Thought of the day...

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it...

Charles Swindoll

One quote from our Visiting Teaching Message this month...

Hands often speak as voices can't...

 

Great lesson today...so sorry if you missed it.

                                                                                   

We invited Judge Tom Higbee to come teach us today in our conbined 5th Sunday lesson.  We invited everyone in the ward to attend.  Youth, Priesthood brethren, and US!!  What great principles we were taught.  I wish we could have had another hour to listen to all the great advice he gave on strengthening the family.  He is a Juvenile Judge here in Cedar City, and has been for several years. He has also served in the St. George area too.  He has had many experiences in dealing with families and problems that come because of today's pressures.  What a great time we had gleening from his experiences.  Great questions were asked too.

This is the handout that he gave to us.  It was given to him and his wife by our very own President Dan Jones. Our neighbor and friend.  

We had several requests to put this on our blog so here it is. 

Suggestions for Strengthening Families

General Principles

*Satan's focus---Everything assoicated with the Family

*Understand and implement the principle before using an exception as an excuse.

*Do not be overwhelmed but do be persistent and consistent.

*Understand the principle "that by small means the Lord can bring about great things".

 

1.  Review frequently and practice consistently the principles taught in The Family. 

2.  Kneel together in family prayer night and morning.

3.  Hold meaningful family home evenings every Monday.

4.  Search the scriptures daily, both personally and as a family.

5.  Eat at least one meal together every day as a family.

6.  Fathers give timely priesthood blessings to your wife and children.

7.  Obtain, study, and reflect on patriarchal blessings regularly.

8.  Teach children the "Plan of Salvation" with emphasis on the essential nature of "Saving Ordinances".

9.  Teach children that their individual worth comes from who they are---not from what they have or what they don't have.

10.  Lead out in "giving heed to all the words of the prophet".

11.  Establish your home as a place of peace, security, understanding, quiet communication, and love.

12.  Parents, bear your testimony privately to your children on a frequent basis.

13.  Arrive 15 minutes early to Church and sit together near the front of the chapel.

14.  Husbands and wives have an hour of "companionship time" daily.  Invest the time to scripture study and relationship enhancement.

15.  Arrange schedules so that one parent can spend dedicated time, alone, with one child each week.

16.  Fill your home with worthy literature and worthy music.

17.  Strictly monitor the use of television and Internet for yourselves and your children.

18.  Be prepared for temporal emergencies by implementing the guildlines found in the "All is Safely Gathered In" booklets.

19.  Teach children to enjoy hard work.

20.  Don't give children an allowance.  Rather, provide them with worthwhile work opportunities, pay them for jobs well done, and teach them how to budget and save their earnings.

21.  Hang a picture of the temple in each child's bedroom.

22.  Teach children the importance of graduating from Seminary and Institute.

23.  Help children save for missions and post high school education.

24.  Correct children in a firm and timely manner.  Focus on the unacceptable behavior without demeaning the child.

25.  Assist sons to earn the "Eagle Scout" and "Duty to God" awards and daughters to earn the "Young Womeanhood" award.

It was a very informative and insightful discussion. 

Walk, Talk and Visit Teach...upcoming activity!!

We have a great activity coming up on the 10th of September!!!   We are giving you a opportunity to kill several birds with one stone!!  I don't know if I like that saying but that's all I know on how to explain what we are doing.  First, we get to exercise, then we get to visit teach, and if that's not enough to accomplish in one night we get to do a service project.  We are gonig to donate food to care and share.  They really need help this time of year, right before the holidays.  SOOOOOOO.... here we go. 
Meet at the church pavilion on Wednesday, September 10th---6:30 p.m.
Please bring a chair and food to donate with you.
We will be giving the visiting teaching message to everyone so PLEASE call your sister that you visit teach and encourage them to come.  Maybe even go get them. 
We are going to be walking the path.  We will be walking to the tank and back.  For those that want the walk, great.  For those who can't walk, just come and visit. 
We have also invited the other 2 wards to join with us.   The Greens Lake ward and also the 19th ward!!!  The more the merrier, I say!!! 
Of course we will have food!!  I just read your mind.  So please put this on your calendar and come join the fun.
One other tidbit of info.  We will not be having a nursery.  But, if you need to bring your babies to walk with you, great.  We just want this to be a fun night for you.  Please encourage your husbands to be home that night so you can come have fun.   (AND GET YOUR VISITING TEACHING DONE ALL IN ONE VISIT!!!)

Beginner's Luck

I have been wanting to start going a little green!!   And what I mean by that is Green smoothies!!!  I found a good beginner recipe.  This beginner's luck green smoothie is a great starter smoothie for beginners.  It's full of iron, potassium and vitamins with tropical fruits.  Give this smoothie a try---you'll be pleasantly surprised!!  Here it is:

Ingredients

2 cups spinach, frest

2 cups cold water

1 cup pinapple

1 cup mango

2 frozen bananas (peeled)

Instructions:

Blend spinach and water until smooth.  Next, add the remaining fruits and blend again. 

 

Recipe is in the Health magazine too.  Try it.  I am going to!!  I'll let you know what I think!!!

For more recipes, visit

simplegreensmoothies.com

 

where you can sign up for their free 30-day green smoothie challengs!!!

Food for thought...

                         

In the Fall Southwest Utah Public Health Magazine there is a great article supporting the importance of eating together as a family.  It says:  Many families are busier today than ever before, and sharing a meal together often has to compete with long communtes, late work hours, soccer practice, homework and other activities.  But when families sit down and eat together, parents and their children benefit in several ways.
Research suggests that children who participate in family mealtime are 24% more likely to eat healthier foods and 12% less likely to be overweight.  Most meals prepared at home are more nutritious and healthy. 
Children perform better in school when they eat more meals with their families.  Teenagers who have family mealtime at least four times per week have a higher grade point average than their peers eating together two times per week or less.  Research also shows that frequent family dinners (five or more per week) are associated with lower rates of smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use in pre-teens and teenagers when compared to families that eat together two times per week or less. 
The advantages of eating together as a family are obvious, but managing a complicated schedule can be a challenge for many families.  If five times a week seems unattainable, start with once a week and work up to at least three.  When children are involved in sports or programs during mealtimes, plan to eat dinner when most of the famly can be there.  A family meal doesn't need to be gourmet or served in five courses; keep it simple.
MANY AMERICAN FAMILIES ARE STARVED FOR TIME SPENT TOGETHER.  MEALTIME MAY BE THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO PUT AWAY MEDIA DEVICES AND RECONNECT WITH EACH OTHER.  This gives parents a perfect chance to talk with their children and stay more in tune to what's going on in their lives!!!

Thought for the day---

Live NOW!!!

Make NOW always the most precious time.  NOW will NEVER come again!!!

Things to know--

The St. George Temple is going to be closed at the end of the day on Saturday the 23rd of August.  It will reopen on September 22nd.  Just so you know.  Also--We will not be having our regular temple trip the first of September. 

No ward party on the 23rd of August.  It was going to be held at Woods' Ranch but it wasn't available.  So no party at this time.  SORRY!!!

We are in the process of planning a FUN activity in September.  Please stay-tuned!!  It is going to be awesome!!! You won't want to miss it. It will be an opportunity to donate, get exercise and visit all in one!!! 

Stake Conference--Elder Quentin L. Cook coming!!

Please remember that it is Stake Conference this weekend.  August 16, 17th.  Big things are happening.  President Dale Orton will be released after an almost 19 years service. What dedication.  We so love him and all he has done for our Stake!!!  You may even want to take a minute and write a note!!  I know it would be greatly appreciated.  He is a great example for all of us to follow. 
Meeting:     Saturday afternoon for the brethren--Priesthood session--4:00 p.m.
                    Saturday night meeting--for everyone 12 years of age and up--7:00 p.m.
                    Sunday session--10:00 a.m.
All meetings will be held in the Stake Center.  There will also be a broadcast of the conference in the Kanarraville chapel.  But that is all.  No other locations except within the Stake center. 
Hope everyone can attend.  Sometimes we think that because we don't have our regular meetings that it's a weekend off.  NOT SO!!!!  This is where we can listen to our stake leaders and be guided by them for our very own area.  Great opportunity for all of us!!!
Also---just as reminder---get there EARLY!!  There will be lots of people. 

Great lesson on Sunday--Rochelle

 

Chapter 15--Eternal Marriage, Pg 191

We had a great lesson that was given by Rochelle. 

I know that this subject of Eternal marriage is a hard one for some.  As we have mentioned before, our Relief Society, as most are, is made up of a variety of different ladies with different backgrounds and different experiences in life.  That's the way it is and that's the way it's supposed to be. And the great blessings that come from that is loving and learning from each other.
Rochelle did such a great job.  The material was covered in such a loving and kind way and as all of you know, Rochelle is the most compassionate person that ever lived.  She knew that the subject was going to be a difficult one to discuss because of all the challenges and hardships people go through in this life.  And many of those harships are not of our own doing!!  Lots of them come because of others choices. 
Please know that we love you and we know that life sometimes doesn't turn out quite the way you planned.  But also know that the Lord is aware of this and has blessings in store for all of us.  We just have to keep trying!!!  Just keep trying!!!  As Dory on Nemo would say---

JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!!  

Please take the time to read the lesson.  It has great principles and doctrine to live by.