Institute Tonight!

Hey Ladies,
So, I haven't been up to date on the blogging due to the fact that I haven't been in church the last two weeks, due to the fact that I had my baby two weeks ago!! So, I'm sorry that a recap of the week's lesson hasn't been on the blog. But, for those of you who have also missed church, teach primary, are in young women's or just need an additional shot of spirituality, Sis. Aileen Makin will be teaching our institute class tonight at 7pm in the Primary room. Last year we were teaching gospel principles...well, oddly enough that's what our lesson manual for this year is. So, she decided to keep right on doing what she was doing and thought that those of you who miss out on our fabulous lessons every week could come to institute and get the whole month's worth of lessons. She is a fabulous teacher and I know that I will be there tonight to be spiritually fed.
So, invite friends, neighbors, teachers, whoever and come out to institute tonight! See you there!

Busy, Busy!

So sorry for the late post. I came home and had to get food ready for the Superbowl! My dad and I always have a friendly little wager every year for the superbowl...only way it makes the game interesting for me if my team isn't playing. He doesn't really like short hair on women, so for the second time in a row I offered to grow my hair out for an entire year if his team won. This year he chose the Colts, which left me the Saints. I didn't mind, I like rooting for the underdog. If I won he had to take my kids over for a sleepover, although there was and still is some debate about whether or not he would take Nathan as well. Needless to say, for the second time in a row, I won!!! The Saints won the superbowl so I don't have to grow my hair out and he has to take the kids. Like I said, there's controversy so we'll have to work out those details later.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. This week in RS was the Presidency Message. Sis. Aileen Makin gave the lesson and she was truly inspired in her topic. She talked about being too busy. She opened up with a wonderful little story about the Devil holding a world-wide convention. He said, "let them have their prayer and covered casserole dinners but take away their time." He goes on to say how these little devils help us take away our time with things that are important to us, but not the most important for us to be doing at that moment. It's really a great reminder and I'll have to get a copy of it from her so we can all share it again. She read a few more stories about missing out on important things because we don't stop and take the time to enjoy them. We are just too busy with other things. We listed things that take away our time and found that all the things we put our time into can be both for the good and the bad, it's how we choose to spend that time. For instance, the internet. We all know what a wonderful tool it can be to connect us to the church in family history and what not, and helping our children with their homework assignments, and finding great ideas for daily projects...but it can also suck away the time we spend with our families when we are on facebook all day or blogging all day :) or just surfing the internet, or getting into sites that we shouldn't. T.V. is the same way. We can watch conference and BYU Devotionals and Studio 5 or GTU :) or my children can watch Sesame Street or Super Why...but there are also those programs that leave me with nightmares instead of with insight and inspiration. We had a great discussion on this amongst the sisters and it really gets you thinking about the choices you make each day and what you choose to fill up your day with. She had a list of questions as to why we do things or choose to do them:
You enjoy them?
You think you ought to enjoy them?
Your parents want you to?
Your friends want you to?
You want to please someone (a parent, teacher, spouse)
You want to learn new things?
You want poeple to like you?
You can't say no?
You think heavenly Father wants you to?
You don't want to miss out on anything?
You don't want to be different? (and I would add that it's because you DO want to be different)
You don't want to make people mad at you?
You have a lot of interests?
You took on certain responsibilities without realizing how time-consuming they were?
You can't decide what you really want to do most, so you just do everything?
You want to be perfect?
"Decide what you think are good and bad reasons for doing things. You may decide that doing something because you really enjoy it is a good reason, for example, while doing something just vecasue you can't say no to a friend may be a bad reason."

On the other side of these questions she had a picture of a yoke with the acronym for BUSY: Being Under the Savior's Yoke or Being Under Satan's Yoke. Meaning, we need to decide if what is taking up our time is doing what the Savior wants or what Satan wants. Whom are we following?
Such great things to consider and remind of us what we do with our daily lives. Because I've been reading the Screwtape Letters for bookclub, this lesson helped me to understand the book a little better. It's exactly about this type of things. How those little devils take things in our life and twist them just enough that they do us more harm than good and lead our thoughts and actions away from the Savior.
Sis. Makin ended with a poem that talked about how sometimes we think about doing something, like calling a friend or visiting a neighbor or writing a card, and we don't do it. We say we are to busy, or after I do this, or maybe tomorrow. The person in this poem then received a telegram telling him that the friend he kept thinking of had passed away...and now it's too late to do what you should have done. She handed out a blank card with an envelope and encouraged us to write that someone we've been thinking of right then and there before it's too late.
I came home today and got busy doing things for the Superbowl. My daughter came to me and wanted to show me something and I told her, "just a second. Let me finish this." Then I realized what I had just done and I immediately stopped what I was doing and took the time to listen to her and see what she had for me. Was my life ruined because I stopped what I was doing to give my child the time she deserves? No!! I spent the whole day trying to be aware of those times when I put others off so I could finish something that didn't really need to be done right then and there. Such a great lesson!! Thanks Aileen!
Ok, so now for the Good News Minute and Announcements. I'm going to start listing these on the right hand sidebar, so start looking for them there. Today I will post it here and in the sidebar. Good News: Sis. Leann Hansen's daughter, Debra, had a strapping baby boy on Friday I think it was. She has another daughter who is ready any day to have her baby. Congrats! Jenna Nielson announced that she will be having her baby girl on Friday if she doesn't go before then. I wish you the best of luck even though I'm extremely jealous that you at least have a for sure end in sight!! :) For me, there is no induction date, just wait until the baby decides to come. :(
Announcements: *This Friday night, Feb. 12, 6pm is the Adult dinner at the church. Casual dress, you don't need to bring dishes, and invite your neighbors to come. If you need babysitting, contact Sis. Nicole Afa and she will hook you up with one of the YW for free babysitting! You can't get a better deal than that ladies...free babysitting, free food, no clean-up! I just may hold this baby in until after Friday so that I can partake of this great opportunity.
*This Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 8pm is book club at Sis. McQuivey's House. We are reading C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters." Even if you haven't read the book but want to start participating with us, please come and enjoy good company and intellectual discussions. There is a list of all the books we will be reading this year in the binders so please take one and see if there is anything that interests you.
*We are starting the Red Hat Society again. Every 3rd Tuesday at noon at the church. Bring a potluck item to share and chat with the gals. This will be every other month, starting this month.
*There are many, many, many humanitarian projects that need to be done every Monday from 10-1 at the Stake Center. Please go and do what you can to help. A lot of the things they are doing are for relief in Haiti.
*We are also starting our institute class again. Every 4th wednesday at 7pm in the Primary Room. Sis. Makin has decided that since our previous institute classes were on Gospel Essentials she would continue that. So, she will be teaching the entire month's worth of lesson from the new Gospel Essentials Manual so that those who are in the primary or YW who don't get these lessons may enjoy them as well. Anybody and everybody is invited to come.
**Looking ahead:-we have our RS Birthday party coming up on March 26 and 27. There will be speakers, crafts, food, temple sessions and girly things, so come and enjoy. Also, we have ANITA STANSFIELD coming June 29th so put that on your calendar and bring your sisters, daughters, nieces, granddaughters, whoever you know enjoys reading her books.
We've started a new thing with Visiting Teaching. Until we get things all organized, we are displaying the topic of the message for the month, as well as ideas for handouts or way to present the message. This week I had a little purse with coins in it to help spread the message of "managing our resources so we can stay out of "purse"onal debt." I had the five keys to doing that on the coins that went in the purse. If you would like the link to where I got this idea from (sadly, it was not my own idea) you may find it here:http://visitingteachingblog.blogspot.com/
I also have a list of the blogs and websites that I like to go to for ideas on the sidebar listed under VT Blogs. So, take a look at those and see if there is anything that interests you.
Have a great week sisters and maybe I'll see you on Sunday...and maybe I won't! :)

Bishop's Message

This Sunday was the 5th Sunday and so that means the RS and Men are combined and the Bishopric gives us a lesson. The Bishop taught this Sunday and touched on a few points that he felt needed to be addressed. The first topic for discussion was surviving in these hard times. He brought up the point that even though we may be righteous and doing all of the right things, doesn't mean that we are exempt from trials. He used Joseph Smith as an example of someone who was faithful and righteous to the end who's entire life was a trial. Why do these things happen to us? We all know that it's to help us come closer to our Heavenly Father and learn and become stronger people. The Bishop asked Bro. Bishop to share his thoughts and feelings on the subject. One thing that Bro. Bishop said that really hit home to me is that even though we go through the hard times we still need to have faith and hope for what the future and the resurrection will bring. When we meet our Heavenly Father we will be able to truly say that we have done our best and receive those blessings that he has in store for us.
The next topic was paying tithes and offerings. He praised us for paying our tithing even though we are all struggling in this economic time. He thanked us for paying our fast offerings and for the generosity of this ward as we have been able to help many families in need because of it. He urged us to continue to pay an honest tithe and offering and that if any of us are having financial struggles or know of anyone who is, that we go and talk to him so that we can receieve the help we need. Many shared their experiences of paying tithing and the way that it has blessed their lives. I think we all have a story or experience that reminds us of the importance of paying our tithes and offerings.
Unfortunately I have misplaced my notes and so I'm going off of what I remember. I know that there was another thing we discussed but the last thing I remember was talking about the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet. The Bishop encourage each of us to read it. He said that it is not just for the youth but for us as well. We should use it in our FHE discussions, even if there are only two of you. Sis. Hansen made a very good point that we as parents should read and know what our children are reading and what's being taught to them so that we can better help them to understand the things that they are learning. Many people agreed that talking to your children constantly is a great way to help them feel comfortable with talking to you when those "touchy" subjects come up. We all want our children learning about the ways of life from us and not from school, media or peers. It's a very dangerous world out there for our children and we as parents need to prepare them and protect them in every way that we can. Even we as adults, need to guard ourselves against the temptations of the world.
It was a very good discussion and I know that it reminded me that there are things that I need to improve on and remember to do in my own life.
Because we had a combined lesson we did not do announcements or good news minute. However, there are a few announcements that do need to me mentioned.
* The Stake blood drive is Feb. 17 and there is a sign up sheet in the binder or you can contact Sis. Makin.
* The Ward is having a Neighborhood Sweetheart Dinner. Please invite your neighbors who don't come to church or are a little shy and come and enjoy some good food and good times. Sat. Feb. 12 at 6pm. The young women have volunteered their services for babysitting to anyone who needs it. Contact Sis. Afa to find out who is available for you.
* The Book Club is reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis this month. There is a study guide in the binder or you can call Sis. Childs and she will get one to you as well. If you need a copy of the book, please contact Sis. Childs and she will help you in any way she can. We will be meeting next wednesday Feb. 10 at 8pm at Sis. McQuivey's house.
* Mark on your calendars the RS Birthday Bash! March 26 and 27th. We will be having a few guest speakers (Alicia with Chic on a shoe string will tell us about fashion and what we should wear to flatter our body shapes!), do a few crafts (like watches and hairbows), have a temple session, girly stuff (like pedicures) and a luncheon. We have so many fun things planned that you do not want to miss this!