Thursday May 14th is Fill The Temple Day

This Thursday is "Fill the Temple" day for our ward - come enjoy the blessings of the temple with our ward members.

Save the Date! Enrichment is TUESDAY May 26th!

Bloom Where You Are Planted!

2Q09 Enrichment Event & Dinner

Tuesday, May 26th 6:30pm

Progressive Dinner starting at Heather Turner's and ending at Andrea Nelson's

Gardening tips for Texas climate

Barbeque tips & summer recipes

Flower Arranging

Fun summer activities discussion

We hope to see you there!

Notes from Tithing Lesson

Today Alice Beckstrom taught a beautiful lesson on the blessings of tithing. It was a wonderful class. Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

I asked Alice if she'd share some notes and resources. Thanks Alice!

Tithing Lesson – “Not Room Enough to Receive It”
Elder Robert D. Hales, “Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings,” Ensign, Nov 2002; Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘Like a Watered Garden’,” Ensign, Nov 2001; President James E. Faust, “Opening the Windows of Heaven,” Ensign, Nov 1998; “Not Room Enough to Receive It,”Ensign, Dec 2003;

[Elder RDHales] Tithing is a test of faith with eternal blessings.

(Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. (1939), 225–26.) Tithing has been established in these latter days as an essential law for members of the Lord’s restored Church. It is one of the basic ways we witness our faith in Him and our obedience to His laws and commandments. Tithing is one of the commandments that qualifies us, by our faith, to enter the temple—the house of the Lord.
To get a better understanding of the sacred nature and responsibility of paying tithing, President John Taylor, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, said the following: “A man who has not paid his tithing is unfit to be baptized for his dead. … If a man has not faith enough to attend to these little things, he has not faith enough to save himself and his friends.” (History of the Church, 7:292–93.)

[President JEFaust] Tithing is a principle that is fundamental to the personal happiness and well-being of the Church members worldwide, both rich and poor. Tithing is a principle of sacrifice and a key to the opening of the windows of heaven.
Mal 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

[Pres. JEFaust] The law of tithing is simple: we pay one-tenth of our individual increase annually. Increase has been interpreted by the First Presidency to mean income. What amounts to 10 percent of our individual income is between each of us and our Maker. There are no legalistic rules. As a convert in Korea once said: “With tithing, it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor. You pay 10 percent, and you don’t have to be ashamed if you haven’t earned very much. If you make lots of money, you pay 10 percent. If you make very little, you still pay 10 percent. Heavenly Father will love you for it. You can hold your head up proud.”

[Pres. JEFaust, con't] Why should members worldwide, many of whom may not have enough for their daily needs, be encouraged to keep the Lord’s law of tithing? As President Hinckley said in Cebu in the Philippine Islands, if members “even living in poverty and misery … will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, … they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution.”

In Elder Jeffrey Holland's talk, he says,[Elder JRHolland] May I then suggest five reasons why all of us, rich or poor, longtime member or newest convert, should faithfully pay our tithes and offerings. First, do so for the sake of your children and grandchildren, the rising generation, who could now, if we are not careful, grow up in the Church with absolutely no understanding as to how their temples, chapels, seminaries, and socials are provided. Teach your children that many of the blessings of the Church are available to them because you and they give tithes and offerings to the Church. Teach them that those blessings could come virtually no other way.

Elder RDHales] The Lord desires that all His children have the blessings of tithing. Too often we as parents do not teach and encourage our children to live this law because their contribution only amounts to a few cents. But without a testimony of tithing, they are vulnerable. In their teenage years, they become attracted to clothes, entertainment, and expensive possessions and risk losing the special protection that tithing provides.
[Elder JRHolland] Second, pay your tithing to rightfully claim the blessings promised those who do so. “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
[Ensign, Dec 2003, 47 Josefa Margarida dos Santos Fontes, Brazil] When I was baptized in 2001, I began paying tithing every month. Then just eight months later, my husband passed away. I became a widow with two small children at home and one son on a mission. Although my financial problems were serious, I never stopped paying tithing. I have been blessed with more and more work, which has enabled me to earn more money. But even more important, because I pay my tithing I always feel at peace with the Lord.
Today my small house seems big and comfortable. I feel calm with my two little children. I will never stop paying tithing because I know the Lord has blessed me not only with physical and spiritual health but also with wisdom and peace.
[Pres. JEFaust] President Heber J. Grant put it in context when he said: “Prosperity comes to those who observe the law of tithing. When I say prosperity I am not thinking of it in terms of dollars and cents alone. … What I count as real prosperity … is the growth in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same. That is prosperity of the truest kind.”
[Elder JRHolland] Third, pay your tithing as a declaration that possession of material goods and the accumulation of worldly wealth are not the uppermost goals of your existence. As one young husband and father, living on a student budget, recently told me, “Perhaps our most pivotal moments as Latter-day Saints come when we have to swim directly against the current of the culture in which we live. Tithing provides just such a moment. Living in a world that emphasizes material acquisition and cultivates distrust for anyone or anything that has designs on our money, we shed that self-absorption to give freely, trustingly, and generously. By this act, we say—indeed—we are different, that we are God’s peculiar people. In a society that tells us money is our most important asset, we declare emphatically it is not.”
[Pres. JEFaust quotes Sister Yaeko Seki] “My family and I were spending a day at the Japan Alps National Park . … I was pregnant with our fourth child and was feeling rather tired, so I lay down under the trees. … I began thinking about our financial problems. My heart became overwhelmed, and I burst into tears. ‘Lord, we are full-tithe payers. We have sacrificed so much. When will the windows of heaven open unto us and our burdens be lightened?’
“I prayed with all my heart. Then I turned to watch my husband and children playing and laughing together. … Suddenly, the Spirit testified to me that my blessings were abundant and that my family was the greatest blessing Heavenly Father could give me.”
[Elder JRHolland] Fourth, pay your tithes and offerings out of honesty and integrity because they are God’s rightful due. Surely one of the most piercing lines in all of scripture is Jehovah’s thundering inquiry, “Will a man rob God?” And we ask, “Wherein have we robbed thee?” He answers, “In tithes and offerings.”(Mal 3:8)
[Elder RDHales] When a friend of President George Albert Smith asked him what he thought of his friend’s personal plan to take what would have been tithing and donate his tenth in charitable donations of his own choice, President Smith’s counsel was:
“I think you are a very generous man with someone else’s property... You have told me what you have done with the Lord’s money but you have not told me that you have given anyone a penny of your own. He is the best partner you have in the world. He gives you everything you have, even the air you breathe. He has said you should take one-tenth of what comes to you and give it to the Church as directed by the Lord. You haven’t done that; you have taken your best partner’s money, and have given it away.”
[Elder JRHolland] Paying tithing is not a token gift we are somehow charitably bestowing upon God. Paying tithing is discharging a debt.
[Elder JRHolland] This leads to a fifth reason to pay our tithes and offerings. We should pay them as a personal expression of love to a generous and merciful Father in Heaven.
[Elder JRHolland] Through His grace God has dealt bread to the hungry and clothing to the poor. At various times in our lives that will include all of us, either temporally or spiritually speaking. For every one of us the gospel has broken forth as the light of the morning, driving back the darkness of ignorance and sorrow, fear and despair. In nation after nation His children have called and the Lord has answered. Through the movement of His gospel across the world, God is relieving the burdens of the weary and setting free those that are oppressed. His loving goodness has made our lives, rich or poor, near or far, “like a watered garden, … [from] a spring of water … [that faileth] not.” (Isa. 58:11; see also Isa. 58:6–10.)
Now we know many of the reasons why we should be paying our tithing... what do we do if and when it seems financially impossible to do so?
[President JEFaust] Some may feel that they cannot afford to pay tithing, but the Lord has promised that He would prepare a way for us to keep all of His commandments. To pay tithing takes a leap of faith in the beginning, but as Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.”(John 7:17.) We learn about tithing by paying it. Indeed, I believe it is possible to break out of poverty by having the faith to give back to the Lord part of what little we have.
Elder Hales beautifully explains how to recommit to paying our tithes.
[Elder RDHales] ...each of us will have the sacred opportunity to sit once again with our bishop and settle our tithing with the Lord. Your bishop will be gentle and kind. He will understand the challenges you face. If you cannot pay back what you missed paying in the past, go forward. Begin today. Share with your bishop your commitment to pay a full tithe in the future, and work out a plan to return to the temple as soon as possible. As soon as you have demonstrated your faith in paying tithing over a period of time and kept the other necessary commandments, you will be able to enjoy the eternal blessings of the temple. I plead with you, do not let this opportunity pass by. Do not procrastinate...
Would any of us intentionally reject an outpouring of blessings from the Lord? Sadly, this is what we do when we fail to pay our tithing. We say no to the very blessings we are seeking and praying to receive. If you are one who has doubted the blessings of tithing, I encourage you to accept the Lord’s invitation to “prove [Him] now herewith.” Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s laws and commandments.
And he closes, saying:
[RDHales] My beloved brothers and sisters, the eternal blessings of tithing are real. I have experienced them in my life and in the life of my family. The test of our faith is whether we will live the law of tithing by our obedience and sacrifice. For, in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”
I testify that the Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed His life to bring this salvation to each of us. As His special witness, I testify that He lives. And on His behalf, I express gratitude to you, the children, the widows, the youth, the families—the faithful—for your sacred tithes. “These deeds shall thy memorial be; Fear not, thou didst them unto me.” In the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

New Items

We are adding some new sections on the side of our blog that will help us be even more connected.Sisters Helping Sisters

This section will be a place to share resources, needs, etc.

Sister Highlights

Do you know something exciting that has happened in our ward. We want to hear about it. We are all inspired by accomplishments and milestones. Lets share!

May Visiting Teaching

Because the May issues of the Ensign and Liahona contain a report of general conference, the magazines do not contain a specific Visiting Teaching Message. Visiting teachers are encouraged to prayerfully select a conference address to share with those they teach.Click the picture of the Temple to see the list of talks from the"179th Annual General Conference, April 2009"

Play Group on Friday 4/24

Playgroup
Join us this Friday (4/24) at 10am at Crescent Green Park

The park is all new! Come enjoy this fabulous spring weather!

It is located on the corner of Greenhouse and Crescent Green. To get there head East on Kingsland, go past Fry and the next light is Greenhouse. Turn Right and about a half a mile down on the right is the park.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Family Home Evening Lesson Idea

FHE Lesson:

The Sacrament

Conference Talk:

For more information on this topic read “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” by Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov 2008, 17–20.

Thought:

The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church.

(Dallin H. Oaks, “Sacrament Meeting and the Sacrament,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 17–20.)

Song:

“To Think about Jesus,” Children’s Songbook, p.71

Scripture:

And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and brake and blessed it; and he gave unto the disciples and commanded that they should eat. (3 Nephi 18:3)

Lesson:

Set the timer for three minutes. Have your family name as many stories about Jesus as they can remember. Have one person put a tally mark on a paper for each story named. When the time is up, count the tally marks and praise their good work.

Select two or three of the stories they named, and ask what we can learn from them. (Example: The story of Jesus healing the ten lepers teaches us to show gratitude.)

Invite someone to read D&C 20:77. Ask everyone to listen carefully and find out how many times it tells us to remember Jesus. (Twice.)

Ask another child to read D&C 20:79. Once again, have the family listen to see how many times the verse tells us to remember Jesus. (Twice.)

Remembering Jesus is very important. It helps us to choose the right. Earth life brings many challenges and decisions. Jesus will always help us, if we remember him.

Story:

My introduction to the welfare program came when I was a deacon at twelve years of age. The bishop asked that I take the sacrament to a bedfast brother who longed for this blessing. The morning was sunny, and I didn’t mind missing my Sunday School class to walk the threequarters of a mile distance from the chapel, down the street, across the railroad tracks to the modest residence. I knocked at the kitchen door and heard a feeble voice say, “Come in.”

I entered the kitchen, then moved to the bedside of Brother Edward Wright. When I uncovered the sacrament, he asked if I would place a piece of bread in his shaking hand and press the cup of water to his trembling lips. His gratitude overwhelmed me. The Spirit of the Lord came over me. I stood on sacred ground.

Brother Wright then asked that I sit and stay awhile. He said, “Tommy, this church is divine. The love the members have one for another is an inspiration. Take, for example, our Relief Society president, Sister Balmforth. Do you know what she did one week many years ago? She took her little red wagon, went to members’ homes, and gathered a jar of peaches here, a can of vegetables there, and brought to my cupboard shelves the food that sustained me.” I remember that Brother Wright cried as he told of the experience and described watching the Relief Society president walk away from his home pulling behind her, over the bumpy railroad tracks, the red wagon of mercy.

I left that humble home and skipped back to the chapel—the same chapel where, ten years later, I would be sustained as the bishop, presiding over a membership that, more than any other in the Church, needed the welfare program.

Activity:

Play Blind Bell.

1. Blindfold all participants except for one person who hangs a bell around his neck.
2. The person with the bell tries to avoid being caught while everyone else tries to locate and catch him.

The person that catches the person with the bell trades places with him.

Refreshment :

• Cinnamon-Sugar Pull-Apart Rolls
• 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1. Grease 12-cup bundt cake pan or tube pan, 10×4 inches.
2. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast n 3-quart bowl. Heat milk and 1/4 cup margarine in 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until very warm (120 degrees F.) Add milk mixture and egg to flour mixture. Beat on low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape dough into 24 balls. Dip each ball of dough into the melted margarine, roll them in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Layer evenly in pan. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 2 minutes; invert onto heatproof serving plate.

Serve warm.

General Conference Activities

Download the Original size

Latter-day Prophet Word Search

General Conference, General Authority Match-up

General Conference Word Search

Apostles Cards

April Visiting Teaching Message

♥April VT Message:" Search the Scriptures Diligently"♥
♥4x6 April Handout ♥
4 to a Page
♥April VT Handout-Different Quote ♥

General Conference

179th Annual General Conference

All Languages Broadcast Website

President Thomas S. Monson, seated, and his counselors, President Henry B. Eyring, left, and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, will be sustainedduring the 178th Annual General Conference

Purposes of General Conference

1. -To transact Church Business
2. -to Receive reports and Church Statistics and commend true Merit
3. -To Approve or Disapprove of Names Proposed4
4. -To Proclaim the Gospel to the World
5. -To Proclaim the Gospel to the World
6. -To Bring About a Spiritual Revival and PersonalRededication.

How To Gain the Most from General Conference

1. -Make Personal Spiritual Preparation
2. -Listen Carefully to the Speakers and the Spirit
3. -Diligently Study the Conference Issue of the Ensign
4. -Hearken to the Words of the Prophets

General Conference is the Lord's Conference

A Conference wherein he instructs his people, as he himself stated at one such conference, "by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, It is the same" (D & C 1:38)

A Conference at which the revealed will of the Lord is made manifest "by the voice of the conference"( D& C 73:2; see also 72:7)

179th General Conference

• Saturday April 5, 2009
• Time: 9:00am-11:00a
• Time: 1:00pm-5:00pm

General Priesthood Session

• Time: 5:00pm At the Stake Center

Sunday General Session

• April 6, 2009
• Time: 9:00am-11:00am
• Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm

Internet Broadcast:

http://www.byutv.org/

www.lds.org/broadcast