Mother Education

“The word motherhood defines women’s eternal roles; it describes their nature as nurturers” (Daughters in My Kingdom [2011], 156).

Have you ever heard of Mother Education? I hadn't either until today. I was looking today on the lds.org website and I found it in the Relief Society section.. Here is the link: http://www.lds.org/service/serving-in-the-church/relief-society/messages-from-leaders/mother-education?lang=eng

I have often felt that my gospel study was not sufficient. I read the scriptures, and while I think this is important, I have often longed for a course of study that was more specific to my chosen field, motherhood. I am very excited about this and intend to start using it as an addition to my scripture study. I hope that you may also find it useful.

Love to you all,
Jaime

Happy Birthday!

On March 17, 2012, the Relief Society commemorated its 170th anniversary. In the Gulfport Ward, we celebrated with a delicious progressive dinner, a cake and we gave away our friendship quilt. We would like to thank all of the sisters who worked so hard to plan and execute such a fun activity. We would also like to thank all of those sisters who came and partied with us. Here are some pictures . . .



Our finished friendship quilt was given to Sister Keron McDaniel.



The first Phase of our progressive dinner was the salad course. We were seating according to birth month which enabled us to get to know each other a little better.



The second phase of the progressive dinner was the main course. There was a yummy corn casserole and a tasty German dish of meat wrapped in a pastry. This time we were seated according to birth year.



While we ate cake we played a game where we got to look at baby pictures of different sisters and guess who they were. Sister Oatman won this game by getting the most correct answers.



Mmmmmmmmm cake.

Happy 170th birthday to the Relief Society!

Humanitarian Project

For the past few months, our Relief Society has been working on humanitarian projects. The sisters in the ward have been sewing baby quilts and layettes as well as crocheting baby booties among other things. It has been a lot of fun and will be great to see all of the finished products.


Quilt tying station


Crocheting booties

During the month of February, we are continuing to work on the humanitarian projects during our mid week activity which will be held on the 28th at 6:30 p.m. We are putting together hygiene kits, newborn kits, school kits and children's modules. All home projects need to be done by that day. We also need the following items: Combs without sharp handles, adult toothbrushes, 6-8 oz toothpaste (must not expire for at least 13 months), 3.5-5 oz soap bars individually wrapped, bathroom hand towels 15 x 25 inches, single thickness cloth diapers, diaper safety pins, unsharpened pencils, erasers 1x2 inches, blunt nosed scissors, 12 ruler with metric measurements, notebooks 8x10.5 or 8.5x11 inches, colored pencils, soft toys, puppets, dolls, wooden toys, or blocks, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, crayons, pencil boxes, hair items for girls, flip flops, mittens and gloves, bibs, clothing newborn 0-youth 16.

Please come and join us. All are welcome.

November Mid-week Activity

Dear Sisters,
I hope that you will all be able to make it to our mid-week activity tonight at 6:00 pm. We are going to have a lot of food and do a simple, yet cute Christmas craft. I hope that you can all make it.
Love,
Jaime

Upcoming Events

We have some exciting events coming up this month. On October 25th we are having our Yard Sale at 6:30. Bring any and all items that you don't want anymore and see what you can find. Remember, one woman's junk is another woman's treasure.
Also, the Ward Fall Festival is on October 29th and 4:00. There will be a potluck and lots of fun activities. Come and decorate a door and hand out candy to all the cute Trick or Treaters in the ward. There will also be a cookie walk, and some game booths (run by the Young Men and Young Women). It will be a lot of fun! See you there.

Goodbye and Hello

On Sunday, our wonderful Yuko was released as the Second Counselor to the Relief Society. We will all miss her insight and her strong spirit. She has done so much for us as a Relief Society and is always happy to help with whatever is needed. Yuko, we love you and will miss you. Good luck in New England!
We also got a new Counselor on Sunday and we are so happy to have Sister Renee Oatman as our new Second Counselor. We are so excited to have her and are grateful for her willingness to serve.

Hidden Treasures

Sometimes when you are cleaning out your drawers, you come across something you've kept for a long time, but forgotten about. I have been packing up my things to move to a different house and I had one of these experiences. I found a handout I got from church. I don't remember which ward (there have been more than a few) and I don't know how long it had been hiding there, carried around from duty station to duty station, but when I read it, I knew why I had kept it. I want to share it with all of you. It is a lesson to me about what is important.

Essential- To Receive the Blessings of Eternity
Personal Revelation
Prayer
Daily Scripture Study
Time to Ponder and Fast
Make and Keep Covenants
Love One Another

Necessary- To Become Self-Reliant and of Service
Marriage and Family Relations
Homemaking Skills
Provident Living-Self Reliance
(Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Social)
Compassionate Service
Temple and Family History
Church Service

Nice to Do- To add Variety to Life, but these won't save us
Crafts and Hobbies
Recreational Reading
Outings with Friends
Movies
Travel
Blogging and Recreational Computer Use

Hope it helped you as it did me to remember the things that really matter in life.
Jaime

Reminder

The Relief Society Presidency is collecting good condition church clothes of any size. If anyone has any gently used church clothes that they would like to donate, please contact someone in the Relief Society Presidency or bring them to church on Sunday. Thanks so much for your support.

Happy Fourth of July!

The Declaration of Independence



"The Declaration of Independence . . . is much more than a political document. It constitutes a spiritual manifesto—revelation, if you will—declaring not for this nation only, but for all nations, the source of man's rights. Nephi, a Book of Mormon prophet, foresaw over 2,300 years ago that this event would transpire. The colonies he saw would break with Great Britain and that 'the power of the Lord was with [the colonists],' that they 'were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations' (1 Nephi 13:16, 19).

"The Declaration of Independence was to set forth the moral justification of a rebellion against a long-recognized political tradition—the divine right of kings. At issue was the fundamental question of whether men's rights were God-given or whether these rights were to be dispensed by governments to their subjects. This document proclaimed that all men have certain inalienable rights. In other words, these rights came from God."

Ezra Taft Benson, "Our Priceless Heritage," Ensign, Nov. 1976, 33

The Message of the Restoration

Peter, James. and John conferring the priesthood on Joseph Smith

In keeping with the long-established pattern of the Lord, several key events had to occur for His Church to be restored:

The first occurred in 1820, when, through the First Vision, the heavens were opened and Joseph Smith learned the true nature of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and received instruction from Them.

Second was the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, providing a second witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ and confirming that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

Finally, the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood provided the authority to administer the ordinances necessary for salvation.

“We declare to the world that the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth.”

—Elder L. Tom Perry

June Activity

Don't forget sisters, tonight is the RS activity for June. It starts at 6:30. We will spend the time learning about different cultures. Please come and join us.

Typo

On the June newsletter, it lists the RS weekly activity as an Evening of the Arts to be held on the 28th at 6:30. This is actually the wrong activity and date. The weekly activity will actually be held on the 21st of June at 6:30 and will be a Cultural Night. Sorry about the confusion, I was relying on an old activities calendar.
Thanks,
Jaime

Farewell Brunch

Due to scheduling conflicts, Marcie Christensen's brunch has been moved from Tuesday, May 17 to Wednesday, May 18. The time has not changed, it will still be at 10:00 a.m. at Tonya Follett's house. The address is 12394 Simpson Road, Gulfport.

Big Changes

Two weeks ago our ward got a new Bishopric. Our new bishop is Bishop Leon Allen. Brother Douglas Capps is the new First Counselor, and Brother Jeff Blackstock is the Second Counselor. Brother Barry Jackson was called as the Ward Clerk and Brother Brian Rugg as the Executive Secretary. Congratulations to all these brethren on their new callings. We are behind you and know that you will do a great job.
To our departing Bishop, Bishop Reynolds we would like to express our sincere gratitude for all the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice he and his family have expended on behalf of the ward. Thank you and may the Lord bless you for all that you have done and all that you continue to do. We love you all very much.

The Relief Society

General Conference

Last week was General Conference. I love having the opportunity to listen to our Prophet and leaders and they certainly had a great many wonderful things to say. One of the talks I wanted to talk about in this post was given in the first Saturday session by Elder Quinton L. Cook entitled "LDS Women are Incredible". I second that opinion and would like to venture my opinion that sisters in the Gulfport Ward are incredible. Some of the things that he said that I want to specifically share are these:

1. God placed within women divine qualities of strength, virtue, love, and the willingness to sacrifice to raise future generations of His spirit children.
2. Women are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves them. Wives are equal to their husbands. Marriage requires a full partnership where wives and husbands work side by side to meet the needs of the family.
3. Much of what we accomplish in the Church is due to the selfless service of women. Whether in the Church or in the home, it is a beautiful thing to see the priesthood and the Relief Society work in perfect harmony. Such a relationship is like a well-tuned orchestra, and the resulting symphony inspires all of us.
4. Sisters have key roles in the Church, in family life, and as individuals that are essential in Heavenly Father’s plan. Many of these responsibilities do not provide economic compensation but do provide satisfaction and are eternally significant.
5. Our women are not incredible because they have managed to avoid the difficulties of life—quite the opposite. They are incredible because of the way they face the trials of life. Despite the challenges and tests life has to offer—from marriage or lack of marriage, children’s choices, poor health, lack of opportunities, and many other problems—they remain remarkably strong and immovable and true to the faith. Our sisters throughout the Church consistently “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."
6. First, no woman should ever feel the need to apologize or feel that her contribution is less significant because she is devoting her primary efforts to raising and nurturing children. Nothing could be more significant in our Father in Heaven’s plan. Second, we should all be careful not to be judgmental or assume that sisters are less valiant if the decision is made to work outside the home. We rarely understand or fully appreciate people’s circumstances. Husbands and wives should prayerfully counsel together, understanding they are accountable to God for their decisions.
7. You devoted sisters who are single parents for whatever reason, our hearts reach out to you with appreciation. Prophets have made it clear “that many hands stand ready to help you. The Lord is not unmindful of you. Neither is His Church.”
8. You valiant and faithful single sisters, please know that we love and appreciate you, and we assure you that no eternal blessing will be withheld from you.

And finally, he closed with these words: Dear sisters, we love and admire you. We appreciate your service in the Lord’s kingdom. You are incredible!

I echo his words, Dear sisters of the Gulfport Ward, I love and admire you. I know that your potential is limitless and eternal. May the Lord bless you in all things.

Wendy Dewitt

Hello Sisters. I know that I just published a post on the Relief Society Birthday but I wanted to do another post about the Stake activity on the 24th with Sister Wendy Dewitt. I sincerely hope that everyone that can come will be there. Sister Dewitt came to our stake in New Hampshire a few years ago and she really opened my eyes to food storage. She is so knowledgeable about this subject and, more importantly, she provides a practical ways to make a food storage plan. I can honestly say that she opened my eyes to so many new and wonderful ideas and made me excited about storing food for my family.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, "The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah." That is a serious thing indeed.
Sister Dewitt also has a blog where she gives lots of great advice. The blog address is http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com. If you cannot make it on Thursday, and you would like to know what Sister Dewitt has to say, I have a copy of the seminar she gave to our stake in New Hampshire and will gladly make it available to anyone who wants it.

Relief Society Birthday

This week we are celebrating the Relief Society Birthday. We are having a party on Tuesday the 22nd and we hope that everyone will be able to join us. The Relief Society is such a wonderful organization and we are so blessed to be a part of it. In the general Relief Society meeting on September 25, 2010, Sister Julie B. Beck taught, “Studying and applying the history of Relief Society gives definition and expression to who we are as disciples and followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” Here are some fabulous things about Relief Society.
- On Thursday, March 17, 1842, twenty women gathered together in the upper room of the Red Brick Store (Nauvoo, Illinois), and under the direction of the prophet Joseph Smith, were organized into "The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo".
- When the Prophet Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society he taught that this organization was part of the Restoration and was organized for “the relief of the poor, the destitute, the widow and the orphan” (History of the Church, 4:567). In addition he taught that the Relief Society was “not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls” (History of the Church, 5:25). This is our purpose.
- The motto of the Relief Society is "Charity Never Faileth," and today the organization includes more than 5.2 million women in over 170 countries.
- The Relief Society assists priesthood leaders in carrying out the mission of the Church by helping sisters and families come unto Christ. The Relief Society helps sisters and their families receive all essential priesthood ordinances, keep the associated covenants, and qualify for exaltation and eternal life.
- The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "The Church was never fully organized until the women were thus organized."
I am grateful for the sisters in Relief Society and am happy to be able to serve as the Relief Society secratary in the Gulfport Ward. I hope to see you all on Tuesday at 6:30 wearing your party hats.
Happy Birthday Relief Society!

First week of March

This week we were lucky to have Brother Wade talk to us about gardening. It was such a great activity and we are so grateful to him for coming to share his knowledge and experience with us. Hopefully this will inspire us to create a garden of our own and then we can have a canning class to help us to preserve all of the yummy fruits and veggies we have grown and nurtured ourselves.
On the Provident Living website it says:
Planting a garden, even a small one, allows for a greater degree of self-reliance. With the right information and a little practice, individuals and entire families can enjoy the many benefits of planting and tending a garden.
Being prepared is so important! In D&C 38:30 it says "but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear." I hope everyone will come to the Stake RS activity this month on the 24th at 6:00 p.m. and listen to Sister Wendy Dewitt. She has so much practical knowledge about food storage, that I know she can help us all to feel like it is something that we can do and it is something that we can enjoy.
Also, this month is our RS Birthday party. We will be having a hat party and talent show, so mark your calendars for the 22nd at 6:30 p.m. and come eat cake with us!

Last week of February

I hope that everyone has been having a good week. This is the last weekend in February, so those of us who need to do our Visiting Teaching still have a little time to send a note or make a quick visit to check on our sisters. I wanted to share a message with all of you. This is something I was reading the other day on a friend's website and it really touched my heart.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson
President Uchtdorf said “Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result. If we are His hands, should we not do the same?”
I hope that we will always remember who we are how important we are to our Father in Heaven. We have true worth, for the scriptures teach us "remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" I love you all and hope that you are all doing well. Remember that we are here to help you with anything you might need. Hope to see you all on Sunday!

Valentines Dinner

We had such a great time at the Relief Society Valentines dinner. Thank you to all of the sisters who came with their Valentines. We had a great turn out and so much yummy food. Thank you to all of those sisters who signed up and brought food. For those of you who had your pictures taken, please send me your email addresses and I will send you the picture.
Here are some other pictures I took of the dinner.



Regina was our test subject for the photo backdrop.







Our next activity will be on March 1st. Brother Wade is going to be giving a class on gardening,. Hope to see you all there.