Tag Team Sisters

I thought I'd share a picture of Mignon's skills in action. For those of you that don't know that Nonny bakes amazing bread, where have you been?! She's a master, and I was so glad to have her come teach my young women how to "know dough". We made Bread in a Bag, using Ziplocks and hand power instead of mixers. The girls loved it, and their braided loaves turned out so beautiful.

We also made a special loaf to be used for the sacrament on Sunday. While the bread was rising and baking, I gave a lesson on the importance of Sacrament Meeting, and how to prepare for it. I pulled my lesson from the conference talk given by Elder Oaks. For some reason I was super nervous to give this lesson, but an hour beforehand, Greg let me sound off to him, and it all came together. I have to hand it to Greg...he's an excellent 3rd counselor.

Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks again, Mignon, for all your preparation and expertise. It was really a lot of fun. I loved it!

(PS- Mignon, will you post your recipes on the recipe site...or can I? I'll give you the credit for them.)

Family Temple Pics....

After playing around with the pictures we took at the Temple, I have finally been able to get it to look decent. Here is the original picture:

And here is the updated one:

If you would like a full resolution copy of the updated one, here is the link:

Full Resolution Version

A little A of F 13 . . .

So, I came across a book that has helped me more with my golf game than anything I've studied in 3 years of trying to be a better golfer. Steve Williams, caddie to Tiger Woods, recommends that in order to execute a perfect golf swing you have to not make any value judgements on the situation you've gotten yourself into on the course, but clear your mind of conscious thought to allow your subconscious to take all variables into consideration and create the ideal swing for what's at hand. He indicates that any specific idea of the individual that creates conscious thoughts or pressure to perform are the reason why more people aren't great golfers. The ability is there already for those who have a basic understanding of the golf swing, but the desire to execute great swings are hampered by an inability of adults to give up thoughts like "what will my friends think if I screw up", or "this is a crappy place for my ball to be". Adult golfers are so affected by what people are going to think that it stymies ability. This is why kids are unhampered by failure - they don't put value judgements on them - they allow their entire brain to receive the data and execute better next time. If this wasn't the case, my baby Will would sit down a cry when he fell down the first time and never learn to walk. As it happens, he cries if he's scared or hurt, but doesn't worry what we thought of him falling on his butt. To this point, that's why adults say you can't learn once you get to a certain age. Really we all have the ability to continue learning how to be great, but decide we care more about what people think than learning something new.

The reason I'm sharing this on the blog is not just because I'm excited about learning how to be a better golfer, but because his book is the best "how to" idea on how to become more like a child than anything I've ever come accross reading church books. That doctrine is smattered throughout the Book of Mormon and Bible and I've heard a bunch of people from the pulpit say become more like a child, and I've felt the Spirit tell me what they were saying was true, but I've never had any great ideas on how I might do this. This book is full of great ideas on how to do it! Nothing has ever resonated quite like the advice Stevie gives for golf. The thing is there are wide applications of this true principal outside of the game. I already thought of a bunch, including some that will make me a better husband, dad, and provider.

Anyway, if you don't catch the spirit of my post, hopefully you had a good laugh over it. That would have made it worth it. No matter how you take it though, the book is $14 at Hastings and I recommend it to you all.

It's 3 a.m. and I can't sleep, so I am going to try to express why I have heart palpitations that are keeping me awake. Sunday, all of the tour guides went through the Twin Falls temple. It was so special to your Dad and I to see this beautiful edifice finally finished, and to anticipate taking our friends and family through. It is a scary responsibility to represent the church and try to express to others your feelings about such a sacred place. That alone has caused heart palpitaions, but my lack of sleep tonight comes from the overwhelming honor that President Allen bestowed to all of us earlier this evening. To be invited to witness the dedication of this temple while actually sitting in the temple! In the presence of a living Prophet! Something that I still can't believe!! I feel such a huge sense of gratitude ...humility ...and tenderness! And I am so appreciative that the invitation was extended to all of the family! Everything is always more meaningful when shared with those that you love the most!!! The temple is the most sacred place on earth. How blessed we are to have one now in our own back yard! It's been a most memorible day! Now I must try to catch a few winks before Deanna Hamman comes to walk. With much love! Mama Q

WISE WORDS

Yo Fam...your Angel Mother continues her specialness. I'm ever amazed at her productivity and insights, and treasure her suggestions.

What follows is, in my opinion, a remarkable compliation written by Sweet Betty Jo, and is equally applicable to us boys as well as you girls. All please take time to read this in its entirity. The pixs are from our Milwaukee trip last July. Luv...pops

Dear Sisters of the Kimberly Idaho Stake:

When we met with President Allen this month, as the Stake Relief Society Presidency, he, as many times before, expressed a concern that our Sisters have a tendency to compare themselves to others and short change themselves. He said that we are all created by the same Maker with abilities unique to each of us. He also said that as Daughters of God we are created to be who we are for a purpose and we should not desire to be anyone else.

President James E. Faust years ago in a Young Women’s General Meeting taught, “The true spirit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives to women the highest place of honor in human life. I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the ‘highest place of honor’ in the Church and in the world.”

President Faust also said, “One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is …the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities, your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it.”

What wonderful qualities President Faust attributed to women of all ages! Attributes that we All possess! Yes, some of us are great artists, amazing quilters, fantastic cooks, accomplished musicians, play writers, song writers etc. If we each had all of the qualities of every other sister, we would not need each other nor could we learn and grow as is expected while here on the earth. Earthly skills and talents should not be confused with or take precedence over those universal God-given characteristics of womanhood.

Elder Russell M. Nelson stated in a General Conference, “There are times when a woman’s ability to endure is taxed to the limit. A teacher may have had enough of childish pranks, or a mother might be heard to say she’s ‘ready to resign.’ She could become discouraged, especially if comparing herself unrealistically to others or focusing on what she is to do instead of on what she is to be.”

A woman’s “self-esteem cannot be based on physical features, possession or lack of a particular talent, or comparative quantities of anything. Her self-esteem is earned by individual righteousness and a close relationship with God. Her outward glow is generated by goodness within. Feelings of worth come when a woman follows the example of the Master. Her sense of infinite worth comes from her own Christ-like yearning to reach out with love, as He does. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “Of this you may be certain - The Lord especially loves righteous women—women who are not only faithful but filled with faith; women who are optimistic and cheerful because they know who they are and where they are going; women who are striving to live and serve as women of God.”

When we went to the Idaho Falls Temple as a Stake Relief Society, I had the words of “I Am a Child of God” constantly going through my mind prior to our trip. As I pondered those words while in the temple with you great sisters, I realized that the Lord’s House was truly the best place to discover that “I am a child of God”, to learn why “He has sent me here”, “to understand His words”, to know that “great blessings are in store”, and that “if I but learn to do His will I’ll live with Him once more.”

I was touched with the comments of Sister Margaret Lifferth at our recent Stake Conference when she told of a non-member sister that made the cross stitch of the words to “I am a Child of God” and memorized it. I feel very strongly that most of us really understand and believe that we are truly God’s daughters. But for some reason, we look at others and think that everyone else is measuring up more perfectly that we are. By doing this, we allow the adversary to bring great despair and hopelessness into our lives.

Turning to the words of a song, a favorite scripture, the Relief Society Declaration, or a positive affirmation of our choice can pull us out of the adversary’s grasp. Actively attending Relief Society is enriching! Participating in Home, Family and Personal Enrichment Meetings and Activities will fill our spiritual reservoirs and buoy us up to face life’s challenges. For me, during those very busy child-raising years, a periodic Priesthood Blessing performed miracles. It still does as a grandmother.

Sisters, let us not get caught up in trying to have the perfect body, driving the fanciest car, living in the most highly decorated home, having the most diversely talented children, or anything else the world deems important. Likewise, let us not compare our righteous efforts with those of our friends or with our sisters in the gospel. True happiness and contentment in one’s self comes when we are exercising faith in a loving Heavenly Father, following the promptings received from Him, and discovering our own personal ministry.

We love you, pray for you, and are enjoying walking with you through this earthly journey.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Idaho Stake Relief Society Presidency