*Today at church I got to go to my own ward, with my own family! It is amazing how great it was to be there with them. It makes me think of all the families of the High Counselors and other stake leaders who must miss each other, as they have to be apart even more that I was from mine.
*Today the Sacrament Meeting talks were about continuing revelation. I enjoyed the talks (the parts I could focus on between shushing my kids, who were so chatty), but I really enjoyed the closing prayer. She used some awesome phrases, like "thoughtfully using our agency" for finding revelation for our families. I wish I could remember it all.
*Today my almost 3 year old son went to Nursery for the second week in a row. We are turning a corner, folks! We had been talking about it all morning, and he seemed reluctant but willing. As we drove up to the building, he said, "No church. Let's go home." We didn't listen. He went, he sat, he played with cars, he ate his snack, and he even fell asleep for a little bit (in his chair). This is such progress. I hope it will stick.
*Today I got to see my friend who moved away and was here for a visit. I like to be around her because she asks thoughtful questions and cares about the answers. She's also funny. (Thanks for coming!)
It was awesome!
But...this week I learned that my counselor has stage 4 colon cancer. It is terrible news, and we are still praying for her.
Monday, February 23, 2015
February 2015, Week 3
*Today was another day of three overlapping Ward Conferences (and their Ward Councils) to attend. The good news was that they were in my home building! Also, these were the last three for the year! The bad news is that my counselor, who was sick the previous week, is in the hospital. They are trying to determine what is wrong, but there might be cancer involved. We are praying for her. It made a day of juggling for me and my other counselor and secretary. I wasn't able to attend my own ward or see my family, as I was hoping, as I was involved in the other wards. It was fun, however, to see all my friends and my Primary kids from before our wards split.
*I love going to the Ward Councils. It is a great way to get a feel for the ward, and to get to know the perspectives of the ward leaders. I love to hear what emphasis and council our Stake President chooses for each ward. I don't know if he thinks of it before the meeting or if he just says what comes to mind at the moment (probably both), but it is always different--sometimes only slightly, and sometimes very noticeably. He is a very approachable, thoughtful, and straightforward man. I am enjoying getting to know him and the other Stake leaders, as well.
*I gave the Sharing Time three times today. The first two (in the same ward) went particularly well. I felt the Spirit of the stories of Jesus, and I felt the children could tell I believed what I was telling them. I was excited for the last lesson, as it was the last time I'd be giving the Sharing Time, and it was with the kids formerly in my ward. Since this is a blog about positive experiences at church, I will spare the details of how difficult this 20 minutes were. There were several factors that combined to make it turn out as it did, but I'll say that I came away feeling like an amateur in need of major classroom management skills. I have reflected on the day, and have some ideas of how I can do things differently in the future. I just wish I could have thought of them in the moment, to model what to do for the ward leaders. Maybe next time...
It was...awesome!
*I love going to the Ward Councils. It is a great way to get a feel for the ward, and to get to know the perspectives of the ward leaders. I love to hear what emphasis and council our Stake President chooses for each ward. I don't know if he thinks of it before the meeting or if he just says what comes to mind at the moment (probably both), but it is always different--sometimes only slightly, and sometimes very noticeably. He is a very approachable, thoughtful, and straightforward man. I am enjoying getting to know him and the other Stake leaders, as well.
*I gave the Sharing Time three times today. The first two (in the same ward) went particularly well. I felt the Spirit of the stories of Jesus, and I felt the children could tell I believed what I was telling them. I was excited for the last lesson, as it was the last time I'd be giving the Sharing Time, and it was with the kids formerly in my ward. Since this is a blog about positive experiences at church, I will spare the details of how difficult this 20 minutes were. There were several factors that combined to make it turn out as it did, but I'll say that I came away feeling like an amateur in need of major classroom management skills. I have reflected on the day, and have some ideas of how I can do things differently in the future. I just wish I could have thought of them in the moment, to model what to do for the ward leaders. Maybe next time...
It was...awesome!
February 2015, Week 2
*Today I was able to attend two Ward Conferences. I was teaching the Sharing Time that we are giving for all the wards for one of the wards, and one of my counselors was going to teach the other ward, but she called in the morning to say that she was sick with the flu. I didn't want to drop it on my other counselor without warning, so I just did the lessons for both wards. Four Sharing Times in a row (since each ward has a junior and a senior primary). It was...exhausting. But--it was also interesting to see how even with the same lesson for the four groups, I had a slightly different emphasis on certain stories or scriptures. Reflecting back on where I put the emphasis for which group of kids was interesting, and I believe it was inspired, though I don't know the reasons.
*As we (the Stake leaders) visit each ward, we sit on the stand for the Sacrament Meetings. In the first congregation I visited, the Mission President and his wife were there, smiling sweetly at us through the meeting. I had forgotten that this was their home ward. I don't suppose they get the opportunity to go to their home ward often, or to sit in the congregation for many church meetings. They looked like they enjoyed it a lot.
*Today at the end of church (at 2 pm), I was given an extra Valentine cookie that had been handed out in Relief Society. I was so thankful for that cookie! I had forgotten to bring any food with me that day, and hadn't eaten since 7:00 am (since I attended the Ward Council meeting at 7:45), and had a 40 minute drive home to go. It was amazingly tasty.
It was awesome!
*As we (the Stake leaders) visit each ward, we sit on the stand for the Sacrament Meetings. In the first congregation I visited, the Mission President and his wife were there, smiling sweetly at us through the meeting. I had forgotten that this was their home ward. I don't suppose they get the opportunity to go to their home ward often, or to sit in the congregation for many church meetings. They looked like they enjoyed it a lot.
*Today at the end of church (at 2 pm), I was given an extra Valentine cookie that had been handed out in Relief Society. I was so thankful for that cookie! I had forgotten to bring any food with me that day, and hadn't eaten since 7:00 am (since I attended the Ward Council meeting at 7:45), and had a 40 minute drive home to go. It was amazingly tasty.
It was awesome!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
February 2015, Week 1
*Today at church I got to attend my own ward, and I substituted on the organ. The songs were hard today! My hands actually started shaking from nerves as I was playing the opening hymn (#82, "For All the Saints"). I took a breath and, in not so many words, told my hands to stop because this was for church and people needed to sing, and not listen to my shaky notes. They did! A tender mercy.
*During Testimony Meeting, a sister shared a thought from a sermon she had listened to on the radio that morning. The preacher had been talking about being "fishers of men." He said that most people enjoy the fishing, but no one really likes to clean the fish. The thing is, though, the Lord asks us to do the fishing, and He will take care of the cleaning. We don't need to prejudge--we just bring souls to Him, and He will do the cleaning of them. I liked that imagery.
*During Sunday School, we had another image that I enjoyed. We were studying the 3rd and 4th chapters of John, about Nicodemus learning about being born again. Our instructor used a hard popcorn kernel to describe how we are before our change of heart, and how a popped kernel is us after a change. It was interesting to think about what it takes to change a heart, and how we should be soft and teachable after.
*During Relief Society, we had a nice lesson about President Benson's "Fourteen Fundamentals" of prophets. I most enjoyed, however, holding my sleeping 2 1/2 year old on my lap, as he had fallen asleep on my husband, who successfully transferred him to me so he could go teach his lesson. It doesn't happen often that I get to hold him while he sleeps (and almost never at church), and it won't be too long before those days are all done. I've put in a good many years mothering babies and toddlers. Being still and holding a sleeping child is one of the best parts of the job.
It was awesome!
*During Testimony Meeting, a sister shared a thought from a sermon she had listened to on the radio that morning. The preacher had been talking about being "fishers of men." He said that most people enjoy the fishing, but no one really likes to clean the fish. The thing is, though, the Lord asks us to do the fishing, and He will take care of the cleaning. We don't need to prejudge--we just bring souls to Him, and He will do the cleaning of them. I liked that imagery.
*During Sunday School, we had another image that I enjoyed. We were studying the 3rd and 4th chapters of John, about Nicodemus learning about being born again. Our instructor used a hard popcorn kernel to describe how we are before our change of heart, and how a popped kernel is us after a change. It was interesting to think about what it takes to change a heart, and how we should be soft and teachable after.
*During Relief Society, we had a nice lesson about President Benson's "Fourteen Fundamentals" of prophets. I most enjoyed, however, holding my sleeping 2 1/2 year old on my lap, as he had fallen asleep on my husband, who successfully transferred him to me so he could go teach his lesson. It doesn't happen often that I get to hold him while he sleeps (and almost never at church), and it won't be too long before those days are all done. I've put in a good many years mothering babies and toddlers. Being still and holding a sleeping child is one of the best parts of the job.
It was awesome!
January 2015, Week 4
*Today was another day for visiting another ward for church. I was struck by the order of how things work in the church. One of the biggest trials of being a Primary President for me, and for almost all of those I speak to, is trying to fill callings. We pray for inspiration and submit names for the large number of callings we need to fill, but it seems like we're trying to make a puzzle with half of the pieces missing, because we never have all the information the Bishopric does. It is sometimes very disheartening to have what we feel like clear inspiration turn out to not be the path the Bishopric wants to take. Sometimes we have holes that we just can't discern how to fill. We often don't know the reasons for particular requests, or for particular denials or particular delays. Often we have to move forward with faith that things WILL work out.
On this day, the Primary President had been talking to me before her Ward Council about needing a teacher for one of her classes, and how she was at the end of her list of ideas for submissions. She had submitted names already, and had asked for ideas from her Bishopric, but the calling was still not filled. After Sacrament Meeting, she came to me with a grin, saying that she had just met with her Bishop, and they had both been thinking about the same sister for this calling, and it was going to be taken care of. I could tell that she felt that she had finally had the inspiration that she was entitled to as the Primary President of her ward, and to have it align with the Bishop's will made her so happy. I know that feeling. It is beautiful to know when you are doing the will of the Lord, and that you can invite others to do the same.
It was awesome!
On this day, the Primary President had been talking to me before her Ward Council about needing a teacher for one of her classes, and how she was at the end of her list of ideas for submissions. She had submitted names already, and had asked for ideas from her Bishopric, but the calling was still not filled. After Sacrament Meeting, she came to me with a grin, saying that she had just met with her Bishop, and they had both been thinking about the same sister for this calling, and it was going to be taken care of. I could tell that she felt that she had finally had the inspiration that she was entitled to as the Primary President of her ward, and to have it align with the Bishop's will made her so happy. I know that feeling. It is beautiful to know when you are doing the will of the Lord, and that you can invite others to do the same.
It was awesome!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)