Ready for What's Next?

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When we make plans to take a trip, there's a lot of discussions on the subject, what way we're going to go, if we're going to fly or drive, and what we're going to pack.

Planning is part of life. We plan to go to school, or go on a mission, or go to the temple, we plan on doing our spring cleaning, or end of summer activities.

Did you ever plan on becoming inactive? Is that something we plan, or does it just happen? How about coming back to the church, is that planned?

Let's share the following excerpt from a March 2011 New Era article by Gary Leikness, A Small and Simple Rafting Trip.

In it, the author tells us how he'd been baptized at the age of eight, but through the years he and his family stopped going to meetings. Until one day after he'd spent some time with friends away from home, he comes back to find out his dad  had accepted an invitation from the bishop and had signed him up for a youth rafting trip. He met boys that he knew, but he wasn't involved with the 'church people.'

The thing is, he had fun at that trip, and noticed the difference between his worldy friends and his newfound friends. He was invited to come to church, and he said that maybe he'd come. The next Sunday he got up and got dressed, and surprised his family by going to church. He did that for a few weeks, until his family decided to join him.

He says:

"One small invitation led a family back to church. I earned my Eagle Scout Award and went on a mission. Patti and I each got married in the temple to returned missionaries. We’re now raising our own families in the gospel.

"If you invite a less-active person to an activity, it may or may not impact their lives. But if you don’t invite them, it definitely won’t."

So, tell us, what kind of trip are you prepared to take?

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 7 September, please click here.

We welcome your comments. Post by clicking the link below.

Get It Done

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In May 2011 Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve visited Mexico. We'd like to share an excerpt of his teachings:

"Elder Oaks told the youth a story of two men who bought a truck, built a vegetable stand, and drove to the field on the other side of town to get a load of melons. They paid the farmer one dollar per melon. After driving back, they put the melons in their stand and sold them for one dollar each. The actions were repeated and on the third time, one partner said, 'We are not making much money. Should we buy a bigger truck?'

"The partners did not know that the melons were worth more in the stand than in the field, Elder Oaks pointed out. In the same way, youth need to decide the true value they place on the gospel, and measure their actions accordingly.

"He said all of God’s children are asked to develop holy habits such as prayer, scripture study, taking the sacrament, and serving in callings. And though all should establish such holy habits, what are called righteous routines may be different from person to person. The youth were asked to determine for themselves righteous routines that would protect them from temptations they know they have. He blessed them to have a clear vision and the strength to do what is right."

We are blessed to live in these times, when we can receive the visit of one appointed by the Lord to guide us. Let's help one another and strenghten the Church.

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 29 June, please click here.

We welcome your comments. Post by clicking the link below.

Organize Yourselves

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"The difference between God and the Devil is that God creates and organizes, while the whole study of the Devil is to destroy"

 (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 69)

When we read the account that the Lord said to Joseph Smith that we should organize ourselves, we probably think that it refers only to Church matters. What if it goes beyond that? Remember that the Lord doesn’t give just temporal laws, they’re always spiritual. So maybe organization can be applied to our spiritual growth, not just to temporal matters.

David A. Whetten was a BYU professor of organizational behavior and served as director of the Center for the Study of Values in Organizations and of the BYU Faculty Center when he gave this devotional address, Enter to Learn: How to Organize According to God’s Laws, on 6 May 1997.

In 1835 Joseph Smith was giving instruction at his brother William’s home, when he taught something that William didn’t agree with. William became violent towards Joseph, who had to leave the house, and was hurting. After a few weeks, the whole Smith family go together to resolve this difference of opinion.

“This story illustrates what I believe to be three of God's core organizing processes--sanctification, edification, and unification--which work together to harmonize individual, interpersonal, and group spiritual development. None of these processes can operate independent of the others. We cannot become personally sanctified if we are not edifying others, and God's process of unification naturally emerges out of the edifying actions of sanctified individuals.

“It is clear that when Joseph and William were out of sorts with one another, they were out of touch with the Lord. Furthermore, as their rancor impaired their motivation and ability to serve each other, their usefulness as servants of the Lord was diminished. William's confession letter suggests that although he had been ordained an apostle, he was still struggling to subdue his violent temper--and this lack of self-control made it difficult for him to edify others. Fearing that his lack of personal sanctification would foster disharmony and disunity among Church leaders and members, he requested a release from his church leadership responsibilities. Joseph's journal entries reflect similar concerns about the adversary's use of adversity to create disharmony in the Smith family. He despaired that the darkness and gloom of persecution were causing his siblings to lose sight of their spiritual goals, which prevented them from 'seeing things as they really are.' He was also concerned that jealousies and bickerings among Church members were delaying plans for their receiving the endowment, which is an essential step in the process of becoming one with God. It is instructive that the Spirit returned, and Joseph's despair about the effect of this incident on the spiritual welfare of his family and the Church dissipated when he and his brother forgave each other and promised to reconcile their differences directly, to not listen to evil reports about each other, and to edify each other in all circumstances.

“I propose that we examine each of these three key organizing processes separately and then explore their critical interdependencies.

“To sanctify means to make sacred and holy through purification. It is an intensely personal development process.

“To edify means to build up, especially in regards to moral development. Edification is what we do for others that supports and enables their personal sanctification process.

“To unify means to bring together into one, to organize properly.

“I propose that we make a commitment to organize and govern ourselves according to the principles contained in the covenant entered into by Joseph and William Smith on New Year's Day, 1836. These include:

1. Build each other up in righteousness in all things.

2. Do not listen to evil reports concerning each other.

3. Go to each other with our grievances in the spirit of meekness and reconciliation."

Is that something that we can possibly do? I think we can, if we leave our egos behind.

We welcome your comments.

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 15 June, please click  here.

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.

Be Prepared

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We have been warned again and again to be prepared.
In an Ensign article from August 2007, Are You Prepared? we take the following excerpt:

"A natural disaster is only one of many challenges that can cause us to rely on our home storage. Loss of income is another, whether it comes from the loss of the job, health, or life of the wage earner.

"Our prophets have counseled and encouraged us since the days of President Brigham Young to 'lay the foundation to feed and clothe and shelter ourselves.' This encouragement has continued and become more explicit. It is still firmly in place."

Some of us spend a lot of time getting prepared, following the counsel of our church leaders. What kind of preparations are we getting? We should make sure that our thoughts involve more than just temporal possessions.

The Lord has said:

"Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal." (D&C 29:34) 

Let's be prepared for the disasters that are natural and those that cannot be predicted easily.

We welcome your comments.

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 1 June, please click here.

Find Balance

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See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength”

(Mosiah 4:27).

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If we’re pursuing excellence in our lives, we’ll be able to find balance. If we’re too busy doing things perfectly, we’ll find some areas lacking, because as much as many people consider themselves great multi-taskers, we can’t do everything well and something will have to give.

If we’re juggling careers, family, church callings and community volunteerism our plates might be too full. Which one will have to give?

From A Balanced Life, Brent L. Top said in 2005:

“It is easy to feel that to magnify our callings we need to be continually serving, leading, or counseling. However, it may be that we render more significant service and develop more substantive spirituality by having fewer meetings and activities. President Spencer W. Kimball urged the Saints to return to what he characterized as ‘quiet, sane living.’

In striking a temporal balance, we are often forced to make hard choices between many good and desirable things. For example, varied educational and cultural experiences can be valuable in promoting talents and growth in our children. Church and community service opportunities may provide us with rich and rewarding experiences. But even when considering such noble causes and activities, we must, as Elder Ballard counseled, ‘remember [that] too much of anything in life can throw us off balance. At the same time, too little of the important things can do the same thing.’ … Teaching our children how to live ‘quiet, sane,’ and balanced lives may be one of the most vital things we can do for them in these frenzied last days.”

We’re the only ones who can put our lives in order. We can get counsel from other people, but in the end we’re the ones who know what our limits are. We need to find that which gives us peace.

As always, we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday 18 May, click here.

Bless Your Nest

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Ere you left your room this morning,

Did you think to pray?...

When your soul was full of sorrow,

Balm of Gilead did you borrow

At the gates of day?

O how praying rest the weary!

Pray will change the night to day;

So when life gets dark and dreary

Don't forget to pray.

Hymns, # 31

The first commandment says: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:28–30; see Matt. 22:37; Luke 10:27; Deut. 6:4–5.)

We are at times overwhelmed by our bodies, and our bodies determine how we’re going to act or react to different situations.

PresidentBoyd K. Packer has said the following: “There is another part of us, not so tangible, but quite as real as our physical body. This intangible part of us is described as mind, emotion, intellect, temperament, and many other things. Very seldom is it described as spiritual.” In the world we live in, most people don’t want to acknowledge the presence of a spirit, or talk about a soul. Isn’t that interesting?

Another thought from the same talk: “All of us experience some temporary physical sickness. All of us now and again may be spiritually ill as well. Too many of us, however, are chronically spiritually sick.”

Have you ever been down with the ‘blues’ and didn’t know how to let go of those feelings? It happens to the best of us. We all, at some point in our lives will go through our own version of Gethsemane. How we manage to shake those feelings will say a lot about our character.

President Packer said: “Obedience is a powerful spiritual medicine. It comes close to being a cure-all.” (same)

So, what are things that we can use to get through a harsh trial, and show obedience at the same time:

1-      Attend Church. The fact that you’re trying and participating in the Sacrament will help you get through the week.

2-      Say Your Prayers. Even if you don’t feel like it, as soon as you get on your knees, the Spirit will come to you and guide you on how to talk to your Father.

3-      Read Your Scriptures. Even if it is one verse a day, you’re showing Heavenly Father that you’re obedient. The blessing of understanding will come over you.

4-      Fast For Yourself. Use the principle of fasting to your advantage, you will be blessed. I have.

5-      Attend the Temple. This is a big one. I remember going through a heart break a few years ago. I was a spiritual vegetable, I was just going through the motions; I couldn’t function. My calling at the time was just as an organist, and that was a blessing in itself, because I don’t know if I could have been able to prepare, teach and share testimony during a lesson: it was beyond me. My loving husband would take me to the temple and that’s where I found my own Balm of Gilead. The promptings, the love bestowed on me by the Spirit and the many tender mercies I received there of the Most High is something that will carry me for a long time. If for any reason I allow myself to feel down again, I remember those precious moments of quiet contemplation sitting in the Celestial room, enveloped by the soft reassurance that I am loved.

6-      Forgive. It will do wonders for you. Miracles happen when people forgive one another. Even if it’s one-sided, forgive and move on, you will notice your load seems lighter.

My question is: isn’t your soul important enough to save? Some of us take very good care of our bodies, but we somehow forget about our spirits and spiritual lives. Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

I hope we all take better care of our immortal souls.

 As always we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday 4 May, click here.

Tips for You

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Since we’re talking about ‘tips’ today, I found tips for an array of different topics.

Wheat Storage Tips

Plastic trash bags should not be used to store wheat. According to reports, some chemical residues migrate from this type of plastic into the wheat. If you’ve already stored in this manner, probably you do not need to discard the wheat; simply transfer it to other appropriate containers.—ClaytonS. Huber, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Brigham Young University.

Moving Day Tips

Because our family has moved 12 times in 16 years of marriage, I have greatly appreciated service rendered by Church members during our various moves. Here are some suggestions for helping make someone’s moving day go smoothly.

·         Help pack.

·         Provide food.

·         Offer child care.

·         Help load trucks.

·         Clean Up.

·         Address sleeping needs.

·         Welcome move-ins.—Lydie Strasburg, Warner Robins, Georgia

Tips forTalks

Every now and then, you’re going to be asked to speak in a Church meeting. It’s inevitable. But do you feel a bit uncomfortable about your ability to prepare and present interesting talks? Following are several simple steps that can help you prepare for a successful experience.

·         Select a subject.

·         Identify your purpose.

·         Research the subject.

·         Organize your material simply and logically.

·         Introduce the subject with a scripture, story, example, question, or other attention-getting method.

·         State the purpose of your remarks.

·         Develop each idea that supports your purpose with an analogy, illustration, or explanation.

·         Conclude by repeating the point simply and directly.

Practice your presentation. Get someone to listen to you, or practice in front of a mirror. As you rehearse, anticipate the reactions of the congregation.

Are there any tips you’d like to share with us? We’re always looking for good writers who’d like to share with the rest of us. It may be you.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday 27 April, click here.

Spring Planning

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Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!

~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

We seem to wait for things to happen to us. For example: we wait to get married, or to start a family, or for the right opportunity to come our way. We wait for the right moment to make a proposal (of any kind).

We also can’t wait for spring to come. And this year it gives the impression that Mother Nature is holding on to spring and wants to keep Old Man Winter out a bit longer.

What are your plans for the next few weeks of enjoyment before we get the full blast of summer?

I’ve been so involved with our remodel, which is finally over by the way, that I haven’t gone outside to start any plantings yet. But I’m ready now.

There’s so much to do: weeding, turning soil over, planting, and then more weeding.

I’m also getting ready for all those beautiful spring weddings coming our way. I love to see all those young couples starting their lives together. They seem so alive and fresh, so new.

Let’s see, what else is out there? Oh yes: going to the park, getting out for a run or bicycle ride, and don’t forget the yard/garage sales where you can get great finds. And the kids start their outdoor sports again.

Spring is a great time of the year, a renewal of sorts. Let’s enjoy it while we can.

As always we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday 20 April, click here.

Think of Christ

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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.

(Matthew 7:1, 2)

Gustave Doré (1832-1883), Woman Taken in Adultery (detail).

We all remember these words from Jesus. He taught that we shouldn’t judge less we be judged.

However, we can’t go through life without making decisions.  We have to make judgments to move ahead: what kind of friends should I have, how to keep my body clean (or not), what lifestyle do I choose to live, they are all judgment choices.

These same verses are written a bit differently in the JST:

“Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment.”

Now the question is what is righteous judgment? How do we make a righteous judgment? Can we as mere mortals make such determination?

The best way we can provide righteous judgment is by assessing the situation without judging the individual.

The Lord has told us:

“Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shall thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5)

If I put someone down, without call, showing bad feelings, that’s probably not a righteous judgment. If someone comes to me asking for an opinion about a life matter, and I talk to this person with love and compassion, weighing in pros and cons, presenting the gospel in the conversation, that would be considered righteous judgment, because I didn’t demean the person’s bad choices (if there were any).

Something comes to mind about this. May I remind you of the situation between the Pharisees, Christ and the adulterous woman? I just love the part where Jesus says:

“Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Christ showed compassion on her situation. He didn’t say ‘I forgive you’ to her as He’d said to other people, simply because she hadn’t shown remorse or repentance yet. By telling her ‘sin no more’ He was giving her a chance for repentance. In this instance, He showed us how to judge righteously.

My prayer is that we may all have enough charity in our hearts to judge the way the Lord has taught us.

As always, we welcome your comments.

Give It Your Best

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"By small and simple things

are great things

brought to pass."

 Alma 37:6

I just discovered a new place to help the Church. You know how they have different links for different places: preparedness, twelve step programs, genealogy?

Well, the new place is called The Vineyard. This web site provides access to volunteer service opportunities for the LDS Church.  You sign up as a volunteer to help with anything to do with the Church publications. You get a login name, the same one you use for Church business will do. If you don’t have a Church login, just get in touch with your membership clerk in your ward and then follow instructions.

The Vineyard offers plenty to do. The opportunities found there are comprised of hundreds of thousands of very small tasks. Collaborating as a group to complete these tasks, anyone can help further the work of the Church.

One is to prepare Church content to share with the world. The Church has thousands of documents that need to be evaluated before they can be sent to people worldwide. Your participation will allow many more people to find and enjoy the gospel messages that God has provided to Church leaders.

Another activity to choose is to tag videos or pictures sent by contributors.

I just signed up to do some translating. I’ll be part of a team and given pieces to translate that then I’ll present to the rest of the group, and they’ll make corrections or allow it to go on.

I think is very interesting and exhilarating to be able to help in a way I can.

So go ahead and check out this new website, and share it with your friends and neighbors.

As always, we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 9 March, please click here.
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Treasure Your Time

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“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and were thieves break through and steal:

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

 Matthew 6: 19-21

What are things that we treasure? Have we ever stopped to think what’s closest to our hearts?

It could be money, a lot of people want it, and I’ve even got an answer from someone telling me that money would solve many problems. But would it make you happy?

Food is another one. A lot of people are hungry and homeless and feel miserable. So another thing would be a nice home, nothing excessive, just comfortable.

If we were to make a list of things that we like, would time be in it? We need time to go to work and make money, we need it to spend with our families, we need it to read and instruct ourselves.

Time has become almost a commodity. Even if we don’t trade in it, the goods that are traded in wouldn’t be out there if someone hadn’t spent time making something (farming, mining, sewing, cooking, etc)

Time is important. As in the scripture above, it is one of those things that doesn’t corrupt or rust, and it can’t be stolen, it can only be given away. How, you ask? Well, by spending it recklessly, by misusing it and by wrongly expecting it to last forever. Once a moment is past, we can’t get it back. Hence, so many regrets.

President Monson has said:

“The promised reward was not a treasure of ivory, gold, or silver. Neither did it consist of acres of land or a portfolio of stocks and bonds. The Master spoke of riches within the grasp of all—even joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter.”

Sometimes it seems that we have such little faith that we want to accumulate all the goods that we can, right here right now. We want more and more and the Lord blesses us with more than what we need.

The promise is there in the scriptures; we should put our time to use by being involved in good causes.

As always, we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 2 March, please click here.

Lifesavers

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What’s a life saver?

Def: life•sav•er rescuer: a provider or source of greatly needed help

If we get sick, we have need of something that will make us feel better. If we have the blues, we need something to help us get back to normal.

There’s always something that will be a life saver for us. It could be something as ordinary as a comfort food (macaroni and cheese, anyone?), or a habit (reading scriptures maybe).

In 1986 Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard wrote Bread and Milk. In her article, she’s talking about her first time having a fast, and the experience of eating bread afterwards. In her own words:

"It was a simple meal, an ordinary meal, a meal that I had had every Sunday night for as long as I could remember. But it tasted different that night. I distinctly remember the yeasty smell of the bread and the way the cool milk felt inside my mouth. I’ve never had a meal quite like it since.

That meal started to teach me about the bread and milk of living. It started to teach me about the richness of ordinary things. I found that really enjoying life could be as simple as being able to savor an ordinary meal."

What are some things that you consider lifesavers? Please send us a comment.

Don’t forget to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 25 February, please click here.

Be Well Rounded

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 A few conferences ago somebody mentioned the following tale. I can’t remember who it was, but I’d like to tell it again here:

"An old woman had two pots suspended at the end of a branch that she carried on her shoulders. One pot was unmarred, the other was cracked.

"Every day she’d walk to the river to get water; on the way over, the perfect pot would arrive full, but the cracked one was half empty. This happened again and again for many days, always the same result.

"After a couple of years of dwelling on its defect, the cracked pot decided to speak to the woman:

‘Dear lady, I am ashamed of myself. I can see you struggle on your way to the river, but on the way home my crack makes you lose half of the water I’m suppose to carry.

"The woman smiled and asked the pot:

‘Did you ever notice the beautiful flowers on your side of the path when we return home? I always knew you were cracked so I planted flower seeds on your side of the road. Every day we headed home, you were watering the seeds.

'Because of you, I have been able to pick beautiful flowers for my table for the last two years. Without you, I wouldn’t have such beauties at home.'”

None of us is perfect, none of us has it all figured out. Some of us are broken, in need of mending. However, in the words of Kevin Gardner, the great equalizer in this life is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It frees us, it gives us hope, and it buoys us up.

We may think that we’re of little worth, imperfect, cracked. But there’s someone who’s given all that He had to buy our freedom. We should follow Him and become healed.

In the end, it’s not how much water we were able to carry that matters, but the fact that we did it the best way we knew how.

Don't forget to take advantage of our Free Download Friday.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday, 18 February, please click here.

Creative Answers

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The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: a human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him, a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating. -Pearl Buck

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I believe that we came to this earth with many gifts. It’s up to us to find them, increase them and use them to the best of our abilities.

Creativity is something that puts us, especially women, at par with God. I’ve heard women say that they have no talent whatsoever, that they’re a complete zero. That’s not true.

Sister Mary Ellen Smoot, former Relief Society general president said:

“You might say, “I’m not creative.” I’m here to tell you, you are. You are creators. Have you ever coaxed a smile from a baby? Have you ever taught someone to forgive? Have you helped someone learn to read? Prepared a family home evening? Organized a family reunion? Possibly you were prompted to do something for a person you go visiting teaching or home teaching to that made a great difference in their lives. If you have done some of these things, you have been creative.”

We all have something of the divine that comes from our Heavenly Father. Today’s newsletter is a great example of what women can do when they choose to be creative. We all have something to share with others, we just need to find the right outlet.

“Do we recognize in our own lives the opportunities for creation that are there? Do we prize the gifts, talent, and choice spirits that God has given us? Do we share the creations of our hearts, minds, and hands with others?” (Same)

What are your thoughts?

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 2 February, please click  here.

Lessons in Organization

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“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (D&C 88: 119)

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That’s one of my favorite scriptures. I know it’s a lofty goal, to become organized. I also know that people who are highly organized have to work at it. The rest of us, we just struggle with it.

There’s another thing I’d like to emphasize. Some people are very organized with their time and business matters, but what about home and family life? I like the idea of organizing our homes first and then the rest will fall into place. Simply because you’ll already have a pattern to follow, and the way you behave at home should be the same way you behave in the world.

But how do we do it? And which way is the right way? We can follow this idea or that one, but are we on the right track? Elder Nelson has said: “To set our house in an order pleasing to the Lord, we need to do it His way. We are to employ His attributes of ‘righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, [and] meekness.’”

“Parents are to be living examples of ‘kindness, and pure knowledge, which … greatly enlarge the soul.’ Each mother and father should lay aside selfish interests and avoid any thought of hypocrisy, physical force, or evil speaking. Parents soon learn that each child has an inborn yearning to be free. Each individual wants to make his or her own way. No one wants to be restrained, even by a well-intentioned parent. But all of us can cling to the Lord.” Source: here.

We also find this promise in the scriptures: “And now a commandment I give unto you – if you will be delivered you shall set in order your own house.” (D&C 93:41-43)

We shouldn’t forget to teach the principles of obedience, honest work and respect for the laws of the land. When, you say? In my family we’ve successfully used our Family Night times to teach our children. It’s a short time, and it’s well employed.

Do you have any ideas on how you keep your house in order? Please, share with us.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 5 January, please click here.

Heavenly Insights

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 If you are not the organizing kind, leave it to the experts to bring organization up front. Marie Ricks is a great organizer, and she’s already thinking on how she’s going to get things going in 2011. Read her expert report on this area, take notes and try to follow her lead. Marie blogs at House of Order. She’s also a nationally recognized author, TV/radio guest, and motivational speaker.

http://www.sxc.hu/

S. Faux, from Mormon Insights talks to us about “If We Could Gaze into Heaven.” He asks “Will we find that we have MUCH to learn about the nature of heaven? Simply, yes.” In his opinion, we should die with an ‘open mind,’ so when we get on the other side of the veil we won’t be slowed down by preconceptions, and will be able to learn faster.



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 At Real Mom Kitchen, contributor Laura Powell posted her “Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread or Muffins.” She’s into pumpkins this week, as she tells us: “It’s pumpkin week, and that means that all this week on Real Mom Kitchen I will be sharing some yummy recipes that include that quintessential fall ingredient, pumpkin!”

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 3 November, please click here.

It's All in the Details

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Our first article comes from Marie Ricks, who blogs at ‘House of Order’, her article is “Clutter Control for Living Areas of Your Home.” Marie is an organizer, and she’s come up with a plan to keep your house clean and presentable, no matter what time of year. She tells us: “Most of us wish our home was more inviting to extended family and friends. You want to be ready at a moment’s notice to say, “Come right on in. I’m so glad you’re here.” You want to really mean it because you know your home’s public areas are presentable and cleaned up, with less clutter and more order, especially for those that knock at our door unexpectedly.” So she breaks it down into assessing your place, and deciding what rooms are important to get extra attention: porch, living room, family room and powder room.

Following, we have Joy, from ‘Just Organize Yourself.’ Her article is named “Simplify Summer Meal Planning”; in it, Joy makes her case explaining that if we spend time planning meals before we go shopping, the end result (any meal) will be easy to prepare and very enjoyable for everyone involved. I have a personal experience here: we’ve been doing this for years, and it really works: I know how many people I’m cooking for and I know the proportions. We make menus before we go to the market and write down the ingredients in our handy dandy list, then away we go; and when I need to prepare a meal I check our calendar that we keep in the kitchen, and voila! it’s there as a reminder for me, or anyone who’s hungry and ready to prepare dinner.

Location, location, location. That’s what they say about selling real estate, right? What if we apply the same principle when we’re scouting a place for our family reunion. That’s the premise that Mr. Spiffy, from ‘Family Reunion’ brings to us. The article is entitled “Mister Spiffy Picks a Location”, and he says: “Choosing the right location could be rated up there as one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the planning of this family reunion. You can choose a location, if you wish, once you know what type of reunion you want, the desired dates, and have a fundamental idea how many people will be attending.” I think it would be a different location depending on the kind of company you’re getting; for example, if it’s only adults, the place would be different than if you had young families getting together.



How’s your summer going? Have you had enough time in the sun? Have you gotten together with loved ones? If you have time, leave us a comment, it will be appreciated. Thank you. :o)

 
To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 21 July, please click here.

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Movers and Shakers

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In today's newsletter, our first contributor is Marie Ricks, from 'House of Order', her article is named "Moving Moments." Marie is such a great organizer, she can tell us what to do in pretty much any situation. In this case, she's talking about how to organize yourself if you find that you're about to move. As always, her advise is to the point, well thought out and of good sense.

The second entry is from Crystal, who contributed to 'EveryDayFoodStorage.net.' Her article is entitled "Powdered Milk Food Storage Recipes", and she makes a good point by saying: "Powdered milk makes excellent chocolate milk or milkshakes using no ice cream, and there is no hint of the powdered milk." She also says that this way will save us money, and who doesn't want to save money?

Our last article comes from 'Family Reunion Helper', and it's a game you can play at your next family reunion. Don't you sometimes run out of ideas of things to do to entertain young or old? Well, this is a paper and pen game, but it will help pass the time until the next event.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 7 July's, please click here.