Charmaine shared some things from an article written about the experience Elder Stevenson had as he visited with two families impacted by the recent shooting at the school in Florida.
He said -
“We know that Heavenly Father could have stopped this tragedy, And we ask, why didn’t he? The answer we have is that we know that there is a Father in Heaven, an Everlasting God, and he understands the purpose for everything. Our faith gives us the comfort in this knowledge. I know that the Lord knows why and one day we’ll know with a perfect clarity too, because we’ll be able to see through his heavenly perspective.”
From a talk given by President James E. Faust, in April 2007 -
Speaking of the tragedy at the Amish school, he said -
Forgiveness is not always instantaneous...... When innocent children have been molested or killed, most of us do not think first about forgiveness. Our natural response is anger. We may even feel justified in wanting to “get even” with anyone who inflicts injury on us or our family.
Dr. Sidney Simon, a recognized authority on values realization, has provided an excellent definition of forgiveness as it applies to human relationships:
“Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.”
Most of us need time to work through pain and loss. We can find all manner of reasons for postponing forgiveness. One of these reasons is waiting for the wrongdoers to repent before we forgive them. Yet such a delay causes us to forfeit the peace and happiness that could be ours. The folly of rehashing long-past hurts does not bring happiness.
Some hold grudges for a lifetime, unaware that courageously forgiving those who have wronged us is wholesome and therapeutic.
Forgiveness comes more readily when, like the Amish, we have faith in God and trust in His word. Such faith “enables people to withstand the worst of humanity. It also enables people to look beyond themselves. More importantly, it enables them to forgive.”
Visiting Teaching -
**Please see the recent changes to visiting teaching in the chart posted in last weeks blog.
Visiting Teaching Principle For the month of March -
Pray for Each Sister by Name
Our love for and inspiration concerning those we visit will increase when we humbly pray for each sister by name.
One sister related that during a difficult period in her life, a phone call or simple text message often came from her visiting teachers on “particularly dark days.” They seemed to know just when she needed a lift. She knew that they prayed for her, both during their visits and on their own.
The scriptures share many examples of men and women who prayed for others by name. Among the most dramatic is the father of Alma the Younger. An angel spoke to Alma the Younger, telling him that his father “ha[d] prayed with much faith concerning thee … ; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith” (Mosiah 27:14).
Praying for others not only invokes Heavenly Father’s blessings upon them but also helps us know how we can bless them too. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “Praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord.”1
“Think of our combined strength if every sister had sincere prayer every morning and night or, better yet, prayed unceasingly as the Lord has commanded,” said Julie B. Beck, former General Relief Society President.2 Praying for those we visit strengthens us as individuals and as Latter-day Saint women.
President Henry B. Eyring, then First Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “Pray for the way to know their hearts. … You will need to know what God would have you do to help them and to do it all, as nearly as you can, feeling God’s love for them.”
Announcements -
Pack Meeting is this Wednesday, March 7th, at 6 p.m. at the church
Remember that it’s Daylight Savings time next week. Remember to set your clock forward an hour when you go to bed on Saturday.
Congratulations - to Oak Musselman who was called to the Brazil, Maceio mission, leaving on June 12th!
March Relief Society Lessons -
March 11th - Love One Another as He Has Loved Us (Elder Jose L Alonso)
March 18th - Do We Trust Him? Hard Is Good (Elder Stanley G Ellis)
March 25th - The Sabbath is a Day to Serve Others
March 31/April 1 - GENERAL CONFERENCE
March Birthdays -
4th - Tonya Jewell
5th - Charmaine Kuss and Colette Pulsipher
7th - Laura Weeks
8th - Jennifer Willis
March UNITY
March Friendshipper
