Lesson June 16th

LESSON 11:  "I SEEK NOT MINE OWN WILL, BUT THE WILL OF MY FATHER"

The lesson was given by Jana Harris. 

 

Jana started the lesson by asking "What is God's Will for Us?"    When we seek out the will of the Father and act in alignment with what He would have us do, then every act we perform will be a success.  But for the people of the Gospel as a whole, there can be NO failure, because the Gospel is aligned with the will of God.  When something does not turn out the way we want it, we perceive that as a failure.  But every challenge adds to our learning and every lesson gives us strength, especially when we are aligned with the will of God and what He would have us do. 

 

In Alma 26:12 we read:  "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in His strength I can do all things;..."

 

Our Savior was meek and lowly of heart, acknowledging that all of his capabilities were a "gift from the Father".  All WE have and all we are are also "gifts from the Father".  We each have different strengths and different gifts. 

 

Neal A. Maxwell is quoted in the August 2000 Ensign:  "The submission of ones will is the unique thing that we have to place upon the alter of God."  Everything else that we have was a gift FROM God. 

 

D&C 88: 67-68:  " If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you, and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things.  Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your mings become single to God."  

 

Many of us are met with challenges and difficulties that seem overwhelming.  We need not depend upon our own strength to meet these challenges, but upon the strength and might of the gospel.  We cannot always do what we would like to do, but we shall have the power to do that which we SHOULD do.  The Lord will give us the power to do this. 

 

Suggestions from the Sisters on some of the ways that we can keep our "eyes single to the glory of God":  

       1.   seeking the witness and companionship of the Holy Ghost

       2.   Study the scriptures and pray for guidance

       3.   Recalling the words of the primary hymn: "If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?" 

       4.   Teaching our children gospel principles EVERY day through our example and by making use of captive time (such as when they are in the car with us)

       5.   Keeping your own heart in the right attitude allows you to pass this attitude and feeling on to your children (Fill your own bucket so that you have the spirit to give.)

 

Jana suggested that we meet challenges, set backs, and perceived failures by:

        1.  Trusting in the Lord.  The more difficult the challenge, the more we have to Trust in His will.

        2.  Think in longer terms... see the "Big Picture".  Escpecially with personal challenges such as a job loss, a wayward child, or other things that seem overwhelming at the moment, trust that things will get better and the reasons

              for our challenges will become more clear. 

 

Several Sisters shared experiences where they struggled with personal challenges and feel peace when they accepted that the circumstances were the will of the Lord.  Listening to the Spirit and following its promptings will simplify our lives, bringing peace, calm and patience. 

 

Jana closed with a quote from President Snow: 

 

"We came into the world for a great purpose, the same as Jesus, our elder brother, to do the will and works of our Father; in this there is peace, joy and happiness, an increase of wisdom, knowledge and the power or God; outside of this are no promised blessings.  Thus let us devote ourselves to righteousness, help each and all to be better and happier; do good to all and evil to none; honor God and obey His Priesthood; cultivate and preserve an enlightened conscience and follow the Holy Spirit; faint not, hold fast to what is good, endure to the end, and your cup of joy shall be full even to overflowing, for great shall be your reward for your trials and your sufferings under temptations, your fiery ordeals, your heart yearnings, and tears; yea, our God will give you a crown of unfading glory!" 

Come into the Temples

This amazing lesson was taught by Vicki Drummond

The lesson was started with a beautiful musical number by some of the youth who joined together and sang "The Spirit of God".  

Then we were all given invitations to come to the temple.  On the back of our invitations some of us were given rolls and names.  The room was divided in half: one half represented heaven and the other half represented earth.  All the people in heaven stood and different people on earth read the history of their ancestors and then explained that they were going to do their ancestor's temple work.  Those people in heaven who had their work done got to sit down.  There were some though in heaven who stood nameless and did not have the opportunity at the time to have their work done.  

How would it feel if someone did the work for your family or you?

How would it feel to be waiting for so long to have your work done and not be found?

How does it feel to be the one doing this saving work for those beyond the veil?

 

Sister Betsey Jones was one of those left standing when the activity was over, she did not have her work done.  She said that after a couple of people reading their scripts she could tell what was going on.  Looking at the back of her invitation she knew she didn't have a script and therefore her work would not be done.  She said it felt very lonely and she felt a sense of dread.

 

Sister Rose Sommers was also standing on the side of those waiting in heaven.  She said she had been convinced to wear a pair of her daughter's shoes to church that day and standing was very uncomfortable.  She related those feelings to the waiting that those on the other side of veil feel as they ache to be with their families. 

People who are not baptized in this life must remain in "Spirit Prison" until they are baptized.  

Attend the temple!!!

It's a great labor to be involved in!

In the next life we will meet our families and if we have not done our part in doing their work it will not be a happy meeting and we will not be happy with ourselves.

It is our responsibility to give our family members the chance to be bound together for eternity.

They that HEAR shall live.

During the War, a US marine was separated from his unit.  The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades

Alone in the hills, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. 

As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." 

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one.." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. 

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Ha, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web.God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.

Spider webs are strong although sometimes they are hard to see.

Even though we cannot see the bonds of family history work they are ties that are stronger than death and last throughout eternity.

This is why we are here now and this is what our purpose is.

 

Sister Julie Wilkinson, wife of our Stake President, shared her testimony that this is what the Lord wants us to do in this place at this time.  As her husband struggled to know what message the Lord wanted him to share with the stake for stake conference, President Wilkinson felt a clear message that doing work for our kindred dead was of the upmost importance.  If you were at the adult session of stake conference you know that the entire meeting was devoted to this topic.

The time is now- get to the temple!

 

 

NEXT WEEK: Chapter 11: "I Seek not Mine Own Will, but the Will of the Father."

PriceMatching Night Relief Society Meeting

Thursday June 6th we had a great time learning about different ways we can organize our dinners and save money on groceries.

Angela Webb talked to us about organizing a dinner group.  The idea is that three or four families commit to cook for each other once a week. So if Angela is signed up for Monday and there are three families in the group, she makes three family sized servings of her meal and delivers it by a designated time to each family.  Then Angela doesn't have to worry about what is for dinner for the next two nights!  Dinner is all prepped, but not necessarily completely cooked.  The recipient may need to put it in the oven, steam some vegetables, or cook some rice.  That way your family can eat when it is right for you and the pressure of delivering multiple meals while they are hot is reduced.  It is all about personalities in these groups.  The ladies meet together to discuss the menu and any family can veto a meal being repeated--no hurt feelings allowed.  There are several women in the ward that have been doing this for a long time and love it!  Click Here for some of the recipes Angela likes to use for her dinner group.

Sue Spencer spoke a little about preparing 50 meals in one day. This is a way to build up meals to keep in the freezer so you will always have something on hand.  That is extra helpful when compassionate service comes calling needing your help.  Click here to see her handout.  She suggested another approach would be to double your meal everyday for one month and put one in the freezer.  At the end of the month you have a great collection on hand.

Rachel Turner spoke about price matching your groceries at Wal-Mart.  She has a FREE website called www.pricematchwithrachel.com  There she gathers all the grocery ads from 10 different stores and analyzes them for the best price.  Then she categorizes the ads: Dairy, Fruits, Crackers and Snacks, etc.  She tells you what the product is, what it is on sale for, and where it is on sale.  Then you can go to that store or you can go to Wal-Mart and get all the deals in one place.  On her website she has articles and blogs where she walks you through step by step how to price match at Wal-Mart.  She also has general shopping tips.  If a store brand is on sale at another store you can substitute it with the Great Value brand at Wal-Mart.  She suggests starting at the back of the store and moving forward, so that you are by the cash registers when you are done.  She also suggests keeping the food in your cart in the same categories that you are price matching so you can just read down your list.  Finally she suggests you have a second cart at checkout so that groceries can be loaded into the empty cart while you give the cashier your information.  When as the cashier rings up your food items you say, "This XXXX is on sale at (Store Name) for $$$$"  Example, "This milk, Smiths, for $1.99"

Rachel's website is 1 year old and has 30,000 followers already.  She talked about the circumstances that led up to her starting this project and her testimony that the Lord is blessing her as she tries to help others.  She has a facebook page where she always answers questions and she WILL Help you do this.  She saves 30-50% on her groceries without using coupons.  Her website is fully updated every Wednesday but she updates some of the stores on Monday if they change their ads then.

On the recipe tab I have added the recipes from that night that we sampled--at least the ones I have so far.  I will ad more as they become available to me.

We want to thank everyone that made this night happen.  We had a great time!  The committee is wonderful and thank you to all those that brought food items to share. 

Becoming a Woman of Strength by Sue Spencer

The lesson on "Becoming Women of Strength" was given by Sue Spencer. 

 

Sue started the lesson by having two sisters dramatize individuals who felt inferior because they were comparing their weaknesses to someone else's strengths. 

 

Suggestions from the Sisters on some of the ways the world and the culture we live in seem to plot together to make us feel inferior:

       1.  Commercials on TV and in Magazines - Unrealistic expectations

       2.   Pinterest - the Martha Stewart of the Internet

       3.   Over-committing ourselves - trying to do too much 

       4.   Neglecting our spiritual growth

       5.   Quest for perfection... never satisfied

 

Sue suggested that we see all the things that other people are doing and it makes us feel inadequate, but we never see all of the things that they are NOT doing.  Then Sue and Valorie Forester performed a "Rap Song" of the Overwhelming List of "Shoulds" that we all think we "should" be doing.  (This rap song was really fun and you "should" ask Sue and Valorie to sing it for you if you missed it!)

 

Sue went on to explain that each of us have done a lot of things right already.  We know that in Heaven, we were on the right side and we fought on the side of truth.  We kept our First Estate and we have been blessed with the task of strengthening the next generation who will need our help to meet the challenges that they will face.  Mother's touch the heart and soul of their children. 

 

Suggestions from Sue and the Sisters in answer to the question "How can we be more Valiant in our callings?" were:

 

    1.  Read the scriptures.  Don't just read, but ponder their message and consider the challenges of the people who wrote those verses.  How do the scriptures relate to us and our challenges?

    2.  Guard your thoughts.  Change negative thoughts to positive as soon as you notice them. 

    3.  Focus on your blessings and the good things in your life.

    4.  Use the Spirit to choose between good/better/best options in your life.  Prioritize and let some of the unnecessary activities go.

    5.  Satan uses distractions to keep us from doing those things that are the most important in our lives.

    6.  Focus on one thing at a time and do it the best that you can.  No one can do everything!

    7.  PRAY!

 

Listening to the Spirit and following its promptings can simplify our lives, bringing peace, calm and patience.  It will help us make better decisions and to follow through on those things that have the most Eternal value. 

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path."

 

Sue closed with the story of the canary and the vacuum.  Sue's Aunt had a pet canary that she dearly loved.  The canary loved the vacuum cleaner and would sing whenever the vacuum cleaner was turned on.  One day, while her Aunt was vacuuming, she did not notice that the bird cage had been left open and as she cleaned the top of the drapes, the canary was sucked into he vacuum cleaner.  She quickly shut off the machine and she could hear the bird, still singing as she quickly opened the dust bag and pulled the bird from the thick dirt.  The bird continued to sing quite happily as he rescued, even though she found that the bird had been entirely stripped of his feather! 

 

Sue asked us to each sing our own song, loudly and clearly and not let daily challenges stop us!  The Lord will help you make the right choices.  You don't have to do it all!

Sacred Family Relationships Lesson

May 19th, 2013

 

The lesson was "Sacred Family Relationships" and was given by Mary Ally.

"They do not love who do not show their love." Mary advised us to distinguish between what is important and with is not...with the people around us being our top priority. She quoted William Shakespear who admonished us to "Fill our days with the things that count the most." To send a note, hug our kids, hug our parents, say I love you more. And to never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. She suggested that we endeavor to be more personal in our communications with a hand-written note or telephone call instead of a text or an email.

Demonstrating the importance that President Lorenzo Snow placed on family, he gathered all of his posterity together to celebrate his 70th birthday. With written notes he urged them all to not let anything interfere with their attendance. He made all of the arrangements and planned all of the activities because family was so very important to him. They closed their reunion with President Snow offering a blessing for all of them and his plea for each of them that they not deviate from path. His heart was filled to overflowing with the joy of the occasion.

Think of someone you KNOW love you. How do you know? What do they do that makes you feel that?

Now, think of someone with whom you need to improve your relationship. What is not working here? How could you improve it?

Sister Ally came from a family of 8 children. Her parents were converts and believed in a big family. She shared her heartfelt experience of dealing with a brother born with OCD who does not live in reality. He experiences pain and frustration and even tends to become violent because he is not understood. It is difficult to communicate with him. She shared her feelings as she has realized that even though this brother's mind is broken, she will someday be held accountable for how she treats him. She has gained a testimony that this is a real relationship and it is eternal. "I will face him in the next life and I want to be proud of how I treated him here."

Suggestions from the Sisters on ways we can strengthen our relationships:

1. Do what you can to assist others, but resist the guilt if they are not doing what you would have them do.

2. Do not judge others, let others find their way, and help by serving as a good example.

3. Set your priorities, nourish your relationships, especially with the members of your family.

Sister Ally added the we should not hold grudges, but forgive others if they have offended us. She quoted Elder Jeffrey Holland who said that holding a grudge is like drinking a quart of pickle juice. You experience all of the bitterness yourself.

The associations we form here on Earth will exist in the eternal world. Ties formed here will strengthen in the next life. We are here to support each other. Each of us have our own pain. We can overcome our challenges and experience joy through the Atonement.

Wives, be faithful to your husbands. Put up with their faults because we have as many weaknesses as they do. Resist the temptation to criticize as that will chip away at the solid foundation of a relationship. See each other "as they can become". View every man as the offspring of our Nobel Father Adam. All are Sons of God. And every woman as the offspring of our Nobel Mother, Eve.

Heleman 5:12: Build your foundation upon the rock of our Redeemer, and when the storms come, the Devil shall have no power over you.

Sister Ally admonished us to ask Heavenly Father to help us deal with all of our relationships in a loving manner. The Atonement is all about family.