the power of the atonement

we had a lesson about the atonement in relief society today... and it made me think about this amazing quote from chieko n. okazaki:

"We know that Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It's our faith that he experienced everything- absolutely everything. Sometimes we don't think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don't experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means he knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer- how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced the gas chambers at Dachau. He experienced Napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism.

Let me go further. There is nothing you have experienced as a woman that he does not also know and recognize. On a profound level, he understands the hunger to hold your baby that sustains you through pregnancy. He understands both the physical pain of giving birth and the immense joy. He knows about PMS and cramps and menopause. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion. His last recorded words to his disciples were, "And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20) He understands your mother-pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth-grader, when your daughter calls to say that the new baby has Down syndrome. He knows your mother-rage when a trusted babysitter sexually abuses your two-year-old, when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs, when someone seduces your seventeen-year-old. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children are visitors, when you hear that your former husband and his new wife were sealed in the temple last week, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He's been there. He's been lower than all that. He's not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don't need a Savior. He came to save his people in their imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He's not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief. 

You know that people who live above a certain latitude and experience very long winter nights can become depressed and even suicidal, because something in our bodies requires whole spectrum light for a certain number of hours a day. Our spiritual requirement for light is just as desperate and as deep as our physical need for light. Jesus is the light of the world. We know that this world is a dark place sometimes, but we need not walk in darkness. The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and the people who walk in darkness can have a bright companion. We need him, and He is ready to come to us, if we'll open the door and let him."
(Chieko N. Okazaki, Lighten Up, Preface, p. 174)

when i was in a ysa ward back in 2003, one of our relief society teachers read this to our class. i remember feeling such an overwhelming feeling of love, and knowing how much i am loved. it's the greatest explanation of the atonement i have ever come across and i hope you love it too ♥

relief society christmas gifts

i like to make sure people know they are appreciated, so i put together these little gifts to give out to all of the women who hold a calling in relief society. they were cheap, quick and easy to make, but lovely with a good message for the christmas season.

i started with a condensed version of an old story found in the friend magazine back in 1993...

"A very rich man with two sons wanted to give his wealth to the son who would use it wisely. He thought of a test. He gave each son a coin, small in size and value. He told them to buy something with just that coin, which would fill the whole house. The oldest boy priced large bulky items, but his coin couldn't buy them. He finally bought a large amount of straw; but as he spread it, he realised it wouldn't fill the entire house. Meanwhile, his brother came home with a small box. He went room to room and placed a smaller item from the box in each room of the house. CANDLES! When he lit the candles, the whole house filled with light. Where there is light, there is warmth and where there is warmth, there is love. May this candle bring warmth and love to your home this Christmas Season."

❤️🎄⭐️

a pair of scissors and a little curling ribbon... done.

all done for just 85c a piece (candles 75c from kmart australia, and 10c photo printouts at our local big w that i designed for free on the red stamp app.) at that price, i did one for madeline's primary teacher and the two nursery leaders as well. winner!

just more proof that christmas gifts don't have to be expensive to be meaningful!

pre-primary open night

somehow this year is almost over and our little girl is finishing pre-primary, ready to become a big year one next year. the pre-primary open night was tonight and madeline's did not disappoint. the evening began with the class singing wanjoo (a noongar welcome song which you can listen to here)

we were especially pleased to see that madeline had been chosen to read the song to the audience before they sang. we did have a laugh though, as her teacher told us she had been asked to do it alone and she was too shy to do it, so they had to have two people!

maddie and her bestie ella ♥

we then got to watch a little video of each child, where they introduced themselves said a few things about themselves and then told us what they wanted to be when they grow up. it was hysterical! one of the boys wanted to be a butcher, another a dragon... and our maddie wants to be an ice hockey player and an icecream girl (whatever that is!)

we have been so lucky this year to have such wonderful teachers. mrs herbert and mrs pascoe (the education assistant) have pushed maddie to try harder and harder and her reading, sight words and writing are just amazing! they have been so lovely and kind and we think they are incredible. thank you both so much!

my girl! sky is the limit, so keep flying! ♥

miracles: a christmas relief society lesson

(nativity available from deseretbook.com)

a big thank you to mormonwoman.org for the wonderful lesson idea, found here

*************************************

My lesson today is about miracles, Christmas and otherwise, but with a focus on Christmas to begin with.

There is so much for us to receive from God in the message of the Christmas story, so much truth about His love and reality and plan for us. There are just so many miracles to reflect on. We spend time giving gifts to each other during this season, but there is so much that our Heavenly Father and Savior have given us.

The Christmas story is a testimony that we worship a God of miracles and I’d love to begin by watching the nativity video so we can watch a few of them take place.

NATIVITY VIDEO

In the gospel sense, miracles can be defined as “those occurrences wrought by the power of God which are wholly beyond the power of man to perform.”

The Christmas story itself it comprised of one miracle after another. Let’s discuss a few of them!

1.       It is a miracle that Mary’s cousin, Elisabeth, became pregnant in her old age, after being barren all her life. The angel Gabriel appeared to her husband, Zacharius, and told him his wife would bare a son whom they should name John, and that he would prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Because Zacharius could not believe they would have a child in their old age, he was told he would be unable to speak until his baby was born. Later, when the baby was delivered, relatives questioned him what the child’s name would be. He wrote on a tablet, “His name is John,” and at this point, his tongue was loosed, and he spoke, praising God. All a coincidence? No.

2.        It’s a miracle that Mary was also visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she would conceive a Son, who should be named Jesus, and would be the Son of God. It’s a miracle that Joseph, the man to whom she was espoused, married her, since in Jewish culture at this time, an unmarried woman found to be expecting a child was subject to being stoned to death. When Joseph found out Mary was expecting a child, he chose to be merciful to her and “put her away privily.” It was after he made the decision to be merciful that he was visited in a dream by an angel and told not to be afraid to marry her- that the child she was carrying was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and was the promised Messiah.

I can imagine Mary would have been so frightened at this time. She had gracefully accepted the holy task given her by the Lord, but she was young, unmarried and probably had no idea what would happen to her. Still she trusted in the miracle she was to carry and knew the Lord would provide

3.       It’s a miracle that the sign which Samuel the Lamanite had prophesied (that of a day and a night and a day with no darkness), came to pass when it did. Wicked unbelievers had created a deadline of when the sign had to occur, or they would put to death all the believers of Samuel’s prophesy. The sign occurred the very night before the deadline. Just a coincidence? No.

How much faith did these people have? How frightening this must have been for them, regardless of their faith that these things would come to pass as they had been promised

4.       It was a miracle that humble shepherds were notified of the Savior’s birth in such an amazing way- by an angel of the Lord, announcing that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, followed by a heavenly host singing praises.

I have always loved watching the shepherds in our church’s version of the nativity video… the fear on their faces as the angel walked towards them, backing away, towards their sheep, wanting to protect them. It’s a beautiful thing. Yet another reminder of Christ “the good shepherd”, who gave everything he had to protect us, even his own life. Their faces change to awe and belief as they approach the manger to worship the Christ child.

5.       It’s a miracle that a very faithful man named Simeon had it revealed to him through the Holy Ghost that he would not die before he had seen the Christ. Simeon was led by the Spirit to the temple, where Mary and Joseph had brought their baby, Jesus, to present and dedicate him to the Lord. Mary and Joseph made no announcement that their child was the Christ; Simeon knew who He was when he saw him. He picked up the child in his arms and praised God saying “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace…For mine eyes have seen thy salvation; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” A mini-miracle granted to Simeon for his faithfulness.

6.       It was a miracle that Wise Men followed a star in the east “to come and worship the King of the Jews.” No doubt, these were probably inspired men of God; perhaps prophets. It was a miracle that after they found & worshiped Jesus, they were warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod (Herod had requested they bring him word of where the child was so he could destroy him). An angel of the Lord also appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee with his family into Egypt in order to protect Jesus from Herod. All of these happenings were truly miraculous.

The wise men amaze me. They knew from watching the heavens that the Christ Child had been born, they journeyed a considerable distance to find him, knowing that he was someone worthy of their time, bringing along gifts fit for a king.

We often see miracles in our own lives and I have asked two dear friends of mine to share miracles that they have had. Small and simple or life changing, we all have miracles in our lives.

(A Christmas miracle) & (An story of adoption)

I have one last miracle that I’d like to share. One of my own. I learned that my Heavenly Father knew me personally when I was seventeen years old. I always knew I had a father in heaven who loved me and never doubted the truth of the gospel, but it was this day that I truly knew that he cared for me and would help me if I would only ask.

A few weeks after my seventeenth birthday, I left for a year overseas in Brazil on student exchange. I struggled. I was homesick, I was angry, I was confused and I was hurting badly. My first few weeks were spent crying often, wishing for home and trying hard to accept that I needed to move ahead with my life.

Then school in a foreign country began. I spoke barely 10 words of Portuguese, understood nothing and needed to somehow make it from my home to the school on a bus. I had been instructed which buses passed the school and how to ask if i was concerned that I would take the wrong one. so whilst waited at the bus stop I carefully asked the driver, "passa cefet?" to which he nodded, so I got on the bus. 

It turned out the bus did not "passa cefet" and as the minutes passed and we hadn't passed the school, I became worried and began to panic. I couldn't ask anyone for help, I had no idea where I was... and no way to get back home. I didn't even know my host family's address or phone number by heart yet. 

So I prayed. I sat on that hot bus surrounded by people I did not know and begged my Heavenly Father to help me find my way. To somehow send someone that could help me. And he did. No sooner had I ended my prayer, tears pouring down my face, a gentleman on the bus, a member of the military police who I had not seen board, touched my arm and asked me a question, which of course I could not understand. I kept repeating the name of my school to which he nodded, clearly understanding where I needed to go. 

This wonderful man tapped the driver on the shoulder, had him stop the bus and motioned for me to follow him. We walked half a dozen blocks in the opposite direction, where he flagged down another bus and spoke quickly to the driver, gesturing at me and then pointed to the seat directly behind the driver. I pulled out my purse which was waved away. I boarded the bus and ten or so minutes later, the driver opened the doors, turned to me and pointed at my school.

Ii knew that day the power of a sincere prayer. I knew that my Heavenly Father had heard me and sent help, sent me someone that could guide me safely to my destination. To this day I have never forgotten that man. To him this may have been just another day, but to me it meant everything. 

The amazing thing here is the fact that the military police are not known for honesty. They are known for being dodgy. For not doing the right thing, accepting bribes, being corrupt. But the right man was there that day for me. My own miracle.

I would like to play another video. It’s a beautiful song often shared at Easter, but I think it’s also a wonderful Christmas song. I pray during this holiday time that we can ponder how God is working in our lives, even through hard times we might be experiencing or that we are seeing others experience. Heavenly Father is there. His miracles are real. The greatest miracle of all is that through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can find peace in this life and know that eternal blessings also await us.

THE MIRACLE VIDEO

I know we can see miracles in our own lives. I bear testimony of this. As President Monson has often said, there are no coincidences. God sends us hope through people, those extra dollars, miracles large and small, because he loves us. I know that as we light the world this Christmas and “light OUR world” this coming year, we will blessed to see miracles all around us. Of this I am certain. 

christmas party activities

as promised... here are our christmas activities from the relief society party last night!

1. a nativity embroidery. 

this was so easy to do. we went online and found a simple nativity outline and printed it out in a size that would fit a standard 4x6" frame. i made the outline heavier with a permanent marker then traced them on to calico with a washable fabric marker. 

each of the sisters started with embroidery thread and a needle, doing a simple back stitch... and we had ziplock bags on hand so they could finish at home. once done, all you do is spray to get rid of the blue marker, iron flat and whack it in your frame! 

************************************

2. cookie decorating

one of our lovely sisters baked 200 cookies, so we could have 4 each (we had worked on 50 sisters attending the evening) to decorate. we had icing ready to go, ziplock bags to use for piping and a stack of fun things to use for decorating (christmas m&m's, peppermint crisp, sprinkles etc)

once done, they were placed on a paper plate to dry (with each persons name written on the side) and collected at the end of the night

**********************************

3. christmas pass the parcel

this was hilarious. we had a pre-wrapped parcel and a dice for each of the three groups ready to go. when someone rolled a 6, they had to put on a santa hat, coat and oven mitts, then try to remove a piece of the wrapping.  if someone else rolled a 6 in the meantime, they had to grab everything from that person and so on until someone got to the middle. kind of a christmas take on the chocolate game, but with a parcel. 

***********************************

such a fun night!

relief society christmas party: australian style

\we had our ward relief society christmas party tonight and it was a hit! i have been so lucky to have so many people who helped out and worked so hard for it to be a success. i wanted something a little different from the ordinary christmas decorations being that we are celebrating christmas in australia and it's hot! so i had my lovely mum bring some gum tree branches from the farm, which we placed up and down our tables. it looked incredible and smelled amazing too!

we were also able to borrow some white chair covers and red sashes from some sisters in the ward, which really allowed us to make things look elegant and festive.

we began the evening with my two councilors and then myself sharing a christmas tradition from our home. mine was that my father used to read the christmas story (luke 2:1-20) to us on christmas eve before we went to bed. i then had our bishop step in and read it to our sisters before sharing his testimony and leaving a christmas wish with us all. it was a lovely moment for us all as he's not been bishop for long and it gave him a chance to address most of our wards sisters at once.

we had three activities (a nativity embroidery, cookie decorating and a christmas version of pass the parcel) for the sisters to do on the evening in a round robin (15-20 minutes per station) and i could hear lots of laughter and fun as i walked around the building. i'll cover them in my next blog post which you can read here. 

we ended the evening with the introduction of our ward relief society program for 2018 "light our world" (full credit to the lovely heather taylor from the facebook group lds relief society presidencies for generously allowing us and others to use her beautiful handouts) enclosed in sweet journals we purchased for all of the sisters. see here for more details

we finished with the "light the world 2017" video a closing prayer and supper. (we had all of our sisters bring a favourite treat to share and there was plenty to go around!)

drinks were water with frozen strawberries and mint, and a fruit punch.

it was such a wonderful night. i am so lucky to be serving in relief society and for the joy it brings to me and others. 

merry christmas to all... and to all a good night! ♥

2018: a year to shine

i have spent the last few weeks putting together these journals to be handed out at our relief society christmas party this thursday... i am a member of a facebook group called "lds relief society presidencies" and about a month ago, one of the members shared these amazing printables that they had used this year, to continue the "light the world" program all year long. she had posted them with the hopes that they would benefit other ward relief societies around the world... and they are certainly going to do just that for us! we took the printables and went one step further to create something awesome!

i started with these journals from kmart australia (just $2 each!) then printed all 13 of her printables (one for each month, plus a year at a glance page) and put them staggered along the edge into the pages to be used throughout the year.

here's a little bit of my spiel that i'll be delivering along with the journals:

"We have made the coming year as easy as possible for you sisters by making these diaries for your use throughout 2018. The light the world program was designed to allow us to become closer to Christ and we as a presidency felt it important to continue the “light the world” program throughout the year. Here you will find ways to light OUR world. There are topics (eg: September is: Jesus honoured his parents and so can you) to be focused on each month. There is a brief description of each, followed by ways that you can participate. These are easy things, things that you can incorporate into your days without too much trouble. Please take the time to become familiar with them, read the topics, think about what they meant to you… because we will refer to them often throughout the year.

With the curriculum changes happening as of January 2018, the first Sunday will now consist of a discussion, lead by a member of the presidency. When there is not a local or national need for something else to be discussed, this topic will be the one mentioned in your diaries. If you are familiar with it beforehand, you will find it much easier to participate.

Please use your diaries, they have been made with love for you all and hope you will use them, reading each months topic often. There is also an additional 9 blank pages in the back for you record your experiences throughout the year, as you participate in the “light our world” program. 

As Visiting Teaching has also changed, there will no longer be a prepared message from the ensign for you to use each month when visiting. The new idea is to simply “do what she needs.”

Sister Bingham, Relief Society General President told the Church News, “We want to help sisters understand how to really care for and strengthen each sister.” “The Church handbook doesn’t talk about our responsibilities to teach a lesson. It talks about how ‘visiting teachers sincerely come to know and love each sister, help her strengthen her faith and give service. Visiting teachers seek personal inspiration to know how to respond to the spiritual and temporal needs of each sister they are assigned to visit.” The changes are meant to help visiting teachers look beyond a universal prepared message and figure out what the sister they visit personally needs. “What are we supposed to do?” asked Sister Sharon Eubank, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. 

“Do what she needs.”

For those of you who enjoy leaving a spiritual thought, you may also use the monthly “light our world” thoughts. Encourage the sisters you visit to become familiar with their journal, to participate along with us and to be an active participant of our ward relief society.

Remember as it says on the cover, 2018 is a year to shine. Shine with the light of the gospel and make it the best year yet."

thank you thank you thank you to the amazing heather taylor, who shared her idea and printables with the rs presidencies page. we are super grateful and absolutely love them, as we are sure the sisters in our ward will too! printables are available here. i am so grateful for the church and the sisters who share their ideas to help others!