Dear Sisters,

You are in our thoughts and in our prayers. It is inspiring to watch you care for each other. We love you very much!

This message from President Uchtdorf has been on my mind since the Women’s Broadcast and I think it is worth remembering:

The infinite and eternal Creator of light and life knows you! He is mindful of you.

Yes, God loves you this very day and always.

He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer [ . . . ] He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you.

Just as our Father in Heaven doesn’t wait to love us, we should be careful not to put off accepting His love. In the times of my life where I’ve felt distant from Heavenly Father, it has been because I’ve been putting my desires before His and focusing on pleasing others before pleasing Him. I know that God loves us all the time, even when we keep ourselves from feeling “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15).

With love,

The Relief Society Presidency

Provident Living Tip - Winter Preparedness

Winter is just around the corner.  We know from D&C 38:30 that if we are prepared we shall not fear.  Are you prepared?  Below are several preparedness lists to ensure our pantry is stocked appropriately, we have enough toiletries on hand and that we are prepared for Mr. Winter's visit this year.  Start this winter with a breathe of relief knowing that you're prepared.

Winter Weather Checklists

Stock up on emergency supplies for communication, food, safety, heating, and vehicles in case a storm hits.

Communication Checklist

Make sure you have at least one of the following in case there is a power failure:

1. Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries.
2. Battery-powered radio, with extra batteries, for listening to local emergency instructions.
3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio receiver for listening to National Weather Service broadcasts. Learn more about NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards.
4. Find out how your community warns the public about severe weather:
1. Siren
2. Radio
3. Television
5. Local public health and emergency management websites
6. Listen to emergency broadcasts.
7. Make a Family Communication Plan. Your family may not be together during an extreme winter event, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together, and what you will do during an emergency.
8. Be sure to check on older neighbors and family members; assist as necessary.
9. Know what winter storm warning terms mean:
1. Winter Weather Advisory: Expect winter weather condition (e.g., accumulation of snow, freezing rain, and sleet) that could cause severe inconvenience and life-threatening hazards.
2. Frost/Freeze Warning: Expect below-freezing temperatures.
3. Winter Storm Watch: Be alert; a storm is likely.
4. Winter Storm Warning: Take action; the storm is in or entering the area.
5. Blizzard Warning: Seek refuge immediately! Snow and strong winds, near-zero visibility, deep snow drifts and life-threatening wind chill.
10. Other terms are available from NOAA.

Heating Checklist

Turning on the stove for heat is not safe; have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes

out:

1. Extra blankets, sleeping bags, and warm winter coats.
2. Fireplace with plenty of dry firewood or a gas log fireplace.
3. Portable space heaters or kerosene heaters.
4. Check with your local fire department to make sure that kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
5. Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements.
6. Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
7. Never leave children unattended near a space heater.
8. Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
9. Have the following safety equipment:
1. Chemical fire extinguisher
2. Smoke alarm in working order (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
3. Carbon monoxide detector (Check prior to winter storm season and change batteries, if needed.)
10. Never use an electric generator indoors, inside the garage, or near the air intake of your home because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
11. Do not use the generator or appliances if they are wet.
12. Do not store gasoline indoors where the fumes could ignite.
13. Use individual heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords to plug in other appliances.

Cooking and Lighting Checklist

1. Use battery-powered flashlights or lanterns.
2. Never use charcoal grills or portable gas camp stoves indoors. The fumes are deadly.
3. Avoid using candles as these can lead to house fires. If you do use candles, never leave lit candles alone.

Food and Safety Checklist

Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies. If you live far from other people, have more supplies on hand. Make sure you have the following supplies:

1. Drinking water
2. Canned/no-cook food (bread, crackers, dried fruits)
3. Non-electric can opener
4. Baby food and formula (if baby in the household)
5. Prescription drugs and other medicine
6. First-aid kit
7. Rock-salt to melt ice on walkways
8. Supply of cat litter or bag of sand to add traction on walkways
9. Flashlight and extra batteries
10. Battery-powered lamps or lanterns (To prevent the risk of fire, avoid using candles.)

Water Checklist

Keep a water supply. Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break.

1. Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
2. Keep the indoor temperature warm.
3. Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
4. If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer.
5. If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
6. Fill the bathtub or have bottled water on hand.
7. In an emergency, if no other water is available, snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.

Car and Emergency Checklist

Minimize travel, but if travel is necessary, keep the following in your vehicle:

1. Cell phone, portable charger, and extra batteries
2. Shovel
3. Windshield scraper
4. Battery-powered radio with extra batteries
5. Flashlight with extra batteries
6. Water
7. Snack food
8. Extra hats, coats, and mittens
9. Blankets
10. Chains or rope
11. Tire chains
12. Canned compressed air with sealant for emergency tire repair
13. Road salt and sand
14. Booster cables
15. Emergency flares
16. Bright colored flag or help signs
17. First aid kit
18. Tool kit
19. Road maps
20. Compass
21. Waterproof matches and a can to melt snow for water
22. Paper towels

We're collecting family history stories...please share your story with us.  Please contact Rita Isabell at 644-8364 to share your story.

Mark you calendars: General Women's Meeting 9/27 @ 7pm

Please join us for the General Women's Meeting on Sept. 27th at 7pm.  Invite your neighbors and friends.  All women ages 8 and above are invited.

Relief Society Lesson (8/24/14)

The Witness [Boyd K. Packer] ~Taught by Kelly Sitton



The Witness Video Highlight

Key Doctrines

1. D&C 130:18 - We will take knowledge with us
2. God lives; He is our Father
3. Marriage and children are promised to the faithful
4. The Holy Ghost is real
5. The adversary is real
6. Jesus Christ lives; He loves us
7. We can each gain a testimony

Call to Action

1. Diligence, obedience, personal prayer, pondering, fasting and scripture study
2. Understand that he is our father; treat parenthood as sacred
3. Make and keep sacred covenants
4. Righteous living
5. Decide to follow the Savior and remain on His side
6. Take upon us His name; follow Christ
7. Gain our own personal testimony and share it

Promised Blessings

1. Impressions, revelations, whispering of the Spirit, instruction from on high, will be taken with us into the next life
2. Happiness at home
3. Eternal marriage in this life or the next; eternal increase; all blessings
4. Constant companionship of the Holy Ghost; know the truth; comfort, guidance and correction
5. Protection from the Adversary and consequences of bad decisions if we aren't following Christ
6. A light to follow; eternal life
7. A testimony, an anchor and a sure knowledge; forgiveness of our sins

Blood Donations please! Aug 22nd and 23rd!

Dear Sisters,

The Red Cross is reporting that we are very low on the number of
sign-ups to give blood on Friday and Saturday.
Please sign up and invite your friends and co-workers! To sign up, go
to the Red Cross' website at www.redcrossblood.org

The Red Cross' commitment to sending several trailers to the fair is
based on our reputation to support the blood drive.  I expect that
there are many members who will still sign up, as most that have
already signed up are not even members of the church.  With this
personal invitation, we are confident that the members of the stake
will step up to do our part.
If anyone has difficult signing up through the website, please call
Marjorie Nelson at 479-631-3889.

Thank you!
Let me know if you need any more information!
-Crystal Herzig

Lesson #14 "Gift of the Holy Ghost" Taught by Melissa (8/10/14)

What do we know about the Holy Ghost?
- member of godhead
- not in unholy places
- peace/happiness, the comforter
- testifies of truth
- personage of spirit
- protects/guides/instructs
- bears witness of father and son
- reveals truth "messenger"


Moroni 10:5 "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

John 14:26 "but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

“The Spirit of God speaking to the spirit of man has power to impart truth with greater effect and understanding than the truth can be imparted by personal contact even with heavenly beings. Through the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be forgotten” -President Joseph Fielding Smith

"There is no need for anyone to remain in darkness; the light f the everlasting gospel is here; and every sincere investigator on earth can gain a personal witness from the Holy Spirit of the truth and divine nature of the lords work" -President Joseph Fielding Smith

We need the Holy Ghost in our lives. We have to have the Holy Ghost to stay on the path and know what Heavenly Father wants for us.