Visiting Teaching Tips, Handouts and Ideas: What have I done for someone today?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

What have I done for someone today?

Last October 2009 General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson gave a talk entitled "What Have I done for Someone Today?" I have been looking for a spiritual thought to give in my presidency meeting and remembered a quote from his talk.... and this is the jest of the quote...."Are you immersed in the thick of thin things?" I read through this talk because it related to Service, and quoted was King Benjamin from the Book of Mormon... "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God."

The Savior taught His disciples, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." President Monson said that "He believes the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in the service of others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service of others, grow and flourish---and in effect save their lives".

"We are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness--- be they family members, friends, acquaintances or strangers. We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us."

I have been so gratified these past two days by so many kind women in my own neighborhood who have selflessly and immediately accepted the opportunity to provide a meal for a family who will be having a private family memorial service for a loved family member who has passed away. One email was shot off to some women, and immediately they responded, with offers of bringing side dishes, desserts, and all manner of wonderful food for this family. Everyone of them are busy women, and in particular the day of the memorial service, yet they love their neighbor and wanted to help.

Service isn't always convenient, or timely but when we serve others, there is truly an added benefit for the server. It is simply this.... Joy. It feels so good to know that you are helping others, and if you are burdened yourself, just go out and serve someone else, and I can guarantee, that you will come back feeling so much better. You will feel so good inside. You will feel joy.

In the talk President Monson quotes a familiar church hymn...
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone's burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

This wonderful hymn then ends by these words....
"Then WAKE UP, and do something more" than dream of your mansions above... doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure, a blessing, of goodness and love."

I have created a cute bookmark handout to share using the thought provoking quote from this wonderful talk..."Are you immersed in the thick of thin things?" This quote helps me to inventory the time I am spending during the day. What am I doing with my time, and what could or should I be doing? I thought I would give you alittle service and pass it on.

Enjoy!
Katie G.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...: Lovely bookmark-I can never have too many...but I must be honest and tell you I don't quite understand the statement and what it means. Could you enlighten me before i present these to my sisters? Thanks for all your fun gifts.; October 6, 2010 at 8:22 PM
Kathleen Gauger said...: Since you didn't leave your email address so I could email you with my reply, I hope that you will come back to the blog and find this. The quote from President Monson to me means that we get too busy dealing with the things that really don't matter or that are just unimportant or THIN and shallow. We need to immerse ourselves in the things in life that are of value. Making better use of our time for instance, serving more, which is the focus of this talk, as well as reading the scriptures more, spending time with our family rather than watching TV, etc. Do you see what I mean? Things of lasting value that can help us grow and teach and learn are the things we should be immersed in or being in the thick of, in our lives.

You should go online to lds.org and read this talk by President Monson called, "What have I done for Someone toady" and then go out and apply it.

Best regards, Katie G.; October 7, 2010 at 12:26 AM
Testing said...: Love, love, love your blog. Thanks for your inspiration and exceptional talent. Those of us that may be less than creative or without ideas, really appreciate the time and effort you put into helping us bring something sweet and beautiful to share with the sisters we visit teach.

Now, to share a bit of my retardedness, I must admit that when I go to print out some of the printables you offer, they don't seem to fit on my 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I know there is a solution, but can't seem to find it. Please help! Thanks. :)
cataylor7@msn.com

Kindly,
Christine; October 7, 2010 at 10:46 AM

July 24th - Pioneer Day

Click on the picture and it will take you to the last post. Did you get your Visiting Teaching done by today? If not, just keep on trying, just like the pioneers. I would love to hear what you have learned from these wonderful Pioneer Women's stories. I know that I have learned alot about sacrifice, and persecutions of the early saints, and of a strong testimony that these Pioneers had to have to endure all that they did, and gave in establishing zion. Once again, I say, Blessed, honored Pioneer! If you would like to comment, please email me at ktgauger@gmail.com or click on the link and comment on the last story. Happy Pioneer Day! Love, Katie G.

By now you should be alittle curious about your pioneer heritage.

Do you want to find out if you have Pioneer ancestry. This site is most useful to those who have had members of their family tree that belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the Mormon migration period of 1847-1868. By the way, the goal for this Pioneer Women Journey is about to reach it's end. You only have one more day to do your Visiting teaching, before the 24th of July, which was the goal. You still have time to push the proverbial handcart up the hill, so get out and get it done. Share a pioneer story with your sisters, and you have pleanty to choose from right on this site.

My broken wagon wheel, hath bit the dust!

Wo is me, I am so behind on my own treck of keeping up wonderful Pioneer women posts. Actually I have a great excuse, and almost made it when I realized how little I have to complain about. Ok, so I am going to tell you anyway. My air conditioning has been off for 6 days now, and I am having to live in my basement, though my computer in upstairs. It is ten degrees cooler in the basement, but my main floor has been up to 92 degrees inside my house. Wo is me.... and what do I have to moan about. I began thinking about the pioneers in their covered wagons, crossing the hot, hot prairie, and their only hope of relief from the blazing sun is the cool shade of a tree, or a stream, or night time if it cooled off enough for them to actually sleep. I have not slept well until I decided to go in the basement. Wo is me. What do I have to complain about. I have been so sick from the heat and a medication change that I have been nauseated all day long. So what do I do... hop in my car and go to Walgreens and get some acupressure wrist bands that took away some of my nausea. Wo is me, but what do I have to complain about.... the pioneer women suffered without any relief. If herbs didn't work for them, or if they didn't have access to them, they just suffered. I feel so blessed to live in this day and age where even if I have to be inconvienenced by having no air conditioning, I still can go in my basement, or hop in my car and turn up the air full blast, or just drive down to a store and walk around and shop, or even go to the pool and cool down that way. You know that poem.... "Father forgive me when I whine, I have two legs, the world is mine"? I have no reason to complain, but you still didn't get the updates on the Pioneer women because I am still too sick and hot to stay upstairs long enough to do them. Count this one as an update and count your blessings along with me. The wagon might be broke for a bit, but once the wheel is back on, the wagon will keep on rollin. Now, I am going to hurry back down stairs and try to replenish the sweat that is pouring off my face and body with gatorade. Don't give up on me, I will be back! Love, Katie G.

July 7 - Elizabeth Case Miliam Wheeler

The life of this marvelous Pioneer woman can be found by clicking on the photo which will take you directly to the link. This woman is classic Mormon History as her story tells of her being apart of so many of the historical accounts in Nauvoo, Hauns Mill, handcart pioneers, and so much more. I found her story so interesting that I couldn't stop reading until it reached the end. It was also interesting to me that she was given 3 Patriarical blessings in her lifetime, and she was truely a wonderful woman. I know you will enjoy reading about her as I did. Love, Katie G.

July 6 - Pioneer Cooking

Since all of us cook, I thought it might be interesting to find out what Pioneer Women cooked, how they did it and recipes they used. I found quite a few recipes, but I would like to open this one up to you and if you have any authentic pioneer recipes, please send them to me and I will add them to this post. My email is just to the right of this page.

Click on this link to take you to the Pioneer Recipes:
http://visitingteachingsurprisedocuments.blogspot.com/2009/07/pioneer-recipes.html

I was also thinking that if you were to copy some of these recipes and print them off, that might be a fun handout for the Sisters you Visit Teach!

July 3 – Elizabeth Simpson Haigh Bradshaw

I hope that you are enjoying so far, the stories of these wonderful Pioneer women. I hope too that your testimony will strengthen as you read about those who came before us and the unimaginable things that they had to do to pioneer the way for us to have what we do in our wonderful church. My gratitude and love for them has deeply increased, and I would echo the words in the hymn..."Blessed, honored, Pioneer!" Click on the photo of Elizabeth and it will take you to her history and for more reading about Elizabeth, you can go to http://students.ou.edu/G/Erin.R.Ging-1/story3.html Also there is another account of Elizabeth found in a book that you can read by going to this link... http://books.google.com/books?id=rzkAcWtngX4C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=BRADSHAW,+Elizabeth+Simpson+Haigh&source=bl&ots=UJEtgTZ4Sf&sig=2h_qWhKeYEiK6hM8ev95tiRuu2M&hl=en&ei=kHE-SpW4JpDosQOe94n0CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4

July 1st - Anne Eliza Leavitt Baker

Did you think I forgot? Actually my life became so hectic today, that I am just getting some time to make my first Pioneer woman post. I hope you will enjoy reading about these marvelous women who came before us. I hope that you can feel their courage and understand that we too have a purpose for living in our generation. We are the generation that lives to prepare for the second coming of Christ,though none of us know when that will be.... and with that I will just say... Keep your wagons rolling along in good works, do your Visiting Teaching, strengthen your sisters through your testimony and determination to get your visiting Teaching done. Click on the photo and it will take you to the link where you can read about our Anne, who is most likely the woman in the middle front of the photo, holding the baby.

Visiting Teaching Tips, handouts and Ideas
For many years, I have been creating very cute and fun things to take to the ladies I Visit Teach. I have shared from time to time, my ideas with others and they have really appreciated them. I decided that since I do these anyway, I would start doing one every month and then post it on this blog to share with anyone for their Visiting Teaching. I do need to make a disclaimer.... the ideas, thoughts, stories, graphics etc. used are created by me and they are not in any way official LDS Church quotes, handouts or ideas. They are my creations or others as noted, except for the quotes that will come directly from the Monthly Visiting Teaching message found in the Ensign. Also, many thanks to the talented designers of the digital paper and elements that I use to create the beautiful artwork, and handouts you see on my blog.

You can go to http://www.lds.org/ and look up and even print the monthly message if you do not have your own Ensign magazine subscription in English or to choose to read the Liahona or Ensign in a different language go to http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=03103c7ff44f2010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD&locale=0.
For Spanish you can go to http://www.sud.org.es/

I highly recommend you get your own subscription because you will find a wealth of really good & wholesome, moral reading, that you can't find anywhere else. If you go to http://www.lds.org/ and click on "Gospel Library" then click on "Magazines" you can order your own Ensign, Liahona, New Era, or Friend magazines.
Posted by Katie Gauger at 10:41 AM 0 comments
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Enrichment Ideas Anyone?

I have also been enrichment leader from time to time as well as have been asked to do many projects for Enrichments. I am not sure if anyone would be interested in some of my ideas, but if you are, please leave me a comment and I will respond. One thing that relates to Visiting Teaching that I wanted to share is something I have taught for many years, and in fact my Daughter in her Park City ward just used this idea in their Super Saturday last week for the second time. It is Glass etching and it is really pretty easy and turns out to be a great project. The etching I do is etching glass casserole or platters with the name of the person who will receive this gift or for whomever is signed up for the class. I have given etched casserole dishes as wedding gifts and have taken many casseroles, rolls, cakes, and all kinds of goodies to people, and always get my dish back, because it has my name etched in it. Go to http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/ to get instructions.

"Returning to the Past" A Relief Society Activity Idea

This is an email I received from a wonderful sister as well as a new Relief Society President about an idea that they will be doing as a theme for their activities for this year. (if you have a great idea to share, please email me at katie1956gauger@mindspring.com and we can add it to all the other terriffic ideas!

Dear Katie,
I just found your blog. It is so great. I love the idea of the Hearts of Angels. I am trying to figure out how we can use it for our VT conference and incorporate some of the things for our VT interviews. I am a new R/S president and all these things we have to do throughout the year are a little overwhelming. I love all of you ideas. So much work involved, thank you for being willing to share with all of us! I would love anything else you could pass my way.
WE had the thought earlier to use a theme of "Returning to the past" for our activities this year. So all of your old-fashioned pictures will be great to use as invites and handouts.
You might be interested in the idea we had for our B-Day dinner. We always have a progressive dinner in December to the homes of different sisters. We divide them up into about 5 smaller groups and go around to the different sisters homes in the ward. Because of the weather we cancelled it and had it at the church. We decided to do it for our B-Day dinner instead when the weather would be better. We are having the women bring a sack lunch with them and to wear something old, like a grandmothers broach or shawl, or to dress up in the time of the 1800's, and to bring a pint jar with a lid. We will have the sisters make lemonade at the first house and take with them in the jar that they brought, and then go to the next house. At the last house we will have and old fashioned cake to serve like apple walnut cake or something like that.
We still have some details to work out but at the end each member of the presidency will be at a different home and will share a prepared script. It will be written as if they were at the very first R/S meeting when the prophet Joseph Smith organized the R/S with just a handful of women.
Anyway, thank you for sharing what you have! You have a great talent!
Stacey McClellan - Blackfoot, Idaho

SELF RELIANT SISTERS BLOG HAS A GREAT ACTIVITY ABOUT GARDENING WITH KIDS - go to http://selfreliantsisters.blogspot.com/ It is well worth the time and a terriffic idea as Spring is just around the corner! Here is a tiny bit of information that you will see at the site.....

Gardening with Kids has great tips on getting kids started with gardening. Give your child some space; literally! Kids loving having spaces that are all their own, whether it`s their own desk area in the house, or the tent they've created with chairs and blankets in the family room. The same is true for gardening. Dedicate a small plot of the garden just for them. Put a fancy border around it, perhaps purchase one of the stepping stone making kits found at crafts stores in which they can mold their name and make their hand print.
Let them join you at the nursery. Let your kids know you value their opinion. Ask them which kinds of plants, flowers, and vegetables they like. Explain what will work well in your garden and what won't.
Give them (limited) choices. While you're at the nursery, ask them if they'd like pansies or petunias, marigolds or zinnias. This will give them the feeling of power without letting it get out of control.
Remind them money doesn't grow on trees. With older children discuss the budget. Let them help select seeds and blossoming plants at the nursery - and turn it into a math lesson. Let your child do the money calculations; they can tell you when the money runs out.
Let your child do what he will (especially if you have a preschooler). Let him dig, explore, play with bugs. You may be tempted to steer your child in another direction (like actually watering or weeding his garden), but this is a great way for your child to explore this exciting new universe.
Plan, plan, plan. If you have older children, say 8 or 9 or older, let them plot out their own garden on paper. Provide him or her with graph paper, pencils and seed catalogs. Give them a group of flowers and vegetables from which to choose, and then let them draw out their garden.
Get them their own gardening tools. Nothing will motivate your little gardener more than having her own little shovel, her own gardening gloves, and her own watering pail. And don't forget those bright colored rubber boots. You need to go to the site and explore all the rest of the links and ideas.

Extraordinary Ministering Sisters

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

What have I done for someone today?

3 comments:

General Conference Talks

What shall we give?

An Apostles Easter Thoughts on Christ

This short video is an Important message from the mouths of our Prophets!

July 24th - Pioneer Day

July 22 -Maggie Anna Ferrell Orr

By now you should be alittle curious about your pioneer heritage.

My broken wagon wheel, hath bit the dust!

July 17 - Handmade by the Pioneers

July 16 - Margaret Alice McBride

July 15 - Julia Ann Chapman Lee

July 14 - Louisa Miller Belleston

July 13 - Mary Ann Payne

July 12 - Margaret McNeil (Ballard)

July 11 - Jane Jenkins Howe

July 10 - Julia Anne Phippen Eldredge Evans

July 9 – Camilla Dorothy Jacobsen Corbett

July 8 - Catherine Gougar Goodman

July 7 - Elizabeth Case Miliam Wheeler

July 6 - Pioneer Cooking

July 5 - Ann Parker

July 4 - Margaret Ann Howard McBride (My Ancestor)

July 3 – Elizabeth Simpson Haigh Bradshaw

July 2nd - Diana Lucina Spicer Block

July 1st - Anne Eliza Leavitt Baker

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A February Enrichment Idea

Enrichment Ideas Anyone?

Gardening with Kids

"Returning to the Past" A Relief Society Activity Idea

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