Announcement

Photos by Bella Bean Photography

Card design by Tiny Prints

I'm Putting the Bishop on Speed Dial!

We LOVE our new ward. People are super-friendly and nice, and have been so very welcoming to us. One problem....there's three of us, and several hundred of them. When it comes to learning names, we're on the disadvantage for sure.

Rewind to last Thursday. I get a phone call from the ward executive secretary, Brother Shumway. I remember his name, because anyone who has the gumption to have twelve children (yes, I said twelve) suddenly makes themselves memorable enough for me to log that name for good. So, yes, Brother Shumway. He asks if we have time to meet with the bishop that evening, and we agree.

Being a member of this particular church, I knew we were in for more than Temple Recommend interviews. I was surely right. However, I was not expecting to be called into the Young Womens' Presidency! I am officially the 1st Counselor in the Young Women's presidency in our ward. I feel....well, I feel a lot of things, but "prepared for this calling" sure is not one of them.

My favorite part of the interview was when Bishop mentioned to me that this particular set of girls was "in need of someone like me."

Those words seemed hauntingly familiar. Maybe EXACTLY like what President Simmons would say to me in nearly every interview I had with my dear mission president? Maybe....

Fast forward to today. I have been aware of this calling for approximately two whole days, and still no closer to knowing anyone's names than I had been the week prior. We get sustained (Robbie was sustained as the 1st Counselor in the Sunday School Presidency. Oh, and he barely makes it to sacrament meeting with his work schedule. Figure that one out.), and after Dax interrupts Sunday School and I wander the halls a bit, I head to Young Women's.

Trying to get my bearings and notice the sea of faces smeared with chocolate chip cookies from their classes, I take a seat and begin to get settled. I sometimes make small talk with the woman to my right while trying to tactfully tell her I have no idea who in the world she is. Class starts.

I learn that we are having an "all-girl" lesson because the YW President skipped town to go hunting with her husband and forgot to tell people (P.S. ...STILL no idea who she is), and the lesson is short-lived because the new class presidencies need to be sustained and set apart.

So now, class is over ten minutes early, and most of the girls jet.

The prior 1st Counselor approaches me, hands me a stack of books and manuals, and after explaining that she loves these girls but can't invest the time anymore with her health suffering (she just had a major surgery), tells me that many of the girls are from terrible family lives and "need lots and lots of love." No problem, right?? Except that that's all she told me before she left. I think her name is Diana???

Skip to this evening. Robbie had to work a bit late, so I took Dax with me to a Bishop's fireside that was at the Shumway's home. No problem that I haven't been there, right? I can totally mapquest it!

Mapquest has no knowledge of the Shumways.

I remember some of the girls describing how to get there, so I jump in the car, and try to make it. Never found it, didn't have the Shumway's number to call, and STILL know no one's names.

I call Robbie to tell him that I won't actually be making it to the fireside.

My car runs out of gas.

Sweet Love. Counting my blessings, I was in our neighborhood and could easily walk the rest of the way home.

Mind is racing. Instead of mutual this week, they are going to the BYU game on Saturday. Still no idea if I am going. Don't know if there is a ticket for me, or what I have to do. Plus, I'll have Dax with me. Awesome. Still don't know the YW President's name or who she is.

I'm putting the Bishop on Speed-Dial!!

I Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet

At the end of the Sunday morning session of Conference, the Choir sang We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet. During the song, the camera typically scans through the members of the choir, and sometimes the congregation or outside, on the temple or conference center grounds. Today, however, they played a slideshow of sorts, a montage of President Monson as he toured the world fulfilling his calling as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

It was during this presentation that it really hit me of the reality of his calling. President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. He is called of Him to lead His church during this time of the world. He has been given priesthood keys and specific talents that allow him to serve in the way our Heavenly Father needs him to at this time.

I am so grateful for the witness of the Spirit that has allowed my testimony to increase and be strengthened by the words that were so powerfully sung by the Tabernacle Choir today.

Truly, I thank thee, O God, for a prophet!

Is it Bad if I Hate Satan?

Like many of you, I am sick and tired of hearing about the upcoming election. I'm sick of the emails, I'm sick of the discussions, I'm sick of the campaign signs and ads. I can not wait for it to all be over. The thing that makes me more sick, however, are the huge consequences of our upcoming election/vote. There are many issues involved with the elections (not just presidential) that are threatening to create huge shock waves in the material of our society. I hope and pray that we do not take this election lightly.

Thankfully, we have all been given agency, as well as the wonderful freedom of speech and ability to vote. I hope that each of us are prayerfully considering each candidate and proposition and voting in the way we feel will help God's work to move forward more effectively. That's the whole point of this Earth-life, after all. I am grateful for the loving guidance of a Father in Heaven who has given us not only our agency and the Holy Spirit, but the wisdom and understanding of a living prophet of God on this earth.



And then there's this:

It's not as if this means that members of the church hate people that are homosexual. In fact, quite the opposite. There are many people I know and love that have chosen this lifestyle. The point remains: God's word is truth. Just because we may love another person that chooses to live such a lifestyle does not mean we should condone it. It truly makes me sad that there are people who claim to have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ that so deeply misunderstand the plan of salvation.

Sometimes it's difficult to remember that it doesn't take much for Satan's work to be successful. I think it goes without saying that doing something simple like voting or spreading the word can help the Lord's work to prevail. Easy enough, yet not nearly enough of us do it. I hope that amongst all my weaknesses, not doing enough will not be listed with them.

Dax's Blessing Day

Relief For Sure

My wonderful Relief Society presidency was out tonight doing visits and had the thought to stop by all the "pregnant sisters" in the ward.  Not only that, but they stopped by A&W and bought me a rootbeer float.  Talk about relief.  They are so wonderful!

Another Busy Weekend!

Saturday morning we headed down to Salt Lake to be there when a good friend of mine was endowed in the Salt Lake temple. Erin is a woman I had the great opportunity to teach while I was serving in Anderson, Indiana on my mission. She's such a babe!

Being in the Celestial Room with her, a bunch of mission friends and companions, my mission president and his wife was incredible. The church is true!!

After the temple, we threw a surprise birthday party for Erin's 5-year-old daughter, Teagan. It was really fun to see her again (it's been almost two years!). We ate at El Farol in Midvale, had cake and ice cream, and just enjoyed each other.

On our way back home, Robbie and I drove through a bunch of areas throughout Bountiful, Centerville, Farmington and Fruit Heights (who doesn't like to oogle over mansions?) before we stopped to visit his parents in Kaysville. After visiting with them for a while, we decided to spend the night, and left Sunday morning to make it to our church on time.

Since our friend Jeni is without her husband for another week, we took her with us up Providence Canyon and made dinner and hung out. While we were sitting there, her friends Trevor and Amy, with their daughter Kailey showed up to take some pictures of their family and offered to take some of us. We love meeting new friends!

General Conference

I love General Conference! We got to enjoy it in the comfort of our home over the fabulous internet. I'm so grateful for technology so that we could listen to the words of the prophets.

As a bonus, we also got our crib touched up (it was pretty banged up from the previous owners) all at the same time!

Fabulous Evening

This afternoon/evening I had the awesome opportunity to attend an endowment session and temple sealing in the Logan Temple for my friend Charlie Bingham.  It was pretty fabulous.

Each time I attend the temple I feel the Spirit, but this time, it was a bit stronger than usual.  I was able to understand concepts and thoughts like I haven't been able to before.  It was neat.  

The best part, I think, was watching Corrie and Charlie's little family be sealed together.  They will have a baby next summer, so it was really fun to watch them take part in this little piece of eternity.  

The temple is such an amazing place.  I love it!  There is nowhere else on Earth that we can have such a clear perspective on God's eternal plan for each of us.  The Church is True!