"This the Season" by President Norman Hansen

Here it is, "This the Season" and still so much for each of us to do, before that magical day arrives. I believe that it is probably most everyone's favorite time of the year. The family traditions, Christmas cookies, lights, decorations, Christmas Parties, music, the tree and Christmas cards, not to mention "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday".

So if it is everyone's favorite time of the year, why is it the most stressful and depressing? I think the answer might be surprising to each of us. We really miss the whole meaning of this special season. I know that we sing , listen to the Christmas choir and read the Christmas story in Luke and somehow can tell everyone what the real meaning of this season is all about, but is it really in our hearts. Do we really know the Christ Child or do we just know about Him. I worry that another season will come and go without each of us finding ourselves taking the time to personally go to "Bethlehem" and worship the Christ Child with the reverence and love that he deserves. He is the Lord of Lords, and King of kings, Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6). He is the light of the world and he that followeth Him shall not walk in darkness, but shall have everlasting life. (John 8:12). He is the Bread of Life and he that cometh to him shall never hunger and he that believeth on Him shall never thirst. (John 6:35). He is a God of Miracles and the great Lawgiver in whom there is all mercy. His ways are perfect and He alone is Mighty to Save. (Alma 34:18). He is the Master Healer and the one to whom all things must someday give an answer. It is only in Him and through Him that we each can find that Peace that surpasses all understanding.

It would be, my most sincere desire, that in all the hustle and bustle of this Christmas Season we would stop and take time to really worship the Christ Child and let Him into our hearts, so that He might stay with us through the entire year. If we will really strive to "Come to know Him", then the peace, joy and happiness that He promises each of us, will become ours. The only way He can really come into our hearts is if we will turn our lives over to Him and trust in Him. And to do that, we must be involved in sincere prayers, daily scripture study, regular Temple Worship, and small acts of Christian service. As we do these things, we will notice that we are beginning to take upon us His countenance and attributes. We will become more forgiving, more patient, more understanding, more kind, more tolerant of others, more reverent, more pure and holy, and more Savior like Thee. (Hymn # 131)

Please take time this Christmas Season to Come unto Him who's Season this really is, even Christ the Lord. In Matthew 11:28-30, we have this promise from the Savior Himself, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

I testify that He lives and that He, not only can, but will make our burdens lite. He will expand our opportunities, bless our minds, increase our joy, lift our spirits and heal our wounds; if we will only come and worship Him with all of our hearts, might, and minds. May this be the best Christmas Season of all as you take the time to truly come to know Him and commit to always walk in His Light.

With Love,
President Norman E. Hansen

Relief Society 2011 Pre Women's Broadcast Annual Salmon Dinner

A BIG Thank You to the Priesthood Leadership for the DELICIOUS salmon dinner they provided for all of the Relief Society sisters in the Centralia Stake prior to the Relief Society General Broadcast.We were well fed and  well served by the Stake Presidency, High Councilmen Ward Bishops and Bishopric Counselors. Thanks to all of the fishermen who caught the fish  and to Bro.Steve Emrich and Bro.Dave Jarman for spending the entire day getting the fish prepared and grilled. You all did a superb job! Thanks !!!!

PRESIDENCY MESSAGE

The month of November contains the national holiday of Thanksgiving. How many of us see it only as an extra day off from work-likely a four-day weekend-an opportunity for family gatherings with an array of foods? How many of us fail to give thanks for the many things that have been bestowed upon us? Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: "In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Most of the time we do not hesitate to ask our Heavenly Father for help-to overcome illness or disease, to find a job, to be protected and kept in safety,, to successfully pass a test, to be inspired in our callings, etc. These requests are appropriate because He desires to bless His children. He, of course, wants us to do our part.

After receiving His help, do we show the appropriate thankfulness? The Lord has declared through revelation: "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things" (Doctrine & Covenants 59:7). those who fail to properly give thanks for the blessings will suffer the consequences, also recorded in Section 59 (verse 21): "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things...".


President Gordon B. Hinckley noted: "Our society is afflicted by a thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind..." (Ensign, August 1968).

October Presidency Message

Faith, Hope, Love

Faith, Hope, Love

 

These times can be troubling, but we, as women of faith can have hope in our hearts! Elder Steven E. Snow gave a wonderful talk in April conference priesthood session that I would like to pull some thoughts from. He spoke about the principle of Hope.

 

“Sometimes we hope for things over which we have little or no control. We hope for good weather. We hope for an early spring. “

 

“Such hopes make our lives interesting and can often lead to unusual, even superstitious behavior. …Other times our hopes can lead to dreams which can inspire us and lead us to action. If we have the hope to do better in school, that hope can be realized by dedicated study and sacrifice. Hope alone, however, does not cause us to succeed. Many honorable hopes have gone unfulfilled, shipwrecked on the reefs of good intentions and laziness.”

 

“As parents, we find our fondest hopes center around our children. We hope they will grow up to lead responsible and righteous lives. Such hopes can be easily dashed if we do not act as good examples. Hope alone does not mean our children will grow in righteousness. We must spend time with them in family home evening and worthwhile family activities. We must teach them to pray. We must read with them in the scriptures and teach them important gospel principles. Only then is it possible our fondest hopes will be realized.”

 

We should never let hope be displaced by despair. The Apostle Paul wrote that we “should plow in hope” (1 Corinthians 9:10). The exercise of hope enriches our lives and helps us look forward to the future. Whether we are plowing fields to plant or plowing through life, it is imperative we, as Latter-day Saints, have hope.

General Relief Society Broadcast

Presidiency Message : Watch Your Step by Mormon Messages

Dear Sisters,

Imagine being on a snow covered mountain, the most challenging climb you and your family have ever attempted. Nearing the peak, you spot a deep crevice just ahead-the kind of a crevice that can swallow up a hiker and leave no trace. Will you walk to the edge of the slippery slope and risk everything? Will you warn those behind you or let them take their chances?

Pornography is like that crevice. One of its greatest dangers is that you might not even realize how treacherous it is until you are caught in its trap. There is an excellent article written by Loren Cook in the February 2011 New Era titled "The Secret Enemy" that addresses preparing a battle plan to avoid or overcome pornography. The Church has an excellent website with a wealth of information and resources to help someone overcome a pornography addition, including a section just for youth as well as a section for parents and individuals. The site is: CombatingPornography.org

Guilt, fear, and depression are common emotions for those involved with pornography- guilt, because they know what they are doing is wrong; fear, because they are terrified their secret will be found out; and depression, because they no longer feel the spirit. Relationships with family, friends, Church leaders, and the Lord are damaged. But like a hiker trapped in a dangerous crevice, help is needed. Help is available. We have priesthood leaders who can assist in helping those we love repent and find their way back. Our Savior atoned for each of us.

Sisters may we guard ourselves and those we love against the adversary whose greatest desire is to destroy us individually as well as our families, to weaken our testimonies and take away our hope. May each of us strive with all of our might to stay close to the Lord and his teachings.. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve;... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Let our hearts be pure. Let our lives be clean. Let our voices be heard. Let our actions be felt.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
sister Sallye Johnston

July Visiting Teaching Message: Come to the Temple and Claim Your Blessings

by Barbara Thompson, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency

" Sisters, we are most blessed. The Savior stands at the head of this Church. We are led by living prophets. We have the holy scriptures. And we have many holy temples throughout the world where we can obtain the ordinances necessary to help us return to our Heavenly Father.

We go first to the temple for ourselves. "The primary purpose of the temple," explained Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "is to provide ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Temple ordinances guide us to our Savior and give us the blessings that come to us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Temples are the greatest university of learning known to man, giving us knowledge and wisdom about the Creation of the world. Endowment instructions give guidance as to how we should conduct our lives here in mortality.... The ordinance consists of a series of instructions on how we should live and covenants we make to live righteously by following our Savior."(Robert D. Hales)

But our temple service does not end there. President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve apostles, taught: "Acting as proxy for someone who has gone beyond the veil, you will have reviewed before you the covenants that you made. You will have reinforced in your mind the great spiritual blessings that are associated with the house of the Lord.... In the covenants and ordinances center the blessings that you may claim in the holy temple."

Come to the temple and then come again. Making and keeping temple covenants will keep us on course to the greatest of all blessings-eternal life."

Sisters of the Centralia Stake, may we follow the counsel of our Bishops and President Hansen, our Stake President to be worthy to attend the temple and make temple attendance a priority in our lives. Many blessings are in store for each of us as we go to the House of the Lord. As we attend the temple we are reminded of the sacred covenants that we have made personally with our Heavenly Father. Searching out our ancestry and taking their names to the temple will bring blessings not only to them, but to us as we learn of them. Another blessing of the temple is to go to receive personal revelation for our individual lives, callings, and direction to those questions that may be heavy on our minds and in our hearts. There are many personal testimonies of the strength that is received as we attend the temple. Dear sisters, may we each desire the peace , comfort and joy that comes from being in the temple and then act upon that desire so that we may have peace in our lives and in our homes. As we pattern our homes after the temple, may peace and joy be ours is my prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
With Love to each of you,
Sister Sallye Johnston, Stake Relief Society President

Relief Society Encourages Provident Living

Faith - Family - Relief
Each month, the Church News publishes a message to complement the Relief Society visiting teaching message found in the Ensign magazine. The article on this page is based on the June 2011 message.

"Strengthening Families through Temporal Self-Reliance"

Every sister in the Church has the responsibility to develop the skills and principles of self-reliance as they learn to care for themselves and their families. As they become self-reliant, they are able to avoid problems before they happen and learn to overcome challenges when they occur. They are able to help others in need.
In this month's visiting teaching message, sisters are encouraged to learn about the principles of self-reliance. In the message, two questions were given to help sisters know, "What can I do?"
1. How can I help my sisters and their families improve in temporal self-reliance?
2. How can I improve my own temporal self-reliance?
Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president counseled Church members during the general auxiliary training meeting in 2009: "How do we become self-reliant? We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge,education,and literacy,being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities;and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being."
"So what skills do we need to help us become self-reliant? In the early days of the Church Brigham Young pled with the sisters to learn to prevent illness in families, establish home industries and learn accounting and bookkeeping and other practical skills. Those principles still apply today. Education continues to be vitally important. Each of us is a teacher and a learner, and literacy, technical and reasoning skills are a daily requirement. There is also a great need for better communication skills in marriages and families, and good parenting skills have never been more important. We also see an increase in debt and consumerism in the world.
Several bishops within the Church were asked what self-reliance skills the sisters in their wards needed most, and they said budgeting. Women need to understand the implications of buying on credit and not living within a budget. The second skill bishops listed was cooking. Meals prepared and eaten at home generally cost less, are healthier and contribute to stronger family relationships...
President Monson in April 2004 general conference said," The family is the ideal place for teaching. It is also the laboratory for learning. Family Home Evening can bring spiritual growth to each member. The home is the basis of righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions. Such truth has been taught by many presidents of the Church. It is within the home where fathers and mothers can teach provident living to their children. Sharing of tasks and helping one another set a pattern for future families as children grow, marry and leave home. The lessons learned in the home are those that last the longest.President Gordon B. Hinckley has continually stressed the avoidance of unnecessary debt, the fallacy of living beyond one's means and the temptation to let our wants become our necessities."
President Henry B Eyring in April 2011 general conference stated,"All people are happier and feel more self-respect when they can provide for themselves and their family and then reach out to take care of others."
In closing, may we be reminded what Sister Beck also stated, " Providing for ourselves and others is evidence that we are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ."
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 Toledo Ward 
Birthday Celebration
"Value of Relief Society"

The sisters were greeted by the feeling of spring as they entered the cultural hall. The tables were decorated with white lace table clothes with the centerpiece being a lovely container of sprouted wheat grass set in a colorful Easter basket. Beautiful hand quilted quilts filled the cultural hall. The light supper consisted of Chicken Filled Croissants with a cluster of grapes. Dessert was individual serving of lovely spring lemon cake served with whipped cream and garnished with fresh lemon zest. The program included a beautiful musical number "Daughter of a King" sung by Sister Clarrisa Gifford and accompanied by Sister Heidi Marshall. As Sister Gifford sang the last chorus, that had the phrase Daughter of a King, all of the sisters in the room stood. What a touching moment for all. Sister Wilson, Sister Opdahl, and Sister Larsen spoke about sisters who had had an impact in their lives. . The concluding speaker was Sister Coreene Lonngshore, current Relief Society President. It was a very nice evening and all had a good time being together.  

Three generations of sisterhood.

Sister Clarissa Gifford, Sister Susie Conrad, Sister Suzie McBride

Sister Norman, Sister Wood, Sister Faith

Sister Peggy Wilson

Love and Laughter and Sisterhood

What fun we have when we get together!

Sister Talent, Sister Donaldson, Sister Wilson

Bishop and Sister Lambert

Sister McEachren, Sister Walsh, Sister Larsen

Sister Gifford singing "Daughter of a King"

Fun visiting together.

Sister Opdahl

 Winlock Ward RS Birthday Celebration

"Let's Make A Deal"

The Winlock Ward had a very fun and lively birthday celebration. All the adult members of the ward were invited to attend. As each entered the cultural hall  each guest was asked to bring an item or two for the Humanitarian Hygiene Kits that the sisters would be putting together at one of their upcoming meetings. Each attendee wrote their name on a ticket as they entered for a drawing that would be held later in the evening. The menu for the evening included Hawaiian Haystacks and beautifully decorated cupcakes. The cultural hall was decorated with a large assortment of quilts that the sisters have been working on to send to the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake City. The table coverings for the evening were quilt tops that are ready to be quilted with a cluster of wrapped gifts as the center piece for each table. After dinner was served the entertainment consisted of a recreation of the game show "Let's Make A Deal" Names were drawn and those individuals became the contestants for the game. There were many wonderful choices to be made. Decisions whether to choose the prize in the beautifully decorated box or to select the curtain were choices each contestant had to make. Some of the prizes that were won consisted of "A Basketful of Good Intentions", A bucket full of cleaning supplies for the Service that you always wanted to perform and one of the prizes behind one of the curtain choices was "A Trip To The Bishop's Office". A fun time was had by all !

Lovely quilt tops were used as table coverings

A Time Line of the history of Relief Society was displayed.

Adult members of the ward were invited to attend the evening fun.

Another lovely quilt display and other humanitarian projects.

Rochester Ward Relief Society 

Birthday Celebration

"Sister To Sister"

The opening included the hymn," As Sisters in Zion" that emphasized the theme of the celebration "Sister To Sister". Traci Shelton and Cheryl Jones had worked hard preparing a slide show presentation of the sisters of Rochester Ward. The video was enjoyed as the sisters ate their "Haystacks" followed by dessert of cherry cheesecake. Sister robin Clark read a poem written by Sara Tveten titled, "My Sister,My Friend".. there was a video showed by Sister Tabitha Dennison about Relief Society from the lds web page. Sister Suzanne Heap talked about "Sisterhood". A musical number "My Sisters Hands" was sung by Leslie McMurray, Diana Huriavi, Tabitha Dennison, Sandy Felch, and Sara Chapman accompanied by Sara Tveten. Placed in a row around the gym were 180 plus cute paper dolls. Each one representing a sister in the ward. Each sister went around and found the doll with their name on it and take it to their place setting. After each sister sat down there were more dolls on the wall representing the sisters who were not present.. they were all missed. Closing remarks were given by Bishop Tveten, followed by a closing hymn "As I Have Loved You". It was a wonderful evening of sisterhood and friendship that the Relief Society Organization offers to all sisters.

Sisters of the Rochester Ward Relief  Society

More Rochester Relief Society Sisters

Place setting with the poem written by Sara Tveten

Quotes

Haystack Makings

Toppings for the Haystacks

Humanitarian Display

MMMM ......Chery Cheesecake

Yummy

Sister Clark reading the poem "My Sister, My Friend" written by Sara Tveten

Rochester Ward Sisters singing "My Hands"