Healthy Habits

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Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation

D&C 89:4

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The Law of Health applies to all of us. It was given to us for our benefit and enjoyment.

The following excerpt was taken from a May 1996 Ensign talk, given by President Boyd K. Packer, entitled The Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises. He comments:

 

"The story is told of a king who was choosing between two drivers for his coach. He ordered each of them to drive his coach down a steep, winding road cut into a high cliff.

 "The first driver came down slowly, hugging the wall of the cliff. The second driver demonstrated great talent and ability. He raced down the mountain, with the coach so close at times that half the wheel was off the edge of the cliff. 

"The king was very thoughtful, then wisely chose the first man to drive his coach. It is best to stay on the safe side of things.

"The Word of Wisdom is 'adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints' (D&C 89:3). It is buttressed by other scriptures. They teach that the good things of the earth 'are made for the benefit and the use of man, … Yea,' the Lord said, 'for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul, … to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion' (D&C 59:18–20)."

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To see the Neighborhood News for Friday, 9 September, please click here.

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Listen to the Spirit

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Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation

D&C 8:2–3



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As members of the Church, we've been given the blessing of the Holy Ghost. And we want to receive our own personal instruction. But how do we do that?
 
In his talk Teaching and Learning by the Spirit, Ensign, March 1997, Elder Dallin H. Oaks is giving us a few pointers on how to recognize promptings:
 

"The teachings of the Spirit often come as feelings. That fact is of the utmost importance, yet some misunderstand what it means. I have met persons who told me they have never had a witness from the Holy Ghost because they have never felt their bosom 'burn within' them.

"What does a 'burning in the bosom' mean? Does it need to be a feeling of caloric heat, like the burning produced by combustion? If that is the meaning, I have never had a burning in the bosom. Surely, the word 'burning' in this scripture signifies a feeling of comfort and serenity. That is the witness many receive. That is the way revelation works.

"Truly, the still, small voice is just that, 'still' and 'small.'

Elder Oaks also goes on to quote:

“The language of peace, as spoken by the Lord, embraces a sense of quiet confidence, comfort, and warmth. It is gentle and calm, amiable and sweet; it is temperate and kind; it is orderly and identified by happiness, joy, and feelings of love” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, The Holy Ghost [1989], 14)."

I recently went to the temple with my husband and son. Our boy is going on a mission soon, and he was receiving his endowments. The extended family was there, and when we made it to the celestial room, I was full of joy. It was a beautiful feeling, to think that we'll have that joy (and more) after we cross the veil. I said that to our company, and one of them got closer to me and said that she wished she could feel anything. Are we like that some times? We don't listen to the promptings, and then we say that the Lord doesn't answer our prayers.
 
I believe that He does answer, we just have to keep working on our reception.
 
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Music to My Ears

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We all have that special song that's touched our hearts. There are the beautiful songs from Broadway plays, or a particular band that have made their mark in popular culture. And there are couple's songs -my parent's was 'Only You' by The Platters.

In his talk A Closer Look to Popular Music, Lex de Azevedo says:

"In each of our minds, certain kinds of music are tied deeply to our own experiences and emotions. Our favorite music has an intensely personal meaning to us. Memories of our childhood, first date, first love, youth conferences, prom night, testimony meetings, marriage, and old friends may all be tied to a certain kind of music in one way or another. Thus, when someone attacks our music, we may feel that they are also attacking our deepest, most treasured experiences.

"Music also has great power on our emotions. Music has been called the universal language because it speaks directly to our emotions. And our emotions and feelings influence our actions.

"Many people who listen to popular music claim that they never listen to the lyrics and that the messages never affect them. Research, however, shows that our brains are marvelously perceptive; they pick up almost any message within sight or sound, whether we consciously know it or not. Those subconsciously received messages may have as much an effect on us as the messages we consciously seek out.^"

 So, tell us what kind of music has most influenced you.

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To see the Neighborhood News for Friday, 15 July, please click here.

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Father Knows

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On occasion we forget (or maybe never thought about it) that our Father in Heaven knows us very well.

From a BYU devotional given in November 2003, The Wind Beneath Your Wings, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said:

“Sometimes it is difficult to see what good will come out of your efforts and where the road you are on will lead to. You might even feel like Paul on his way to Rome. In the book of Acts we read that Paul was taken as a prisoner to the capital city of the world's number-one military power. It looked bleak for the Apostle Paul. En route to Rome the ship he was on was caught in a perfect storm, one not made in Hollywood but in the Mediterranean Sea. All their lives were endangered. We read, ‘And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away’ (Acts 27:20).

“How did Paul handle this hopeless situation? Amidst all this commotion, he stood up and said, ‘Be of good cheer: . . . For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not’ (Acts 27:22–24). Paul then gave concise instructions that appeared at the moment far removed from a logical problem-solving process. Among other things, he told them to lighten the ship, and they did so by throwing things they cherished overboard. Then ‘they committed themselves unto the sea . . . , and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore’ (Acts 27:40).

“Fortunately the guards who were prepared to kill Paul believed his words and followed his counsel. The scripture reports, 'And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land' (Acts 27:44).

“There will be times in your lives when you will not know the quick answers for your circumstances. Rely then on the word of God. Your Father in Heaven will always teach you to fear not, but to be of good cheer, to lighten your ship of clutter and focus on the spiritual matters, to commit yourselves to the covenants you made, and to put your sail of righteousness into the wind and head courageously toward the land of your eternal future.”

The Lord knows us, our thoughts, our desires, our temperaments and inclinations. He will bless us in His own time. We should continue in faith, and wait for His reward.


We welcome your comments, wish you a great weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 10 June, click here.

Find Your Talents

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has plenty of websites for us to be edified. One of them is LDS Youth, in which you can find articles, testimonies, videos, music and more. The Church has revamped the site and if you have teens at home, take a look.

The following video was taken from that site. Enjoy.

We welcome your comments, wish you a great weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 13 May, click here.

Feel the Savior's Love

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When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

John 19:30

At this time, just two days before Easter, we want to remember our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by showing this Mormon Messages video.

We want to share our strong belief that He is the one who was crucified, the one who atoned for our sins, the one who left the tomb and is resurrected.



We welcome your comments, wish you a great Easter weekend, and remind you to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 22 April, click here.



Sharing

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“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

Moroni 7:47

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I realized today that I wanted to quote someone who’s totally anonymous. Sometimes you find regular run-of-the-mill people who have a great outlook on life, and you just want to honor them.

There are these two cute twin sisters from Knoxville, TN. They run their non-profit soup kitchen, and they are the happiest, humblest people I have seen in a long time.

They were showcased on a TV show last week. The person that was the center of the episode was looking for organizations or people that she could make a donation to. Two of the people she met were Helen Ashe and Ellen Turner. One said of the other: “She’s 5 minutes older than me, but I’m 50 pounds heavier!” Laughs all around. Great sense of humor, and an incredible love for their fellow beings.

When asked about their philosophy, Helen said:

“Our Daddy taught us three truths:

1- There’s but one father, and that’s the Heavenly Father

2- There’s but one race, and that’s the human race

3- Not to take the last piece of bread from the table, because someone may come at us hungry.

Isn’t that simple and deep at the same time? I just loved their genuine zest for life.

They run The Love Kitchen. Pay them a visit and let me know what you think.

Let me share this scripture with you:

“But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.” Moroni 7:13

I think the sisters are inspired to do good, and they’ve been doing it continually since 1984.

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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 11 March, please click here.

Do What's Right

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When we are presented with choices, there are always at least two sides to a story, and we have to choose which side we’re going to be on.

Today’s newsletter is about doing what’s right. Sometimes the choices are not that critical, like what socks am I going to wear today, or what’s for dinner. Reason and good judgment should tell you what to wear to work and what’s better suited for tonight’s dinner.

Other times, the choices we make define who we are. I’m sure you recall Prop8 and how the church came to the forefront of that battle. And I’m sure you remember how divided our members were about that issue.

I’d like to bring to your attention two situations that happened just this week in California.

Elder Oaks spoke about religious freedom last Saturday. This is what he had to say:

"Along with many others, I see a serious threat to the freedom of religion in the current assertion of a 'civil right' of homosexuals to be free from religious preaching against their relationships. Religious leaders of various denominations affirm and preach that sexual relations should only occur between a man and a woman joined together in marriage. One would think that the preaching of such a doctrinal belief would be protected by the constitutional guarantee of the free exercise of religion, to say nothing of the guarantee of free speech. However, we are beginning to see worldwide indications that this may not be so."

The other news belonged to an LDS missionary who just happened to witness an accident, sprang to action and saved lives.

"They're giving me too much credit," said Johnson, 19, of Aloha, Ore., who serves as a Spanish-speaking missionary in the California San Bernardino Mission and is five months into his two-year call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

My question is, do we make our own choices and decide who we’re going to be, or do we let others make it for us? Do we go along with other people’s opinions (as misguided as they may be) just to have it ‘easy,’ or do we make a stand and send a clear message to everyone around as to who we are and what we believe?

I watch the show ‘Lie to Me,’ and to me the fact that people can make assumptions on behavior based on facial expressions is fascinating. In one episode the main character, Dr. Lightman, said that popular people are popular because they don’t really stand for anything (I’m not quoting verbatim here). He called them 'facile' (easy).

Are we like that? Do we want to be popular more than the blessings promised to us from above?

Sometimes, choosing a side will make us unpopular. I hope we’re strong enough to deal with that.

As always we welcome your comments.

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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 11 February, please click here.

Big Plans

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I thought about what message I wanted to send on today’s blog, and decided on finding quotes on obedience. Here they are:

"As parents and adult leaders of youth, we cannot expect our young people to take to heart the things the prophet says to them if we show a complacent attitude toward his counsel in our own lives." M. Russell Ballard – source here.

"At the moment, these four guides—prayer, obedience to God's commandments, daily scripture study, and a commitment to follow the living prophet—may seem like small and simple things. Let me remind you of the scripture found in Alma: 'Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass' (Alma 37:6). When applied in our everyday lives, these four 'small and simple' guides from the book of Joshua will combine to provide the most powerful source of courage and strength there is: faith in our Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ." Anne M. Dibb – source here.

"The gospel is so very simple when we understand it properly. It is always right, it is always good, it is always uplifting. Obedience to gospel principles brings forth joy and happiness. Disobedience has a day of reckoning and will only bring forth heartache, misery, strife, and unhappiness." L. Tom Perry – source here.

"Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception—and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are." David A. Bednar – source here.

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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 21 January, please click  here.

Personal Touch

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This month Personal Touch celebrates Christmas with a special series on the Life and Miracles of Jesus Christ.  This week we turn to the Miracles of Christ’s ministry with Patrick Bishop, the author of The Gospels in Harmony, a fully illustrated book that weaves together scripture to create a chronological and detailed narrative of the Savior’s ministry. Patrick A. Bishop received a bachelor's of science degree from Montana State University and a master's of science degree from Utah State University.  He has published several articles on Church history for BYU Studies, The Maxwell Institute, and The Religious Studies Center at BYU. He is also noted as a contributor to the Joseph Smith Papers, Journal Volume 1. His most important contribution may be the identification of an alleged daguerreotype of Oliver Cowdery. He is married to the former Elizabeth J. Contreras, and they are the parents of five.

*     *     *



 Let’s talk about Joseph the carpenter. The scriptures are somewhat silent about Joseph. But enough is said about him to bring up a few important points:

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A King: he was of royal lineage, going all the way to king David. “Had Judah been a free and independent nation, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king: and his lawful successor would have been Jesus of Nazareth.” (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 82)

Carpenter: it was his profession. At the time, it meant that he probably had people apprenticing under him. According to Paul Thomas Smith, who gave an interview in our Personal Touch segment a few weeks ago, “Joseph was not simply a common carpenter; he was a Tecton which means a general contractor. He was prepared to build houses and would have been highly respected in his community. But there was so little to do in Nazareth that he undoubtedly went to Sepphoris - the capital city of Galilee- about four miles away. There was a lot of money there so he traveled from city to city.” Source: here.

Espoused to Mary: this vow, or betrothal, has always been regarded as sacred and binding in Jewish law. It was as binding as a marriage ceremony, without the particular rights of marriage. (Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 67)

His character: we learn of his character when we read what happened after he found out Mary was pregnant, ‘before they came together’ (Matthew 1:18):

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.” (Matthew 1:19)

He was willing to end their betrothal quietly, so Mary wouldn’t be harmed, since Jewish law required that she should be stoned. We all know that the angel Gabriel came to him in a dream and told him of the plan, and convinced Joseph to keep Mary as his wife.

I wonder about the years while the Savior was growing up, next to this ‘just man,’ chosen to be His guardian until He became of age. Did they have long conversations? Did they just remain quiet? Or maybe Joseph mentioned to Jesus the night of His birth. Perhaps the Child taught Joseph a few things he didn’t know. We’ll never know.

What we do know is that Joseph the carpenter was the right man for the job, and his reward is eternal.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 20 December, please click here.

Personal Touch

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In our Personal Touch with Rebecca Cressman segment, she interviews Todd Petersen. Todd has been a photojournalist for 24 years, he’s the father of four boys, and understands the power of video to tell a story, capture emotion, and to educate. His partner, Lisa Clement-Fisher, is the mother of five children. She works full-time as a Dental Hygienist and received a minor in Health Promotion and Education. Lisa and Todd have combined their talents and hope to create a DVD series called “I Can Kid” designed to inform and help children overcome their anxiety and fear of facing different obstacles and life experiences. Their DVD Series idea caught the attention of Pepsi. The company has launched a world-wide search for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. This is the link to their website: http://www.refresheverything.com/icankid





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Lisa Asanuma wrote for us her article “Becoming the Bosses of Ourselves,” and posted it in her blog Lisa’s Latter-day Thoughts. In it, she comments on how easy it was to do what mom and dad asked of us when we were younger (was it easy? I mean there are kids that give their parents a run for their money-just saying), and then we grow up and have to start making decisions on our own. Sometimes is not so easy to become our own bosses.



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 At LDS blogs, contributor Laurie W. posted her article “Teens: Is Being a Little off Course Okay?” She talks about all the distractions that are out there, keeping us from staying on a certain course. The thing is, some of us know where our destination is, therefore plan a course to get there, but some of us don’t seem to have any idea of where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, or even know of a destination. It’s hard to plan when you don’t know where you want to go.




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 From LDS.org we have a link to Mormon Messages, and we chose “Seek the Higher Ground,” based on a talk by elder Quentin L. Cook. He’s teaching us to find safety from life’s temporal and spiritual storms by following the Savior’s example. At stormy times, we need to find refuge and shelter in higher spiritual ground.


To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 11 October, please click here.

School Days

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It’s only been a few weeks since school started, and Lisa Asanuma has written “Back to School, Back to Basics” for us. She’s commenting on how difficult it is getting back to school, especially if you have two jobs and still try to have a social life and get together with your friends. Single college students have a lot on their plates (what about the married ones?), so it’s easy to lose track of some things that should be in the forefront, but somehow manage to get in the back burner. Lisa blogs at Lisa’s Latter-day Thoughts.

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From By Common Consent, we have contributor Tracy M.’s article “School’s Out/Back to School.” Her experience is a bit different, since she mentions that she’s been married, had children and a nice home, and now she has to go back to school. The reason? Divorce. She says: “Divorce changes everything.” How many people (women, mainly) have given up their education to dedicate their lives to their families, to find themselves in this situation, where they have to make more sacrifices, finish school and go out and find a job. It’s hard, however, there are a lot of moms that just do it.

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At Pick Your Own, they know how to make good things happen. For example, we found their “How to Make Salsa” tutorial. They have great pictures, detailed explanations, and a list of supplies that you’ll need to make your own salsa. I used their recipe, and it’s very easy to do. Do it with your family, as they suggested, and your family will always remember the experience.

 
To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 22 September, please click here.

Personal Touch

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In our Personal Touch with Rebecca Cressman segment, she interviews David Osmond. He is the son of Alan Osmond and, as such, he has been performing his entire life, beginning as a young boy when he was lead singer for the popular octet Osmond Second Generation and continuing through young adulthood, lending his voice to numerous recording projects and on-stage appearances. He has been a favorite of local and national media, including a run on American Idol in 2009.David’s road has not always been easy. He was forced to put his music career on hold due to a difficult battle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Despite his challenges, David often recounts great miracles in his life. David’s new album, Road Less Traveled, speaks of his personal journey of faith in overcoming adversity.

If you’re a Mormon and single, you have probably heard all the jokes and know what the General Authorities counsel you to do. Our contributor Lisa Asanuma, who blogs at ‘Lisa’s Latter-day Thoughts,’ wrote this article for us: “ECPs and Peter Pan Syndromes.” She’s talking about singles dating, or in reality, how difficult it is for singles to actually get to know each other when they don’t even spend enough time dating. She tells us: “I’ll just say it out straight. No one is dating these days. Or rather, no one is casually dating.” We’ve seen some young adults that love to remain the way they are; they love to enjoy their ‘singlehood.’ We see males that would rather spend an evening playing games, and the counterparts are the females that are waiting for these commit phobic guys to make any kind of move.

Do we believe that sometimes the hand of God is in some of our life experiences? Scott B., from ‘By Common Consent,’ mentions how he was living his life while single, as follows: “When I was single, I often would go to the temple in Logan and participate in sealings, despite not having a spouse to work with. (Generally speaking, this is a poor way of spending your evenings if you’re trying to find a spouse, since the median age of the people in the sealing rooms was probably about 106.)” At one of these sessions he was told about this thing that would be in his future. If you’re lucky enough to get that kind of blessing, do you heed it, or do you ignore it?

There are many people that suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, like David Osmond. We can find many experiences that are uplifting and out of the ordinary. One of them is the story posted on YouTube by ‘johnnydollar01,’ and it’s in reference to Janice Dean. Ms Dean works for the Fox network. Meteorologist Janice Dean talked about her condition on the Fox and Friends show. She was diagnosed in 2005. Since then, Janice Dean got married, pregnant, and had a baby. You can live with the disease if you put your mind to it, and make the choice to live your life to 'your' fullest.

 
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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 16 August, please click here.

Foxes and Lemons

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In today’s newsletter, our topic is sin, and a little bit about lemons.

Our first entry comes from Lisa Asanuma, who blogs at ‘Lisa’s Latter-day Thoughts.’ Her thoughts direct us to think about sin, in an interesting way in her article “The Fox in Your Backyard.” She’s taking care of her parents’ home, and gets surprised by the presence of a fox in her backyard. From their encounter, she starts pondering about all the things in our lives that just ‘happen’ to show up and surprise us.

Next, we have Anicka, a contributor to ‘Mormon Mommy Blogs’, who has her own take on sin, and how it can creep into our lives. Her article is called “Someone Spiked the Lemonade”, and I guess grandmas can be funny sometimes. Anicka says: "One day I arrived at her house and found her sitting in her favorite chair drinking a Mike's Hard Lemonade, with an already empty bottle next to her." It’s a good article, and it’ll make you think.

Our last entry comes from Elise Bauer at ‘Simply Recipes.’ She’s come up with a yummy delicious “Old Fashioned Pink Lemonade.” It’s an easy recipe, it looks great, and it’s perfect for these hot summer days.  You can prepare it for a family reunion, backyard barbecue, a pool party, or kid's party. Try it, and enjoy!
 
 
To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 14 July's, please click here.
 
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Mike's Hard Lemonade image from bing.com

Personal Touch

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In today’s Personal Touch interview with Rebecca Cressman, she has a one-on-one with Vince DiCaro. Vince DiCaro is the Senior Director of Public Affairs for the National Fatherhood Institute. As such Vince runs government and press relations for the NFI and works everyday to encourage fathers to invest in their families and for society to invest in fathers. The NFI recently relaunched the website Fatherhood.org filled with parenting information, advice, and resources just for dads. Vince is a contributing writer on the NFI blog "The Father Factor" and is a graduate of The College of New Jersey, where he received a bachelor's degree in history and economics. He received a master's degree in Communications from Johns Hopkins University, where he wrote a thesis on the depiction of fathers in Hollywood films. Prior to joining National Fatherhood Initiative, Vincent worked for two years as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York City.  Please take time to listen to this interview.

Our first contributor is Lisa Asanuma, from Lisa's Latter-day Thoughts. It’s a sweet account of her memories with her father. If we’re female, we probably have more to say or to discuss with our moms than our dads. Every woman I talk to who has children who’ve flown the coop, will say they call and talk to her, more than they call to talk with dad. In any case, Lisa’s article is a tender read.

Our next entry comes from Elder M. Russell Ballard, and his talk is “Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship.” He gave this talk in Priesthood meeting, and it’s a good one to keep around to remind the guys what’s been said to them. He says: “Tonight I want to talk to you fathers and sons about how you talk to each other. There is no other relationship quite like that which can and should exist between a boy and his dad. It can be one of the most nurturing, joyful relationships in life, one that can have a profound impact on who boys become and also on who dads become. Now, I understand that some of you young men do not have fathers with whom you can have these kinds of conversations. And some of you men do not have sons or have lost your sons to accident or illness.” Every time I see my husband and son go out together, to a Priesthood meeting, or home teaching, or service project, or haunted house (yes, they do that) I feel so much love for the two of them, because they’ve built a friendship over the years. I don’t want it to stop. Ever.



Our last article was put together by Rachel Brunner at AboutLDS.com. Have you ever wanted to have a page with church quotes, all on the same subject? Well, she did that, by finding quotes from General Authorities, all talking about the role of fathers. Maybe you’ll want to save this page for a project.



To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 21 June's, please click here.

Personal Touch

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Greetings, Princes and Princesses.

Today’s newsletter is very inspiring. We’re talking about princesses, and frogs. To the female readers: have you ever wondered about finding your prince? To the male reader: have you ever wondered if you were the right kind of prince for a certain lady?

Let’s get started: in today’s Personal Touch, Rebecca Cressman interviews Ronald Hatfield, who has created a world of Princesses with character. Before Ronald Hatfield created the popular Princess Festival and invented a land little girls called “Hatfieldadelphia”, he was a long-time entrepreneur and businessman. He holds B.S. degrees from Brigham Young University in Youth Leadership and Business Management and earned an MBA degree from Utah State University. He has also been a strong supporter and active volunteer in district leadership in the Boy Scouts of America during the past 30 years. Ronald and his wife, Maurine, are the parents of eight children and the grandparents of 44 children. Together they co-founded the non-profit organization, In Our Own Quiet Way in 2002, and in 2008 its primary fund raising event, the Utah Princess Festival.

Our contributor Lisa Asanuma, from Lisa’s Latter-day Thoughts, sent “Fairy Tale Life”. In it, she wanders about having to work to be able to find her future ‘prince.’ She realizes that: “…people (or characters) need to go through some kind of trial to reach their “happily ever after,” and … our “once upon a time” is in fact right now.” It is a good talk, and she explains her point so well. It’s a delight to read.

Our next entry comes from Sister Patricia T. Holland. Don’t you miss her talks? This one is called “One Thing Needful”: Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ. She mentions a trip to the Holy Land, and the feelings she had at that time in her life. We should pay heed to her insights and counseling.

Our last entry comes from Julie Rowse, a contributor to Segullah.com. She’s pondering about her choices in life, and wonders about the fact that she’s still not married. Some of us have gone down that road. Some of us have married later in life. I remember thinking if I’d ever find the ‘right’ one, and listening to my mother telling me I needed a career to ensure my financial security later on.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 24 May’s, please click here.

Shepherds

Welcome to the Neighborhood News!

Today's topic is about Shepherds. Whether we’re talking about “The Good Shepherd”, or sheep, or just plain pies, we’re going to be edified and fed at the same time.


Our contributor Lisa Asanuma brings to us her thoughts on our Savior and Shepherd Jesus Christ, and she brings up a very interesting point: “The fact is, true followers of Christ aren’t sheep, but as the song (Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd) says, “true under-shepherds.” It’s not so much about leading and following, as it is pulling each other upward.”


Kerry Blair, from “Six LDS Writers and a Frog” blogs about an experience she had as a speaker. Sometimes forgetting all that we’ve had prepared for our talk could be a different story altogether. She says: “Clearly, I had everything I needed to inspire and dazzle—except my scriptures and the carefully-prepared talk I had zipped inside the scripture case. Those I left behind on my dressing table.”


Elise from “Simply Recipes” contributed this recipe to the website. For the longest time I thought Shepherd’s Pie was made with hamburger beef. Well, she has a very good recipe featuring beef, but tells us that the original uses lamb. Who knew!

To view a copy of Friday, 16 April's Neighborhood News, click here.

Be Part of Relief Society

Welcome to the Neighborhood News!

When you've spent a long time in the Relief Society, you think it's an easy thing to just go and be a part of a group. But what if you're a new sprout to such group, or a transplant? What do you do then?

Well, we can find out by reading Lisa Asanuma's post "Every Woman Needs Relief Society (Even Me!)". There are many ways to accept the fact that we're growing older (or 'up'?), and at some point in our lives we'll also realize that, yes, we need the Relief Society. We need the company of other women, younger or older than ourselves, and ready to give advice and help at any moment's notice. Isn't that why we're here? To help each other, and grow from that experience?

The other side of the coin has Laura Hilton Craner, a Depressed (but not unhappy) Mormon Mommy, from butnotunhappy.blogspot.com, who found a lot more than she bargained for when she went to her meetings on a Sunday. Let her tell you what she found and what she learned at Church, in her article "It's Just Too Hard". My heart goes out to people with depression, I wish there was a more effective way to treat such condition. All we can do is offer to help and hope our offer will be accepted.

I invite you to go into this website, SugarDoodle.com, and watch this video that danjolene put together about the Relief Society. It's very inspirational, and reminds you of good things, and good people. As you watch it, you'll feel the positive influence that can come from hundreds of thousands of women that are doing what they can to bring the Kingdom of our Father here on earth.

To view a copy of Monday, 15 March's Neighborhood News, click here.

Happy Presidents Day

Today's Neighborhood News brings Lisa Asanuma's blog on wisely using the tools available to us in the Internet, in her article All Tweets Aside: "It’s possible, even easy, to let social networking take over so much of your life that you start to mold yourself around it, and that can be a dangerous thing."

S. Faux, Ph.D. from Mormon Insights blogs about a President's religious belief in U.S. Presidents and their Religion: "No one claims it is easy to be President. Presidential decisions are difficult because they often approach the grey areas of morality."

Melissa Wiley gives us an excellent fruit cobbler recipe in her Presidents Day Dessert: "I thought that in honor of Presidents Day, I’d reprise this old post which contains a very nice cobbler recipe, if you can wade through all my nonsense to find it."

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To view a copy of Monday, February 15th's, Neighborhood News, click here.