The church has created a wonderful website specifically for Easter and an accompanying new Easter video of The Savior. You can find it here at http://easter.mormon.org
Enjoy this wonderful Easter weekend focused on our Savior.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Monday, April 14, 2014
Easter Week
The Primary has created this wonderful week long Easter activity for the whole family. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
General Conference
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Come one, Come all!
You're invited to attend this wonderful new semiannual General Women's Meeting! All women and girls eight years and older are invited to come hear the wonderful words from a member of the First Presidency and the general presidents of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary. This meeting combines and replaces the general Relief Society and general Young Women meetings! Click here to share on your social media feeds! Note: the invitation says 6pm MDT, so for all of us watching it here on the East coast, it will be broadcast at 8pm!
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Links for Relief Society Technology Night
1. Official Church websites: http://tech.lds.org/wiki/Church_Websites
2. Tutorials for many of the features on LDS.org: https://tech.lds.org/wiki/LDS.org_applications
3. Official Church mobile applications: https://www.lds.org/pages/mobileapps?lang=eng
4. Official Church social media outlets: http://tech.lds.org/wiki/Church_Websites#Social_networks
5. Official Church publications available in electronic format: http://www.lds.org/media-library/ebooks?lang=eng
6. Official Church RSS feeds and podcasts: http://www.lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-podcasts-rss-feeds?lang=eng
7. Official Church videos: http://www.lds.org/media-library/video?lang=eng
8. Official Church audio: http://www.lds.org/media-library/audio?lang=eng
9. Official Church images: http://www.lds.org/media-library/images/jesus-christ?lang=eng http://www.lds.org/media-library/images/categories/temples?lang=eng http://www.lds.org/media-library/images/categories/gospel-art?lang=eng
10. President Monson's 2009 address, May You Have Courage: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/04/may-you-have-courage?lang=eng
11. Elder Ballard's 2007 address, Sharing the Gospel using the Internet: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2008/07/sharing-the-gospel-using-the-internet?lang=eng
12. Elder Scott's 2013 address, For Peace At Home: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/for-peace-at-home?lang=eng
13. Elder Perry's 2000 address, Thou Shalt Give Heed Unto All His Words, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/04/thou-shalt-give-heed-unto-all-his-words?lang=eng
14. The Atlantic article on the Church's recent embrace of technology for missionary work:http://m.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/01/the-facebook-of-mormon/283467/
15. The (unofficial but wonderful) LDS apologetics site: http://www.fairmormon.org
Monday, January 27, 2014
Handouts
Also, don't forget to check out the link on the right side of the blog for the latest, or past, Relief Society handouts!
In addition, if you have any you would like to be included that were discussed at our meetings, send them to shallowfordrs@gmail.com
In addition, if you have any you would like to be included that were discussed at our meetings, send them to shallowfordrs@gmail.com
Parenting and Teaching helps
Susan Hardy found a great site especially useful for parents, grandparents, and teachers. Thank you Susan. Some of you may be familiar with Richard and Linda Eyre, popular speakers and authors on many parenting and family topics.
The Eyres have written many parenting books over the years. They are giving them away at the following site just to help parents to become better parents. You can read all of them free online.
Susan
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Our Divine Purpose
Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?
Our Relief Society theme for this year is referenced from Esther 4:14 ; Mordecai's question to Queen Esther as she is preparing to go in unto the King. Just like Esther, we all have a purpose, a divine purpose here on this Earth. With this, I hope we can discover tools we can use to help us in realizing our divine potential.
The first tool I'd like to highlight is Helping in the Church. Sometimes we may feel there aren't many ways in our current situations, whether it be time constraints or self confidence constraints, that we can help further the Lord's work on the earth. As I was reading a past blog entry (thank you Susannah), I discovered an lds.org site I didn't know existed! I bet there are a lot of them I don't know about!
Introduce, Helping in the Vineyard website. Here's how it works
As Susannah noted, some of these projects are broken down into 5 minute increments. So gear up and try something new and maybe discover something new inside yourself.
Click here, Helping in the Vineyard to get started. And we would love to hear about some of these projects you have helped with! Post a comment!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Cherishing the Spirit of Christmas by Susannah MacKay
It’s hard to believe but Christmas is only 1 day away. Where
does the time go? If you’re anything like me, it goes so quickly, with so very
much to do.
As I reflect on Christmases past, there are many that stand
out with sweet memories and special moments. But there are also many that were
notable only for the exhaustion and depletion I felt. We’ve all had that
Christmas night where we collapse and wonder to ourselves, “Was it really all
worth it?”
If you’re like me, the answer is probably not! We need to
decide what IS actually worth it and focus on those things. In short, we must
“lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better”
(D&C 25:10). That doesn’t mean you can’t watch your favorite Christmas
movie or go shopping with the masses, but it does mean we should be doing things
for the right reasons: because they fill our lamps and bring us closer to Him
whose birth we celebrate. To quote Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
“As we consider various choices, we should
remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are
better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more
costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all.”
-Elder Oak, General Conference, 2007
How can we make sure that this year, for this Christmas, our experience is fulfilling, uplifting,
and meaningful? If we want our Christmas to be
different, we have to actually do
something different. That does not mean doing more, rather it means choosing to
do what we already know invites the Spirit. We can better incorporate things
like prayer, scripture, music, and service into our celebration on Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day.
Think about your family traditions and be creative. Some
ideas:
n
Say a prayer on Christmas morning before you
dive into the presents.
n
Read Luke 2 on Christmas Eve.
n
Even if you think you can’t sing or play, SING
and PLAY! Bring the songs of Christmas into your celebrations as well.
n
Find a way to serve someone else – invite them
to Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner. Make a secret Santa drop. Call someone
you haven’t spoken to in a long while that might appreciate your love.
I know how much these things can help keep the focus on our
Savior. You don’t have to do it all, but choose just ONE WAY you can make a
change for the better… then try it out! Actually do it! You’ll be surprised
what a difference it makes.
On top of the busyness and frenzy of the Christmas season,
many also struggle with loneliness, disappointment, or depression. I know this
personally and deeply – both from observation and my own experience. And it is
all the more challenging when you sense that this should be the season of joy and hope, but it’s just not happening
for you. In these moments (or hours!), I know that the Savior is near to us in
this, His season:
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my
voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Our Savior loves us, He wants to bless us. Let’s open the door
to Him and invite Him in. As we run the marathon of the Christmas season, let’s
move the finish line a few days earlier. And when Christmas Eve comes… even if
we don’t get all the cookies baked or all the Christmas cards mailed…. may we
set those things aside for things that are better. Time with family, for
sharing love with one another, for celebrating and coming to know the life of
our Lord. He stands ready to enter, we need only invite Him in. I pray that we
will be inspired this Christmas to find some small way to make that happen, and
I know we will all be blessed for our efforts. Merry Christmas!
Prayer
D&C 88:63
Draw near unto me and I will
draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall
receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Scripture
“Many have told… of when the
Christ child is born to rescue and lead us home. Of the inspired accounts, the
ones we treasure most help us feel again the tender love and care of the
Father, and of His Beloved Son, for all of us, and especially for the least of
us. That is one of the reasons we love Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus. Each
time we hear it we can feel again the love of our Father for us and for all His
children. Each detail of the story makes real for us the message of love.”
-
President Henry
B. Eyring
Music
“We get nearer to the Lord
through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer.”
-
President J.
Reuben Clark, 1936
Meeting
Together
Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples,
where two or three are gathered together in my name, as atouching
bone
thing, behold, there will I be in the cmidst
of them—even so am I in the dmidst
of you.
Serving Others
“True happiness comes only by making others happy. The [spirit
of] Christmas makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and
prompts us to kind deeds of service. It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus
Christ.”
-
President David O. McKay
Sometimes it seems
that our efforts to have a perfect Christmas season are like a game of
Jenga—you know, the one played with small wooden blocks that are precariously
stacked up to a tower. As we try to increase the height of the tower, we pull out
one wooden block before we can place it on top of the delicate structure.
Each of those little
wooden blocks is a symbol of the perfect Christmas events we so desperately
want to have. We have in our minds a picture of how everything should be—the
perfect tree, the perfect lights, the perfect gifts, and the perfect family
events. We might even want to re-create some magical moment we remember from
Christmases past, and nothing short of perfection will do.
Sooner or later,
something unpleasant occurs—the wooden blocks tumble, the drapes catch fire,
the turkey burns, the sweater is the wrong size, the toys are missing
batteries, the children quarrel, the pressure rises—and the picture-perfect
Christmas we had imagined, the magic we had intended to create, shatters around
us. As a result, the Christmas season is often a time of stress, anxiety,
frustration, and perhaps even disappointment.
But then, if we are
only willing to open our hearts and minds to the spirit of Christmas, we will
recognize wonderful things happening around us that will direct or redirect our
attention to the sublime. It is usually something small—we read a verse of
scripture; we hear a sacred carol and really listen, perhaps for the first
time, to its words; or we witness a sincere expression of love. In one way or
another, the Spirit touches our hearts, and we see that Christmas, in its
essence, is much more sturdy and enduring than the many minor things of life we
too often use to adorn it.
~ President Dieter F. Uchtdorf ~
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Planning and Preparing for a Christ-Centered Christmas by Liza Cheek
Do you really want a Christ-Centered Christmas?
First step is to actually
have this as your goal! If it’s not
going to be Christ-centered, then what is it?
· Stressful?
· Centered on gifts
to get or gifts to buy?
· Is it a contest to
see who can out-do their neighbor in hanging up the most lights?
· Is it a head-ache
of family contention and battles on whose house we go to this year?
· Is it a long list
of things you think must get done, like the perfect Christmas family photo
(with everyone dressed in their new, matching outfits you bought just for the
occasion), going to all the ward/work/school parties (while also avoiding all
the sugar that you know is going to stick like glue to your thighs!), decorating
the house, sending Christmas cards to everyone you’ve ever said hello to, planning
a perfect Christmas dinner for the family that’s coming to your house this
year, cleaning the house top to bottom for the visiting family, figuring out
where everyone is going to sleep, making sure everyone is happy and getting
along and feeling that glow of joy that is the Christmas season.
*So I
think we can assume that no one enjoys all the stress that can creep into our
Christmas plans. That’s why I asked, “Is
it really your goal?” If it is, then
are there things you have control over that detract from this goal? I would suggest making a list of
offenders. If you can just eliminate
them, great! If not, can you alter them
so they create less stress and invite the Spirit more?
What is a Christ-Centered Christmas? Make a list, find pictures, what are the
qualities, feelings, what does it look like?
*Now that
you have the goal to have a Christ-centered Christmas, your first task is to prepare
YOURSELF. You can’t spread
Christmas cheer if you are a mess of stress and anxiety!
How do we
become Christ-centered so we can experience a Christ-centered Christmas (or
life!)?
· Focus your prayers
on thanksgiving (funny how that holiday precedes Christmas!) and seek guidance
on how you can be an instrument in the Lords hands this season.
· Attend the temple. Better yet, bring a friend with you!
· Focus your daily scripture
study on Savior
· Limit your additional
holiday activities to those that are most meaningful.
· Play Christmas
music (fill your mind with Christ-centered material!)
· Watch the
Christmas Devotional, read the December Ensign or a video about the Savior
· Do what you can to fill yourself with the love of Christ
Now that
you are filled with the Spirit of Christmas, how can you spread that feeling to
those around you?
v At home and beyond:
;plan FHE around
the Savior
Ø Visuals: pictures of the Savior on the mantle? Nativity?
Ø Incorporate service
into your fun family activities. Ideas?
Ø Invite friends to join you in
your FHE/family fun/caroling, esp. those who are alone at Christmas! Be inclusive!
Ø Basket with
missionary items to give away, challenge the family to invite someone to a church
activity (people are lonely! Church is a
great way to feel loved!)
Ø Reduce the stress
of planning by creating Christ-centered traditions that you repeat every
year and can look forward to
Ø If you are crafty,
Pinterest has tons of ideas, so don’t reinvent the wheel! Steal someone else’s ideas! There are many things you can do to be
creative with your family and give thoughtful gifts that don’t have to break
the bank.
Ø Encourage all
family members to take part in the making/buying/giving of gifts, even
small children! (Mom is NOT Santa
Claus!!!)
Monday, December 2, 2013
Preparing for a Christ-Centered Christmas
We had the opportunity in November to hear from wonderful Relief Society sisters with thoughts and ideas on how to have a Christ-Centered Christmas. I'm going to spotlight them and their ideas on our next couple of blog entries as we get ready for this wonderful time of year.
Our first entry comes from Wendy Gagnon:
David
O. Mckay: “No worry or anxiety over the choosing and giving
of gifts; no enjoyment of holiday feasts; no decorations however modern or
attractive; no social parties however jovial, should ever overshadow the fact
that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who came to give
life, light, and peace to all mankind, and who marked the way by which these
eternal blessings may be obtained. Let us ever remember that ". . . God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.)
Christ Centered FHE/Activity Ideas:
Santa/Jesus
Symbols of Christmas
Go Fish Nativity Game
Options for any ages:
The BIG picture of Christmas:
Christmas Devotional Book
Christmas Symbol Lesson TEACH THE CHILDERN, flannel board
pieces, a manger scene shadow box
Read THE LIFE OF OUR LORD by Charles Dickens
Advent Calendar of service or activities
Christmas story party
* Money for Others
give each person in
the family a small sum to be used to bless the life of someone else when they
find him/her in need. Rules: can't spend it on someone we know or
on ourselves. Follow the Spirit in knowing who to share it with. .
. . One year one person tucked the cash in the shoe of a homeless person as he
slept (his shoes were by his box). Another gave it to a man
pleading for change. Another sent it to the church's missionary
fund. One paid for the groceries of someone in line who didn't have
enough cash for her needs. The goal is to get each of us to really notice
others and become aware of other's needs and where we can be of some small
assistance.
* Gifts for Others
Offer gifts to
various charities in the “receiver’s name “and let them
friends/family know where the $ went.
* The Good Deeds Manger
For
each good deed someone does quietly, secretly, to those in the family and
outside the family throughout December, a piece of "straw" (we use
raffia) is added to the manger. The idea is to show love to others as
Christ would with the goal then being to make the manger soft and full of sweet
good deed straw to welcome Him as at His birth. Get the manger out
at the first of Dec. and check how the fullness is progressing at each FHE
through the month. Perhaps on
Christmas Eve, you can evaluate the offerings and share a special
experience from doing those good deeds and thus preparing for the celebration
of Christ’s birth and life.
Alma 37:6
Now ye may suppose that this is a foolishness in me; but behold
I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small
means in many instances doth confound the wise.
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