New Theme for January!

2014 Relief Society Theme & Meetings

“I invite each of us to evaluate how much we love the Savior,

using as a measure how joyfully we keep our covenants.”

--Sister Linda K. Burton

We are demonstrating our love for the Savior when we ...

...manage the resources and blessings we have been given with discipline and gratitude. JAN. (Provident Living)

…strengthen important relationships and love and serve our husbands and families with our full  hearts. FEB.

...celebrate the gift that is Relief Society! MARCH (Visiting Teaching focus)

...fearlessly proclaim the gospel in our homes and to our neighbors APRIL

… Stake Women’s Conference MAY

…commit to regularly feast upon the words of Christ, holding fast to the iron rod. JUNE

…learn to love ourselves and value the women we are striving to become. JULY

...discover a way to promote our own good physical health. AUG (Provident Living)

...we explore ways to become emotionally whole and better able to love ourselves and feel blessed in our lives. SEPT.

…Craft it up! OCT.

...reach out and serve in our communities. NOV.

...rejoice and celebrate together the birth of our savior. DEC

House Built Upon a Rock...Literally

Are you working hard to build your house upon the rock of Christ?

Well this family took it a step further.

Check out the article about a house that is literally built on rock!

Balancing on a rock in the middle of the Drina River in Serbia, the tiny one-room home was built in 1968. Pounded by floods and high winds, it continues to stand strong against the elements of time. The structure, located near the town of Bajina Basta, has become a well-known attraction for visitors to the area.

Let's Build on a Solid Foundation

2013 Relief Society Theme

We are excited to announce our new RS theme for the year 2013.

Let's be wise and build upon a strong foundation together!

2012 RS Meeting Summary

Thanks to all those who came out and supported our additional Relief Society Meetings.

Here is an overview of all the fun we had!

2012 RS Meeting Summary

As sisters we are of one heart and one soul as we . . .

February—Introduce Theme: One Heart One Soul

•Traveling heart basket

•Huge puzzle piece heart, put up as a sister described what she “puts her heart into” 

March—Legacy of Sisterhood RS Birthday

. . . Rejoice in the blessing that is Relief Society

•Pasta dinner at color coded tables for sisters

•Conversation-starter questions at each table

•Musical number/Message on the importance of VT

April—Parenting Mini Classes

. . . Strive together to love and serve our children

•Financial planning/Healthy Activity ideas/Literacy mini classes

May—Service Auction (2nd annual)  

 . . . make sincere effort to love and serve one another.

•Invited Laurels

•Established point system/claim certificates to bid on

•Food signup and bidding sticks

 June—Stake RS Meeting

•Scratched this month’s activity to support Stake Meeting

 July—Exercise Classes

. . . encourage each other to be healthy and strong in mind and body.

•Aerobics class and yoga class

•Each sister brought a healthy food to swap with someone else

•Focus on bountiful baskets for healthy eating

August—Pop in our Marriage  

. . . focus support each other’s efforts to build sweet forever relationships with our husbands.

•Collected date ideas ahead of time and that night, complied and passed out to all sisters

•Asked the men to write down things about their wives “match game” idea the night of activity

•For sisters who were single or husband’s didn’t fill out, they got a quote about marriage and asked for insight

•Sign up for “pop” desserts

September—Missionary Work

. . . work together to spread the gospel and support our missionaries

•Passed up 101 ways to support missionary work & BOM to every sister on Sunday and ahead of time

•Asked Elders to give a thought/testimony and encouraged sisters to pass out a BOM

•Had missionary name tags for every sister

•Wrote encouraged notes “thumb body loves you” to our ward elders

•Nice message from Ensign from Melissa Ogden

 October—Craft Night

 . . . teach each other important things that we know.

•Royal night—princess craft for each station: fall wreaths, growth charts, family tiles

•Pumpkin pie and apple crisp

November—Service Tea Party

 . . . reach out and serve in our communities.

•Tea party theme, with hygiene kits and guest speaker and author Debbie Potts 

December—Progressive Dinner 

 . . . celebrate together the birth and life of our Savior.

•Sisters rotated through houses to enjoy a snack and a Christmas message in Lakewood Village

**Note that most of these activities are posted on our blog. Each month has an invitation posting, and a recap posting. Just search for a date or keyword of the activity you want and it should pop up! Sorry they aren't hyperlinked to make your life easier. 

Traveling Heart Baskets

Sisters,

A quick explanation about our TRAVELING HEART basket.

First, our goal is to value sisterhood and serve each other.

Our theme this year is from Acts 4:32—

“And the multitude of them that believed were

of one heart, and of one soul...they had all things in common."

If the Traveling Heart has found you,

Please:

1. Write down what act of service was done for you in the journal,

*sign your name or leave it anonymous.

2. Find a sister in our Relief society you can reach out to.

*We’ve included a directory if you need help deciding on someone

3. Do something kind for them

*Drop by a note, watch her kids, bake a goodie, help in her yard, etc.

4. Leave or deliver the basket, journal and notepad to the sister you served!

*Please do this in a timely manner. However, there are no restrictions on who, when or where…be creative in your service!

5. We will recap some of the amazing things that the sisters have done at the weekday meeting each month.

*If you have the TRAVELING HEART, please come and bring it along to the weekday meeting held on the second Thursday of each month!

2011 RS Meeting Summary

2011 RS Meeting Summary

I can turn lemons into lemonade from the inside out when I . . .

March—RS Birthday

·         “Celebrate RS, Celebrate You!”

·         Decorated cupcakes

·         Video presentation and clips about what sisters had done to serve each other

April—Happiness

. . . learn to be truly happy in my life, even as the world is teaching me that happiness is elusive.

·         Did the “Attribute Activity”

·         Brought something that made them “happy”

 May—Marriage Love Languages

 . . . help build a happy forever relationship with my husband, even though he's a man.

·         Quick overview of the Love Languages

·         Sisters rotated through 5 booths and learned about the love language. Also had something to take away and apply from each station

 June—Stake RS Meeting

·         Scratched this month’s activity to support Stake Meeting

 July—Parenting Family Feud

. . . nurture my children and love my calling as mother in a gospel centered home, even though it's the hardest work I've ever done.

·         Had sisters take a survey about common parenting problems, concerns, etc.

·         Took survey results to create a Family Feud game

·         Also had a panel of sisters in different stages of life to answer parenting questions

August—RS Health Fair 

. . . focus my family on healthy spiritual and temporal choices in spite of the obstacles and distractions the world provides.

·         Had sisters present on topics that they were “experts” in. Each had 2-5 minutes to present and set up a booth

·         Topics included: Meal Planning/Grocery Shopping Strategies/Healthy snacks, Family Activities, Exercise, Couponing, Gardening in Texas

September—Service Auction

. . . build loving friendships with my sisters in Relief Society, even though we are very different women.

·         Each sister filled out a certificate to auction off

·         Extra copies were there that night

·         Sisters filled out a “points” form, so they had points to use during the auction

 October—Casserole Swap and Cookie Decorating

 . . . reach out and serve in my community with the time and resources I am blessed with.

·         Sisters signed up ahead of time if they were interested in swapping casseroles. Those who chose not to, decorated Halloween cookies to give to others

·         Sisters in the swap prepared ingredients for 5 casseroles, and that night went from table to table making new casseroles to take home

 November—Culture Night

 . . . make an effort to seek out knowledge of people and cultures other than my own and broaden my appreciation for all of God's children.

·         Sisters met at the church and rotated through 5 rooms to hear about the church in different parts of the world

·         Food was from all over the world, and sisters snacked as they listened to each presentation

 December—Circle of Love

 . . . celebrate the birth and life of my Savior in a meaningful way during the craziest month of the year.

·         Sisters rotated through houses in Windmill farms to enjoy a snack and a Christmas message

**Note that most of these activities are posted on our blog. Each month has an invitation posting, and a recap posting. Just search for a date or keyword of the activity you want and it should pop up! Sorry they aren't hyperlinked to make your life easier.