Young Women Blocks

Our ward's Young Women presidency decided we would each give gifts to the girls in our ward during girls camp, one gift for each night.  This is what mine ended up being:

Arise & Shine Forth and Good Works blocks
(each block has both sides)

Here's a close up.

Arise and Shine Forth is the youth theme this year, and Good Works was our ward's assigned Young Women value for camp.  My dad cut the wood for me and my mom (in-law) helped me paint the blocks and Mod Podge the designs on them.  I put together the Arise and Shine and Good Works parts of it in Photoshop (not from scratch... I'm not that good!).  I think they turned out pretty cute!

Mormons Believe in Jesus Christ

Yes, it's true!  I believe the same Jesus Christ as you, the very Jesus Christ of the New Testament.  I believe He atoned for our sins and afflictions and died on the cross and rose the third day as a resurrected and glorified being.  He is the center of my testimony, my belief, my marriage, my actions, my life, my very being and existence.

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." -- 2 Nephi 25:26

He has not left us alone.  He has not left us to confusion or to fend for ourselves.  He has re-established the fullness of His gospel in these latter-days.  He speaks today through His chosen prophet.  President Thomas S. Monson is His mouthpiece for the world at this time today.

The whole purpose of His life was to save ours.  I am so full of gratitude for all He has done for all of us, and for me.  I could not be who I am without Him.  I would not know happiness without Him, or without the knowledge of the purpose of life.  He makes everything possible.  "Oh sweet, the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!"

The Heavens are Not Closed

Henry B Eyring, President Thomas S Monson, Dieter  F Uchtdorf

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." - Amos 3:7

The Heavens are not closed, but are open!  God is available to each of us and directs His people through prophets in these latter days just as He always has in the past.  We are considered God's people when we choose to obey Him and follow His way.  Just as God has called prophets to lead His people in the days of Adam, Moses, John the Baptist, Nephi, Joseph Smith and others, He does so now.  He directs and speaks to His people on earth through His prophets.

"As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:" - Luke 1:70

A prophet:

-is a man called by God to be His representative on earth
-speaks for God, is His mouthpiece, and when he does it is as if God is speaking
-is a special witness of Christ and testifies of His divinity
-teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ
-teaches truth
-interprets the word of God
-calls the unrighteous to repentance
-receives revelations and directions from the Lord for our benefit
-may see into the future and foretell coming events so the world may be warned
-is always chosen by God
-is called through proper priesthood authority

"We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof." - Articles of Faith 1:15

"Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion." - Doctrine and Covenants 132:8

There is a prophet living on the earth today.  He is the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This chosen prophet has the right to receive revelation for the entire Church, and is the only person on earth who can.  The Lord said, "There is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:7).  The prophet also holds the "keys of the kingdom" which means he has the authority to direct the entire Church and kingdom of God on earth, including the administration of priesthood ordinances.

"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." - Matthew 16:19

Twice a year the Church has a General Conference where the prophet of God and the counselors of the First Presidency and the members of the Quorum of the Twelve, who are also prophets, seers, and revelators, and other general authorities of the Church speak to the entire membership of the Church worldwide to give counsel relevant to our lives today.  In addition to all Church members, all people of all ages all around the world are invited to watch and listen.

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." - Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

The Lord speaks through His prophets to His people.  It was this way in Bible times, it was this way in Book of Mormon times, and it is this way now.  I invite all who are willing to listen to the voice of the Lord through His prophet, Thomas S. Monson, His mouthpiece for the world at this time, to watch and listen to the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this coming weekend.  The messages given and music shared are inspiring and uplifting and help us feel the Holy Spirit and be directed by Him in our lives.  I know that President Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's mouthpiece for the earth today, and that he speaks for Him.  I know that as we listen to and follow the counsel he gives us we will be immensely blessed in our lives and we will know the way to true and lasting happiness.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints General Conference website

An invitation to "Come listen" this weekend - Mormon Messages

References:
mentioned scriptures
Gospel Principles manual Chapter 9

Baby Blanket - Crochet

One of my very bestest friends who I met in college, Laura, is having a baby boy next month and the baby shower was today.  This was one of my gifts to her.  This is the second baby blanket I've done.  This one turned out a little better than the first, but there was still some trial and error going on.  But I figured it out (yay!) and wrote out the pattern so next time I would know for sure what to do.  :)  Because, by the way, I made up this pattern!  It's not too crazy but not too boring either.  :)

 Finished blanket with border

 Close up of a corner

(And I just realized this is the part of the blanket with the
trial and error part with those shell stitches
OOPS
so we need to not look at that in great detail,
nor look at it for reference when making this)

...And so here is my attempt at showing the better corner, which I
cut from the full picture.  Unfortunately it isn't very clear.  Oh well.

Designer & Crafter, and finished product :)

(I wasn't finished getting ready! But I had to get a picture with me in it.)

Pattern:
Yarn: Bernat Baby Sports (1 big roll)
Needle: US G/6, 4mm
ch = chain, dc = double crochet, st = stitch,
To start: ch 120 (I would probably go a little less next time, but it needs to be a multiple of 3)
Rows 1-4: ch 3 (takes place of first dc), dc in each st (119), turn, repeat x4
Rows 5-8 (shell st): ch 3, in next st * dc 3 in same st, skip 2, repeat from * until there are 2 sts left in row, dc 2, turn, repeat x4
(In this particular blanket I did 15 sections)
To end (border): after last 4 rows of normal dc, * shell st another row, shell in corner, skip 1, shell st and keep going in every other hole, repeat from * to finish all 4 sides, end, weave remaining yarn into first row of shell sts to tie it all together

:)

The Kind of Mother I Want to Be

I'm looking forward to the time when I will be blessed to become a mother.  In the meantime, I'm trying to get an idea of what kind of mother I want to be, so I can work on becoming that now.

Making a list of the qualities you want to have as a parent is kind of like making a list of qualities you want in your eternal companion.  Similarly, this is a list of qualities I want to strive to develop in myself.

In no order of importance (because they all are):

• patient
• treat each child equally (of course they also have to be treated appropriate to age)
• treat children as people, with respect
• loving (even in discipline)
• kind
• discipline with an increase of love after
• implement consequences for actions - good and bad
• teach the Gospel at all times in every circumstance, formal and informal
• take time for the small and simple things, the small and simple joys of life
• tell children I love them every day (multiple times I'm sure!)
• fun! and active with them
• reliable
• consistent
• have routines, but also be willing to break them when appropriate
• spontaneous
• high but realistic expectations
• allow children to make choices, of course discipline as necessary
• read and study the scriptures as a family every day
• pray as a family every day
• not too lenient, not too strict
• optimistic and happy (of course there will be times, but I want to be able to take a deep breath and not take things out on my children, or husband for that matter)
• have a united front with husband
• be interested in and supportive of children's interests
• help them discover and cultivate their talents
• someone children can trust and want to ask questions to and talk about things in their lives
• if I'm wrong, own up to it, and don't let children suffer for it
• don't yell at or talk rudely/angrily to children
• be there for them
• spend quality time with them

This list will continue to grow, and I'm sure there are things I forgot to put down.  But it's a good starting point I think.  :)