Relief Society Message

As many of you may recall from this year's General Relief Society meeting, Sister Julie B. Beck, General Relief Society president, announced some changes to our meetings. What was formerly known as Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment (more formerly known as Homemaking Meeting) will now be known as Relief Society Meetings. Along with this change comes a new challenge. Sister Beck reminded us of the purpose of Relief Society and then asked us to prayerfully and carefully plan meetings that would appropriately meet the needs of the sisters. The purpose of Relief Society is to:

1. Increase faith and righteousness
2. Strengthen families and homes
3. Serve the Lord and His children
   

We as sisters were invited to a planning meeting to better understand the needs of the sisters. Those that were able to attend gave us wonderful ideas for meetings for the next year. Our plan for 2010 is to meet monthly, in sisters' homes where possible, to receive instruction, serve one another, and to strengthen each other.

In order to meet the needs of more sisters, we will be addressing two topics during each meeting. A complete list and calendar for these meetings will be distributed in January. Some of the ideas were gardening, interior design, crafts, photography, music, cultures, and living a healthy lifestyle. Please join us next year as we strive to strengthen our bond as sisters in Zion.

A Message From Elder Uchtdorf

Sisters, this video is available at lds.org in the Relief Society section of Serving in the Church. It's just a quick reminder of how remarkable you are!

Presidency Message

After a long and eventful winter, spring is just around the corner. As the ground begins to thaw and the flowers begin to peek through the ground (yes, it will happen soon!), my hope is that we will think of renewing our resolve to blossom and bloom ourselves. We as women have a tendency to think less of ourselves and to speak ill of our looks, our personality, and our accomplishments. We often compare our situations to others and feel that we come up short. This is not true. Sisters, you are wonderful, beautiful spirits. You have talents and strengths that no one else has. You were sent to Earth in these latter days to help prepare the world for the coming of the Savior.
It may be difficult to look inward, but my challenge for this month is to do just that. Find your strengths. Acknowledge them. Build on them! Your circumstances may not be ideal, but if you are willing to do these things, the Lord will bless you and show you how wonderful you really are. You may wish to focus on the following areas:

1. Physical beauty
2. Physical strength
3. Emotional strength
4. Spiritual strength
5. Creativity

As you work on blossoming yourself, remember that the gifts you have been given are from our Heavenly Father. Enjoy them and develop them, but remember to also use them to bless your family and those around you. If you do these things, you will begin to understand what a precious daughter of God you really are.

A special note to mothers: please read the following talk by Elder M. Russell Ballard: “Daughters of God,” Ensign, May 2008, pgs. 108-110 (also available online at http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=9694558fcc599110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

Stake Food Storage Tips

“Today While the Sun Shines”
March: Get out of Debt

1. Pay tithes and other offerings.
2. Don’t ignore your debt.
3. Create, use, and stick to a family budget.
4. Work towards paying off your highest interest debt.
5. Contact creditors and explain your situation.
6. Be sure to check your credit quarterly and correct any errors.
7. Build a financial reserve.
8. Teach your family members how to manage money.

More information available at http://www.BePreparedCincinnati.com/

Presidency Message

During the Savior’s mortal ministry, the disciples learned firsthand about pure love. They were at the feet of the man who, without hesitation, offered everything he had for His father’s work: “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). This would not have been possible if it were not for the infinite and eternal sacrifice of the Atonement. We have been blessed with that wonderful gift, no matter what our circumstances.

We learn, through trials and tests, that we cannot be truly happy without a hope in the Savior, without faith that He will plead our cause to the Father. Elder Uchtdorf taught in the October 2008 General Conference that the scriptures were written so that we might have hope. “Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.”

This hope, Elder Uchtdorf teaches, can lead us to good works. He reminds us that we must take one step at a time, studying the scriptures daily, and constantly committing ourselves to keep the commandments. When we do these things, our faith increases as does our love for our fellow men. As we serve more, we become more like the Savior, more willing to offer everything we have for our Father’s work. We will have more peace in our lives, in our homes, and in our hearts. It is my hope and prayer that we will live our lives in such a way that we can develop a better relationship with and become more like the Savior.

Stake Food Storage Tips

"Today While the Sun Shines"

February: Learn to Shop the Sales

1. Start a Price Book (a notebook to record prices of items at various stores).
2. Decide what you need to buy and look for coupons, if you are interested in using them.
3. Only buy things you use regularly or wish to donate.
4. Look at the grocery ads each week. Get familiar with them.
5. The best priced items are usually on the front and back.
6. When you buy an item on sale, buy 2x more than you need.
7. Always ask for a raincheck if an advertised special is out of stock. While you are waiting for the product to come back in, look for more coupons for that product.
8. Shop at other stores, like Aldi or bakery outlets.

More information at http://www.bepreparedcincinnati.com/

Presidency Message

We have just finished celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. During the month of December, we thought often of serving others, sharing kindness, and developing charity. The year has drawn to a close and we have welcomed in a new one. I feel that celebrating this New Year comes at a very appropriate time. The Savior’s teachings were about changing our hearts and our minds, about renewing our faith and our focus.

New Year’s resolutions are always foremost in my mind during January. I am always looking for ways to better myself. For this year, my goals are very similar to what they have been in past years. Part of the reason for this is because I have not completed the goals I made in 2008. However, I also repeat my goals because I am not trying to reinvent myself each year; I am trying to improve. If you have not made goals for this year, I would suggest focusing on the following areas:

1. Spiritual
2. Physical
3. Emotional/Personal

Keep the Savior in mind as you make your goals. Do these resolutions help you draw near to Christ? Do they improve your spirits and give you peace? If they do, they will be worth keeping. I hope and pray that this year will be one of great joy for all of us.

Stake Food Storage Tips

"Today While the Sun Shines"
January: Inventory Our Supply

1. Keep it simple. Create an easy to use inventory format or use a pre-made form from http://www.bepreparedcincinnati.com/
2. Group similar items together. This makes keeping up so much easier.
3. If you have items in several locations add a column labeled location and note where each item is stored.
4. You may want to add one more column and label it: goal. In the next few days I will let you know exactly what that number is for your family.
5. Post a copy of your inventory list in every location where food is stored, and update it when you remove an item.
6. When the grocery ads come out, check the used column to determine what you will purchase that week.