Thursday, February 28, 2013
Kiwi
This morning, I was peeling a kiwi to throw in the blender with my smoothie. Gabby asked what it was called. I said, "It's a kiwi." She watched for a second and then said, "I don't want to eat the skin of that bikini." That made me giggle.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Saints in Germany
Probably my favorite section of the biography of President Monson were the chapters on East Germany. I know a little bit of history about East and West Germany and the Berlin Wall. I can remember the collapse of the Berlin Wall occurring when I was a young girl. It had never occurred to me, however, that the church might have had a hand in the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Nor had I ever given much thought to the Saints in East Germany (the German Democratic Republic or GDR) and what they might have experienced during the period when it was under Communist rule. But I was so impressed both by the East German Saints and their faith as well as by the service that President Monson gave while there.
The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961. When then Elder Monson was assigned to the European nations, he decided to visit the GDR. No other General Authority had since the wall went up. So he made plans and he traveled there, having faith that it would all work out. There were Saints there in East Germany and they had little to no contact with the Church outside of East Germany. When he first visited, the Church records listed 4,641 members in 47 branches. There were no missionaries serving there. Yet miracles occurred. One family received their patriarchal blessings and the son was promised that he would serve a foreign mission and the daughter was promised that she would marry in the temple and that the parents and children would all be sealed in the temple. The patriarch worried that the blessings could not be fulfilled, but shortly after a treaty was signed and this particular family was able to move to West Germany where all of these blessings were fulfilled.
President Monson loved the German people and traveled there repeatedly. Each time he went, he took extra suits to give to the people there. He loved the people and blessed their lives in countless ways. One experience was a man who had served in Germany before the war had some slides. He had kept them 40 years and some he couldn't identify. He'd felt impressed to keep them. They were taken in Stettin, Germany and were pictures of a family. President Monson took the slides. On the airplane ride from Zurich to Berlin, he sat by a man named Dieter Berndt and showed the pictures to him. The photos were of his family. His father had been killed when a bomb struck the plant where he was working. His mom fled with him and his siblings and they left everything behind. He had no photos of his childhood, except these delivered to him by President Monson.
President Monson worked closely not only with Church leaders in the GDR, but he also developed friendly, respectful relationships with several members of the government. The Saints were good, hard working, loyal citizens. They were faithful to the gospel but also obeyed the laws of the land. I was so impressed...I don't see the percentages right now, but I know that despite having little outside contact with the church, the attendance, home teaching nd visiting teaching rates were higher there than just about anywhere...I believe about 90%. These are people who had little freedom, few church materials other than scriptures, most were not endowed, and most had to travel long distances to get to church. For many years, religion of any kind was viewed with suspicion. Yet, these Saints were faithful in keeping their covenants. They loved and served the Lord and one another. They sacrificed and stayed true despite their challenges! Talk about faith amidst affliction!
In 1978, it was decided that a temple should be built there. The government gave permission for an LDS temple to be built in East Germany...the Freiberg Temple. I have seen photos of this temple, but until reading the biography I had no idea it had been built in East Germany during the Communist reign. How amazing is that! Originally the Saints there did not know a temple was being considered. They were told to prepare themselves for temple blessings and so without questioning, they did. They began holding temple prep classes and doing all they could to be prepared an worthy for temple blessings.
At that time, members were asked to donate when a temple was built in their area. But the Saints in the GDR had so little, that they were not asked to donate. They were upset by this; they wanted to contribute. The Frankfurt Temple had also been announced. The Saints in West Germany were asked to raise $150,000 West German marks in two years. That was the equivalent of 50,000 marks in East Germany. After only 3 months, the East German Saints had raised 50,000 marks! They continued to make donations for two years and by the time the temple was dedicated, they had raised 880,000 East German marks. These were people living under oppression and in poverty, but they freely gave all that they could to build a temple. They recognized the goodness of God and His many blessings and they did all that was in their power to serve Him.
We have been given so much more, and yet we (I) often find it hard to serve whole heartedly. I hope I would have remained so faithful under such trying circumstances. My circumstances are different than theirs...in many ways much easier, and yet I wonder if sometimes we (I) take all of our (my) blessings for granted because we (I) do have so many. I am thankful for the freedoms I enjoy and that there are churches and temples all around me, but I hope that I am not like those at the time of Moses, refusing to look ... "and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished." (1 Nephi 17:41)
The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961. When then Elder Monson was assigned to the European nations, he decided to visit the GDR. No other General Authority had since the wall went up. So he made plans and he traveled there, having faith that it would all work out. There were Saints there in East Germany and they had little to no contact with the Church outside of East Germany. When he first visited, the Church records listed 4,641 members in 47 branches. There were no missionaries serving there. Yet miracles occurred. One family received their patriarchal blessings and the son was promised that he would serve a foreign mission and the daughter was promised that she would marry in the temple and that the parents and children would all be sealed in the temple. The patriarch worried that the blessings could not be fulfilled, but shortly after a treaty was signed and this particular family was able to move to West Germany where all of these blessings were fulfilled.
President Monson loved the German people and traveled there repeatedly. Each time he went, he took extra suits to give to the people there. He loved the people and blessed their lives in countless ways. One experience was a man who had served in Germany before the war had some slides. He had kept them 40 years and some he couldn't identify. He'd felt impressed to keep them. They were taken in Stettin, Germany and were pictures of a family. President Monson took the slides. On the airplane ride from Zurich to Berlin, he sat by a man named Dieter Berndt and showed the pictures to him. The photos were of his family. His father had been killed when a bomb struck the plant where he was working. His mom fled with him and his siblings and they left everything behind. He had no photos of his childhood, except these delivered to him by President Monson.
President Monson worked closely not only with Church leaders in the GDR, but he also developed friendly, respectful relationships with several members of the government. The Saints were good, hard working, loyal citizens. They were faithful to the gospel but also obeyed the laws of the land. I was so impressed...I don't see the percentages right now, but I know that despite having little outside contact with the church, the attendance, home teaching nd visiting teaching rates were higher there than just about anywhere...I believe about 90%. These are people who had little freedom, few church materials other than scriptures, most were not endowed, and most had to travel long distances to get to church. For many years, religion of any kind was viewed with suspicion. Yet, these Saints were faithful in keeping their covenants. They loved and served the Lord and one another. They sacrificed and stayed true despite their challenges! Talk about faith amidst affliction!
In 1978, it was decided that a temple should be built there. The government gave permission for an LDS temple to be built in East Germany...the Freiberg Temple. I have seen photos of this temple, but until reading the biography I had no idea it had been built in East Germany during the Communist reign. How amazing is that! Originally the Saints there did not know a temple was being considered. They were told to prepare themselves for temple blessings and so without questioning, they did. They began holding temple prep classes and doing all they could to be prepared an worthy for temple blessings.
At that time, members were asked to donate when a temple was built in their area. But the Saints in the GDR had so little, that they were not asked to donate. They were upset by this; they wanted to contribute. The Frankfurt Temple had also been announced. The Saints in West Germany were asked to raise $150,000 West German marks in two years. That was the equivalent of 50,000 marks in East Germany. After only 3 months, the East German Saints had raised 50,000 marks! They continued to make donations for two years and by the time the temple was dedicated, they had raised 880,000 East German marks. These were people living under oppression and in poverty, but they freely gave all that they could to build a temple. They recognized the goodness of God and His many blessings and they did all that was in their power to serve Him.
We have been given so much more, and yet we (I) often find it hard to serve whole heartedly. I hope I would have remained so faithful under such trying circumstances. My circumstances are different than theirs...in many ways much easier, and yet I wonder if sometimes we (I) take all of our (my) blessings for granted because we (I) do have so many. I am thankful for the freedoms I enjoy and that there are churches and temples all around me, but I hope that I am not like those at the time of Moses, refusing to look ... "and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished." (1 Nephi 17:41)
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Kind Words
There is nothing like getting a new, big calling. I can't begin to describe the emotions I have felt over the past few weeks. I can begin to relate to Joseph Smith saying that his feelings were "often deep and poignant". One very nice thing has been the votes of confidence I have received from others in relation to this calling. So many people have told me that they think I will do a good job and that they consider me a compassionate person. I can think of so many people who seem better suited than me, but it helps to know that this calling comes from the Lord and to know that some of the people I know, love and respect believe I can do it.
Hi Jenny,
Just wanted to say congrats and condolences on your new calling. You will be awesome! I am always impressed by your ablility to juggle so many things and do them all well. I am also inspired by your compassion and empathy for others, so I know the Lord and the Bishop are on the same page on this one...Good luck!
P.S. Can I have your Primary class??? ;0) Jackie Simper
Laurel Hansen King: Did bishop make you get one (a cell phone) so he can incessantly text you and track your every move? Congrats, by the way. Or are my condolences more appropriate? You're going to be an excellent president;I'm really excited for the new presidency.
Rebecca Western: You will be an amazing RS President! You are a blessing to our ward!
Jill James: I agree with Rebecca Dunn Western, you're going to do an amazing job!!!!
Sara Draper Harding: I agree, Jen. I have already learned so much from your good example over the years. I'm so excited to get to learn more.
Jill James: I can only imagine how overwhelming it is, but remember you've got a great group of amazing ladies that are here to help you and serve.
Ana Gastelum Congratulations! New start with a new year! Tu puedes eres genial!
Michelle Reineccius Schumann This is exciting news Jennifer! You will be awesome!
Andrea Hess Strickland YAY!!! congrats jennifer!! you are such a great example of kindness and love!! im so happy for you!!
Suzy Bills
I love you, pray for you, and know that you'll be a good RS pres. with Heavenly Father's help. Don't feel bad about delegating work. It's what you're supposed to do.
Charity Johnson: I was so excited when they announced your new calling at church yesterday! You are going to be a fantastic relief society president!!!
Ione Pearce Horlacher
just wanted to congratulate you on your new calling... we will miss you in the primary. But I know you will be a great RS president.!!!
Carin Wiberg:
Dang it Jenny, you beat me to this! I've been planning to write you a note today, but waited til it was quiet.
I am SO sad to lose you as our sunbeams teacher (especially because my daughter will be in there ).
I always think that you would be so great in any calling, and so, I'm sure that you are going to be a wonderful RS president. Congratulations! I felt like my family was so blessed while I was lucky enough to serve there, and I bet you'll have similar experiences.
Hi Jenny,
Just wanted to say congrats and condolences on your new calling. You will be awesome! I am always impressed by your ablility to juggle so many things and do them all well. I am also inspired by your compassion and empathy for others, so I know the Lord and the Bishop are on the same page on this one...Good luck!
P.S. Can I have your Primary class??? ;0) Jackie Simper
Laurel Hansen King: Did bishop make you get one (a cell phone) so he can incessantly text you and track your every move? Congrats, by the way. Or are my condolences more appropriate? You're going to be an excellent president;I'm really excited for the new presidency.
Rebecca Western: You will be an amazing RS President! You are a blessing to our ward!
Jill James: I agree with Rebecca Dunn Western, you're going to do an amazing job!!!!
Sara Draper Harding: I agree, Jen. I have already learned so much from your good example over the years. I'm so excited to get to learn more.
Jill James: I can only imagine how overwhelming it is, but remember you've got a great group of amazing ladies that are here to help you and serve.
Ana Gastelum Congratulations! New start with a new year! Tu puedes eres genial!
Michelle Reineccius Schumann This is exciting news Jennifer! You will be awesome!
Andrea Hess Strickland YAY!!! congrats jennifer!! you are such a great example of kindness and love!! im so happy for you!!
Suzy Bills
I love you, pray for you, and know that you'll be a good RS pres. with Heavenly Father's help. Don't feel bad about delegating work. It's what you're supposed to do.
Charity Johnson: I was so excited when they announced your new calling at church yesterday! You are going to be a fantastic relief society president!!!
Ione Pearce Horlacher
just wanted to congratulate you on your new calling... we will miss you in the primary. But I know you will be a great RS president.!!!
Carin Wiberg:
Dang it Jenny, you beat me to this! I've been planning to write you a note today, but waited til it was quiet.
I am SO sad to lose you as our sunbeams teacher (especially because my daughter will be in there ).
I always think that you would be so great in any calling, and so, I'm sure that you are going to be a wonderful RS president. Congratulations! I felt like my family was so blessed while I was lucky enough to serve there, and I bet you'll have similar experiences.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
President Monson's biography
As I've mentioned, I have just finished reading/listening to (mostly listening to) President Monson's biography. It has taken me several months to finish, but it has been so worthwhile. I started listening in either October or November. I've checked the book on CDs (15 CDS!) out multiple times...renewing when I could or just returning them and placing them on hold and recording on a notebook where I left off so I could pick up there when I got them back again.
The title of the biography is "To The Rescue" and it is such an appropriate title. President Monson has literally spent his life serving, brightening others days, and going to the rescue. He has such faith and such courage. He has learned to really listen to the promptings of the spirit and to act immediately. He doesn't just ask us to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D & C 81:6), he does this every day. He notices people. His talks focus on real experiences of real people. He reaches out to people. This past conference, in the priesthood session, he gave a talk entitled "See Others as they May Become". He looks at people and sees them as they might be if they lived the gospel. He is never afraid to tell people to go back to church, to repent, to go on a mission, etc. In a Time Out for Women talk given by Heidi Swinton, she tells of President Monson going into a gas station. The young man there had tattoos and piercings and didn't look like a missionary. But as President Monson paid for his gas, he asked the young man if he was planning to serve a mission soon. The man looked a little incredulous and said no. President Monson then encouraged the young man to go home and pray about serving a mission. Then he left. Well, the young man didn't go home and pray about serving a mission. But several months later, he was walking through the living room and glanced at the tv. He noticed that it was the man from the gas station on the tv. So he sat down and began to watch with his parents. He ended up watching the rest of conference. He felt something. ANd then he did go in his room and pray about serving a mission and he ended up going on a mission. The book is filled with countless other examples of ways that President Monson touched people's lives. He stopped to visit the sick, the elderly, the sad, the lonely. He writes letters. He stops to shake hands and to speak with others. He has the most incredible memory and despite meeting thousands or millions of people in his lifetime, he remembers many of their names and faces and the events of their meeting. He also keeps a detailed journal (I suspect that his journal helps with his memory...but I also believe that his incredible memory is a gift from God.)
I listened to his biography as I drove to/from work and I have shown up at work with tears streaming down my face on a number of occasions and needed to sit in my car for a moment to dry my tears. It's a nice way to start a day (and I'm not being sarcastic.)
I have found it comforting to listen to this as I've accepted what feels to me like such a monumental challenge to be the ward Relief Society President. First, I recognize that my responsibility is actually quite small in comparison to his or even to our Stake president or Bishop's responsibility and the duration of my call will be small as well. Somehow that is comforting to me... it makes it feel a little more manageable. Second, as I listened it occurred to me that he was prepared for this over many years. He wasn't called to be a prophet right away. He was called as a Bishop, then a mission president, then an Apostle and so on. He was taught line upon line, precept upon precept and his capacity to serve and to teach increased. I am certain that I, too, have been prepared for this through previous experiences and that as I serve my capacity will also increase as long as I put my trust in the Lord. I am certain there are plenty of people who could serve as well or better than me, but "whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies." I feel thankful for the opportunity to serve in my small way and to show the Lord and those around me that I love Him.
I find a lot of comfort (and truth) in his words from his conference talk in October 2012 entitled "Consider the Blessings". He said, "Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives." He also said in the same talk that "...the Lord's purposes are often accomplished as we pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit. I believe that the more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust to us His errands." He has shown that this is true as he is always about His Father's business, always serving and loving. Sister Swinton summarizes it this way, "What will the legacy of President Thomas S. Monson be? Observers have a tendency to set the starting point at the beginning of a man's presidency of the Church. But his legacy goes all the way back to when he began following the Spirit and heeding promptings, when he began reaching out with the power of the Spirit, one-on-one, to anyone and everyone, especially the forgotten. His legacy will be Christlike living." (page 528)
I want to be more like President Monson. I want to be more like my Savior. I'm thankful for the things I've learned from his conference talks and from his life.
The title of the biography is "To The Rescue" and it is such an appropriate title. President Monson has literally spent his life serving, brightening others days, and going to the rescue. He has such faith and such courage. He has learned to really listen to the promptings of the spirit and to act immediately. He doesn't just ask us to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D & C 81:6), he does this every day. He notices people. His talks focus on real experiences of real people. He reaches out to people. This past conference, in the priesthood session, he gave a talk entitled "See Others as they May Become". He looks at people and sees them as they might be if they lived the gospel. He is never afraid to tell people to go back to church, to repent, to go on a mission, etc. In a Time Out for Women talk given by Heidi Swinton, she tells of President Monson going into a gas station. The young man there had tattoos and piercings and didn't look like a missionary. But as President Monson paid for his gas, he asked the young man if he was planning to serve a mission soon. The man looked a little incredulous and said no. President Monson then encouraged the young man to go home and pray about serving a mission. Then he left. Well, the young man didn't go home and pray about serving a mission. But several months later, he was walking through the living room and glanced at the tv. He noticed that it was the man from the gas station on the tv. So he sat down and began to watch with his parents. He ended up watching the rest of conference. He felt something. ANd then he did go in his room and pray about serving a mission and he ended up going on a mission. The book is filled with countless other examples of ways that President Monson touched people's lives. He stopped to visit the sick, the elderly, the sad, the lonely. He writes letters. He stops to shake hands and to speak with others. He has the most incredible memory and despite meeting thousands or millions of people in his lifetime, he remembers many of their names and faces and the events of their meeting. He also keeps a detailed journal (I suspect that his journal helps with his memory...but I also believe that his incredible memory is a gift from God.)
I listened to his biography as I drove to/from work and I have shown up at work with tears streaming down my face on a number of occasions and needed to sit in my car for a moment to dry my tears. It's a nice way to start a day (and I'm not being sarcastic.)
I have found it comforting to listen to this as I've accepted what feels to me like such a monumental challenge to be the ward Relief Society President. First, I recognize that my responsibility is actually quite small in comparison to his or even to our Stake president or Bishop's responsibility and the duration of my call will be small as well. Somehow that is comforting to me... it makes it feel a little more manageable. Second, as I listened it occurred to me that he was prepared for this over many years. He wasn't called to be a prophet right away. He was called as a Bishop, then a mission president, then an Apostle and so on. He was taught line upon line, precept upon precept and his capacity to serve and to teach increased. I am certain that I, too, have been prepared for this through previous experiences and that as I serve my capacity will also increase as long as I put my trust in the Lord. I am certain there are plenty of people who could serve as well or better than me, but "whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies." I feel thankful for the opportunity to serve in my small way and to show the Lord and those around me that I love Him.
I find a lot of comfort (and truth) in his words from his conference talk in October 2012 entitled "Consider the Blessings". He said, "Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives." He also said in the same talk that "...the Lord's purposes are often accomplished as we pay heed to the guidance of the Spirit. I believe that the more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust to us His errands." He has shown that this is true as he is always about His Father's business, always serving and loving. Sister Swinton summarizes it this way, "What will the legacy of President Thomas S. Monson be? Observers have a tendency to set the starting point at the beginning of a man's presidency of the Church. But his legacy goes all the way back to when he began following the Spirit and heeding promptings, when he began reaching out with the power of the Spirit, one-on-one, to anyone and everyone, especially the forgotten. His legacy will be Christlike living." (page 528)
I want to be more like President Monson. I want to be more like my Savior. I'm thankful for the things I've learned from his conference talks and from his life.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Fabulous Four
Sometimes Gabby uses language that is more sophisticated than the typical four year old or just not what you would expect a four year old to say.
For instance, when something bad happens to someone (such as her friend Sofie falling down and getting hurt), she will tell them "Oh, I feel for you." She will hug them and repeat those words. "I feel for you." She will then tell me about it later and say, "I feel for her." I really am not sure where she picked this up, but I love it.
Every Sunday, all of the Primary children go to see our wonderful Bishop. They tell him what they learned in Primary, and he gives them a candy. I love this, because it helps them to form a positive relationship with him and it makes them at least a little bit accountable to pay attention in church. Last year, Gabby would always just reply,"I learned about Jesus." Good answer, because usually Jesus was part of our discussions in our Sunbeam class, but I always wanted her to say more or to be more specific. Yesterday, I happened to listen in as she talked to the Bishop. She spoke softly, so I didn't hear everything. But she told the Bishop that she cried that day. He said he was sorry. She said she cried because she was sad that Jesus died and she loves Him. I love to see her sweet testimony growing and hear the way she expresses herself.
The Bishop's wife is her Primary teacher this year. She has a thick accent. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the Bishop's house. His wife was telling me how smart Gabby is and how a couple of times Gabby has corrected her pronunciation of words. Yikes! I was embarrassed, but she said that Gabby is polite but explains the correct way to pronounce the words. She says she is very sweet but very smart.
Today she entertained my friend Brenda and I as she acted out and recited multiple nursery rhymes she has learned in preschool this year. I love listening to her and watching her talk. Not only does she have an interesting way of expressing herself, but she is so animated in her facial expressions. She can be difficult and stubborn at moments, but I love watching her explain things, tell me stories or figure things out. Four is such a fun age!
For instance, when something bad happens to someone (such as her friend Sofie falling down and getting hurt), she will tell them "Oh, I feel for you." She will hug them and repeat those words. "I feel for you." She will then tell me about it later and say, "I feel for her." I really am not sure where she picked this up, but I love it.
Every Sunday, all of the Primary children go to see our wonderful Bishop. They tell him what they learned in Primary, and he gives them a candy. I love this, because it helps them to form a positive relationship with him and it makes them at least a little bit accountable to pay attention in church. Last year, Gabby would always just reply,"I learned about Jesus." Good answer, because usually Jesus was part of our discussions in our Sunbeam class, but I always wanted her to say more or to be more specific. Yesterday, I happened to listen in as she talked to the Bishop. She spoke softly, so I didn't hear everything. But she told the Bishop that she cried that day. He said he was sorry. She said she cried because she was sad that Jesus died and she loves Him. I love to see her sweet testimony growing and hear the way she expresses herself.
The Bishop's wife is her Primary teacher this year. She has a thick accent. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the Bishop's house. His wife was telling me how smart Gabby is and how a couple of times Gabby has corrected her pronunciation of words. Yikes! I was embarrassed, but she said that Gabby is polite but explains the correct way to pronounce the words. She says she is very sweet but very smart.
Today she entertained my friend Brenda and I as she acted out and recited multiple nursery rhymes she has learned in preschool this year. I love listening to her and watching her talk. Not only does she have an interesting way of expressing herself, but she is so animated in her facial expressions. She can be difficult and stubborn at moments, but I love watching her explain things, tell me stories or figure things out. Four is such a fun age!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Counting Blessings
I feel like I have been so richly blessed over the past month or two. I have felt the Spirit as much or more than at any other time in my life. I have been blessed with extra energy and with peace of mind that comes from striving to live the gospel. I just felt the need today to record some of my blessings that are on my mind.
1) First, I am so thankful for my family. Alfredo has been so supportive of the things I am doing. He has been such a help and I am grateful for that. My girls are becoming more responsible. There are nights when I am gone and they are more on their own when it comes to homework and practicing piano and violin. And they have stepped up to the plate. They are doing their work with less support and (for the most part) less arguing than ever before. I am proud of them.
2) I am so thankful for the public library. I love to read. I love to listen to books on CD by myself and with my children. I have a fairly extensive collection of books, but I read A LOT. I could never afford to buy all of the books that I want to read or that my children want to read. So I'm thankful for the library for that. I'm thankful for their library programs which are free, educational and fun. But I'm also thankful specifically for our library system which stocks such a rich supply of LDS materials. I have just finished listening to President Monson's biography. It has inspired me and uplifted me and comforted me. I have started a blog post about that. There are talks on CD. About a year ago, I listened to a talk by Sheri Dew entitled "The Savior Heals Without A Scar" that I reflect on often. This weekend, I've been listening to a talk by Sister Wendy Nelson (Elder Nelson's wife) entitled, "What Would a Holy Woman Do?" There are so many inspiring talks, CDs, books and other materials available. I just realized this past week that they have DVD's of Time Out for Women. I also checked one of these out and today I listened to a talk by Heidi Swinton, the author of President Monson's biography. It was inspiring and touched my heart.
3) I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am so thankful for the guiding influence in my life. I have a list of people I want to visit...more people than I can possibly visit in any given day or week. So each week I've dedicated at least an hour (and most weeks more than that) to visiting. And while I have this running list, I just try to let the Spirit guide me to who I should visit that day. And at least twice now, I know that I was inspired to visit the sisters I did. I don't think I changed their lives. I didn't solve their problems. But I know that I was led by the spirit to visit them...which is changing my life. And hopefully, my visit brightened their day just a little bit and helped them to know that the Lord is aware of them and their needs, even if I'm not.
After listening to President Monson's biography, I felt very prompted earlier this week that I should begin reading through all of his talks at least since he became prophet...and perhaps since he became an apostle. I am paying attention to his words, and then I am looking up and reading each verse of scripture that he references. I'm keeping a notebook where I'm recording these scriptures topically and sometimes recording his words along with the references. I've only been doing it for a few days, but I have already been so touched by what I've read. Then today, as I mentioned, I listened to a talk by Heidi Swinton and she said that as part of her process for writing his biography, she did the exact same thing. I'm not sure why that meant so much to me, but the spirit just poured through me and testified that this prompting came from the Lord and that it would continue to be a wonderful experience. She shared what she learned from doing this and it was wonderful. I am excited to see what I will learn.
4) I am thankful that I am learning that I can do hard things...or at least things that are hard for me. I honestly hate to make phone calls. I don't mind talking on the phone that much...but I really hate making the call. I am not sure why. But I am making phone calls, and it is getting easier...and I've had a few really positive experiences because of it. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
5) I am thankful for the internet. There is good and bad available...it can be both a blessing and a hindrance. But I am thankful for the wonderful resources available at our fingertips. I have come to really love lds.org. There is so much available there. I just noticed this past week that the Worldwide Leadership Training is there as well as a 5 part series on President Monson entitled "Reach Out To Rescue". (I haven't yet read/watched either of these but I am looking forward to both.) I was searching for something last Sunday and stumbled upon Emily Freeman's website Daily Closer to Christ. I have been reading it daily and it is so inspirational. I especially love that she (and Brother Butler who is a guest blogger on her site) always include an application piece...questions on how each of us can apply what they've written about. There have been so many posts that have spoken to my heart and/or that seem to provide answers/help for problems I know others are facing.
6) I am thankful for the temple. I have had a few sacred experiences there and I'm so thankful for the peace that I feel when I go.
7) I am thankful for repentance. Today in Sunday School we talked about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel...faith, repentance, baptism by immersion and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I loved the discussion on faith and how faith is a principle of action, a placing of trust in the Lord, walking into the darkness and hoping/trusting that the Lord will be there to guide and protect. But I also really loved the discussion on repentance. That President Isaac taught our youth last Sunday that we can repent right away, as soon as we sin. That Alyson shared that a former Bishop had taught her that when we remember past sins there will always be a feeling of sadness..that feeling of sadness doesn't mean that we haven't been forgiven, but is there to remind us that we should not repeat the sin. It's a gift from our Father to help us to avoid repeating the sin. That Chuck said that repentance is a reaching. It is a change not just of behavior but a change of heart. It is a turning away from the world and toward the Lord. We talked about how important the sacrament is for us...to renew our covenants and to help cleanse ourselves again. We all fall short, we all sin, but through the Atonement and because of the love and mercy of our Father and our Savior, we can repent and be cleansed from our sins. What a great blessing this is! Wade spoke about this in his sacrament talk as well... that we all want mercy not justice...that when we take the sacrament we should listen to the words of the prayer carefully. It says "...that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments...". He then read it without the word willing and it changes the meaning significantly. I am willing to always remember Him, but I don't always remember Him. I am trying. I am striving. But I fall short and repentance and the Atonement can make up the difference.
8) I am thankful for wonderful church leaders. I appreciate a little bit more how much they do for us. I am grateful for ward and stake leaders. I am thankful for prophets and apostles. I love them and I am thankful for all they do to serve the Lord and to serve each of us. The service I give is small in comparison. When I think about all that President Monson does and is responsible for, it reminds me that I can handle my relatively small responsibilities with the Lord's help.
9) I am thankful for kind and patient family members and friends. So many people have offered kind words of love and support. So many people have offered to help. I am continually reminded of Mosiah 2:16-24. Particularly verses 23-24: "And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you: for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" I cannot possibly serve enough to repay him...as soon as I serve, I feel happier and more peace and people reach out in love and service to me... I receive so much more than I give. All I can do is give thanks and keep trying to serve to the best of my ability.
10) Most of all, I am thankful for a loving and kind and forgiving and patient Father and Elder Brother. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior.
1) First, I am so thankful for my family. Alfredo has been so supportive of the things I am doing. He has been such a help and I am grateful for that. My girls are becoming more responsible. There are nights when I am gone and they are more on their own when it comes to homework and practicing piano and violin. And they have stepped up to the plate. They are doing their work with less support and (for the most part) less arguing than ever before. I am proud of them.
2) I am so thankful for the public library. I love to read. I love to listen to books on CD by myself and with my children. I have a fairly extensive collection of books, but I read A LOT. I could never afford to buy all of the books that I want to read or that my children want to read. So I'm thankful for the library for that. I'm thankful for their library programs which are free, educational and fun. But I'm also thankful specifically for our library system which stocks such a rich supply of LDS materials. I have just finished listening to President Monson's biography. It has inspired me and uplifted me and comforted me. I have started a blog post about that. There are talks on CD. About a year ago, I listened to a talk by Sheri Dew entitled "The Savior Heals Without A Scar" that I reflect on often. This weekend, I've been listening to a talk by Sister Wendy Nelson (Elder Nelson's wife) entitled, "What Would a Holy Woman Do?" There are so many inspiring talks, CDs, books and other materials available. I just realized this past week that they have DVD's of Time Out for Women. I also checked one of these out and today I listened to a talk by Heidi Swinton, the author of President Monson's biography. It was inspiring and touched my heart.
3) I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am so thankful for the guiding influence in my life. I have a list of people I want to visit...more people than I can possibly visit in any given day or week. So each week I've dedicated at least an hour (and most weeks more than that) to visiting. And while I have this running list, I just try to let the Spirit guide me to who I should visit that day. And at least twice now, I know that I was inspired to visit the sisters I did. I don't think I changed their lives. I didn't solve their problems. But I know that I was led by the spirit to visit them...which is changing my life. And hopefully, my visit brightened their day just a little bit and helped them to know that the Lord is aware of them and their needs, even if I'm not.
After listening to President Monson's biography, I felt very prompted earlier this week that I should begin reading through all of his talks at least since he became prophet...and perhaps since he became an apostle. I am paying attention to his words, and then I am looking up and reading each verse of scripture that he references. I'm keeping a notebook where I'm recording these scriptures topically and sometimes recording his words along with the references. I've only been doing it for a few days, but I have already been so touched by what I've read. Then today, as I mentioned, I listened to a talk by Heidi Swinton and she said that as part of her process for writing his biography, she did the exact same thing. I'm not sure why that meant so much to me, but the spirit just poured through me and testified that this prompting came from the Lord and that it would continue to be a wonderful experience. She shared what she learned from doing this and it was wonderful. I am excited to see what I will learn.
4) I am thankful that I am learning that I can do hard things...or at least things that are hard for me. I honestly hate to make phone calls. I don't mind talking on the phone that much...but I really hate making the call. I am not sure why. But I am making phone calls, and it is getting easier...and I've had a few really positive experiences because of it. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13
5) I am thankful for the internet. There is good and bad available...it can be both a blessing and a hindrance. But I am thankful for the wonderful resources available at our fingertips. I have come to really love lds.org. There is so much available there. I just noticed this past week that the Worldwide Leadership Training is there as well as a 5 part series on President Monson entitled "Reach Out To Rescue". (I haven't yet read/watched either of these but I am looking forward to both.) I was searching for something last Sunday and stumbled upon Emily Freeman's website Daily Closer to Christ. I have been reading it daily and it is so inspirational. I especially love that she (and Brother Butler who is a guest blogger on her site) always include an application piece...questions on how each of us can apply what they've written about. There have been so many posts that have spoken to my heart and/or that seem to provide answers/help for problems I know others are facing.
6) I am thankful for the temple. I have had a few sacred experiences there and I'm so thankful for the peace that I feel when I go.
7) I am thankful for repentance. Today in Sunday School we talked about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel...faith, repentance, baptism by immersion and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I loved the discussion on faith and how faith is a principle of action, a placing of trust in the Lord, walking into the darkness and hoping/trusting that the Lord will be there to guide and protect. But I also really loved the discussion on repentance. That President Isaac taught our youth last Sunday that we can repent right away, as soon as we sin. That Alyson shared that a former Bishop had taught her that when we remember past sins there will always be a feeling of sadness..that feeling of sadness doesn't mean that we haven't been forgiven, but is there to remind us that we should not repeat the sin. It's a gift from our Father to help us to avoid repeating the sin. That Chuck said that repentance is a reaching. It is a change not just of behavior but a change of heart. It is a turning away from the world and toward the Lord. We talked about how important the sacrament is for us...to renew our covenants and to help cleanse ourselves again. We all fall short, we all sin, but through the Atonement and because of the love and mercy of our Father and our Savior, we can repent and be cleansed from our sins. What a great blessing this is! Wade spoke about this in his sacrament talk as well... that we all want mercy not justice...that when we take the sacrament we should listen to the words of the prayer carefully. It says "...that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments...". He then read it without the word willing and it changes the meaning significantly. I am willing to always remember Him, but I don't always remember Him. I am trying. I am striving. But I fall short and repentance and the Atonement can make up the difference.
8) I am thankful for wonderful church leaders. I appreciate a little bit more how much they do for us. I am grateful for ward and stake leaders. I am thankful for prophets and apostles. I love them and I am thankful for all they do to serve the Lord and to serve each of us. The service I give is small in comparison. When I think about all that President Monson does and is responsible for, it reminds me that I can handle my relatively small responsibilities with the Lord's help.
9) I am thankful for kind and patient family members and friends. So many people have offered kind words of love and support. So many people have offered to help. I am continually reminded of Mosiah 2:16-24. Particularly verses 23-24: "And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you: for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?" I cannot possibly serve enough to repay him...as soon as I serve, I feel happier and more peace and people reach out in love and service to me... I receive so much more than I give. All I can do is give thanks and keep trying to serve to the best of my ability.
10) Most of all, I am thankful for a loving and kind and forgiving and patient Father and Elder Brother. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Birthday
Most years we have SEP conferences on my birthday or at least my birthday week. (This year they are on Valentine's Day instead... today and tomorrow). So it was kind of nice to have my birthday land on a Saturday. I didn't have to work and was able to spend the day with my family. Alfredo took the girls and I out to breakfast. Then the girls went to their Valentine's Primary Activity. Then I did a tiny bit of housework and took a two hour nap!! That was wonderful. My sister Suzy came up and visited and we had ice cream cake. Then Suzy watched our girls for us (even having them practice violin and piano with her so I didn't have to supervise that) so Alfredo and I could go to dinner and a movie. We went to dinner at an Indian restaurant called the Spice Bistro. It was SOOO delicious. Then we saw The Hobbit. I really enjoyed it. I've read the book but only once and it has been a long time since I read it, and so I don't have strong memories of the book. So I really enjoyed the movie and felt like it was well done.
Alfredo gave me beautiful roses for my birthday. I told him not to get me anything because we are saving up for a couple of things... but he has never not bought me a gift and so I got these beautiful pink roses along with the ice cream cake.
I got so many nice birthday wishes by phone, on Facebook, and in person. It feels so wonderful to know that I have so many kind and thoughtful and caring people in my life. Aly made me three freezer meals so that I could use them on days that are particularly busy. I thought that was such a thoughtful and perfect gift. It truly was a wonderful day.
And I'm not dead yet! :) Check back in 3 years to make sure I survive that birthday, though!
Alfredo gave me beautiful roses for my birthday. I told him not to get me anything because we are saving up for a couple of things... but he has never not bought me a gift and so I got these beautiful pink roses along with the ice cream cake.
I got so many nice birthday wishes by phone, on Facebook, and in person. It feels so wonderful to know that I have so many kind and thoughtful and caring people in my life. Aly made me three freezer meals so that I could use them on days that are particularly busy. I thought that was such a thoughtful and perfect gift. It truly was a wonderful day.
And I'm not dead yet! :) Check back in 3 years to make sure I survive that birthday, though!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Opposite Day
Gabby goes to preschool at Write Start Preschool. Her teacher is the wonderful, Mrs. Barnett. I really only know Brandi from preschool...and since I've always had someone take my kids (Janene took Michelle and Ella, Aly takes Gabby), I guess I don't know her THAT well. But she has been a wonderful preschool teacher for my girls...they all love her. And we've been friends on Facebook and read each others' blogs for years now, so I feel like I know her pretty well. And I'm so thankful that she's been such a good teacher for all 3 of my kids.
Well, this past Thursday (Feb. 7) was Opposite Day since that week they were learning the letter O. They were allowed to wear their clothes backward or inside out or do anything that was opposite of what they normally do... But what Sofie and Gabby were thrilled to tell Aly and I was they could wear their underwear on their head. So Ella helped Gabby pick out some crazy clothes and put Gabby's pants on backward and her shirt inside out. She wore mismatched shoes and mismatched socks. And at our house, she wore her underwear on her head. As soon as we got in the car to go to Aly's, she decided not to wear them after all. (And since she didn't want her hair in pigtails under the underwear, when she took her underwear off, her hair was standing on end and looking much like Albert Einstein's hair. Ah well!)
Aly said that when she picked the girls up from preschool, Mrs. Barnett said, "Hello. Have a bad day." So I'm sure that it was a very fun, totally opposite day throughout preschool. So much fun!
Here are a few photos of Gabby at our house, ready for opposite day. (With the underwear still on her head).
Well, this past Thursday (Feb. 7) was Opposite Day since that week they were learning the letter O. They were allowed to wear their clothes backward or inside out or do anything that was opposite of what they normally do... But what Sofie and Gabby were thrilled to tell Aly and I was they could wear their underwear on their head. So Ella helped Gabby pick out some crazy clothes and put Gabby's pants on backward and her shirt inside out. She wore mismatched shoes and mismatched socks. And at our house, she wore her underwear on her head. As soon as we got in the car to go to Aly's, she decided not to wear them after all. (And since she didn't want her hair in pigtails under the underwear, when she took her underwear off, her hair was standing on end and looking much like Albert Einstein's hair. Ah well!)
Aly said that when she picked the girls up from preschool, Mrs. Barnett said, "Hello. Have a bad day." So I'm sure that it was a very fun, totally opposite day throughout preschool. So much fun!
Here are a few photos of Gabby at our house, ready for opposite day. (With the underwear still on her head).
Monday, February 11, 2013
Science Fair
Michelle participated in her first science fair two weeks ago. She was partners with her friend Jasmine. They completed their project over Christmas break and then Michelle assembled the board a couple of weeks ago. Their project was to test what happened when dry ice was added to different liquids: vegetable oil, milk, cold water, and hot chocolate. They recorded what happened. They thought there would be some kind of explosion (and there would be if this was done in a closed jar) but there were no explosions in their experiment. (Thank goodness! They did the experiment in my kitchen!) They found that the best reaction was in the hot chocolate...it created a lot of gas and a lot of bubbles. The milk also created a lot of bubbles (but no gas) and the water created a lot of gas. Nothing really happened when the dry ice was added to the oil. What is happening is sublimation...the dry ice is changing directly from a solid to a liquid. The warmer the liquid the faster the dry ice sublimates.
The school held a family night for us to see all of the fourth grade projects. They had to explain their project to judges, but no awards were given for the 4th grade projects...it was more a learning experience for all. They will be judged and awarded prizes in 5th and 6th grade.
Here is Michelle with her partner:
The school held a family night for us to see all of the fourth grade projects. They had to explain their project to judges, but no awards were given for the 4th grade projects...it was more a learning experience for all. They will be judged and awarded prizes in 5th and 6th grade.
Here is Michelle with her partner:
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Impending Death
On Wednesday, while picking up Gabby, my girls mentioned my birthday. One asked if I will be 40 and I said, "In three more years." Then Gabby said, "You're going to die!" We all burst out laughing and she cried (because we were laughing, not because of my impending death.) Such a funny, sweet girl! (She did mention yesterday on my actual birthday that she knew I wasn't going to die yet.)
Monday, February 4, 2013
Visiting Teaching
Visiting teaching has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe because so many people have told me that they don't feel like they are as good as visiting teaching as they should be. Maybe because I don't feel like I'm as good at visiting teaching as I should be. Maybe because now I receive the visiting teaching reports and I know who is being visited and who isn't...and I worry about those who aren't. Maybe because I have been listening to President Monson's biography To The Rescue since November (it's long and I only seem to get to listen to it in short snatches but I am learning so much from it!) and he is constantly noticing the one. He truly "lifts up the hands which hang down and strengthens the feeble knees". He is such an example. Anyway, I sent an email to a friend about visiting teaching after she was asking me some questions. This has been on my mind so much, that I decided to jot down my thoughts and share them here too.
Before I say more about visiting teaching, I had a little bit of an A-Ha! moment this evening. I realized that in the past couple of years I have been so busy and I have often allowed that busyness to prevent me from doing some of the things that I know are important. Because of that, I wasn't as close to the spirit as I could be and I felt a lot of guilt. I felt guilty that I wasn't a better visiting teacher, that I wasn't serving more, that I wasn't attending the temple as often as I should, etc. I wasn't doing bad things...but I felt guilty that I wasn't doing more of the things I should be doing. Guilt is not a positive emotion as I'm sure we all know. Here's the truly miraculous thing. I am doing better at all of those things...not perfectly, but better. I still work full time. I still have three kids and I'm not neglecting them. I am still cooking dinner and cleaning house and helping kids with piano practice and homework...but somehow, I am able to do what matters most in the same number of hours I had before. I am happier than maybe I've ever been. I still get stressed out sometimes. I still get impatient sometimes. I am still me. Imperfect, full of flaws. But making sure I do what is most important has brought me piece of mind and a happy heart and has strengthened me in ways I would never have imagined possible just a month ago. I hope it is a lesson I never forget again. If you do what is most important, then the other things will fall into place and/or you will be given strength and wisdom to decide what you can let go of and how to deal with the inevitable trials that will come. I'm sure everyone else knows this...and I think it is something I've known before and just not lived as fully as I could have this past couple of years.
Anyway, back to my rambling thoughts on visiting teaching....
I've had a few good visiting teachers, but one really stands out. She was my visiting teacher for about 4 years... from the time I first moved into my current ward until Ella was about 2. For a year, Alfredo and I only had one car and he worked most Sundays. He left at 5:30 in the morning to go to work. Michelle was a baby, and I got up at 5:30 at least 3 days a week to take Alfredo to work. THen came home, got ready and went to work myself. On Sundays, I wanted to sleep in a bit...but that meant I'd need to walk to church. This wonderful visiting teacher called me most weeks to see if I wanted a ride. She had us over for dinner. Her husband helped Alfredo give Ella a blessing before her open heart surgery. She watched Michelle when I delivered Ella (and actually helped me deliver Ella, but that is another story.) She was someone who I felt like I could call when I needed something. She came and had a sit down visit most months, but she ocassionally missed a month. But it was okay, because I knew I could ask her for help when I needed it. She still holds a special place in my heart and always will.
The purpose of visiting teaching (as I understand it) is to meet the needs of all the sisters (and their families) in the ward. These include temporal and spiritual needs. The purpose of Relief Society is threefold: 1...to increase faith and personal righteousness, 2... to strengthen families and homes... and 3... to seek out and help those in need. Visiting teaching helps the Relief Society to meet those needs.
For some, it may be the only contact they have with the church. The ideal is a monthly sit down visit with each sister, with a brief lesson or spiritual thought from the Ensign. But visiting teaching isn't meant to be rigid or to really be something you "get done". It is an assignment to minister, to care. In fact, in Relief Society training I watched online, they talk about counting the caring (not reporting visiting teaching visits). The ideal is to pray daily for each sister, to listen to the spirit and to respond when you feel a prompting. The ideal is to look for ways to serve...whether it is noticing that one of them has her hands full with little kids during sacrament meeting and helping her out, taking a meal when she is sick, watching her children when she has a doctor's appointment or needs to run errands, etc. It is all about observing and serving like Sister Burton talked about in conference. And it doesn't have to be huge things. It is about helping that sister to feel loved by you, but more importantly helping that sister to feel loved by her Savior and Father in Heaven. That sister should know that if she needs something, she can turn to you. Maybe she never will ask, but sometimes it is just knowing that there is someone you COULD ask that helps most of all. When Ella was 1 1/2 she had open heart surgery. So many people offered to help. We received meals for several days. But others also called to see if we needed them to pick anything up at the grocery store or to see if I needed a break and wanted Michelle to come to their house. I don't think I actually took any of them up on these offers (although maybe I did) but it felt so wonderful knowing that if I DID need help, there were many people who were willing to help me. There have been times since when I've felt lonely or overwhelmed that just remembering those offers of help has cheered me up because I realized when I reflect on it that many people are willing to help if they realize there is a need.
In addition, if there are more serious needs, the visiting teacher should discuss it with the Relief Society President. It is impossible for the Relief Society President or Bishop to visit every sister/family on a regular basis or to be aware of every need. So visiting teachers are there to inform the RS President of needs so that those needs can be met...
Those are the ideal. I think a lot of us fall short of the ideal, though, and then we spend a lot of time feeling guilty that we aren't better at visiting teaching (or whatever area it is we fall short at). I've decided that guilt is productive if it leads us to repent and change but otherwise it is a wasted and negative emotion that we should try to expunge. I'm certainly not good at that...I feel plenty of guilt about plenty of things. But I'm trying to let it go and do the best I can. So I've written about the ideal and I think that is what we should strive for. But I think we also need to give ourselves a little room to do the best we can when life is not ideal. Things come up. We get sick, we get depressed, we get busy. So if a month comes that you don't get to have the sit down visit with a lesson, then call your sisters on the phone to say hi or send them a message via Facebook or email. Talk to them and see what they would most like... do they want a monthly visit or would they prefer some other type of contact. I do think we can try to pray for them daily or nearly daily...that's not difficult to do. And I think when we do that, the spirit will help us find other ways to serve. I also check Facebook to see if they've posted anything. Sometimes that gives me ideas of what is going well for them or when they might need help. If a month is super busy, sometimes I do just drop off a little treat and visit with them at the door for a few minutes... I think that is okay as long as you shoot for the ideal but allow yourself some flexibility when life happens.
There are some great videos online at www.lds.org that teach more about visiting teaching and inspire me to want to be a better visiting teacher (as well as a better RS President).
Click here to watch them.
Click on the tab that says visiting teaching and there are 5 short videos.
Two quotes that I want to share that go along with this:
In Relief Society auxiliary training last February, Sister Bradshaw (part of the former General Relief Society presidency) said, “We have been invited by the Savior to participate in His work and that is a privilege.”
Pres. Kimball said, “There are many sisters who are living in rags--spiritual rags. They are entitled to gorgeous robes, spiritual robes…. It is your privilege to go into homes and exchange robes for rags… You are going to save souls.”
Before I say more about visiting teaching, I had a little bit of an A-Ha! moment this evening. I realized that in the past couple of years I have been so busy and I have often allowed that busyness to prevent me from doing some of the things that I know are important. Because of that, I wasn't as close to the spirit as I could be and I felt a lot of guilt. I felt guilty that I wasn't a better visiting teacher, that I wasn't serving more, that I wasn't attending the temple as often as I should, etc. I wasn't doing bad things...but I felt guilty that I wasn't doing more of the things I should be doing. Guilt is not a positive emotion as I'm sure we all know. Here's the truly miraculous thing. I am doing better at all of those things...not perfectly, but better. I still work full time. I still have three kids and I'm not neglecting them. I am still cooking dinner and cleaning house and helping kids with piano practice and homework...but somehow, I am able to do what matters most in the same number of hours I had before. I am happier than maybe I've ever been. I still get stressed out sometimes. I still get impatient sometimes. I am still me. Imperfect, full of flaws. But making sure I do what is most important has brought me piece of mind and a happy heart and has strengthened me in ways I would never have imagined possible just a month ago. I hope it is a lesson I never forget again. If you do what is most important, then the other things will fall into place and/or you will be given strength and wisdom to decide what you can let go of and how to deal with the inevitable trials that will come. I'm sure everyone else knows this...and I think it is something I've known before and just not lived as fully as I could have this past couple of years.
Anyway, back to my rambling thoughts on visiting teaching....
I've had a few good visiting teachers, but one really stands out. She was my visiting teacher for about 4 years... from the time I first moved into my current ward until Ella was about 2. For a year, Alfredo and I only had one car and he worked most Sundays. He left at 5:30 in the morning to go to work. Michelle was a baby, and I got up at 5:30 at least 3 days a week to take Alfredo to work. THen came home, got ready and went to work myself. On Sundays, I wanted to sleep in a bit...but that meant I'd need to walk to church. This wonderful visiting teacher called me most weeks to see if I wanted a ride. She had us over for dinner. Her husband helped Alfredo give Ella a blessing before her open heart surgery. She watched Michelle when I delivered Ella (and actually helped me deliver Ella, but that is another story.) She was someone who I felt like I could call when I needed something. She came and had a sit down visit most months, but she ocassionally missed a month. But it was okay, because I knew I could ask her for help when I needed it. She still holds a special place in my heart and always will.
The purpose of visiting teaching (as I understand it) is to meet the needs of all the sisters (and their families) in the ward. These include temporal and spiritual needs. The purpose of Relief Society is threefold: 1...to increase faith and personal righteousness, 2... to strengthen families and homes... and 3... to seek out and help those in need. Visiting teaching helps the Relief Society to meet those needs.
For some, it may be the only contact they have with the church. The ideal is a monthly sit down visit with each sister, with a brief lesson or spiritual thought from the Ensign. But visiting teaching isn't meant to be rigid or to really be something you "get done". It is an assignment to minister, to care. In fact, in Relief Society training I watched online, they talk about counting the caring (not reporting visiting teaching visits). The ideal is to pray daily for each sister, to listen to the spirit and to respond when you feel a prompting. The ideal is to look for ways to serve...whether it is noticing that one of them has her hands full with little kids during sacrament meeting and helping her out, taking a meal when she is sick, watching her children when she has a doctor's appointment or needs to run errands, etc. It is all about observing and serving like Sister Burton talked about in conference. And it doesn't have to be huge things. It is about helping that sister to feel loved by you, but more importantly helping that sister to feel loved by her Savior and Father in Heaven. That sister should know that if she needs something, she can turn to you. Maybe she never will ask, but sometimes it is just knowing that there is someone you COULD ask that helps most of all. When Ella was 1 1/2 she had open heart surgery. So many people offered to help. We received meals for several days. But others also called to see if we needed them to pick anything up at the grocery store or to see if I needed a break and wanted Michelle to come to their house. I don't think I actually took any of them up on these offers (although maybe I did) but it felt so wonderful knowing that if I DID need help, there were many people who were willing to help me. There have been times since when I've felt lonely or overwhelmed that just remembering those offers of help has cheered me up because I realized when I reflect on it that many people are willing to help if they realize there is a need.
In addition, if there are more serious needs, the visiting teacher should discuss it with the Relief Society President. It is impossible for the Relief Society President or Bishop to visit every sister/family on a regular basis or to be aware of every need. So visiting teachers are there to inform the RS President of needs so that those needs can be met...
Those are the ideal. I think a lot of us fall short of the ideal, though, and then we spend a lot of time feeling guilty that we aren't better at visiting teaching (or whatever area it is we fall short at). I've decided that guilt is productive if it leads us to repent and change but otherwise it is a wasted and negative emotion that we should try to expunge. I'm certainly not good at that...I feel plenty of guilt about plenty of things. But I'm trying to let it go and do the best I can. So I've written about the ideal and I think that is what we should strive for. But I think we also need to give ourselves a little room to do the best we can when life is not ideal. Things come up. We get sick, we get depressed, we get busy. So if a month comes that you don't get to have the sit down visit with a lesson, then call your sisters on the phone to say hi or send them a message via Facebook or email. Talk to them and see what they would most like... do they want a monthly visit or would they prefer some other type of contact. I do think we can try to pray for them daily or nearly daily...that's not difficult to do. And I think when we do that, the spirit will help us find other ways to serve. I also check Facebook to see if they've posted anything. Sometimes that gives me ideas of what is going well for them or when they might need help. If a month is super busy, sometimes I do just drop off a little treat and visit with them at the door for a few minutes... I think that is okay as long as you shoot for the ideal but allow yourself some flexibility when life happens.
There are some great videos online at www.lds.org that teach more about visiting teaching and inspire me to want to be a better visiting teacher (as well as a better RS President).
Click here to watch them.
Click on the tab that says visiting teaching and there are 5 short videos.
Two quotes that I want to share that go along with this:
In Relief Society auxiliary training last February, Sister Bradshaw (part of the former General Relief Society presidency) said, “We have been invited by the Savior to participate in His work and that is a privilege.”
Pres. Kimball said, “There are many sisters who are living in rags--spiritual rags. They are entitled to gorgeous robes, spiritual robes…. It is your privilege to go into homes and exchange robes for rags… You are going to save souls.”
Saturday, February 2, 2013
MLK Art Project
I really admire and respect Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of the things I love about my job is that I feel like each day, I get to see and be apart of his dream coming true. My classroom is very multicultural. In my 15 years as a teacher, I have taught students from nearly every continent (no one from Australia...or Antarctica) and from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, languages, races, religions and cultures. And for the most part, these children do judge each other based on the content of their characters and not on the color of their skin. (Not that this never happens, it does.) We have come a long way in the past 50 years. There is still room to improve, but I am grateful for the progress that has been made. I love teaching about MLK to my class each year. I love reading "Martin's Big Words" by Doreen Rappaport. I love singing "Freedom Three" and "Once There Was a Man Named King". I get choked up year after year when I listen to an excerpt from his "I Have a Dream" speech.
This year, I promised my girls we would make an art project on Martin Luther King Day. So I googled MLK art projects and found simple peace sign and dove projects on paper plates. Gabby, esp., loves to paint. So we listened to most of the "I Have a Dream" speech while my girls painted.
This year, I promised my girls we would make an art project on Martin Luther King Day. So I googled MLK art projects and found simple peace sign and dove projects on paper plates. Gabby, esp., loves to paint. So we listened to most of the "I Have a Dream" speech while my girls painted.
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