Thanksgiving Thoughts

This past month so much has happened. The most inspiring is the conference in Rome where leaders of many faiths gathered to join together to show support for the traditional relationship of marriage.
President Eyring spoke at the Vatican Summit. To see this happen on a world wide scale is amazing!
It contrasts so much with what is usually what we see.
There are many things to be thankful for.....our families, our friends, the Gospel, our Ward family and of course, the leaders who devote so much of their time to guide and lead us down the path of righteousness.
In this wonderful season of thanksgiving, let's not forget the why, what, where and how in the thanksgiving. Let's not forget to be thankful for the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His Atoning Sacrifice so we, as we follow the path of righteousness, can find our way home again with Heavenly Father.
May this Holiday Season be filled with love, laughter and life to be lived!
Kathy

Trials and Tribulations

Hello!
I went away on vacation and had a good time visiting my son and grandchildren. It was nice!
My first week back at work and it felt like a punishment for being gone :( So much to catch up on and long hours as I covered the floor most of this week in various positions.
But last night, it was different. I felt the need to stay....and I kept getting little things thrown my way that kept me there.
One of my residents was having a rough evening so I escorted her to her room. I sat with her for about 20-25 minutes talking. In the middle of our conversation, she settled back into her wheelchair and looked me square in the eye. She asked me, "Do you believe in God?" I said, "Yes, ma'am, I do." The next question was "What do you call Him?" I responded, "I call Him Heavenly Father." The last question was, "What do you know about Him??" My response was, "I know He loves me in spite my failings." She accepted that answer and nodded her head. Maybe she needed to hear that, to hear I believed. I bore a very simple but powerful testimony.
I left her and went out into the hall, towards the Nursing Station. The Med Assistant came towards me with a frantic face. Her sister-in-law was in a horrible wreck and she had to go. I took over the medication cart and finished the med pass.
This morning......in reviewing what happened yesterday.....I know Heavenly Father knew I needed to stay and be there. He knew what was happening......He knew my Med Assistant needed this tender mercy.
I may be tired beyond exhaustion but I answered the call of the promptings of the Holy Spirit and was able to see Heavenly Father in full action last night.
I know He loves me in spite of my failings. He loves my co-workers, He love my residents. He loves all of us in spite of our failings.
Kathy

Conference Thoughts

Good Evening Sisters!
I hope you were able listen to Conference this weekend.
I enjoy listening to our leaders. There is always some little tidbit that seems to be directed right at me......do you also find this so?
So many little thoughts flutter through my mind and have me going off in different directions. Then I lose my place in the talk....
I have several quotes that I really like and touched me. Do you have any favorites? What are they?

A) "Walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as he walked." President Monson

B) "4 Tools to help you in life: 1) Prayer 2) Scripture Study 3) Weekly Family Home Evening 4) Go to the Temple" Elder Richard G Scott

And one last favorite to share:

Good Night! 

Kathy

Missing In Action!

Hello My Dear Sisters of the Brownsville Ward!
I have been missing in action the past few weeks! And it shows!! I have missed being at church and seeing your loving smiles!! I hope to make it to church this Sunday! Keep your fingers crossed!!!
Playing around on facebook while I do laundry tonight after a long week at work; I found a link to a wonderful article that touched my heart.
I hope you enjoy it also!

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/09/young-adults/sisters-in-the-covenant?lang=eng

Have a great weekend!!!
Kathy

In the World but Not of the World

The lesson today was about being in the world but not of the world. We talked about struggling with the enticements of the world and how easy it is to slip away without realizing it. 

We talked about how important it is to live the Gospel and how it gives us strength and peace of mind. 

I found this poster and it seems to fit right in with the lesson. 

As President Smith stated "Life never was intended to be easy, but the Lord has promised that He will cause all trials and difficulties to  result in our good. He will give us strength and ability to overcome the world and to stand firm in the faith despite all opposition."
We only need to continue what we are doing; attend our church meetings faithfully, attend to our callings faithfully, pray, read our scriptures, pay our tithing, live the Word of Wisdom and hold true to the standards. We need to dress modestly and keep the law of chastity.
All these steps are like holding onto the iron rod -- which provides us strength against the spiritual whirlwinds, the earthquakes that Satan sends our way. It all sounds so easy but as we know, it takes conscious thought to stay true to the path we are walking.
President Smith also stated "The Latter-day Saints are as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid, and like the candle that gives light to all who are in the house. It is our duty to let our light shine as an example in righteousness, not only to the people among whom we live, but to the peoples of the whole earth."
We are the living, breathing examples of our Lords' Gospel; whether we are aware or not, people are watching us, learning about us through our examples. We need to live in the Gospel, to have our feet solid in Gospel soil so they want what we have.
We need to Come Unto Christ.
Kathy

Thoughts To Ponder

This week has been a mix of many surprising things. Good stuff mixed in with not so good stuff. And underneath it all, is this amazing love the Savior has for me, for us, for everyone.
In rereading the talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ"; there was a phrase that caught me. It was from Elder Neal A. Maxwell: "Christ's victory over death ended the human predicament. Now there are only personal predicaments, and from these too we may be rescued by following the teachings of Him who rescued us from general extinction."
"Personal predicaments".......how many times have we struggled with ours? how many times have we reached out for help with them? how many time have we received answers for them?
The resurrection of Jesus Christ brings us the Atonement. The Atonement helps us with our struggles. The Atonement is the help we reach for. The Atonement has the answers we seek.
Elder Christofferson also stated "By the same token, we are all accountable to Him for our lives, our choices, and our actions, even our thoughts. Because He redeemed us from the Fall, our lives are in reality His."
As we accept the Atonement, we come Unto Christ.
Kathy

Personal Relationship with the Savior by James E. Faust

Today, perusing Facebook....I found a comment from this talk:

From James E. Faust: "In the many trials of life, when we feel abandoned and when sorrow, sin, disappointment, failure, and weakness make us less than we should ever be, there can come the healing salve of the unreserved love in the grace of God. It is a love that forgives and forgets, a love that lifts and blesses. It is a love that sustains a new beginning on a higher level and thereby continues “from grace to grace.” (D&C 93:13.)

I felt the power in this reach out to me. I have had a rough week and have felt less, felt inadequate, felt a failure. So this touched me.
I hope it helps you too. The link to the full talk is below.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1976/10/a-personal-relationship-with-the-savior?lang=eng

I hope you have a good week!
Kathy

Children

Wow!! Again, another subject for me to internalize before I write about it. I did not raise my children in the Gospel. I have no reference points for this discussion. There are regrets of course now, that I was not able to raise my children in the Gospel.
How does one do it? What do you do? Why do you do it? Where do you do it?
I listened to those of you that grew up in the church and are raising your children in the Gospel or have raised your children in the Gospel. It sounds like free agency is a strong component.
President Joseph F. Smith had many wonderful suggestions to offer up. The suggestions were ones I have heard over and over the past 6-7 years I have been in church. Parents are responsible for raising their children righteously and the church is the support system with Sunday School, Primary, etc.
Parents need to set the righteous example and begin teaching when young......and I see the young families in our ward doing that! They bring church centered activities to keep them quiet, they teach them reverence, to pray, to give talks, to read the scriptures, family home evening and teaching them to set goals for the Temple.
When I was in Jr Primary, I was amazed how well they read from the scriptures. They got this at home! The love the parents have for the Gospel shines in their little faces.....I saw it every Sunday I was there.
So, what can I add? I can say "BRAVO!" to the parents that are doing their best!!! And if your child chooses to leave the church, continue to love them, pray for them just as you would if they were active.
My sister and my brother prayed for over 30 years for me.....they never gave up on me. I am going to church and I have been to the Temple.......there is always hope!
Now, I pray for my children's hearts to be softened that one day, maybe one day, they will be ready to hear about the Gospel.
Kathy

Eternal Marriage

Last Sundays' lesson has been tumbling around in my thoughts and heart all week. I have so many different feelings on so many levels on this, that it took time to try to put it all together.
I come from a very broken, splintered childhood that continued into my adult life. This makes an eternal marriage a very difficult concept to understand, to follow, to accept.
I struggled with this for years. I do have an eternal marriage. We will be sealed for 5 years this November. But it was not an easy decision. Coming from a very splintered, broken life, how do you follow a commandment that you don't believe is for you? Where do you find the strength, faith and "endure to the end" attitude to follow this commandment? How do you find the strength, faith and "endure to the end" attitude to follow this commandment? Why do you find the strength, faith and "endure to the end" attitude to follow this commandment?
President Joseph F. Smith stated "The Lord has given us his everlasting gospel to be a light and a standard to us, and this gospel includes his holy order of matrimony, which is eternal in nature. We should not and must not follow the marriage practices of the world. We have a greater light than the world has, and the Lord expects more of us than he does of the them." He also stated "No one can be deprived of exaltation who remains faithful......An undeserving husband cannot prevent a faithful wife from an exaltation and vice versa."
I went forward in faith and obtained my eternal marriage that some how, some way, a plan I do not know will make my eternal marriage work. That some how, some way, my broken, splintered life will be whole when Judgement Day arrives.
I have leaned on the Lord trusting in his plan and in the Atonement, that some how, some way, my family will be whole. My family will be linked through time and all eternity and not splintered and broken as it is now.
Kathy

Sacrifice and Service

Good Morning Sisters!
Yesterday at church, I heard stories about the Youth Trek. I heard about the challenges and lessons. I heard about service. I heard about not giving up, not complaining, not giving less than 100%. Our youth and the leaders that went on this journey together, found a strength within themselves they were not aware that they had. They sacrificed for each other, They served each other.
In Sunday School, the lesson centered around David and Jonathan. The special relationship they had. They did not betray each, they had a deep, enduring friendship. They sacrificed for each other, They served each other.
In the combined Relief Society and Priesthood Meeting, we heard a talk from Apostle Holland about Christ and his Apostles -- "1st Great Commandment" Oct 2012 General Conference. It also spoke to Sacrifice and Service. Find the talk and read it again.
As we face our challenges and lessons, we should keep sacrifice and service in the forefront. It will help us to get through the challenge and learn the lesson we need to learn. We need to also learn it is not, I repeat, NOT a weakness to reach out to our families, our friends for support during our challenges. We should not be afraid of being turned away, of being denied this loving support. We need to learn to lean on Jesus Christ our Savior to help us get through all of the trials and tribulations this world has for us.
We need to Come Unto Christ.
Kathy

Willingness to Forgive

“The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. It is one of the great virtues to which we all should aspire. Imagine a world filled with individuals willing both to apologize and to accept an apology. Is there any problem that could not be solved among people who possessed the humility and largeness of spirit and soul to do either -- or both -- when needed?” 
― Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something: 10 Neglected Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes

President Hinckley has so many wonderful, thought provoking and to the point insights......This one seems to call to me.....because it is something I have been working on before I came back to church 7 years ago. It has been a struggle for me. As I progress in my knowledge and understanding of the Gospel, I do find it less of a struggle..albeit...small, baby steps...but less of a struggle. I progress and forgive and I find my personal growth magnifies....I find that remarkable!
Precept by precept, line by line, step by step; my spiritual growth increases. My past is full of pain, anguish and struggle. Some I had no control over, some were mistakes I made as a young adult. Fully realizing the power of The Atonement will take a lifetime for me. But as I make my slow but sure progress, the willingness to forgive increases. The power of my past is slowly losing it's hold on me.
I reflect upon my progress....some days, I feel like I am on the way...no one can stop me. Other days, it feels like I have slipped and lost my footing. I find myself leaning more and more on Heavenly Father. And part of that progress is letting go of the past and forgiving so I can move on, so I can progress, so I can have a more pure heart. So I can be more of what Heavenly Father wants me to be.
It is a struggle, I struggle every day but it is a struggle worthwhile to conquer.
Kathy

Recognizing God’s Hand in Our Daily Blessings BY ELDER D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON

Good Morning Sisters,
Please enjoy this talk about remembering our daily blessings.....I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for the Gospel in my life. I am thankful I live in this wonderful country.
What are you thankful for?

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/01/recognizing-gods-hand-in-our-daily-blessings?lang=eng

Kathy

Book of Mormon Evidence Fireside

Mother's Day

Hello Sisters,
We have an amazing calling called Motherhood. It has it ups, it has it's downs and through it all, our love for our children grows and blossoms into eternal love, never ending love, with every fiber of our being love.
And if we are not Mother's to a biologic child, we still are capable of having this love for the child we adopt, or the children we call nieces and nephews, the children we teach in Sunday School/Primary; maybe the children we teach out in the world.
This calling works hand in hand with Heavenly Father; it is our destiny; it is our nurturing natures.
President D. McKay states: “Motherhood consists of three principal attributes or qualities: namely, (1) the power to bear, (2) the ability to rear, (3) the gift to love. …
President H. Hunter states: “The First Presidency has said: ‘Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind’ (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965–75], 6:178). The priesthood cannot work out its destiny, nor can God’s purposes be fulfilled, without our helpmates. Mothers perform a labor the priesthood cannot do. For this gift of life, the priesthood should have love unbounded for the mothers of their children. …
Our calling is important, eternal and necessary; for all of us to return to Heavenly Father, Motherhood is an important key stone.
Let's take joy in being what we are suppose to be...co-creators with our Priesthood Partner in making eternal families.
Kathy

Thoughts to Ponder

Good Afternoon Sisters,
Today's program had a quote from President Henry B. Eyring from the 2014 April General Conference. I kept reading it over and over again through out Sacrament Meeting today. It really struck a chord with me. As testimonies were being born, my eyes kept falling to this quote. One testimony was about Patriarchal Blessings. Somehow, President Eyring's quote and the need to read my Patriarchal Blessing came through loud and clear.
Did this happen to you? Did you feel the need to read your personal revelation again? I found mine and am going to read it. It has been way too long I'm afraid!
"A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people. God sets specific conditions, and He promises to bless us as we obey those conditions. When we choose not to keep covenants, we cannot receive the blessings, and in some instances we suffer a penalty as a consequence of our disobedience.
When you choose whether to make or keep a covenant with God, you choose whether you will leave an inheritance of hope to those who might follow your example." Henry B. Eyring
The last sentence is powerful.....read it again.....breathe it in.....by living the Gospel, keeping our covenants, we "leave an inheritance of hope to those who might follow" our examples.
Who are "those"????? Our families, our children, our grandchildren, our nieces, our nephews, our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers, the random people we meet....there are so many we influence just by our examples....pretty powerful I think.
By doing our best to live the Gospel, to remember the promises in our Patriarchal Blessings, we can
Come Unto Christ!
Kathy

Easter Thoughts

Hello Sisters,
I hope that the talks Sunday helped bring peace to you.
This time of year there is so much change....we are leaving winter behind, spring is finally here, our children are itching to get outside to play and we want them too!
Easter is the time of year for renewal. We think about our Saviors' gift to us. He died on the cross so that we may live. How powerful is that message? Heavenly Father and our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ worked together so we can find our way home again.
I keep thinking about what Sister Jean Stevens said in her talk in Conference. It still resonates with me. I hope you don't mind me repeating again: " The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a checklist of things to do; rather, it lives in our hearts. The gospel “is not weight; it is wings.”⁴ It carries us."
The Atonement gives to us the best gift......the opportunity to repent and move forward. We can let go and find the peace we are seeking. The peace of the Gospel lifts us up and helps us to find our balance.
I hope you find the peace you need in your life. I hope you come to know the peace the Gospel brings. I hope you know how deeply you are loved by Heavenly Father. 
Come unto Christ........
Kathy

Fear Not......

I totally enjoyed this talk by Sister Jean Stevens. The part of the talk I loved most is this:

" The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a checklist of things to do; rather, it lives in our hearts. The gospel “is not weight; it is wings.”⁴ It carries us."

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/fear-not-i-am-with-thee?lang=eng

Please enjoy this talk......I did....

Kathy

Conference Talk: Elder David Bednar

“Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness.

Because our individual load needs to generate spiritual traction we should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that matter most.

~ David A. Bednar, April 2014, General Conference

Read entire talk on LDS.org: http://go.shr.lc/1ehXZtj

I chose this talk.....It really hit home for me. And I hope it helps you also.

Kathy

Look Up - Strengthening our Testimonies

Good Evening Sisters!
We had another wonderful lesson from Sister Munn on how to build and strengthen our testimonies. She based her lesson on the talk given by Elder Ochoa from the Oct 2013 General Conference.
We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparations to strengthen our testimonies.
Elder Oaks stated "We need to make both temporal and spiritual preparation....And the preparation most likely to be neglected is the one less visible and more difficult--the spiritual" In other words, don't neglect to look up.
What can we do to strengthen our spiritual preparedness? It is the small, everyday things that we can; the things our leaders tell us again and again.....we over think, I believe, believing it is more than it really is.
We can do our own personal, daily prayers, we can study our scriptures every day, we can keep a gratitude journal to help us to see the tender mercies and blessings every day, we can listen to good, uplifting music, we can go to Sacrament Meeting and take the Sacrament to renew our baptismal covenants every Sabbath Day, we can keep Covenants we promised, we can to the Temple, and we can have Family Prayer, Family Home Evening.
See! The simple, everyday things! This builds and strengthens our testimonies.
"My dear brothers and sisters, if you ever come across anything that causes you to question your testimony of the Gospel, I plead with you to look up. Look to the Source of all wisdom and truth. Nourish your faith and testimony with the word of God." Elder Ochoa
A hymn that we sang in Relief Society also brought this home for me: I know My Father Lives:

1. 1. I know my Father lives and loves me too.
      The Spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is  true, And tells me it is true.
2. 2. He sent me here to earth, by faith to live his  plan. The Spirit whispers this to me and tells me  that I can, And tells me that I can.
3. 
   

Listening to the Holy Ghost, listening to the promptings, this too builds our testimonies.
Elder Ochoa stated: "Yes, there are signs of storms forming all around us. Let us look up and prepare ourselves. There is safety in a strong testimony. Let us cherish and strengthen our testimonies every day."
What can we do to strengthen our spiritual preparedness?
Come Unto Christ!
Kathy

Good Evening

Hello Sisters,

I did not make church today as I spent the day with my daughter and her family. A new granddaughter was born Wednesday night 3/12/14. So this Grandma was having family time today.

But you were in my thoughts today.

I hope you have a great week!!

Kathy

What am I? Who am I?

Good Evening Sisters,
Our lesson Sunday was a surprise to me. Sister Allen leading with these questions, I expected a lesson that would point out the not so nice of ourselves, our faults, our weaknesses. BOY! was I surprised! It was a lesson of kindness, gentleness, love and caring. She talked about the positive aspects of ourselves.
Usually, it is easier to point out the weaknesses, to see the mistakes we have made. The world sees us this way. We need to see ourselves as Heavenly Father sees us.
What am I? We are brave, vigilant, diligent, persistent, a hard worker, strong, self-less, co-worker in the Kingdom of God, educator, obedient, faithful, loving. Do you see yourself this way? Look in the mirror, see what Heavenly Father sees.
Who am I? We are a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a niece, an Aunt, a sister-in-law, a friend and in my case, a nurse.
Do you know what else we are? WE are a DAUGHTER of GOD!
Yes, YOU! are a Daughter of God!! Just how amazing is that?? Look in that mirror again.....look long, look hard....do you see what He sees? We have a divine mission here and now.....be brave! be vigilant! be persistent! be a hard worker! be strong! be self-less! be a co-worker in the Kingdom of God! be an educator! be obedient! be faithful! be loving! Stand tall, stand proud!
Daughter of God......Come unto Christ!
Kathy

Inspiration

Hello Sisters,
I did not make it to Stake Conference due to the snow. So went wandering on Facebook, looking for inspiration and found this! This is from Terri Jeppson; she is LDS and I had liked her Facebook page last year. She has so many fun and inspiring thoughts that I share on my page. And I thought it would work for today for our blog.
It is so easy to get caught up with the world and want more than we can afford. Like I used to say "Champagne tastes on a Beer Budget"!!! We need to learn to separate what we truly need from what we want.  This can cover all levels of our lives including church when you think about it.
What do we need to Come Closer to the Lord? More praying fervently? More service giving? More Temple going? More time with family? More seeking of truth? More repenting? More scripture study?
More! More! More! Sounds overwhelming huh? But line by line, precept by precept, baby step by baby step, we become stronger in the Gospel.
Line by line, precept by precept, baby step by baby step, we come Closer to the Lord.
Kathy

Good Evening

Hello Sisters
I apologize for no blog this week. I had a very unexpected situation this past weekend and did not make it to church Sunday. So I do not know what the lesson was about.
My thoughts, my prayers were intensely involved in this very personal, unexpected situation. I do not mean to be mysterious or to invite questions. I just had to have time to myself, to work through what is happening.
I hope you have a great week! Enjoy Stake Conference.
In the words of Mother Teresa: "...I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
Kathy

"Drawing Closer to God."

Good Evening Sisters!!!
Our lesson was based on the talk given by Elder Terence M. Vinson from October 2013 Conference "Drawing Closer to God".
Sister Munn said something that really stuck with me; it may have stuck with you too. She said "Knowing the facts to Knowing Him."
In today's world, so many do not believe in Christ or Heavenly Father. I see it all over the news, the internet, in every day conversation.
And I think......HOW!! How can you not believe??? The planet we live on....is full of His creations.
In Elder Vinson's talk, he stated: "Members of this Church are entitled to, and many receive, a spiritual witness and make sacred covenants to follow the Lord. Yet despite that, some move toward Him while others do not. In which category are you?"
Many feel that a loving God would not let anything bad happen; we know, because of our free agency, these are the consequences of our or someone else's decisions. Some do not see this as a loving God.
Elder Vinson stated: "rather than solve the problem Himself, the Lord wants us to develop the faith that will help us rely upon Him in solving our problems and trust Him."
And this is the key the world does not see. This is the key we are building on.
"Knowing the facts to Knowing Him" means studying, pondering, praying and having that kernel of faith to know Him.
"Our Savior wants us to really love Him to the point that we want to align our will with His. We can then feel His love and know His glory. Then He can bless us as He wants to" - Elder Vinson.
Isaiah 54:10 - For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that has mercy on thee.
So much to ponder, so much to bring into our lives.
Drawing Closer to God allows us to Come Unto Christ.
Kathy

The Plan of Salvation

Good Evening....we continue learn from President Joseph F. Smith. We learn that eternal life is the kind of life our Father in Heaven lives. Can you imagine? We can become like Heavenly Father and have access to the same power, wisdom and knowledge He has. I find that mind-blowing!! How about you?? I struggle to wrap my mind around that thought.
The Counsel in Heaven, we all chose to follow this plan so we can be like Him. That we were filled with the spirit of rejoicing and we "shouted for joy."
The Plan of Salvation is a code of laws known as the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we all agreed to and adopted in the Counsel in Heaven. The Fall was an essential part of our mortal probation. It brought to pass pain, sorrow, death but we cannot lose sight that it also brought forth blessings. Blessings of knowledge, understanding and mortal life.
The faithful will inherit eternal life with their families in the presence of Heavenly Father. President Joseph F. Smith states "Some men inherit wealth through the industry of their fathers. Some men are through inheritance raised to worldly thrones, to power, and position, among their fellow men. Some seek for the inheritance of worldly knowledge and renown through the application of their own industry and perseverance; but there is one inheritance which is worth more than all, it is the inheritance of eternal exaltation."
Thought to Ponder: "Who among the Latter-day Saints will be content with anything short of the fullness of salvation which is promised us?" "Let us live so that we will be assured of our place, and so we will know, through the lives we live, that we shall enter into His presence and dwell with Him, receiving the fullness of the blessings that have been promised."
So that we may Come unto the Lord.
Kathy

Our Father in Heaven/Our Savior, Jesus Christ

Dear Sisters,
This past Sunday's lesson was so full of knowledge and so little time! We are learning about President Joseph Fielding Smith. What an amazing person! He outlived 3 wives; he married them all in the Temple.
His testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior is so very strong. He knew beyond doubt the truth of the Gospel and he shared it.
President Thomas S. Monson knew President Smith. One of his memories of this Prophet is: "Even in his advanced years, he always prayed, 'May we be true and faithful to the end.'"
President Hinckley also knew President Smith. He remembers, "President Joseph Fielding Smith used three great words that I can never forget. Those words were 'true and faithful'. In his public addresses, in his private conversation, in his prayers to the Lord, he pleaded that we might be true and faithful.'"
This remarkable man was a strong leader, helping, guiding us to Come Unto the Lord.
I pray we are as he simply and lovingly requested....."May we be true and faithful to the end."
Kathy

Come Unto Christ

Hello Sisters!!
We have a theme for 2014! It is Come Unto Christ! Our lessons will be focused on helping us to Come Unto Christ.
Today was kicked off with reminders that our Ward Temple Night is the 4th Friday of the Month. Guess how you can Come Unto Christ? Yes!! Going to the Temple!!! In the Temple you can feel the Spirit, be inspired of the Spirit and gain knowledge through the Spirit.
What does it mean to Come Unto Christ? Do you have any ideas? Many sisters shared their thoughts on what it means. It can mean knowledge and trust, gain His attributes, turning our hearts to our Lord, working on the atmospheres of our homes to be more spiritual and that our thoughts and actions reflect our beliefs.
First, we must trust the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6: "5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
What are some of the ways to build trust? Paying our tithing is sign of our trust in our Lord. Praying to Him in all things, for all things, to make Him part of our everyday lives.
Second, we must learn of the Lord. Matthew 11:28-29  "28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." We need to listen to our leaders, to read the scriptures, attend our meetings, share our testimonies, give service, be an example by living the Gospel and go the Temple. We need to build and strengthen our faith which in turn helps us to learn about our Lord.
Third, we do what the Lord does.  Moroni 10:32:  "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." What are the attributes of our Lord? He has many that we can lean on to become perfected in him, to Come Unto Him. Our Lord was humble, obedient, a healer, kind, a teacher, courageous, a servant, submissive, selfless and full of love. We have many ways to do what the Lord did.
We will be learning the many different ways we can improve ourselves and become more like our Lord.
Please come to Relief Society and join us on this new journey!!!