YOU were born to be a QUEEN!

If You Could Hie To Kolob

Salad - Served At our Dinner

Some of you expressed how much you loved the salad

that was served at our Relief Society Dinner

on Tuesday Night...

Meridel sent me the recipe and I am posting this

for those of you who would like it:

(I for one...have saved it to my SALAD files!)

(I LOVED IT!)

 

Colorful Mixed Salad

Yield: 6 servings

6 cups torn mixed salad greens

1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup sunflower seeds (I used Soy Nuts)

1/3 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese

¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Relief Society Dinner and Program

On Tuesday, 17 January 2012,

we had our New Year theme 

"Spiritual Rags to Spiritual Robes"

event...

In spite of the weather - our first real snow storm of the year...

nearly 50 sisters attended our dinner and program...

THANK YOU to ALL who made this all possible...

Home made soups made by Relief Society Presidency...

Yummy Homemade braided breads by Diane Groves...

Colorful --- awesome salad by Meridel Barden...

Fantastic Cupcakes made by Heidi Stott, Jennifer Sherratt, Diane Groves

Decorations were done by Mona Okelberry

and our incredible YOUNG WOMEN who watch all the little children

so that all the mothers could enjoy the dinner and program...

We had 8 sisters create a different table setting...

The fun part...was to see how DIFFERENT 

each table setting was...

Janie Toren's table setting

However, Janie...we had to take off the beautiful

gold plates, because there was no room left

to place the bread and salads...

Should have taken the picture BEFORE we had to 

remove them...

 Shawna Wood - had a two sided message

for her center-piece!

LOVED IT!

Sabrina Dobson had this beautiful look!

Meridel Barden's Single Rose pattern...

Loved the little rose...on each plate!

Jill Normandeau's SUNNY YELLOW!

LOVED the flowers and little YELLOW BIRD!

Melanie Labrum's table with BEAUTIFUL

FLOWERS! Nothing like FLOWERS to turn a wintery

night...into SPRING!

Grace Guest, also, had a gorgeous setting...

but, I forgot to take another picture...

I was waiting for her to bring a new

center piece...cause the other one left no room

for bread and salad, either...

Hard to see it in this picture...

but this was her setting...

Sitting around her table are:

(L to R) Sabrina Dobson; Keely Remington; Shanna Kaltschmidt;

Gina Boyes; Diane Groves; Grace Guest; Connie Quick

 (L to R) Amy Hardman; Mary Lou Hartman; Ellie Mullen;

Martha Reading; Mona Okelberry; Jaime Root; Pat Turner

The sisters behind this table...I FORGOT

to take their PICTURE! I am so sorry!

I can only see Anita Denney; Christy Borders; Sylvia Luehr;

and I can't tell who else is at that table!

Again...my apologies!

(L to R) Anna Holmes; Lindsey Woodruff; Stefanie Walter;

Heather Allred; Shawn Fuller; Lynn Billedeaux; Kris Brown

(L to R) Debbie Perrone; Diane Denney; Jennifer Sherratt; 

Heidi Stott; Julie Denney; Amber Clark; Kari Beagley

 Melanie Labrum and Amy Robinson

(L to R) Wendy Storey; Christine Hoyle; Sheryl Ruggles;

Jill Normandeau

Sheryl Ruggles and Me

Amy Hardman (Left) and Gina Boyes (Right)

sang one of my very favorite songs...

"Emma" - a song about the Prophet Joseph Smith's Wife

I have posted the song before...I will do it here, again...

WISH we could have RECORDED Amy and Gina!

They did a super BEAUTIFUL JOB!

Also, THANK YOU...Shanna Kaltschmidt

for playing the PIANO! 

Really was BEAUTIFUL

Here is the song "Emma"

 Our "Spiritual Rags to Spiritual Robes" 

Booklets...

THANKS to Kari Beagley for working

on these booklets!

They turned out WONDERFUL!

We will only be able to shed our

"Spiritual Rags to Spiritual Robes"

through Jesus Christ

A Refuge in these Difficult Days

Sister Julie B. Beck: A refuge in these difficult days

By Sarah Jane Weaver
Church News staff writer

Published: Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012

Quorums and Relief Societies are meant to be a safety and a refuge in these difficult days and to support and strengthen the identity, roles and responsibilities of Heavenly Father's sons and daughters, said Sister Julie B. Beck on Jan. 17.

"What the Lord envisioned regarding quorums and Relief Society has not yet been fully utilized," said the Church's Relief Society general president. "Many quorums and Relief Societies are at present much like sleeping giants waiting for you to breathe new life into them."

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick, BYU

Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, speaks at a Brigham Young University devotional on Jan. 17, 2012.

Speaking to thousands of BYU students gathered in the BYU Marriott Center for a campus devotional assembly, Sister Beck explained why Latter-day Saints are organized into quorums and Relief Societies. "Inasmuch as the Lord chose to organize us in this way, it is important for us to seek for a greater understanding as to why we are thus organized and then to seek to fulfill the vision He has for us," said Sister Beck.

She said many people have the mistaken identity that a priesthood quorum and a Relief Society is "merely a class or a place to sit during the third hour of Church on Sunday," when, in fact, "being part of a Relief Society or quorum is a designation for a way of life." 

She said the purposes of Relief Society are "to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and provide relief for those who are in need." The purposes of the quorum, she added, are "to serve others, build unity and brotherhood, instruct quorum members in the doctrines and principles of the gospel, and watch over the Church."

Sister Beck said she drew from the scriptures and the words of prophets to illustrate five important reasons Latter-day Saints are organized into quorums and Relief Societies:

One of the reasons the Church has quorums and Relief Societies is to organize its members under the priesthood and after the pattern of the priesthood, she said. "Our God is a God of order, and all that He does to build His kingdom He does through His priesthood patterns," she said.

One of the patterns is the organization of wards and stakes, each with a geographic boundary, explained Sister Beck. "Each ward is guided by a bishop who holds the keys, or the Lord's authority, for his ward. He is the shepherd of the Lord's flock within his ward and has the charge to see to the temporal and spiritual needs of that flock. … His responsibility is monumental and is the more difficult because he is only one man who cannot possibly watch over all of the sheep at once. The quorum and Relief Society leaders are seen by the bishop as undershepherds who magnify, enhance, and distribute his watchcare."

Sister Beck explained that the formation of a presidency, sustaining those who are called to lead, and receiving revelation are also priesthood patterns.

"When Joseph Smith organized Relief Society, he said the sisters were 'to get instruction through the order which God has established — through the medium of those appointed to lead.' This ability and promise regarding personal revelation is one of the remarkable blessings that come to every quorum and Relief Society presidency. The Lord said that each of us was to learn our duty and act in the office to which we are appointed, He provided a way for us to do just that."

A second reason Church members are organized into quorums and Relief Societies is to focus Heavenly Father's sons and daughters on the work of salvation and to engage them in it, said Sister Beck.

"Quorums and Relief Societies are an organized discipleship with the responsibility to assist in our Father's work to bring about eternal life for His children. We are not in the entertainment business; we are in the salvation business," she said.

The work of salvation includes missionary work, retaining those who are converted, participating in family history work and temple work, improving temporal and self-reliance and taking care of the poor and needy. "These are honorable and heavy responsibilities," she said. "They connote a sacred trust and imply a significant contribution to the Lord's work of salvation, a work that is both a burden and a blessing. ...

"When we are organized into Relief Societies and quorums, our personal discipleship is extended and we become engaged with others in the saving work that was modeled by the Savior. It is never modest or inconsequential. It forces us to a higher path of discipleship and a greater spiritual maturity."

Sister Beck said the Lord's work of salvation is "guided by the Spirit, who confirms our actions, assures us of the Lord's approval, and supplies the true joy that comes with an affirmation of our success."

A third reason Church members are organized into quorums and Relief Societies is to help bishops wisely manage the Lord's storehouse, she said.

"The Lord's storehouse includes the time, talents, compassion, materials and financial means of the members of the Church," she said. "The talents of the Saints are to be used to help care for the poor and the needy and to build the Lord's kingdom."

Bishops, she explained, have charge of the Lord's storehouse, and they depend on the quorums and Relief Societies to help them seek out and care for all in their wards.

Sister Beck said if Church members were left to themselves, they might prefer to care only for the popular, charming and grateful people in their wards. "It is much more challenging to care for those who are difficult to love, who have grave and complicated challenges, or who do not seem to appreciate our help."

One of the most significant ways this kind of watchcare is apportioned is through home teaching and visiting teaching, she explained.

A fourth reason why Church members are organized into quorums and Relief Societies is to provide a defense and a refuge for Heavenly Father's children and their families in the latter days, said Sister Beck.

"We are all in the midst of a mortal experience," she said. "We all chose this experience, and the Lord will ensure that we all have one. An age-old anti-Christ deception implies that people who are smart enough or rich enough can avoid challenges. This is not so. … As our times become ever more difficult, the faithful brothers and sisters in the quorums and Relief Societies are to protect the homes of Zion from the shrill voices of the world and the provocative influence of the adversary."

Sister Beck told the students that whatever their mortal experience, they can have a feeling of fellowship and the support and strength of many around them. "It is in the sisterhood of Relief Society and the brotherhood of the quorums that we should find refuge and protection from the storms of life and calamities of the latter days," she said.

The fifth purpose for being organized into quorums and Relief Societies is to strengthen and support Later-day Saints in their family roles and responsibilities as sons and daughters of God, said Sister Beck.

"Though many of our responsibilities in the Church are parallel, Heavenly Father's sons and daughters each have unique and distinct responsibilities in the family and in the Church. Quorums and Relief Societies are to teach our Heavenly Father's sons and daughters and inspire them to prepare for the blessings of eternal life," she said. "Our Father sees the potential of His sons and His daughters to be family leaders. Therefore, everything we do in quorums and Relief Societies is to help the Lord with His mission of preparing His children for the blessings of the eternal life He envisions for us. In these settings we are meant to learn how to become part of our Heavenly Father's eternal family."

She said the quorum and the Relief Society assist family leaders and future family leaders and "help them establish patterns and practices of righteous behavior and covenant keeping in their lives."

The work of the quorum and Relief Society clarifies the unique identities and responsibilities of sons and daughters of God and unifies them in defense of His plan, Sister Beck said. "Each of us is a beloved daughter or son of God with sacred responsibilities," she explained. "In our quorums and Relief Societies we are to be taught and inspired to become who our Father in Heaven created us to become."

Let Us All Speak Kind Words to Each Other....

My daughter posted this on her Blog...an experience she

had when her children began bickering with one 

another...

January 18, 2012

Kind Words - An Observation

I am no parenting expert, that much is so ridiculously obvious I really didn't even need to say it. But on occasion, I am capable of making an astute observation that helps me out in my chosen profession.


Before I became a parent, I would have sworn up and down, side to side and on a stack of chocolate that I would never yell at my children. Like, never ever.

*snort* Amateur.

While perhaps I may not be raise my voice all the time, and I certainly never yell mean and terrible things at them, on occasion the volume on my voice box does get away from me. Once I had done it, it was easy to do again. Seems like one you cross that line, it's so hard to back step across it.

Dang. I hereby vote for do-overs! And start-overs! And popovers! Wait....

But still, I try. I really do try.


One evening, as I was preparing dinner, the boys started going at it. They were flinging angry comments back and forth and it was escalating fast.

The girls decided they just couldn't be left out and had to throw in a few choice words of their own, which only fueled the situation.

I have taken to yelling above such noise to get every one's attention, but I really hate doing that. It does nothing to diffuse the situation, it only makes me upset and the kids, while they may break up the fighting, still remain in bad spirits. Still, it's often just the reaction that springs up.

Well on this particular night, I did something that I had no idea I was even going to do until I was doing it.

Speaking calmly and just loud enough to be heard so the kids knew I was talking, I said:

"You know, I think Alayna is really cute when she smiles."

A couple of the kids stopped yelling and turned to me.

"And I really think Jacob has the best laugh ever."

It was seriously incredible. At this point all of the kids stopped what they were doing and stood watching me, obviously waiting to hear what I was going to say about the next child.

"I think Joseph can say some of the sweetest things when he wants to."

A smile here, a giggle there.

"And Savannah is the best helper ever. She is just so great."

I said all this while still calmly preparing the food.

There were several seconds of silence before the kids turned back to each other. Savannah started doing her homework quietly, the boys went off to play, and Alayna went back to her coloring.

There really wasn't any kind of grand acknowledgement of what happened, except to myself. The kids stopped fighting, everyone was in a better mood, and I didn't even have to raise my voice.

Wow.

The power of kind words.

Do I do this all the time? No. Should I do this more often? Definitely. Will it work every time? Most likely not.

But it won't hurt to try.

"Be patient with yourself. Perfection comes not in this life, but in the next life. Don't demand things that are unreasonable, but demand of yourself improvement. As you let the Lord help you through that He will make the difference." - Elder Russell M. Nelson


Just sayin'.

"Spiritual Rags to Spiritual Robes"

 Spiritual Rags to Spiritual Robes

Our Kalispell 3^rd Ward Relief Society THEME this year…is

“Spiritual Rags to Spiritual Robes”…

I reread…President Thomas S. Monson’s “Living the Abundant Life” and his CHALLENGE to all the Saints this year…to UNDERTAKE a PERSONAL, diligent, SIGNIFICANT QUEST --- for an ABUNDANT LIFE…FILLED with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings…

Sisters…this is how we will change out our “Spiritual Rags...” for “Spiritual Robes”…

He gave us the ABCs to achieve our goals:

• Have a POSITIVE ATTITUDE
• BELIEVE in YOURSELF
• Face CHALLENGES with COURAGE

I so believe…our THEME this year…is in line with the CHALLENGE the Lord is requiring of us to do…

These were some of the things that JUMPED out at me…though, each of us are entitled to our OWN PERSONAL REVELATION for our own UNIQUE circumstances…

MY ATTITUDE – Must be POSITIVE:

• Inner attitude of MY MIND – can change the OUTER ASPECT of MY LIFE!
• Do the BEST I can…
• Choose to be HAPPY – no matter WHAT my circumstances – PEACE and CONTENTMENT will be my BLESSING…
• I can NOT control what TESTS come my way…for I will need to be PROVED…and will be TESTED in ALL THINGS…but, I can ADJUST my ATTITUDE…and CHOOSE how I am going to HANDLE my challenge…

BELIEVE IN ME:

• I am to BELIEVE IN ME!
• I am to BELIEVE in OTHERS!
• I am to BELIEVE in ETERNAL PRINCIPLES!
• I must SERVE my God…with ZEAL!
• “MY LIFE IS MY MESSAGE!” --- Gandhi

FACE CHALLENGES WITH COURAGE:

·        COURAGE – the willingness and DETERMINATION to LIVE DECENTLY!

·        I must be BRAVE to follow my course…

·        There will be times when I could get discouraged and even frightened…but DAVID did BEAT GOLIATH! and SO WILL I!

·        It takes GREATER COURAGE to make a SECOND EFFORT… when I STUMBLE the FIRST TIME!

·        I must say to myself…I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW!

THE PROMISE:

• The ABUNDANT LIFE WILL BE MINE!