The Ensign Challenge

Thank you to all who were able to attend the Ensign Challenge Breakfast. We know there were several others who wanted to attend but it's a busy time of year! 

We enjoyed a self serve yogurt parfait bar with cinnamon rolls

and then the floor was opened up for everyone to just share their favorite talks, quotes, ideas, feelings and experiences they have had.

I walked away feeling connected to those in attendance and that my "ward family" had gotten a bit stronger. I felt grounded and uplifted in where I am in my life and peace knowing there is a great society of women who have gone through the same and are striving each day to do their best. 

I look forward to the next 6 months of reading the talks from the upcoming conference and getting together again! 

The women also joked about calling our get togethers the "Ensign girls" and tossed out the idea of hiking Ensign peak together! :)

Divine Gift of Repentance - lesson summary

Sis. Murdock gave the lesson Sunday from the conference talk - The Divine Gift of Repentance by D. Todd Christofferson

"Repentance is a divine gift, and there should be a smile on our faces when we speak of it. It points us to freedom, confidence, and peace. Rather than interrupting the celebration, the gift of repentance is the cause for true celebration."

Do we think about Repentance as a gift, and smiling about it or even celebrating?? Not usually but D. Todd Christofferson helps us to see that we should be happy about this privilege. 

We can be forgiven which is cause for celebration because of the Atonement. 

Sis. Murdock shared a story about an eraser. In the story they asked a child what they were thankful for. She responded by saying her "eraser". She makes lots of mistakes in Math and she is grateful for the eraser to be able to erase those mistakes/wrong and correct it. 

Repentance is like a giant eraser. 

We all have to repent for ourselves and become a humble individual. We can't have someone repent for us. Repentance leads us to a better life. 

D. Todd Christofferson focused on 5 aspects of repentance:

1. The invitation to repent is an expression of love

2. Repentance means striving for change

3. Repentance means not only abandoning sin but also committing to obedience. 

Sis. Murdock shared the story from Nathan Richardson. 

If we really came to know our Heavenly Father we wouldn't be so afraid to repent.

4. Repentance requires a seriousness of purpose and a willingness to persevere, even through pain. 

5. Christs greatest sorrows were not from the physical pain but rather were from our sins, especially our rejections and abandonment of this Fathers path. 

 Whatever the cost of repentance, it is swallowed up in the joy of forgiveness.

Thank you Sis. Murdock! 

- Sis. Pyrah

Chapter 6 - Lesson Summary

Sis Crouch gave the lesson today - Sustaining those whom the Lord sustains (pg. 57) 

The manual talks about the time when Pres. Smith was first sustained in General Conference as the President of the Church. He said, "I thank you for the confidence that has been manifested, my brothers and sisters, in hoping that I may succeed, and promising as some of you have, that you will help me to succeed, because I am only a man, one of the humblest among you, but I have been called to this service—and I would not be here if I did not know I had been called—by the authority of our Heavenly Father."

Those who preside over the Church are prepared, chosen, and inspired by the Lord. 

"This great Church has been presided over by men who have been specially prepared, specially taught, specially equipped for that high honor that has been conferred upon each as he has taken his place."

All the experiences they are given - good or bad - prepare them for the future calling of a prophet.

Sister Crouch showed the page from the conference edition of the Ensign that displays the current presidency, apostles, seventy, etc. 

She referred to the sacrament speaker last week and asked if we could name those in the quorum of the 12...?? We have put our hand up to sustain and support these leaders of our Church and do we know their names....???

Through His servants, the Lord teaches us the pathway to happiness and safety. 

The manual says. "I know of nothing of great importance that has happened in the world that the Lord through his prophets has not advised the people of beforehand, so that they have not been left in ignorance of what was to develop, but could plan their lives, if they would, to their advantage....

The Lord wants us to be happy.… If you will follow the leadership of the Lord, and those whom the Lord sustains, you will not fall away into darkness, lose the light, transgress the laws of God, and forfeit your privileges that he is so anxious that all of us should enjoy"

When we sustain our leaders, we commit to follow their counsel and magnify our own callings

"Let us sustain these men whom God has raised up to preside over us. Let us bless them, not only by our lips, but by assisting in every possible way to carry this burden that rests so heavily upon their shoulders. … Pray for and bless them and help them."

Thank you Sis. Crouch

 - Sis Pyrah

Square foot gardening class

Sister Matthews has put together a Square Foot gardening class as part of our wards Emergency Preparedness.

March 29th at 7pm in the RS room. 

This is open to everyone! Men, women, couples - whoever wants to learn more about it! 

Contact Marilyn Matthews if you need further information. You can also purchase the square foot gardening book for $12.00 plus shipping from Marilyn.

Ensign Challenge BREAKFAST!

The Ensign Challenge Breakfast has been scheduled for March 24th. 

Come enjoy a morning of sisterhood, great discussion and a yummy brunch too! 

9am at Sister Griffins House. 

Bring your Ensign if you like! Mark it up to share your favorite quotes, stories, etc. It's your chance to lead the discussion and talk about all the wonderful topics and insights discussed at Conference. 

See you there!

Save some of your Spring cleanout!

Hello sisters! As you are busy Spring Cleaning the YM have asked that you save some of your best items to be donated to the YM yardsale fundraiser coming up this Spring!

If you have questions please contact a member of the YM presidency! 

Priesthood - for the blessing of God's Children lesson summary

Sis. Kirksey taught the lesson today - Chapter 5 - The Holy Priesthood - for the blessing of the God's Children.

What is the Priesthood? 

The manual says: "Joseph Smith, Jr. was called by God to be His prophet and through him was restored to the earth the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood which is the power of God delegated to man to act in His name. Through this Priesthood every ordinance of the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, necessary for the salvation of the children of man, is authoritatively administered."

The Priesthood is a blessing given directly form the Lord. We need to actively seek and receive the Priesthood in our lives. 

Elaine Jack in the Daughters of my Kingdom book is quoted as saying - " We sisters were organized under the Priesthood and can be blessed by it."

Priesthood blessings give us direction, encourage us, inspire and we are need to be spiritual partakers of these blessings.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave a talk on 10 blessings of the Priesthood:

1. We are members of the true and living church. 

2. We have received the Holy Ghost. 

3. We can be sanctified by the Spirit. 

4. We are disciples of Christ. 

5. We are a Child of God. 

6. We have the blessing of eternal families. 

7. We have the power to govern spiritual and temporal things. 

8. We have the blessing of eternal life. 

9. We can be sealed up on the presence of God. 

10. We have the privilege to see the face of God.

Sis. Kirksey asked us how the Priesthood has blessed our own lives and what can we do to nurture the power and influence of the Priesthood in our lives? 

Thank you to all the sisters who shared such moving and personal stories. We are truly blessed to have access to the Priesthood in our lives.

The manual says:

The priesthood … is a blessing that, if we are faithful, will open the doors of the celestial kingdom and give us a place there to live throughout the ages of eternity. Do not trifle with this priceless blessing.

How beautiful it is to realize that men who are worthy may receive [the] priesthood, and in the authority that is given them, do so many things that are a blessing to our Father’s other children.

You cannot go out into the world in any other Church or in all other Churches and find … men holding divine authority. Do not forget that. You belong to a choice body of men, … having had hands laid upon them, and receiving divine authority, making you partners with the Master of Heaven and Earth. I do not mean that you can’t laugh, smile, and enjoy life, but I do mean that there should be deep in every soul a consciousness that “I am my brother’s keeper. I hold authority from the Lord Jesus Christ—I am a bearer of the Holy Priesthood."

Thank you Sister Kirksey!

- Sister Pyrah

Tres Leches - cake recipe

And here is the recipe for the yummy dessert for the Birthday dinner! Thank you Sis. Tobias and committee for the wonderful food and sharing the recipes! 

Tres Leches

Ingredients for Cake

 1 package white cake mix

1 1/2 cups flour

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

²⁄₃; cup cooking oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk

Filling

1 can evaporated milk

1 can condensed milk ( 14 oz.)

1/2 pint whipping cream

Frosting

1/2 pint whipping cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1.     Mix cake ingredients together and place in a rectangular cake pan (spray with non stick cooking oil) Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

2.     Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

3.     Mix together milk filling together and refrigerate while cake is cooking.

4.     Poke holes in the cake and pour filling over cake, or use a flavor injector.

5.     Before serving, whip the remaining whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.

6.     Frost and decorate.

Cafe Rio recipes!!!

 There were several ladies who requested the recipes for the Cafe Rio Style dinner we enjoyed at the RS Birthday dinner. Sister Tobias sent the recipes to share with you! enjoy! 

 

SWEET PORK:
 
6 lbs pork
1 24 oz salsa
1 can Coca-Cola
2 1/2 to 3 cups brown sugar
 
Place pork in crock pot, fill 1/2 way with water.
Cook on high for 5 hours and drain off water.
 
While cooking:
Mix salsa, Coke and sugar in a bowl, stir well and let set and dissolve.
 
Cut cooked pork into 3rds and pour liquid mixture over and cook another 3 hours on high and then shread and put on low until ready to serve.
 
RICE
 
3 cups water
4 tsp chicken bouillon
4 tsp minced carlic
1/2 bunch Cilantro
1 can green chilies
1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbl butter
3 cups uncooked rice, not instant
 
Boil water and add ingredients.  Simmer for 30 minutes. 
 
 
DRESSING
 
In a blender mix:
1 buttermilk ranch dressing made by package instructions
1 Tomitalis
1 large California pepper
1/2 bunch Cilantro
1 glove garlic
1 lime juiced
1 Jalaapeno NO SEEDS or just a 1/2 if you don't want it quite as hot 

Here is the recipe for the chicken

1 8 oz bottle zesty Italian dressing
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
3 cloves garlic minced
5 lbs chicken
Cook all in a crock pot on low heat for 5 hours.  Shred meat.  Cook 1 more hour

BLACK BEANS 

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

"Bee-coming" - March RS Activity

Last nights activity was amazing! From the darling decor, to the yummy food, the wonderful sisters who attended and the messages we heard and felt that night. Thank you all for coming and to those involved in the planning and executing of the event!

I put together a slide show of the photos! Enjoy!

Thank you all for "bee-ing" there. We look forward each month to gathering the sisters from all different areas we serve in for our chance to be together!

I am gathering some recipes from the food we enjoyed that night and will be sharing them here so we can "pin" them for easy reference!

Forget me Not - Lesson Summary

Sis Snow gave the lesson today and she used the talk - Forget Me Not by Pres. Uchtdorf. 

She began by telling us a little about her home improvement project these last couple of weeks and how important the little pieces are in the process, the plumbing, etc to make the whole thing overall work. 

(Don't worry it all ties in) 

There may be times when we feel small and insignificant but Heavenly Father knows each of us. It's by small and simple means are great things brought to pass. Just like the plumbing fixtures and parts in Sis. Snows remodeling project, Heavenly Father needs each of us to make everything work. We are significant to Him.

Pres. Uchtdorf reminds us of this with the Forget me Knot flowers. 

1. First, forget not to be patient with yourself. I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way: God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Be thankful for all the small successes in your home, your family relationships, your education and livelihood, your Church participation and personal improvement. Our journey toward perfection is long, but we can find wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in the journey. 

Question: How can I be more patient with myself and others today?

2. Second, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. An acceptable sacrifice is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth. Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another. We can ask ourselves, "Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?" There are so many good things to do, but we can't do all of them. 

Question: How can I grow to learn this different in my life? 

3. Third, forget not to be happy now. So many people today are waiting for their own golden ticket - the ticket that they believe holds the key to happiness they have always dreamed about. There is nothing wrong with righteous yearnings - we hope and seek after these things that are "virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy." The problems comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future event - our golden ticket to appear. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all the righteous desires of your heart. But don't close your eyes and heart to the simple and elegant beauties of each day's ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life. 

Question: How can I be happier today? What can I try to let go?

4. Fourth, forget not the "why" of the gospel. My dear sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us permission for living, remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and delight.

Question: What is the reason I live the gospel?

5. Fifth, forget not that the Lord loves you. Sisters, wherever you are, whatever your circumstances maybe, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. If fact, He loves you with an infinite love. 

God loves you because you are His Child. He loves you even though at times you may feel lonely or make mistakes. The love of God and the power of the restored gospel are redemptive and saving. You are closer to heaven then you suppose. 

Question: How has the Lord shown His love for me today?

Thank you Sis Snow for the wonderful lesson and reminder! 

- Sis. Pyrah

Come join the BuzzzZZZzzzzz

 March 6th is the R.S. Birthday Activity! 

6:30pm at the church

 "BEE-coming"
Become a better you and a better sister

Dinner will be SERVED (and dessert too!)

"BEE" there....

nursery provided

VT corner - March

A monthly question, challenge or idea to incorporate if you want to when you visit teach....

March - This month marks the official start of Spring! 

Find out what their favorite thing about Spring is! 

 

Is it the colors, the smells, an event, things they get to cook/eat, etc?

 

 

you might find you have something in common that you didn't know already!