Well bloggers, it's official...I'm TERRIBLE at maintaining my blog. I can't believe how many events I failed to document 8-[. Due to laziness let me see if I can list a few of the major events that have occurred in 2014 since my last post in March:
1. In March, I learned that my good friend Paige is expecting her first born child next month =)
2. Grandma's brother, Tuakalau, passed away in NZ in late March/early April ;(
3. Naki graduated from BYU in late April
4. Celebrated my birthday in Hawaii while attending Inoke Vimahi's funeral (Nala & Peti's gpa)
5. Pakileata was baptized in the Catholic Church in May as well
6. Grandma's eldest brother, Tonga Makave, passed away in NZ in June ;(
7. I was able to attend Doraleen's family sealing in the Bountiful Temple in early August
8. Naki and Ella moved to Texas in August too =)
9. Malini started High School at Trinity (where did the time fly?!?)
10. Pakileata turned ONE year in September
11. Traveled to Sacramento in October for nephew Joe Pauni's proposal/engagement.
12. Traveled to Los Angeles for cousin Sia's 21st birthday party
13. Found out Pakileata is having a baby brother in April 2015
14. Saia Ahau received his Eagle Scout
I'm sure there are so many more events that occurred this year which I failed to include, but since it's 2014, I decided just to list the top 14 that came to mind. Haha.
This year really flew by and I'm not quite sure I can measure any growth that I've made in the last 12 months. Sad to say, I didn't set any goals to accomplish throughout the year and I'm feeling a bit of regret right now. However, it's been a learning experience and as I prepare to close out 2014, I know that's something I need to do differently in 2015!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
As Sisters in Zion
This year we celebrated the 172nd birthday of the Relief Society, the largest women's organization in the world. In a stake training in February (2014), our Stake RS President (Sister Anderson) emphasized that, "We are not a social organization, we're not even a service organization. We're a salvation organization!" Around the same time, I was reading Daughters in my Kingdom when I came across the following quote:
"We must cherish one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together." - Lucy Mack Smith
For some reason all of this really stood out in my mind. I know that this was The Lord's way of giving me some inspiration and helping us to plan our relief society birthday celebration. While doing some online research, I came across a blog that really stood out. This is exactly what we needed to do for our ward. The idea was presented to our ward relief society presidency and we ran with it.
Therefore, we met again as a Presidency and decided that our theme would be As Sisters in Zion with an emphasis on Lucy Mack Smith's quote above. We scheduled our weekend and assigned a member of our presidency to each day:
Friday, 3/14/14 - Blood Drive & Dance (Winona Alusa & Ikatonga Uluave)
Saturday, 3/15/14 - Temple & Dinner (Ana Hemaloto & Teli Hikila)
Sunday, 3/16/14 - Spiritual Journey (Lavinia Vaitai)
Due to a funeral that weekend, we didn't have our relief society dance as planned, but that was fine. That was the least of our worries and was for pure entertainment purposes. Saturday morning, we had a 7 a.m. endowment session at the Dallas Texas Temple. That was followed by our dinner at the chapel at 5 p.m.
The dinner was catered by Emeline Maile with the help of her husband, Aisea, and Sister Hemaloto. During the dinner, we acknowledged the 30+year history of the relief society in the Euless 2nd Ward, highlighting each of the former RS presidents. Based on interviews with our sisters, here's the list of Relief Society presidents who have served since the start of the first Tongan branch here:
- Halatono Netane
- Melesiu Katoa
- Tiloulou Va'ai
- Katea Naeata
- Ana Ita'aehau
- Kasinga Faletau
- Kafoatu Toafa
- Laungaeiki Vaitu'ulala
- Palu Ngungutau
- Nanise Uluave
- Seletute Alusa
- Lolohea Vaitai
- Langaola Tonga
- Seilaine Falahola
- Akesa Paongo
- Lolohea Hola
- Tiloulou Va'ai
- Ana Hemaloto
All except one of these sisters (Melesiu Katoa) are still living and in contact with our ward members. We had a few of these sisters share their experiences of relief society during their timesand some of the lessons they learned. What a blessing it is for our ward to share the wisdom of these sisters.
Our final day was my assignment and thankfully, my little sidekick here is always gungho about jumping on board "fun projects". We didn't have much time to work, but we had some pretty awesome helpers who needed a Choice & Accountability project for their Young Women's Personal Progress. I'm grateful for all their hard work and efforts because they definitely dedicated more than the required 10 hours.These 2 young women really worked hard and were diligent in their efforts. Here are a few pictures of their pre-work. I hope you 2 really enjoyed working on this Tiulipe Ahau & Lavinia Kioa. Because of y'alls hard work and efforts, those who attended the fireside were able to really feel the spirit of Lehi/Nephi's vision of the tree of Life.
As our ward meets in the afternoon (1-4p), we knew time would be tight for setting up. So, we gathered our resources (young men, young women and a few of the relief society sisters for the refreshments) and went to work immediately after church. Here are a few pictures from the setup.We were ready to rock n' roll about an hour early. I must say, the set up crew was pretty awesome and I couldn't be more proud of how accurately and efficiently everything went up. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all those who lent a helping hand.
Just as the clock hit 7:30 p.m., we were ready to begin. Our stake relief society presidency, Bishop Ahau and members of our ward were all present. The evening began in the chapel with an opening hymn, The Spirit of God, and an opening prayer. I then gave an introduction talk on the purpose of the night and our focus, as a presidency, for the weekend.
Everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning of our Tongan relief society here in Euless was intimate and small, but no doubt there was a vision and a hope for the future. We are that future! We have grown tremendously, both physically and spiritually over the years. This is not the end though. There is a home in heaven waiting for all of us. And just like Lucy Mack Smith said, we hope to all be sitting in heaven together.
The journey ended at the Tree of Life where our Bishop welcomed us all home. If we stay faithful, our Heavenly Father will surely do the same. I know it's in Tongan, but I know that one can still feel the spirit of his talk just from listening. It was heartfelt and the spirit truly testified (at least to me) of the truthfulness of his words.
Our closing speaker for the evening was our Stake Relief Society President, Sister Anderson. It was a blessing to have her present and we really appreciated the thoughts she shared with us.
As we move forward, our hope is to truly live and work towards all that Lucy Mack Smith shared, "We must cherish one another, comfort one another and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together" - Lucy Mack Smith. If we can do so, how happy and proud our Father in Heaven will be to welcome us home with open arms.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Building the Kingdom of God
It's been too long since I've blogged. Things have been quite busy in the last month, but I didn't want the week to pass without documenting some thoughts. Last week I was able to attend a Stake Relief Society training in which I learned several things. I'm so glad I went because I nearly skipped it due to laziness and tiredness but for once I listened to the spirit and boy was I ever blessed!
As a member of the relief society presidency, I was already assigned to teach the first Sunday of March and I tried to start my lesson preparations a few weeks in advance. However, after attending the stake training, I was compelled to change all my plans. I knew this was led by the Spirit. Therefore, I changed my lesson to Building the Kingdom of God, which is lesson #10 from Latter-Day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, part B.
As I read through the lesson and continued to ponder Sister Anderson's quote, I tried my best to think specifically about my own ward. I am so grateful to belong to such a strong ward. We are blessed with a wonderful Bishop and great ward members. Bishop Ahau has a great vision for the ward and I tried to keep that vision in the forefront of my lesson preparations.
Bishop Ahau has brought the 3 missions of the church back into focus for our ward. Each auxillary presidency is divided into one of these 3 missions led by a member of the bishopric.
As members of the church, we all have a responsibility to help with building the kingdom of God. The first question in the lesson asks, What has the Lord given us that we can use in order to accomplish this great work of building up the kingdom?
This is answered in the lesson, "Our Heavenly Father has blessed each of us with time, talents and possessions. He wants us to use these gifts to further the work of the Church. All of us are needed to lead, teach, support and participate. By using our time, talents and possessions freely and willingly, we can help spread the gospel and build the kingdom."
Time - Each of us are blessed with the same amount of time. Brigham Young said, "...you should consider your time golden, it is actually wealth..."
I asked the sisters, "How can we manage our time in order to accomplish our church work and serve in other ways?" Some of their responses included:
Talents - Heavenly Father has blessed each of us with talents. How can we learn what the Lord wants us to do with our talents?
When I asked the sisters this question, one of the sisters asked me, "how can we get talents because I don't have any?" I therefore asked our RS Preisdent, Ana Hemaloto, to answer this sister's question. She emphasized to this sister that we all have talents. In order to identify these talents, we have to keep building on our strengths and then share those strenghts. These strengths develop into our talents.
This particular sister's question led to several other sister's raising their hands to describe her many talents. It was nice to hear how well they knew each other and to witness their love for one another as they described their admiration for her talents (which included her big heart and love for others, her decorative skills and her welcoming spirit). There were a few joking responses but the jokes were welcomed and added a nice playful mood to the class.
A sister visiting our ward from California shared her thoughts. She emphasized that we're all blessed with different talents and the only way for our talents to grow or strengthen is to share it with others. No one is going to come and tell you what you're talent is. You know what you're good at and if you don't share that talent with others, you will never grow at it.
I loved her response and am glad she wasn't shy to share it!
I wasn't planning to expand so much on this part of the lesson, but I felt compelled to share a story from the lesson about a couple who was blessed with musical talents. The Ottley's were in Europe studying and touring and received inspiration to return home to Salt Lake City. Once they did, Sister Ottley joined the Mormon Tabenacle Choir and Brother Ottley joined the music department at the University of Utah. They never stopped using their musical talents. A few months after their return to SLC, Brother Ottley was called by the First Presidency of the Church. He was interviewed and soon after named the new director of the Mormon Tabenacle Choir. It was then that the Ottley's realized that the Lord had been preparing them all their lives for this calling. What a perfect example of the blessings we gain from using our talents and blessing the lives of others.
Possessions - Instead of asking a sister to prepare ahead of time to tell the story of the rich man in Mark who asked the Lord how to obtain eternal life, I decided to quiz the relief society sisters on how well they knew the New Testament. They didn't disappoint me! Who doesn't like to show off, right? LoL. I actually had to cut the sisters off because everyone was telling the story and adding more and more detail to it. It was a good laugh.
For those who might read but aren't familiar, the story, a rich man asked the Lord how he could obtain eternal life. The Lord told him to keep the commandments, not to kill, commit adultery, steal or bear false witness and to honor his parents. The rich man told the Lord he was already doing all of those things. The Lord then told him to sell all his riches and follow Him. This made the man very sad because he was very wealthy and didn't want to give up his belongings.
After reviewing this story, I asked the sisters - What personal possessions might we use to build the kingdom? The answers varied:
I am a firm believer in this. When we give whole-heartedly, we are blessed 100x more! The Kingdom of God isn't greedy or shady. We should have hearts filled with love for others whether we know them or not. And if that love moves us to share what we have with others, we are indeed bulding the Kingdom of God in our hearts, homes and communities.
In closing, I had a sister read a quote by Elder Dale E. Miller, "As we invest our time, talents and means to build Zion, our hearts are purified. our wisdom increases, celestial habits begin to form and the Holy Spirit prepares us to receive the presence of the Father and the Son. By thrusting in our sickles, we reap a double portion - for ourselves and for the kingdom."
I echo the words of Sister Anderson, "THE LORD BUILT HIS KINGDOM BY BUILDING HIS PEOPLE!" I know that as we use our time, talents and possessions to help Bishop Ahau and his vision for the ward, we will help lift his hands and will witness the work of the Lord move forward in our community. The Lord lives and has provided a way for us to return to His presence. This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sister Anderson, our stake relief society president, repeated a quote several times during the meeting and it truly resonated with me: "The Lord built His church by building His people."
As a member of the relief society presidency, I was already assigned to teach the first Sunday of March and I tried to start my lesson preparations a few weeks in advance. However, after attending the stake training, I was compelled to change all my plans. I knew this was led by the Spirit. Therefore, I changed my lesson to Building the Kingdom of God, which is lesson #10 from Latter-Day Saint Woman: Basic Manual for Women, part B.
As I read through the lesson and continued to ponder Sister Anderson's quote, I tried my best to think specifically about my own ward. I am so grateful to belong to such a strong ward. We are blessed with a wonderful Bishop and great ward members. Bishop Ahau has a great vision for the ward and I tried to keep that vision in the forefront of my lesson preparations.
Bishop Ahau has brought the 3 missions of the church back into focus for our ward. Each auxillary presidency is divided into one of these 3 missions led by a member of the bishopric.
- Proclaiming the Gospel (Bishop Ahau)
- Perfecting the Saints (Brother Manisela - 2nd Counselor)
- Redeeming the Dead (Brother Pauni - 1st Counselor)
As members of the church, we all have a responsibility to help with building the kingdom of God. The first question in the lesson asks, What has the Lord given us that we can use in order to accomplish this great work of building up the kingdom?
This is answered in the lesson, "Our Heavenly Father has blessed each of us with time, talents and possessions. He wants us to use these gifts to further the work of the Church. All of us are needed to lead, teach, support and participate. By using our time, talents and possessions freely and willingly, we can help spread the gospel and build the kingdom."
Time - Each of us are blessed with the same amount of time. Brigham Young said, "...you should consider your time golden, it is actually wealth..."
I asked the sisters, "How can we manage our time in order to accomplish our church work and serve in other ways?" Some of their responses included:
- making a schedule
- making visiting teaching a priority
- spending time with our church callings versus watching tv or spending time on the computer
- fulfilling our callings to the best of our abilities & having faith that HF will allow time for all other activities/functions
Talents - Heavenly Father has blessed each of us with talents. How can we learn what the Lord wants us to do with our talents?
When I asked the sisters this question, one of the sisters asked me, "how can we get talents because I don't have any?" I therefore asked our RS Preisdent, Ana Hemaloto, to answer this sister's question. She emphasized to this sister that we all have talents. In order to identify these talents, we have to keep building on our strengths and then share those strenghts. These strengths develop into our talents.
This particular sister's question led to several other sister's raising their hands to describe her many talents. It was nice to hear how well they knew each other and to witness their love for one another as they described their admiration for her talents (which included her big heart and love for others, her decorative skills and her welcoming spirit). There were a few joking responses but the jokes were welcomed and added a nice playful mood to the class.
A sister visiting our ward from California shared her thoughts. She emphasized that we're all blessed with different talents and the only way for our talents to grow or strengthen is to share it with others. No one is going to come and tell you what you're talent is. You know what you're good at and if you don't share that talent with others, you will never grow at it.
I loved her response and am glad she wasn't shy to share it!
I wasn't planning to expand so much on this part of the lesson, but I felt compelled to share a story from the lesson about a couple who was blessed with musical talents. The Ottley's were in Europe studying and touring and received inspiration to return home to Salt Lake City. Once they did, Sister Ottley joined the Mormon Tabenacle Choir and Brother Ottley joined the music department at the University of Utah. They never stopped using their musical talents. A few months after their return to SLC, Brother Ottley was called by the First Presidency of the Church. He was interviewed and soon after named the new director of the Mormon Tabenacle Choir. It was then that the Ottley's realized that the Lord had been preparing them all their lives for this calling. What a perfect example of the blessings we gain from using our talents and blessing the lives of others.
Possessions - Instead of asking a sister to prepare ahead of time to tell the story of the rich man in Mark who asked the Lord how to obtain eternal life, I decided to quiz the relief society sisters on how well they knew the New Testament. They didn't disappoint me! Who doesn't like to show off, right? LoL. I actually had to cut the sisters off because everyone was telling the story and adding more and more detail to it. It was a good laugh.
For those who might read but aren't familiar, the story, a rich man asked the Lord how he could obtain eternal life. The Lord told him to keep the commandments, not to kill, commit adultery, steal or bear false witness and to honor his parents. The rich man told the Lord he was already doing all of those things. The Lord then told him to sell all his riches and follow Him. This made the man very sad because he was very wealthy and didn't want to give up his belongings.
After reviewing this story, I asked the sisters - What personal possessions might we use to build the kingdom? The answers varied:
- tithing
- fast offering
- our time
- blankets
- clothes
- food
- tongan mats, etc
I am a firm believer in this. When we give whole-heartedly, we are blessed 100x more! The Kingdom of God isn't greedy or shady. We should have hearts filled with love for others whether we know them or not. And if that love moves us to share what we have with others, we are indeed bulding the Kingdom of God in our hearts, homes and communities.
In closing, I had a sister read a quote by Elder Dale E. Miller, "As we invest our time, talents and means to build Zion, our hearts are purified. our wisdom increases, celestial habits begin to form and the Holy Spirit prepares us to receive the presence of the Father and the Son. By thrusting in our sickles, we reap a double portion - for ourselves and for the kingdom."
I echo the words of Sister Anderson, "THE LORD BUILT HIS KINGDOM BY BUILDING HIS PEOPLE!" I know that as we use our time, talents and possessions to help Bishop Ahau and his vision for the ward, we will help lift his hands and will witness the work of the Lord move forward in our community. The Lord lives and has provided a way for us to return to His presence. This is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
**IT IS WHAT IT AIN'T**
I've been an active player of the dating game for far too long. You'd think I'd be a pro by now and ready to graduate, but it is what it ain't. Each year, I learn something new about myself, the fishes in the sea and what I'm looking for in an eternal companion. I think it's best I try to focus on these three areas and how they relate to me.
Myself ~ My standards are entirely too high and I give ridiculous exams in the first few months. These would be a couple of reasons why I'm still single. You're probably laughing (and that's OK) but I'm totally serious. haha. Let me break it down a little...
1) My standards are entirely too high -
I've actually relaxed my standards a bit but there are just some things I won't let up on. These include but are not limited to dating members (LDS), someone with a current temple recommend and someone who is clean cut. I don't have anything against guys of other faiths, but I know that long term, I'm looking for an individual who shares my values and views which are guided by my faith in God and in the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There's not a shortage of LDS boys, but finding someone I don't look at as a "brother" seems tough (at least here in the state of Texas). All the other guys I've met just haven't passed the "other" requirements.
A current temple recommend is important because I know where I want to get married and that isn't anything that's up for discussion. My experience in this area has been 50-50. Some guys have no issues and others, well...they're lowkey annoying and living that double life. More power to them....NEXT! lol.
Let's see, this certainly isn't the last thing on my list, but it's at the top of my list...I prefer guys who are clean cut. None of that scruff and crust. I'm not saying that guys need to look like nerds or keep their missionary appearance, but they should be proud of who they are and maintain their appearances. Everyone should be dressed for an interview at all times. First impressions are hard to forget and if you're on the market and out to fish, well...you better look good before stepping out on the dock if you expect to catch this gal.
2) I give ridiculous exams -
If anyone knows me, they know I'm pretty cut-throat. Therefore, this really shouldn't be a shocker, but I like to test guys up front and early on. This shows me how well an individual takes tests, works under pressure and how susceptible they are to enduring to the end. If someone wants something bad enough, they'll go to any lengths to obtain that something. Plus...I've witnessed firsthand how a person's true colors don't show up until after they're married and I like to show my cards up front so that a guy doesn't act surprised later. I'm the real deal...take it or leave it! (they obviously leavin' it...lol)
Fishes in the sea ~ When I was a senior in college, I wrote a thesis statement based on the following statement: all problems occur due to lack of communication. I've met a lot of different guys over the years, but one thing that has been consistent is their lack of communication. It really is amazing trying to figure out their thought process. There's the guy who overly communicates. More of the stalkerish type that clings real fast and doesn't let you breathe. Then there's the guy who only reaches out when it's convenient and his schedule permits. Then there's the guy known as the responder; doesn't know how to pick up the phone and only responds to your text messages. Am I really asking too much for a guy who isn't too clingy but knows how to stay in touch?
I could be really bitter and touch base on how mistreated I've been over the last 5 years by the men who have tiptoed through my life, but as bad as it was, I can't help but be grateful for each of them. They taught me a lot and those lessons keep me grounded and humbled. Through all of the chaos (it's been a crazy journey), I'm still confident that the Lord is mindful of me and that Mr. Fishy is out there somewhere still working on himself before he comes looking for me. Only time will tell...
Future Eternal Companion ~ Let's see if I can tie the last two areas together here.
I'm not looking for Mr. Complete, but I am looking for Mr. Me. A wise cousin of mine gave me a pep talk about finding an educated man. Her arguement was that I needed to find someone who was on the same intellectual level as myself. I've been battling back and forth with this because I know school isn't for everyone, but realistically, I know my mind is always working overtime and only an educated man will be able to keep up with my madness.
I've already touched base on religion, appearance and communication, but let me also add family oriented to the list. This is a key requirement! I come from a variety of bloodlines who value family relationships and birthrights. Anyone I'm going to add to the equation needs to understand that and learn where my place is in the family. I'm not at the top of the pyramid and although at times it seems like I'm the rags of the family, I'm not quite that low either.
I hope that whoever wants me as their wife will know that I will respect his parents, siblings (especially sisters) and extended family, but that I will also expect the same in return. I don't have a perfect family, but I have a complete family and just as I've expected my siblings to find respectable individuals to add to our family, I want to find a gentleman who values family just as much and who will be a great asset to my equation.
I'm not sure what the dating game will bring this new year, but I won't hold my breath because I know it is what it ain't. So dating gods, please be kind to me! haha.
That's all folks...
Myself ~ My standards are entirely too high and I give ridiculous exams in the first few months. These would be a couple of reasons why I'm still single. You're probably laughing (and that's OK) but I'm totally serious. haha. Let me break it down a little...
1) My standards are entirely too high -
I've actually relaxed my standards a bit but there are just some things I won't let up on. These include but are not limited to dating members (LDS), someone with a current temple recommend and someone who is clean cut. I don't have anything against guys of other faiths, but I know that long term, I'm looking for an individual who shares my values and views which are guided by my faith in God and in the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There's not a shortage of LDS boys, but finding someone I don't look at as a "brother" seems tough (at least here in the state of Texas). All the other guys I've met just haven't passed the "other" requirements.
A current temple recommend is important because I know where I want to get married and that isn't anything that's up for discussion. My experience in this area has been 50-50. Some guys have no issues and others, well...they're lowkey annoying and living that double life. More power to them....NEXT! lol.
Let's see, this certainly isn't the last thing on my list, but it's at the top of my list...I prefer guys who are clean cut. None of that scruff and crust. I'm not saying that guys need to look like nerds or keep their missionary appearance, but they should be proud of who they are and maintain their appearances. Everyone should be dressed for an interview at all times. First impressions are hard to forget and if you're on the market and out to fish, well...you better look good before stepping out on the dock if you expect to catch this gal.
2) I give ridiculous exams -
If anyone knows me, they know I'm pretty cut-throat. Therefore, this really shouldn't be a shocker, but I like to test guys up front and early on. This shows me how well an individual takes tests, works under pressure and how susceptible they are to enduring to the end. If someone wants something bad enough, they'll go to any lengths to obtain that something. Plus...I've witnessed firsthand how a person's true colors don't show up until after they're married and I like to show my cards up front so that a guy doesn't act surprised later. I'm the real deal...take it or leave it! (they obviously leavin' it...lol)
Fishes in the sea ~ When I was a senior in college, I wrote a thesis statement based on the following statement: all problems occur due to lack of communication. I've met a lot of different guys over the years, but one thing that has been consistent is their lack of communication. It really is amazing trying to figure out their thought process. There's the guy who overly communicates. More of the stalkerish type that clings real fast and doesn't let you breathe. Then there's the guy who only reaches out when it's convenient and his schedule permits. Then there's the guy known as the responder; doesn't know how to pick up the phone and only responds to your text messages. Am I really asking too much for a guy who isn't too clingy but knows how to stay in touch?
I could be really bitter and touch base on how mistreated I've been over the last 5 years by the men who have tiptoed through my life, but as bad as it was, I can't help but be grateful for each of them. They taught me a lot and those lessons keep me grounded and humbled. Through all of the chaos (it's been a crazy journey), I'm still confident that the Lord is mindful of me and that Mr. Fishy is out there somewhere still working on himself before he comes looking for me. Only time will tell...
Future Eternal Companion ~ Let's see if I can tie the last two areas together here.
I'm not looking for Mr. Complete, but I am looking for Mr. Me. A wise cousin of mine gave me a pep talk about finding an educated man. Her arguement was that I needed to find someone who was on the same intellectual level as myself. I've been battling back and forth with this because I know school isn't for everyone, but realistically, I know my mind is always working overtime and only an educated man will be able to keep up with my madness.
I've already touched base on religion, appearance and communication, but let me also add family oriented to the list. This is a key requirement! I come from a variety of bloodlines who value family relationships and birthrights. Anyone I'm going to add to the equation needs to understand that and learn where my place is in the family. I'm not at the top of the pyramid and although at times it seems like I'm the rags of the family, I'm not quite that low either.
I hope that whoever wants me as their wife will know that I will respect his parents, siblings (especially sisters) and extended family, but that I will also expect the same in return. I don't have a perfect family, but I have a complete family and just as I've expected my siblings to find respectable individuals to add to our family, I want to find a gentleman who values family just as much and who will be a great asset to my equation.
I'm not sure what the dating game will bring this new year, but I won't hold my breath because I know it is what it ain't. So dating gods, please be kind to me! haha.
That's all folks...
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Bishop's Summon
I've been extremely blessed with amazing people in my life who have taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through these teachings, I've learned to be grateful for the knowledge I have of the restoration and to help build the Lord's kingdom in any way that I can.
Serving a full-time mission isn't for everyone. That doesn't mean that you can't serve, it just means you have an opportunity to serve closer to home. :) This has been my role since the time I graduated from college in 2008. I've had the opportunity to serve in many positions which include: Young Women camp director, young women advisor, primary teacher, primary presidency, young women personal progress coordinator and soon enough, i'll be serving in one of the most trying positions I believe there is in the church.
I received a text message early Sunday morning from Bishop Ahau:
Bishop - "Nia, can you come to my office before sacrament at 12:40p?"
Me - "Yes."
Bishop - "Thank You."
My reply was simple but full of questions and curiosity. When I arrived at church that day, I was immediately summoned into his office and it wasn't even 12:40p yet. That had to be a sign of importance, right? Well, I walked into that corner office and sat down across from Bishop. He asked how I was doing and how everything in my life was going. I answered as best I could and when he was satisfied, he proceeded to giving me a new calling...a counselor...in the relief society presidency.
I have feared being called to the relief society pretty much my entire life! haha. It's always been a "scary" calling to oversee these women who know everything and talk wayyyy too much. After Bishop told me, I hesitated and asked if he was sure. Bishop's reply was proof to me that he is a man of God with a vision, "Yes. The Relief Society has come a long way and we're almost to where I want them to be." Bishop's words were so profound and as scared as I was, I couldn't say No.
He told me to pray about it and ask Pakileata (who is 3months), if this is something we'd have time for and would be willing to do. I was still in shock and when I finally came to my senses, I told Bishop that there's no way I would say no to any calling, but I would definitely need a lot of deep breaths. haha.
After being extended to such a major calling in our ward, all I can continue to do is take lots of deep breaths, pray for help and understanding and most of all, give thanks for the opportunity I have to serve! I was on lds.org earlier and reading from the church handbook, it says that the mission of the relief society is three-fold:
1. Increase faith and personal righteousness
2. Strengthen families and homes
3. Help those in need
I pray that as I take on this calling, I'll remember these purposes and do all I can to help our relief society sisters with these. I know it's not going to be easy and I'll need to learn patience now more than ever, but I'm ready for the challenge and for the growth opportunity. A blessing in disguise :)
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
BOM Reading - 1/4-1/8/2014
Well, I tried to document my reading earlier this week for the weekend, but had some technical difficulties with my laptop. Therefore, I'm thinking maybe I just need to log day-to-day and post weekly. We'll see...:
Saturday, January 4, 2014 - 1 Nephi 3:9-31
We learn from these verses how valiant Nephi was in his obedience to his father and the Lord. His brothers were quick to give up after Laban kicked Laman out of his house and again when the sons of Lehi had taken their riches to trade for the brass plates, but Nephi was determined to accomplish the things which their father had commanded them.
I think it is also evident had hard-headed Laman and Lemuel were to have an angel of the Lord visit them and they still doubted the Lord's power. I've never been visited by an angel but I would hope that I'd be a little wiser to see and understand such miracles and blessings.
Sunday, January 5, 2014 - 4:1-19
It is better that one man should perish that that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
It's amazing how doing something bad is sometimes for the good of man. Here Nephi was being obedient and following the spirit to go and obtain the brass plates when in the process, the Lord commands him to kill Laban. Had I been in Nephi's shoes, I would've been hesitant and probably too afraid to do so, but Nephi overcame that fear and did as he was told.
Nephi continues to show us how courageous and obedient he is. He is without a doubt a man full of determination and faith to accomplish the task that he and his brothers were sent back to Jerusalem for by their father.
Monday, January 6, 2013 - 1 Nephi 4:20-5:6
After slaying Laban and putting on his clothes, Nephi proceeds to Laban's treasury to obtain the brass plates. I love the fact that through all the intense activities, he doesn't lose sight of the reason why he's there. He continues to work toward their goal/assignment. Nephi obtains the brass plate from Laban's servant, Zoram, and then tells him to go with him to meet his brothers.
Once Nephi and Zoram are outside the city gates, we read about the fear in Nephi's brothers first and then in Zoram. It's obvious that both parties lacked faith and were fooled by the clothes Nephi wore. I can only imagine the look on their faces when Nephi revealed himself to them. Despite his fear, we must give credit to Zoram for having a quick change of heart and trading in fear for faith in the end as he agrees to accompany Lehi's sons back to the wilderness with them. These were complete strangers but because of his humble heart and faith in God, he made the right decision to travel down with Nephi and his brothers.
Lastly, it is important to note the lack of faith in Lehi's wife, Sariah. She definitely didn't put her trust in the Lord as she complained to Lehi about him dragging them all down to the woods and away from their comfortable home in Jerusalem. I am glad that Lehi stood firm in his faith and acknowledged the fact that if he weren't, they would've perished in Jerusalem with the rest of their people.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - 1 Nephi 5:7-6:6
Faith is believing without seeing. Sariah didn't rejoice until her sons returned back to the wilderness. How many of us are like this though? We don't receive a testimony of things until the trial of our faith. Although Sariah doubted Lehi and the Lord, she was blessed with an opportunity to see firsthand the tender mercies of the Lord. She witnessed the miracle even though she doubted. We're not always that fortunate, but when this happens to us, we ought to give thanks and be grateful!
And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. (1 Nephi 5:9)
I love this verse because it's such a great example to each of us. How many of us remember to stop and give thanks unto the Lord for the blessings He showers upon us? After giving thanks to the Lord, Lehi begins to read the brass plates and learns of his heritage. As Nephi states in chapter 6, the full record is kept in his father's notes. These are Nephi's words and we need to remember that we're not given a full account. He's only telling us the little information we need to start our journey. The rest is up to us.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014 - 1 Nephi 7:1-15
Heavenly Father loves us and His plan is perfect. The power of creation is such a sacred and privileged blessing. HF knew that Lehi's journey wouldn't be a quick one. When the Lord commanded Lehi and his family to return Jerusalem to bring Ishmael's family, he knew that in order to complete the mission, Lehi's sons would need to procreate. This is why the daughters of Ishmael were so vital in His plan.
The murmurings and rebellion didn't stop and we can assume that as long as Laman and Lemuel continue to taunt and torture Nephi, the work will move slowly. We can liken this to our days. We have our wards and our bishop's (Lehi's). We can either choose to answer like Nephi and not question the teachings or directions our Bishop's give or we can be like Laman and Lemuel and cause the road blocks preventing our wards from growing and being the strong powerhouses they ought to be in our communities. I pray that as I continue through this journey on earth, I will strive to be more like Nephi and Sam, rather than Laman and Lemuel. :)
Saturday, January 4, 2014 - 1 Nephi 3:9-31
We learn from these verses how valiant Nephi was in his obedience to his father and the Lord. His brothers were quick to give up after Laban kicked Laman out of his house and again when the sons of Lehi had taken their riches to trade for the brass plates, but Nephi was determined to accomplish the things which their father had commanded them.
I think it is also evident had hard-headed Laman and Lemuel were to have an angel of the Lord visit them and they still doubted the Lord's power. I've never been visited by an angel but I would hope that I'd be a little wiser to see and understand such miracles and blessings.
Sunday, January 5, 2014 - 4:1-19
It is better that one man should perish that that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
It's amazing how doing something bad is sometimes for the good of man. Here Nephi was being obedient and following the spirit to go and obtain the brass plates when in the process, the Lord commands him to kill Laban. Had I been in Nephi's shoes, I would've been hesitant and probably too afraid to do so, but Nephi overcame that fear and did as he was told.
Nephi continues to show us how courageous and obedient he is. He is without a doubt a man full of determination and faith to accomplish the task that he and his brothers were sent back to Jerusalem for by their father.
Monday, January 6, 2013 - 1 Nephi 4:20-5:6
After slaying Laban and putting on his clothes, Nephi proceeds to Laban's treasury to obtain the brass plates. I love the fact that through all the intense activities, he doesn't lose sight of the reason why he's there. He continues to work toward their goal/assignment. Nephi obtains the brass plate from Laban's servant, Zoram, and then tells him to go with him to meet his brothers.
Once Nephi and Zoram are outside the city gates, we read about the fear in Nephi's brothers first and then in Zoram. It's obvious that both parties lacked faith and were fooled by the clothes Nephi wore. I can only imagine the look on their faces when Nephi revealed himself to them. Despite his fear, we must give credit to Zoram for having a quick change of heart and trading in fear for faith in the end as he agrees to accompany Lehi's sons back to the wilderness with them. These were complete strangers but because of his humble heart and faith in God, he made the right decision to travel down with Nephi and his brothers.
Lastly, it is important to note the lack of faith in Lehi's wife, Sariah. She definitely didn't put her trust in the Lord as she complained to Lehi about him dragging them all down to the woods and away from their comfortable home in Jerusalem. I am glad that Lehi stood firm in his faith and acknowledged the fact that if he weren't, they would've perished in Jerusalem with the rest of their people.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - 1 Nephi 5:7-6:6
Faith is believing without seeing. Sariah didn't rejoice until her sons returned back to the wilderness. How many of us are like this though? We don't receive a testimony of things until the trial of our faith. Although Sariah doubted Lehi and the Lord, she was blessed with an opportunity to see firsthand the tender mercies of the Lord. She witnessed the miracle even though she doubted. We're not always that fortunate, but when this happens to us, we ought to give thanks and be grateful!
And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel. (1 Nephi 5:9)
I love this verse because it's such a great example to each of us. How many of us remember to stop and give thanks unto the Lord for the blessings He showers upon us? After giving thanks to the Lord, Lehi begins to read the brass plates and learns of his heritage. As Nephi states in chapter 6, the full record is kept in his father's notes. These are Nephi's words and we need to remember that we're not given a full account. He's only telling us the little information we need to start our journey. The rest is up to us.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014 - 1 Nephi 7:1-15
Heavenly Father loves us and His plan is perfect. The power of creation is such a sacred and privileged blessing. HF knew that Lehi's journey wouldn't be a quick one. When the Lord commanded Lehi and his family to return Jerusalem to bring Ishmael's family, he knew that in order to complete the mission, Lehi's sons would need to procreate. This is why the daughters of Ishmael were so vital in His plan.
The murmurings and rebellion didn't stop and we can assume that as long as Laman and Lemuel continue to taunt and torture Nephi, the work will move slowly. We can liken this to our days. We have our wards and our bishop's (Lehi's). We can either choose to answer like Nephi and not question the teachings or directions our Bishop's give or we can be like Laman and Lemuel and cause the road blocks preventing our wards from growing and being the strong powerhouses they ought to be in our communities. I pray that as I continue through this journey on earth, I will strive to be more like Nephi and Sam, rather than Laman and Lemuel. :)
Friday, January 3, 2014
BOM Reading Day 3
TGIF! This week has flown by and with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I am grateful I made it through the week and am semi-ready for the weekend. I have a weekend trip planned to Utah for my niece Kauata's baptism and her baby sister Kumora's baby blessing so I fear that I might not get an opportunity to keep up with the reading assignment during all of the festitivites. I'm going to go ahead and call it now, i'll combine the next 3 days reading on Monday's post...
Today's reading assignment is found in 1 Nephi 2:16 - 3:8
Nephi is such a great example. I love reading about his bravery and humble spirit. His desire to learn of the mysteries of God led him to the blessings he later received. I am grateful that he had an allie in Sam. There is nothing more hindering than standing alone in a situation feeling like the whole world is against you. Laman and Lemuel were rebellious and had each other. Sam could've easily sided with them, but he heeded the councils from Nephi and therefore was also blessed.
The Lord's promise to Nephi in verse 20 is inspiring:
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
This is absolutely true in our days. The Lord has promised us a great home after this life if we keep His commandments and endure to the end. It is not an easy task, but it is possible and reminders like this are perfect for those of us who allow the world to swallow us up in day-to-day activities and lose sight of this important promise.
Another great example Nephi set is by always answering the Lord's call. When Lehi relayed the Lord's message to have his sons return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates, Nephi answered willingly and ready to serve. I'm grateful for parents who taught me this same concept. I know that when the Lord calls (or His servants) me to serve in a calling or position (in my ward), that my job is to answer yes and serve to the best of my ability.
I have seen first hand how difficult it is to lead a group of people (or congregation) who are like Laman and Lemuel. We need to follow Nephi and answer, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them." If we could all do this, the work would move forward easily and Zion would be the peaceful place it is intended to be.
I'm not perfect and until I can fully engulf the concepts found in this reading assignment, I'll be walking down the same path as Laman and Lemuel. My hope and desire is to be as Nephi. I have a long way to go, but I'm ready for the journey down that road! :)
Today's reading assignment is found in 1 Nephi 2:16 - 3:8
Nephi is such a great example. I love reading about his bravery and humble spirit. His desire to learn of the mysteries of God led him to the blessings he later received. I am grateful that he had an allie in Sam. There is nothing more hindering than standing alone in a situation feeling like the whole world is against you. Laman and Lemuel were rebellious and had each other. Sam could've easily sided with them, but he heeded the councils from Nephi and therefore was also blessed.
The Lord's promise to Nephi in verse 20 is inspiring:
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
This is absolutely true in our days. The Lord has promised us a great home after this life if we keep His commandments and endure to the end. It is not an easy task, but it is possible and reminders like this are perfect for those of us who allow the world to swallow us up in day-to-day activities and lose sight of this important promise.
Another great example Nephi set is by always answering the Lord's call. When Lehi relayed the Lord's message to have his sons return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates, Nephi answered willingly and ready to serve. I'm grateful for parents who taught me this same concept. I know that when the Lord calls (or His servants) me to serve in a calling or position (in my ward), that my job is to answer yes and serve to the best of my ability.
I have seen first hand how difficult it is to lead a group of people (or congregation) who are like Laman and Lemuel. We need to follow Nephi and answer, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save He shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which He commandeth them." If we could all do this, the work would move forward easily and Zion would be the peaceful place it is intended to be.
I'm not perfect and until I can fully engulf the concepts found in this reading assignment, I'll be walking down the same path as Laman and Lemuel. My hope and desire is to be as Nephi. I have a long way to go, but I'm ready for the journey down that road! :)
Thursday, January 2, 2014
2014 Book of Mormon Reading Challenge
Well, it's a new year and i'd love to say there's a new me but let's be real...i'm still me. Change should definitely be a daily thing and not an annual act but I'm human and I love that I found a new Book of Mormon challenge that I might be able to follow this year. Since I just found this, I'm going to combine yesterday and today's reading in one...so here I go:
January 1, 2014 - 1 Nephi 1:1-15
I need to jot my thoughts down somewhere so I'm going to use this forum as a place to share my thoughts. In these first 15 verses, I've been inspired by Lehi's courage. He had a large amount of faith and was blessed to be visited by Heavenly angels. The forewarning he received about Jerusalem's destruction may have seemed impossible to people in those days, but that's no different from our day. We may feel that our world is unbreakable and progressing with "the times". But that may only be in regard to electronics and other worldly items. It isn't hard for the Lord to wipe the earth clean with all of that, but because He loves us and allows us the free agency to choose good from bad, He won't do that.
I wish we could all echo the words of Lehi in verse 15 and praise God with rejoicing hearts. I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and for the opportunity to right my wrongs every day that I can.
January 2, 2014 - 1 Nephi 1:16- 2:15
Nephi takes pride in his father's work. I love reading how much Nephi believed in his father's work and how determined he was to share that message. The fact that Lehi was so blessed to receive visions in his dreams really isnpires me. It's evident that he was favored of the Lord and that the Lord entrusted him with His work. I can't help but say, "WOW!" :)
When the Lord commanded Lehi to depart Jerusalem, he didn't question or hesitate. He left without question and did as he was told. How many of us would be so valiant to do so? I know people who won't even go to the ward their home is assigned to. I'm not sure I could leave all my belongins to go to an unknown place, but I'm grateful for Lehi's examples and can only hope that I can be as valiant in whatever assignment I'm given. It is my utmost desire that I never become as Laman and Lemuel who murmured and doubted their father's words. Let us all strive to be obedient and supportive as Nephi was of his father.
January 1, 2014 - 1 Nephi 1:1-15
I need to jot my thoughts down somewhere so I'm going to use this forum as a place to share my thoughts. In these first 15 verses, I've been inspired by Lehi's courage. He had a large amount of faith and was blessed to be visited by Heavenly angels. The forewarning he received about Jerusalem's destruction may have seemed impossible to people in those days, but that's no different from our day. We may feel that our world is unbreakable and progressing with "the times". But that may only be in regard to electronics and other worldly items. It isn't hard for the Lord to wipe the earth clean with all of that, but because He loves us and allows us the free agency to choose good from bad, He won't do that.
I wish we could all echo the words of Lehi in verse 15 and praise God with rejoicing hearts. I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and for the opportunity to right my wrongs every day that I can.
January 2, 2014 - 1 Nephi 1:16- 2:15
Nephi takes pride in his father's work. I love reading how much Nephi believed in his father's work and how determined he was to share that message. The fact that Lehi was so blessed to receive visions in his dreams really isnpires me. It's evident that he was favored of the Lord and that the Lord entrusted him with His work. I can't help but say, "WOW!" :)
When the Lord commanded Lehi to depart Jerusalem, he didn't question or hesitate. He left without question and did as he was told. How many of us would be so valiant to do so? I know people who won't even go to the ward their home is assigned to. I'm not sure I could leave all my belongins to go to an unknown place, but I'm grateful for Lehi's examples and can only hope that I can be as valiant in whatever assignment I'm given. It is my utmost desire that I never become as Laman and Lemuel who murmured and doubted their father's words. Let us all strive to be obedient and supportive as Nephi was of his father.
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