Daughters in My Kingdom

I've recently started reading the new book that came out about the Relief Society called Daughters in My Kingdom, and love what I have read so far. We had a Relief Society dinner a few weeks ago that was centered around it and it was very inspiring. The book has been on my night stand next to my scriptures for awhile now and I felt like it's time to read it.

{source LDS online store}

As I was reading I highlighted some quotes that have struck me and thought that I would share them on here as I read each chapter.

Chapter 1

- He (Christ) invited them (Mary and Martha) to become His disciples and partake of salvation, "that good part" that would never be taken from them. {scripture reference Luke 10:38-42} pg. 4

- His (Apostle Paul) description of a righteous widow identified characteristics of many women in the early Church: "Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work." {scripture reference 1 Timothy 5:10, Apostle Paul} pg. 4-5

- Paul also counseled Titus to encourage older women to serve and teach young women about their eternal role as wives and mothers, "that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children." {scripture reference Titus 2:4} pg. 5

- The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, "The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized."

- President Joseph F. Smith, the sixth President of the Church, said, "This organization is divinely made, divinely authorized, divinely instituted, divinely ordained of God to minister for the salvation of the souls of women and of men."

- Sister Julie B. Beck, the fifteenth Relief Society general president, taught: "Through Relief Society we practice being disciples of Christ. We learn what He would have us learn, we do what He would have us do, and we become what He would have us become." {reference Nov 2007 Ensign}

I hope that these have touched you as they have me.

I Hope They Call Me on a Mission

Today I taught the lesson in Primary and it wss title I Can Tell Other about Jesus Christ. This was such a fun lesson to prepare because it was about trying to be a missionary as a child. I had the kids draw pictures of doing missionary work so that we could send them to our Missionaries from our ward. The kids were really excited and got into it. Good thing that we currently only have 4 out b/c it took pretty much our entire class time afer I had shared a couple stories from the lesson. At the end of class I handed each kid a missionay tag that I had made. I had seen the plastic ones that said Future Missionary but didn't want to spend money so I made paper ones with items that I had on hand, printer, cardstock, contact paper for lamenation and brooch pins. They were pretty excited when I showed them the tags. So I thought that I would share with you the printable that I made so that you can use them.
Missionary Tags

I'm a Mormon

Our church leaders have challenged each one of us to create a profile on the mormon.org website. This is so that the missionaries can help investigators relate better to other members of the church and to see that we are just like them. I took up the challenge and created my profile. At first I wasn't sure what I would say but they gave us a few tips to help us out and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to write as much as I did.

If you would like read my profile go HERE.

This is a really neat website will all kinds of inspiring stories from other church members.

Food Storage 2

Here is the 2nd installment of my food storage series.

Today's focus will be on supplemental items that don't come from the grocery store, such as home canning, dehydration and freeze drying. I will start out with canning since it is the most commonly used form of home food storage.



Canning
This is a fun hobby to develop to be able to add fresh produce and meats from your own garden, or a nearby farmer's market. Our family has started a garden and it has been a lot of fun watching it grow. Last summer we canned a lot of fresh veggies that helped us get started on our storage. This year our garden is much bigger, thanks to my father-in-law, he kinda went a little crazy this year with the sqaush and tomatoes. hahaha We will not want for pickled sqaush, which by the way it really GOOD!! We are also going to start canning meats, now that we have invested in a pressure canner, we are very excited about it.


If you don't know where to start on canning here are few sites that I have found that can be of some use to you.


Ball
How to Can Fruits and Veggies
National Center for Home Food Preservation

You can also visit your local bookstore and pick up a couple books, perferrably ones with recipes, to help you out. Or if you have friends and neighbors that can ask to help them out to learn some of their tricks.

Food Storage 1

A couple months ago I did a food storage series on my craft blog and thought that I should post it here as well, just in case one actually reads this blog. So here is the first part of the series.

I've chosen this topic b/c with our recent experience in a loss of income it has been on our minds, mine and my husband's, and we don't want to be stuck in that situation again. I am not an expert but wanted to share my research and ideas with you, so here goes.


Space
Finding space to start your food storage is part of the fun and can also be a challenge. For me, I have plenty of room, for one I have closet pantry in my kitchen and walk-in pantry in my laundry room off the kitchen, jealous? Anyways, if you don't have 2 pantries, you can use your basement if you have one, corners of closets in your house, under the bed or find cute furniture that can act like a closet to hide your stock pile. Use what space you have to suit your needs, who said that storing food couldn't be stylish. ;)

Planning
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should your food storage/ stock pile. Take the time to carefully plan out what you need as far as what your family likes, meals you enjoy and even what kinds of products you use for hygiene purposes. Your storage shouldn't just be about food, but personal hygieng products as well. Look for sales and opportunities to stock up on the essentials. Get the family involved to give some input as to what you would like to accumulate. For example, in my house beans, rice, tortillas and cheese are a MUST. We LOVE Mexican food and I always have these on hand to make burritos with. An easy way to help get started is to create a menu of the meals your family likes and go from there. Something to stock up on are pastas and sauce for a quick pasta meal. Have fun with it!

My Large pantry, in the laundry room. Isn't is pretty? :) I still have a ways to go.

4th of July

The Fourth of July is our Independence Day.  All those years ago our Nation fought to be freed of England and it's tiresome laws. The men that fought for our freedom we courageous and had such a belief that what they were doing was for the best thing for them and their families.

I just wanted to share my testimony that the leaders of that time, such as General George Washington, were foreordained to help bring this nation to freedom. They were inspired and God fearing men that they would do anything to have the freedoms and liberties that we are privledged to know today. I don't take for granted that I live in  free country, I try to excirse my rights as much as I can.

Because of those brave men the Lord was able to lay the foundation for his church to be brought back upon the earth. Although it may be several more years before that would happen those men gave thanks to the Lord for his hand in their success.

Today I am thankful for those men that they listened to the Lord's promptings to fight for freedom and succeeded.

General George Washington praying at Valley Forge

Easter

With the hype of the Easter Bunny, candy and treats, I think that we tend to forget the real meaning. Easter is, I think the most important Christian holiday next to Christmas. It is the day at we celebrate the ressurection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the day that He overcam death in order to complete our Heavenly Father's plan.

President Ezra Taft Benson said, "The literal resurrection of every soul who has lived and died on earth is a certainty, and surely one should make careful preparation for this event. A glorious resurrection should be the goal of every man and woman, for resurrection will be a reality."

The scriptures talk about ressurection and why Christ had to go through all the pain and suffering of the world. In 1 Corth. 15:22 it states, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Christ has made it possible through his atonement in the Garden of Gethsamane that we can repent of our sins so that we can live with him and our Father in Heaven. What a beautiful, glorious day that will be when we can be reunite with those who have passed on before us and to see our Father.

One of my favorite Easter hymns is He is Risen! (hymn # 199)

He is risen, He is risen! Tell it out with joyful voice.

He has burst his three days' prison;

Let the whole wide earth rejoice.

Death is conquered, man is free.

Christ has won the victory.

Come with high and holy hyming, chant our Lord's triumphant lay.

Not one darksome cloud is dimming,

Yonder glorious morning ray,

Breaking o'er the purple east,

Symbol of our Easter feast.

He is risen! He is risen! He hath opened heaven's gate.

We are free from sin's dark prison,

Risen to a holier state.

And a brigher Easter beam

On our longing eyes shall stream.

Click here to watch a short Easter video.