Visiting Teaching Message for July 2010

You can find the message at http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2044-1-5199-1,00.html  Be sure to notice the new format located at http://www.lds.org/churchmagazines/EN_2010_05_00___09205_000_000.pdf#page=139

Each month, though I do get the Ensign and do take it with me to give my monthly message to my sisters, I also print off a copy of the message for them to have and read along with me.  Many times they have not prepared the lesson yet for their own Visiting teaching, and it is just a little motivator and head start on what the message is on and getting it done themselves.  I also like to take notes on the message, so it is nice to not have to mess up the Ensign, and just include my notes and thoughts on my own copy.

The message for July is a good one, as they all are, but especially important.  Get it to the women early in the month because they have their children home from school summer vacation and focusing efforts on the family are important.  

Fathers Day ideas.... quick, cheap and printable.

I know that this post really has nothing to do with Visiting Teaching but I like to pass on some good tips and ideas so here goes......I found some really darling ideas for anyone who is lacking for Fathers day ideas, and just a reminder... Fathers day is in 4 days from today.  This Sunday!   I have posted them on my other blog at http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com  The direct link is here:  http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/2010/06/need-quick-cheap-and-printable-fathers.html
Enjoy!  Love, Katie G

First Visit Cards

I had a sister email me today about wanting to know if I had any handouts or cards on my blogs for a first visit.  Here is the email and following that is my responses to her....

HER EMAIL:
Hi there,

I’m looking for a cute little card to leave with the sisters at our first visit, with the names and phone numbers of each visiting teacher. Do you have anything like that on your blog? I couldn’t find it, but thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask.  J   Thanks for sharing your talents!

MY RESPONSE(s):

You could use any of the handouts from the bookmarks, door hangers to the postcards etc., and just add your Visiting Teachers Contact information to the back and then laminate it. It might be fun to add a magnet, so that they can keep it on their fridge and handy if they ever need to contact you, but most importantly, so that they don't lose it and know who you are!

Best regards,

Katie G.

MY FOLLOW-UP EMAIL
 
When I have time, I think I will make a card up to be used for the distinct purpose of a first visit card. Thanks for giving me another idea. I will run with it when I have some time to sit down and get creative. I think too, if you don't mind, I will add your email to my blog, so that other women can see that you have an interest in doing something for the ladies that you teach, and they can too.
 
Thanks again, Katie G.
 
So now I have committed myself once again.  When I have some time in the next week or so, I will design some cute first visit cards for you to be able to print off for the sisters that you Visit Teach.  You will need to go to my "STORAGE" blog.... Visiting Teaching Surprise, to find the cards which once again for those of you who don't have it bookmarked yet.... that blog can be found at: http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com  Oh and just until I have some time to create one myself, I have found some other darling printable cards that could be used as well for Visiting Teaching or other endeavors.

And for those of you who don't know why I call it that... well it is simple! That is a blog where I create wonderful surprises for you to use as you will, and all of it is done for free!!!  Sometimes my own visiting teachers have brought me cute little things that someone has created and is selling at stores.  I appreciate them, but I know that nowdays we are all on budgets and that extra $5 or so that it costs could be saved for something more important or more needed.  My site provides it all for free.... or at least for the cost of printing it off on your own home printer.  All you will have to do is to cut them out and sometimes laminate them if you wish.  Wallah.... instant gifts for pennies!  These gifts - "surprises" to you from me, are made with love for you, my heavenly Sisters.  After all.... we are sisters in the church, and all daughters of a Heavenly Father and that makes us Heavenly sisters! ( I think I have just thought of another Term "Heavenly Sisters" that would be great for a Visiting Teaching Conference, or lesson or R.S. night meeting.  I will think on that !   Love, Katie G.

June 2010 Visiting Teaching message

I am once again a bit late posting the message for June.  You can find the link to the official LDS Church website, for the Visiting Teaching message at  http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2044-1-5185-1,00.html  The topic is "Renewing Covenants through the Sacrament".   I posted a link to a handout on the sacrament at the bottom of this post, so read to the end..... 

I want to focus my thoughts on Sister Julie Becks quote and talk found at http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=4663b5658af22110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
I encourage all of you to go to that talk, and read it.  It is wise.  It offers good advice, and council and the inspired words are from the mouth of our Church General Relief Society President.  She said, "I was with an eight-year-old girl on the day of her baptism. At the end of the day she said with all confidence, 'I have been baptized for a whole day, and I haven't sinned once!' But her perfect day did not last forever, and I am sure she is learning by now, like we all learn, that as hard as we try, we do not always avoid every bad situation, every wrong choice. . . .  " . . . It is not possible to make real change all by ourselves. Our own willpower and our own good intentions are not enough. When we make mistakes or choose poorly, we must have the help of our Savior to get back on track. We partake of the sacrament week after week to show our faith in His power to change us. We confess our sins and promise to forsake them."

When we renew our covenants that we made at baptism from weekly partaking of the Sacrament, we are remembering that we promised to repent, and do our very best to keep our lives on track.  When we remember the great sacrifice that our Savior made for us, we know that He has the power to change our lives.  When we repent, and confess and forsake our sins, we make His Atoning sacrifice live in our lives. We make the marvelous gift he has given us worth the price He paid.

Recently in a meeting that I was participating in, shortly after the meeting began, I started to get a far too familiar headache.  Soon after that, I realized that I was sweating on the back of my neck and hairline, and recognized those symptoms as ones that let me know that my blood sugar level was getting too low.  I began to feel edgy and anxious inside, and I knew that I needed to take action very soon.  The meeting was almost over, and all I could think about was the quickest way to get my bloodsugar up to proper levels, to relieve these symptoms and prevent me from going into a worse stage of hypoglycemia. 

Prior to the meeting even starting, some issues with regard to that meeting came up that made me feel uncomfortable, and as the meeting progressed, more concerns initiated more stress and anxiousness.  Well those feelings mixed with my hypoglycemia were a very bad combination. 

The meeting finally ended, and I quickly got up to leave the meeting, when I was approached by one of the individuals who conducted the meeting with me, and wanted to talk about the uncomfortable feelings we all felt about how that meeting went.  I didn't want to talk at that particular time, knowing that if I didn't get my bloodsurgar up right away that I was going to be in trouble.  She persisted about talking things out, and I gave in.  My attitude was not in the right place, and I lost my temper with this person and blerted out in bold and pretty insensitive ways, the reasons I have felt uncomfortable in that meeting, as well as other issues that had presented themselves in other meetings.  My inner anxiety caused from hypoglycemia just came out and it all fell upon this poor woman who just wanted to talk things out, never expecting what she would get from me.   After my outburst, I left this individual with her mouth wide open, and probably taken back a few steps by the manner in which I spoke to her. 

As I drove down the road to my home, I knew that I had hurt her feelings.  I knew that I didn't handle the situation even close to the way that I should have.  I made a big mistake and in the process, I hurt the tender feelings of another.  I quickly gobbled up a sweet icecream cone, that quickly spiked my blood sugar levels, and my anxiety, headache and sweating ceased.  I may have felt better from my symptoms, but I had an ache in my heart because of how short tempered I was.  I knew that I had some repenting to do and that I needed to ask for forgiveness.

Since it was late at night, I decided it was best if I waited to call her on the phone in the morning and ask for her forgiveness.  I felt horrible inside, and my anxiousness came back.   Throughout the night,  I suffered the natural consequences that follow sin.  I couldn't sleep.  Images of the scene filled my mind and I thought of how I should have handled the situation.  I remembered my vow to never, ever, behave with my diabetes the way that my father did... that is, take out my inner anxieties and symptoms on others around me.  But I lost it, and I knew it. Gratefully I  recognized that I needed to start the repentance process immediately, and I did.  Before going to bed, I talked out the situation with my husband and told him about what had happened.  I then knelt down and prayed, and broke into tears as I realized how inappropriately I had behaved.  I wasn't the least bit sensitive to the other individuals feelings, as was only thinking of my own, and how I could get out of my hypoglycemia crash. 

Rather than ramble about the series of events that followed, I want to close this by telling you that there was a happy ending to this story.  I repented, and asked forgiveness.  I took ownership of the things I said, and apologized for them.  I asked forgiveness and she gave it to me.  That opened up the opportunity to discuss the sensitive things that I so insensitively  blerted out and we resolved all our concerns.  Her spirit was a forgiving one, and I appreciated that.  I didn't linger on the issues that she had done that caused me to feel so uncomfortable, and didn't expect or desire a reciprocating apology, because this was my repentance and ownership of my own  errors and  faults. 

This was a very humbling experience for me and one that has opened my eyes to the fact that nomatter how old a person is, they have room to repent, to learn humility, and exercise faith in the Atonement.  I also realize that though I am not too old of an "OLD DOG", and I can still learn some good new tricks.  No one is ever too old to make  change for the better in this life, in preparation for life to come.

Partaking worthily of the sacrament is an essential reminder of Jesus Christ.  The bread represents his body, and the water represents his blood that he shed for us.  Together we renew our covenants when we partake of the sacrifice, promising for another week to remember Him, and to always have his Spirit to be with us.  I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  This supreme gift, was given freely and without restraint, and once again I sayWhen we make change, He knows that His sacrifice wasn't in vain.

For a handout, I put together a document that you can print out, about the meaning of the Sacrament found here: http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/2010/06/meaning-of-sacrament.html
I also thought that you could make up something cute using the thought and key words of  the second to last sentence of my own message.... ...."No one is ever too young or old to make change for the better and we should all make the marvelous gift he has given us, worth the price he had to pay."  Using the key words "Change and price he had to pay" you could print off a template of a purse on some cute printed scrapbook paper, and scor and fold, and glue as needed.  Inside you could also print off the template of some coins  or "CHANGE" and put them inside of the purse or you could use them on a small sheet of paper and add the Quote ...."No one is ever too young or old to make change for the better and we should all make the marvelous gift he has given us, worth the price he had to pay."   Make Change now!

You can find a cute purse template of your choice at: http://melstampz.blogspot.com/2008/03/purse-templates-galore-little-handbag.html
You can find printable coin templates at: http://www.classroomjr.com/coins-paper-money/printable-paper-coins/

Enjoy!
Katie G.