Water Barrels Everywhere!

We are so pleased to let you know that our ward is now 40 water barrels richer than we were just a few days ago. That's 2200 gallons of potential stored water! We are so happy about your enthusiasm for being prepared, and we daresay, you feel better, too. We want everyone to feel a greater measure of peace, and so we say, "CARRY ON!"

We will soon be offering five-gallon blue plastic water containers for those whose circumstances do not allow for large barrels. Even if you do have barrels, the five-gallon container option is a great one for being easy to pick up and take with you, and for ease of rotation. More information to follow on that.

Also, as a follow up "finale" for the water barrels, we will have an activity on Tuesday, April 24th, to help you to cut wooden 2x4 boards to put underneath your water barrels. We will have the wood and saw available, just bring a few coins to cover the small cost of what you need. We should have all other supplies that have been ordered in by then, too, and you can ask all the questions you may still have about storing/rotating water in barrels. Then you can go home and fill them right up! Mark your calendars--We hope to see you there!

"OH HOW GENEROUS YOU ARE"

Dallas 4th Ward Sisters - Thank You, Thank You! Not only for your attendance at our annual Relief Society Birthday Party, but for your marvelous generosity and help in putting together our various service projects. Last night we assembled nearly 200 humanitarian kits for Buckner Children's Home, and The Genesis Project. We also made 83 Bunnies and 95 "carrots" for the Veterans Hospital of Dallas .

The service projects, combined with your various assigned food offerings made this evening a rousing success. We had every table filled, with a few sisters left over, fortunately, we didn't all sit down to eat at the same time!

Your combined "many hands" made this evening a true joy! Again, thanks for your happy, cooperative, generous Spirits. We need you - and we love you!

Scripture Power

Sisters,

This Sunday's RS lesson is on a General Conference talk given by Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles titled "The Power of Scripture." In preparation of the lesson I ask that you read the talk and come to class prepared to share any of your favorite memorized scriptures and what they mean to you. Also, I would love for you to share any tips you may have for making the scriptures a part of your daily routine.

Thank you for your participation,
Fronda Wiseman

Click HERE to read the talk.

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

We are so happy for all the many ways our membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints allows us to stretch, grow, AND be blessed!
In ONE WEEK, next Tuesday, March 27th at 7PM, we will have our annual Relief Society Birthday Celebration and service opportunities. We are helping with hygiene kits for women's shelters in the DFW area and Easter favors for the Veteran's Hospital.
THIS IS WHAT WE STILL NEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soap (in bar form)
Hand towels/Wash cloths (any size will now do, we have gotten rid of the "towel Nazis":)
Toothbrushes (individually wrapped)
Toothpaste
PLEASE bring as many of these supplies as you can THIS SUNDAY, March 25th, and give to a member of the Presidency!
Keep this in mind as you are out shopping this week - any offering makes a difference!

Visiting Teaching

As a follow up to Sister Bateman's lesson at the beginning of March, we wanted to encourage you to read (or re-read) the article in the March 2012 Ensign that gives more direction about how we can do visiting teaching.
"Our Heavenly Father needs us to follow a higher path and demonstrate our discipleship by sincerely caring for His children."

"Now visiting teachers have the opportunity to visit separately or together. They can count their “caring” whether or not they visit together and give the message. They can take appropriate action without being asked. They can actively seek, receive, and act on personal revelation to know how to respond to the spiritual and temporal needs of each sister they visit."

Click HERE for the article.

Lesson this Sunday

Sisters!

I am so excited to be teaching from the George Albert Smith Manual this Sunday! I don't know why, but I find him so fascinating and wonderful!

This week's lesson is on George Albert Smith's teachings on the Holy Priesthood--that same priesthood that Christ had that has been restored in these latter days and so distinctly defines us.

Think about these questions before class:

- What are some blessings that you have received because of the priesthood?
- Why is it so important for us to learn about the priesthood?

I'm looking forward to a good discussion. Hopefully we can all take away something that we can add to our own personal creed!

(Submitted by Stephanie Manwaring)

Brother Sessions

During much of my childhood, my father suffered from kidney disease. My mother had to return to work teaching first grade at our local elementary school. It was not unusual to come home to my father in bed and if no one else was home yet, be automatically in charge of my father's care.
When I was in the sixth grade, my father had a serious surgery of some kind that required an incision in his abdomen. I came home from school to my father calling out. He was bleeding profusely from the incision. I asked my father what I should do? He was coherent enough to tell me to call our home teacher, Brother Sessions. It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon and I did not think Brother Sessions would be home at that time. I also did not know his number.
Somehow I had the presence of mind to find the correct home number for a Bill Sessions on Holt Ave. I called it and he answered. For some reason I cannot remember, he had stopped by his home (2 blocks from mine)during the workday. He came right over and took charge. He helped stop the bleeding and called the ambulance and gave Dad a blessing. All of those actions saved Dad's life. I will always love Brother Sessions and the power and authority of the priesthood he used that day. My father would go on to live two more years.
This week's lesson from the Teachings of George Albert Smith #5 is on the Priesthood.
I can tell you all - that I KNOW the power that comes from God through the righteous use of His Priesthood is restored and real. It has blessed my life in a very direct way from the beginning of my gospel life.
And continues to do so to this very day!

"MANY HANDS GIVE SERVICE - AND THE WORK BECOMES LIGHT!"

March wind and weather is here in full measure today, and March always brings the celebration of the Birthday of Relief Society. The Prophet Joseph, inspired by the Lord's love for his Daughters, turned the key in this dispensation for us to be "undershepherds" combined with the Priesthood Quorums in restoring this great Gospel of Jesus Christ back to the earth.

What a great gift we have be given - no wonder we rejoice in it's rebirth. This year, we are celebrating with gifts of service and compassion from the many hands of our sisters. The line from one of our hymns says - when we have been given much, we too must share, and we are going to share with the Dallas Veterans Hospital, the Humanitarian Service of the Church, and with a local women's shelter.

Yesterday, Chester Hollingsworth, stopped by my home to make certain that my lawn mower was ready for another summer season. I showed Brother Hollingsworth, who is a veteran of World War II, the bunny and "carrot" tray favors we will be making for the VA hospital for Easter Sunday Dinner. He got a little teary-eyed, and said "they are kind of a forgotten generation now, and there are fewer everyday - it's nice of you sisters to remember".

Relief Society gives us the opportunity to stop looking in the mirror, and worrying about our little pile of troubles - and looking out the window, at the world, and seeing whom we can serve and remember.

Tuesday, March 27th is the date, 7:00 p.m. is the time, and dinner will be served. Remember to check the list of items we need donated for the hygiene kits, as well as bags of goldfish crackers for our tray favors - we have only two more weeks to collect your donated items after Stake Conference this Sunday.

Who are you assigned to "watch and care for? Does she know about the Birthday Party? Does she have a ride to church and a friend to sit by? Is she less-active and needs to feel that Spirit of Sisterhood once again? Is she a great friend or the neighbor across the street, you have been searching a way to tell about the gospel? The R.S. Board is planning a lovely, quality event that you would feel confident to bring these sisters to. Wiggle out of your" comfort zone", and just ask, so many sisters are waiting to feel loved and have an opportunity to give service themselves. What if they say no? You have reached out - you have cared. and that little voice within you says "you have done the best you can!" . . . .and that is all the Lord is asking.

A SOMBER Time..

This is a somber season for us who serve in the Relief Society. In a period of months we have lost two women, Kay Hollingsworth and Jo Grice, who felt it their greatest privilege and duty to be a visiting teacher, sister, and friend of all.
Both of these women manifest the best in us - our DIVINE NATURE. While interacting with each of them over the years I have served, their biggest concerns over their health issues were "can I still be a visiting teacher" and "how will I get to hear all the wonderful lessons in Relief Society". Very humbling.
These women understood the Savior's plea to us to "watch and care" for each other - as He would have done were He here. I can testify to you that each of them did this as long as they possibly could.
Great "light" has gone out of our presence - AGAIN. It has never been more important for each of us to come with more "oil in our lamps".
I, personally, will miss the light and love that shone from Jo Grice. AND, am still missing the warmth and light from Kay Hollingsworth.