We had an AMAZING visit from the General Relief Society President Sister Julie B. Beck (for more on Relief Society click
here!) and Sister Marianne Cook, the 1st Counselor in the Young Women's Presidency (click
here for more on that!). They came to our Stake Center to give a fireside for all the women and young women of our stake. It was FANTASTIC!! I felt so blessed to have been able to be there! It had been a very long day and hearing those sisters speak was a perfect closing for the day. Sister Beck said some things that really stood out to me - (none of these are direct quotes! I'm not that good of a note taker!! :)
She quoted Joseph Smith, (maybe not directly...) as saying, "It is an act of faith to get up everyday!" Get up, shower, get dressed, put on your make-up and get on with your day! It takes faith to do it! If you're not getting up and getting on with the day, you're not exercising faith!!
And: Noble women can succeed alone, it's just HARDER! (In response to a question about filling the role of Mother and Father during a deployment.) The blessings come. Don't give up! You're still headed in the same direction. Women underestimate their power to receive revelation. We have abilities that we don't utilize! She told of a woman who lost her husband and raised her family alone. She said that this woman didn't abandon what she knew about families and how they should be. She just had to do it all. She had morning prayer and scripture study EVERY DAY! 100%. She always had Family Home Evening! She used the programs of the church to fill any gaps. She used music in her home to unify them. - I loved this great example. We can succeed alone!! It's just a lot harder! Not that I am currently alone, (although I do have some days where I feel like it!) but it was great to hear and hold onto for those times when I am! I also think there is a lot we could work on right now! We should be reading and praying EVERY day 100% now!
She also talked about shift work. There is a Day shift, a Swing shift and a Graveyard shift. She said we need to, as mothers, look at which shift is the most important for our families. For her it was the swing shift, when kids were coming in from school and going out to commitments, dinner, etc... Then we need to work our hardest and best in that shift. We need to rest one shift to recharge and we need to take some time for ourselves and our house duties in one shift. I liked the analogy! She also said to prioritize our lives by making a list of what we: Must do, Should do and what would be Nice to do. This would help us to fit everything in and find the balance.
It was just amazing and there is so much more in my notes... but I'm getting sleepy! I will call it a night! Hope something here helps you as much as it helped me!
Again, Happy Mother's Day!
