Sunday Thoughts

Yesterday I attended our annual

Women's Conference.

I was really needing this morning and it didn't disappoint me!

It was set up where we could pick and choose the mini classes that fit us best.

I choose *Nauvoo, *learning from the best books, and *Journaling.

During the Nauvoo class I was impressed that I should research and study the lives of the women that lived there. Their trials were great but they stood firm to what they believed in and prevailed. I could (and will) learn alot from them.

Learning from the best books ~ The teacher was captivating. She drew me in and made me want to read MORE. She brought a huge selection of children's books and talked about the importance of books in children's lives. She told us about just a few of her favorite books and now I want so much to read those too!

Journaling ~ Well, I don't have a journal, I have a blog. This teacher give us several ideas of how to journal and some of her ideas were quite intriguing. The thing I was most impressed with was the thought from another lady in the class. She said (something like) our grandchildren will be interested in our lives because they will only know us as a grandma who can cook wonderfully, who has a clean house, who can do anything ..... when they read our journals they will see that our lives are just like theirs!

Then there were the closing remarks,

I loved this the most

BUT

I'll share those with you another time.

Stay Tuned!

I'm not gonna lie ... I love that boy!

This summer G and I are having a 75 days to read the Book of Mormon. That is a push, we have to read 7.1 pages every day for 75 days (there are 82 days of summer break this year).

I love that just when I think he's not really paying attention when I'm reading he'll ask some great question!

I love to hear him read the scriptures!

I love that he reminds me it needs to be done!

I love that he doesn't fuss when I remind him!

I love that he's thinking about things!

I just love that boy!

Hygiene Kits

This is a Hygiene Kit.

Our church congregations make them,

Ship them to Salt Lake

Where they are saved,

and then shipped out when needed to disaster areas.

April first, I was inspired to have our Women's organization start collecting items to make Hygiene Kits. For the past 2 months we have slowly but surely collected enough items to make 20 kits.

Then a Tornado hit Joplin, MO.

All day Monday I wondered how to get our Hygiene kits to Joplin.

After Praying about this,

and then pondering my options.

I received an email from someone that had

someone in the Joplin area and Our Hygiene Kits could go.

We had enough supplies to complete 20 kits

but after the word got out we quickly were able to

put together 40 kits plus a SUV full of other Hygiene items

and a small car full of food!

I'm so proud of the women around me!

Sunday Thought

Perhaps faith is not faith

until it is been tried.

Sunday Thoughts ~ This I believe!

Sunday Thoughts

I love the 2 talks today in church there were several points that jotted down.....

*Anytime you find yourself negotiating with the Lord you need to repent!
There are times in our lives that we don't understand why we're going through certain situations (or others around us), but maybe it's just so we'll know exactly "who saved us". I do believe that we are placed in situations sometimes as a trial. The Lord does this so we'll have the chance to turn to Him, to rely on Him, to stop trying to handle it all ourselves and ask for His help.

Questions to ask ourselves .....
*Are you better person now? better than 5 years ago? 10 years ago?

As I sat in Sunday School, I pulled out my scriptures. Attached to my scriptures was my almost expired Temple Recommend. I unattached it and put it back in my bag. A few minutes later I pulled out a pen from my bag. Attached to that pen was my almost expired Temple Recommend. I unattached it, put it back in my bag and went on. Several minutes later I went to pick up my phone and stuck in my phone was that same almost expired Temple Recommend. I decided to act on the obvious promptings .... it was time to get the almost expired Temple Recommend renewed.

It took a few minutes to get that temple Recommend interview (see note that end to understand this process) arranged. I sat in the interview that I'd been in several times in my life, with the same out come, getting my temple recommend renewed. At the end of the interview process that man asking the recommend questions stopped and told me "I don't know what's going on in your life and I don't need to know but I want you to know that I've been prompted to tell you, that the Lord is aware of everything going on in your life and wants you to know that you're not alone." (see here for a bit more of this)

As you might well image, I had tears in my eye but so did the man holding the interview.

Once again, I knew my Father in Heaven Loves me and just how he goes about making sure I know it!

** Temple Interviews. We believe in modern day Temples, we believe that they are the house(s) of the Lord on this earth. We go there for further instructions on how be more Christlike, and to be closer to our Father in Heaven. To do all of these things we believe that we must be accountable to certain guidelines (ie: Our belief in Jesus Christ and in Our Heaven Father, our honesty, our modesty, our commitment to obey our baptismal covenants etc). In order to go into the temple we are questioned about our worthiness to go inside this House of the Lord.

OH OH and look at the temple that is being built in our area.

It should be done by this time next year!

Sunday Thoughts

I had spent the past few days just pondering a situation in my life, trying to make a decision about a relationship that didn't seem to be on the right path. Not only was I feeling that it wasn't on the right path but I was beginning to wonder if it was dragging me into a dark place.

I really really had decided it was time to cut my ties in this relationship. It would be much easier to be the kind of person that I wanted to be and the kind of person that I thought my Father in Heaven wanted me to be IF I cut my ties with this relationship. I also just plain wanted to be like them .... MEAN!

I knew it would be difficult journey while cutting the ties but I also knew I'd be fine in the long run.

I was sitting in Church today when it came to me loud and clear..... I needed to revisit a set of scriptures that I hadn't visited in a while. I opened my scriptures to ones I had prompted to and found my answer.

(in the Book of Mormon, Alma chp 34)

in verse 40 "......I would exhort you to have patience and that ye bear patience and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out ......., lest ye become sinners like unto them"

well, I can't be MEAN right back now can I??

verse 41: "But that ye have patience (now I've been told to have patience twice!) and bear with those afflictions with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions"

There was my answer, I needed to stay in the relationship and have not just HOPE but firm HOPE that someday I will be able to rest.

There was also a message in verse 39 ... ".....I exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually...."

And there was my answer to how I was to have FIRM HOPE, prayer continually.

I'm so thankful for a Father in Heaven that loves me!

Sunday Thoughts

Today all the lessons seem to fit along the same theme. I don't think they planned it that way BUT it just worked out this way.

How would it effect your life if you knew,

really KNEW that God Loved you?

How would it effect your thoughts if you knew,

really KNEW that God Loved you?

How would it effect your relationship with others if you knew,

really KNEW that God loved you?

How would it effect your relationship with others if you knew,

really KNEW that God loved them?

Sunday Thoughts ~ quotes to think about

**Just be the Best you Can
**Take Personal Responsibility for our improvement
**Be a Witness of the Savior constantly
**Temples .. are leading you to the path of perfection
**always have a prayer in your heart
**Create Zion on our hearts and homes
**To thy own self be true
**Ponder your values and standards, are they virtuous?
**Never too late to repent
**Have a seamless life (be undivided)
**What have I learned from the recent dip in the economy?
**How to stay strong ...

*keep the Sabbath day Holy*

*have a current Temple recommend*

*have family home evening, family prayer, family scripture*

*be more faithful in studying the scriptures*

Sunday Thoughts ~ Gratitude

Today our Lesson in Relief Society, was on Gratitude.

We were reminded of the story of the 10 lepers. Remember? The Lord healed all 10 lepers but only one returned to Him the Thank Him. He asked, where are the other 9? I try very hard to not be in those 9, I always want to be thankful and to have a thankful heart. It's alittle more difficult than that though!

We were challenged at the end of the lesson to give a quiet thanks for things as we see them. We have always been taught to have a prayer in our hearts now our challenge is have a prayer of gratitude in our heart all the time.

I hope I can create a grateful heart and continual grateful prayer in my heart.

I know that if work on this all the other problems (or what I consider problems) will become smaller.

Sunday Thoughts ~ Forgiveness

Today the talks in church were concerning Forgiveness.

WOW just this week I was holding a grudge... More of a "I'm not going to be nice until you say you're sorry" attitude! Today the words took care of that!

**"I, the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive BUT you are required to forgive ALL"
**To be in the right we must forgive
**Forgiveness is an individual responsibility
**Peace and forgiveness are intertwined
**with what you judge you shall also be judged

After Church G and I were going to visit our new temple site. I called my friend Stephanie a couple of time to see if she wanted to go with us, but she didn't answer! Just before I left, I called her house phone, she answered and she and her husband wanted to go. I was abit surprised that her husband wanted to go, but the more the merrier!

I'm excited to tell you that it takes exactly 1 hour (from our church's parking lot) to get to the temple. Currently we drive 4 hours! What a huge blessing it will be to have a temple so close!

As we were driving around the temple site, snapping pictures. The car started shaking, there was something wrong with a tire. Stephanie's husband discovered we had a couple of bubbles on our tire. I suppose the belt separated on the drive up there. As Stephanie and walked around the temple, G and Stuart changed the tire. Just another Tender Mercy from the Lord!

Sunday Thoughts ~ Pride

Today our Bishop spoke to us. He spoke on Pride and the damage it can do in our lives.

Pride leads to .....

selfishness
We should have our lives focused on doing what the Lord wants of us, not what can we do for ourselves or what is best for us.

Contention
All arguing should stop! It tears relationships apart.


I'm sorry that I didn't take notes today, there were some great quotes!

Sunday Thoughts ~ Thoughts from Julie Beck

Julie B Beck

Today it was my opportunity to create and teach a lesson for a few of the women in our Church Congregation. It's more than a bit overwhelming IF I choose to think about it. This time I took an interview and a talk of Julie B Beck's.

Psst ~ I love this woman.

Quotes from Sister Beck that I love .....

"I believe that when we focus on the important and forgo the frivolous, we gain confidence & our spirits are lifted. We cope better & feel less burdened"

"Our hands are His Hands, Our love is His Love, Our service is His service"

and then my very most favorite piece of direction

"We must ask for a broader vision to see what the Lord sees."

Then there were 3 challenges ..

"What is your Mission?"

"Prioritize your life"

(an example of her system)

When we're ready for new way to
study scriptures,
ask yourself as you read ....

*Who Am I?
*What are my responsibilities in the House of Israel?
*How do I fulfill my responsibilities?

Sunday Thoughts ~ "Look Not Behind Thee"

Sunday Thought

“God help us to be grateful.

Someone has said that an ungrateful man is like a hog

under a tree eating apples and never looking up to see where

they come from.”

(Ezra Taft Benson)

Sunday Thoughts

"We women have a lot to learn about

simplifying our lives.

We have to decide what is important and then move along

at a pace that is comfortable for us.

We have to develop the maturity to stop

trying to prove something.

We have to learn to be content with what we are."

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Sunday Thought

Today I sat in our church meeting fuming about something that had occurred in a meeting just minutes before. Just fuming!

When G came in (he'd ridden with another family while I was in my meeting), everything started well, but then he did it. He does this every Sunday, so today wasn't any different.

He hung on me. He doesn't lean his head gently on my arm, he grabs it with both hands, and with his full weight he hung there. It either tugs my sleeve completely off my shoulder, or it rips my skin down my arm. I kid you not, it's painful. I've asked him not to do every Sunday in his short life of 10 years, but every Sunday it happens again!

This Sunday since I was already fuming and trying not to take it out on him. Even though my shirt was hanging half way down my arm, I decided I'd distract myself and not correct him once again. I decided that I'd read the words of a Hymn. I'd let the Lord pick the hymn by just flipping to a page and let that by my message.

Unbelievable but true this was the Hymn I flipped to ......

I believe the Lord knows me,

knows my struggles and

has a sense of humor!

Sunday Thoughts

Today was my turn to speak in church.
For those of you that might not attend services in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, we have no paid ministry, so that means that we take turns 'preaching', only we don't call it preaching, it just giving a talk!

I was given a topic "Being my Brother's keeper" and I decided to speak about giving service to those around us.

I based my talk from this TALK.

The gems that I found while doing research for this talk were

**Being accountable daily to this question "What did I do for someone today?"
**What are the non essential things that clutter your days and steal your time?
**What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose?

I think these questions can really make a positive impact on our lives!

**I also have to share with you the work of the Lord in my talk. I had my talk put together but it just wasn't quite long enough (it was 10 minutes and not the 13 to 15 that I'd be assigned). I struggled all Saturday morning with trying to add to this talk. I finally just settled on some things and left it alone. I wasn't really happy with that portion but just continued to pray about it. I finally realized that I was speaking with a return missionary and I should just give my talk, without the recently added parts and let the young missionary have more time to talk. I knew instantly that that was what the Lord needed me to do!**

Sunday Thoughts

Today I was blessed with the opportunity to create and teach a lesson to the woman of our congregation. I'd stressed over it, prayed over it and labored over it. In the end I was blessed to have a inspired lesson.

The lesson I was prompted to teach was on our
Trials and how we can grow through them.

There was so points that have given me comfort ....

"When suffering we may in fact be nearer to God than we've ever been in our entire lives"
"When we weep, He and His angels weep with us"
"Never underestimate the purpose of the trial"
"He may not always remove the trial but may strengthen us enough to get us through."

We need to change our way of thinking from "Why me?" to "What am I to learn?", "What can I do?" and "What am I to change".

answer to prayer

Several years ago (around 6) I was seriously considering

going back to school to get my teaching degree.

I gathered the credits I already had and sent them to a couple of universities to see what it would take to finish my degree. I learned that if I went part time (and that's all I could really do since G was still small) it would take me 5 1/2 years to finish and put my family in debt to the tune of around 50k.

I prayed about it and really didn't feel comfortable about putting my family in that kind of debt.

FAST forward to now!

I'd be graduating now into a work force that is about to layoff 100s of teachers

so I'd be graduating to no job and a lot of debt!

Thanks Heavenly Father for the heads up!