Ready for What's Next?

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

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.

Love is All We Need

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

Love is the measure of our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of our discipleship.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

Love is a powerful emotion. Whether we're attempting to soothe an emotional child, take care of our bodies or corresponding with a birth mother who has made the ultimate sacrifice, we're showing love. Love comes in all forms and ways, but the most important show of love comes from our Heavenly Father.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in his October 2009 conference talk, The Love of God:

"Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do in our own family, in our Church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.

"When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden."

It's beautifully expressed, right? Do you have a way of showing love to yourself, others and Father in Heaven?

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 31 August, please click here.

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

Is This Joy?

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

Joy is more than happiness. Joy is the ultimate sensation of well-being. It comes from being complete and in harmony with our Creator and his eternal laws.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

We all know the scripture that says: "Men are, that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25)

Did you notice that the word 'might' is used? Not 'may', not 'should', but 'might.' We use may when something is likely to happen. Might is used when the outcome of an event is uncertain or unlikely. So, is that how the scripture was meant? Can we find joy in this life for certain? Is joy attainable?

In his Ensign Nov 1991 article Joy and Mercy, elder Dallin H. Oaks has said:

"When I think of happiness or joy in this life, I begin with some experiences that are simple and basic. I see the expression on the face of a one-year-old taking those first steps. I remember a two-year-old immersed in a soft ice cream cone. I think of a child loving a puppy or a kitten.

"Another source of happiness and mortal joy is the accomplishment of worthy goals, simple things like physical exercise or more complex goals like the completion of an arduous task.

"Other goals have eternal significance. Their completion produces joy in this life and the promise of eternal joy in the world to come. A few weeks ago Elder Rex D. Pinegar and I saw an example of this as we visited the beautifully renovated temple in Cardston, Alberta. In the brides’ room stood a lovely young woman in her wedding dress. She was there because she had made righteous choices. The look in her eyes and the expression on her face were a perfect embodiment of joy.

"But despite all we can do, we cannot have a fullness of joy in this world or through our own efforts. (See D&C 101:36.) Only in Christ can our joy be full."

Whether it's parents getting remarried, achieving a worthy goal, having a son going on a mission, welcoming a most desired baby into the family, I believe that we can find joy in this life.


To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 17 August, please click here.

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

Finding Strength

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

Have you ever had a dream that felt very real? Granted that in the dreaming state, they all do. But there are times when dreams take a different aspect and you can almost taste and feel what you see.

Just before Joseph and Hyrum Smith's martyrdom, the prophet Joseph had a dream that he related to his brother Hyrum, in the presence of W. W. Phelps. Brother Phelps didn't write about it until 1862, but when he did, he entitled it "Joseph Smith's Last Dream."

Here's the account, put to video by videographer Seth Adam Smith.

So tell us what's your opinion about this subject. What are your feelings and thoughts.

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 3 August, please click here.

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

Be Thou an Example

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

Giving service is a good habit that most of us should cultivate.

Homer S. Ellsworth has said:

“There lived in my neighborhood a noble, white-haired patriarch, Bryant S. Hinckley, who was loved by all and was famous for many things, not the least of which was his Sunday School class. This elderly gentleman had seen the wagon train trails become freeways and the oxcarts replaced by jets. He was an outstanding teacher and the father of Elder Gordon B. Hinckley.

"He once said about service, “Service is the virtue that has distinguished the great of all times and which they will be remembered by. It places a mark of nobility upon its disciples. It is the dividing line which separates the two great groups of the world—those who help and those who hinder, those who lift and those who lean, those who contribute and those who only consume. How much better it is to give than to receive. Service in any form is comely and beautiful. To give encouragement, to impart sympathy, to show interest, to banish fear, to build self-confidence and awaken hope in the hearts of others, in short to love them and to show it is to render the most precious service.”

(From The Love That Never Ceases to Be, Homer S. Ellsworth, Ensign June 1975)

How will our children and grandchildren describe us? Will they say that we gave freely of our time, or that we never taught them how to be of service?

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 27 July, please click here.


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

Helpful Reminders

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

Through the years, we members of the LDS Church have received plenty of reminders about preparedness. There have been enough General Authorities, including prophets, giving us advice and reminding us of what's expected of us.

We'd like to share a few thoughts given by members of the Church in Joplin, Missouri, after the May tornado. Read the full account in the Newsroom.

"Our emergency plan, while there is a lot of detail to it, is quite simple: account, assess, report promptly,” said President Jones. “You need to account for your people. Everybody goes out to find out how the missionaries are, how the members are, and if everyone is accounted for. Then they assess. Who is missing? Who has injuries? Who is without a home? Who is without power? What are their physical situations, family needs, and so forth? And then you report promptly, communicating that information back through the priesthood line.”

"As members of the stake followed the emergency plan, they saw miracles happen every day. Bishop Chris Hoffman of the Joplin First Ward, one of two wards where members were deeply affected by the damage, reported that people in the ward told him about times they needed some particular kind of help, only to have a fellow ward member arrive with exactly what they needed when they needed it."

So, do you think that reminders work? Please share your thoughts with us.

 

To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 13 July, please click here.

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

Get It Done

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

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

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

"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.

Be Prepared

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

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.

Believe in Yourself

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

On occasion we find doubt within ourselves. We feel we don’t accomplish much, or that what we do is not enough. We think less of ourselves.

Let’s share a thought from Sister Elaine S. Dalton. Her talk was given in the general conference of 2004, Young Women session, entitled Believe!

“The Lord has promised us that as we “search diligently, pray always, and be believing, … all things [will] work together for [our] good” (D&C 90:24; emphasis added). That doesn’t mean that everything will be perfect or that we will not have any trials, but it does mean that everything will be okay if we just “hang in there.” Ours is the opportunity to “be … an example of the believers” (1 Tim. 4:12), and the Savior has promised that “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). So believe in yourselves. Believe that you are never alone. Believe that you will always be guided.”

The Enemy may be able to instill doubt in our souls, but let’s believe that we can triumph over the Adversary.

We welcome your comments.
To see the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 25 May, please click here.

Bless Your Nest

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

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.

Spring Planning

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

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.

Chasing Perfection

Welcome to the Neighborhood  News

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Our Savior’s words from the Sermon on the Mount are of some concern to most of us, right?

In my opinion, it’s a tall order. Who can be perfect? I think we all can strive to achieve perfection, but it’s a difficult thing to do, since we are not gods yet.

I believe that’s better to aim at excellence. It’s achievable, and doable. There has only been one perfect being on this earth, and that was Jesus Christ.

"The more perfect we are the gentler and quiet we become towards the defects of others." Anonymous

The Prophet Joseph has taught:

 

“When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel—you must begin with the first and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977, p. 348; italics added.)

I love this saying:

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

My question is, what are we willing to give up, in order to become perfect? 


As always, we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Monday, 6 April, please click here.

Effecting Change

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Every once in a while, we feel like we can’t go on, like we can’t bear one more burden, go one more mile, give one more hug, make one more meal.

In these times of ours, we are all heavy laden, whether with jobs, household chores, careers, school or church responsibilities. Some of us are married, some are single and the only support of the children. Some of us are in a position of responsibility or have a spouse that is, and we feel the need to support them. The burdens may seem overwhelming.

When I read the scripture featured above, I imagine someone holding a big, heavy, loaded sack on their back, walking on a long, empty road. Standing next to this person is the Savior, with His hand extended to grab the sack and hold it to help this weary traveler. You can see in the Savior’s eyes how meek and loving He is. I want to rest next to Him and feel ‘rest unto my soul.’ Wouldn’t you?

I know that whenever I can’t go on, all I have to do is unload my burden to Him, and it will seem lighter. I know, because I have done it. It’s such an experience to have the knowledge that Christ is there, ready to take up your load when you can’t hold it any longer.

As always, we welcome your comments.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 16 March, please click here.

Treasure Your Time

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

http://www.sxc.hu/home

“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.

Enjoy Every Moment

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

Family, good food, the gospel, living my religion, doing service, having a good time with my husband, reading a book, listening to music, my children. These are all tings that make me happy.

President Brigham Young wrote:

"Where is happiness, real happiness? Nowhere but in God. By possessing the spirit of our holy religion, we are happy in the morning, we are happy at noon, we are happy in the evening; for the spirit of love and union is with us, and we rejoice in the spirit because, it is of God, and we rejoice in God, for he is the giver of every good thing. Every Latter-day Saint, who has experienced the love of God in his heart, after having received the remission of his sins, through baptism, and the laying on of hands, realizes that he is filled with joy, and happiness, and consolation. He may be in pain, in error, in poverty, or in prison, if necessity demands, still, he is joyful. This is our experience, and each and every Latter-day Saint can bear witness to it. (Discourses of Brigham Young, 236)

I'm sure that other people have a different list to show. There are so many things that can make us happy, and we should just enjoy what we have that the Lord has so graciously given us. But do we take advantage of the blessings that we receive, or do we wish for more?

What are some things that make you happy?

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 16 February, please click  here.

Creative Answers

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

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

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

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.

Getting Answers

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

“We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).

Goals are sometimes difficult to meet. We need to make sure we set achievable goals to ourselves.

I know for a fact that I’ve set almost impossible goals to myself. The fact that they became possible doesn’t mean that we should always do so.

Elder Oaks has said:

“If we concentrate too intently on our obvious earthly methods or objectives, we can lose sight of our eternal goals, which the Apostle called “things … not seen.” If we do this, we can forget where we should be headed and in eternal terms go nowhere. We do not improve our position in eternity just by flying farther and faster in mortality, but only by moving knowledgeably in the right direction.” Source: here.  

We do not have the option of getting distracted, or of losing track of our goals. If we are spiritually minded, we will be focused enough on the things that are spiritual that we will be able to set eternal goals, goals that even when hard, will be achievable to us.

I love this entry. Elder Oaks is so direct, there’s no way to misinterpret what he’s saying:

“We must not confuse means and ends. The vehicle is not the destination. If we lose sight of our eternal goals, we might think that the most important thing is how fast we are moving and that any road will get us to our destination.” (Same)

I hope that we can focus our lives, set objectives, and not get distracted with the lesser matters. We only have this life to live.

“This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God”~Amulek (Alma 34:32)

Image by permission from night fate @ http://www.sxc.hu/
 
To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 19 January, please click here.

Lessons in Organization

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

“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)

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/

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.

Good Things

Welcome to the Neighborhood News

“And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.”        
Moroni 7:24 (Book of Mormon)

Sometimes we get discouraged. Sometimes we think we can’t go on. Sometimes we just want to give up.

I was looking for a quote that would have some benefit for us and go along with today’s theme “Good Things.” What I found is very inspiring. It was given as a General Conference talk in October 1999 by Elder Holland, and it’s entitled “An High Priest of Good Things.” He gave this talk in the Priesthood session, and is talking about Jesus Christ. So my quotations come from there.

He is telling us in his straight forward way that since Jesus is the Mediator, He will help us make it through the hard times.

“Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke of it in the Book of Mormon as “hope for a better world.”  For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead. It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of “good things to come.”

“My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the “light that is endless, that can never be darkened.”  It is the very Son of God Himself.” Source: here.

This is a wonderful promise. Sometimes we just can’t see the whole picture because we’re too worried about the details.

Having just gone through the ‘best time of the year,’ according to the song, remember there were wise people looking for the Bright new Star. Most of us are always in pursuit of the same thing. Let’s not get distracted by those things that are not important and put our focus on those that are of eternal significance. Let’s follow the Star and be saved.

That’s definitely a really good thing.

To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Wednesday, 29 December, please click here.