Weekend Update

We’ve had so many projects going on here lately. September and October have been busy months. Reilly and I have been rehearsing to be part of a Presentation for our Church called “Let the Morning Come.” Well, our Church is presenting it. It is for whoever would like to come. Reilly is singing soprano in the choir and I am accompanying on the piano. The program is about Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel. We have been attending practices every Saturday starting in September. The practices typically last three hours. (My aching back.) Thus Friday we have an especially long practice/dress rehearsal and we will present the performance Saturday evening. Ken has been good to take care of everything else on Saturdays so Reilly and I can participate.

This weekend Sister Barbara Thompson, Sister Elaine Dalton, and Sister Rosemary Wixom from the General Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary Presidencies came to Omaha to do some group training and firesides. The meeting I attended Friday night was for all Primary presidencies and music leaders. It was held at the Council Bluffs Stake Center, which I’ve actually been to since we once went to Stake Conference with Joe and Jenni when they lived in Council Bluffs. It was an excellent meeting. Sister Wixom knows her stuff. We discussed how to effectively be a part of Ward councils and how to minister to the children and families in our Wards. I did not get home until almost 11:00 p.m. from that meeting. (Council Bluffs is a pretty far drive.) Saturday morning I had to get up extra early for another fireside and Reilly had one to attend with Sister Dalton. The meetings for the Young Women and Primary presidencies, teachers, and music leaders were at two different buildings to accommodate the size of the groups. I had to have Reilly to the Church by 6:45 a.m. so that she could carpool to the meeting with her Young Women leaders. Then I was taking some other ladies in my car. It was a very exciting drive to Omaha. I hadn’t eaten dinner Friday night because of the meeting in Council Bluffs. By the time I got home from that, I was too tired to eat. I was in a rush to get out the door Saturday morning, so I just grabbed a handful of cereal on the way out the door. BIG mistake! I felt distinctly like I was going to pass out…while I was driving. I got that cold feeling all over and my vision was kind of going fuzzy at the edges. I can just say that the Lord answers prayers because I made all the way to the Church building without getting in to any accidents. And the ladies I was driving didn’t even know anything was wrong J The Saturday morning fireside was excellent as well. We talked about the principles we need to employ to teach the children in Primary:

*Know them and love them

*Teach by the Spirit

*Be riveted on the doctrine

I have a lot to think about.

The drive home was much less scary!

I picked Reilly up at the church and she told me all about her fireside with Sister Dalton. When sister Dalton was younger she always wanted to be popular. One day the popular girls invited her to sit with them at lunch. They also invited her to a party. Sister Dalton knew her parents wouldn’t let her go to the party. Sure enough, when she asked them, they said, “no.” She wasn’t very happy. Her parents came to her later and said they thought she was old enough to make the decision herself. They wanted her to pray about it and if she decided that it was okay to attend the party she could. Sister Dalton said she didn’t even pray about it. She just waited a few minutes and told her parents she was going. After she had been at the party a short time, one of the girls took them all into kitchen and poured them each a glass of some alcoholic beverage. Sister Dalton was sick with worry over what she should do. She said a quick prayer about what to do and the answer came back clearly, “leave.” She said another quick prayer and reminded Heavenly Father that she wanted to be popular. An answer came again, “leave NOW!” So, she gathered up her things and left.

Reilly had a great time at the fireside and even got a hug from Sister Dalton after the meeting.