TRUE SHEPHERDS- Monson (Priesthood Session)

Rather fitting that there be a talk about "Shepherds" during the month of December.
Scott talked to our missionaries this month in our Christmas Conferences about the flocks of sheep near Bethlehem that were used to produce the sacrificial lambs without blemish before the law of Moses was fulfilled.

So, the link for this talk is: http://bcove.me/ym6abang

He started with the comparison of seeing a flock of sheep being herded by a sheepherder and dogs yapping at their heels, and the other being LED by a true shepherd in Germany.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep.”2 He provides for us the perfect example of what a true shepherd should be. He relates this to HOME TEACHING

COUNSEL:

• First: BE A FRIEND!
• It is our responsibility to watch out for one another; to teach to inspire and motivate others
• Serve, Teach and Testify to families we serve
• It is our duty to carry the Spirit into every home and heart
• We are to teach all to pray daily and to live the Gospel
• Watch over your HT families
• Make appointments in advance
• Allow sufficient time for the visit and be sincere in your counsel
• Go about doing good

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• Unbounded peace, joy and satisfaction 
• YM will be prepared to serve missions and a lifetime of service
• You will be able to answer the prayers of those that you serve, to bless their lives
• You will be able to see the changes that take places in people's lives
• If you are persistent, you will succeed

We all have opportunities to be TRUE SHEPHERDS whether is be Home or Visiting Teaching, or any time we have stewardship over others (parents, siblings, missionaries, teachers etc.)  As we are true friends and teach what is true, bringing peace to those we associate with, we will be able to be those that LEAD and not those that PROD to try to return/lead toward our Heavenly Father.  I like the idea of "unbounded peace, joy and satisfaction" and hope I can be a better friend/teacher to those that I have stewardship over.

PERSONAL STRENGTH THROUGH THE ATONEMENT-Scott

I am still catching up on my conference study for December, but have been enjoying carrying through with noticing the counsel and promised blessings in my scripture study and meetings.
This talk is fitting for the time of year when we celebrate Christ's birth, which made possible his life on earth and eventually, his Atonement.
"Personal Strength Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ"
by Elder Richard D. Scott
To view this talk go to : http://bcove.me/w1in5tc0

I love how Elder Scott used the story of the people of Ammon and the covenant they made not to raise weapons ever again.  It helps me to understand why the sons were able to do what they needed to do to help their fathers stay true to a covenant.
COUNSEL:

• Be a righteous example
• Breaking a covenant is never justified
• Sincerely repent for mistakes
• Make covenants for ourselves and then for our ancestors
• share the Gospel with non-member or less active family or friends
• Serve faithfully in all Church callings
• Be a REAL friend
• Serve members of your own family. Make this a priority!
• Give freely of your time and attention to family
• Fill your life in service to others

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• Righteous examples can help other people be converted 
• Through the Atonement we can be cleansed, virtuous and pure
• Our burdens can be lifted
• The Lord will look on our "weaknesses" with mercy
• We can become strong enough to not fall back into same sins
• Renewed enthusiasm for life
• Satans temptations will lose power over your life
• Our families can receive blessings by our good choices
• By keeping our covenants, the Lord will protect us even when it is really hard
• You will feel the elevating power of the Lords forgiveness, mercy and strength

Here are some thoughts from this talk that stood out to me:
"It is a fundamental truth that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed. We can become virtuous and pure. However, sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences. One of the vital steps to complete repentance is to bear the short- and long-term consequences of our past sins...
Satan will try to use our memory of any previous guilt to lure us back into his influence. We must be ever vigilant to avoid his enticements...
Their (the converted Lamanites) sons, who were blessed with righteous traditions, were not as vulnerable to the same temptations...
Their humble, lifelong commitment to forsaking their sins did more to protect their families than anything they could have done on the battlefield."

And I loved the explanation of the difference between weaknesses and rebellion.  This rang true in my heart!  I know that the Lord loves all his brothers and sisters, knows their weaknesses and knows their hearts to have mercy on what is really hard for them opposed to those that openly choose to rebel against their Father in Heaven and his laws.
"The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment,16 when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy.17"
I also love the reminder that repentance is not a bad thing!  It is moving towards God, so it is GOOD!
"Remember, repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future."

I am personally grateful for the power and strength we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  A loving Father in Heaven planned for Christ to come, to perform the Atonement and to provide the means that we can return back to his presence.  It means everything to me to know that we are working towards the end goal of eternal family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS MISSION STYLE 2013

 Thought you might enjoy seeing what our Christmas was like here in the Arizona Phoenix Mission.

It began well before Christmas as you can imagine, and this is what the Mission Home looked like as we made preparations to take some Christmas cheer to some of our missionaries...
 ...bags and bags and bags everywhere!  We have a couple of stakes who put together donated items and gift cards so that we can make sure everyone has something for Christmas!

 The Kings stopped by and we got to share some cheer with them too.  We have one question for them..."What does the fox say?"

They showed us that music video a while back so we could not resist the hat and gloves!

We love them so much and appreciate all they do to make our jobs possible!  They are part of the behind the scene support that are pillars of strength to us!!


On CHRISTMAS EVE, well on the eve of Christmas Eve, we loaded up the transfer van and trailer so it would be ready for us to leave early on the morning of Christmas Eve to take all the packages that had arrived in the Mission Office, along with the gift bags, out to each set of Zone Leaders so they could distribute them to their zone.

 First Stop was Flagstaff where I did not take a photo...then on to COTTONWOOD where we met Elders Barlow and Zayas.

 Next stop was PRESCOTT where we met up with Elders Wrigley and O'Neal.  We lent them some hats to use in making their deliveries.

 From here we headed on south back to the valley and met up with SURPRISE and Elders Parsons and E Jones.  President Taylor shows off his cheery striped tie (thanks to his sister Lori or my sister Jennifer?) and we shared more hats with them.

 Next stop was in GOODYEAR with Elders Knabe and W Larsen who took Santa and a reindeer hat for when they made deliveries.

Our next stop had two zones. Elders Baker and Livingston in GLENDALE and Elders Wade and Barley in PHOENIX NORTH!

 After that we drove to meet two more zones; Elders Wardle and Weiler from DEER VALLEY and Elders Leonhardt and Ure from GLENDALE NORTH.

 Our last stop was for PEORIA and WEST MARICOPA with Elders Andrus and Hughes and Elders Q Wilson and Lower.

They were all so excited to go share some Christmas love with their zones!
And at this point...
THE TRAILER WAS EMPTY!!!







You have to know just how much Scott loves me...that he would let me put antlers and a nose on the van, and wear a hat and spend the day in the van with me talking his ear off.  It was a GREAT DAY!
We love the spirit of giving and the example of our Savior Jesus Christ in that!

Back at the Mission Home, we barely had time to unload when we were joined by Sisters Gacutan and Jensen so Sister Gacutan could call her family in Philippines.  After a few calls to arrange things, she was then able to SKYPE her family there!  How happy they were to get to see each other!

 Then we ended our CHRISTMAS EVE by inviting over the Peoria North District to share the NATIVITY with us since we had no children here with us this year.  This was a first for us.

This is an old family tradition we love, and we had the best missionary sheep, shepherds, angels, wise men and narrator ever!

(Scott and I were Mary and Joseph so it would not be awkward for the missionaries.)

 And we had our babe (a towel) wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.


It was a sweet experience.
We all shared a favorite Christmas memory or tradition with each other before it was time to send them all home.

Their Zone Leaders stopped by to deliver mail and gifts so they joined us for the nativity as our audience.

They could both fit into the Santa coat at once!

 Elders Q Wilson and Lower as Santa part I and II.

 And Elders Zaugg and Syndergaard just enjoyed that there was actually a fire in a fireplace in Arizona!  PERFECT!

Scott and I designed this fireplace this year after the old black tile one stopped working...it turned out really nice!

 CHRISTMAS MORNING we invited our ASSISTANTS to join us for morning exercise hiking up at Thunderbird Conservation Area...it was dark when we started, but the sun rose and we met a family group at the top with a lit tree and got a photo there!

One tradition that I will really miss next year is the decorated cactus and trees at this hiking area...I will really miss hiking all year round as well!




Our Christmas Day we skyped with our kids on both coasts, spoke for about 40 minutes with Braden on a phone call from his mission in Auckland New Zealand (he's doing great!) and had about 2 sets of foreign missionaries come to make landline calls home, and a couple other groups just come over to visit for a while!  Elders Schull and Hicks came and played Carcassonne with us and made us feel like parents for a while.

 And we had about 8 come from the Surprise Zone to visit and share Christmas memories with us as well.  It was a full and busy day for us associating with both our natural and mission family!
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our most precious gift!  It grows more precious the more experience we have in life, and grows in our hearts the more we give it away.  I promise blessings to all who will live the counsel that our Savior gives us through the scriptures and living prophets.  We are so blessed to serve Him daily and pray that we will all remember that the magic of Christmas is not in the PRESENTS but in His PRESENCE!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!  Cheryl & Scott

Be Ye Converted- Oscarson

This is the second talk for December:  Bonnie Oscarson talked about true conversion by doing the little things day after day.  She is the General Young Women President for the Church.
Below is the direct link to her talk. "BE YE CONVERTED"

http://bcove.me/kjr21p06

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

She tells the story of her great grandmother who was almost adopted by a non-LDS family and taken from her heritage. Even though it was hard, the blessings came because her Mother said "No."

She tells the simple truth that "The decisions you make in your daily life will determine what happens to you later."

Here are some of the counsel and promised blessings that she shared.
COUNSEL:

• Do what it takes to gain the conviction that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.
• Act upon what you believe.
• Don't expect the reward without having to work for it.
• Be diligent about saying our prayers, studying our scriptures, attending church, and being worthy to participate in temple ordinances.
• Understand the Atonement and allow it to work in our lives.

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• You will have a mighty change in your heart.
• The spirit of the Holy Ghost will confirm it is true.
• You will have a desire to share with others what you have learned.
• You will have confidence to testify boldly.
• You will be able to make a difference for good in your family and in the world.

I really liked her example on how we need to LIVE THE PRINCIPLES before we can know that they are true.  Too often we think that we are not getting the answer to our prayers about whether a principle is correct, without taking the effort to act in faith.
"For example, we may take this approach: I will be happy to live the law of tithing, but first I need to know that it’s true. Maybe we even pray to gain a testimony of the law of tithing and hope the Lord will bless us with that testimony before we have ever filled out a tithing slip. It just doesn’t work that way. The Lord expects us to exercise faith. We have to consistently pay a full and honest tithe in order to gain a testimony of tithing. This same pattern applies to all the principles of the gospel, whether it is the law of chastity, the principle of modesty, the Word of Wisdom, or the law of the fast."

I add my conviction to Sister Oscarson.  I know that the principles of the Gospel are correct.  I know because I have practiced them in my life and I have seen the promised blessings come to fulfillment.  It does not mean I have not had hard times in life...but when I am LIVING BASED ON PRINCIPLES, I can not only feel the blessings in my own life, but I am able to be there for others, (sometimes many of them) and really make a difference for good.
Faith, Repentance, Covenants, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, using the Atonement...these things are worth the effort to practice.  And I can do that by three simple things: Daily prayer/ Attending Church weekly/ Study of the Scriptures including the counsel of latter-day Prophets.
I am grateful to my parents for teaching me solid principles based on the Gospel.  I have self worth because I know who I am.  I know the joy of serving others because I was served and taught that example from the time I was small.  I know the joy of repentance and how the Atonement works to heal because I have practiced it and continue to practice it.
I value the guidance of the Holy Ghost who directs my decisions daily and for my good as well as those I have impact on.
I know we have a loving Heavenly Father who desires us to be all that we are capable of becoming. There is so much to look forward to and to enjoy in the journey!

Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?

I am behind in my study of the General Conference Talks.
The first for December was this one from Timothy Dyches entitled "Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?"
Copy this link to view it:
http://bcove.me/9f6lbh4j

I think I have mentioned that I am reading the entire Book of Mormon highlighting the counsel or commandments and the promised blessings.  This is my study and I am really enjoying it.
The following are things that I noticed were counsel and promised blessings from this talk:
COUNSEL:
Have mercy on those less fortunate
Go in FAITH
Be thankful for even small blessings
Leave behind worldly cares and follow Christ
Forgive others- story of Corrie Ten Boom
Pray, Repent, Forgive, Forget
Love God, Serve others

PROMISED BLESSINGS:
The healing of body mind and spirit
Miracles
You can feel WHOLE
Guilt is swept away
You will not walk alone
You will be loved for WHO YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE BECOMING

"If you feel unclean, unloved, unhappy, unworthy, or unwhole, remember “all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”3 Have faith and patience in the Savior’s timing and purposes for you. “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36).

Be assured the Savior still seeks to mend our souls and heal our hearts. He waits at the door and knocks. Let us answer by beginning again to pray, repent, forgive, and forget. Let us love God and serve our neighbor and stand in holy places with a life made clean. The impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, the leper along the journey to Jerusalem, and Corrie ten Boom were made whole. “Wilt thou be made whole?” Rise and walk. His “grace is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 12:9), and you will not walk alone.

I have come to know that God lives. I know that we are all His children and that He loves us for who we are and for who we can become. I know that He sent His Son to the world to be the atoning sacrifice for all mankind and that those who embrace His gospel and follow Him will be made whole and complete—“in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will” (D&C 88:68), by His tender mercies. This is my witness to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

JUMP DOWN, TURN AROUND, PICK A BALE OF COTTON!

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT

I fulfilled one of my ARIZONA BUCKET LIST items last Saturday!  I got to see and ride in a cotton picking machine!!!  It was beyond my dream.

We went with Brother Scow from Buckeye at the invitation of the Sisters who live at their home.

He took us in his truck to show us all about cotton farming and the equipment it takes to do it.
One of the newer machines is one that makes round modules, wraps them and then is able to pick them up and move them, all on one tractor.
It was pretty cool to watch!

 Brother Scow then took us out to watch a traditional cotton picker that dumps to make compressed rectangle bales.

There was a broken bale and we had a mini snowball fight!  Sisters Barnett and Ratto were dressed in their scarves and ready for fake snow.

 Don't you love how Google plus thought this photo was of snow and added the falling snow feature?  Pretty perfect I think!

 Our daughter Breanna was out for a visit and we enjoyed some photos together as well in the soft pile.

I really like this one of the Sisters and President...looks really classy!  I think we will be seeing this one in an upcoming transfer video or something!

OK, here is the tractor dumping the cotton that it has picked so far.

 And here I am after my ride with Jose on the cotton picker.  It was so cool!  Jose was very gracious, and my Spanish came in handy!

Our daughter got a ride as well, but her German didn't work. ")

And here are the reason we love FIELDS WHITE AND READY TO HARVEST!

I am sure I will be using these photos in an upcoming training for missionaries.  The harvest is good, and it is now!

So, thrust in your sickle with all of your might, labor to do your part!

Jump Down...Turn Around...Pick a Bale of Cotton!