General Conference Highlights

I found this video of a few highlights from our fabulous General Conference Sessions. What great reminders and direction we received this month from our Prophet and Apostles of the Lord. One topic that resonated with me during Conference was the notion to stay the course and constantly improve. Have I returned to any bad (or lazy) habits? Am I trying to be better today than I was yesterday? How well am I following through with resolutions I've made in my life?

Watch this video for an uplifting 23 minutes. Pay attention to the Spirit that comes into your heart as you recall the personal revelation you received during General Conference a couple weeks ago. Did anything stand out to you?

One of the speakers talked about how loyalty is the crowning expression of love. Do you remember who said it? One of the blessings of serving in the Relief Society presidency has been the opportunity to see each of you demonstrate loyalty to the Lord through your service, testimony, and character. Thank you for being an example to me on how to show more love towards the Savior.

Mountains to Climb

Dear Sisters,

As I have been studying this talk by President Eyring I keep hearing that childhood song in my head, "The Bear Went Over The Mountain"! We always sang "The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see", followed by " He saw another mountain..."

Sometimes life can seem like a series of mountains, with very little valley in between. President Eyring relates that: "Trouble itself can be our way to strengthen and finally gain unshakable faith," and that "It is never too late to strengthen our foundation of faith." This Sunday we will discuss some ways we can build and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ so that "the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing."

See you Sunday,

Sister Stoddard

To read the talk, click HERE.

The Lord's Side

My dear sisters,
Sunday we will be talking about "Staying on the Lord's Side of the Line." Please read lesson 18 from the manual if you can. It is packed full of great insights and council to keep us strong and safe in these last days. We will be talking about what is required of us, even as society is continually trying to blur the lines. I look forward to seeing you all again as we meet in Relief Society!

Click here to read the lesson.

Angie Alford

"PRETEND" to engage

I listened/watched this 2012 October Conference and now I am reading it. I am at the end of the Saturday morning session - President Uchtdorf's talk "Of Regrets and Resolutions". Reading these sermons often gives me greater insights into what the Lord would like to see me do differently and I try to really pay attention to those things. BUT...I also love to read truths I all ready fervently believe and try to implement in my life right now.
One of the ideas he presents is the way social media mimics real relationships. He speaks of "pretending to spend time with others by the click of a mouse". I am such a big believer in one on one, eyeball to eyeball communication. I need to see your face when I speak with you so I can tell how my words are being received. I do not know how to "read" those expressions in emails or Facebook posts. (Actually, that is kind of an exaggeration as I am not on Facebook but you get what I mean.)
Most who know me know I do not have a cellphone so I do not get text messages or pictures over the phone. You have to leave a message for me on my home (land line) phone and wait for me to get it. But when I return the call, I do it when I can talk and so conversations can be expansive and we can both feel heard and understood.
I love people. I love the people in my life. I never find it satisfying to have a one word conversation with anyone! And I definitely do not like to have a conversation where the spelling is done in a phonetic shorthand.
In this area of my life, "pretending to spend time with others", I have no regrets. If you know me well at all, I do not PRETEND anything!

ORIGAMI ISN'T JUST FOR THE JAPANESE!

How many craft project have you started and  never finished?   Tonight we gathered at  the home of Debra Newcum, and everyone went home with a finished project!  We made the delightful Origami Picture Books for Christmas gifts or just for our own delight.

With Debra's  great directions, we folded and glued, and  folded and glued until we created the most amazing fold-out album to paste in our memory filled photographs.

With fall in the air, Debra served us a wonderful fruit and nut bread, some warm apple cider, and we just enjoyed our sisterhood.

We are planning some fun projects going forward in our "Hands On"  Craft Class, so look for our next project in the New Year.  Anything you would like to learn how to do ?  Let Debra know, and we will see if there is enough interest.

Below are the instructions for the Origami Books. Click to zoom in. They can also be emailed to you if needed.