This year's Stake RS Women's Conference was so good it was like our very own Time Out for Women! Our theme was Extreme Makeover and all the speakers based their class around a TV Show title. It was so fabulous and exactly what I needed to hear. Here's a few of the amazing things I learned. (Heads up- I was a little long winded on my notes! LOL)
The Mentalist- Carrie WrigleyCarrie Wrigley was our guest speaker that came from UT to be with us this weekend!
The Mentalist is a show about a young man with some extra special gifts that goes around solving mysteries and helping people. Well, two thousand years ago, another Young Man with super-natural powers provided a way to solve ALL mysteries and problems. Carrie talked about
CHRIST Centered Healing. She specifically focused on healing depression.
John 16:33-
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have . In the ye shall have : but be of good ; I have e the world.In this world, we WILL have tribulation. That is a certainty. But how we look at it, handle it and react to it is the question.
D&C 122:5-
"If thou art called to pass through ..." Have you ever thought of tribulation as a calling? Tribulation does have many commonalities to a calling like it is for a certain period of time, there are a set number of lessons we can learn from it, there will be growth if you do it well, and God will give you strength to do it!
There are three main ineffective approaches to dealing with the tribulations of life.
1. Assessment-only therapy
2. Medication only
3. Misguided spirituality- If I pray hard enough or serve more or have more faith, God will make everything better.
The reason these 3 approaches alone are ineffective is because they all require
someone else to fix it.
God rarely takes away our problems but He will:
1. Visit us
Mosiah 24:142. Support us
Alma 36:3, 273. Lead us
2 Nephi 4:204. Nourish, strengthen us
1 Nephi 17:3Healing is NOT a passive process!!! It requires work on our part!
Carrie taught us about IRA.
IDENTIFY- What is your problem? (We got a chuckle at this because I don't think she ever said "What is your problem?" but that's what she meant. So now a couple of us- when we see each other sad are gonna ask each other- "What's your problem?" LOL!
REPLACE- replace the problem with something else. This is not a magic wand. It requires a conscious effort.
ASSIMILATE- make the new thing apart of you!
The Diamond- represents
1. Relationships- Most TRIGGERS (things that send us in a downward spiral) have to do with some kind of relationship. Grief>Transition>Conflict>Lack of Interpersonal skills>abuse>loss>disappointment
Question is- "A Trigger for What?" Are you gonna spiral up or down?
2. Thoughts-
Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns
Common Cognitive Distortionsa. All or Nothing -"On and Off Switch"
b. Self Blame "It's all my fault"
c. Should Statements- impossible expectations
d. Mental filter- focus on the negative
Replacementsa. Continuous Thinking "The Dial" 0- all bad 10- all good, Where do you fall on the dial?
b. Blame Pie- 1 part his, 1 part mine, 1 part theirs
c. Three part Reality 1. It would be nice if... 2. But the reality is... 3. Therefore my most effective response is...
d. Gratitude Awareness- Perspective
Finding Joy in Life- Richard G Scott
3. Behavior- The Brain like a heart is a physical organ. Are you eating garbage or starving it? Feed it what is recommended! exercise, sleep, eat good! The Me-O-Meter Balance what you do for other with what you do for yourself. The other magic word- NO!! LOL
4. Spirituality- Jesus Christ is the key to transform us. He can and will help us relate to others (relationships), focus our thoughts, and change our behavior. He is the Ultimate Mentalist!
True Grit- Liz Legerski
True Grit is an unfaltering courage; devotion to what is right; indomitableness; of a solid character; doing what is right regardless of the danger involved.
To me, true grit is reaching down when you’ve got nothing left and finding the way to keep going. When your body feels as if its going to explode with pain, your energy reserve are depleted and yet you still find in you a little left to give a little more and somehow keep going.
Life can throw lots at us. But we need to keep an eternal perspective while living in the here and now. How can we stick to what we know in spite of the challenges around us. Questions are answered by getting out of our ruts!
Prayer Rut
- schedule it!
- ask for help to want to pray
- count your blessings
- pray whenever you need to. Do it NOW!
- read Elder Bednar's 2008 Conference Talk on prayer
- change it up- say it out loud, only gratitude, bear your testimony, different places
Scripture Rut
- teach a class
- use a study guide
- reminders- put a scripture up everywhere
- change it up- go deep! go fast! topics, chronological, new language
Focus on what you know! Bear testimony to yourself! So I'll take a little advice from this class. Here are some things that I know:
Jesus Christ is the Savior
Families can be together forever
I was created to be JOYful
God knows me and loves me
I am a daughter of a creator and have some of his attributes
I have the ability to do great things!
Touched by an Angel- Jay Pickrel
God has provided a very real messenger (the word angel in Greek means messenger) to the earth to tell depressed and troubled people that God loves them and God hasn't forgotten them.
There are 2 forms of learning: Spiritual and Temporal. Spiritual Learning is very different from temporal learning !
Impressions- limit distractions
Patriarchal blessings- road map
Prayer journal- keep track of what God is telling you!
Other people- God answers prayers through other people sometimes
Temple Celestial Room- Close to God
Listen to the Spirit
Heed. Exercise faith
It will allow you to be able to hear the Spirit better
Strengthen faith even more.
It's a circle!
Purposes of revelation- from a talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks
1. Develop Testimony
2. Prophecy
3. Comfort
4. Uplift us
5. Inform
6. Restrain us
7. Confirm
8. Impel us to action
Minute to Win It- Brittney Sinclair
We did an exercise in small group. We were each given a puzzle to complete. Only thing was that all the pieces were messed up. We had to go searching and sharing with each other to complete it. But in the end we were all missing one piece. We learned that we can help each other for most of life's problems but Jesus Christ is the Center to the puzzle, the only way to be complete.
Parable of the Talents- Matt 25:14-30 It isn't about how many talents you have but what you do with them that counts!
Idleness- "Because of increased life expectancies and modern time saving devices, most of us have far more discretionary time than our predecessors. We are accountable for how we use that time."
FOCUS1. Clear Focus- There is so much info out there. Don't be like
2 Timothy 3:7 "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth". We need to have a clear focus on what's the best!
2. Avoid what is Harmful- spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally
3. Our biggest need is Jesus Christ and following the promptings of the Spirit. Each of us should be careful that the current flood of information does not occupy our time so completely that we cannot focus on and hear and heed the still, small voice that is available to guide each of us with our own challenges today.
PRIORITIES3 Nephi 13:33- Seek God 1st then all things will be added unto you!
1. Build up the Kingdom of God- Missions & Attending the Temple
2. Understand my relationship with God
3. Understand my relationship with my family- secure those relationships in the Temple
Priorities are most visible in how we spend our time! Where is my heart? How do I use my MINUTE?
How do I get my Happily Ever After?- Carrie WrigleyCarrie sang songs and shared some information from Elder Uchtdorf's talk-
Your Happily Ever After."Once upon a time.... All Princesses have tough times before their ... Happily ever after!" SONG- Happily ever After
1. Vision- of who we are and why we're here!
2. Trust- in the Lord with all thine heart! No matter what! When life circumstances change we need to ask ourselves- Who do I need to be NOW? Trust God most when life is the most unfair, darkest, hardest!
3. Endurance- Life WILL try our patience and faith! I was born to be a beautiful butterfly! There is change that happens in the midst of darkness! We will be a better counselor, teacher, Mother, and daughter of God not in spite of our trials but because of them! Endure it well!
4. Hope- even in the midst of darkness. HE can get us through. Be willing to learn the lesson he is giving us! SONG- Will we love him just as well? (when life is hard)
5. Service- "Feed my Sheep"- We are healed and we are fed when we serve! Serve others when your heart is breaking, feed others when your cupboards are bare!
6. Gratitude- for HIS unending love! Do you recognize that what you need is what you've already been given! You may ask, Where are you, God? He will answer- Right here! ;)
The whole Conference was Xtremely awesome! The classes were amazing! The decorations were so fun! (Good job KBro & all those that helped!- I stunk at getting pictures of them. Dang!) And of course, eating lunch with the best ladies ever! Thanks to all those who put the Conference together. I had an Xtremely great time! See you next year!
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