December 2009 Visiting Teaching Message

The topic for this month is "You can nuture through compassionate service."

You can findthe message at http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=true&locale=0&sourceId=9e7b26a816c25210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Wow, before even reading the message, and only reading the topic, I am feeling like I am on the right wavelength because I have had a thought in my mind about Christmas and the things you do at Christmas time. I even designed and printed some bookmarks with this very thought in mind, last month, in preparation for the Craft Fair and boutique I am participating in. I have even printed and laminated these bookmarks to have at the fair, just in case any of the women who read my blogs happen to drop by and want one. I won't be offering this bookmark on this blog so you'll just have to come to the fair and you can see it.

The first two quotes in the message are these:

• President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency: “Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. … In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers” (“Happiness, Your Heritage,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 119, 120).


• Barbara Thompson, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency: “We need to rescue ‘all that is finest down deep inside of [us]’ so that as daughters of God we can do our part to build the kingdom of God. We will have help to do this. As Joseph declared, ‘If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates.’
  “Let us bear one another’s burdens, mourn with those who mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and thus keep the covenants we have made [see Mosiah 18:8–10]” (“Now Let Us Rejoice,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2008, 116).

The last scripture reads.... "Let us bear one another's burdens, mourn with those who mourn, comfort those who stand in need of comfort...." This morning, I checked my email and I received an email from my sister telling me her mother in law had just passed away this morning. She told me how her sweet husband was grieving as well as the rest of his family. This family has suffered many significant losses over the past few years. First my sisters Father in law passed away and shortly after that, a sister in law also passed away. Then about a year ago, the husband of another sister in law died suddenly at a ward outing, sitting in his car, from a heart attach leaving his wife and several children. Now, the Mother and Grandmother of this family just passed away this morning.

You can imagine the loss that the children and grandchildren who are left, must be feeling. So many heartaches in such a short time. Yes, we do have the eternal perspective that helps us to understand where our loved ones are and the state that they are in, but there is still a huge loss and a hole in their hearts that can't be filled.

How do we comfort those who stand in need of comfort. What can we do and what can we say? I don't know if you are like me, but when these times come around, I find myself at a lack of words to express myself. What do you say to comfort someone who has experienced so many losses in such a short while? To top it off, there have been so many other difficulties that this entire family has faced over the past few years. My sisters husband has been ill and in pain for so many years, I have lost track, but he has never lost his faith and he continues to endure.

I am going to leave my thoughts with that question and maybe you sisters can help me write the answers. Help me to come up with ideas that we as sisters can provide comfort, and compassionate service when we need to. And a side note, how do we give the support, love and service to family and friends that live far away, and in different states?
I would love to hear your comments, and experiences. Thank-you, Katie G.

October 2009 Visiting Teaching Message

Yes, I know that I am a bit early in posting the new message for October, but I am out of town right now and didn't want to miss anyone who might want to read it online before I get home to finnish my post. Here is the location of the message....
http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2044-1-4973-1,00.html
Remember you will have to copy and past the link into your address bar.

I am having a wonderful time enjoying my son's and daughter in law's new baby. She is absolutely beautiful and such a calm, sweet little disposition. My two grandsons (twins) are getting use to having her around their home now, and the entire home is making wonderful and blessed adjustments.

The message for October is on Nurturing the rising generation. I love president Hinkley's quote, in fact I feel like I am living it right now along side of my son and his family.President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): "Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. . . . Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried" ("Words of the Living Prophet," Liahona, May 1998, 26–27; "Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley," Ensign, July 1997, 73).

September 2009Visiting Teaching Message

My goodness, where has my little blog gone?"....because I have been so wrapped up in creating a new blog I forgot to even list the link that you can go find the September Visiting Teaching Message. Here you have it and sorry I am late: http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2044-1-4880-1,00.html Remember that you have to copy and past the link into your address bar.

I have actually read through the message already and just forgot to list it for your reference. This Quote from the message from Elder Wirthlin, painted such a beautiful picture, I think my handout will come from this. Look for it as I have it only created in my mind. I will hurry and try to get it on the "Visiting Teaching Surprise" site right away.http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/ Keep checking back. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, I am adding Elder Wirthlin's message here:

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: "Faithful members of the Church should be like oak trees and should extend deep roots into the fertile soil of the fundamental principles of the gospel. We should understand and live by the simple, basic truths and not complicate them. Our foundations should be solid and deep-rooted so we can withstand the winds of temptation, false doctrine, adversity, and the onslaught of the adversary without being swayed or uprooted. . . .

"Spiritual nourishment is just as important as a balanced diet to keep us strong and healthy. We nourish ourselves spiritually by partaking of the sacrament weekly, reading the scriptures daily, praying daily in personal and family prayer, and performing temple work regularly. Our spiritual strengths are like batteries; they need to be charged and frequently recharged" ("Deep Roots," Ensign, Nov. 1994, 75).

I think that like Elder Wirthlin says, if faithful members of the church extended our roots deeply in the fertil soil of the gospel principles, then we ourselves can withstand temptations that are thrown at us by the adversary, or "Old Scratch" as my dad use to call him. There needs to be such a balance in our lives. Obviously we need food to nourish our body, but we need to feed our Spirits constantly as well. Just as our body becomes weak from lack of food or water, our Spirits can suffer deeply if we don't provide the proper nourishment. That nourishment is what is said in Elder Wirthlins quote... partaking of the Sacrament weekly, reading the scriptures daily, praying daily in personal and family prayer and going to the temple and doing temple work. Of course there are other things to strengthen our Spirits such as Attend all our meetings, have Family Home Evening, and others as well.

I have been serving as a missionary in the LDS Addiction Recovery Program along with my partner, my husband. We have served now for about 24 months. We have loved this experience working with individuals who are suffering from their own addiction or the addiction of someone they love and care about. Something that we notice when individuals come for the first time and that they generally express in their sharing, is that they feel that they are in a cloud of darkness and can't see the light. Satan is the maker of that cloud of darkness and his tools are addictions of all kinds, drugs, alcohol, illegal acts and behaviors, cheating, stealing, lying and all maner of deception. Most individuals are at their lowest point, which has given them the humility it takes to reach out for help.

It is always a testimony to me of the Lord's love for his children because one of the first tendermercies He gives is the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. This Holy Spirit enters the meetings and fills the hearts of those in attendance and especially those who are there for the first time, with light, and warmth. One gentleman who was not a member of the church came to his first meeting. He began sobbing from the moment he entered and sat down as the meeting began. When it became time for sharing, he was still crying and began to appologize to the others in the room that he didn't know why he was crying. He then said something that is the key.... He said, "I feel something that I have never felt before, and I don't know what it is, but it feels good." Of course I now what he was feeling, and that was the Spirit and it was a tender mercy sent from the Lord to one and all of his children whom he loves, who are suffering from addiction.

Alot of Addicts are members of the church who have strayed from their roots, enough to lead them on a path that doesn't lead to happiness. But those roots are still there, maybe alittle more shallow that they were at first, but they know who they need to call upon and give their will up to Him. Only by doing so, can they begin on their road to recovery.

I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for providing me and you the tools to keep ourselves nourished in the Gospel. This nourishment keeps our roots holding firm strong when the strong winds and tumolts blow into our lives. I pray that all of us will do our parts to keep steadfast like the Oak tree, and hold fast to what we have been taught keeping firmly rooted in the gospel, so that we will not stray. If we have strayed, I pray that we can remember the warmth of the Spirit, and come back. I also pray for strength in the generations that follow us, because they are going to need to have their roots so firmly planted in the gospsel soil to withstand the nasty, ugly perversions that there are in the world today. Satan has unleashed his most vile and noxious temptations. May our children and grandchildren hold fast to their roots and remember what they have been taught.

You are all loved! Sincerely, Katie G.

P.S. If you are interesed in the new blog that I have created, feel free to go to http://thanksgivingvillageward.blogspot.com/ and take a look around. Make sure to comment and let me know what you think, so that I know you have dropped by.