Don't forget about our Fall festival this Friday, Oct. 29 6-9pm. We will be having soup (bring your own bowls and utensils), games and fun. Invite your neighbors that may not know about it. You can come in costume if you like but please remember no violence or masks. You are also invited to bring your pre-carved and pre-decorated pumpkins for display. I heard that there might be a few prizes for the pumpkins as well!
Also, this year we are asking that families support the "Pennies by the Inch" fundraiser that our Stake is participating in. Rather than go door to door asking for donations, we will have a jar that you can put your donations in. We are asking for just loose change, or whatever you want to donate. This is a great opportunity to have the kids help clean out those couch cushions and go on a "treasure hunt" throughout the house to find pennies, nickels, dimes, whatever they can and bring it to the party. We will be presenting the donation as being from the entire ward.
Thanks to all who have signed up to bring a soup and we look forward to seeing you all there!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Repentance
Sis. Joyce Bond gave our lesson this week and did a great job. This lesson was on Repentance, something we all need. She reminded us that we should be repenting daily for all those little things that bog us down. So many times we think repentance is only needed for those "big" things but none of us are perfect and throughout the day we do daily things that are not perfect in the eyes of the Lord, such as pride, judging others, yelling at our children, etc. Previously in our Sunday School lesson the teacher asked us how many of us were ready for the second coming...very few-if any- raised their hands. But then he asked us how many of us had temple recommends and most-if not all- raised their hands. He then said, if we are worthy and ready to enter the temple then why are we not ready to welcome the Savior? What's the difference. There really isn't a difference. To which somebody responded that they were nervous about all of the little things that they could be doing or not doing. So, that's where repentance comes in. We can always be doing a little bit better than we are. There will always be something to improve upon. Then there was another great comment that brought me great peace. He said that it doesn't matter how perfect we are, but that we are on the right path and going in the right direction. So even if I'm not as perfect as Pres. Monson, I'm on the same path and I'm following his example...I just may not be as far along on the path as he is.
So, with that brief explanation, let's move on to the rest of our lesson. We talked about the principles of repentance. Let's review:
1) We must recognize our sins: "To repent, we must admit to ourselves that we have sinned. If we do not admit this, we cannot repent. In Alma we read 'Let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance....Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point.' (Alma 42:29-30) We should not justify our sins and make excuses."
2)We must feel sorrow for our sins: " In addition to recognizing our sins, we must feel sincere sorrow for what we have done. We must feel that our sins are terrible. We must want to unload and abandon them." And I would add that feeling "Godly sorrow" is very different from feeling "sorry." When you feel Godly sorrow you feel so unworthy, horrible, you want to crawl in a hole and die. You wish that the earth would just swallow you up and hide you and put you out of your misery. And yes I am speaking from personal experience. That experience alone has made me feel that I will NEVER do what I did again. Just saying sorry and promising not to do it again doesn't work if you truly do not feel sorrow.
3)We must forsake our sins: "Our sincere sorrow should lead us to forsake (stop) our sins....THe Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins-behold, he will confess them and forsake them" (D&C 58:43).
4)We must confess our sins: "...The Lord has commanded us to confess our sins. Confession relieves a heavy burden from the sinner. The Lord has promised, "I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts" (D&C 61:2). We must confess all our sins to the Lord. In addition, we must confess serious sins...which might affect our standing in the Church, to the proper priesthood authority. If we have sinned against another person, we should confess to the person we have injured. Some less serious sins involve no one but ourselves and the Lord. These may be confessed privately to the Lord.
5)We must make restitution: Part of repentance is to make restitution. This means that as much as possible we must make right any wrong that we have done....As we do these things, God will not mention our sins to us when we are judged.
6)We must forgive others: A vital part of repentance is to forgive those who have sinned against us. The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully cleansed of all hate, bitterness, and bad feelings against other people. "Wherefor, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemnd bfore the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin" (D&C 64:9).
7) We must keep the commandments of God: "To make our repentance complete we must keep the commandments of the Lord. We are not fully repentant if we do not pay tithes or keep the Sabbath day holy or obey the Word of Wisdom. We are not prepentant if we do not sustain the authorities of the Church and do not love the Lord and our fellow men. If we do not pray and are unkind to others, we are surely not repentant."
"As we repent, the Atonement of Jesus Christ becomes fully effective in our lives, and the Lord forgives our sins. We become free from the ####### of our sins, and we find joy."
Alma's experience of repentance is so beautiful. I encourage you all to read it in the scriptures (Alma 36:12-14, 17-21)
"The prophets have declared that 'this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God' (Alma 34:34). We should repent now, every day. When we get up in the morning, we should examine ourselves to see whether the Spirit of God is with us. At night before we go to sleep, we should review our acts and words of the day and ask the Lord to help us recognize the things for which we need to repent. By repenting every day and having the Lord forgive our sins, we will experience the daily process of becoming perfect. As with Alma, our happiness and joy can sweet and exquisite."
So, with that brief explanation, let's move on to the rest of our lesson. We talked about the principles of repentance. Let's review:
1) We must recognize our sins: "To repent, we must admit to ourselves that we have sinned. If we do not admit this, we cannot repent. In Alma we read 'Let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance....Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point.' (Alma 42:29-30) We should not justify our sins and make excuses."
2)We must feel sorrow for our sins: " In addition to recognizing our sins, we must feel sincere sorrow for what we have done. We must feel that our sins are terrible. We must want to unload and abandon them." And I would add that feeling "Godly sorrow" is very different from feeling "sorry." When you feel Godly sorrow you feel so unworthy, horrible, you want to crawl in a hole and die. You wish that the earth would just swallow you up and hide you and put you out of your misery. And yes I am speaking from personal experience. That experience alone has made me feel that I will NEVER do what I did again. Just saying sorry and promising not to do it again doesn't work if you truly do not feel sorrow.
3)We must forsake our sins: "Our sincere sorrow should lead us to forsake (stop) our sins....THe Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, "By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins-behold, he will confess them and forsake them" (D&C 58:43).
4)We must confess our sins: "...The Lord has commanded us to confess our sins. Confession relieves a heavy burden from the sinner. The Lord has promised, "I, the Lord, forgive sins, and am merciful unto those who confess their sins with humble hearts" (D&C 61:2). We must confess all our sins to the Lord. In addition, we must confess serious sins...which might affect our standing in the Church, to the proper priesthood authority. If we have sinned against another person, we should confess to the person we have injured. Some less serious sins involve no one but ourselves and the Lord. These may be confessed privately to the Lord.
5)We must make restitution: Part of repentance is to make restitution. This means that as much as possible we must make right any wrong that we have done....As we do these things, God will not mention our sins to us when we are judged.
6)We must forgive others: A vital part of repentance is to forgive those who have sinned against us. The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully cleansed of all hate, bitterness, and bad feelings against other people. "Wherefor, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemnd bfore the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin" (D&C 64:9).
7) We must keep the commandments of God: "To make our repentance complete we must keep the commandments of the Lord. We are not fully repentant if we do not pay tithes or keep the Sabbath day holy or obey the Word of Wisdom. We are not prepentant if we do not sustain the authorities of the Church and do not love the Lord and our fellow men. If we do not pray and are unkind to others, we are surely not repentant."
"As we repent, the Atonement of Jesus Christ becomes fully effective in our lives, and the Lord forgives our sins. We become free from the ####### of our sins, and we find joy."
Alma's experience of repentance is so beautiful. I encourage you all to read it in the scriptures (Alma 36:12-14, 17-21)
"The prophets have declared that 'this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God' (Alma 34:34). We should repent now, every day. When we get up in the morning, we should examine ourselves to see whether the Spirit of God is with us. At night before we go to sleep, we should review our acts and words of the day and ask the Lord to help us recognize the things for which we need to repent. By repenting every day and having the Lord forgive our sins, we will experience the daily process of becoming perfect. As with Alma, our happiness and joy can sweet and exquisite."
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Faith in Jesus Christ
Ok, I know it has been a while since I've posted the lessons and don't worry, I'll spare you of recounting all of the ones I've missed. I'll just briefly go over last week's lesson and then proceed on to this week.
Last week: Sis. Kemp gave her very first Relief Society lesson. It was her turn as the first counselor to give her Presidency Message and she did a fantastic job! She spoke about judging others and how we should treat those who are trying to find their place in the Gospel. I loved her thought about using discernment and not judgement when we around others. We do need to be cautious and aware of our surroundings and our neighbors so as not to endanger ourselves and our families but we also need to treat others with kindness because we really do not know what their situations may be. The only one who truly knows what is in their heart and what they are dealing with is our Father in Heaven. So pray to Him and ask Him how you can help someone around you. We have many sisters who are trying to get their lives in order and come back to church. Some just go for Sacrament Meeting and others may come to Relief Society. Some you'll see come once a month and others may come a little more often. When ever you see a sister you don't know go over and say HI! I'm Sister so and so and it is so nice to have you here with us today. Would you like to sit by me? They will either politely decline or say YES! I would like that. Either way, no harm has been done and just that simple Hello has made a world of difference to them whether they join you or not. Nobody likes to feel alone and nobody likes to be judged. As Sis. Kemp said, "we judge ourselves the hardest"...we don't need others judging us as well.
Ok, now for this week's lesson. It was about Faith in our Savior. I sat in the back with my little baby and I loved that because I could see everyone's faces and what I saw today just astounded me! Every one was affected by this lesson one way or another. With Faith comes sacrifice and with obedience comes sacrifice. Some one made the comment on the scripture that says that after the trial of our faith come the blessings and made specific mention of that small word "trial." Faith is a trial but it's definitely worth it. We have to prove to the Lord that we believe in Him, His Son, His plan and what He has in store for us before we can receive the blessings. Tithing for me is one that is a "trial of my faith." It's a huge sacrifice for me to pay that every month but it's one that I can't live without because of the blessings and miracles that come to me and my family every month!
I would like to leave this week's post with a thought for you to ponder. Sis. Jana Starr (who, by the way, taught our lesson today) threw out a cosmic question and then gave us her answer. She wanted us to fill in the blank: Because of my faith... I fill this blank in with some of my answers...Because of my faith I am still going strong in the gospel even though my first Temple Marriage did not work out. Because of my faith I have four children. Because of my faith I have a testimony of tithing. Because of my faith I can be a wife, a mother and a Relief Society President all at the same time. Because of my faith I know that no matter what happens my Father in Heaven loves me and is always there to help me through my trials.
Now, I leave you to ponder this question in your own life this week.
Last week: Sis. Kemp gave her very first Relief Society lesson. It was her turn as the first counselor to give her Presidency Message and she did a fantastic job! She spoke about judging others and how we should treat those who are trying to find their place in the Gospel. I loved her thought about using discernment and not judgement when we around others. We do need to be cautious and aware of our surroundings and our neighbors so as not to endanger ourselves and our families but we also need to treat others with kindness because we really do not know what their situations may be. The only one who truly knows what is in their heart and what they are dealing with is our Father in Heaven. So pray to Him and ask Him how you can help someone around you. We have many sisters who are trying to get their lives in order and come back to church. Some just go for Sacrament Meeting and others may come to Relief Society. Some you'll see come once a month and others may come a little more often. When ever you see a sister you don't know go over and say HI! I'm Sister so and so and it is so nice to have you here with us today. Would you like to sit by me? They will either politely decline or say YES! I would like that. Either way, no harm has been done and just that simple Hello has made a world of difference to them whether they join you or not. Nobody likes to feel alone and nobody likes to be judged. As Sis. Kemp said, "we judge ourselves the hardest"...we don't need others judging us as well.
Ok, now for this week's lesson. It was about Faith in our Savior. I sat in the back with my little baby and I loved that because I could see everyone's faces and what I saw today just astounded me! Every one was affected by this lesson one way or another. With Faith comes sacrifice and with obedience comes sacrifice. Some one made the comment on the scripture that says that after the trial of our faith come the blessings and made specific mention of that small word "trial." Faith is a trial but it's definitely worth it. We have to prove to the Lord that we believe in Him, His Son, His plan and what He has in store for us before we can receive the blessings. Tithing for me is one that is a "trial of my faith." It's a huge sacrifice for me to pay that every month but it's one that I can't live without because of the blessings and miracles that come to me and my family every month!
I would like to leave this week's post with a thought for you to ponder. Sis. Jana Starr (who, by the way, taught our lesson today) threw out a cosmic question and then gave us her answer. She wanted us to fill in the blank: Because of my faith... I fill this blank in with some of my answers...Because of my faith I am still going strong in the gospel even though my first Temple Marriage did not work out. Because of my faith I have four children. Because of my faith I have a testimony of tithing. Because of my faith I can be a wife, a mother and a Relief Society President all at the same time. Because of my faith I know that no matter what happens my Father in Heaven loves me and is always there to help me through my trials.
Now, I leave you to ponder this question in your own life this week.
BECAUSE OF MY FAITH...
Monday, September 6, 2010
Bishop's Lesson
Last Sunday was the 5th Sunday and that means combined Relief Society and men with the Bishop at the helm! I had to step out and help my little one fall asleep so you are only getting what I heard (because my husband couldn't tell me what I missed...hmm).
The Bishop encourage us to be accepting of others and help those around us. We may not know what some people are dealing with but it's important to let them know that you are there for them if they ever need you. We have a lot of needs in this ward and we should all try to help out where we can and support each other. He also challenged us to bear our testimony in sacrament meeting at least once this year. Sisters, he said that sharing our testimony in Relief Society doesn't count (and he looked straight at me when he said that) so get up and share! It's important that we share our love for the gospel to help those around us but also to build up and strengthen your own testimony. Bro. Stauffer made the comment that he never heard his father bear his testimony. He heard it from his mother (all to often) but it kind of made him sad that he didn't hear it from his dad. He didn't realize until he was a little older that his father did indeed have a testimony. That made me stop and think of the last time my children heard me share my testimony in church and it was a long time ago. So, I was the first one up on Sunday to make my repentance and start anew! Take this challenge seriously and share your testimony every chance you get. Because if the people around us aren't hearing about the Savior and our Father in Heaven and the gospel from us, then they are hearing about "other" things from "other people." Open your arms and your hearts to those around you and see just how quickly they fill up!
The Bishop encourage us to be accepting of others and help those around us. We may not know what some people are dealing with but it's important to let them know that you are there for them if they ever need you. We have a lot of needs in this ward and we should all try to help out where we can and support each other. He also challenged us to bear our testimony in sacrament meeting at least once this year. Sisters, he said that sharing our testimony in Relief Society doesn't count (and he looked straight at me when he said that) so get up and share! It's important that we share our love for the gospel to help those around us but also to build up and strengthen your own testimony. Bro. Stauffer made the comment that he never heard his father bear his testimony. He heard it from his mother (all to often) but it kind of made him sad that he didn't hear it from his dad. He didn't realize until he was a little older that his father did indeed have a testimony. That made me stop and think of the last time my children heard me share my testimony in church and it was a long time ago. So, I was the first one up on Sunday to make my repentance and start anew! Take this challenge seriously and share your testimony every chance you get. Because if the people around us aren't hearing about the Savior and our Father in Heaven and the gospel from us, then they are hearing about "other" things from "other people." Open your arms and your hearts to those around you and see just how quickly they fill up!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
My Apologies and My Thanks
I want to extend my heartfelt apologies to everyone who reads this blog and to the teachers who teach the lessons. I have not been very faithful in writing this blog. As many of you know my life just got a little more interesting, but still that is no excuse. So for those who don't know the Relief Society Presidency was released and a new one has been called. Sis. Cara Childs (yes, that's me) was called as the President, Sis. Barbara Kemp as 1st counselor, Sis. Jan Chamberlin as 2nd counselor and Sis. Linda Fillmore as the Secretary. Please keep us in your prayers as we will need them these next few weeks as we come to know and understand what our new roles will be in this ward! I think I speak for everyone when I say THANK YOU to Sis. Kathryn Proctor, Sis. Aileen Makin and Sis. Margie Lindsay for all that you do and have done for the sisters of our ward!
Mothers and Daughters
This week's lesson was from brother Ballard's talk about Mother's and Daughters. One point that Sis. Schiess made significant to us was that underneath the main title of the talk it said that we need to listen and learn from each other. So on the board she made a list of what the daughters should do and what the mothers should do. The daughters are to follow the examples of their mothers. He encourages young women to look to their mothers and model their patterns, rather than look to women of the world as who they should follow and become. He tells them to "learn from her strengths, her courage, and her faithfulness. Listen to her....when it comes to matters of the heart and the things of the Lord, she has a wealth of knowledge." The second thing he encourages is for daughters to love their mothers. He says, "Respect her. Listen to her. Trust her. She has your best interests at heart. She cares about your eternal safety and happiness. So be kind to her. Be patient with her imperfections, for she has them. We all do."
Next came the counsel for the mothers. First he tells us to be the kind if example we want our daughters to follow. He tells us that not only do we need to tell them what to wear, how to act, what to do, but we need to SHOW them what to wear, how to act and what to do. I love what he says, "As mothers in Israel, you are your daughters' first line of defense against the wiles of the world." Man, that struck a chord with me and I felt the Spirit consume me testifying that this is true! My "protective Mother hen" inside just fluffed up her feathers and puffed up her chest ready to defend my children from whatever may come their way...
Ok, back to the lesson. He encourages to keep teaching even when we may think that they are not listening by quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson who said " What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." Powerful words to live by!
Next is to "find joy in nurturing children." Unfortunately so many women today do not find joy in nurturing. This is something I cannot comprehend, but have it in my own family. My sister works, not because she has to, but because (and by her own admission might I add) she tells me that she does not enjoy being home all day. I think now that her boys are a little older she is starting to realize all that she misses out on but that still does not change the fact that she believes she is "not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom." It breaks my heart. I love those moments that I refer to as "proud mommy moments." For instance when my children learn to read, or ride a bike, or when I'm at their dance recitals or soccer games. Those moments when truly only a mother could be proud. I love those moments and I thrive on them. I'm reminded just how much I really do enjoy being a mother when Maddie tells me that "this is the best day of my life," and I realize that it is a day that I have totally spent with my children and given ALL of my attention to them. I shared the moment when Maddie told me that when she becomes a mom like me she is going to let her children do whatever they want! I just smiled and told her that she will make a great mother.
We didn't have enough time to go through the entire talk ( as usual ) but Sis. Schiess reminded us that we need to watch what our young girls wear and teach them to be modest and WHY they should be modest. This is a great talk and it reawakened my passion for Motherhood and reminded me of it's importance. President Harold B. Lee said, "the most important...work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes."
Next came the counsel for the mothers. First he tells us to be the kind if example we want our daughters to follow. He tells us that not only do we need to tell them what to wear, how to act, what to do, but we need to SHOW them what to wear, how to act and what to do. I love what he says, "As mothers in Israel, you are your daughters' first line of defense against the wiles of the world." Man, that struck a chord with me and I felt the Spirit consume me testifying that this is true! My "protective Mother hen" inside just fluffed up her feathers and puffed up her chest ready to defend my children from whatever may come their way...
Ok, back to the lesson. He encourages to keep teaching even when we may think that they are not listening by quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson who said " What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." Powerful words to live by!
Next is to "find joy in nurturing children." Unfortunately so many women today do not find joy in nurturing. This is something I cannot comprehend, but have it in my own family. My sister works, not because she has to, but because (and by her own admission might I add) she tells me that she does not enjoy being home all day. I think now that her boys are a little older she is starting to realize all that she misses out on but that still does not change the fact that she believes she is "not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom." It breaks my heart. I love those moments that I refer to as "proud mommy moments." For instance when my children learn to read, or ride a bike, or when I'm at their dance recitals or soccer games. Those moments when truly only a mother could be proud. I love those moments and I thrive on them. I'm reminded just how much I really do enjoy being a mother when Maddie tells me that "this is the best day of my life," and I realize that it is a day that I have totally spent with my children and given ALL of my attention to them. I shared the moment when Maddie told me that when she becomes a mom like me she is going to let her children do whatever they want! I just smiled and told her that she will make a great mother.
We didn't have enough time to go through the entire talk ( as usual ) but Sis. Schiess reminded us that we need to watch what our young girls wear and teach them to be modest and WHY they should be modest. This is a great talk and it reawakened my passion for Motherhood and reminded me of it's importance. President Harold B. Lee said, "the most important...work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes."
ADULT DUTCH OVEN DINNER
Don't forget that Friday August 27 is the Adult Dutch Oven Dinner. It will be at the Harbor Pavillion and for those that are cooking in their dutch ovens the coals will be ready at 6. Those that are just coming for the food or are bringing something not cooked in a dutch oven the dinner will start at 7. However, you can come at 6 for chit-chatting and friends. Please come and invite your neighbors to come too!
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