Dear Sisters

Dear Sisters
Highland 12th Ward Sisters

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Sister Spotlight...Julie Probst!

 
Is Springtime on it's way?
 
 
Sister Spotlight...Julie Probst
Julie Probst
We are so happy Julie has moved into our ward.  Julie grew up in Kaysville, Utah.  She served a mission in the Portugal Porta mission and loved the people of Portugal a lot.  Julie met her husband Reed at Brigham Young University.  They have a son, Jonathan, who is their miracle.  They love spending time together as a family and traveling to the Oregon coast.
 
Julie's Interests... 

 
Julie loves cooking, reading, sewing, naps (lol!) and visiting with friends and family.  If she could travel anywhere it would be to Hawaii.  Her favorite holidays are Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and New Year's Day.  A favorite family holiday tradition is to eat Shrimp on New Year's Eve.
 

If Julie were to describe herself in one sentence it would be that she is a devoted follower of Christ.  She gave a wonderful and inspiring talk on "Service" this past Sunday. I'm sure many of us made a commitment to renew our efforts to serve one another.  Take a moment to introduce yourself to Julie.  She is an amazing woman with a heart of gold and is such an asset to our ward and relief society.
 
 
 
Relief Society Message: "The Merciful Obtain Mercy"
 
If we have been affected in some way by the destructive spirit of contention, resentment, and revenge or perhaps there may even be times when we recognize this spirit in ourselves, it is quite easy to judge other people or justify our own feelings of resentment. 
 
Of course, we know this is wrong.  The doctrine is clear.  We all depend on the Savior; none of us can be saved without Him.  Christ's Atonement is infinite and eternal.  Forgiveness for our sins comes with conditions.  We must repent and we must be willing to forgive others.  Jesus taught, "Forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not...[stands] condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin and blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."
 
President Uchtdort said, "This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: STOP IT!  It's that simple.  We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feeling with a heart full of love for God and His children."
 
We must recognize that we are all imperfect...that we are beggars before God.  Haven't we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace?  haven't we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy...to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed?
 
 
Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy.  In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking...even a change of heart.  But there is good news!  The "mighty change" of heart is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives.
 
When our hearts are filled with the love of God, something good and pure happens to us.  The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions, the more we allow our love for our Heaven Father to swell within our hearts, the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ.  As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade.
 
The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see other the way our Heavenly Father see us; as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine.
 
 
 
In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast stones.  But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master and model, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.  As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wherever we may be, let us be known as a people who have "love one to another."
 
The people around us are not perfect.  People do things that annoy, disappoint and anger.  In this mortal life it will always be that way.  Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances.  Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things.  That is the Lord's way!  Lay your burden at the Savior's feet.  Let go of judgment.  Allow Christ's Atonement to change and heal your heart.  Love one another.  Forgive one another.  The merciful will obtain mercy.
 
May we all have "love one to another." 
May we all see each other the way our Heavenly Father sees us.
 
"The Relief Society Presidency"
 
 
Something to smile about!
 
Submitted by Lynette Chidester:
As I was reading the Readers Digest the other day, I came across  some true stories that might put a smile on someones face. (Reed never smiles; he just gets crinkles around his eyes, and he crinkled when I read these to him.) These are incidents that happened to people at their jobs, but anyone can identify with them.
  
1. My boss is short.  I was chewed out by my boss because, according to him, I look down on him. I'm six five.
 
2. After I worked through lunch to help my boss with a report, he offered to show his appreciation by taking me out for a bite. The place he had in mind had a wonderful buffet, he said, with foods from around the world. I was absolutely salivating with each detail. So what was his idea of an exotic dining establishment? Sam's Club. We spent the hour dining on the free samples they handed out.
 
3. "While I was on the job, I was unpleasantly surprised by the early arrival of my monthly cycle. After unsuccessfully begging every woman I could for "logistical support", I reluctantly approached my supervisor, Jerry, and choosing my words carefully, stammered, "I...um...would like to request permission to go home. I am...having trouble with...a female issue that...I'm not able to successfully resolve."
 
Poor old Jerry said, "Sure, no problem. But tell me, which female?"
 
Hope you have a great day!
Trek:  I have a beautiful two-piece pioneer dress in mustard calico.  I bought it from Victorian Trading Company...my favorite catalog.  It was used for the History and Heritage Pageant at the AF Cemetery.  It is a size XXL...which sounds ginormous, but is about a 14.  Let me know if anyone...a Trek parent perhaps...who might like to borrow it.  There is a gorgeous petticoat as well. 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday, February 11, 2013

Pinned It and Did It!

A Few of My Favorite Pins...
Isn't Pinterest fun?  In the "olden days" I would cut my favorite homemaking and holiday craft ideas out of magazines and put them in a scrapbook.  It was fun...but a lot of work.  Then Pinterest came along and I was able to save hundreds of good ideas on virtual bulletin boards...with topics like "What's Cookin', Good Lookin'" and "Provident Living Tips and Ideas."  I have hundreds of items pinned under "Christmas Cards" for pete's sake!  I know that many of you are Pinners...a lot of us follow each other.  Here's a question...how many of you have actually made or followed through on your Pins?  I set up a board called "Pinned It and Did It."  Recently I noticed that I have 108 pins on that board...108 things I actually did.   Today I am posting six things that I "Pinned and Did."  These are things that actually worked and/or tasted good!  To give credit where credit is due...the link to the original pin will take you to recipes or instructions.

#1 Blessing in a Bottle
12 ounces of Dawn dish soap and 12 ounces of vinegar.

#2 Toilet Roll Air Freshener

A few drops of essential oils...you all have them!

#3 Burlap Table Runner

Made one with striped ruffles for Christmas...fast and easy!

#4 Sweet and Sour Hawaiian Meatballs
Yummy crockpot dish with homestyle meatballs from the grocery store.

#5 Crescent Roll Apple Dumplings
Wrap crescent rolls around apple slices...secret ingredient is...a can of Mountain Dew!

Pool Noodle Boot Thingies...
One of my favorite pins.  One noodle will support up to three pairs of boots.
Wish I had thought of this!  I used the fatter ones from Walmart.

I hope you enjoyed these Pins.  What have you "Pinned and Did?"
  One day I will do a post on the pins that were a "swing and a miss."
My daughter Missy says "Million Dollar Spaghetti" was a family failure!

 Happy Valentines, Sisters!






Monday, February 4, 2013

Sister Spotlight...Emily Johnson!

Sister Spotlight!
We wish a warm welcome to Emily Johnson and her husband Shaun.  They have recently moved into our ward and we are so excited to have Emily in Relief Society.  Emily has two young sons, Lincoln (4), Tanner (2), and a baby due on Labor Day.

Emily grew up in Grantsville, Utah.  Her most desired travel destination would be a trip to Washington D.C. with her husband someday.  Among Emily's many interests are sewing, teaching, reading...and chocolate!  Her favorite holidays are Valentines Day and the 4th of July...but her favorite holiday tradition is dressing up for Halloween.

What's sweeter than a box of chocolates?  Valentine chocolates...with kittens!

Emily has many fine character traits...she is known to be very patient and loving.  She also finds the humor in life.  She relates an experience when she went to Shaun's new job on his first day of work to take some documents to the main office.  Before she could even introduce herself, her 20 month old threw up all over her.  Talk about first impressions!

She has a testimony of the Savior's love and how it helped her a few years ago when her father passed away.  We are so happy you are in our ward, Emily, and hope you make many great friendships and memories here.  We appreciate your friendliness and sweet, out-going personality.

February Visiting Teaching Message...

"Converted Unto the Lord"

New sisters of the Church...including Young Women entering Relief Society, sisters returning to activity, and new converts...need the support and friendship of visiting teachers.  In what ways do we serve each sister we watch over so that she knows we truly care about her?

Reminder:  Birthday Breakfast!
Who?  All those sisters with January and February Birthdays!
When?  Saturday, February 9
What time?  9:00 a.m.
Where?  Dallas Harris's house!

Family History Info...

How grows your Family Tree?

I have received some handouts from the family history class taught by DeAnn and Chris Ellingson at the Stake Relief Society Conference last month.  I will be creating a tab at the top of the page that will link to a page where Family History information will be stored for your convenience.  In a day or two I will add the Family History Centers and Family Tree Training classes handouts to that tab.

Thank you, Dear Sisters, for your visits and support while I get this blog whipped into shape!