Soon after my previous (Provo, UT) Stake President was called,
he received a strong impression that he needed to make sure women’s voices are heard.
Because of that prompting, he had us (in the stake RS presidency) participating in occasional
stake presidency, high council, & bishop trainings, & teaching ward conference Elders’ quorum classes. We also had the opportunity to work side by side with
high council members on various committees.
Always in line with the handbook, but also looking at church “traditions”
he would make adjustments-such as encouraging Bishops to have sisters be the final speaker in sacrament meetings, or making a special effort to recognize mom--on baby blessing day.
Watching our Bishop in that stake, who had previously been inspired to make
some of these adjustments, along with observing this stake president’s great desire
to be obedient to that prompting,
was evidence to me that God knew the sisters of that stake,
& wanted their light to shine, & their gifts to be shared.
If you look at your current circles, do you see the light that you are?
Are there ways He needs your voice heard & your gifts shared?
I know He will empower you to shine His light!
This month, what if we could
“FIND NOBILITY IN MOTHERHOOD or JOY IN WOMANHOOD”?
Worth watching again!
“YOU are the women he foresaw”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7xmjwJw6Bc
Said Elder Ballard: “Every sister
who stands for truth & righteousness
diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens &
protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a
woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow
& plants seeds of righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every sister who makes & keeps sacred covenants
becomes an instrument in the hands of God”
Seeing my mother work so hard for her 10 children & busy husband, I don’t think
I had the best outlook on motherhood. Maybe this is why my patriarchal blessing speaks of
the “choiceness” & “nobility of motherhood”....the reality of the “demands & trial &
physical drain that motherhood imposes….” and then the challenge to seek
to understand the “godliness of motherhood”.
It truly is a blessing, a calling, and the work of heaven.
It brings great joy….yet at times tugs on our heartstrings.
Find in the PS below, a letter by “Mercy River”-
for those days of overwhelm... or worry.
Sister Carole Stephens, wrote a short article titled “Women’s Divine Roles Include Nurturing Others”, which includes some great perspectives from a single sister:
Find some happiness this month in some “girlfriend time”...
...maybe painting nails with your girlies, calling an old friend on the phone, going for a walk
with a sister you minister to, taking a neighbor flowers, or reaching out
to a family member who may need a little love sprinkled on them today!
I pray, my sisters, that you’ll be strengthened in your current challenges,
feel of your great value in all your circles, and know that the Lord appreciates
all the ways you shine His light!
Love & hugs! Audrey D.
PS When we don’t feel like enough, we can know that our Savior is enough!
I was really concerned about my daughter one day when I read this letter which renewed my faith. Shared by Mercy River, “Sentiments of my Heart”.
“Dear Mom,
For some reason, the phrase “you are enough”
has never sat quite right with you.
You know the words are well intended; they’re supposed to make you feel better.
But they seem flat, almost like an excuse.
Because when it comes to your children, you know the truth:
You are not enough for them.
You never will be. There is not enough time in your day, energy in your body,
or wisdom in your heart to give them what they need or deserve. They have holes and aches you cannot fill. They have needs you could never meet. And that’s just how it is.
But there is someone who can. The only One who could truly
give them everything they need is God.
Sometimes you forget this, and you panic and cry. You let your inadequacies
scare the heck out of you. Trust me, I know the words “you are enough”
are not comforting to a woman who knows she could be doing better.
“He is enough” brings much more peace.
Let these three words take the pressure off your mothering. Speak them when you feel overwhelmed or inadequate. Write them down. Hang them up.
You may fear you aren’t teaching them all they need to know. You may be ashamed of your weaknesses, the way you lose your temper, your messy house. You may even see your kids
losing faith and you don’t know what to do.
But He is enough.
Because He is the Savior, not you. Your job is to love and lead. He figures out the rest.
Replace your fear with gratitude that He is in control.
Remember that His one objective is to gather them safely to Him.
And rejoice that every effort you give, no matter how small or imperfect,
will be magnified in His hands.
Because, while you are not enough for them,
He is.
He is enough for us all.
