Relief Society Service Auction

                            

We had a RS Service Auction as one of our activities last night. I can not express How. Much. FUN. it was!!!! Seriously.

Here are the great things about having a service auction:

1. You get to meet new people and get to know each other better.
2. You get to serve each other at the activity and outside of the activity.
3. You get to see what talents other people have, and share your talents.
4. You get to laugh so hard while all of you fight over who gets those salted caramel rice crispy treats. 

Seriously so fun.

We accumulated points to spend by filling out two questionnaires which I made. Here's the first one:

RS Service Auction Questionnaire (205 points possible)    NAME: ______________________

5 pts If you have ever been outside of the country

5 pts If you speak a second language (sign-language included)

5 pts If you have taken a meal to someone in need in the past 6 months

5 pts If you have read the lesson prior to Sunday in the last 2 months

5 pts If you have balanced your checkbook in the past month

5 pts If you have had a new person from your area to your home for dinner in the past year

5 pts If you have organized your recipe file in the past year

5 pts If you have exercised this past month

5 pts If you have had your daily personal prayers for the past 3 months

5 pts If you have been 10 minutes early to church this past month

5 pts If you have learned a new skill in the past month

5 pts If you have cleaned a closet in the past month

5 pts If you have written a letter to a missionary in the past 3 months

5 pts If you have a monthly budget and followed it for the past 3 months

5 pts If you have given a talk in church in the past year

5 pts If you have cleaned something that didn’t want to in the past week

5 pts If you fasted on the last fast Sunday

5 pts If you have introduced yourself to a new member in the ward in the past month

5 pts If you can recite an article of faith from memory

5 pts If you know how to change a tire

5 pts If you know CPR and/or the Heimlich maneuver

5 pts If you have read out of the Bible in the past month

5 pts If you voted in the last election

5 pts If you went to bed on time last night

5 pts If you have been to the Dentist in the past 6 months

5 pts If you attended or helped with young women’s camp this year

5 pts If you kept your TV off all day today

5 pts If you gave someone a sincere compliment in the past week

5 pts If you have done something you are proud of in the past month

5 pts If you have been on a date in the past 3 weeks (husband/boyfriend/acquaintance)

5 pts If you made your bed today

5 pts If you have made a comment in a church class in the past month

5 pts If you have laughed today

5 pts If you have accepted someone’s help this past month

5 pts If you wear your seat belt

5 pts If you showered before noon today

5 pts If you have sung a church song in your home in the past month

5 pts If you keep a journal, either written or digital (blogging counts)

5 pts If you have introduced yourself to the person next to you

5 pts If you know at least one of your next door neighbors

5 pts If you have served a mission

____________  Total Points

The first one is more of a "If you did ___ then give yourself some points for being cool."

The second one is more interactive. This is a "Go find someone in the room who has ___." Last night was pretty cool because we had a little over 20 women come to the activity, and on this questionnaire there are 22 questions, so most of the women talked to EVERY sister there! How cool is that?!

“Find Someone Who” Questions -      NAME: ____________________________

You must find a different person that matches each question (10 pts each, 220 possible pts)  

1. ____________________________ has the same birthday month as you.

2. ____________________________ has the same favorite color as you.

3. ____________________________ grew up in the same state as you.

4. ____________________________ has the same shoe size as you.

5. ____________________________ loves dogs more than cats.

6. ____________________________ loves cats more than dogs.

7. ____________________________ wears reading glasses.

8. ____________________________ plays a musical instrument.

9. ____________________________ loves doing the dishes.

10. ___________________________ loves being crafty.

11. ___________________________ likes to dance.

12. ___________________________ is originally from a different country.

13. ___________________________ has pioneer ancestry.

14. ___________________________ is a convert.

15. ___________________________ can touch their tongue to their nose.

16. ___________________________ is (or would like to be) an entrepreneur.  

17. ___________________________ has an etsy shop.

18. ___________________________ has more than 5 siblings.

19. ___________________________ is an only child.

20. ___________________________ likes watching football.

21. ___________________________ still has a VCR.

22. ___________________________ has a blog.

Total Points: ________________ 

In creating these questionnaires I was very aware of our ward's demographics. There are a lot of mom's, and a lot of single sisters. I didn't want to leave anyone out, so I didn't put questions on there like "If you fed your kids dinner last night give yourself some points..."

After everyone filled out the papers, and before we started the actual auction, I gave a spiritual thought at the beginning by reading a quote by Bonnie L. Oscarson (the talk is Oh How We Need Each Other): 

The fact of the matter is, we really and truly need each other. Women naturally seek friendship, support, and companionship. We have so much to learn from one another, and we often let self-imposed barriers keep us from enjoying associations which could be among the greatest blessings in our lives.

This quote was so great! I also said that there are a lot of sisters in our ward and neighborhoods who are NOT here tonight, and they probably need service more than we do. I challenged them to leave that night and think about the people around them they could serve, even if it's just by becoming a true friend with them (which doesn't feel like service when it's sincere!......FYI). 

The thought didn't take long, but I felt the Spirit, and the message was appropriate for our setting.

I had one of the men in our ward come and be our auctioneer so the sisters planning the evening (including myself) could participate in the auction. He was animated and funny. It was perfect. 

The one thing I would change is bringing little gifts, either for everyone or just the sisters who came late and didn't accumulate any points to spend. I really hope no one felt left out, but if I do it again (or if you do one) please remember this.

I'm pretty sure this could turn into an annual RS activity. It was THAT great.

 

The Joy of Doing Nothing


Here's a very honest post from yours truly.

So... being a new mother is weird. I spend so much time on the couch feeding my baby, and holding a sleepy baby that it's like, what else do I do? So I pull out my phone and check Facebook and Pinterest. And then I realize, hey I've been on Pinterest for two hours. Ugh.

I don't think this problem is exclusive to me or other moms though. Anyone can spend all their time glued to their phone. 

Lately (meaning the last few days) I have been allowing myself to not "do" anything (at least while I'm holding my baby girl). I sit and let my brain wander and think for itself rather than let FB or Pinterest think for me. It's been pretty cool. You wanna know what you think about when you don't have to think about anything? Then don't do anything. Be still and let your mind go.

I remember several years ago at Christmas time my brother and his wife were visiting. They are pretty darn amazing, just FYI. I wanted to make a holly leaf for some project, and I decided to look pictures up on the internet to see what holly leafs looked like. My brother said NO! Don't look up pictures, make it up yourself. Did I mention that he's an artist? That little lesson has stuck with me. --Let my creative brain create something for itself, instead of copying something that's already been done." 

I thought about this lesson today as I envisioned cute Christmas pictures we could take this year. What did I do? I went on Pinterest and didn't find what I was looking for. Silly me, I should just plan it out in my mind and then execute it. No Pinterest required.

With so many distractions I can and will not be able to hear the still small voice of the Spirit unless I unplug frequently. Probably every day. Definitely every day. Here's part of a talk that Elder Packer gave in 1979!! entitled "Prayers and Answers":

Many years ago John Burroughs, a naturalist, one summer evening was walking through a crowded park. Above the sounds of city life he heard the song of a bird.

He stopped and listened! Those with him had not heard it. He looked around. No one else had noticed it.

It bothered him that everyone should miss something so beautiful.

He took a coin from his pocket and flipped it into the air. It struck the pavement with a ring, no louder than the song of the bird. Everyone turned; they could hear that!

It is difficult to separate from all the sounds of city traffic the song of a bird. But you can hear it. You can hear it plainly if you train yourself to listen for it.

It is difficult to separate from the confusion of life that quiet voice of inspiration. Unless you attune yourself, you will miss it.

Answers to prayers come in a quiet way. The scriptures describe that voice of inspiration as a still, small voice.

If you really try, you can learn to respond to that voice.

Gosh I love General Conference. 


          


When I say "do nothing" of course I don't really mean it. I mean having a still mind. Being reverent and able to be spiritually sensitive. That's not nothing! That's quite a lot of something, if you ask me. If we are always doing thing with our brains, such as:

wake up - check FB
get ready & go to work - work all day
OR stay home with baby and check Pinterest 20 times
drive home/wash dishes - listen to audible
come home - watch TV while you eat dinner
put baby to sleep - watch a movie or sit on the couch with your spouse while each of you play whatever stupid games you are addicted to on your phone
right before bed - read 10 verses of scriptures and pray as you fall asleep

Ouch. This kind of hurts my heart because of how familiar it sounds. 
If I- and we- keep doing this how do we expect the Spirit to EVER speak to us or influence us? Or perhaps the Spirit is speaking to us, but how can we listen and understand when we don't give it the time of day?

Okay, while I'm on this topic, I mentioned being reverent earlier. I've seen several pins on Pinterest about how to cutely teach your children about how to be reverent. They're all pretty much the same:

Your mouth is closed and quiet
Your arms are folded, or whatever
Your feet are still
Your eyes are attentive on the speaker or closed for prayers
blah blah blah

I'm sorry I don't mean blah blah blah. These things really are good and important. BUT What about our minds? I think to be truly reverent the most important attribute to have is a still mind. You can look like the most reverent kid in church and be SO NOT reverent. 

I'm not trying to preach. Okay, maybe I am, But not just to you, to me too. I need to be better. I need to be still. I need to unplug more often. Because I want to be spiritually sensitive. And creative. And more present for when my daughter grows older and realizes that I'm not paying attention to her. And more productive. And healthier. 

Grateful for the Rain

Last night we had Family Home Evening. Yay for us!! We've been trying to make it more of a priority, even if we just have a prayer, sing a hymn, and read part of a conference talk, which is precisely what we did last night.

We read from Elder Uchtdorf's talk entitled, "Grateful in any Circumstance." We read this section which touched both of us:

We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?


                                      


This is such a good reminder to me to be grateful no matter what is happening in my life.

As I thought about this quote and about rain I thought of this:

Rain is awesome. It provides water necessary for plants to survive, and drinking water for us. It's also beautiful and fun to play in. BUT if you were outside in the storm with no shelter it would be miserable!! You would get wet and cold, and if you were outside long enough it could even be fatal.

Jesus Christ is our spiritual refuge from the storm. He is the one that makes it possible for us to be "grateful in any circumstance." 

It reminds me of this scripture in Helaman 5:12:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I have a testimony that Christ is my refuge from the storm. He makes it possible for me to smile when I feel like crying, because I have an eternal perspective that I would not otherwise have. I am grateful for President Uchtdorf's reminders, and I will try to be grateful more often.