Sunday Newlsetter

Sisters,

As we close this wonderful Sunday, I count my blessings that we were able to meet together, be uplifted and visit with friends.  I am very happy the weather did not keep us in!

Sacrament Meeting

Thank you Carly and Kevin Massey for the talks on Families and teaching families.  It is very much our responsibility to ensure our families are taught the Gospel and raised in such a way they can teach their families and all they come in contact with.  And thank you Rachael Elison for the beautiful rendition of “What Child is This”.

Relief Society Lesson

Barbara, once again you have allowed the lesson to be delivered with the spirit and everyone’s participation. President Snow’s quote;“Cultivate a spirit of charity; be ready to do for others more than you would expect from them if circumstances were reversed.” is an example of the Relief Society motto “Charity Never Faileth”.  We cannot be defeated if our mission is charity to our fellow-man.  The highlights of the lesson come from the section headings, i.e.; We are children of the same Heavenly Father, and we have been sent into the world to do good to one another. Our happiness increases when we help others find happiness. When we look first to the interests of others, we improve more rapidly ourselves.

If you didn’t have an opportunity to review lesson 22, take a few minutes to do so.  The message is wonderful for this time of year.

Next Week’s Relief Society Lesson

Next weeks lesson will be lesson #24 is attached for review.

Ward Christmas Party

Don’t forget the ward Christmas Party on Saturday, December 14th from 6-8 PM.  We will have dinner, a special program, and I hear we will be visited from our Northpole Neighbor!  Please invite your visiting teaching sisters and their families.  The menu is:

Ham & rolls–provided by the ward–I still need some volunteers to help warm up the hams! Please call or email me.

Last name A-E: Potato Dishes–such as the famous Mormon funeral potatoes, etc.

Last name F-M: Salads–Green Jell-O, Tossed salad, etc

Last name N-Z: Desserts–(no description needed)

Please make the dishes big enough to feed about 10 people.

Texas Winter Weather

I hope everyone has heat–I know there have been some families that the power had not come back on–If you know of anyone or anyone needs help please let us know. The weather is warming up after our mini-Winter, the ice made travel a little tricky–I had forgotten what ice does to trees–I hope everyone did not lose too many trees or bushes.  I am hoping that my little oak becomes an oak again and does not stay a weeping oak–very sad-looking.

This Week’s Wacky Holidays

This week has a few wacky holidays–Christmas Card Day is tomorrow as is Pastry Day.  Poinsettia is Dec 12th and Ice Cream Day the 13th (really!).  Violin Day is also the 13th.

Christmas Devotional

Listening to President Monson right now talks about “Finding the Real Joy in Christmas”.  “Giving not getting brings the full bloom of the Christmas Spirit”.  I hope everyone had a chance or has a chance to listen to the First Presidency Message.  We are so blessed to be able to have immediate repeats of the program online.  We stay so busy during the month of December with school programs, work parties, family gatherings, ward parties and so on, it is easy to wrap ourselves in the non-important parts and not have time to finish the wrapping with the Joy of Christmas–the Spirit of Christ.

Visting Teaching/Email List

As you do your visit teaching this month, please ask your sisters if they receive emails from Relief Society and if they would like to–get their email address and send it to me.  The purpose of the newsletter is to keep everyone informed with what is going on in RS and we would love to be able to send everyone a note.  Thank you for doing this!  ou can promise them they will not receive any chain letter emails, asking them to send an email to their 100 best friends or else!  And speaking of emails–if you do not want to be part of this list just let me know and I will take you off.

Spirit of Christmas

I found this on lds.org–it can add to keeping the Spirit of Christ is Christmas and is a great missionary tool.

I hope everyone has a safe and warm week and we see each other on Saturday at the ward party.

Please let me know if there is anything we can do.

Love, Cheryl

The Pure Love of Christ