Piano Recital

Yesterday was a piano recital for my girls.  They worked hard and did a nice job.

Gabby played "Beauty and the Beast" and "Rondo."

Ella played "Heart and Soul" and "Lullaby."

Michelle played Argentina Tango as a duet with Peyton and she played Lacotta in G Minor.

Without planning it, Michelle and Peyton showed up with nearly matching dresses which was kind of fun.  All of the kids did a nice job.

Friends

Today I have been thinking a lot about friends. I have so many people that I count as friends and each has improved my life and helped me become a better person. Certainly many of them are not featured in these photos. I don't always think to take photos of everyday moments. Here are just a few of the ways that my friends help me become better. 1. One friend gets up at the crack of dawn to walk with me a couple of times each week. I am not the best at fitting exercise into my schedule but I look forward to these walks and our talks. 2. So many friends help me reach my goals...by attending the temple with me, studying and discussing the scriptures with me, gathering with me and my family to study Come Follow Me and cheering me on (and cheering me up) when the clouds overhead seem to darken or I begin to doubt myself or my abilities. 3. So many dear friends have taught with me, helped me refine my teaching, and been so much more than just "colleagues". 4. I have served alongside so many dear friends who have shown by example how to serve with all their heart, might, mind and soul. They have taught me and ministered to me, often without realizing they were doing so. 5. Friends help me to expand my horizons...by sharing their differing beliefs respectfully and listening to mine, by traveling with me to new places, by encouraging me to try new things, by getting me to read books I wouldn't have picked on my own. 6. So many of my friends have just as profound an influence on my children as they have on me! I'm especially grateful for their role in helping me to raise my children.  7.  I am grateful for friends who have a listening ear, who see the best in me even when it's hard for me to see it in myself, who assume the best of me, and who are loyal and kind.
There are so many other ways my friends bless my life...and I definitely need photos of a lot more people...but I am forever grateful for the privilege of being surrounded by the world's BEST neighbors, ward and stake members, colleagues, book club pals...thank you FRIENDS!

Paint Night

On Tuesday, the Relief Society and young women combined to have a paint night (planned and organized by the Relief Society).  We painted a sunset scene with palm trees.  It really was a lot of fun and was well attended.  And it wasn't too hard to do.  I think everyone had a good time.

My painting

Michelle and Ella with their finished paintings

Learning from General Conference

When I saw that they added a new lesson/outline to Come Follow Me for Young Women that was entitled "learning from General Conference" I was so excited!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE General Conference.  But the outline doesn't give a lot of guidance so while I was so excited that I got to teach this lesson, I had to really rely on the spirit to guide me in how to approach the lesson.  I think it went well:

First, I shared 3 stories of how conference has blessed me:

Sister Oscarson's .Young Women in the Work has shaped how I try to lead the YW.  It has been a talk that I have read and reread.  Last Friday (the day before conference) I went to the Salt Lake Temple.  Sister Oscarson was one of the temple workers and I got to meet her and briefly tell her that her talk has made such a difference for me.  

6 months ago, President Nelson challenged us to spend more time in the temple, to make an appointment with the Lord and keep it.  I explained that I wanted to follow this counsel but wasn't sure how to make it work in my schedule.  But I determined I would try...and I found that if I go to the Salt Lake Temple right after work, I can fit it into my schedule nearly every week. The Lord blessed me to be able to figure out a way to follow this counsel...and by following the counsel, I have had so much more peace and joy and direction in my life.

Elder Holland:  There is a bit more to this story but there was a point when it was really hard to go to church.  Alfredo wasn't very active and it was hard to go by myself with 3 kids.  And I was tired and overwhelmed with working and having a family and I began to wonder if maybe things would be easier if I stopped going.  One day Bishop Delamare shared a video of Elder Holland given at some kind of meeting...not conference... and it changed me.  Then a few months later, Elder Holland gave almost that same talk in conference and it is my most favorite conference talk ever.  It helped me know that I definitely needed to keep going to church...helped me to determine that I wanted to be a disciple forever and has guided how I've tried to live my life since then.  I don't know what would have happened if I'd stopped going...hopefully someone would have reached out to rescue me...but maybe not.  What would my life be like and my children's lives be like if it weren't for that talk?  I shudder to think.The First Great Commandment I actually shared from 10:50-15:45 of his talk with the young women. 

The First Great Commandment There is almost no group in history for whom I have more sympathy than I have for the eleven remaining Apostles immediately following the death of the Savior of the world. I think we sometimes forget just how inexperienced they still were and how totally dependent upon Jesus they had of necessity been. To them He had said,“Have I been so long ... www.lds.org

We read two verses of scripture about why General Conference is so great/that the speakers are speaking what the Savior would say to us if He were here:

D&C 68:3=4

D&C 1:37-38

I let them share some of their favorite parts of conference.

We talked about the importance of rewatching and studying the words of general conference over the next 6 months.  I shared a few ideas and let them share ideas of how to learn from gen conference:

*write notes in a journal and reread them regularly

*look for repeated words/phrases

*explanation of scriptures...Notice when they explain what passages of scripture mean.

*read and reread...try to read or listen to a talk daily or at least weekly

*study multiple talks on same topic

*godhead:  One thing I have done for 3 or 4 years now is after each conference I take notes on EVERY thing they said about each member of the Godhead.  It's blessed my life immensely.  My testimony has grown, my knowledge and understanding of their character, and my relationship with them has grown.

*look for warnings, commandments, counsel.  Pres Nelson often says " I plead with you"  In April conference he said, "Now, as President of His Church, I plead with you who have distanced yourselves from the Church and with you who have not yet really sought to know that the Savior’s Church has been restored. Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now. Time is running out."

*look for promised blessings/apostolic blessings:

For example, Elder Cook gave this blessing in April Conference: "I promise that as we focus on our love for the Savior and His Atonement, make Him the centerpiece of our efforts to gather Israel on both sides of the veil, minister to others, and individually prepare to meet God, the influence of the adversary will be diminished and the joy, delight, and peace of the gospel will magnify our homes with Christlike love.³² I testify of these doctrinal promises and bear a sure witness of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice in our behalf, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I noticed several themes in conference...making our homes a sanctuary, sharing the gospel and gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, repentance...

As a teenager, I saw repentance as a bad thing...it made me feel guilty and ashamed.  Now I realize repentance isn't something created in case we mess up but an essential part of the plan because WE WILL.  I'm so grateful for it.  It's a blessing to be cleansed from sin!!  Now it's a doctrine and principle that I deeply LOVE.

I've noticed in the scriptures as I've been studying lately how often it says his "His hand is stretched out still"...that it will talk about the wickedness and sins and errors of people but over and over it assures us that His hand is stretched out still.  Our Savior and Redeemer is so merciful and will cleanse and heal us.

I brought excerpts from 3 talks that speak about repentance and broke the girls into 3 groups.  They read the talks and then created posters about what they learned to share with the other groups:

The talks we used were 

President Nelson's talk:  We Can Do Better and Be Better

Sharon Eubank:  Christ: The Light that Shines in Darkness

Tad R. Callister:  The Atonement of Jesus Christ

 I picked these because I thought they could relate to the images of the temple being unlit, the wool dyed red becoming white, and the parachute...and to the phrase "we can do better and be better."  They did such a great job of creating posters and then sharing with each other what they learned.

We didn't use Elder Oaks' talk Cleansed by Repentance but we could have.  It's another great talk on repentance.

Oh how I love conference!!!

Debate

Michelle decided to join the Debate team in January.  She'd never been on debate before and so she quickly got thrown in to public forum.  She debated in two regular tournaments, one of which I went to see.  Then she debated in the Regional debate tournament.  In the Regional debate tournament, Michelle and her partner tied with 3 other teams for 2nd place.  (Officially, she received a 3rd place ribbon because the leaders of the debate tournament asked their teacher what to do since 4 teams from Hunter tied for 2nd place and she said to just randomly select who to place as 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th and she'd do another debate in class.  But regardless...we were all pretty pleased that Michelle was able to do so well after only a couple of debate tournaments.)

Hunter High received first place at the Regional Debate Tournament.

Michelle right after her first round at Juan Diego High

About to debate at Juan Diego High School.

The Hunter High debate team after Regionals

Michelle and the debate teacher, Ms. Liddell, after their win at the Regional Tournament

Michelle and her partner also competed at State.  They didn't do as well as Michelle would have liked at State.  Michelle said that she tried her hardest, though, and was pleased with what she had accomplished.  And Hunter High took second in the state debate tournament!   Michelle is really excited for next year.  Next year she will be debate partners with a really good friend and she will have more experience, so she expects next year to be a really good year.  I am so excited that she is trying new things and having new experiences! 

Come to the Table and some other thoughts

I'm doing another study with Jackie and Sara and this time I invited Aly to participate as well through Multiply Goodness.  My friend/former coworker Carolyn is also participating. It's an Easter study, seeing Easter through the eyes of all who were there or participated in some way.  As we read about the Last Supper, Multiply Goodness has daily devotionals.  And the girl that did the devotional that day shared the lyrics to a Christian song called Come to the Table.  I really loved what she shared...that we are all invited to partake...that Christ welcomes us all. Sometimes we choose not to participate or we feel we are unworthy to be at the table, but Christ is always there stretching out His arms, asking us to come.  Here are some of the lyrics to the song:

"Just come to the table

Come join the sinners, you have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior now
Sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Just come to the table

To the thief, to the doubter
To the hero and the coward
To the prisoner and the soldier
To the young, to the older
All who hunger, all who thirst
All the last, all the first
All the paupers and the princes
All who fail you've been forgiven
All who dream, all who suffer
All who loved and lost another
All the chained, all the free
All who follow, all who lead
Anyone who's been let down
All the lost you have been found
All who've been labeled right or wrong
Everyone who hears this song

Just
Come, come to the table"

That night I was reading in 2 Nephi and was so touched by 2 Nephi chapter 26 and how it again reiterates that all are welcome, all are invited.  Here's just a snippet of what it says, ""Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden. ...he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." (2 Nephi 26: 28, 33)

It's His greatest desire for all of us to participate.  For all of us to come unto Him, come follow Him, yoke ourselves with Him, receive temple ordinances, etc.

A few weeks ago, Annette and I went to the temple really early in the morning.  We did initiatories and then an endowment session. It was a beautiful morning, and I really do notice that my life is better when I make an effort to be in the temple regularly.

Sara, Jackie and I were talking a week ago about how people view God.  Some people see God as this angry, vengeful deity and Christ intercedes in our behalf to protect us from His wrath.  I have spent a lot of time studying the Godhead over the past 3 or 4 years and I am so grateful because I have come to know my Father so much better through that process.  Everything that Christ is, God is as well.  God loves us so very much.  He is good and kind and merciful and loving and charitable and just and wise and every other good thing.  I was touched to reread these words from Elder Holland:  

"My brothers and sisters, the first great commandment of all eternity is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—that’s the first great commandment. But the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life. Indeed it is only with that reassurance burning in our soul that we can have the confidence to keep trying to improve, keep seeking forgiveness for our sins, and keep extending that grace to our neighbor."

"...If we give our heart to God, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow—and every other day—is ultimately going to be magnificent, even if we don’t always recognize it as such. Why? Because our Heavenly Father wants it to be! He wants to bless us. A rewarding, abundant, and eternal life is the very object of His merciful plan for His children! It is a plan predicated on the truth “that all things work together for good to them that love God.”10 So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever."

God loves us...you and me...with all of His heart, might, mind and strength! I know this is true!

New Beginnings

We had New Beginnings on February 5.  It was a wonderful evening.  Each YW took part in some way...whether it was playing the piano or leading the music or sharing the class mottos or introducing the new Beehives and the new members of our YW presidency to leading us in the theme.  Michelle played "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" on the violin.  We watched the theme video produced by the Church.  This year's theme is "If ye love me, keep my commandments."  And my counselors and I each spoke as did Brother King from our Bishopric.  My counselors each spoke about ways they have been blessed by keeping the commandments.  I spoke about the "If ye love me" part of John 14:15.   Here's what I said:

As you know the theme for this year is from John Chapter 14 verse 15 which says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." 

I want to talk about primarily the first half of this verse..."if ye love me."  In 1st John chapter 4 verse 9 and 10 it says "In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins."  

Our Heavenly Father and our Savior love us so very much. So very much! They sent us here to be tested, to gain a body, and to find  joy. I asked you young women and your parents to share with me what makes you happy... what brings you joy and up here I have recorded some of the things you said such as the scriptures, going to the temple, your family, the beach, travel, reading,camping, ice cream and a multitude of other things. A few for me include books, waterfalls, sunsets, and the temple and my family.  Each of these things was created for us because our Heavenly Father and our Savior love us. These are just a few of the evidences we have that they love us. And as we come to feel their love and their concern for us hopefully that causes our love for them to deepen and to grow. When I look over this list or I contemplate the blessings I receive, my heart is filled with love for my Savior and my Heavenly Father. '

So how do we show love for them? The answer is simple and it's found in this verse...we keep their commandments. And the two greatest commandments according to the Savior are to love God with all our heart, might, mind and strength and to love our fellowman. 

I have been studying the book of Philippians in depth with a couple of friends and with an Interfaith group on Instagram. Each day we've read just a few verses and pondered them and written about them and the Interfaith group has posted little devotionals. In one of these devotionals we read Philippians chapter 2 verse 2 which says, "fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one Accord, of one mind." We are to show the same love to others that Jesus Christ shows to us. In one of the devotionals a woman who I admire named Emily Freeman told of an experience that she had several years ago.  Her husband called her one day and said that a young man that they had tutored was standing on a street corner with all his belongings...he had no place to go. He made some poor choices and had been in jail and had nowhere to go and her husband asked what should we do. She immediately knelt down and prayed and the prompting came that they should bring him home. So they brought him into their home, set down rules and and helped him to get back up on his feet and to begin making better choices. At one point she was very concerned about him and wondering what they should help him do next. She was praying and praying... should they encourage him to go to college or help him join the Army... what should they do about Garrett? And the prompting came just love him. And she said but we do we love him but what are we going to do about him? Again the prompting came to just love him. And so that's what they did and over the next couple of years she said they were able to watch what God was able to do in his life. He went to college, he's married, he has two children and miracles have occurred.  Sometimes she said we are the means of loving someone as the Lord would so that He can do His work in their life so He  can work in us and through us.

It's not always easy to love others. In fact Sister Neill Marriott said that sometimes it is soul stretching to do so.  Sometimes when it's hard for me to love someone...I like to imagine my soul actually stretching and growing. But even though it's hard, as disciples of Christ that is what we are called to do. A young man while in college was preparing to take a test and he looked down at the bracelet he was wearing that said wwjd standing for what would Jesus do and he began to think what would Jesus do? After pondering he decided that what Jesus would do is love first. So he created a new bracelet that says HWLF...He would love first. As a reminder that that is what each of us should do. When we're in a situation with someone who is difficult or unkind or we see someone who is lonely or we see someone who is different from us what should we do? We should love first. When the Savior came to the woman at the well,a Samaritan, an enemy to the Jews and a sinner... she was living with a man who was not her husband, what did Jesus do? He taught her, he talked with her and he demonstrated love for her. When the blind or the deaf or the lame came to him what did Jesus do? He loved them first and he healed them. When Peter denied him three times, when people mocked him and spit upon him and even crucified Him, what did he do? He forgave them because He loved them first. 

And that is our responsibility as members of the church as well...that is how we show love to our Heavenly Father and to our Savior. We show it by loving our brothers and sisters it's not always easy but They will help us. When Jackie (a wonderful woman from our ward) heard the story of these bracelets she immediately texted me and asked me how many young women there were. I wasn't sure why she was asking but she told me later that she had ordered bracelets for each of the YW and hoped that I would share the story with you and then give you each the bracelet so when you leave tonight I have a bracelet for each of you from Sister Simper that says HWLF.  So that's my challenge to each of us this week, this month and this year.  Show love to your friends.  Love your family.  Show love to those kids at school who are annoying, to those who seem to have it all together and are practically perfect, and to those who seem really weird.  Show love to the lonely kids, the popular kids, the nerds, the jocks and the band geeks.  Show love to them because beyond those labels we sometimes assign people, they are children of God, our brothers and sisters with unique talents, characteristics and gifts.  And because that is what Jesus would do.

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Yesterday in YW, two different YW talked about how wearing the bracelet HWLF has helped them try a little harder to be kind and loving and also how it's given them opportunities to tell others a little about the church when people have asked about the bracelet!  I am so thankful that Jackie was prompted to buy those bracelets and acted on that prompting!  I love mine!!