What a Weekend?!

Friday, I had the great opportunity to go to the zoo with Joey's 2nd grade class.  

 Rylee was the only other student in our group.  Thanks for playing with us.  We managed to see all of the animals and eat lunch and finish early.  I have to say it is a very different experience traversing the zoo without a toddler and stroller to worry about. 

We did a family hot dog and marshmallow and dough boy roast in the backyard Friday night.  I did not capture the moment but oh well.  I do want to make note that I started the fire without a single match.  Peter gave me some instruction and let me use some char cloth and flint and steel.  First try and bam a fire! Whoop, whoop for me! Peter was quite impressed!

 Saturday our ward had a barbecue and we started up a game of kickball so that the cub scouts could earn the belt loop for it.  They had a great time and with the breeze the 90 degree weather was wonderful!

 We also spent a great deal of our time on Saturday working on these new rings around our trees. If you go back you will see the odd rings that were in place when we moved in and agree that it was time for them to go.  This coming weekend we plan to fix the dirt up and plant new grass.  We are also working on the flower beds near the house. it is going to be wonderful .  I will have you know that I did most of the work on the smaller one (the first picture).

Finally, but most certainly not least, was Sunday when I was released as Relief Society President.

I have known for a few weeks this was coming and it made me sad.  I also experienced relief, guilt, peace, love, anticipation, and many other emotions. I was called the week after Christmas in 2009 and so it was just short of 2 1/2 years.  I learned so many things.  I truly came to understand what it means to be the Lord's servant and what it can mean to give of your time and talents and other blessings.  My testimony was strengthened immensely.  I know that the Lord can make you capable of doing anything He needs you to do if you make yourself available and willing to do His work.  

As for my feelings of guilt, I believe it was Satan trying to make me believe that I had somehow failed or was not longer adequate for doing the job.  Then I realized that I had not been called to complete a job but to perform/participate in the work.  The work in  Relief Society will continue to go on and I will continue to participate in it, I will just be taking direction from someone else instead of being the director.  

The song "Lord, I would follow thee" has been going through my mind a lot.  In nursing school, we focused on this song for the line "I would learn the healer's art".  I have thought of this line and how the Savior was not just a healer of physical but also emotional and spiritual.  He made every person feel important and worthy of God's love and power, grace and mercy.  He was also a healer in that he can heal the soul that is broken due to sin.  A broken soul can be far more challenging to overcome than a body with physical pains and sufferings. 

The lines that being Relief Society President help me more fully understand are "I would be my brother's keeper" and "Who am I to judge another? When I walk imperfectly. In the quiet heart is hidden sorrow's that the eye can't see."  Every person is suffering in some way and we may never know what it is, or how deep that suffering goes, or it may not seem big to us but for them it is their trial because that is what the Lord knew they could handle.  We have to learn to minister to others and be aware of them.  If we would take the time to truly listen and observe those around us and then open our hearts to the Holy Ghost, we will know what others are in need of and what we can do to love them and serve them.  I wish I could say that I am perfect at following Pres. Uchtdorf's advice from conference but I know I am trying. 

I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to serve in this calling.  As I have prepared to pass on all of my binders and papers and such, I have reflected on so many experiences and been awed by the workings of our Heavenly Father.  He is so loving and he truly wants nothing more for us, his children, to remember how much he loves and that we will have the desire to live so that we may return to live with him. 

The gospel is a beautiful thing and I am grateful each day for it! 

(I know the 2 of you out there that read this are dying to know what my new calling is.....wait for it..... Family History Consultant! I know I was surprised too but it will be really good and challenging for me!  Give me a few weeks before you start calling me with your family history questions.)