Happy Mother's Day sisters. I used to not like
Mother's Day, but as I listened to the children sing, it came to my mind that
it's OK. If there needs to be a Christmas to be reminded of the birth of the
Savior, and an Easter to be reminded of the Atonement and Resurrection, then
we're right there with him. A Mother's Day to be reminded of what moms do.
Bring it on. Enjoy the day whether you end up cooking or not cooking. We are
special. Heavenly Father loves us.
THOUGHT: “Mother's Day should be about God's
appreciation for our sacrifice. Who cares what the kids do or if they say
thanks, when God gets tears in his eyes as he thinks of those who mother.
Mother's Day is really about a commemoration of being partners and co-creators
with God in bringing about His eternal plan.” Janet T.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Thanks to Amy W. and all who were
involved in Thursday Activity. What an enjoyable evening and how we
laughed. We were definitely pampered. And sisters, the comments that you
wrote will be posted on the RS Blog. http://manila12thwardrs.blogspot.com/
- Sarah sent out an email to
everyone about the Preparedness Survey. Please fill it out and
return to Karen M. via email. Thank you so much for following
through on this. Karen works really hard to help us learn how to prepare
for things to come and they will come.
- Décor
Repurposing/Furnishing Refinishing Class” - Thursday, May 24th
at 7 pm @ Tara Barrus' home. This is a class for anyone interested in
learning more about refinishing old furniture and repurposing décor around
the house by simply spray painting it! We will go over the basics of
refinishing and see just how easy it is to get a whole new look by using
things you have around the house that maybe you've gotten tired of. Bring
a can of spray paint (Krylon or Rustoleum) in the color of your choice and
an old picture frame, décor piece, or something small that you'd want to
repurpose. Walmart and Home Depot have some fun bright colors to choose
from and are fairly inexpensive. Wear something that you won't mind
getting paint on. If you have any questions feel free to call Tara at
801-380-1993.
- We were so happy to have
Martha will us today. As you may or may not know her brother is quite ill
and has been in the hospital for almost four weeks. He will be having a
procedure done on Tuesday so please keep him in your prayers.
- This month it's our
ward's turn to clean the Church kitchen. We will be there on Tuesday, the
15th at 10:45 am if you would like to join us. Thanks.
BIRTHDAYS: Whitney T., May 18th.
Happy Birthday to you, Whitney.
Our lesson today was presented by Tiffany W.
and it was lesson # 9 “Open Your Soul to the Lord in Prayer” from
President George Albert Smith Manual, p. 93
Sisters, on the back of the handout are some
Personal Points to Ponder: Please read them silently and ponder. At the end of
the lesson we'll try to go over some of them and then we can share and be edify
together.
President Smith shared how prayer affected him
through his life.
“I was trained at the knee of a Latter-day
Saint mother. One of the first things I remember was when she took me by the
hand and led me upstairs. In the room there were two beds, the bed in which my
parents slept, and a little trundle bed over on the other side. I can remember
it as if it were yesterday. When we got upstairs, she sat down by my little
trundle bed. She had me kneel in front of her. She folded my hands and took
them in hers, and taught me my first prayer. I will never forget it. I do not
want to forget it. It is one of the loveliest memories that I have in life, an
angelic mother sitting down by my bedside and teaching me to pray.”
I am grateful for his testimony.
On page 94, he shares a wonderful experience of
how prayer blessed his life.
Throughout his
life, President Smith relied on prayer not only as a means of drawing nearer to
God but also to ask Him for help in times of need. One day while
swimming in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, he had the
following experience:
“I was considered
a very good swimmer and thoroughly enjoyed the sport. This particular day the
tide was very high and very swift. As I left the shore and swam out into the
ocean, I dived through the big breakers as they would crest and spray
over me. My objective was the large swells beyond the breakers, where I could
lie on my back and ride the big swells up and down.
“While engaging in this interesting sport, one
very huge wave crested and broke before I could right myself following the dive
through the previous one. The second one caught me and threw me to the floor of
the ocean. I could feel myself being dragged out by the undertow. At this
particular time many waves came in rapid succession and I was not able to right
myself before I had to dive from one into another. I realized that my strength
was rapidly leaving me, that it was going to be necessary for me to find some
means of help. As I rode to the crest of one huge wave, I saw the underpilings
of a pier close at hand, and I thought if with superhuman effort I could reach
the security of the pilings that I would be able to save my life.
“I silently asked my Heavenly Father to give
me the strength to reach my objective. As I was washed into arm’s length of the
pier, I reached out and put my arms around one of the posts. They were covered
with sharp dark blue barnacles, and as I wound my arms and legs around its
security, they cut my chest, legs and thighs. I hung on as long as I could
stand the pain and watched for a big friendly swell to come my way that I might
throw myself on it and travel to a piling closer to shore. Each time with a
prayer in my heart I would make the effort of traveling from one pile to
another with the aid of the rolling swell.
“Slowly but surely and with great difficulty,
I made my way to the shore where the water was shallow enough for me to walk to
the beach. When I reached the safety of the warm sand, I fell, exhausted. I was
so weak, so nearly drowned I was unable to walk home until I had rested some
time. Lying on the sand with its warmth and security, I thought of the
harrowing experience that I had just endured and my heart was filled with gratitude and
humility that the Lord had … spared my life.”
We learn how Heavenly Father blesses us during
trial, during time of need, of the desires of our heart, things which may be
painful at times. It allows us growing opportunities. And in the end, we know
that he has eternal things in mind for us.
Quote 1 Alisa J:
“I learned quite early in life that the Lord
would answer prayer for He answered mine and in many ways He gave me evidence
of His watchful care.”
This has reference to home and how prayer can be
a part of children' life. What have you found to be an effective way to teach
children to pray?
Holly M: My mom had been
sick and so the children had been praying for her. When mom started to feel
better, I told Megan that Heavenly Father had answered her prayer, that mother
was doing better. Try to find opportunities to help them understand in what way
Heavenly Father answers prayers.
Karen M: Watch for opportunities in their life. When
they are sad, troubled, we can pray to Heavenly Father with them. I remember
waiting for a daughter who was quite late coming home and my concern because
she had gone out with a boy who was not a member of the Church. I said a prayer
that I might know how to handle the situation. My husband and I asked her if
she would join us in prayer before talking about the problem at hand.
Alisa J: When they see
you pray and when you pray together as a family, it does have an effect on
them. We were on a trip in the Colorado Canyon and there was a car crash. We
waited and waited for what seemed forever and my daughter said, let's say a
prayer to see if we could get going. So the prayer was offered and before we
knew it, the traffic started to move. It took me a little while to realize that
this was a good learning lesson about prayer. Did you know that we're moving.
You said the prayer and we're moving. She recalls that memory. Let's remember
that is a good thing to say to them.
Yes, help them to
remember those experiences.
Martha: At the hospital,
a family came to visit my brother and wanted to thank him for what he had
taught their family regarding prayer. They had never4 heard their kids offer
such yearning prayers for someone. All the prayers at every meeting were about
pleading for a miracle, praying for the doctors, the care takers, etc. We focus
on the essentials, and all we can do is trust in the Lord and pray. It
strengthens everyone's testimony.
Ashley P: It is important to let them know that it is the
Lord's will and that if it not his will, then it will not happen. One little
girl was so upset that her prayer was not answered as she expected. We do need
to remember that the Lord is in control and have them understand that it may
not happen.
Thanks for
sharing and about understanding why sometimes things do not happen. To know and
let our children know that Heavenly Father knows us perfectly and we don't have
the same perspective.
Linda L: I want to share
about priesthood blessings. On the first day in the hospital, my son received a
priesthood blessing. (I wasn't there but Martha told me about it). In the
blessing, it was laid out that there would be a long and difficult period of
time, that would require faith and prayers. But that in the end, it would be
OK. I think, that is what has sustained so many of us. For myself, I had been
having conversations with Heavenly Father about the Priesthood and honoring the
priesthood, and his promise that we would be sustained and the covenants that
he has made with us. It is a great strength to me in this whole situation. It
has increased my testimony that all things are given to us so we can
communicate with Heavenly Father is real. What wonderful things to teach our
children.
In thinking back to a particular time in my
life, I can remember thinking that it was more than I can handle myself. That I
needed to rely on someone bigger than self. It was a time to develop a
relationship with Heavenly Father, to pray to bring me closer, to open the
windows of Heaven to allow answers to come. I remember gaining a greater
testimony of needing Heavenly Father to talk to me. By reading the scriptures,
praying, going to the Temple, I learned to recognize His voice in my life. It
has helped me in my daily life. Heavenly Father is aware of us, and we can feel
his peace and love for us.
Quote 2: Luone
“It is a wonderful blessing that we
enjoy...to feel sure of divine guidance, to have absolute faith in a personal
God who is interested in us and who hears and answers our prayers.”
President Smith, p. 98
“There are
many people in the world who do not realize the real benefits of prayer. Prayer
is a power. It has an influence that comparatively few people seem to
understand...”
Rosemary S: I don't know if
you sisters know how remarkable you are. For example, I came from a loving
home, and am a non-Utah. I came from a religious, but non-praying family. I
never heard my mother pray for me, I never heard her say that she knew Heavenly
Father. You have that. Your children hear you pray for them. In y mind God was
a fluffy cloud, so you prayed to a cloud. All I knew what the prayers that were
said with the beads. You are doing a wonderful thing for your children. You are
teaching and talking to them about a Heavenly Father that you know about. I
hear you as you relate and share your experiences and your testimonies, but you
take it for granted. Never feel that you are not doing enough. Teach them to
pray to a real Heavenly Father.
Gisele M: My mom prayed
over everything. She had faith that you can pray to Heavenly Father for help.
She used to teach in Mutual (YW0 and when she passed away one of the girls
wrote us a letter about a lesson she had taught on prayer. She used to bake a
lot of bread and before she would start she would said a prayer that the bread
would turn out. She would just delivered the bread throughout the neighborhood.
I tried to instill in our children what she has instilled in us. My son who
lives with us has a job where he has to let people go. It is very difficult for
him to do that. One night he told me that he needed me to pray for this lady
that he was going to have to let go the next day. She had a handicapped son who
was not able to get disability and had committed suicide and was now seeking
out people to help them, but it was something that she shouldn't do while
working at this place. He said, I need you to pray for her. If she quits before
I fire her, she'll be able to get some of her retirement. I can't tell her that
though, but I did give her the papers that she will need and asked her to read
them tonight. Please pray for her to quit tomorrow. I told him that I would
call the prayer roll, I have the phone number memorized. The next day, he came
home and hugged me and told me that she had quit before he had to fire her. She
said to him, can I give you a hug? Thank him. He also has a friend who had a
very difficult first pregnancy that she asked me to pray for her. She is now
pregnant again and he told me, Mom, she wants to know if you'll pray for her
again.
Christy S: You know how
kids will pray for toys, to find things, etc. I learned early on that I could
pray for anything. My husband and I were coming home from Hawaii where I had
enjoyed a few days without children and we were on a red eye flight. So
everyone on the plane was very tired. There was a family on the plane with four
children. The children were asleep and then the two year old woke up, became
irrational and screamed for two hours. There was a gentleman sitting behind us
and because he too was tired, he yelled at this two year old. I thought, what
can I do to help the poor mother. I couldn't offer to take him because he
didn't know me and certainly wouldn't come to me. Then the thought of my early
prayers came to me. I prayed to Heavenly Father, “you know him, you know how to
comfort him. The child fell asleep. I thought about how I had waited for too
long to pray for him. Heavenly Father knows how to comfort. He has the power.
I remember President Eyring saying that we must
pray like a submissive child. Picture a child going before Heavenly Father.
When heaven seems far away, I picture a child willing to submit to Heavenly
Father.
“As soon as we
learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our
Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and
instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7-11). Many of the so-called difficulties
about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by
which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence
with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to
secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to
grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for the. Blessings requires
some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of
work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings. -
Bible Dictionary.
I want to close by reading one of my favorite
scriptures on Prayer. 2 Nephi 4:35
Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him
that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will
lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my
righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and
mine everlasting God. Amen.
I want to add my Testimony that Heavenly Father
hears and answers our prayers, that he knows us individually and personally. He
knows and loves us and wants our eternal best.
Next week, lesson 10 “The Scriptures, the Most
Valuable Library I the World”
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