Next weeks lesson (May 9th) is taken from Chapter 9 in the Gospel Principles Manual, entitled "Prophets of God". I found this inspiring talk by President Ezra Taft Benson on You Tube titled "Follow the Prophet". It's not the same lesson we'll get next week, but it is a wonderful complement to it, and I highly recommend you take a moment to sit....breathe....and listen.....
Wasn't that great!
On another note, the Relief Society is often called to help feed families-in-need in our ward. Since we don't have a Bishop's storehouse to use, we as a Presidency felt impressed upon to start a Relief Society store cupboard to use in emergencies. We humbly encourage each sister to bring one can of food to donate to the store cupboard each month. Just one can. It can be soup, baked beans, meat...whatever you like. By little things, great things happen. We hope this will help spread the responsibility for welfare among everyone, relieving the pressure off the same sisters who always respond to the call from our Bishop. Thank you so much.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
March 2010 General Conference
Click the link below to go to the official Church Website for the transcripts of the March General Conference. You can read, watch or listen to all the talks.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
He Lives
Hi Sisters! Are you coming to our Relief Society activity on the 9th of April? Sister Talisa is going to give a fascinating talk on how we can use wheat, rice, milk powder, water, and salt and how we can store them too. I'm looking forward to this, as I'm only just starting my store cupboard. Storing food is one thing - actually knowing how to USE it is another.
After Sister Talisa's lesson, we're going to do a service project for our Primary. They need chair covers for the kids chairs, so they know which classes sit where. Sister Siteine is providing the pillowcases (but if you have some plain spare ones at home please do bring them too), and we will do the sewing and decorating. If you have a sewing machine at home please bring it along, as well as some thread and cutting scissors.
If you're not into sewing, please still come along and enjoy a night out with us. It's important that we continue to build friendships and get to know each other. We constantly have new sisters coming into our ward, so this is a good opportunity to get to know them in a casual environment.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Inspirational quotes
“What a different world and Church this would be if every Latter-day Saint sister excelled at making, renewing, and keeping covenants; if every sister qualified for a temple recommend and worshipped more often in temples; if every sister studied the scriptures and doctrines of Christ and knew them so well that she could teach and defend those doctrines at any time or place. Think of our combined strength if every sister…prayed unceasingly as the Lord has commanded. If every family had family prayer daily and had a family home evening once a week, we would be stronger. If every sister was self-reliant enough to be able to give freely of her knowledge, talents, and resources and if every sister’s discipleship was reflected by what she said and what she wore, we would be immovable in that which is correct.” (Julie B. Beck, What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable, Ensign, Nov 2007)
“Sisters, strengthen yourselves by seeking the source of true strength—the Savior. Come unto him. He loves you. He desires your happiness and exults in your desires for righteousness. Make him your strength, your daily companion, your rod and your staff. Let him comfort you. There is no burden we need bear alone. His grace compensates for our deficiencies. Your strength will strengthen others—your children, your husband, your friends, and your sisters in the gospel. That strength will flow back from them to you when you need it.” (Chieko N. Okazaki, Strength in the Savior, Ensign, Nov. 1993)
“Each of us has a vital role, even a sacred mission to perform as a daughter in Zion. It is a new day, the dawning of a new era. It is our time, and it is our destiny to rejoice as we fill the earth with greater kindness and gentleness, greater love and compassion, greater sympathy and empathy than has ever been known before. It is time to give ourselves to the Master and allow Him to lead us into fruitful fields where we can enrich a world filled with darkness and misery. Each of us, no matter who we are, no matter where we serve, must arise amd make the most of each opportunity that comes. We must follow the counsel given by the Lord and His servants and make our homes houses of prayer and havens of security and safety. We can and must deepen our faith by increasing our obedience and sacrifice. In this individual process a miracle will take place. The Relief Society will begin to stretch and reach out to the millions in need. It will continue to become an organization that brings relief and rejoicing. This will happen one sister at a time. We will unite in our righteousness and truly partake of the fruit of the tree of life together. The fruits of our labors can heal the world, and, sisters, in the process they can heal us too!” (Mary Ellen Smoot, Rejoice, Daughters of Zion, Ensign, Nov 1999)
“Sisters, strengthen yourselves by seeking the source of true strength—the Savior. Come unto him. He loves you. He desires your happiness and exults in your desires for righteousness. Make him your strength, your daily companion, your rod and your staff. Let him comfort you. There is no burden we need bear alone. His grace compensates for our deficiencies. Your strength will strengthen others—your children, your husband, your friends, and your sisters in the gospel. That strength will flow back from them to you when you need it.” (Chieko N. Okazaki, Strength in the Savior, Ensign, Nov. 1993)
“Each of us has a vital role, even a sacred mission to perform as a daughter in Zion. It is a new day, the dawning of a new era. It is our time, and it is our destiny to rejoice as we fill the earth with greater kindness and gentleness, greater love and compassion, greater sympathy and empathy than has ever been known before. It is time to give ourselves to the Master and allow Him to lead us into fruitful fields where we can enrich a world filled with darkness and misery. Each of us, no matter who we are, no matter where we serve, must arise amd make the most of each opportunity that comes. We must follow the counsel given by the Lord and His servants and make our homes houses of prayer and havens of security and safety. We can and must deepen our faith by increasing our obedience and sacrifice. In this individual process a miracle will take place. The Relief Society will begin to stretch and reach out to the millions in need. It will continue to become an organization that brings relief and rejoicing. This will happen one sister at a time. We will unite in our righteousness and truly partake of the fruit of the tree of life together. The fruits of our labors can heal the world, and, sisters, in the process they can heal us too!” (Mary Ellen Smoot, Rejoice, Daughters of Zion, Ensign, Nov 1999)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Charity: An example of the believers
Wow, OK, sorry for not updating this more regularly. I found this beautiful video on the LDS YouTube channel today and had to share:
Friday, February 5, 2010
The window through which we look
A young couple moved into a new neighborhood
The next morning while they were eating breakfast,
The young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
'That laundry is not very clean,' she said.
'She doesn't know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.'
Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
The young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a
Nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:
'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this.'
The husband said, 'I got up early this morning and
Cleaned our windows.'
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others
Depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
(I found this little life lesson courtesy of Purple Diva's blog).
The next morning while they were eating breakfast,
The young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
'That laundry is not very clean,' she said.
'She doesn't know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.'
Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
The young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a
Nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:
'Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this.'
The husband said, 'I got up early this morning and
Cleaned our windows.'
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others
Depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
(I found this little life lesson courtesy of Purple Diva's blog).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Let your light shine
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Maryanne Williamson
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Family Home Evening Inspiration
I came across this article today in the Meridian Magazine and wanted to share:
Welcome, Welcome 2010!
By C.S. Bezas
Many homes celebrated Christmas this past week. But how much of a focus was on the birth of Him who came to redeem, even Jesus Christ? Perhaps the reality of His advent has not been seen by some hearts. Do your children understand how anciently His coming has been foretold? This Family Home Evening lesson uses a set of binoculars, a piece of paper and the scriptures to bring to sight Christ's earthly presence in the minds of your children. Time for some FHE Fun!
Opening Song: #46 Who Is the Child?
Opening Prayer: By invitation.
Devotional: Time for a quiet moment of testimony sharing. Has a scripture touched the life of anyone in the family this past week? Simple moments like these can be some of the sweetest in the weekly lives of children. Powerful and potent, a weekly FHE Devotional (or even a nightly one) can arm our children with strength in this virulent and dangerous world.
Activity:
Items needed:
- binoculars (easily obtained through a sports fan or a hunting friend)
- piece of paper
- scriptures
Ask a child to come forward and look through a pair of binoculars. Then ask, "What do you see?" How can the power of binoculars change our vision? In other words, how do they help us see something more clearly that is far off? Allow everyone in the room to try out the binoculars.
Ask another volunteer to come forward. Hold a piece of paper flatly and in front of their face, obstructing their vision with it. Now let them roll it into a tube and look through it. How does rolling the paper into a tube help them focus on the important things in the room? Let the others try it also.
Hold up a set of scriptures. Ask how the scriptures help a person to see distant things more clearly. What must we do so that the scriptures work for us, helping us see ourselves and life plainly? How do we sometimes prevent the scriptures from working for us? (see this resource and also 1 Nephi 18:12-21) How does prayer, sincere desire and repentance help our scripture study?
Application:
In closing, ask "What is the most important message the scriptures hold?" Once family members have shared their important thoughts, share that the knowledge that Jesus Christ is real, and actually came to earth, will shape their lives more deeply than any other thing. This is the visual clarity scriptures hold for each life. And once each person uses their scriptures effectively, the reality of Jesus Christ remains focused and eternity draws close...just like the binoculars brings far off items into closer view.
To finish off the lesson, select three for four scriptures from the following list to show Christ's coming had been known for ages and had many witnesses (the full table is available at this link).
- Isa. 7: 14 (2 Ne. 17: 14) virgin shall conceive, and bear a son.
- Isa. 9: 6 (2 Ne. 19: 6) unto us a child is born.
- Micah 5: 2 Bethlehem . . . out of thee shall he come forth.
- Matt. 1: 23 virgin shall . . . bring forth a son . . . Emmanuel.
- Matt. 2: 1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
- Luke 1: 31 bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.
- Luke 2: 11 unto you is born this day . . . a Saviour, which is Christ.
- John 1: 14 (John 1: 3) Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
- Rom. 1: 3 Jesus . . . made of the seed of David.
- Gal. 4: 4 God sent . . . Son, made of a woman.
- 1 Ne. 10: 4 (1 Ne. 19: 8; 2 Ne. 25: 19) six hundred years . . . God raise up among the Jews even a Messiah.
- 1 Ne. 11: 18 mother of the Son of God.
- 2 Ne. 26: 3 signs given . . . of his birth.
- Alma 7: 10 he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem.
- Hel. 14: 4 sign . . . before he is born.
- 3 Ne. 1: 19 day that the Lord should be born.
- D&C 20: 1 since the coming of our Lord . . . in the flesh.
- D&C 76: 41 he came into the world, even Jesus.
- D&C 93: 4 I . . . made flesh my tabernacle.
- Moses 5: 57 (Moses 6: 57-62) Son . . . should come in the meridian of time.
Closing Song: #42 Away In a Manger
Closing Prayer: By invitation.
Refreshments: Candy canes stirred in hot chocolate could serve as an excellent refreshment for tonight's Family Home Evening. The sweet treats are abundantly available at this time of year and this link explains the fables and legends behind them.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Merry Christmas!
So how was your Christmas? I hope it was filled with the Saviour's Love and many blessings for your family. I meant to post this YouTube clip last week but life got pretty hectic for a while there. So here it is. Sit back, listen and enjoy...
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Temple Lights
Our Relief Society bus trip to the Hamilton Temple yesterday was just wonderful. Those of us who wanted to do a temple session did so, while the others toured the visitors centre down below. We came out of the temple just in time to hear the choir start singing. It was a childrens choir this night and their voices were beautiful. It's been a few years since some of us had seen the temple lights, so it really was a lovely experience to be there again with friends. This is a photo I found on the net, because I forgot to take my camera. I saw Nancy with hers though, so we'll see if she can get us some copies for the blog.
What a great time we all had, and going down and back on the bus enabled us to relax, enjoy the ride and spend time talking and laughing with our fellow sisters. I hope we do this again next year - I'll be the first to book my seat.
What a great time we all had, and going down and back on the bus enabled us to relax, enjoy the ride and spend time talking and laughing with our fellow sisters. I hope we do this again next year - I'll be the first to book my seat.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Christmas Craftiness
I had a lot of fun at our last RS Activity. Making Christmas decorations is always a good activity to do, and I could see that everyone who attended had a good time.
We had 3 mini classes. The first was helping Sister Talisa prepare decorations for our Ward Christmas Party. She is a very organised lady our Sister Talisa, and she had a production line working in no time, managing to complete all the decorations by the end of the evening. Yay! Thanks to everyone who helped out there.
The second class involved making the cuuuutest little lollipop angels with Sister Irene Lee Lo. I need a photo of that too, so if someone has one can you send it to me please? I could see the sisters proudly carrying around their wee angels afterwards, and wished I had time to participate in that class.
The third class was with me, making mini gingerbread houses out of biscuits. This was a lot of fun, (and challenging for some when their walls collapsed due to incorrect construction). All was rectified though, and we had a wide range of little houses covered in icing and lollies by the end of the night. I had a case of laryngitis that night too, so my instructions were probably not as well heard as they would normally have been, but the sisters did really well. I had to keep reassuring them that the first attempt was rarely a masterpiece, and that their 2nd attempt at home would be much better. :) Here is the house I did, and a non-lolly version my husband created. I love the little snowman in his front yard.
I took my camera to the activity with me, intending to photograph the sisters houses, but completely forgot. Sorry! For the houses we just used the Budget Brand "Nice" biscuits. They're rectangle shaped, already sprinkled with sugar, and they don't break easily, so perfect for making houses. The icing is just icing sugar, food colouring, water and a little melted butter. You don't want the icing too runny or your decorations fall off. What do you think? Cute huh.
There are soooo many cute crafty things on the net. Here are some of my favourites you should try with your kids. Click on the title or the photo to go to the various websites with instructions on how to make them:
Candy Cane Reindeer (These are the ones my kids made last week. Super easy.)
Paper heart ornaments
Paper flower ornaments (Note: the instructions say to use double sided sticky tape, but I used a regular glue stick and it worked fine)
Cardboard star (made from a toilet paper roll believe it or not)
Christmas mice ornaments Mmmm, cute and tasty...can't beat that.
Reindeer Craft Treat Holder (This photo is actually of the reindeer my 3 year old and I did. Her hand prints make up the antlers on the bigger pot).
Marshmellow snowmen treats (I'd love to try this one but for some reason I just don't have the knack of melting chocolate. Not in my genes apparently)
We had 3 mini classes. The first was helping Sister Talisa prepare decorations for our Ward Christmas Party. She is a very organised lady our Sister Talisa, and she had a production line working in no time, managing to complete all the decorations by the end of the evening. Yay! Thanks to everyone who helped out there.
The second class involved making the cuuuutest little lollipop angels with Sister Irene Lee Lo. I need a photo of that too, so if someone has one can you send it to me please? I could see the sisters proudly carrying around their wee angels afterwards, and wished I had time to participate in that class.
The third class was with me, making mini gingerbread houses out of biscuits. This was a lot of fun, (and challenging for some when their walls collapsed due to incorrect construction). All was rectified though, and we had a wide range of little houses covered in icing and lollies by the end of the night. I had a case of laryngitis that night too, so my instructions were probably not as well heard as they would normally have been, but the sisters did really well. I had to keep reassuring them that the first attempt was rarely a masterpiece, and that their 2nd attempt at home would be much better. :) Here is the house I did, and a non-lolly version my husband created. I love the little snowman in his front yard.
I took my camera to the activity with me, intending to photograph the sisters houses, but completely forgot. Sorry! For the houses we just used the Budget Brand "Nice" biscuits. They're rectangle shaped, already sprinkled with sugar, and they don't break easily, so perfect for making houses. The icing is just icing sugar, food colouring, water and a little melted butter. You don't want the icing too runny or your decorations fall off. What do you think? Cute huh.
There are soooo many cute crafty things on the net. Here are some of my favourites you should try with your kids. Click on the title or the photo to go to the various websites with instructions on how to make them:
Candy Cane Reindeer (These are the ones my kids made last week. Super easy.)
Paper heart ornaments
Paper flower ornaments (Note: the instructions say to use double sided sticky tape, but I used a regular glue stick and it worked fine)
Cardboard star (made from a toilet paper roll believe it or not)
Christmas mice ornaments Mmmm, cute and tasty...can't beat that.
Reindeer Craft Treat Holder (This photo is actually of the reindeer my 3 year old and I did. Her hand prints make up the antlers on the bigger pot).
Marshmellow snowmen treats (I'd love to try this one but for some reason I just don't have the knack of melting chocolate. Not in my genes apparently)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Preparing for Christmas
I thought I would share with you today, a little project I've been working on:
This year I wanted to make the build up to Christmas something special for my kids, and at the same time start some new traditions. My girls are 6 and 3 now, and old enough to be excited about all the little things that happen at this time of year. I wanted to take the focus away from the commercial side of things, and focus more on family and Christ. To that end, I made up an Advent Calendar that has a different family activity to do each day leading up to Christmas. I searched the internet for activity ideas, and found THIS site to be most helpful.
I printed off the list of activities and sat down with my 6yr old. Together we picked activities that suited us, and added a few more of our own. Here is the list we decided on (in no particular order):
1. Set up and decorate the Christmas Tree
2. Sing Christmas carols together then eat yummy cookies
3. Go shopping and allow each child to pick out a new ornament
4. Host a family game night
5. Build a Ginger bread house
6. Have a backwards dinner (start with dessert first)
7. Bake cookies together
8. Coloring night...each year color in the same book and date it
9. Make Christmas cards
10. Movie night….popcorn and yummy treats
11. Go for a ride and look at all the decorated houses
12. Have dinner by the Christmas tree picnic style
13. Christmas Crafts
14. Special Dessert night
15. Help a family in need ...choose ways to teach your children to give.
16. Tell the real Christmas story
17. Ice Cream night ..make sundaes or go out
18. Take kids shopping for Daddy or Siblings or Grand Parents
19. Wrap gifts…. kids love to help
20. More Christmas crafts
21. Elf hunt (treasure hunt)
22. Let your kids decorate their bedrooms
23. Learn about another Countries traditions
24. Christmas stories with milo and smores
25. Have a slumber party by the tree
Once we decided on our activities I used photoshop to make the advent calendar, printed it onto cardstock and cut out the little flaps. All I had to do then was glue the cover to the back piece with a glue stick.
And here it is after I framed it today:
Now how excited do you think my girls are to get started tomorrow! The activities are all very easy ones - not much planning needed - and a lot of them are things we normally do in December anyway. Having it on a calendar though makes it so much more special. The girls will open a new window each morning to find out what activity we'll do that afternoon/evening, and if there's anything to prepare I can do that during the day.
If you don't have time to make an advent calendar like this, you can put each activity on a strip of paper and put the 25 strips into a jar with a ribbon wrapped around it. Each day the kids pick out a strip of paper to see what activity they'll have that night. Sound do-able? Go on, give it a try. I guarantee your kids will think the world of you.
Here is one of the Christmas Stories I will be teaching my girls.
Teach The Children
Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired, but content, into my easy chair.
The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn’t help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn’t long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep. I don’t know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn’t alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus, himself, standing next to my Christmas tree.
He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the “jolly old elf” of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed. And there were tears in his eyes. “Santa, what’s wrong?” I asked, “Why are you crying?” “It’s the children,” Santa replied sadly. “But Santa, the children love you,” I said. “Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them,” Santa said, “but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It’s not their fault. It’s just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children.”
“Teach them what?” I asked.
Santa’s kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. “Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent.”
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. “Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind’s thoughts should turn heavenward as well.”
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. “The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him.”
“Red,” said Santa, “is the first color of Christmas.” “He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God’s greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift.”
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. “Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep.”
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. “The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God’s son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ’s footsteps…to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what’s symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright shining lights, each of them representing one of God’s precious children’s light shining for all to see.”
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. “The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God’s promises. The candy cane form’s a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd’s crook, which He uses to reach down into all ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
Teach these things to the children.”
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. “The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ’s love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children.”
I asked, “But where does that leave you Santa?”
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa’s face. “Why bless you, my dear,” he laughed, “I’m only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I’ll ever be forgotten.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand.”
“That’s why I came,” said Santa. “You’re an adult. If you don’t teach the children these things, then who will?”
This year I wanted to make the build up to Christmas something special for my kids, and at the same time start some new traditions. My girls are 6 and 3 now, and old enough to be excited about all the little things that happen at this time of year. I wanted to take the focus away from the commercial side of things, and focus more on family and Christ. To that end, I made up an Advent Calendar that has a different family activity to do each day leading up to Christmas. I searched the internet for activity ideas, and found THIS site to be most helpful.
I printed off the list of activities and sat down with my 6yr old. Together we picked activities that suited us, and added a few more of our own. Here is the list we decided on (in no particular order):
1. Set up and decorate the Christmas Tree
2. Sing Christmas carols together then eat yummy cookies
3. Go shopping and allow each child to pick out a new ornament
4. Host a family game night
5. Build a Ginger bread house
6. Have a backwards dinner (start with dessert first)
7. Bake cookies together
8. Coloring night...each year color in the same book and date it
9. Make Christmas cards
10. Movie night….popcorn and yummy treats
11. Go for a ride and look at all the decorated houses
12. Have dinner by the Christmas tree picnic style
13. Christmas Crafts
14. Special Dessert night
15. Help a family in need ...choose ways to teach your children to give.
16. Tell the real Christmas story
17. Ice Cream night ..make sundaes or go out
18. Take kids shopping for Daddy or Siblings or Grand Parents
19. Wrap gifts…. kids love to help
20. More Christmas crafts
21. Elf hunt (treasure hunt)
22. Let your kids decorate their bedrooms
23. Learn about another Countries traditions
24. Christmas stories with milo and smores
25. Have a slumber party by the tree
Once we decided on our activities I used photoshop to make the advent calendar, printed it onto cardstock and cut out the little flaps. All I had to do then was glue the cover to the back piece with a glue stick.
And here it is after I framed it today:
Now how excited do you think my girls are to get started tomorrow! The activities are all very easy ones - not much planning needed - and a lot of them are things we normally do in December anyway. Having it on a calendar though makes it so much more special. The girls will open a new window each morning to find out what activity we'll do that afternoon/evening, and if there's anything to prepare I can do that during the day.
If you don't have time to make an advent calendar like this, you can put each activity on a strip of paper and put the 25 strips into a jar with a ribbon wrapped around it. Each day the kids pick out a strip of paper to see what activity they'll have that night. Sound do-able? Go on, give it a try. I guarantee your kids will think the world of you.
Here is one of the Christmas Stories I will be teaching my girls.
Teach The Children
Late one Christmas Eve, I sank back, tired, but content, into my easy chair.
The kids were in bed, the gifts were wrapped, the milk and cookies waited by the fireplace for Santa. As I sat back admiring the tree with its decorations, I couldn’t help feeling that something important was missing. It wasn’t long before the tiny twinkling tree lights lulled me to sleep. I don’t know how long I slept, but all of a sudden I knew that I wasn’t alone. I opened my eyes, and you can imagine my surprise when I saw Santa Claus, himself, standing next to my Christmas tree.
He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot just as the poem described him, but he was not the “jolly old elf” of Christmas legend. The man who stood before me looked sad and disappointed. And there were tears in his eyes. “Santa, what’s wrong?” I asked, “Why are you crying?” “It’s the children,” Santa replied sadly. “But Santa, the children love you,” I said. “Oh, I know they love me, and they love the gifts I bring them,” Santa said, “but the children of today seem to have somehow missed out on the true spirit of Christmas. It’s not their fault. It’s just that the adults, many of them not having been taught themselves, have forgotten to teach the children.”
“Teach them what?” I asked.
Santa’s kind old face became soft, more gentle. His eyes began to shine with something more than tears. He spoke softly. “Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Teach them that the part of Christmas we can see, hear, and touch is much more than meets the eye. Teach them the symbolism behind the customs and traditions of Christmas which we now observe. Teach them what it is they truly represent.”
Santa reached into his bag and pulled out a tiny Christmas tree and set it on my mantle. “Teach them about the Christmas tree. Green is the second color of Christmas. The stately evergreen, with its unchanging color, represents the hope of eternal life in Jesus. Its needles point heavenward as a reminder that mankind’s thoughts should turn heavenward as well.”
Santa reached into his bag again and pulled out a shiny star and placed it at the top of the small tree. “The star was the heavenly sign of promise. God promised a Savior for the world and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise on the night that Jesus Christ was born. Teach the children that God always fulfills His promises, and that wise men still seek Him.”
“Red,” said Santa, “is the first color of Christmas.” “He pulled forth a red ornament for the tiny tree. Red is deep, intense, vivid. It is the color of the life-giving blood that flows through our veins. It is the symbol of God’s greatest gift. Teach the children that Christ gave his life and shed his blood for them that they might have eternal life. When they see the color red, it should remind them of that most wonderful gift.”
Santa found a silver bell in his pack and placed it on the tree. “Just as lost sheep are guided to safety by the sound of the bell, it continues to ring today for all to be guided to the fold. Teach the children to follow the true Shepherd, who gave His life for the sheep.”
Santa placed a candle on the mantle and lit it. The soft glow from its one tiny flame brightened the room. “The glow of the candle represents how people can show their thanks for the gift of God’s son that Christmas Eve long ago. Teach the children to follow in Christ’s footsteps…to go about doing good. Teach them to let their light shine before people that all may see it and glorify God. This is what’s symbolized when the twinkle lights shine on the tree like hundreds of bright shining lights, each of them representing one of God’s precious children’s light shining for all to see.”
Again Santa reached into his bag and this time he brought forth a tiny red and white striped cane. As he hung it on the tree he spoke softly. “The candy cane is a stick of hard white candy. White to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the church, and the firmness of God’s promises. The candy cane form’s a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth. It also represents the Good Shepherd’s crook, which He uses to reach down into all ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. The original candy cane had three small red stripes, which are the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed, and a large red stripe that represents the shed blood of Jesus, so that we can have the promise of eternal life.
Teach these things to the children.”
Santa brought out a beautiful wreath made of fresh, fragrant greenery tied with a bright red bow. “The bow reminds us of the bond of perfection, which is love. The wreath embodies all the good things about Christmas for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand. It contains the colors of red and green and the heaven-turned needles of the evergreen. The bow tells the story of good will towards all and its color reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice. Even its very shape is symbolic, representing eternity and the eternal nature of Christ’s love. It is a circle, without beginning and without end. These are the things you must teach the children.”
I asked, “But where does that leave you Santa?”
The tears gone now from his eyes, a smile broke over Santa’s face. “Why bless you, my dear,” he laughed, “I’m only a symbol myself. I represent the spirit of family fun and the joy of giving and receiving. If the children are taught these other things, there is no danger that I’ll ever be forgotten.”
“I think I’m beginning to understand.”
“That’s why I came,” said Santa. “You’re an adult. If you don’t teach the children these things, then who will?”
Saturday, November 21, 2009
You have to see this
This goes along with tomorrow's Relief Society Lesson:
I just love this message:
And we all need to remember that we are not alone:
I just love this message:
And we all need to remember that we are not alone:
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Report on November Activity
Iunisi Vakaukamea here to let you know how our November Activity went. The theme was "Manage Your Home Well", and started with a wonderful lesson from Jennis Lawrence. We then went to the mini classes which were also of great benefit.
Budgetting........Some of the sisters didn't know how to do a budget for themselves, families, etc but after the class they had the desire to do one for their own families....Sister Onekawa did hand out some examples of how to do a budget and it does really help alot....Wow, what a great opportunity for the sisters to learn that experience and carry on with their own.....
Sorting....By Sister Smith....She said that she loved doing this kind of job
Why? Because she really knows how to do it!!
1....Plan what you're going to do.
2....Decide where to start from
3....What to keep , what to give away, what to chuck out
4....Where to store them
5....Do it. Finish the job. Just as easy as that
.....Need any help with sorting call her.
Time Out by Sister Leelo.....Imagine that she got 7 kids. SEVEN kids! And she still has some timeout for herself and so does her family as well. She did give us some wonderful hints for how we ourselves can have some timeout.....
* go out on dating (find someone else to takeover babysitter) while you're away
* do some reading, (magazine, etc)
* do some exercises with some other sisters
* have a nap while you're home by yourself
* watch TV for a little time
* window shopping at the mall,etc.
And last but not the least, you need to look after yourself.
What a great night that sisters in Zion had.....Everyone had something to take home to their own families, and for themselves as well. Some of the sisters are doing exercises in groups as sisters and their partners are so supportive and happy for their wives going out there and actually do the things which they learnt from that night.
What a night....an awesome night.... and the supper afterwards was yummy too.
We look forward to seeing you at the December Activity. Detail will be out soon.
Iunisi
RS 2nd Counselor
Budgetting........Some of the sisters didn't know how to do a budget for themselves, families, etc but after the class they had the desire to do one for their own families....Sister Onekawa did hand out some examples of how to do a budget and it does really help alot....Wow, what a great opportunity for the sisters to learn that experience and carry on with their own.....
Sorting....By Sister Smith....She said that she loved doing this kind of job
Why? Because she really knows how to do it!!1....Plan what you're going to do.
2....Decide where to start from
3....What to keep , what to give away, what to chuck out
4....Where to store them
5....Do it. Finish the job. Just as easy as that
.....Need any help with sorting call her.
Time Out by Sister Leelo.....Imagine that she got 7 kids. SEVEN kids! And she still has some timeout for herself and so does her family as well. She did give us some wonderful hints for how we ourselves can have some timeout.....
* go out on dating (find someone else to takeover babysitter) while you're away
* do some reading, (magazine, etc)
* do some exercises with some other sisters
* have a nap while you're home by yourself
* watch TV for a little time
* window shopping at the mall,etc.
And last but not the least, you need to look after yourself.
What a great night that sisters in Zion had.....Everyone had something to take home to their own families, and for themselves as well. Some of the sisters are doing exercises in groups as sisters and their partners are so supportive and happy for their wives going out there and actually do the things which they learnt from that night.
What a night....an awesome night.... and the supper afterwards was yummy too.
We look forward to seeing you at the December Activity. Detail will be out soon.
Iunisi
RS 2nd Counselor
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Get Me to the Church on Time
I had this forwarded to me today by the Stake Relief Society President. It's a great article, and one we can all get a message from. Particularly the parts that I've highlighted in red. We have a great ward, but aside from getting to church on time, we do need to work on our reverence in the chapel....
Meridian Magazine Article By Janet Peterson
“I married a Mormon and have paid for it ever since,” television personality Larry King told a convention held in Utah. King has Jewish roots. “The Mormon and Jewish cultures are a lot in common and not a lot in common. All Mormons are late. . . . No Jew has ever been late.”
Meridian Magazine Article By Janet Peterson
“I married a Mormon and have paid for it ever since,” television personality Larry King told a convention held in Utah. King has Jewish roots. “The Mormon and Jewish cultures are a lot in common and not a lot in common. All Mormons are late. . . . No Jew has ever been late.”
Perhaps Mormons are known worldwide for being late; my husband learned this German verse on his mission in the 1960s.
Fünf Minuten vor der Zeit
Ist Mormonen Pünktlichkeit.
Fünf Minuten nach der Zeit
Ist Mormonen Wirklichkeit.
Five minutes before the hour
Is Mormon punctuality.
Five minutes after the hour
Is Mormon reality.
Lateness to church meetings isn’t just a modern occurrence. When the Primary was first organized in 1878, leaders wanted children “to be taught obedience, faith in God, prayer, punctuality, and good manners.”2
Our daughter and her family at one time lived in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. Church was a 20- to 25-minute drive from their home. During one particular visit, which included a Sunday, we left with three young children in tow 45 minutes before their meeting block was to begin. I had been to church with my grandchildren before and knew the drive wasn’t that long. When I asked why we were going so early, Stephanie replied that the bishop had asked families to be seated 15 minutes before the hour to reverently prepare for sacrament meeting. I was amazed to see the chapel was filled by 12:45 p.m—and it was quiet. This ward of mostly young families had indeed responded to the bishop’s counsel.
I too learned that the time a meeting starts is not the time to arrive. The Church committee on which I serve meets on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. I soon found that walking into the room at 4:59 p.m. or right on the dot was not appropriate.
Whether meetings start at 9:00 a.m, 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. doesn’t matter to some Church members; no matter which schedule they are on, they arrive at the same time—late. Referring to the number of people who came into sacrament meeting late, one bishop in our stake quipped that “the second bus has arrived.”
Occasionally unforeseen circumstances do arise. When my husband, Larry, served as the bishop of a singles’ ward, we actually had to drive to church. The bishopric was there early, of course, for their usual meetings, and I, who had vowed to set a good example in punctuality, left home, I thought, in plenty of time. However, the main road to the chapel had been blocked off due to repairs. With the detour, I managed to walk in right on the hour, but the chapel was nearly empty. Our stake president, who was also seated on the stand, authorized the meeting to start late—probably the only time he ever did so. Other situations sometimes arise; children get sick, cars won’t start, a blizzard stops traffic. But being on time or being late is a more habit than it is situation.
I do know that getting children ready for church, especially on the earlier schedules, is a real challenge. When my husband was bishop of our home ward, we had six young children. I learned that our punctuality was in direct relation to preparation on Saturday.
There’s no excuse for me now, however. I only have myself to get ready and from our front door to our newer meetinghouse door is 120 yards. Yet sometimes my husband has to remind me that it’s time to go to church. Although my next-door neighbor lives a few yards closer than we do, everyone in our ward lives within walking distance. Outside of Utah, the distance to church for most members is rarely that short.
Elder Jay E. Jensen, of the Presidency of the Seventy, said in a general conference address, “Strive to be more punctual to meetings, sit quietly and listen to the prelude music, and experience reverence and revelation.”3
Alfred P. Doolittle, father of Eliza in My Fair Lady, might have been singing about getting married in the morning, but he had a message for all of us: “Get me to the church on time!”
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Relief Society Activity 10th November
Did you read about our November activity in the newsletter? We have some guest speakers coming in to talk about various ways to bring order into our homes. The more our homes are in order, the calmer the feeling, and the more we will feel of the Holy Spirit. As the busy-ness of Christmas approaches, who isn't for having a clean, happy home? I know I'm happy to take all the good ideas I can find these days! I do hope you come along to the chapel at 6.30pm as I think there really is something for everyone in this activity. Oh, and please remember to bring an item for the Missionaries Christmas basket and a supper plate if you can.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Looking for a good deal?
With the economy being the way it is right now, I'm always on the lookout for a good deal, and I bet I'm not the only one. I have had a few deals passed onto me by other members and figure the rest of you might like to know too:
First off is the easiest and probably the most obvious. MILK. You do buy milk from the dairy right? Way cheaper than at the supermarket in most cases. The dairy at the Manurewa end of Mahia Road (opposite the Mobil Service Station) sells 4 litres of milk for $4.80. Not every dairy sells the cheap brand, but almost every second one does, so it pays to have a look around and shop smart. There is no taste difference between the various brands as far as my family can tell, so we get the cheap stuff.
EAST TAMAKI FACTORY SHOP
1 Accent Drive, East Tamaki.
Open 9am-5pm Mon - Fri, and 9am-3pm Sat
The East Tamaki Factory Shop sell ice-cream firsts and seconds as well as milk and cream. A few examples are: 4 litre ice-cream seconds $5.00, a 5 litre Killinchy Gold seconds for $10, 5 litre Lucky Dip Seconds $5, plus much more.
REDUCED TO CLEAR
18 Roscommon Road (Off Puhinui Road), Wiri.
Ph: (09) 277 0518
www.reducedtoclear.co.nz
Open 9am - 5pm Mon - Sat
This shop sells a variety of items that are near or just past their use by date, for considerably cheaper than normal. The food is perfectly safe for consumption. Items you might find in the store include:
* Close to or just past it's best before date
* End of packaging lines
* Packaging misprints
* Post Easter, Christmas, and clearance lines
* Under-performing newly launched products
* Cancelled export and import orders
Reduced To Clear sells some of NZ's (the world's for that matter) most popular snack and chocolate brands, food and general grocery lines every day. The store offers a 100% money back guarantee on all products purchased, (something that not even all the major wholesalers and retailers offer). I came out of this store with WAY too many chocolates and lollies (completely rationalising that my daughters 3rd birthday is coming up, but seriously, you know it's not going to last that long).
GENGY'S MONGOLIAN BBQ
12 Lakewood Court, Manukau (Next to Rayland Hotel & Valentines)
http://www.gengys.co.nz
Ph: (09) 263 6999
Have you tried this type of meal before? I tried it once a few years ago and it was great. A whole new dining experience. Their everyday dinner prices now are 2 for 1 ($13.50 per person, all you can eat). Children cost $3 plus $1 per age up to 10 years old. They also have a 2 for 1 lunch special on Saturdays and Sundays for the same price.
The blurb from their website says: "Gengy’s originates from the name Ghengis Khan who was the famous leader of the Mongolian empire which dominated the World for most of the 16th Century. Ghengis Khan and his warriors invaded and conquered most of Europe, Asia and Africa and were ferocious warriors. After they had won a battle they would have a huge victory feast usually in the shelter of the forest. The warriors would turn their shields upside down over roaring camp fires and cook newly discovered meats and vegetables, native to the conquered lands. At gengy’s restaurant we have captured this fresh and tasty style of cuisine under more modern and hygienic conditions."
As far as I can remember,you go up and select all your meats, vegetables and sauces in one bowl. You take it to the chef who has this HUGE hot plate, and he cooks it right in front of you (kind of like stir-fry but SO much better). When he's done you take your plate over to the table and eat. You can go back for more as many times as you like. Absolutely delicious, and healthy too.
Do you know of a good deal that the other sisters might want to check out? Leave me a comment here, or email me and I'll add it to the list. My email address is in the Relief Society Newsletter). Have a great week, and look out for the November newsletter coming out this Sunday.
First off is the easiest and probably the most obvious. MILK. You do buy milk from the dairy right? Way cheaper than at the supermarket in most cases. The dairy at the Manurewa end of Mahia Road (opposite the Mobil Service Station) sells 4 litres of milk for $4.80. Not every dairy sells the cheap brand, but almost every second one does, so it pays to have a look around and shop smart. There is no taste difference between the various brands as far as my family can tell, so we get the cheap stuff.
EAST TAMAKI FACTORY SHOP
1 Accent Drive, East Tamaki.
Open 9am-5pm Mon - Fri, and 9am-3pm Sat
The East Tamaki Factory Shop sell ice-cream firsts and seconds as well as milk and cream. A few examples are: 4 litre ice-cream seconds $5.00, a 5 litre Killinchy Gold seconds for $10, 5 litre Lucky Dip Seconds $5, plus much more.
REDUCED TO CLEAR
18 Roscommon Road (Off Puhinui Road), Wiri.
Ph: (09) 277 0518
www.reducedtoclear.co.nz
Open 9am - 5pm Mon - Sat
This shop sells a variety of items that are near or just past their use by date, for considerably cheaper than normal. The food is perfectly safe for consumption. Items you might find in the store include:
* Close to or just past it's best before date
* End of packaging lines
* Packaging misprints
* Post Easter, Christmas, and clearance lines
* Under-performing newly launched products
* Cancelled export and import orders
Reduced To Clear sells some of NZ's (the world's for that matter) most popular snack and chocolate brands, food and general grocery lines every day. The store offers a 100% money back guarantee on all products purchased, (something that not even all the major wholesalers and retailers offer). I came out of this store with WAY too many chocolates and lollies (completely rationalising that my daughters 3rd birthday is coming up, but seriously, you know it's not going to last that long).
GENGY'S MONGOLIAN BBQ
12 Lakewood Court, Manukau (Next to Rayland Hotel & Valentines)
http://www.gengys.co.nz
Ph: (09) 263 6999
Have you tried this type of meal before? I tried it once a few years ago and it was great. A whole new dining experience. Their everyday dinner prices now are 2 for 1 ($13.50 per person, all you can eat). Children cost $3 plus $1 per age up to 10 years old. They also have a 2 for 1 lunch special on Saturdays and Sundays for the same price.
The blurb from their website says: "Gengy’s originates from the name Ghengis Khan who was the famous leader of the Mongolian empire which dominated the World for most of the 16th Century. Ghengis Khan and his warriors invaded and conquered most of Europe, Asia and Africa and were ferocious warriors. After they had won a battle they would have a huge victory feast usually in the shelter of the forest. The warriors would turn their shields upside down over roaring camp fires and cook newly discovered meats and vegetables, native to the conquered lands. At gengy’s restaurant we have captured this fresh and tasty style of cuisine under more modern and hygienic conditions."
As far as I can remember,you go up and select all your meats, vegetables and sauces in one bowl. You take it to the chef who has this HUGE hot plate, and he cooks it right in front of you (kind of like stir-fry but SO much better). When he's done you take your plate over to the table and eat. You can go back for more as many times as you like. Absolutely delicious, and healthy too.
Do you know of a good deal that the other sisters might want to check out? Leave me a comment here, or email me and I'll add it to the list. My email address is in the Relief Society Newsletter). Have a great week, and look out for the November newsletter coming out this Sunday.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
General Conference Oct 2009
Since this weekend is General Conference for us, I wanted to make sure you all had the links to the video/audio and online text incase you don't make it to one or all of the sessions.
CLICK HERE to view, read or listen to conference.
CLICK HERE to view, read or listen to conference.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
4th October update
So who went to watch the Relief Society Broadcast last night? I hear it was wonderful. I remembered all during the week, and it was even on my calendar, but completely forgot about it on Saturday until it was already half way through. Ugh. So I went online and read the transcripts on the LDS.Org website. The talks are great and I really wish I'd attended last night now! Click HERE to read them for yourself.
An interesting paragraph I found was this one by Julie B. Beck, Relief Society General President. She says: "All of our meetings and activities are meetings of Relief Society sisters. For the past number of years, we have called additional Relief Society meetings home, family, and personal enrichment meetings. In response to concerns about the complexity of that title and the different interpretations about the purpose of those meetings, a decision has been made that the name “home, family, and personal enrichment” will be discontinued effective now. In counsel with the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, it was determined that rather than give these additional Relief Society meetings a new title, all such meetings and activities will now be referred to simply as Relief Society meetings. Individual Relief Society meetings that are held during the week can be called whatever they are: Relief Society service, classes, projects, conferences, or workshops."
So there you go. Easy huh. She also talks a bit about Visiting Teaching and the importance thereof: "Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship." Go read the rest of the talk - it's a good one.
We have more to announce today. Sister Elva Gallagher has been released as our Mountfort Ward Relief Society President. She is off to a new ward and a new home in Howick, and we wish her all the very best. Her tireless devotion to the Relief Society under her care was an inspiration to the rest of us in the Presidency and I'm sure the whole ward. We will miss her very much. The departure of one president means the arrival of a new president and counselors. Sister Charlene Otene now fills the position of RS President, with Sister Ioanna Leelo as first counselor and Sister Iunisi Vakaukamea as second counselor. We are beyond excited to welcome the new presidency, and look forward to serving the sisters of the Mountfort Ward.
Our RS Activity night on Tuesday 13th Oct will consist of 3 mini classes. Family History, Sewing, and Crafts. A little something for everyone, but especially for our younger sisters who are still building up their repertoire of homemaking skills. We all learn it somewhere - why not in a loving environment with your fellow sisters! If you happen to have some of the following items at home, please bring them with you. If you don't have them, then don't worry, just bring yourself along: Scissors, needle & thread, fabric and sewing patterns. The evening starts at 6.30pm as usual, and you are welcome to bring a plate of supper if you're able. Again, no pressure if you can't.
You can buy tickets directly from Jennis. There are only 20 available, so get in quick. Remember all proceeds go directly towards helping our youth attend EFY next year. If you don't know Jennis' phone number, call me (RS Secretary) at home (number is on the front page of your October newsletter) and I will give you her number. We don't like posting phone numbers on the internet for obvious reasons.
Whew, OK, I think that's it for now. Go have yourselves a fantastic week, and we'll see you at Conference on the 10 and 11th, or at the activity on the 13th. :)
An interesting paragraph I found was this one by Julie B. Beck, Relief Society General President. She says: "All of our meetings and activities are meetings of Relief Society sisters. For the past number of years, we have called additional Relief Society meetings home, family, and personal enrichment meetings. In response to concerns about the complexity of that title and the different interpretations about the purpose of those meetings, a decision has been made that the name “home, family, and personal enrichment” will be discontinued effective now. In counsel with the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, it was determined that rather than give these additional Relief Society meetings a new title, all such meetings and activities will now be referred to simply as Relief Society meetings. Individual Relief Society meetings that are held during the week can be called whatever they are: Relief Society service, classes, projects, conferences, or workshops."
So there you go. Easy huh. She also talks a bit about Visiting Teaching and the importance thereof: "Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task. Faithfully serving as a visiting teacher is evidence of our discipleship." Go read the rest of the talk - it's a good one.
We have more to announce today. Sister Elva Gallagher has been released as our Mountfort Ward Relief Society President. She is off to a new ward and a new home in Howick, and we wish her all the very best. Her tireless devotion to the Relief Society under her care was an inspiration to the rest of us in the Presidency and I'm sure the whole ward. We will miss her very much. The departure of one president means the arrival of a new president and counselors. Sister Charlene Otene now fills the position of RS President, with Sister Ioanna Leelo as first counselor and Sister Iunisi Vakaukamea as second counselor. We are beyond excited to welcome the new presidency, and look forward to serving the sisters of the Mountfort Ward.
Our RS Activity night on Tuesday 13th Oct will consist of 3 mini classes. Family History, Sewing, and Crafts. A little something for everyone, but especially for our younger sisters who are still building up their repertoire of homemaking skills. We all learn it somewhere - why not in a loving environment with your fellow sisters! If you happen to have some of the following items at home, please bring them with you. If you don't have them, then don't worry, just bring yourself along: Scissors, needle & thread, fabric and sewing patterns. The evening starts at 6.30pm as usual, and you are welcome to bring a plate of supper if you're able. Again, no pressure if you can't.
You can buy tickets directly from Jennis. There are only 20 available, so get in quick. Remember all proceeds go directly towards helping our youth attend EFY next year. If you don't know Jennis' phone number, call me (RS Secretary) at home (number is on the front page of your October newsletter) and I will give you her number. We don't like posting phone numbers on the internet for obvious reasons.
Whew, OK, I think that's it for now. Go have yourselves a fantastic week, and we'll see you at Conference on the 10 and 11th, or at the activity on the 13th. :)
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