Help With Nativities

Sisters again this year I am in charge of the Nativity display. I will need a bit of help with this assignment. If you can spare any time to help me it would be greatly appreciated. On Thursday night December 6th I could use two ladies to help me document and sign in all the nativities that will be dropped off that night. It will be from 5:30-8:30. 

Friday December 7th is the big set up day. I will need as many sisters that can come and help as I can get. Unfortunately we cannot have any children with us at that time because of the delicate nature of the set up. We will begin at 8:30 am at the stake center and last year we were done around 1:00. If you can come for any amount of time that would be appreciated. I am also looking for material that can go on the tables, table lamps, lighted garlands and extension cords. 

Please let me know if you are available to help in any way.

Kim Wise
426-1631

Diapers Needed

The Women’s Shelter has an EMERGENCY NEED for DIAPERS! Sizes 4, 5, & 6 They have 20 children in shelter ALL under the age of 5. If you can donate, call 246-9999 to arrange a drop-off...or drop them off to a member of the RS Presidency.

Hurricane Sandy Video

Baby Maia

On October 12, Lisa and Phillip met their baby girl, Maia. 

At 8 lbs and 6 ounces, she STILL managed to wrap herself all the way around their little finger. They are smitten and we are thrilled for them. On Sunday, 

our ward was able to see her be blessed in Sacrament meeting. 

It was neat for us to witness such a joyous occasion for their family.

Congrats, Lisa and Phillip!

72 hour Kits: A message from Anna

I just went through one of my 72 hour kits (from the big batch we did last Spring), and I noticed a lot of things are beginning to expire.  Susan reminded us to replenish our kits a few weeks ago.  I went ahead and made note of everything that is expiring as well as what is not expiring (some dates may vary a bit from kit to kit), so it will make it easier to replenish.  Expired items are in red:

Day One:
Breakfast: Peaches (04/05/13), Boost (12/19/12)
Lunch/Snack: Vfusion (08/05/12), Peaches (12/20/12), chocolate cookies (no exp. date found), Protein Bar (08/19/12), Fruit Snacks (09/07/12), Peanuts (10/30/12)
Dinner: V-fusion (09/16/12), Beans & Weiners (12/04/13), Fruit Snacks (09/07/12), Trail Mix (12/26/12)

Day Two:
Breakfast: Boost (11/03/12), Fruit Snacks (09/07/12), Trail Mix (12/26/12), Peanut Butter crackers (no exp. date found), 
Lunch/Snack: Fruitables drink (01/08/13), Fruit roll-up (no exp. date found), Tuna package (09/01/14), Cheez-it (no exp. date found)
Dinner: Ravioli Chef Boyrdee (2013), Fig Newtons (2/29/12- this may be manufacture date?), crunchy granola bar (01/14/13), 

Day Three:
Breakfast: Peaches (04/05/13), Boost (12/12/12)
Lunch/Snack: Animal crackers (no exp. date found), Fruitables drink (01/04/13), Jiff to go (12/09/12), Salted Peanuts (10/30/12), Fruit Snacks (09/07/12)
Dinner: Baked Beans (10/2014), V-8 Fusion (08/05/12), Peanut Butter crackers (no exp. date found), Fruit roll-up (no exp. date found),.

If you want to know what you need to buy to replenish at this point, use this shopping list:
Day 1: V-fusion x2, fruit cup, protein bar, fruit snacks x2, peanuts.
Day 2: Boost, fruit snacks, fig newtons.
Day 3: Peanuts, fruit snacks, V-fusion

Hope this is helpful :), Anna

Ward Christmas Party

Daylight Savings and Lesson

DON'T FORGET TO "FALL BACK" AN HOUR TONIGHT! 

YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE TOO EARLY FOR CHURCH!

ENJOY YOUR EXTRA HOUR IN THE MORNING BY REVIEWING 

TOMORROW'S RS LESSON! 

Chapter 21: The Power of Kindness

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith, 2010

By being kind and patient, we can soften hearts and encourage others to live righteously.

From the Life of George Albert Smith

George Albert Smith firmly believed in the power of kindness to soften hearts. He taught that we should “meet our problems in the spirit of love and kindness toward all.”¹ His granddaughter told of how his kindness and consideration of others brought peace to a tense situation:

“Once on a hot summer day there was some problem happening under the street near Grandfather’s home in Salt Lake City, and some workers from the city had come to fix it. It was hot outdoors, the sun shone fiercely, and the job at hand was a pick-and-shovel kind that made the sweat pour off the men’s faces and backs as they dug into the roadway. The workers were not careful with their language, or maybe their mothers hadn’t taught them any better, but they were swearing and using terrible language. Their words soon became offensive to many of the neighbors whose windows were open to catch any breeze that might help to cool them.

“Someone went out and asked the men to stop their foul talk, and in the process pointed out that Brother Smith lived right there—couldn’t they show some respect and keep quiet, please? With that the men let loose a new string of bad words. Quietly, Grandfather prepared some lemonade and placing some glasses and the pitcher on a tray he carried it out to the struggling men with, ‘My friends, you look so hot and tired. Why don’t you come and sit under my trees here and have a cool drink?’ Their anger gone, the men responded to the kindness with meekness and appreciation. After their pleasant little break they went back to their labor and finished their work carefully and quietly.”² [See suggestion 1 on page 231.]

One reason President Smith treated people with such kindness was his conviction that there is innate goodness in everyone. Just a few weeks before President Smith passed away, Elder Matthew Cowley, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, visited him in the hospital. “I walked up to his bedside,” he said, “and he reached out and took me by the hand, and gripping my hand firmly he said, ‘Young man, remember all the days of your life that you can find good in everyone if you will but look for it.’”

Elder Cowley then said of President Smith:

“He loved everyone because he could see the good within them. He did not look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, but he loved the sinner because he knew that God was love [see 1 John 4:16], and that it is God’s love that regenerates human souls and may, by that process, transform the sinner into a saint.

“Maybe there are sinners who mistook his love for respect. He didn’t respect the sinner, but he loved him. I am sure that love found response in the hearts and lives of those whom he loved.”³

Teachings of George Albert Smith

The Spirit of the Lord is a spirit of kindness, not harshness and criticism.

I feel sad sometimes when I hear the unkind things that are spoken, not only of people in our Church, but of people in the world. Unkind things are not usually said under the inspiration of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord is a spirit of kindness; it is a spirit of patience; it is a spirit of charity and love and forbearance and long suffering; and there are none of us who do not need all these virtues that are the result of the possession of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father.⁴

Every influence for peace ought to be exercised. Lucifer is exercising every means to destroy the souls of the human family. He is more active than he has ever been and he works in such an insidious way. I will not take time to enumerate the many ways he employs but there is one way in which he operates, and has operated from the beginning of the world, and that is to tempt one individual to destroy the reputation of another by saying unkind things of them.⁵

It is so easy to criticize someone else, so easy to find fault, and sometimes we speak harshly of our neighbors and friends. Now this is what our Heavenly Father gave us … :

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.

“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

“Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?” [Matthew 7:1–4.]

As a people we are advised not to be critical, not to be unkind, not to speak harshly of those with whom we associate. We ought to be the greatest exemplars in all the world in that regard. Consider the criticism today. Pick up your newspapers and see the unkind things that are being said by individuals about others, and yet many times the individual who is criticizing has a beam in his own eye and does not see at all clearly, but he does think his brother has a mote in his eye.⁶ [See suggestion 2 on page 231.]

Aren’t we rather prone to see the limitations and the weaknesses of our neighbors? Yet that is contrary to the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a class of people who find fault and criticize always in a destructive way. There is a difference in criticism. If we can criticize constructively under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, we may change beneficially and properly some of the things that are being done. But if we have the spirit of fault finding, of pointing out the weaknesses and failings of others in a destructive manner, that never comes as a result of the companionship of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father and is always harmful.⁷

We should look for the virtues in others and offer sincere praise.

I stand here tonight to speak of a man who has several years ago gone home. … I refer to Francis M. Lyman [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] and I want to say to you that that great man was as tender as a baby, just as tender as a little child, and his desire to help and encourage was beautiful. I have heard him compliment his brethren many times when they have done something praiseworthy—one had delivered a fine address, another had borne a convincing testimony, another had done something else praiseworthy. I have seen him put his arm around them and say, “I am proud of you and the fine thing you have done.” Is not that a commendable way to live? That is the way to make ourselves happy. If, instead of being jealous, we see and appreciate and commend the virtues and abilities of our fellows, if we see the power for good in [others], how much better it will be.

Many of us live in such an atmosphere that we are almost dumb when it comes to praising somebody else. We seem unable to say the things that we might say … to the blessing of others. Let us look for the virtues of our associates and observing them make them happy by commending them.⁸

I plead with you my brethren and my sisters, let us be generous with one another. Let us be as patient with one another as we would like others to be with us. Let us see the virtues of our neighbors and our friends and speak of those virtues, not find fault and criticize. If we will do that we will radiate sunshine, and those who know us best will love us.⁹ [See suggestion 3 on page 231.]

Kindness has the power to lead people from their mistakes.

There are those who will make mistakes. There are those among us today that have gone astray, but they are the children of our Lord and he loves them. He has given to you and to me the right to go to them in kindness and love and with patience and with a desire to bless, seek to win them from the mistakes that they are making. It is not my privilege to judge some of these that have made mistakes and are still making mistakes, unless I am so called by reason of the authority that may be conferred upon me. But it is my privilege, if I see them doing the wrong thing, to in some way, if possible, turn them back into the pathway that leads to eternal life in the Celestial kingdom.¹⁰

Let us not complain at our friends and our neighbors, because they do not do what we want them to do. Rather let us love them into doing the things that our Heavenly Father would have them do. We can do that, and we cannot win their confidence or their love in any other way.¹¹

What a joy, what a comfort, what a satisfaction can be added to the lives of our neighbors and friends through kindness. How I would like to write that word in capital letters and emblazon it in the air. Kindness is the power that God has given us to unlock hard hearts and subdue stubborn souls and bring them to an understanding of His purposes.¹² [See suggestion 4 on page 231.]

Love and kindness in our homes can lead our children to listen to our counsel.

It is our duty—I should say it is our privilege as well as our duty to take sufficient time to surround our children with safeguards and to so love them and earn their love that they will be glad to listen to our advice and counsel.¹³

Live in such a way, in love and kindness, that peace and prayer and thanksgiving will be in your homes together. Do not let your homes just be a place to hang your hats at night and get your meals and then run off some place else but let your homes be the abiding place of the Spirit of the Lord.¹⁴

I pray that we may be filled with that spirit that comes from [the Lord], and that is a spirit of love, of kindness and helpfulness and of patience and forbearance. Then, if we keep that spirit with us in our homes, our boys and girls will grow up to be what we would like them to be.¹⁵

I remember a few years ago I was on a train going north. I saw sitting in the day coach of that train a woman that I had known. … She recognized me as I passed down the aisle of the car. She spoke to me, and I asked: “Where are you going?” She said: “I am going to Portland, [Oregon].” I knew that the family were not well-to-do. I knew that this woman was the mother of a large family of sons, so I said: “What takes you to Portland?” She said: “I have a son there in the hospital.”

I was not aware that any of her children had moved away, so I questioned a little further, and then she opened her heart to me. She said: “My youngest boy, a few weeks ago, left home and did not tell us where he was going. We received no word from him, but he thought he would go out into the world no doubt and see it for himself, and the first intimation that we had of his whereabouts was when a telegram came from the Mercy hospital in Portland, stating that our boy was there sick in that hospital.” She said: “Of course the message shocked us very much. There was only one thing to do, and that was to raise means and go at once to that boy.”

… She was prepared to sit up during that long ride, day and night, not resentful of the unkindness and thoughtlessness of her boy, but only thinking that he was hers, that he belonged to her, that God gave him to her, and that our Heavenly Father expected her to use every possible means to enrich his life and prepare him for the opportunities that awaited him. So through the long hours of the night, as the train rumbled over the rails, this good woman sat there, yearning for her boy, every mile taking her just a little nearer to that lodestone that was tugging at her heart. Finally when she arrived, quickly as she could, she made her way to the hospital. It so transpired that the place where I was to remain was not far from the hospital so I went over there to see what had occurred.

There was that sweet mother sitting by the bedside of her boy who had been seized with a serious attack of pneumonia, and he was lying there in pain. She was not scolding him because he had been unmindful of her; she was not resentful of his thoughtlessness and of his carelessness, she was just thankful to be with her boy that God had given to her. She was now trying to nurse back the child for whom she had entered into partnership with her Heavenly Father, to bring him into this world. He, by the way, was about 16 years of age, but her baby. She was trying to encourage him by telling him the things that would make him happy and contented, holding out to him the opportunities that would be his when he was well. In the place of distress and anguish that filled that room prior to her entrance there, there was a perfect halo of light and of peace and happiness spread over the countenance of that boy as he looked up into the face of her who had offered her life that he might be, and who on this occasion had come that long distance to sit by his side and nurse him back to life.

I wonder sometimes if these mothers realize how wonderful they are in the eyes of their children in a case like that. That boy had resolved before his mother had been there many minutes that never again would he be recreant to her, never again would he be unmindful of what she had given to him, but determined that the name which had been given to him in honor would be kept by him in honor so long as life should last.¹⁶ [See suggestion 5 on page 231.]

I pray that the love of the gospel of our Lord will burn in our souls and enrich our lives, that it will cause husbands to be kinder to wives, and wives to be kinder to husbands, parents to children, and children to parents because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a gospel of love and kindness.¹⁷

Welcome Baby!

We would like to congratulate April and Ian on the arrival of their sweet, baby boy!

He weighed in at  6 lbs 9 ounces. He was born on Thursday at 7:05 pm.  

He came earlier than expected and is being cared for in the NICU.

We look forward to meeting the newest little man in our ward!

Look for the signup sheet tomorrow, as we will be bringing meals in.

Congratulations! He is precious!

Wanted to Borrow

Hi, I have all my family showing up for Christmas and I need one more twin mattress, hide-a-bed or trundle. If anyone has one I can borrow, I would appreciate it.
Deborah Wise

Another thing or two...

A few more reminders for tomorrow night!


6. Bring your sewing machine (if you have one and are doing casserole carrier or art binder)
7. Bring pins (for casserole carrier or art binder) 
8. Bring your casserole dish

CHECKLIST FOR SUPER THURSDAY

Checklist for Super Thursday Craft Night

1. Bring a favorite treat to share
2. Bring a needle. (If you are doing the bow class)
3. Bring fabric scissors (If you are doing the bow class and sewing class)
4. Bring glue gun and glue sticks (if you have them)
5. Bring your own fabric (if that is what you signed up for)
Can't wait to see you all!

SUPER THURSDAY

Next Thursday October 18th is our Super Thursday craft night! We will start at 5:30 and go 
until 9:00. Bring a favorite treat to share! Feel free to come and visit or work on a project of 
your own.
** At 6:30 we will have our bow class taught by Anna Baer from the Centerton ward. She 
will do a second class around 7:00. It would be helpful to bring a needle to this class and 
fabric scissors. If you are bringing your own fabric she said 1/4 of a yard would make three 
bows. **

We are looking for people to bring the Friend, New Era or Ensign magazines to donate for 
cutting pictures for quiet books. If you have any please bring them that evening.

We hope to see all of you there!

If you have any questions please give Kim a call 426-1631

FIELD TRIP

Jennifer Van Slooten has kindly arranged for a group of us to go to the Right Choices Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch next Wednesday October 17th at 10:00.

Admission is $5 and that includes: educational lesson (on corn and pumpkins), hay ride out to their christmas tree farm, jumping pillow, corn cannon (this year they are shooting pvc pipe at targets), cow train (little metal barrells that have been painted to look like cows) pulled by a tractor, short maze (just the beginning of the big maze), hillside activities (the kids love these - pumpkin basketball, slide, etc.) Here is the website if you want more info http://www.rightchoicescornmaze.com/index0.html

We are going to meet at Walgreens in Bella Vista at 9:00 to caravan/carpool up there. It takes an hour to get there. 

Please reply if you are coming so that Jennifer can let them know how many to expect, and we will know who to wait for at Walgreens :)

Also, pack a lunch! 

Directions
Our address is 1161 Manning Rd, Southwest City, MO. We are 4 ½ miles North of Southwest City, and 8 ½ miles East of Grove, OK.
At the junction of hwy 0 and 43, travel East onto Manning Rd for just over a mile.

Thank You from the Stake

Sisters, First, we would like to thank you and the sisters in your ward for your help with the food assignments for Saturday evening's Stake Relief Society Social and General Women's Broadcast.  We are constantly amazed at the sisters' creativity in all they do.  The refreshment tables were absolutely beautiful!!!  Be sure to thank your sisters and give them our love and the appreciation of all the sisters in the stake, many of whom commented, "This is absolutely delicious - it's perfect!"   Thanks to each of you, this was made possible. Second, we only received one sister's receipt for reimbursement for food Saturday evening.  President Stout is more than happy to reimburse sisters who provided the food.  Urge them to keep a copy of their receipt for their records and send the original receipt to me with their name written on it.  I will fill out the pink Stake reimbursement request forms and get them submitted to the Stake Clerk.  My address is Jean Fields, 3506 SW Baybridge Cove, Bentonville, AR  72712. Third, please save the date on your calendar for Stake RS Leadership Training, November 3rd, 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Stake Center.  Presidents, Counselors and Secretaries will be receiving a personal invitation soon.  This will be a wonderful  opportunity to learn and to share.  We are so looking forward to being with you. Lots of love coming your way! Jean Fields, Carolyn Stout, Julie Horrocks and Lucy Thompson Rogers Stake Relief Society Presidency

SUPER THURSDAY BLOG

Sisters we have created a blog where you can view all the craft sign ups online and you can share it with your friends. Let us know if you have any questions. Kim http://b2craftnight.blogspot.com/

A few things...

A few updates and reminders for you as we enter this Stake Conference Weekend...

1. Thanks for all who contributed to our "Quick Fixes" Activity last night. We so appreciate our Additional RS Comitte and all they do for us each month. Recipes will be posted soon!

2. Christine's surgery went well. Her pain has been managed well and she is resting at home. Thanks to all who have signed up to bring in meals and all of the other things you have done to wish her a speedy recovery.

3. Stake Conference is this weekend. The adult session will be Saturday night at 7 pm and the General Session will be Sunday, from 10-12 pm.

4. For those of you who signed up to bring dips to the General RS Broadcast NEXT weekend...thank you! Please have your dips at the church at 5:!0 pm. The Social will begin at 5:30 pm. We hope you all can make it.

5. Finally...a thoughtto chew on over the weekend:

By Richard G. Scott

"Even if you exercise your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you. He loves you to a depth and completeness you cannot conceive of in your mortal state. Indeed, were you to know His entire plan, you would never ask for that which is contrary to it even though your feelings tempt you to do so. Sincere faith gives understanding and strength to accept the will of our Heavenly Father when it differs from our own. We can accept His will with peace and assurance, confident that His infinite wisdom surpasses our own ability to comprehend fully His plan as it unfolds a piece at a time."

We love you!

From Christine

To all of my Relief Society sisters:
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer a little over a month ago one of my first thoughts was, "I can't do this." I had just recently been dealing with some other very difficult challenges and I just didn't know how I was going to face one more. I was completely spent both emotionally and physically. And then the Lord started pouring out his love and blessings on me in the form of all of you. I have felt so incredibly strengthened by your outpouring of love and support and know that you have been sent to me by a loving Heavenly Father. You have helped to strengthen my faith so that I could find the strength to face this challenge. Every smile, hug, kind word, uplifting thought, card, meal, house cleaning, and prayer has added to my faith and strength and I now know that I can do this and am not doing it alone. A brief synopsis of what is going on in case not all of you have heard. I found a lump in my left breast that did not show up on a diagnostic mammogram or an MRI. A biopsy, however, was positive. I have already had surgery to remove and test some lymph nodes and they were all clear. Also, some extensive testing was done on the tumor that showed it is really slow growing and has a really low rate of recurrence so I will not need any chemo or radiation. Due to the fact that diagnostic tests failed me, I am having a double mastectomy with reconstruction on Tuesday. Reconstruction will take a few months to totally complete and I will have a couple more minor procedures. The tumor was hormone positive so I may also go on some medication to shut down hormone production until I can have a hysterectomy probably next year. Thank you all in advance for your support and help during my long recovery from surgery. A support party was thrown together for me last week and I know that not all of you found out about it in time to come or were just unable to make it but know that I feel your support. Also, I am planning on a big celebration on the back side of all of this so if you were not able to make this party there is a bigger and better one coming when I am cancer free! I love you all and feel so very blessed to live in this ward and have you all as my Relief Society sisters. Love, Christine M.

A letter to Christine

Dear Christine,

The Roman Philosopher, Cicero, was known to have said, "Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant,and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it."

Tonight, many of us gathered together to prove this true, as we joined in showing our support for you and your  battle with breast cancer and upcoming surgery.

It was pink, pink, pink. Everyone wore their pink in support for you. 

It was so fun when a random man in the restaurant was wearing a pink shirt and asked why he hadn't been invited to the party. One of our waitresses even had a hot pink "scrunchie" in her hair.

The food was good...the company was better. There was so much love being offered up for you...it was almost tangible. 

That must be why another random man wanted to join in the love-fest photo shoot. :)

It was so neat to see so many sisters band together and show their support for you, Christine. It was amazing to see your cheerful countenance and the positive attitude you radiated. You are such an example of strength, faith, and determination.

There were even more that wanted to be there, but couldn't due to travel or other time commitments.

We hope that you know that you can count on your RS Sisters to help carry this burden.

This is not a fight you are facing alone. May you feel this burden lifted as you experience the power of our collective prayers, the love in our hearts, and the service of our hands.

Not only do you have your family, friends, and RS sisters cheering you on...you also have the unfailing strength of your Heavenly friends that you can draw upon.

The following is an except from a talk given by President Ezra Taft Benson: click here for the full talk.

"God loves us, he's watching us, he wants us to succeed, and we'll know someday that he has not left one thing undone for the eternal welfare of each of us. If we only knew that there are heavenly hosts pulling for us—friends in heaven, whom we can't remember now, who yearn for our victory.

I close with this last true story, as it was given by Bob Richards in his book Life's Higher Goals. It always touches my heart and it may touch yours. Lou Little tells this story about his greatest football team. They were on their way to the conference championship—one last game. He had a boy on his squad who had not quite been able to make the team for four straight years. 

Just before the game—three days before—Lou was given a telegram to give to this boy that informed him his only living relative had just died. The boy looked at the telegram and said, 'Coach, I'll be back for Saturday's game.' The morning of the game he came up to his coach and said, 'Lou, I want you to put me in this game. I know I haven't made the first team yet, but let me in for this kickoff. I'll prove to you that I'm worthy of it.'

 Well, Lou could see that the boy was emotionally upset, and he made all kinds of excuses, but finally he thought, 'Well, he can't do much harm on the kickoff, so I'll put the boy in.'

The roar of the crowd followed the kickoff. The opposing quarterback took the ball on the goal line, moved up, and on the seven-yard line there was a tremendous tackle. The boy had dropped him in his tracks. On the next play Lou left him in. He made the next tackle; he was in on the next tackle; you couldn't move him out of there. He made practically every tackle that day—terrific down field blocking. He was the reason why Columbia won the championship. 

Afterwards, all the guys were pounding him on the back. When they were all done, Lou Little went up to the boy and said, 'Son, I don't understand it. Today you were an all-American. I've never seen you play like this in four straight years. What happened?'

And the boy looked up at his coach and said, 'Coach, you knew my dad died, didn't you?'
'Yes, I handed you the telegram.'
He said, 'You knew he was blind, didn't you?'
'Yes, I've seen you walk him around the campus many times.'
He said, 'Coach, today is the first football game my dad ever saw me play.'

 It makes a difference, friends, when those unseen eyes are watching."

They are watching.
You can do this, Christine, and we will each be here to help you through it.

Much Love,

Your RS Sisters