Announcements - Feb. 23, 2014

We are still collecting diapers for the Monument Crisis Center.   We especially need sizes 4,5 and 6. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please bring the bags to the Relief Society room.  

 

Our next Relief Society activity will be here on Wednesday, March 12th at 6:30. It will be a dinner and a healthy cooking demonstration.

 

This coming Thursday, February 27th is stake temple night in conjunction with stake conference. Chapel session at 6:30, endowment session at 7:00.

 

On Saturday, March 15th, the stake Women’s Conference will be held at the ISC from 10:00-12:00. “Women at the Well” will be presented, followed by a brunch. Baby sitting will be provided during the program only. All sisters and young women of the stake are invited.   There will be a shuttle running up from the lower back parking lot for those who need it.

 

Our ward has been invited to participate in the Fred Finch inter-stake service project on Saturday, April 12th and Saturday, April 26th. Please sign up if you are able to participate and you will be contacted.

Lesson Summary - Feb. 23, 2014

Teaching For Our Times - “Like a Broken Vessel” by Elder Jeffery Holland

presented by Marsha

 

Elder Holland is an amazing speaker. I urge you all to watch him deliver this talk online. It is from the October conference. He speaks of those who are affected by mental illness but emphasizes depression. One in five families are troubled by mental or emotional illnesses, women far more than men.

 

Marsha then drew a woman on the blackboard to represent everyone: single women, married, grandmothers, young mothers, small children and teenagers and named the figure “Ruth “.

 

Ruth has chosen to come into this world with the purpose of getting back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. That’s why she came. Along the way are many trials, many bumps in the road. In our lives we all have a ton of disappointment. Everyone here today has problems. What are some of the things that make you sad, not going over into depression but just things that make you sad, that make you nervous and give you anxiety?

 

ANSWERS GIVEN:

Children! Even big children

The death of someone

An unexpected illness or injury

One sister commented that any of life’s big changes such as: having a baby, changing jobs, moving etc. can cause anxiety even though it may seem to be a happy event.

 

Marsha then likened such events to being a little crack in our vessel or pot. Each one of us has many such events, large and small along the way. Marsha recounted one year in her life that was full of “cracks”.   It started out with one grandson dying in a terrible accident. Although terrified of flying, she got on an airplane to go to the funeral only to have lightening strike the plane in flight!   Then, soon after, Norm’s mother died. Then Norm was fired from his job of 25 years in a merger and so they suddenly had to move to Chicago. That same year, 4 of their 8 children decide to get married. That entire year she could not sleep for worrying and so became an insomniac, crazy and exhausted all the time.

 

Some very famous people have suffered from depression: Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, George Albert Smith, Nephi and Ammon in the Book of Mormon and Elder Holland to name just a few.  

 

Getting back to Ruth. Because of so many bumps in her road, and possibly other additional factors, Ruth developed a terrible depression.   She began to view life from a deep abyss from which she could not escape.  It was beyond her ability to ‘buck up’ or ‘get over it’ by herself. For such cases, one must seek intensive therapy with a psychiatrist or psychologist, perhaps with medications as well as priesthood blessings along with all the self effort one can muster in order to recover.

 

One sister commented that the shame needs to be taken out of it. One should talk about feeling depressed so that one is not too afraid to admit her condition and get some help just as you would for a broken arm or any other medical condition.

 

Here are some of the warning signs and symptoms:

Don’t want to get out of bed in the morning

Depressed mood - feel sad most of the time

Diminished interest or pleasure in activities

Change in eating and sleeping patterns

Agitation or slowing down

Diminished ability to think, concentrate, make decisions

Recurrent thoughts of death

Isolation

Feeling cut off from God, not worthy of God’s love

Overwhelmed

Numb - nothing matters

Irritability and anger and extremely jumpy

 

When you or your family start to recognize these symptoms, it is time to get help.

 

We should not think of depression differently than we do any other problem such as pneumonia, a heart attack or a broken arm. Each condition has its remedy. A depressed person can be a child, a teenager, one who questions her faith, a college student, young or senior missionaries, post partum mothers, the unemployed, one with a chemical or hormonal imbalance etc.

 

What can we do to help ourselves when we find ourselves feeling down or sad?

Some answers were:

Exercise is major

Don’t get run down - take care of yourself

Go do something for someone else

Talk to a friend

List your blessings

Get a priesthood blessing

Let time pass

 

What can we do if we are in the abyss and cannot function?

The only real answer is:

Get professional help including a psychiatrist and medication for your medical condition. Priesthood blessings. Such a condition is beyond self-help.

 

Pres. Thomas S. Monson admonishes us, “Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you even more than you can comprehend. That love never changes. It is there for you if you are sad, or if you are happy or if you are discouraged or if you are hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel like you deserve it. It is simply always, always, always there. “

 

Marsha concluded with these words from Elder Holland:

“I bear witness of the day when loved ones whom we knew to have disabilities in mortality will stand before us glorified and grand, breathtakingly perfect in body and mind. What a thrilling time that will be! I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves that we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them that they are fully perfect and finally “free at last”.   Until that hour when Christ’s consummate gift is evident to us all may we live by faith, hold fast to hope, and show compassion one to another.”

Announcements - February 16, 2014

• Weekday Relief Society Activity:  Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.  “Kitchen Boss”.  There will be a healthy cooking demo and dinner.

• Service project for this month and next is collecting diapers of all sizes for the Monument Crisis Center.  Please bring them to the RS room any Sunday or Activity Day.   Thank you!

• Ward Temple Night will be Thursday, February 20, 2014, 7:00 p.m. session.  Participants are encouraged to bring an ancestor’s name.

• Stake Temple Night will be Thursday, February 27, 2014, 7:00 p.m. session.

• Stake service project on April 12 and/or April 26 at the Fred Finch Center in Oakland.  

Lesson Summary - February 16, 2014

Teachings of the Presidents of the Church

Joseph Fielding Smith - Lesson 5 - “Faith and Repentance”

Lesson by Chris

Joseph Fielding Smith said, “What we need in the Church, as well as out of it, is repentance.  We need more faith and more determination to serve the Lord.”

Chris said we’ve all been taught about faith since Primary: We all need faith; faith is like a little seed; The first principles of the Gospel are faith and repentance; faith is to hope for things which are not seen but which are true. 

It all seems so simple, but is it?

We learn that where faith is concerned, we need to keep plugging along, that it may take awhile. There may be naysayers.  We need to trust that something is going on that we don’t see, that isn’t obvious.  We need to never give up.

Joseph Fielding Smith said that, “Faith is an action word.”

To illustrate this point, Chris told a story about her mother after she had emigrated to the US.  She had very little money, $4 of discretionary income per month, when her bishop asked her to give $2 toward the building fund.  She did this without question, but was worried about her finances.  She was able to get a new job that she wasn’t qualified for that paid more.  Through faith, she was able to become proficient in the skills this new job demanded and was able to learn English and provide for herself and family.  She did this by placing all her faith in the Lord and worked to make it happen.

Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future.”

Joseph Fielding Smith also said, “Faith cannot be obtained by inaction or through indifference or passive belief.  The mere desire to obtain faith will not bring faith any more than the desire to be skilled in music or painting will bring proficiency in these things without intelligent action.”

What do faith and repentance have to do with each other?

Elder Neil A. Maxwell said, “No part of walking by faith is more difficult than walking the road of repentance. However, with “faith unto repentance,” we can push roadblocks out of the way, moving forward to beg God for mercy.”

Chris then spoke about the subtle sins of everyday life, such as lack of patience, and how we recognize them in ourselves.

Chris asked, “How do you make a change stick?”  “How do we know that we need to repent?”

Some responses were “More prayer than just at morning and night.” “Don’t make the same mistake twice, make a new one.” “The Holy Ghost will prompt us to know that we need to repent.” “Although hard to hear, listen to other’s feedback of us.”  “People may see things in us that we can see in ourselves.”

Neil A. Maxwell also said, “Blessed are the meek, for they are neither easily offended by counsel nor aggravated by admonition.  If we were more meek, brothers and sisters, repentance would be much more regular and less stared at.”

We need to slow our lives down, ponder and meditate, and focus on those things that we need to work on. 

In closing, Chris quoted Joseph Fielding Smith: “If we really understood and could feel even to a small degree, the love and gracious willingness on the part of Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins we would be willing to repent of all our transgressions and serve him.”

Announcements - Feb. 9, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  

Weekday Relief Society Activity:  Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 P.M.  Please join us for a relaxing and rejuvenating evening.  We will be offering a juicing demo, a foot soak, a hand scrub, relaxing atmosphere, healthy snacks and, of course, lots of socializing.  Please dress comfortably and be prepared to decompress!  Friends and neighbors are invited.  Babysitting provided. 

  

Service project for this month and next is collecting diapers of all sizes for the Monument Crisis Center.  Please bring them to the RS room any Sunday or Activity Day.   Thank you!

  

Ward Temple Night will be Thursday, February 20, 2014, 7:00 p.m. session.  Participants are encouraged to bring an ancestor’s name.

Lesson Summary - Feb. 9, 2014

Teachings of the Presidents of the Church - Joseph Fielding Smith

Lesson 4 - “Strengthening and Preserving the Family”

Lesson by Michelle

Joseph Fielding Smith was a stellar example for us regarding his love for his family.  He was a loving husband, father and grandfather.  His greatest ambition was to make his family happy. He always gave his family his time.  There are many examples in the Relief Society manual.

The family is the most important organization in this world or in eternity.

Michelle asked, “Am I making my family’s life a supreme joy?”  “What is more important than that?”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks recently said, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”

Joseph Fielding Smith said, “The family is the most important organization in time or in eternity...May I remind you of how important the family unit is in the overall plan of our Father in heaven.  In fact, the Church organization really exists to assist the family and its members in reaching exaltation.”

In 1971, Joseph Fielding Smith said, “Family unity and family commitment to the gospel are so important that the adversary has turned much of his attention to the destruction of families in our society.  On every side there is an attack on the basic integrity of the family as the foundation of what is good and noble in live...”

Additionally, Joseph Fielding Smith said, “As the forces of evil attack the individual by tearing away at his family roots, it becomes critical for Latter-day Saint parents to maintain and strengthen the family.  There may possibly be a few very strong individuals who can survive without the support of a family, but more of us need the love, teaching, and acceptance that come from those who care very deeply...We strengthen and preserve our families as we spend time together, love each other, and live the gospel together...The home is the workshop where human characters are built and the manner in which they are formed depends upon the relationship existing between parents and the children.”

Michelle asked, “What do you do to keep your family together?”

Some responses were:  Family Home Evening, consistency is key, not the length; Children not allowed to hit, or be physical when angry with siblings; Never speak badly about family outside the home.

Michelle asked, “How do you do family scripture study and daily prayers?”

Some responses were:  Be consistent, not necessary same number of verses or chapters everyday; read by subject; find answer to a gospel question; dress up/act out scenes from the scriptures; illustrated books of the scriptures for children; take turns reading scriptures out loud-helps children with their reading skills.  Pray for each specific family member before they leave the house; family prayer in the morning; family prayer at night; Consistency is key, whatever works for your family.

Celebrating family traditions can also bring families together, whether they are Christmas or holiday traditions, or something else that family members can look forward to.  Eating meals (breakfast, dinner) together strengthens families.

In closing, Michelle said that the Lord instituted the family to endure eternally.  It’s His will to strengthen and preserve the family.  May we do our part to increase the spirituality and family unity within our homes.

Announcements - Feb. 2, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Weekday Relief Society Activity:  Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 P.M.  Please join us for a relaxing and rejuvenating evening.  We will be offering a juicing demo, a foot soak, a hand scrub, relaxing atmosphere, healthy snacks and, of course, lots of socializing.  Please dress comfortably and be prepared to decompress!  Friends and neighbors are invited.  Babysitting provided. 

• Service project for this month and next is collecting diapers of all sizes for the Monument Crisis Center.  Please bring them to the RS room any Sunday or Activity Day.   Thank you!

• Everyone is welcome to join any or all of the common interest groups that meet during the month.  Please see the flyer for the various groups and when they meet.

• Ward Temple Night will be Thursday, February 20, 2014, 7:00 p.m. session.  Participants are encouraged to bring an ancestor's name.

• BYU Rugby team will be competing at UC Berkeley, February 13-15, and they are looking for host families.

Lesson Summary - Feb.2, 2014

SPOTLIGHT ON

ANN

(Ann’s presentation was accompanied by slides)

I was raised in Monterey, California in a small two bedroom home just 5 houses from the Del Monte Lodge, where my grandparents worked in the early ‘40s.    I have very happy memories of life there.  We could swim and swing on the grounds of the hotel.   We had no car, so we walked everywhere - town was only ½ mile away.

I was the middle child with 2 brothers so I have the characteristics of a middle child: the need to be in control of my surroundings, try to please others, strive to do the best I can, be a perfectionist and a procrastinator. 

We had a stay-at-home Mom who was very creative.  She sewed, knitted, and baked and sold these things in Carmel.  I am so grateful she taught me that I could do anything I wanted to do.  My father immigrated from Scotland at age 21.  He was a banker and loved to garden, a love he passed on to me. 

In 1948, life suddenly expanded for me when we moved up on a hill between Monterey and Carmel.  We had a forest in our backyard.  I have fond memories of picking huckleberries, but also some bad cases of poison oak!   Our first car  arrived so we spent more time in Carmel and Big Sur.  How we enjoyed watching the storms over the Monterey Bay from our dining room window. 

The downside of this move was that I had to walk a mile to town to catch a bus for school.  We moved to San Jose in the middle of 6th grade, then I lived in that house until I went off to college.   

My mind was opened to new experiences during those growing up years.  I taught myself  to sew a slip out of an old sheet when I was in 5th grade and never turned back.  From then on I made my own clothes including formals, coats, and suits.  Later I sewed mainly for our children.

My mother taught me to knit, something I enjoy to this day.  I’ve loved knitting sweaters, scarves and lots of baby clothes and blankets. 

I started cooking in 4th grade, majoring in desserts until I was forced to consider main meals.  Anything chocolate was always my first choice.

I have always enjoyed walking, hiking, biking and playing tennis, although these days walking is my most likely activity.   

My mother encouraged me to appreciate the world beyond my home.  I have been fortunate to travel with Roy to some wonderful places.  Some of the wonderful places we have been able to visit in the last few years are Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands and Africa. 

I was baptized in St. John’s Episcopal Chapel in Monterey.  After moving up the hill I started going to a Presbyterian church with friends.

Then, when we moved to San Jose, I started attending a Lutheran church with a good friend.

During one summer in high school I went to a camp in Colorado called Frontier Ranch high in the Rockies where I first stood, and with heart pounding and knees shaking, accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.  The next summer I went to another Young Life camp in Canada.  My love for Jesus Christ was cemented by these experiences.

I soon headed to Berkeley where I had little focus on any organized religion.  There was no Young Life on campus, but I did attend some youth group meetings at a Presbyterian church there.

I met my husband, Roy, my freshman year, but we did not start dating until my senior year.  Roy was raised Catholic and we were married in a Catholic church right after college.  I obtained a teaching credential with a major in Child Development and a minor in Natural Science.

I taught second grade for 3 years and then we started our own family.  We moved to Lafayette in 1968 and have lived in the same house for 41 years.

We had one son and one daughter - a strong family unit has always been one of my goals.

We started attending St. Stephen’s church in 1975 and both became very active.  We raised our two children in that faith.

Our son Scott and his wife live in Lafayette and are raising their his three children in the Catholic faith.

Our daughter, Stacey and her husband live in  Danville with their 3 girls and are a Mormon family.  Stacey started dating a Mormon boy from this ward in her senior year of high school.  When she went off to college, he went on a mission.  Seeing theirs becoming a serious relationship, I wanted to know what he believed.  Well meaning friends gave me many anti-Mormon books but I felt sick every time I would read one of them.  One day the missionaries stopped by and I invited them to come back during the summer to talk about their faith with my daughter.  My Conversion Story Peaks at this Point.  I felt the spirit so strongly when the missionaries were in our home.  There was a peace that accompanied this spirit.  I was impressed that they even helped me with some of my stewardship work at St. Stephen’s. 

I started attending our ward in 1990 and was often brought to tears by the spirit.  It was the joy of the members and the warmth of the spirit that led me to join the church in 1991.  I have had a variety of callings since then and have grown through these wonderful opportunities.  I started asking the spirit to guide me in making decisions and found out it really worked.  I started obeying the promptings that would come and finding much peace. 

I have received blessings before surgeries and then felt peace and comfort.  I am thankful for the many members who have influenced my conversion and supported me when I joined the church.  I am grateful for earthly parents who placed emphasis on families and taught me how to pass this blessing on to my children.  I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost and of prayer.