A Generous Thought

In the September 2009 Relief Society Broadcast (part of the October 2009 General Conference), Sister Beck shared the following about welfare and compassionate service:

"Our compassionate service and assistance with the welfare needs of individuals and families are an outgrowth of visiting teaching. A Relief Society president learns of the needs of people in her ward through visiting teachers and her own visits to ward members. Sometimes she organizes us to help others, and at other times we serve “according to [our] natures,” following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Many years ago I learned from Sister Camilla Kimball, wife of President Spencer W. Kimball, to “never suppress a generous thought.” By following her counsel, we can know with certainty that our Father in Heaven knows us personally because He sends us to be His hands and heart to those in need. As we do so, our faith in Him is strengthened. "

I've always liked that quote from Sister Kimball- "Never suppress a generous thought." My husband and I often quote it to each other when we've spoken out loud something we've thought of doing for someone else. We've found it a blessing to support each other in this way.
One day, Jeremy asked me to sew a rice warmer (you know- heat it up in the microwave then use it to warm whatever body parts you need- sometimes it's just relaxing) for one of the sisters he home taught who had been troubled with arthritis during the winter.

I was able to base it on a rice warmer a friend gave me for Christmas one year, with four sections so the rice doesn't get bunched up in one area. When Jeremy took it over to the sister, she was so happy. It was just what she needed. As soon as he left, she immediately put it in the microwave to use it.
I am grateful for those opportunities to support my husband when he is prompted to do good and I appreciate that he does the same for me.

Me Time- Scripture Bag

I'm happy to get a little Me Time once in a while. I guess the more I do it, the less guilty I'll feel about it. Me Time is good as long as I'm not neglecting my family. Jeremy is happy to support me and it's working out.

A couple weeks ago I planned to make a scripture bag for Jr. during Me Time. Guess what. I ended up being too tired to try to start something like that, so instead, I rested on my bed watching something on the portable DVD player. Ate a little snack, took some time... until my Me Time was cut short when Jr. came in with an ear ache. Poor little guy. It's a good thing I didn't start my project. Instead I got some cuddle time with my little boy. We gave him some ibuprofen, put some My Friends Tigger and Pooh on the DVD player to distract him, and I just held him until he'd calmed down and the baby needed me.

Last week I did get some uplifting Me Time. Sister Beck, the General Relief Society president, was the special speaker at a special Tri-Stake Relief Society Meeting in our area. Wow. That woman is really neat. She basically had a question and answer session and she turned to the scriptures many times to help explain her answers. One of the things she talked about (and some of you may have heard her speak on this before) was Essential Things- scripture reading, prayer, etc. things that lead you back to Heavenly Father, Necessary Things- laundry, dishes, groceries, etc. things that need to be done in order to live, and Nice To Do Things- hobbies and such that are nice to do when you have time. She said the greatest danger facing young mothers today is escaping. Turning to those nice to do things to get away from the essentials. We get distracted too easily. She clarified it and said those nice to do things are important because they provide balance, but when we put them ahead of the essentials and use them as an escape and neglect those essentials, that's where the trouble lies. So I've realized that scheduled Me Time does provide balance for me. It's okay as long as my priorities are in the right place. Which so far it is working out. Like when I was willing to stop my Me Time when Jr. was hurting. I didn't just say, Jeremy, you deal with it. He was already helping with the baby.

Anyway, I got more Me Time (sort of Me Time, I took the baby with me) last week when I went to our Stake Women's Conference- also uplifting. Our stake president was the special speaker after classes, and I was reminded again what a blessing it is for us to be in this ward and this stake.

So, on to this week- Me Time.

I finally sewed Jr.'s scripture bag. I used Nichole's that she got from the Primary for her birthday last year as a reference.

It turned out really well. Of course I have ideas of things I can do next time to improve or be more efficient, but anyone looking at the bag wouldn't think that way. It is perfectly adequate, and Jr. was pleased with it, too.

So we'll see how it works out on Sunday with his new scriptures he got a couple weeks ago.