Home Update

So just an update - Trevor did very well on his ACT received a 29 he thinks he should be done, but I'm encouraging him to take it one more time.  He is still struggling to get straight A's with the new 4 point grading system, especially in English, but hopefully he can pull it off.

Track started a couple of weeks ago and their first meet in Laughlin seemed to be a dissappointment.  Last week they went to Elko.  Dad, Spencer, and I attended and it was very cold, snowing, and very windy.  Tough day, but Trevor did fairly well.  2nd in the 300 hurdles and the picture is of him attempting the Triple Jump.  They were competing against higher division schools in bad weather, so it was all pretty good.

This picture is of Spencer's whiskers after having been sick and not shaving for a week.  He seems pretty proud.

Otherwise we are keeping busy with the same old things.  Continuing to look for other housing, but will stay till we get kicked out or find something better.  Definitely looking forward to spring weather as we continue to have snow.

I'm trying!

Currently I have the privilege of serving as the Stake Relief Society President.  This is not a calling I ever imagined having or really understood.  I was called back in October and I am still trying to get my bearings on what is involved in the calling.  We just finished all the ward and branch conferences for the year, and that has been very helpful.  We were able to get around and meet all or most of the sisters serving in Relief Society.  I know as I have served in different capacities in the wards; I didn't really feel a need to have assistance from Stake leaders.  We were happy to see them when they visited our wards, and appreciated the training they gave at auxiliary training meetings.  But is that it?  Is that all there is to this calling?  I think about the Stake President and all of his responsibilities, and I think about the General Relief Society Presidency and all of their responsibilities.  How do I serve in a way that my service will have a purpose or help those who I have stewardship over?
Well this calling is usually a three year calling, so hopefully by the time it is finished I can report back and see where I was able to serve the Lord and the sisters of the Ely Nevada Stake.  I will be attending a training in Salt Lake next week, so I hope to glean a few things there, and I have started a Stake blog, to hopefully keep in touch with more sisters.  (it's in its infant stage and will go out to the sisters in a few weeks with spotlights of the new presidency and then soon other sisters throughout the stake http://elynevadastakereliefsociety.blogspot.com/) If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can better fulfill this calling - please let me know.  The only other time I had a Stake Calling was as a Women's Sports director, and I loved it, because I was able to get to know sisters outside of my immediate ward - this is one of my major goals this time as well - although I find it out of my comfort zone to introduce myself to others and sit by people I don't know, but I'm trying.
I do love Relief Society and have served in various callings there.  I have been a teacher, Homemaking Leader, Enrichment Leader, and Meeting Coordinator (all the same calling - but called different things, different times), Relief Society chorister (my first RS calling back in 1982), counselor in the presidency, once as 1st couns., and twice as 2nd counselor, Relief Society Ward President, and now Stake Relief Society President.  I have served in almost every capacity, except Visiting Teaching Supervisor or coordinator, and secretary - who knows one of those might be next.  I have learned to love Relief Society through my service and am grateful to see my daughters also having opportunities to be in Relief Society and to develop a love for it.
I know this is kind of a strange journal entry, but as I have read things my grandmothers have left, I have been interested to see where they have served in the church.

Tender Mercies

Today in sacrament meeting I bore my testimony on the tender mercies of the Lord.  I feel that its important for us to recognize the blessings the Lord gives us in our lives.  Some of them are very small; and some can be life changing.  For instance this last week we received notice that our rent was going to be raised - the tender mercy was that we also received notice several days before that, that we were receiving a bonus and a raise very soon.  So to me the tender mercy was that we received the positive news before the negative.  Also April and Everett found themselves stuck in Hong Kong because of passport difficulties and saw several tender mercies, first she was able to reach and old companion who took her to church, and then a kind bishop took them in and helped them apply for a temporary visa as well as careing for them for several days.  We never know how certain events in our lives will be a blessing to us later - such as April's mission.  Another sister in the ward told today how she was unable to get pregnant the first 4 years of her marriage, and what a difficult time it was, but later she counted it as a blessing that she was able to finish her education and in later years when she became a single mom she had a career that she could fall back on.  Sometimes it may be difficult to recognize the Lord's blessings in our lives, when they don't seem in line with our plan - but when we turn things over to the Lord and we let it be His plan we will be heading in the right direction.  For now be sure and notice the small tender mercies of the Lord in your lives.