sellable. Have basic organizational skills has effect me and my coworkers in a positive way. My mom is the type of person that you would call if you needed help de-cluttering a closet or packing boxes for a move. It doesn't hurt that she's funny and makes the whole process enjoyable." Trisha will no doubt pass on these skills and her children will know to thank grandma as well their mom!

Blessings of Journaling

• From all of my reading for this lesson, it was very clear that journaling is therapeutic for the writer. Author, Brad Wilcox wrote, "When my in-laws were moving to Colorado, a tragic moving van fire destroyed all their belongings, including photographs albums and journals. One well-meaning friend lamented, "All that work for nothing!" My wise mother-in-law responded: "The process we went through writing our journals can never be burned. Every hour we spent on those books helped to make us the people we have become." (See, "Why Write It," by Brad Wilcox, Ensign, 9/99)

Sheryl talked about a day long ago when she was particularly angry, and sat down scribbling her frustrations on paper while her girls were at dance class. After venting on paper her anger was lifted from her mind. Sheryl also shared and excerpt from one of her old journals. Hearing her share a frustrating day in her young mothering life and hearing her laugh about it years later was an example of how journaling illustrates our progression. She noted that over the years, as her testimony has grown and she has progressed, her journal has become more spiritual. Sometimes reading how we got through a difficult time can illustrate to us that we have it within ourselves to overcome a present day trial.

As I read through journals preparing my lesson, I found faith promoting experiences about temple service, family, marriage, dealing with depression, service- in general and through church callings, adult education, covenants, personal revelation, losing a baby to leukemia, death of a sibling, financial stresses, and on and on.... What a treasure to read of how the women in my life faithfully learned through tribulation and found ways to celebrate and enjoy their journey.

• Sometimes children (or loved ones) misinterpret the responses of parents and harbor feelings of hurt or resentment throughout their lives. (See "Hidden Benefits of Keeping a History" by Gawaine & Gayle Wells, Ensign 7/1986) Journals can clarify relationships and leave a clear message of unconditional love. I closed with a letter from my mom that begins a journal she and my dad gave to me the Christmas before she passed away in 1992. I was on my mission at the time. This letter is a treasure because it leaves no room for doubt of my mom's love for me from my birth to the time she passed away. This is what I treasure most from her letter.....

"Daddy & I wanted to give each of you this year something that you could always hold dear as a remembrance of our love for you, and something that would serve to buoy you up on those 'rainy days." So, here is our journal for you--"Special" because it begins with our thoughts and our testimonies, and faith-promoting experiences, and then you make it happen from there.

I shall never forget the feelings I had when I learned you were on your way to be a part of our family. W were really struggling through law school, I was baby-sitting to try and help make ends meet, and I just remember wearying the Lord continually with 'how are we going to manage?' Yet, always through my mind came that reminder that things of real worth seldom come packaged in convenience. I knew that the Lord would teach me and be there to help us.

You were the cutest, sweetest petite little young lady. We felt from the beginning that you were so happy to be in our family, and our hearts rejoiced as we watched Sherrill and Jim cuddle you and take such good care of you--even teaching you their codes of mischief!

...Your testimony grew at a very early age. You loved reading the scriptures. Heavenly Father blessed you continually. You grew to care deeply about people and their feelings and concerns. you were always creative. "Doodling" at this or that, and coming up with some very nice pieces of art and poetry....

High school brought you some of your most important experiences and hardest lessons in your young life. I was so concerned, yet didn't know how to break through the cloud. You were so sad and hurt and angry, yet your clear, bright compassionate spirit always came through, and Dad & I knew the Lord knew this even better than we fumbling parents did. I have thanked the Lord countless times for bring KD (laurel advisor) into your life at that time. For giving you the opportunity to reach out beyond yourself and help others who were having difficult times at home. The hard part in doing this is always the risk of losing perspective and falling into the snares of persuasion of friends who are good people of the earth but not engaged anxiously in seeking the Lord's will and committing to do it.

Through your faith and courage, you repented, submitted yourself to Him, and have never looked back. What a beautiful example for me, Becky. The Lord used you to teach me, and you'll be my friend forever because of this bond.

I don't know what the Lord does have in store for me in these next several months, but this I do know, that he lives, that he loves each one of you, my children, and he in his perfect love and wisdom will bless us all. I may have to wait for you a while in Heaven, but I will always be your mother and never far from you. I will enjoy with you all those things mothers love to share with their daughters--choosing an eternal mate, bringing each of your own children into the world, enjoying their first words, their baptisms, graduations, and on and on and on. I'll be there by you.

I hope I will live a long time, but darling, if it is in the Lord's wisdom that it shouldn't be so, please don't any of you worry. I know where I'm going, I know the gospel is the truth and it is the greatest gift the Lord has given to us all. "Eternal" suddenly means much more to me than ever before.

I love your sharing your testimony. It is the joy of my life. Your work is the joy of my life. Your love of the Lord is the joy of my life. I love knowing that even I am a part of the Lord's atonement. I have made many mistakes, and the peace of repentance is truly the greatest miracle. I love you . Thank you for honoring me, as your mother, and for being my friend.

Love, Mom

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Sisters, it's important to take care of relationships while we are living and breathing, but it also important and beneficial to express in the form of a letter or journal, our love for those we hold dear. This gift is bonding and one of peace and comfort beyond the days of our journey.

Our memories fade over time, so to have these expressions of love, testimony, and personal growth on paper is a priceless gift. Know that whatever you can offer in the way of a journal will be of great worth. For me, when I read my mom's journal I feel like I'm reading things she'd share with me today to help me through similar days. In a way I hear her voice as I read, and she teaches me in this beautiful way.

So, pick up a pen and paper and do a little journaling here and there. Follow the Spirit as you record your journey and you will have a beautiful, unique, inspiring story to tell....I promise!

Love, Rebecca

The Way of the Disciple

Deb M. taught a wonderful lesson in Relief Society based on the April 2009 talk by Elder Uchtdorf, "The Way of the Disciple." The following are key points that we discussed that offer hope, encouragement, and perspective to us all....

• ..."the world is not bashful in offering numerous new answers to every problem we face. People run from one new idea to the next, hoping to find something that will answer the burning questions of their souls. They attend seminars and buy books, CDs, and other products. They get caught up in the excitement of looking for something new. But inevitably, the flame of each new theory fades, only to be replaced by another “new and improved” solution that promises to do what the others before could not. It’s not that these worldly options don’t contain elements of truth—many of them do. Nevertheless, they all fall short of the lasting change we seek in our lives. After the excitement wears off, the hollowness remains as we look for the next new idea to unlock the secrets of happiness.

In contrast, the gospel of Jesus Christ has the answers to all of our problems. The gospel is not a secret. It is not complicated or hidden. It can unlock the door to true happiness. It is not someone’s theory or proposition. It does not come from man at all. It springs from the pure and everlasting waters of the Creator of the universe, who knows truths we cannot even begin to comprehend. And with that knowledge, He has given us the gospel—a divine gift, the ultimate formula for happiness and success.

• How do we become a disciple of Christ? Faith, repentance, baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, making covenants, & service. The more we are filled with the Spirit of God, the more we extend ourselves to others. We become peacemakers in our homes and families, we help our fellowmen everywhere, and we reach out in merciful acts of kindness, forgiveness, grace, and long-suffering patience. These are the first steps along the true way of life and fulfillment. This is the peaceable way of the follower of Jesus Christ.
• The first step on the path of discipleship begins, luckily enough, in the exact place where we stand! We do not have to prequalify to take that first step. It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor. There is no requirement to be educated, eloquent, or intellectual. We do not have to be perfect or well-spoken or even well-mannered.
• Discipleship is a journey. We need the refining lessons of the journey to craft our character and purify our hearts. By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God’s will rather than ours.
• Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping....we need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach.
• There are some who believe that because they have made mistakes, they can no longer fully partake of the blessings of the gospel.... One of the great blessings of living the gospel is that it refines us and helps us learn from our mistakes. We “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” yet the Atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to make us whole when we repent.
• To those who feel inadequate because they have not been members of the Church all their lives, to those who feel that they can never make up for the time they have lost, I testify that the Lord needs your specific abilities, talents, and skills. The Church needs you; we need you. It is always the right time to walk in His way. It is never too late.

Thank you Deb for your preparation and dedication as one of our wonderful Relief Society teachers. We hope that each of you find strength in the words of Pres. Uchtdorf as he invites each of us to greater discipleship beginning right now, wherever we are in our lives.

Sheryl gave a beautiful talk in Sacrament Meeting about Relief Society and her words of commitment, participation, and service tie in with Presidet Uchtdorf's message of discipleship. May we find joy in our sisterhood as we reach out and support one another in our lives, beginning with those we visit teach. As Sheryl expressed, your many acts of service are truly appreciated. Each of you sisters are vital to the worth and strength of our collective Relief Society. Each of you bring talents, life experience, and strength unique to your life, and we are a better Relief Society because of you. May we each press forward from where we stand at this very moment, and see the great blessings (individually & as a sisterhood) of active participation in Relief Society.

Love,

The RS Presidency

Sheryl, Jan, Rebecca & Tammy