On Friday, Alfredo, Michelle, Ella and I went to the Pioneer Day concert at the conference center. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square performed. Nathan Pacheco sang. Lindsey Stirling played violin and danced. It was wonderful. They sang a number of songs including Come, Come Ye Saints, They the Builders of the Nation, Scotland the Brave (which Michelle is learning on the violin right now, so very cool!), and Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Both Lindsey Stirling and Nathan Pacheco talked about what an honor it was to perform in that setting. I had read about the concert on lds.org and got tickets right after the tickets were available. So we were off to the left side, but we were only about 6 rows from the front. There was a small screen right in front of us and a huge screen off to the side. Michelle, in particular, loved watching Lindsey Stirling. We really like and admire her. I love, love, love the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" which was the final song. I had tears streaming down my face. I truly want my Father to take my heart and seal it, seal it to the God I love.
After the concert, we all rose as President Monson was leaving. We were just a few rows from the bottom, so we could see him well as he walked toward the exit. And then he stopped to shake hands with someone and took a few more steps and shook hands with a little boy. Michelle hurried over there, just maybe 10 feet from where we were standing. Ella went too, but she was a little more shy and nervous. And President Monson shook hands with Michelle. Ella didn't get to shake his hand...he only shook about 5-10 people's hands before he waved, turned and was escorted out. But she stood right next to him, and Michelle was able to shake his hand. I had tears streaming down my face (again...seems to happen to me a lot lately!). That was such a special experience, to watch my daughter shake hands with the prophet of God. How I love and admire President Monson!! His spirit just radiates goodness and love. It was truly a night to remember!!!
After the concert, we went to City Creek and had yummy treats at Kneaders and discussed the concert and how special it is to shake hands with a prophet. Alfredo was able to shake hands with President Hinckley once. I've shaken hands with a couple of the apostles, but I've never shaken hands with the prophet.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Mad Zombie Girl
On Wednesday, Gabby went to play at her friend Gracie's house. She played for a couple of hours (while I went shopping for food for our Visiting Teaching Seminar), and then I went to pick her up. She wanted to stay longer, and my friend Sara said she could.
When she came home, she was covered in chalk. I mean she looked like a zombie. Or she'd gone prematurely gray.
Jenny! I am so sorry about the girls today. I kept checking on them, and every time I did, they were so contently playing with the chalk on the driveway. What I wasn't seeing though, was the part where they were grinding it up and then mixing it with water to make a paste for painting their faces It's no wonder that it entertained them for so long. I'm sure you were as shocked as I was when you saw them. They scared me half to death. And they were so very proud. So sorry. I will pay more attention next time. (I wish I would've taken a picture).
I did take pictures. Which made Gabby pretty mad. She didn't want to come home. She also didn't want her picture taken.
The rest of the Facebook conversation between Sara and I.
Me:Ah, Sara, I am (mostly) a don't sweat the small stuff kind of mom. I laughed...and I did take several pictures of Gabby...and then asked her how you reacted. She said, I don't think she was upset or mad. She just said she was disappointed. So I asked her if she knew what that meant. She said no and I explained and she said, oh, I guess we shouldn't have, then. Now she is sound asleep. I am not worried about it. It will wash off/out. So it is totally okay. She had a great time and wants to play with Gracie again soon. So don't worry. It's fine. Think of it as an exercise in creativity and a science experiment.
Sara: Ha ha. I never even talked to them. I was running late (sorry about that, by the way) and on my way out the door, so I just told Liv and Tia to walk her home. The truth is...at first, they scared me to death, then I laughed hysterically. So, please tell her I was not disappointed at all. I was only feeling bad because I knew you guys were going somewhere, and you had to take her looking like....well, I'm not even sure how to describe them. I'm SO glad you got pictures.
Me: No problem. I was just taking the older two to Jami's for piano and then dropping off food to people to cook for tomorrow. She fell right asleep in the car, so no one even saw her. So no worries whatsoever.
Sara said they had quite the process going on... grinding the chalk, adding just a tiny bit of water to make a paste, then using it to paint their faces, hair and bodies. See, that's some good scientific learning happening right there! :)
And on a completely unrelated note, my friend Sara seems to be under the faulty misconception that my house is always clean. How I wish that were true! I do try pretty hard to keep it clean, especially the living room and kitchen. But it isn't always. I told her that some time she should come and see my office downstairs and it would make her feel better. (Come on over, Sara. It's getting pretty bad again. Or really it's getting back to its normal state.) I'm not sure why she worries so much about what I think...for heavens sake, she has 8 kids. And her house is often very clean...and sometimes not. But she has 8 kids! So anyway, one day last week, my house was pretty messy and I took some photos just for Sara's benefit...and also, because I don't want to portray only the made up me like President Kimball spoke about. See my post about journaling here. This is real life...and sometimes it's pretty and sometimes it's just plain messy.
So here is my living room when it's been lived in and my kitchen when it isn't clean. And really, I'm not sure if these photos really show how many dirty dishes were in the sink or how filthy the floor was. But it's okay. It got clean. And I had been to violin lessons with Michelle that day, taken my kids to the downtown city library, and spent time reading with them and practicing piano and then we tackled cleaning up.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Visiting Teaching Seminar
I am feeling so thankful this week. I have had the opportunity to serve a couple of people, and I've had so many people serve me and help me. I've been humbled a lott. I've felt the spirit a lot. And I've really been reflecting on how blessed I am to have so many wonderful people in my life. The Lord has placed so many wonderful men and women in my life and each has touched my life in unique and important ways.
We had our visiting teaching seminar last night. We began planning in April (originally we were going to hold it in June, but had to reschedule). I found an idea to compare visiting teaching to a meal at Of Worth. I thought that was a great idea, and so we met and began to plan. My presidency and visiting teaching coordinator and supervisors were a huge help. The evening went like this:
We had an opening song (Lord, I Would Follow Thee, Hymn 220) and an opening prayer/blessing on the food. Then Julie compared how we must decorate and prepare for a meal. We don't use plastic forks for a 5 course meal, nor do we use our best china for a barbecue. We prepare for the meal. So, too, we should prepare for visiting teaching. We should be praying for those we visit teach and we should be listening to the spirit to know what they need.
Then Jami talked about how we can bless our sisters' lives through prayer, just as we bless the food. We can pray as companions before we go on a visit. We can pray with the sister as we end the visit. We can also remember them in our daily prayers so that we know what their needs are and so that the Lord will bless them. Jami shared a story from Daughters in my Kingdom about a sister in Brazil. She couldn't call the sisters she visit taught...they didn't have phones. But one sister was about to have a baby and didn't have any clothes for the baby. She gathered a few sisters and they sewed a layette. Then the sister prayed to know when to take the clothes. She had a feeling and knew when it was time to go to the hospital. The woman had just had her baby and now had clothes for her baby and wouldn't have to take the baby home wrapped in newspapers.
Then Teresa compared visiting teaching to appetizers. Appetizers are fun...like hor'd ouvres served on a tray at a party. So, too, visiting teaching can at times be casual and fun. Especially as you are first getting to know someone. It is saying hi to them at church, sending a message on Facebook or sending a text. It's the way you begin to build a relationship. Teresa shared how comforting it is to know that there is someone you can talk to and that people care about you.
Then everyone ate their appetizers...chips and salsa...and visited for a bit. I encouraged them to share any positive experiences they've had with visiting teaching.
Then Heidi compared visiting teaching to the meal... it's the heart of visiting teaching...the face to face visit usually with a lesson. She shared this quote by Sister Mary Ellen Smoot that I love: "My desire is to plead with our sisters to stop worrying about a phone call or a quarterly or monthly visit, and whether that will do, and concentrate instead on nurturing tender souls. Our responsibility is to see that the gospel flame continues to burn brightly. Our charge is to find the lost sheep and help them feel our Savior's love." She shared a story from Daughters in my Kingdom about a woman who would go visit one of her sisters. The woman would open the door but not the screen door and stand there. The visiting teacher asked how she was and then quickly gave a summary of the lesson and left, month after month. One day the visiting teacher got a call from the Bishop. That sister had delivered a baby that had died. They were having a graveside service and the woman asked if her visiting teacher could come, because she was her only friend. She also shared this quote from President Kimball, "You are going to save souls, and who can tell but that many of the fine active people in the Church today are active because you gave them a new outlook, a new vision. You pulled back the curtain. You extended their horizons... You see, you are not only saving these sisters, but perhaps also their husbands and their homes."
Then we ate. We had mock Cafe Rio food, and it was great. We got the recipes from Favorite Family Recipes. Yum!
I passed out popsicles for dessert while people ate and visited. Then Laurel compared visiting teaching to dessert. The sweetest part of visiting teaching is that we make friendships that last a life time. She shared that her mom was a visiting teacher to a woman across the street from her. It's been about 30 years since they met, and they don't live in the same neighborhood now, but they are still dear friends. This woman has been at all of their temple sealings and many of their baby blessings. Laurel's mom has helped her in countless ways, and vice versa. Laurel said that she has often felt like she didn't need visiting teachers. She is active. Her life is good. But Sara is her visiting teacher and on Sunday asked if she could come visit on Tuesday. Laurel said that she needed that visit so much, and that she counts Sara as one of her dearest friends.
Then I spoke. Here's my actual talk (or very close...I added a couple of things as I spoke and cut a few things out):
Visiting Teaching has been on my mind for months now. I could probably talk for 30 minutes or more about visiting teaching, but I will try to keep my comments brief. We have been richly fed tonight…both physically and spiritually. My visiting teaching supervisor, coordinators and presidency have compared visiting teaching to eating. I’m going to take this a few steps further.
I want to start with a quote that has nothing to do with food, but that I absolutely love. President Kimball taught: “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, and who can tell but that many of the fine active people in the Church today are active because you were in their homes and gave them a new outlook, a new vision. …You see, you are not only saving these sisters, but perhaps also their husbands and their homes.”
To me, that sums up pretty completely what visiting teaching is all about. It is a call to minister, to redeem souls, to be a part of the Savior’s work. In relating that quote to the theme for the night, let’s reframe that quote and say that you are going into homes to feed His sheep. You are going to exchange a diet of junk food for food with sustenance, for living bread and living water. We have all heard that the Lord is hastening the work, and that we have a responsibility to share the gospel. I truly believe that one of the greatest ways we can do that is by visiting teaching.
Many of you know that my family was here visiting from AZ and Canada a couple of weeks ago. We ended up talking a lot about visiting teaching and home teaching. My brother in law said that in their stake, they are asked to do as much for those they visit/home teach as the teachee will allow them. So, perhaps some people on your list would like to be invited to the whole feast. You can pray for and with them. You can have friendly interactions in and out of church (the appetizer). You can have a sit down visit with a lesson (the meal). You may become dear lifelong friends (the dessert). Others on your list may not feel ready for the full feast yet. Perhaps there is a neighbor on your list that is only ready for appetizers… perhaps you talk to them in the front yard or send them a message on Facebook or drop a plate of cookies off the next time you bake. There may even be some on your list that aren’t ready to enjoy the meal at all right now. Perhaps, they are unwilling to let you visit with them at all. But you can still pray for them. I promise if you do, it will change your heart…and may change theirs too. My brother in law shared a story of a friend of his that really tried to magnify his calling as a home teacher. But there was one person on his list who wouldn’t open the door for him at all. He said he didn’t want home teachers. SO each month, they would go home teaching. Then they would pull up in front of this brother’s house, sit in the car, say a prayer for him and leave. They did that for months. One evening, there was a knock on the window. The man asked what in the world they were doing. They told him and he said that if it was that important to them, then they might as well come in. Slowly, his heart was softened and he opened his heart to accept more of the meal. But be careful not to assume that they only want appetizers when perhaps they are ready for more.
I know that it can be scary to visit people you don’t know, particularly if they don’t go to church. But it helps me if I remember that they are children of Heavenly Father. They are someone’s mother, sister, daughter, friend. If I pray I have the courage and faith to try. In October 2012, President Monson gave a talk entitled “See Others as they May Become”. This has really influenced me as I’ve served as RS President. Pres. Monson said that there are many individuals who have little or no testimony right now that would change if we would share our testimony with them. He said, “We should develop the capacity to see men (and women) not as they are, but as they may become ..when they have a testimony of the gospel.” So, have faith, have courage and try to invite these less active sisters to the feast. If they won’t let you give them the whole meal, then give them as much as you can. Love them. Serve them. Know that they have the potential to change.
As a presidency, we truly enjoyed meeting with you in interviews to see how visiting teaching was going. We love you. We know your lives are busy. But this feast is the Lord’s feast…this is His work.
Julie Beck said, “Through Relief Society (and visiting teaching) we practice being disciples of Christ. We learn what he would have us learn, we do what He would have us do, and we become what He would have us become.” So I am asking you to pray for those you visit teach. I’m asking you to love them. I’m asking you to invite them to the feast. And actually, I’m not the one asking. Our Savior is. We’ve all heard the quote that Heavenly Father does hear our prayers, but it is usually through others that He answers them. This is your opportunity to be an answer to others’ prayers.
As we met with you, I know that for many of you scheduling is difficult. We live at a time when our schedules are busy. Most of you have heard me say that a few months before I was called as RS President, I felt like I couldn’t possibly add one more thing to my plate. Ironically, soon after saying that and praying about that, I was called to be RS President. I worried at first (and still do at times) how I could possibly do an adequate job serving you, working full time in a job that I feel is important and not let my family suffer. What I’ve realized is that as we put the things that matter most first in our lives, we are given additional strength and ability. The Lord enlarges our capabilities. I believe that will happen for you if you make visiting teaching a priority…you will find time that you didn’t think you had. Or you may recognize things that are taking up time that aren’t that important. I know I could spend a little less time on Facebook and more time Face to Face. I could read a few less books and talk to a few more people. As you make this commitment, you will bless these sisters’ lives. You will feed them spiritually.
The General Relief Society Board is emphasizing that visiting teaching is a call to minister. It is a call to serve and to bless those you are assigned spiritually and temporally. It isn’t something to check off a list. It is also a way to inform us of any needs those sisters have. Julie Beck said, “A sister in this Church has no other responsibility outside of her family that has the potential to do as much good as does visiting teaching.” I think that is pretty significant. No other responsibility has the potential to do as much good as visiting teaching outside of being a mother and a wife.
I’d like to speak for just a few minutes about the benefits and blessings YOU will receive if you visit teach. I truly believe that there are blessings for those who are visit taught as well as those who visit teach.…We will feel more peace of mind when we partake and participate and invite others to participate. I know that many of you feel guilty because you aren’t doing your visiting teaching as well as you’d like. As you feed the Lord’s sheep, you will have peace of mind. When you serve others, a feeling of peace and happiness will surround you. I know that some of you struggle with loneliness… I have felt that way at times in my life. As you visit teach, you will develop friendships that you may not have otherwise. Some of that loneliness will dissipate. As you show the Lord that you care about His daughters, He will send His spirit to be with you more abundantly.
I have been studying charity and ministering and serving others in the scriptures for the past several weeks. I was so touched when I read 1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” If I understand this verse, then developing charity (which we develop as we love and serve those we visit teach) will help us to be forgiven of our sins. I think partly because when we develop true charity, we have no desire to hurt others and so we sin less. Of course, we still need to repent when we sin...and we will sin, but as we show our love to the Savior and to our fellow men, the Savior will forgive us more mercifully than he could if we didn’t exhibit this love. I know I need His mercy. I have a multitude of sins that need to be covered.
My favorite verse of scripture: Moroni 7:48...”Wherefore, my beloved brethren pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the Sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.” I know that if we pray with energy of heart, that we will be filled with his love and that this love does help us to become like Him, to become like He is and to be purified.
Perhaps the best reason to do visiting teaching is for the example you set for your children. Because I work full time, I am very careful to try not to schedule things in the evening. I try very hard to be home to eat dinner with my family, help with homework and music practice and to read to them and spend time with them. So when I am gone in the evenings, they want to know where I am going and why. When I go visiting teaching or do Relief Society work, I explain what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I hope and believe that my children are learning to serve and seeing that I love the Lord as I serve. I know that watching my grandmother and mother visit teach and be visit taught had a profound impact on my life. STORY of MY GRANDMA. My grandma was a great visiting teacher. She often took one of her sisters who was disabled to the store or to doctor's visits. She called them nearly daily. She loved them. I am not a perfect visiting teacher, but most of the reason I have a testimony of visiting teaching I learned from watching my mom and my grandma visit teach and be visit taught.
Feed His Sheep. Invite them to participate in as much of the meal as they will. Pray to love them. You will be blessed, and so will they.
*****
After I spoke, Brother Vincent (from our Bishopric) spoke. He shared a little bit from the talk "Be Anxiously Engaged" by Elder Ballard. Then he shared some personal experiences about how visiting teaching and home teaching have blessed his own son and family. He spoke about how each person we are assigned to visit is someone's son or daughter. Most likely someone is praying and pleading with the Lord in their behalf that someone will be able to touch their heart and love them and have a positive impact on their life. The spirit was palpable.
Then we closed with a song by Jenny Phillips, "Sisters in Christ."
The spirit was very strong throughout the meeting. I'm so thankful for all that was shared. I'm so thankful for the wonderful women of the ward. I learn so much more from them than they do from me. I am so blessed to be able to serve. It is stretching me in so many ways, and I am so very blessed. And especially, I am thankful for the opportunity to become more like my Savior and to show my love for him in small ways as I serve.
We had our visiting teaching seminar last night. We began planning in April (originally we were going to hold it in June, but had to reschedule). I found an idea to compare visiting teaching to a meal at Of Worth. I thought that was a great idea, and so we met and began to plan. My presidency and visiting teaching coordinator and supervisors were a huge help. The evening went like this:
We had an opening song (Lord, I Would Follow Thee, Hymn 220) and an opening prayer/blessing on the food. Then Julie compared how we must decorate and prepare for a meal. We don't use plastic forks for a 5 course meal, nor do we use our best china for a barbecue. We prepare for the meal. So, too, we should prepare for visiting teaching. We should be praying for those we visit teach and we should be listening to the spirit to know what they need.
Then Jami talked about how we can bless our sisters' lives through prayer, just as we bless the food. We can pray as companions before we go on a visit. We can pray with the sister as we end the visit. We can also remember them in our daily prayers so that we know what their needs are and so that the Lord will bless them. Jami shared a story from Daughters in my Kingdom about a sister in Brazil. She couldn't call the sisters she visit taught...they didn't have phones. But one sister was about to have a baby and didn't have any clothes for the baby. She gathered a few sisters and they sewed a layette. Then the sister prayed to know when to take the clothes. She had a feeling and knew when it was time to go to the hospital. The woman had just had her baby and now had clothes for her baby and wouldn't have to take the baby home wrapped in newspapers.
Then Teresa compared visiting teaching to appetizers. Appetizers are fun...like hor'd ouvres served on a tray at a party. So, too, visiting teaching can at times be casual and fun. Especially as you are first getting to know someone. It is saying hi to them at church, sending a message on Facebook or sending a text. It's the way you begin to build a relationship. Teresa shared how comforting it is to know that there is someone you can talk to and that people care about you.
Then everyone ate their appetizers...chips and salsa...and visited for a bit. I encouraged them to share any positive experiences they've had with visiting teaching.
Then Heidi compared visiting teaching to the meal... it's the heart of visiting teaching...the face to face visit usually with a lesson. She shared this quote by Sister Mary Ellen Smoot that I love: "My desire is to plead with our sisters to stop worrying about a phone call or a quarterly or monthly visit, and whether that will do, and concentrate instead on nurturing tender souls. Our responsibility is to see that the gospel flame continues to burn brightly. Our charge is to find the lost sheep and help them feel our Savior's love." She shared a story from Daughters in my Kingdom about a woman who would go visit one of her sisters. The woman would open the door but not the screen door and stand there. The visiting teacher asked how she was and then quickly gave a summary of the lesson and left, month after month. One day the visiting teacher got a call from the Bishop. That sister had delivered a baby that had died. They were having a graveside service and the woman asked if her visiting teacher could come, because she was her only friend. She also shared this quote from President Kimball, "You are going to save souls, and who can tell but that many of the fine active people in the Church today are active because you gave them a new outlook, a new vision. You pulled back the curtain. You extended their horizons... You see, you are not only saving these sisters, but perhaps also their husbands and their homes."
Then we ate. We had mock Cafe Rio food, and it was great. We got the recipes from Favorite Family Recipes. Yum!
I passed out popsicles for dessert while people ate and visited. Then Laurel compared visiting teaching to dessert. The sweetest part of visiting teaching is that we make friendships that last a life time. She shared that her mom was a visiting teacher to a woman across the street from her. It's been about 30 years since they met, and they don't live in the same neighborhood now, but they are still dear friends. This woman has been at all of their temple sealings and many of their baby blessings. Laurel's mom has helped her in countless ways, and vice versa. Laurel said that she has often felt like she didn't need visiting teachers. She is active. Her life is good. But Sara is her visiting teacher and on Sunday asked if she could come visit on Tuesday. Laurel said that she needed that visit so much, and that she counts Sara as one of her dearest friends.
Then I spoke. Here's my actual talk (or very close...I added a couple of things as I spoke and cut a few things out):
Visiting Teaching has been on my mind for months now. I could probably talk for 30 minutes or more about visiting teaching, but I will try to keep my comments brief. We have been richly fed tonight…both physically and spiritually. My visiting teaching supervisor, coordinators and presidency have compared visiting teaching to eating. I’m going to take this a few steps further.
I want to start with a quote that has nothing to do with food, but that I absolutely love. President Kimball taught: “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, and who can tell but that many of the fine active people in the Church today are active because you were in their homes and gave them a new outlook, a new vision. …You see, you are not only saving these sisters, but perhaps also their husbands and their homes.”
To me, that sums up pretty completely what visiting teaching is all about. It is a call to minister, to redeem souls, to be a part of the Savior’s work. In relating that quote to the theme for the night, let’s reframe that quote and say that you are going into homes to feed His sheep. You are going to exchange a diet of junk food for food with sustenance, for living bread and living water. We have all heard that the Lord is hastening the work, and that we have a responsibility to share the gospel. I truly believe that one of the greatest ways we can do that is by visiting teaching.
Many of you know that my family was here visiting from AZ and Canada a couple of weeks ago. We ended up talking a lot about visiting teaching and home teaching. My brother in law said that in their stake, they are asked to do as much for those they visit/home teach as the teachee will allow them. So, perhaps some people on your list would like to be invited to the whole feast. You can pray for and with them. You can have friendly interactions in and out of church (the appetizer). You can have a sit down visit with a lesson (the meal). You may become dear lifelong friends (the dessert). Others on your list may not feel ready for the full feast yet. Perhaps there is a neighbor on your list that is only ready for appetizers… perhaps you talk to them in the front yard or send them a message on Facebook or drop a plate of cookies off the next time you bake. There may even be some on your list that aren’t ready to enjoy the meal at all right now. Perhaps, they are unwilling to let you visit with them at all. But you can still pray for them. I promise if you do, it will change your heart…and may change theirs too. My brother in law shared a story of a friend of his that really tried to magnify his calling as a home teacher. But there was one person on his list who wouldn’t open the door for him at all. He said he didn’t want home teachers. SO each month, they would go home teaching. Then they would pull up in front of this brother’s house, sit in the car, say a prayer for him and leave. They did that for months. One evening, there was a knock on the window. The man asked what in the world they were doing. They told him and he said that if it was that important to them, then they might as well come in. Slowly, his heart was softened and he opened his heart to accept more of the meal. But be careful not to assume that they only want appetizers when perhaps they are ready for more.
I know that it can be scary to visit people you don’t know, particularly if they don’t go to church. But it helps me if I remember that they are children of Heavenly Father. They are someone’s mother, sister, daughter, friend. If I pray I have the courage and faith to try. In October 2012, President Monson gave a talk entitled “See Others as they May Become”. This has really influenced me as I’ve served as RS President. Pres. Monson said that there are many individuals who have little or no testimony right now that would change if we would share our testimony with them. He said, “We should develop the capacity to see men (and women) not as they are, but as they may become ..when they have a testimony of the gospel.” So, have faith, have courage and try to invite these less active sisters to the feast. If they won’t let you give them the whole meal, then give them as much as you can. Love them. Serve them. Know that they have the potential to change.
As a presidency, we truly enjoyed meeting with you in interviews to see how visiting teaching was going. We love you. We know your lives are busy. But this feast is the Lord’s feast…this is His work.
Julie Beck said, “Through Relief Society (and visiting teaching) we practice being disciples of Christ. We learn what he would have us learn, we do what He would have us do, and we become what He would have us become.” So I am asking you to pray for those you visit teach. I’m asking you to love them. I’m asking you to invite them to the feast. And actually, I’m not the one asking. Our Savior is. We’ve all heard the quote that Heavenly Father does hear our prayers, but it is usually through others that He answers them. This is your opportunity to be an answer to others’ prayers.
As we met with you, I know that for many of you scheduling is difficult. We live at a time when our schedules are busy. Most of you have heard me say that a few months before I was called as RS President, I felt like I couldn’t possibly add one more thing to my plate. Ironically, soon after saying that and praying about that, I was called to be RS President. I worried at first (and still do at times) how I could possibly do an adequate job serving you, working full time in a job that I feel is important and not let my family suffer. What I’ve realized is that as we put the things that matter most first in our lives, we are given additional strength and ability. The Lord enlarges our capabilities. I believe that will happen for you if you make visiting teaching a priority…you will find time that you didn’t think you had. Or you may recognize things that are taking up time that aren’t that important. I know I could spend a little less time on Facebook and more time Face to Face. I could read a few less books and talk to a few more people. As you make this commitment, you will bless these sisters’ lives. You will feed them spiritually.
The General Relief Society Board is emphasizing that visiting teaching is a call to minister. It is a call to serve and to bless those you are assigned spiritually and temporally. It isn’t something to check off a list. It is also a way to inform us of any needs those sisters have. Julie Beck said, “A sister in this Church has no other responsibility outside of her family that has the potential to do as much good as does visiting teaching.” I think that is pretty significant. No other responsibility has the potential to do as much good as visiting teaching outside of being a mother and a wife.
I’d like to speak for just a few minutes about the benefits and blessings YOU will receive if you visit teach. I truly believe that there are blessings for those who are visit taught as well as those who visit teach.…We will feel more peace of mind when we partake and participate and invite others to participate. I know that many of you feel guilty because you aren’t doing your visiting teaching as well as you’d like. As you feed the Lord’s sheep, you will have peace of mind. When you serve others, a feeling of peace and happiness will surround you. I know that some of you struggle with loneliness… I have felt that way at times in my life. As you visit teach, you will develop friendships that you may not have otherwise. Some of that loneliness will dissipate. As you show the Lord that you care about His daughters, He will send His spirit to be with you more abundantly.
I have been studying charity and ministering and serving others in the scriptures for the past several weeks. I was so touched when I read 1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” If I understand this verse, then developing charity (which we develop as we love and serve those we visit teach) will help us to be forgiven of our sins. I think partly because when we develop true charity, we have no desire to hurt others and so we sin less. Of course, we still need to repent when we sin...and we will sin, but as we show our love to the Savior and to our fellow men, the Savior will forgive us more mercifully than he could if we didn’t exhibit this love. I know I need His mercy. I have a multitude of sins that need to be covered.
My favorite verse of scripture: Moroni 7:48...”Wherefore, my beloved brethren pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the Sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.” I know that if we pray with energy of heart, that we will be filled with his love and that this love does help us to become like Him, to become like He is and to be purified.
Perhaps the best reason to do visiting teaching is for the example you set for your children. Because I work full time, I am very careful to try not to schedule things in the evening. I try very hard to be home to eat dinner with my family, help with homework and music practice and to read to them and spend time with them. So when I am gone in the evenings, they want to know where I am going and why. When I go visiting teaching or do Relief Society work, I explain what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. I hope and believe that my children are learning to serve and seeing that I love the Lord as I serve. I know that watching my grandmother and mother visit teach and be visit taught had a profound impact on my life. STORY of MY GRANDMA. My grandma was a great visiting teacher. She often took one of her sisters who was disabled to the store or to doctor's visits. She called them nearly daily. She loved them. I am not a perfect visiting teacher, but most of the reason I have a testimony of visiting teaching I learned from watching my mom and my grandma visit teach and be visit taught.
Feed His Sheep. Invite them to participate in as much of the meal as they will. Pray to love them. You will be blessed, and so will they.
*****
After I spoke, Brother Vincent (from our Bishopric) spoke. He shared a little bit from the talk "Be Anxiously Engaged" by Elder Ballard. Then he shared some personal experiences about how visiting teaching and home teaching have blessed his own son and family. He spoke about how each person we are assigned to visit is someone's son or daughter. Most likely someone is praying and pleading with the Lord in their behalf that someone will be able to touch their heart and love them and have a positive impact on their life. The spirit was palpable.
Then we closed with a song by Jenny Phillips, "Sisters in Christ."
The spirit was very strong throughout the meeting. I'm so thankful for all that was shared. I'm so thankful for the wonderful women of the ward. I learn so much more from them than they do from me. I am so blessed to be able to serve. It is stretching me in so many ways, and I am so very blessed. And especially, I am thankful for the opportunity to become more like my Savior and to show my love for him in small ways as I serve.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Things I Want to Remember
While my family was here visiting, we interviewed my Mom and my stepdad Mike. My girls had made a list of questions ahead of time and they took turns asking them questions. We video taped this, and I'm planning to transcribe it. It was wonderful listening to them talk about memories and their likes and dislikes and fears and joys.
My sisters Becky, Suzy and I spent a lot of time talking. How I love and admire each of them! I'm sure our lives have each turned out differently than we would have guessed and in some ways than we would have hoped. However, they are both women of faith and strength and my life is blessed by them in countless ways. I also had a chance to introduce my sister Becky to my dear friend Sara. They ended up talking for nearly two hours about their experiences, challenges and blessings. I cried and laughed and marveled at the goodness of both of these marvelous women and how blessed my life is because I know each of them. I have thought a great deal lately about how our challenges are uniquely designed to teach us exactly what we need to know and to help us develop more trust in our Father and more compassion, love and charity for others. It certainly has done that for Sara and Becky.
It was so wonderful to see my nieces and nephew. I love them! They are such bright, beautiful children. It was especially wonderful to see how much progress Hannah has made in the past year. She is talking so clearly. She plays and pretends. She knows many, perhaps all, of the letters of the alphabet. She smiles a lot and was happy most of the time. Her future truly is bright, I believe. Her recovery from autism is nothing short of miraculous, although it is a miracle that has required a great deal of hard work and sacrifice and study and prayer. Becky and Nathan have learned a great deal about the underlying causes of autism. They have pursued biomedical treatments along with extensive therapy. They have changed Hannah's diet and added a number of supplements. These changes haven't been easy, many have been expensive, but they are willing to make any necessary sacrifice to help Hannah. This is just one of the reasons that I admire Becky so much. I also love that she is sharing what she's learning on her blog so that others, too, may be helped by what she is learning.
I want to remember Sarah grabbing book after book off the bookshelf and devouring them. I love that she loves to read so much.
I want to remember teaching Relief Society and having my mom and two sisters smiling at me and sharing their experiences and testimony.
I want to remember us eating pistachio after pistachio and a whole jar of Costco's mango salsa in just a couple of days.
I want to remember my stepdad saying he was proud of us.
I want to remember Hannah asking to ride in our car. And Sarah too.
Michelle wants to remember the fun everyone had at the children's museum.
Ella wants to remember the dinosaurs at the paleontology museum and showing them places here in Utah.
Gabby wants to remember _________________.
Mostly, I want to remember that through the gospel and temple ordinances we are an eternal family and I can have these parents, sisters, nieces and nephew (as well as my husband and children) with me forever. I am so thankful for them.
It was so wonderful to see my nieces and nephew. I love them! They are such bright, beautiful children. It was especially wonderful to see how much progress Hannah has made in the past year. She is talking so clearly. She plays and pretends. She knows many, perhaps all, of the letters of the alphabet. She smiles a lot and was happy most of the time. Her future truly is bright, I believe. Her recovery from autism is nothing short of miraculous, although it is a miracle that has required a great deal of hard work and sacrifice and study and prayer. Becky and Nathan have learned a great deal about the underlying causes of autism. They have pursued biomedical treatments along with extensive therapy. They have changed Hannah's diet and added a number of supplements. These changes haven't been easy, many have been expensive, but they are willing to make any necessary sacrifice to help Hannah. This is just one of the reasons that I admire Becky so much. I also love that she is sharing what she's learning on her blog so that others, too, may be helped by what she is learning.
I want to remember Sarah grabbing book after book off the bookshelf and devouring them. I love that she loves to read so much.
I want to remember teaching Relief Society and having my mom and two sisters smiling at me and sharing their experiences and testimony.
I want to remember us eating pistachio after pistachio and a whole jar of Costco's mango salsa in just a couple of days.
I want to remember my stepdad saying he was proud of us.
I want to remember Hannah asking to ride in our car. And Sarah too.
Michelle wants to remember the fun everyone had at the children's museum.
Ella wants to remember the dinosaurs at the paleontology museum and showing them places here in Utah.
Gabby wants to remember _________________.
Mostly, I want to remember that through the gospel and temple ordinances we are an eternal family and I can have these parents, sisters, nieces and nephew (as well as my husband and children) with me forever. I am so thankful for them.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Play is a Necessity
Kay Redfield Jamison (a professor of psychiatry) said, "Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity."
Discovery Gateway (SLC's children's museum) is a great place to play. So when I read that during the month of July you can get in for $5 per person after 5 PM on Friday and Saturday, I figured we should go and take our cousins. It ended up being so fun. Michelle must have played in the shopping area for nearly an hour. Hannah, who is on a strict diet and can't eat gluten or dairy, loaded a shopping cart to overflowing with bread and cheese which made Rebecca, Suzy and I all chuckle.
Everyone had fun playing in the construction zone. There was a darling little boy there that we suspected was on the autism spectrum. My dear sweet sister struck up a conversation with the boy's mother and ended up talking to her for about 10 minutes about each of their experiences with autism. Rebecca shared some of what she has found helps Hannah and gave the mom her blog address. I felt so proud of my sister for being so brave and so compassionate. Rebecca is an inspiration to me in so many ways. I am thankful to have such wonderful sisters who teach me so much.
Some more fun playing in the areas downstairs:
Upstairs there are all kinds of blocks and building materials. There was a fun wind tunnel where you could put paper airplanes and paper umbrellas and see if they stayed in the wind tunnel, floated up, got stuck, etc. Evan, Nathan, Gabby and I spent a long time up there playing with various building materials. The other kids joined us up there for awhile, but they spent more time in the "Newsroom" and other areas upstairs.
Gretchen Owocki (an educator) said, "As astronauts and space travelers children puzzle over the future; as dinosaurs and princesses they unearth the past. As weather reporters and restaurant workers they make sense of reality; as monsters and gremlins they make sense of the unreal."
I'm pretty sure the future was puzzled over, the past was unearthed, sense was being made of the unreal and the real as my children played with their cousins at home and at museums and at Dicovery Gateway. Michelle asked if we could please go back again soon. I'd really thought she was getting too big for Discovery Gateway, but she perhaps had as much or more fun than anyone.
Discovery Gateway (SLC's children's museum) is a great place to play. So when I read that during the month of July you can get in for $5 per person after 5 PM on Friday and Saturday, I figured we should go and take our cousins. It ended up being so fun. Michelle must have played in the shopping area for nearly an hour. Hannah, who is on a strict diet and can't eat gluten or dairy, loaded a shopping cart to overflowing with bread and cheese which made Rebecca, Suzy and I all chuckle.
Everyone had fun playing in the construction zone. There was a darling little boy there that we suspected was on the autism spectrum. My dear sweet sister struck up a conversation with the boy's mother and ended up talking to her for about 10 minutes about each of their experiences with autism. Rebecca shared some of what she has found helps Hannah and gave the mom her blog address. I felt so proud of my sister for being so brave and so compassionate. Rebecca is an inspiration to me in so many ways. I am thankful to have such wonderful sisters who teach me so much.
Some more fun playing in the areas downstairs:
Upstairs there are all kinds of blocks and building materials. There was a fun wind tunnel where you could put paper airplanes and paper umbrellas and see if they stayed in the wind tunnel, floated up, got stuck, etc. Evan, Nathan, Gabby and I spent a long time up there playing with various building materials. The other kids joined us up there for awhile, but they spent more time in the "Newsroom" and other areas upstairs.
Gretchen Owocki (an educator) said, "As astronauts and space travelers children puzzle over the future; as dinosaurs and princesses they unearth the past. As weather reporters and restaurant workers they make sense of reality; as monsters and gremlins they make sense of the unreal."
I'm pretty sure the future was puzzled over, the past was unearthed, sense was being made of the unreal and the real as my children played with their cousins at home and at museums and at Dicovery Gateway. Michelle asked if we could please go back again soon. I'd really thought she was getting too big for Discovery Gateway, but she perhaps had as much or more fun than anyone.
Journaling
Recently on a blog, I saw a woman refer to her "journaling heart". I love that. I have a journaling heart. I started keeping a journal when I was in seventh grade and for the most part, I have kept one ever since. It is something I believe in and something I feel is important. I've had two past young women (who are now women and married or serving missions) say that a lesson I taught them when they were beehives nearly 10 years ago had an impact on their lives. I believe that journaling does have an impact on lives.
I believe that journaling helps us record and remember the lessons we learn and the blessings we receive. As President Kimball said, "Those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives." It provides a record for ourselves and those who love us to see the Lord's hand in our lives. We are prone to forget...it is part of our human experience/condition. But recording the lessons we learn, the trials we face, and the blessings we are given helps us to remember.
For me, journaling often helps me sort through my thoughts and feelings so that my opinions and beliefs and feelings become more clear. When something is troubling me and I find that I cannot sleep, I often begin writing my thoughts down and often when I am done, I can sleep. And I find that my thoughts become clearer and I'm often better able to express them in writing than orally.
Journaling can also be a creative outlet in many ways.
As a mom, journaling helps me remember the silly and cute things my children say and do. It helps me record their milestones, their achievements and their failures (as well as my own!) I do know that I am prone to blog (which is my primary journal these days) more about our happy moments than the angry or frustrating ones. (We have plenty of both.) Perhaps I at times paint a rosier picture than is our every moment, day to day reality. President Spencer W. Kimball also taught, "Your journal should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when you are "made up" for a public performance. There is a temptation to paint one’s virtues in rich color and whitewash the vices, but there is also the opposite pitfall of accentuating the negative.... The truth should be told, but we should not emphasize the negative." I could work on this.
Many times I have wished my mom kept a journal so I could read how she handled the stresses of being a full time employee and a mom or how she handled various mothering challenges or what she thought about as we grew up. I often ask for her advice, but I would love to read what she was thinking and feeling back then. It's a bit different than hearing her perspective now, not that it isn't valuable.
I hope my journal will be an evidence to my children that I love them dearly! I hope it will show them that I tried the best I knew how to raise them...and that I made plenty of mistakes along the way. I hope that it will testify to them that I know God lives and Jesus is the Christ. I hope it will be a treasure to them.
So, those are some of the reasons that I like to journal. Now a little about what I've learned about how to journal.
1. There is no right or wrong way to journal. I've written in spiral notebooks and in actual journals. I've written on looseleaf paper that I added to a 3 ring binder. Now my primary means of journaling is this blog, although I do have a small journal that I record a few things that are too private to share here.
2. For me, I have never been a chronological journaler, or at least not strictly chronological. I had a roommate and on Sundays she would sit down and do a day by day replay of events in her journal. That fit her personality and worked for her. But it doesn't work for me...for a few reasons. If I miss a couple of weeks and feel like I have to go back and recall and record everything that has happened in that time, it overwhelms me and I procrastinate writing. Also, I personally figure I don't need to remember what happened every day but I do want to remember the outings I've gone on, the lessons I've learned, etc. So I've always just written about what felt most important to me. On my blog, my posts are topical or on one event. But they aren't necessarily written/published in chronological order. It takes the pressure off for me.
3. Along with keeping a journal about my life, I have kept some other types of journals. For many months while I was in college, I kept a gratitude journal. That changes your outlook in ways that you can't predict...and to some degree has had a lasting impact on my life even though I haven't maintained that practice. Before having children, I took a journal to church with me each Sunday and recorded quotes, inspiration or lessons I learned in each of my meetings. That become harder to do once I had children, and I've gotten out of that habit, although I still do this during stake and general conference. When I was newly married, I bought a journal for Alfredo in which I recorded the kind, thoughtful things he did for me and expressions of love. I haven't maintained that journal either, but it was a good idea. My sister Suzy told about a fireside she recently attended where the speaker kept journals about her scripture study and particularly the insights she gained, answers to prayers she received and inspiration she was given while studying the scriptures. What a treasure that would be!
4. Sometimes I include unusual things in my journal to keep it interesting. I've glued in important letters others have written to me (and sometimes copies of letters I've written to others). I have added quotes that are meaningful to me, titles of books I'm reading, tickets from plays or movies I've attended, clippings from newspaper or magazine articles, poetry or song lyrics that I like and so on. I might write a list rather than typical journaling format.
The important thing about how to journal is to find what works for you. And to make changes if that format stops working for you at some point.
I believe that journaling helps us record and remember the lessons we learn and the blessings we receive. As President Kimball said, "Those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives." It provides a record for ourselves and those who love us to see the Lord's hand in our lives. We are prone to forget...it is part of our human experience/condition. But recording the lessons we learn, the trials we face, and the blessings we are given helps us to remember.
For me, journaling often helps me sort through my thoughts and feelings so that my opinions and beliefs and feelings become more clear. When something is troubling me and I find that I cannot sleep, I often begin writing my thoughts down and often when I am done, I can sleep. And I find that my thoughts become clearer and I'm often better able to express them in writing than orally.
Journaling can also be a creative outlet in many ways.
As a mom, journaling helps me remember the silly and cute things my children say and do. It helps me record their milestones, their achievements and their failures (as well as my own!) I do know that I am prone to blog (which is my primary journal these days) more about our happy moments than the angry or frustrating ones. (We have plenty of both.) Perhaps I at times paint a rosier picture than is our every moment, day to day reality. President Spencer W. Kimball also taught, "Your journal should contain your true self rather than a picture of you when you are "made up" for a public performance. There is a temptation to paint one’s virtues in rich color and whitewash the vices, but there is also the opposite pitfall of accentuating the negative.... The truth should be told, but we should not emphasize the negative." I could work on this.
Many times I have wished my mom kept a journal so I could read how she handled the stresses of being a full time employee and a mom or how she handled various mothering challenges or what she thought about as we grew up. I often ask for her advice, but I would love to read what she was thinking and feeling back then. It's a bit different than hearing her perspective now, not that it isn't valuable.
I hope my journal will be an evidence to my children that I love them dearly! I hope it will show them that I tried the best I knew how to raise them...and that I made plenty of mistakes along the way. I hope that it will testify to them that I know God lives and Jesus is the Christ. I hope it will be a treasure to them.
So, those are some of the reasons that I like to journal. Now a little about what I've learned about how to journal.
1. There is no right or wrong way to journal. I've written in spiral notebooks and in actual journals. I've written on looseleaf paper that I added to a 3 ring binder. Now my primary means of journaling is this blog, although I do have a small journal that I record a few things that are too private to share here.
2. For me, I have never been a chronological journaler, or at least not strictly chronological. I had a roommate and on Sundays she would sit down and do a day by day replay of events in her journal. That fit her personality and worked for her. But it doesn't work for me...for a few reasons. If I miss a couple of weeks and feel like I have to go back and recall and record everything that has happened in that time, it overwhelms me and I procrastinate writing. Also, I personally figure I don't need to remember what happened every day but I do want to remember the outings I've gone on, the lessons I've learned, etc. So I've always just written about what felt most important to me. On my blog, my posts are topical or on one event. But they aren't necessarily written/published in chronological order. It takes the pressure off for me.
3. Along with keeping a journal about my life, I have kept some other types of journals. For many months while I was in college, I kept a gratitude journal. That changes your outlook in ways that you can't predict...and to some degree has had a lasting impact on my life even though I haven't maintained that practice. Before having children, I took a journal to church with me each Sunday and recorded quotes, inspiration or lessons I learned in each of my meetings. That become harder to do once I had children, and I've gotten out of that habit, although I still do this during stake and general conference. When I was newly married, I bought a journal for Alfredo in which I recorded the kind, thoughtful things he did for me and expressions of love. I haven't maintained that journal either, but it was a good idea. My sister Suzy told about a fireside she recently attended where the speaker kept journals about her scripture study and particularly the insights she gained, answers to prayers she received and inspiration she was given while studying the scriptures. What a treasure that would be!
4. Sometimes I include unusual things in my journal to keep it interesting. I've glued in important letters others have written to me (and sometimes copies of letters I've written to others). I have added quotes that are meaningful to me, titles of books I'm reading, tickets from plays or movies I've attended, clippings from newspaper or magazine articles, poetry or song lyrics that I like and so on. I might write a list rather than typical journaling format.
The important thing about how to journal is to find what works for you. And to make changes if that format stops working for you at some point.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Cute Cousins
We celebrated my Mom's birthday by having dinner at Phil and Elaine's. My grandpa was there too. My Mom, Mike and Hannah were all born the first week of July.
While eating in the backyard, the kids took turns wearing my sunglasses and Michelle took photos of the cousins.
While eating in the backyard, the kids took turns wearing my sunglasses and Michelle took photos of the cousins.
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