This week, I would like to share a humbling experience that I had this past week. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and as a member one of the responsibilities that I have is to be a visiting teacher. As a visiting teacher, it is my privilege to be able to visit assigned sisters each month with my companion. My companion is a neat lady but does not drive, which leads to my story. Our route, is not a simple one. We visit two inactive sisters, a new member, and an active person. One of the women on our route has no transportation, so each month, I take her to the grocery store. This takes about 4 hours with both my boys and sometimes Riley too on one day. Last Wednesday, as I sat in the car with my boys waiting on her, I was thinking of 20 others things that I could be doing and a few more why it would be easier if someone else took her...then it dawned on me, Renee', you hypocrite, each Sunday you tell your class the importance of loving and serving one another and here you are not having a joyful heart. After, I cleared my mind, the lady came back to the car and I had made a silent resolution to to do better. Also at church, for the past two years, I have been blessed to be the gospel essentials teacher. I love it and my testimony has grown from teaching the class and answering questions. It helps that the missionaries say if they can get people to stay for my class, they always come back. I am thankful for the eye opening experience and the reminder to practice what you preach! I also had the chance to have lunch with a sister that seemed to be having a hard time. When I mentioned we should do lunch one day, I did not really think it would happen but when I received the text asking if the day worked, I believe I was the one lifted more than she was. Happiness can really be strengthened when we help others cheerfully.
Today was stake conference and here is what I came away with today. One of the speakers, Elder Robert W. Hymas (from Lexington Kentucky) of the area seventy, began his talk by saying that he was going to share a few things that we always need to remember to do. My thoughts were that it was going to be the standard things like pray, read scriptures...but his responses really touched me. Here are his suggestions:
1. Always pay your tithing.
2. Always make your sacrament meetings and partake of the sacrament. It is an ordinance that
we can take part in every week and be renewed.
3. Always ask for direction for your packages from heaven. Each of our children are different,
learn differently, and have different needs. Pray to know how to reach each of them,
4. Always accept callings. We do not ask for callings nor should we ask to released from callings.
5. Always treat your spouse as they deserve to be treated. And tell your spouse you love them
everyday.
When our mind is set to do things, we only have to make the choice once and then there is no question.
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some of our best days, worst days, and just a tad bit of randomness
Family
Favorite sayings or prayer lines
- "You guys get it all wrong"--Ginny, December 2012
- "I get my good looks from my mom and my super powers from my dad" - Jaocb William, July 2012
- Dad is the cool one and mom is the responsible one --GInny
- "You can always count on a girl but not boys. Boys ae crazy."--Ginny as she is learning to ride a bike
- Boys break you hearts but chocolate makes it all better--Ginny
- "I hope when Ginny grows up she can be Alice in wonderland and I can be Belle"--Aubree in family prayer
1 comment:
Renee, I SO do not mean to offend here but I couldn't help noticing this list you put up from this Stake Conference you attended. Obviously, I was not there and did not get the context of what you listed here but number four just bothers the crap out of me. Now, I've grown up in the church and have heard this stuff from leaders my whole life but I must respectfully say I disagree with anyone who chooses to generalize something such as that. Callings should indeed come from the Lord but unfortunately I cannot say that I feel every leader who has ever given me a calling has done so with absolute certainty that that calling is inspired from the Lord. Ideally, in a perfect world and in a church with perfect people (note, I did not say the church was not perfect, I believe the church is, but the people are not) I would not have any problem accepting any calling. However, there have been times when I felt that some callings I was asked to accept were not appropriate and definitely were not inspired. I don't mean to be the pessimist here but in my opinion members should always be given the right to decide for themselves whether a calling is right for them and if they feel the need they should in fact be allowed to request to be released from said calling. Not trying to be argumentative here, just trying to express some feelings that I've had for some time.
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