Week of Aug. 25

The purposes of Relief Society are to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those in need.  (Faith, Family, Relief):

FAITH

Lesson Review: "It's A Miracle" by Neil L. Anderson

Key doctrine:

"The voice of warning shall be unto all people" (D&C 1:4)

"For, verily, the sound must go forth...into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." (D&C 58:64)

Invitation to Action: 

"President Monson has asked that we pray for those areas where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely."

"We also pray for our own opportunities to share the gospel."

Promised Blessings: 

  "I promise you, as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind.  Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them.  Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles." 

Missionary Opportunities through Social media:

"Sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far-reaching than ever before...Perhaps the Lord's encouragement to 'open your mouths' might today include 'use your hands' to blog and text message the gospel to all the world!"...
 

"With the blessings of modern technology, we can express gratitude and joy about God's great plan for His children in a way that can be heard...around the world.  Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone's life for eternity." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Ensign, May 2011, "Waiting on the Road to Damascus.")

https://www.lds.org/church/share/sharing-the-gospel-via-social-media

FAMILY

Dinner Together:

"...the time a family spends together "eating meals at home is the strongest predictor of children's academic achievement and psychological adjustment." Family mealtimes have also been shown to be a strong bulwark against children's smoking, drinking, or using drugs.  There is inspired wisdom in this advice to parents: what your children really want for dinner is you." (Elder Dallin H. Oaks)

Please see our recipe section, (another side link- just click on "recipes") for some recommended quick and easy dinner recipes!! There is just one recipe now, but we plan to add to it.  Do you have any quick and easy recipes?  Please share! Get them to Amy G. and they can be posted on our blog.

Teaching and Learning:

For the month of September, our Youth will be studying "Commandments." Here is a link to some of the topics they will discuss this month:

"Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God" (Mosiah 2:41).

https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/commandments?lang=eng

RELIEF

Thank you to all the Relief Society Sisters and Young Women who came to help the Cunningham Family with their move!!

Visiting Teaching:

From Sister Ferguson:

In Luke 10:42, we read, "one thing is needful. . .choose that good part." When we faithfully do our visiting teaching and make those we visit feel loved, we are choosing "that good part".  

Bonnie Parkin, our General Relief Society President from 2002-07, talked of "Watchcare", which was initiated by President Spencer W. Kimball in 1958. She taught: 

Visiting teaching creates connections for women . . . . Sisters, do we understand the purpose of visiting teaching? Let's look at what the handbook says: "The purposes of visiting teaching are to build caring relationships with each sister and to offer support, comfort, and friendship." In visiting teaching, both the giver and the receiver are blessed and strengthened in their Church activity by their caring concern for one another. Support, comfort and friendship. This is what we call Watchcare. 

I don't think there is a more important calling for women in all the Church than that of Visiting Teaching. It is an organized way of taking care of each other. And taking care of each other is the foundation of the gospel. The Christ-like service of Relief Society Visiting Teachers is a living example of the multiplier effect that Jesus started when he "multiplied his service by twelve". 

We have prayerfully made some changes in some visiting teaching routes that will be effective in September. These changes will be distributed by our Visiting Teaching Supervisors. We hope all of you will embrace the opportunity to get to know and love those you have been assigned to visit.

We are blessed to have wonderful Visiting Teachers in this ward and we love and appreciate all of you. Thanks for all you do to care for those sisters you visit.

 

Beginning in September, there will be some new Visiting Teaching assignments.  If you are not sure who to report your visiting teaching to, please call Grethe P. this month.

New Visiting Teaching Topics Begin in October!

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/ews-of-the-church/new-visiting-teaching-topics-begin-in-october?lang=eng&cid=email-shared

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Weddings:

Justin Winger and Klarissa Adams were married on Friday August 23rd in the Rexburg Temple.  Congratulations!!

Spotlight

Hopefully many of us have had the chance to meet the Carter family who is new to our ward!  Wilson and Tierra Carter moved into the basement apartment at the livestock center a couple of weeks ago.

 Tierra grew up on a dryland farm in American Falls Idaho.  She loves riding, training and competing with horses.  She is currently a student at BYUI and is majoring in Animal Science.

If you haven't yet had the chance to meet, take the opportunity to introduce yourself and give Tierra a warm welcome the next time you see her. We are so glad to have her here!!!

Week of August 18

Faith Family Relief 
Lesson Review:

Lorenzo Snow Lesson #16-  "That We May Become One"

Key Doctrine:

 "The voice of the Almighty called us out from the midst of confusion...to form a union and a lovely brotherhood, in which we should love one another as we love ourselves."

"If we have division in our midst; if we be divided either spiritually or temporally, we never can be the people that God designs us to become, nor can we ever become instruments in His hands..."

  Invitation to Action:

What opportunities do you have to increase the spirit of unity by helping others?

What can you do to encourage more unity in your family relationships?

What opportunities do you have to contribute to unity in our ward?

Promised Blessings:

"Let your minds be expanded to comprehend and look after the interest of your friends that are around you, and where it is in your power to secure benefits to your friends do so, and in so doing you will find that those things which you need will come into your hands quicker than if you labor entirely to secure them to yourselves..."  
 

"Now you take a man that is continually looking after the interests of the people around him...and he will in this way establish happiness in himself and around him."

"Because of our faithfulness and our adherence to the covenants we have made, the foundation upon which we stand becomes like the pillars of heaven - immovable."

New Callings:

Grethe Powell has been called as our new Visiting Teaching Coordinator.  We are excited about our new Coordinator and Supervisors! 

Teachings from our Relief Society Presidency:

 As the church focuses more and more on missionary work, we are approaching our Visiting Teaching in much the same spirit. The missionary handbook teaches new missionaries:

"You and your companion are assigned to a specific proselyting area.  You represent the Lord in this area and are responsible for obtaining His direction in carrying out your assignment and blessing the people there." 

We have the same vision for Visiting Teaching.  As you visit the sisters under your stewardship, you represent the Lord, and have the opportunity to seek His inspiration regarding how you can fulfill that stewardship.  President Kimball taught the following: "Your duties in many ways must be much like those of the [home] teachers, which briefly are 'to watch over the church always' - not twenty minutes a month but always - 'and be with and strengthen them' - not knock at the door, but to be with them, and lift them, and strengthen them, and empower them, and fortify them...' " (Pure Religion: Watchcare and Ministering Through Visiting Teaching - Daughters in my Kingdom)

In our recent Relief Society lesson, President Snow promised:  "Let your minds be expanded to comprehend and look after the interest of your friends that are around you, and where it is in your power to secure benefits to your friends do so, and in so doing you will find that those things which you need will come into your hands quicker than if you labor entirely to secure them to yourselves..."

Missionary News:

Karen Hammer has been called to serve in the California, San Jose Mission!  She will be speaking in Sacrament Meeting on August 25th.  She will report to the MTC on September 9th.

Mission Home Address:

3975 McLaughlin Avenue, Suite A

San Jose, CA 95121-2631

Email Address:

grandmahammer#4@gmail.com

New Babies:

Amy G. had her baby on Monday afternoon!  This is little Pace with his dad at the hospital:

8 lbs 6 oz and 21 1/2 inches long

Engagements:

Lauren Jonson - Sept 28th Wedding! 
      Cheyenne Hinckley - December 14th Wedding!

News For Our Families:

This month, the youth have been studying the topic of "Marriage and Family."  This is a great opportunity for each of us to share with our children and grandchildren, our testimony about the importance of marriage and family.

"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and ...the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children" ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World,"Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129)

Link to youth topics regarding the family:

https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/marriage-and-family?lang=eng

Link to the Family Proclamation:

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng

{August}

Sisters- we are super excited about the possibilities of this blog!  It is our hope that it will be a great resource for the lessons we have had or that are coming up, and for informing you of Relief Society events and goings-on - as well as the major events coming up in the other auxiliaries. To protect everyone's privacy, full names will not be spelled out.  Also, if you will notice the side bar, there are links to the temple schedule and current visiting teaching message.  New links may appear as time goes on. 

AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

4th -Madeline J.

7th - Barbara W.

11th - Cindy S.

23rd - Amy N.

28th - Shandell H. 

30th- Chree' E.

30th - Carolyn W.

31st - Deena  M.

31st - Kelsie W. 

Happy birthday from all of us!!!

AUGUST LESSON SCHEDULE:

5th - Presidency Msg. taught by Lorraine F.

12th - Snow # 15 "Faithful, Energetic Service in the Kingdom of God" taught by Julie P.

19th - Snow #16 "That We May Become One" taught by Becca H.

26 - "It's A Miracle" Elder Neil L. Anderson 
link: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/its-a-miracle?lang=eng

New Arrivals!!!:

*Amber C. delivered a healthy baby boy,  Trey Tanner, 6 pounds 7 ounces and 19 inches long.  Mom and baby are doing great! Let's just take a quick look at this perfect little bundle:

So sweet! Congratulations to the new parents!!

*A new family has moved into the basement of the house at the livestock center (where the Larsens used to live).   We are so excited to have them here!

*We will be sorry to have Lynne W. and her husband leave us for 6 months when they go to Japan, but we are super excited to welcome their son and Daughter-in-law, Jen, into the ward in their absence!

New Relief Society Callings:

Last Sunday, several Sisters were released after serving faithfully in their callings as Compassionate Service Leaders and Visiting Teaching Supervisors.  The following new Sisters were called to serve on the Relief Society Board in the following capacities:    

* Compassionate Service:

Barbara S.

Cassie J.

* Visiting Teaching Supervisors:

Barbara W.

Natalie P.

Marlene E.

Kera D.

* Information Specialist:

Amy G.

We appreciate the dedicated service of Marlene E. who has served for several years as the Compassionate Service Leader, and Pat C., Barbara S., Cassie J., and Sandy B.who have all served for at least 2 years as Visiting Teaching Supervisors.  We are grateful to all the Relief Society Sisters who have accepted new callings on the Relief Society Board.

Announcements:

* New Visiting Teaching Changes - effective September 1st.  

There will be some new changes in the Visiting Teaching routes beginning September 1st!  

* Congratulations to the Somsen and Cunningham families who have had recent weddings.  K Somsen and D. Cunningham were both married during July, and C. Cunningham was just married on August 16th!

Calendaring:

October 24th (Thursday) - Relief Society Fall Meeting (More details to come)

December 5th - 7th (Thursday - Saturday) - Christmas Concert, Art, and Nativity Display (More details to come)