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.
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