Week 1: SERVICE and bearing one another's burdens...Reaching out with Love.
Very fitting for the month of February as "Love is in the Air!"
8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
As part of the ward mission plan for church, they asked every auxiliary to set forth a goal for the year as their part of the ward plan working together as a whole reaching out to others following in the ways and footsteps of Christ. For the Young Women, we've broken it down into a month by month challenge. For the month of February it was to:
As a family in FHE, pray for an individual or family that they could serve and then reach out to help them. This could be a neighbor, class mate, family member, acquaintance or less active member of the church.
So fittingly, in FHE for the 1st week of the month- we talked about ways we could help those around us and made it a goal to continue to pray as a family and individuals on who we would reach out to with our service this month. The older kids didn't have school this Monday so being a more laid back day, after Monday (cleaning and errand day) we went out to dinner to Applebee's in Bonney Lake then to Sonic Drive in for dessert as a family for FHE. It was nice not to have to dirty a clean kitchen :)
Week 2: The Plan of Salvation
Inspired from a Talk Given By Russell M Nelson and bits and pieces from a few online blogs:
When I was 10, my family had a big family reunion. We visited a place called Olvera Street in California, USA. My cousins and I walked around together and looked at everything. There were craft shops, places to eat, and lots of fun things to do. I stopped to watch a glass blower. He was creating all kinds of beautiful shapes.
Bre touched on the Holy Ghost starting with the scripture:
2 Nephi 32:5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
Her New Era Article she shared on the Holy Ghost: Help through the Holy Ghost
.
I testify to you that seeking after and following the guidance of the Holy Ghost is always the best way to plan and live your life. You were already given the gift of the Holy Ghost when you were confirmed a member of the Church, and if you will use that gift, it will be a huge help in all that you do.
It was fun to watch all of the kids work together to get the tank cleaned and refilled with water for the new fish.
1) Before you
came to earth, you lived with Heavenly Father. It was there that you “with many
others received your first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to
come forth to earth in the due time of the Lord.” D & C 138:56
2) But there
were more than just lessons while we lived in heaven. “God’s plan included our
premortal existence, the creation of the world, a time in the Garden of Eden
for Adam and Eve, and the fall of man into mortality.”
3) The entire
creation was planned by God. Before we came down to earth there was a council
in heaven which we participated in. The Savior led the forces of good against
those of Satan and his followers in the battle for the souls of men. There, our
Heavenly Father announced His divine plan. It’s also called the plan of
happiness, the plan of salvation, the plan of redemption, the plan of
restoration, the plan of mercy, the plan of deliverance, and the everlasting
Gospel. The purpose of the plan is to provide an opportunity for the
spirit children of God to progress toward an eternal exaltation.
Wax
Paper/Foil/Saran Wrap
-In the preexistence what did Satan want, what
was his plan? -Foil...the plan would have been complete darkness!
-All of us at one time or another have made
mistakes and our vision has been clouded, we didn’t make a good choice. Not
seeing clearly…”Eat, Drink and Be Merry.” –Wax Paper
-It’s good to have happiness and to have fun
and joy in life, but…true happiness comes from following Jesus. We can see
clearly. -Saran Wrap
Great quote: “Some of us at one point or
another let the pressures of life or false teachings of men cloud our vision,
but when we see with clarity, the difference between the plan of God and the
plan of Satan is unmistakable.”
Picnic:
If you wanted to go on a picnic, what would you have to do?
Would you just go to the park and eat berries off the bushes? No…
you’d have to plan and prepare. You’d have to make sure you had
enough:
Food, Drinks, napkins, what time was the best to go, do you need
a blanket and so forth.
4) D and C
18:10 “The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”
Our Heavenly Father loves us. He didn’t want to just throw us in
the park and say have a great picnic. He carefully planned a way for us to have
happiness and to return to Him!
5) Heavenly
Father told us during the Council in Heaven about a great plan of happiness. He
said that an earth would be created; a Savior would be provided; and we would
be given agency, or the freedom to choose between good and evil.
6) All of us
choose to follow Jesus and to support Heavenly Father’s plan so we were given a
body and sent down to earth as a time of testing.
We are going to touch on this plan of Happiness (I found this clip art online when I googled Plan of Salvation that fit perfect into the lesson.)
Game: Pass out clues (1-10 below that coordinate with part of the plan of salvation areas above) then go in order to guess clues and when correct part is guessed- tape the answer in order top to bottom to form the Plan of Salvation.
1.The life
before earth life. All men and women lived with God as his spirit children
before coming to the earth as mortal beings. 1/3 of Heavenly Father’s Children
rejected his plan here.
2. The start of
life as a physical being.
3. Our Time of
Testing. Here we experience pain, sickness and suffering. A time to prepare to
meet God. This is our opportunity to live by faith in God. If we keep faith in
God, our trials here will work together for our good and our eternal glory.
4. A separation of the body and the spirit.
5. This place
is where we go right after we die. Defined in two categories: Paradise or Prison. A place of waiting, working, learning, and, for the righteous a place
of resting from care and sorrow.
6. The uniting
of a spirit and a body of flesh and bones in it’s perfect form, never again to
be divided.
7. Jesus is in charge of this event, make good
choices in thoughts, words, deeds and desires of your heart.
8. This place
is compared to the stars and where individuals who accepted the beliefs of the
world instead of the teachings of Jesus go.
9.This place
is compared to the moon. Jesus will visit here but Heavenly Father will not
live here. There will not be eternal families here.
10. The Highest
Degree of Glory as compared to the Sun. People will be happy here, Jesus and
Heavenly father will live here. It will be more beautiful than we can imagine.
People here were baptized, received the Holy Ghost, repented of their sins and
have a testimony of Jesus Christ. To live in the highest part of this kingdom
also known as exaltation or eternal life, people need to be sealed in the
temple and kept their sacred covenants.
Key:
Key:
1 Premortal Life
2 Birth
3 Earth Life
4 Death
5 Spirit World
6 Resurrection
7 Final Judgement
8 Telestial Kingdom
9 Terrestrial Kingdom
10 Celestial Kingdom
Week 3:
This Monday for FHE we went out to Red Robin for dinner again as a few weeks ago (there was no school for President's Day and Valentines Day weekend so it was a more laid back Monday and a good opp to take the family out to eat for dinner.) After dinner, the kids wanted to stop off at Petco and when dad and the kids go into Petco...we all know they never come out empty handed. Thank goodness this time it was just three fish to add to the tank in Brooklynne's hallway landing area.
After we got home, Spencer and BreAnna were assigned the lesson from the Friend and New Era magazines.
Spencer touched on free agency reading a scripture from 2 Nephi 2:27 :
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and allthings are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
Olvera Street: Spencer choose to share this story from the Friend which is about choosing to pray to Heavenly Father and then listening and obeying the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
2 Birth
3 Earth Life
4 Death
5 Spirit World
6 Resurrection
7 Final Judgement
8 Telestial Kingdom
9 Terrestrial Kingdom
10 Celestial Kingdom
7) The plan of salvation is the fullness of the gospel. It includes the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and all the laws and ordinances and doctrines of the gospel. Agency, the ability to choose for ourselves is also essential in Heavenly Father’s plan. Because of his plan, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fullness of joy and live forever in the presence of God. Through the temple, our family relationships can last throughout the eternities.
“The Creation of Earth and all life upon it did not happen by chance. It is God who made us. We are His people! The Creation itself testifies of a Creator. Without our grateful awareness of God’s Hand in the Creation, we would be just as oblivious to our provider as are goldfish swimming in a bowl.” –Russell M. Nelson
Week 3:
After we got home, Spencer and BreAnna were assigned the lesson from the Friend and New Era magazines.
Spencer touched on free agency reading a scripture from 2 Nephi 2:27 :
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and allthings are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
Olvera Street: Spencer choose to share this story from the Friend which is about choosing to pray to Heavenly Father and then listening and obeying the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
From an interview with Sister Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency; by Linda Davies
When I was 10, my family had a big family reunion. We visited a place called Olvera Street in California, USA. My cousins and I walked around together and looked at everything. There were craft shops, places to eat, and lots of fun things to do. I stopped to watch a glass blower. He was creating all kinds of beautiful shapes.
After a while I looked around and couldn’t see any of my family! The more I searched, the more scared I became. I couldn’t even find a police officer to help me. I knew I had to do something. Then a thought came to my mind. I would pray to Heavenly Father.
I found a quiet place and asked Heavenly Father to help me. I asked to see someone from my family who would take me home. When I finished my prayer, I had a feeling that I should wait on the sidewalk. I waited for almost two hours!
Meanwhile, my family had all left. My parents weren’t worried because they thought I was with one of my uncles. My uncles weren’t worried either because they thought I was with my parents. When they counted everyone, they realized that someone was missing—me!
My dad got in the car and drove right back to Olvera Street. He looked all over for me. Finally he saw me waiting on the sidewalk. He stopped the car and gave me a great big hug.
I remember this very clearly—even though I was scared and afraid, in my heart I was peaceful and calm. I felt Heavenly Father’s comforting Spirit. I knew my dad would come. I knew Heavenly Father was watching and protecting me.
2 Nephi 32:5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.
Her New Era Article she shared on the Holy Ghost: Help through the Holy Ghost
By Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong
Of the Seventy
New Fish Friends.
Week 4:
I was asked to speak in the Adult Session of our Stake Conference this past week so that combined with one packed month as I was juggling two callings for church with the Young Women's and Boy Scouts with a Court of Honor, FHE was simplified this week with time spent together as a family. Bre had to cheer at a basketball game for playoffs and so the rest of our family went out for dinner (this has became a tradition this month Monday Night Dinner Out with the Fam!) But can I just say so nice after cleaning the home all day long? Getting things back in order around the home front after a busy week with laundry, straightening/organizing, bathrooms, kitchen floors, vacuuming...always so rewarding as a clean and organized home but makes for an exhausting day especially after being up all night with a teething feverish little one...which brings me right into my talk which I'll share- might I mention it wouldn't have been my topic of choice as it was very specific and one I would have never choose on my own (at first I was thinking, what am I going to say on this for 15 minutes?) but after prayer and pondering I was able to make it work and I was actually struggling to condense it to 15 minutes:) lol
Topic:
"How to make the Sabbath at church a delight, especially focusing in on
young mothers."
So one of
the first ways I started pondering ideas for this talk was I googled the topic
online of course, because you have to love the internet. Oddly enough with the exact topic googled...
contrary to my topic I found a particular blog for
-Many
exmormon mothers venting that they had actually left the church due to their Sabbath
day at church being so stressful and far from a day of rest from dealing with
their children, giving lessons and being solo if their husbands were in
meetings all day long. Not good, actually really sad... but the thing that I
noted being a big factor was that in several cases the mothers mentioned that
they were basket cases and exasperated well before even leaving the home for
church.
President
Spencer W Kimball saw the Sabbath as a day for active, joyful worship—a time to
leave behind the things of the world and to fill the day with righteous
activity. Quoting scriptures, he encouraged the Saints to make the Sabbath “a
delight” and to approach the day with “cheerful hearts and countenances.
To approach
the Sabbath day with a cheerful heart and countenance, I believe Preparation is
key. If things are well planned it will help your day to run smoother and to be
less stressful and frantic. If we wait until Sunday morning to prepare, odds
are you won't be able to have the kind of Sabbath morning leading into Sabbath
day that Lord has intended for us to have
With the
Sabbath day, in many cases the truth of this matter is that many of the demands
of preparing fall upon the Mother. Saturday evening above and beyond the
obvious of baths being taken, clothes laid out, socks and shoes matched, the
diaper bag, sacrament books packed, lessons prepared, one mother stated “If I
go into Sunday without a clean house, without cupboards stocked, without gas in
the car then I can forget any hope of a joyful, refreshing Sabbath."
I could
totally relate with her. In our home, two small yet major chores that I now
make sure are done on Saturday evenings are the dishwasher ran and emptied and
the trash taken out. It may sound silly because these are small tasks but left
undone, then come Sunday morning with everyone getting ready for church we have
trash overflowing on the floor because everyone thinks that they can fit that
much more in the trash can instead of taking it out and dishes are piling up in
the sink because the dishwasher is full or if it's been ran no one wants to
empty it out. If these little tasks are taken care of beforehand, it helps to
keep everything clean and orderly which invites the spirit into our home then
in turn helps with a cheerful heart and countenance on the Sabbath. Every home
is different but I know that little things in the preparation department can
make a big difference come Sunday morning to assist in keeping moods and
countenances cheerful.
Fathers and
Children who help out with Sabbath Day preparation and during church instead of
leaving it all to the mother bless the lives of their families immeasurably. As
for single parents, coordinating and delegating assignments works just as well
for them as it does for couples.
Another
pattern is to follow the Lord’s counsel to prepare Sunday food “with singleness
of heart.” (D and C 59:13.) Some families simplify the work involved in
preparing Sunday meals by preparing part of their dinner ahead of time; others
serve only simple meals on Sunday. By doing our shopping for Sunday meals the
other six days of the week, we not only prepare ourselves for the Sabbath, but
we also help others who might otherwise have to work on Sundays. I know that
our ward members are avid believers of this because if you didn't know better,
come Saturday night you'd think that shopping at the Sumner Fred Meyer was our
designated on going ward activity night as many members are getting the last
minute items for Sunday dinner, Bishop included.
So with
young children, no matter how well you plan- it's just inevitable that there's
going to be the unexpected. Spills on church clothes as you're trying to get
little ones fed lunch in time for 1 am church, little ones having melt downs, a
blowout diaper that arises simultaneously as a toilet is overflowing in the
bathroom for another child right before you're headed out the door, everyone's
is in the car- you're half way to church and you realize you forgot to push
start on the crockpot that's filled with Sunday dinner sitting on the counter,
or you get to church only to find a text message reminder on your cell phone
for a primary talk that one of the little ones forgot to tell you about. When
the unexpected happens because you better believe it will, I know we've all
heard this quote but the main thing to remember is to "keep calm and carry
on." If we choose to lose our cool and let the frustrations that arise get
the best of us, Satan will be happy...he has succeeded. We need to remember we
have a choice on how we react, losing our cool, raising our voice, letting our
temper and stress get the best of us is not going to change the fact that we
still have to put the baby in the tub and redress her again from the blow out
diaper and to get the bathroom floor mopped and taken care of from the
overflowed toilet. Stay calm, do what you need to do, get the job done and
proceed. You may be late for church but you can only do what you can do,
everything will be just fine.
I love the
quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley
“The only
way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to
laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”
I've also
heard the quote and I'm not sure who said it but:
“The Lord knows His people by where they are
found on Sunday.”
A few may
know this already but a few years back, for quite some time, I knew that the
spirit had been trying to tell me something but I didn't know what it was. In
the quiet moments, there would be this nagging feeling that I just couldn't get
over I didn't know if I was being warned that something was going to happen or
I needed to do something. It was a really busy time, I was primary president,
it was at the end of the summer right before school was going to start up for
the fall and this year we would hit preschool, elementary school, middle school
and high school with seminary so we were in the middle of getting all of the
dentist, eye doctor and yearly physical appts, school shopping, new year
orientations and so forth complete so there wasn't too much down time and it
wasn't all of the time but in the quiet moments as I laid in bed at night or
when I had a few minutes to myself that I just couldn't relax, the spirit was
definitely trying to tell me something and this nagging feeling would keep on
recurring. So over the course of the next few months, I contemplated what I
needed to be doing and what the Holy ghost was trying to tell me, I thought
maybe I was supposed to focus on temple work maybe an ancestor need their
temple work done, or possibly I was supposed to share the gospel with someone
in particular or maybe we supposed to move- there was a time I thought maybe it
was just anxiety or hormones, I was just getting tired of this nagging feeling
over my head. When finally one day while talking on the phone to a good friend,
I expressed this feeling and she said well maybe you should really pray about
it for more direction. Hmmm, pray about it, such an obvious solution...not sure
why I hadn't thought about specifically praying about it before. So as I
earnestly asked Heavenly Father to please help me to know what it was that I
was supposed to be doing and for more direction, it wasn't more than a week
later that "ask and ye shall receive," it hit me like a ton of
bricks. It was the last thing that I had thought I was trying to be told and
when my answer came, I was at the grocery store out of all places. Needless to
say that you do not have to just be in the temple to get your inspiration. I
know that the Holy Ghost often answers our prayers and prompts us in the course
of our everyday lives. So at that very moment, I knew that after we made it
very clear to everyone that we were finished having children, that no just
kidding our family was not yet complete. There I was- headed out of the grocery
store with a cart full of groceries, crying like a crazy woman. I didn't know
if I was crying because the witness from the spirit was so strong or because I
was thinking no, I am finished having kids, I'm too old for this! It may sound
silly because with our other children they were all a year and a half to two
years apart, well planned out, but with this one for some reason it was
completely different, our youngest at the time was almost five years old and I
was fearful to start over. The thoughts of gaining 60 pounds, constant
nauseousness, varicose veins. pregnancies are rough- then genetically our
babies have very sensitive tummies and wake up every 1-2 hours through the
night until after a year old so the thought of going through the walking zombie
years all over again then even worse trying to explain to my husband that
surprise we are supposed to have another baby. It may sound insignificant but
to me at this time it was a little overwhelming. Soon after that witness, I
attended a Relief Society broadcast and I remember President Monson gave a
wonderful talk that I felt spoke directly to my heart, when he spoke on
replacing our fears with faith. That talk was such strength for me and exactly
what I needed at that time. I just needed to get over myself and to have the
faith to know that the Lord would provide a way with his plan for our family as
he always had in the past. So with a five year gap from our youngest at the
time, our little tie breaker Saydee our 7th child arrived and joined
her three brothers and three sisters. She was welcomed with much love and
excitement into our home and to this day everything she does is just so cute in
the sight of her parents and siblings alike, she can do no wrong...of course we
couldn't imagine life without her! She's now a year old and come Sunday's I'm
often found back in the halls (just like the good ole days) chasing the little
one around since we all know the magic age of 18 months is when they go into
nursery. But with Saydee, we have all savored the little things and milestones
all of the firsts of life, the smiling and crying- lack of sleep and all, it's
just been so different with her. With our oldest turning 18 this year and the
realization that children really do grow up so fast and that they are only this
small once and then they grow up the attitude hasn't just been about getting
through and surviving the baby years but its truly been so joyful and
rewarding. I've got to add in this little tid bit that ironically, as I was typing
at the computer in our office slash toy room right in this very spot of my talk
(no joke) I had to stop and take a break because I smelt nailpolish. Saydee was
what I though playing right next to me however, with her new discovered talent
of climbing she had climbed up to her older sister Brooklynne's desk next to
me. Brooklynne's our six year old going on 16 and had polished her nails for Valentine’s
Day up to her desk a few days earlier so Saydee had climbed up to her sisters desk
and decided to paint her nails as well, needless to say she and the desk were
covered in a brand new bottle of red nail polish, thank goodness for polish
remover. But I think Satan must have been testing my remarks to see if I really
was enjoying and savoring all of the aspects of the baby years this round. Keep
calm, fix the situation and carry on... with young children we need to remember
D & C 121:7 “Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small
moment.”
So, I know
many families in our stake like ours have multiple children and I also know
that sometimes having one child is often harder and more challenging than
having many children. I know life with children is not easy. Sundays are not
always easy, you are going to have your Sundays where you feel like everything
has gone wrong and why did you even bother?
I came
across an Ensign article from a mother of six whose husband was on the high
council and one Sunday as she struggled in the hall to comfort her fussy baby
in her arms and quiet the restless toddler at my feet, a sister walked by on
her way to Sunday School. She had seen her in the halls many times because that
was where this mother spent the majority of her time during church. The sister
laughingly said to her,
“I don’t
know why you even bother to come!” echoing the mothers own feelings of
frustration at the time.
In the
article, she went on to say, as I considered what that sister had said about
why I even bothered, I thought of my childhood. My father was not a member of
the Church and never went to meetings with the rest of us. Even though my
mother was alone, she always took my three siblings and me to church. Not
having a spouse with her had never stopped her from worshipping at church and
doing her best to participate.
Reflecting
on my own situation, I realized I would never neglect to meet my children’s
physical need for food each day. So why should their spiritual nourishment be
neglected because my husband couldn’t be with us all the time?
It also
became easier to go to church when I didn’t make the decision week by week. The
decision was made once and for all—every Sunday we attend church. I knew it and
the children knew it, so they didn’t waste time trying to find excuses not to
go. As the years went by, though some Sundays were still difficult, the
children began to learn how to sit quietly and listen to some of the talks.
Occasionally one of the children would even quietly whisper, “I liked that
story.”
Eventually
my children grew up and moved away to start their own families. My daughter
called once after a particularly trying day in church with her own toddler.
“Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to go,” she confessed. But really she
knew why. From lessons learned when she was small, she knew—on Sunday we attend
church.
Henry B Eyring
said, "However much faith to obey God we now have, we will need to
strengthen it continually and keep it refreshed constantly. We can do that by
deciding now to be quicker to obey and more determined to endure."
Luke 2:27
27 And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made
for man, and not man for the Sabbath"
In this
scripture The Lord wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us,
granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for
spiritual and physical renewal. God gave us this special day, not for amusement
or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief.
Moms don’t
stop to think about it. They just keep moving. “so do they really have the
opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal.”
President
Hinckley used to say. Sometimes Mom appears to be invincible, but her battery
could use a fresh charge once in a while, whether she admits it or not.
“Make the Sabbath a delight by rendering
service to others, especially those who are not feeling well, or those who are
lonely or in need,”
For those of
you who aren't mothers or if you are over the mommy years, serving those
mothers that are in need of a little extra help with small children can be a
great blessing to mothers on Sunday's at church, just lend a helping hand or
offer to hold a child, these gestures can make a huge difference. Sometimes
all’s a mother needs is just a few minutes of feeling the spirit to rejuvenate
her for the coming week.
A faithful
mother can pray for spiritual experiences to come on Sundays to help strengthen
her testimony and then learn to recognize when they do come both at church and
at home.
The key to
making the Sabbath a delight at church for mothers and family’s alike narrows
down to patience and prayer combined with preparation but not just on Saturday
nights, I know and testify that preparation needs to spread throughout our
entire week.
I’ll close
with remarks from Spencer W Kimball as he said it the best:
“… Behavior
learned at home determines behavior in Church meetings. A child who has learned
to pray at home soon understands that he must be quiet and still during prayers
in worship service.
“Likewise,
when family home evenings are part of home life, children know that there are
special times, not only at church but at home, when we learn about our Heavenly
Father and when everyone needs to be on his best behavior. …
“Parents
with small children sometimes have a difficult time helping their youngsters
appreciate meetings and keeping them from creating disturbances. Perseverance,
firmness, and preparation in the home are essential ingredients for success.”
I know these
things to be true. I love my Heavenly Father and I know that he hears and
answers our prayers. I’m so grateful for my husband and my family and for my
Savior and the plan of happiness and for the direction of Holy Ghost in my life.
I am thankful for the wonderful gift of the Sabbath day and I know that it can
be a delight for everyone even mom. I say these things in the name of Jesus
Christ Amen.
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