Food Storage - Home Canning

Sisters,
I have reserved the Stake canner from Friday, June 11 through Thursday, June 17 . Anyone interested in canning their own food should contact me for an appointment during this time. I will have day and evening appointments available at my home. Each sister will need, in addition to her own food, the canning supplies (ie: cans, lids, oxygen absorber, boxes) which you can get at the Bishop's Storehouse. I will be picking up my supplies on Thursday, June 10 and can pick up for others on a PREPAID ONLY basis. Please have your order/money to me by Wednesday night, June 9th. If anyone needs help calculating how many supplies you will need, please contact me.

Cost:
#10 Dry Pack Can - $0.80
#10 Metal Lid for Can - $0.21
#10 Plastic Lid for Can - $0.07
Box for #10 Cans - $0.66 (six cans to a box)
Oxygen Absorber - $0.08

Sunday Announcements May 30

A few announcements this week:

1. D4 Generations Project: Tuesday, June 8th

• If you have any male names for temple work but you don't have any males that can come to the temple on June 8th to do their baptisms, etc, let Karen Bateman know so we can get some men and/or young men in our ward to join us.
• Husbands and other endowed men are invited to join us for the sessions.
• Young Men and Young Women are invited to join us for the baptisms.
• The Powell family would like to invite everyone to their home after the baptisms for Share the Spirit.
• Click HERE for other blog posts about this activity
  

2. Home Canning: June 10th-June 17th

• Check the blog for more details in the next few days

3. Bithell Farms Frozen Fruit Orders

• Order forms and payments are due June 25th
• Order forms can be obtained from Kim Adair or someone in the RS presidency
  
• For more information, please contact Kim Adair

4. June service project

• Remember we're starting to collect magazines, DVDs, and books
• Click HERE for more details

LDS Employment Resources

After reading Sonia's entry, I had to add my two cents worth, seeing as I'm a recent employment success story. When I realized I needed to get a job, a very wonderful friend grabbed me and took me straight to the LDS Employment Center. What an amazing resource!!! The missionaries working there are absolutely top notch, and the resources are endless! They offer workshops on several important topics, and networking groups as well. In fact, I was attending one of the employment workshops this week, and when they were showing some of the amazing features of the LDSjobs.org website, by searching for keywords, the perfect job for me appeared, and by Thursday afternoon this week, I had landed it.

If you are looking for work, be sure to spend some time at the LDS Employment Center, and definitely complete your profile on LDSjobs.org. Its important as well to put your full effort in, to receive the blessings in return.

Networking - The Key to a Successful Job Search

A "network" consists of people you know and the people they know. When you talk to people you know about your job search, find out who they know who can also help you with your job search. This is "networking". Approximately 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking.

Generations

10 more days to get our family history names together to take to the temple!

Visiting Teaching - the Temple!

One purpose of visiting teaching is to promote and share in the health and spiritual well-being of each sister in our Relief Society. What better way than to plan to go to the temple together (as VT companions or with those you visit teach) on June 8th! Let's make it our goal, if possible, to do all of our visiting teaching on June 8th IN THE TEMPLE.
** (Even if you have not had the priviledge of entering the temple - you can get a "limited use" recommend that allows you to do baptisms and confirmations in the temple baptistry on this day. Ask a member of the RS presidency or the Bishopbric about this.)

RS Announcements May 23

New Member Mingle
Saturday
May 29th
7:30pm
Church

Remember to sign up for the Generations Project
June 8th
Click HERE for more details

Thanks for all you do sisters! We love you!

FROM BLACKBERRIES TO DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS SECTION 138.

This morning I went out to water some flowers in my back garden, and noticed that many of my blackberries in my small blackberry patch had suddenly turned from a light red to a purplish black and were ready to harvest. As I retrieved a bowl to pick them, I immediately thought of my husband Neldon, who had watered and fussed over this little patch for a long time. Despite my limited attention, they still produce their bounty for me, as Neldon has been called to be a harvester and missionary in another sphere.
Whenever I think of my husband, or Brother Al Hall,or Brother Frank Woodbury, Brother Perry Fisher, or Brother Ed Corbett, I envision them as busy missionaries teaching the gospel to those, having been redeemed by Christ, are waiting for the fullness of the gospel and their temple covenants. After I picked all the ripe berries, I came into the house and decided to read the 138th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It is the vision given to President Joseph F. Smith on October 3, 1918. It tells that the Savior, during the three days He was in the tomb, before His glorious resurrection, visited and ministered unto the righteous dead.

In Pres. Smith's vision, verse 57. he beheld that many faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption to those who are in darkness and under bondage of sin in the great world of the spirits of the dead.

In verse 58 it says that the dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the "ordinances of the house of God". I know that through the atonement of Christ, and though the the preaching of the righteous elders from this dispensation, and from searching our ancestors, and finally taking those names to the temple - we can bring about the great plan of our Heavenly Father and seal families together forever. Take 10 minutes and read Section 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants - it will give you a vision of who we are working for on June 8th - the Dallas 4th Generations Project.

Better vs. Bitter

I read an article in the newspaper about a young man from Sudan who has quietly been supplying after-school snacks for a middle school band. A mother had asked the store for donations of produce as the snacks and the young man had taken it upon himself, with his meager wages and no thought of himself, to bring this offering to the children after school. When the mother found out how the snacks were supplied, she was shocked and asked him why he was doing this. He replied that he loved children and loved to give!
She found out that he was one of the "lost boys of Sudan" who had crossed their country to be saved from slaughter during a civil war. He was on his own, without family, and had just graduated from Richland College. He was upbeat, hopeful, and saving to visit his family in Sudan - whom he had not seen since he was 6 years old.
What I love about this story is that he details did not make him BITTER. His life events had served to just make him BETTER.
We have many opportunities to serve in this ward right now. Many of us feel challenged by our details or experiences. My question to myself - and to you if you choose to think about it - is if my past experiences have made me more willing to help despite the circumstances? Or do I withhold because I judge the others' situation against my own and find them wanting too much - or the help one might require not given to me when I was "in need".
In this life, have my experiences made be BETTER or BITTER. I always, hope - I am better for all I have been through but time and my willingness to serve and give will be the telling point!

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE - but Orange Smoothies to drink!

Tuesday night, May 18th we had a great Interest Group meeting on water, and how important it is in our lives, our storage and our 72 kits. Kim Adair gave a great presentation and a 12 page handout on storing and purifying water. How to figure the exact amount of water each person should have for 72 hours - two weeks and a month. If you were unable to attend and are interested, we will have some extra handouts on Sunday - but you will need to ask Kim. We were excited how many made the effort to attend, and Kim rewarded each of us with an Orange Smoothie from home storage. Keep yourself informed - our next "72 hour interest group "will be Tuesday June 15th 7 p.m. sharp at Kim Adair's home.

RE

I love the prefix "re". My favorite definition for this prefix is "to return". One of the greatest words in our gospel language is REPENT. This definition suggests to me that repentance is returning to a whole or healthy relationship with God - being "one" with Him in all we are doing.
The lesson this Sunday for Priesthood/Relief Society is "Repent...That I May Heal You" recorded in the November 2009 General Conference issue of the Ensign by Elder Neal L. Anderson. I have enjoyed making this talk the focus of my scripture study this week. Elder Anderson's words are hopeful and encouraging.
This week we will be taught by a new sister in our Relief Society, Kishl Burr. I am excited for this lesson and to hear all of your thoughts as she leads this discussion on repentance AND redemption!

72-Hour Kits

Activity this week--Tuesday. Kim Adair's house.
Click HERE for the previous blog post with more info.

D4 Generations Project

Sisters,

We are starting the sign-up sheets for the Dallas 4th Ward Generations Project on June 8th. They will be passed around during Relief Society. All sisters can also sign up after the block of meetings. We'll have the sign-up sheets on the small table outside the RS room. Sign-up sheets will be available for the next 3 Sundays.

See your email or sign-up sheets for more specific details. Please join us for anything your schedules will allow and enjoy a day at the temple.

Love,

The Dallas 4th Ward Relief Society Presidency

A PROMISE WE MADE IN THE PRE-EXISTENCE

My Great, Great Grandmother Kaijsa Petersdotter, was 8 months pregnant, when she travelled to America for the Gospel. She caught Black Smallpox from a crew member on board the ship, which started her in early labor, and she gave birth to a daughter Diantha, who also was born with smallpox. Kaijsa died, and was buried at sea - but her little daughter survived, through the kindness of another Mormon Sister on the ship, who nursed her, until they arrived in America. Her father who had already emigrated to join with the Church took her to Orangeville, Utah. She married in the Church and gave birth to my Grandmother. As I read of Kaijsa hardships - I am grateful that because we made a promise in the pre-existence to the Lord, through Temple ordinances she has her husband and her child sealed to her.
HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO US?
In order to complete any assignment or (promise we made) we need - (1) Clear Instructions (2) The Necessary Tools (3) Sufficient Time (4) A Willing Heart. Numbers 1 and 2 have been supplied by the church. The rest must come from us. May God bless us with a Willing Heart!

A bribe!

As a mother of seven children, I am never above a bribe to get a good thing going! We have some excellent service projects and interest groups helping us be more charitable, better prepared, and aware of "temple" needs.
This Sunday, May 16th, we will bring something special for the women who have read the last 6 entries on this blog (or check out the right hand column of the blog) and are NOW aware of what is happening/offered in our Dallas 4th Relief Society. (No blessing for a guess - you need to be aware of ALL that is going on!!!)

VA Service

Calling all Sisters! Do you have stacks of magazines that you want to discard but can't bare to throw away? Movies you no longer watch or books you no longer read?
Well here is your chance to start cleaning out the clutter and donating it to a worthy cause. In honor of our country's birthday and the great men and women who sacrifice so much, we are going to collect and donate entertainment items for our local VA Hospital.

Beginning in June, we will be collecting the following items:

DVD's
Magazines
Books
CD's

We will give you more information as we receive it. Thank you in advance for your generous contributions.

Removing Chains of Bondage

"I love the words of President Joseph F. Smith as he spoke of temple service and of the spirit world beyond mortality. Said he, 'Through our efforts in their behalf their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their [people] here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties' (in Conference Report, Oct. 1916, 6)."
Thomas S. Monson, "Welcome to Conference," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 5

**Remember it's Ward Temple Night, 7pm tonight.
**Remember to clear your schedule to attend our RS Generations Project June 8th!

It Is a MYSTERY!

I went to the Family History Center today and found a mystery! I guess that is the way of families - especially uneducated families with roots in North Carolina. Tami Glatz and Fern Woodbury were there to help us and I love them for this. (Karla Hernandez REALLY needed help - but in a good way.) Anyway, Elizabeth Busick is a name with several origins and most of it guesswork. People have her married to an ancestor of mine but he wasn't old enough - according to my records - to be married. Ruth G. helped me get online with NewFamilySearch - but it just confused me more. This is exactly what I needed to know. As bizarre as this sounds, I needed to know I had to go back to the drawing board with this name and do some old fashioned fact finding with census records etc. Sometimes, we need help to just realize we have to start over again. It is a good thing I love a mystery!

Reading Group

Join us tomorrow (Thursday, May 6th) at 7:30pm at Laura Pollan's home. We'll be talking about Disney movies and their original book versions. We'd love for all to join us! Call one of the presidency for Laura's address and/or phone number.

Who is Elizabeth Busick?

Grandmother Zimmerman is my first relative to join the church and she holds a special place in my heart. Her post-conversion obsession was family history. She loved her family lines - especially the Honeycutts. When she died and then when my mother died, I took over this line as my personal mission. I felt I knew all the names as far back as we could take it. THEN, I came across Elizabeth Busick. She was listed as the first (brief) wife of one of my "great" uncles. I have only seen her name once. But now I am determined to find out - who is Elizabeth Busick?
THIS SATURDAY, MAY 8TH, FROM 9-1PM AT THE BOWSER BLDG FAMILY HISTORY CENTER!!!!
Let's be curious, instead of afraid or indifferent, of what we do not know.

League of Extraordinary Readers

This Thursday!
May 6th
7:30pm
Laura Pollen's house
light refreshments will be served

We'll be discussing the original versions of the stories made into Disney movies, how they differ from the movies, etc.

All welcome!!!

72 HOUR KIT

Saturday, I saw at the 99 Cent Store on Preston Road across from Valley View Mall, Black Rolling Bags, for $2.99. They would work for a small child's kit or to hold additional water or clothing for an adult.

Our first 72 Hour Kit class will be held May 18th - 7 p.m. at Kim Adair's home. Please bring with you (1) a calculator, and (2) your Provident Living Binder.
(could be prizes with this post today)