jamie's journey of joy: YW's

Showing posts with label YW's. Show all posts

Sunday, February 5, 2017

~where do the children play

personal progress day~

I was invited to join the YW (Young Women) and Leaders for a fun filled

Personal Progress afternoon at Janis Nielsen's home (the YW's President)!

Devona Jackson is the 1st Counselor over the YW's Personal Progress! This was so fun

for me because anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE the Personal Progress Program!

I earned my 1st YW Recognition Award in my early 20's shortly after I joined the Church and I have worn my Medallion every day since (I'll someday post the sweet story of my husband surprising me with a 'special order' [church permission] 14K gold duplicate of the Medallion and necklace).

Personal Progress is my passion and it was so great to be with the YW and see the progress each one of them has made and the goals that they are setting to become valiant young women of God!

Thanks for letting me "crash" your party and play with you guys today!

Check out what it's all about here:

https://www.lds.org/young-women/personal-progress?cid=YS-M-personalprogress&lang=eng

Friday, August 1, 2014

~change; YW's Room & Leader

August 2, 2014

We've had a change in our YW's Presidency.

Lori Jennings is a cute creative neighbor who I'm really excited to work with and have join the Young Women's program here in the 17th Ward, St George Stake! And with this change a long overdue "makeover" of our Young Women's room was in order.

This is something I've wanted to do ever since we came back from being in the other chapel on Main Street (while our ward building was being remodeled) but never took the time (or energy) to complete this task. I am such a 'social' worker (for me, this means that I like having others around when I do projects) so when we called Lori I knew she would be just the gal to help me accomplish this task! We spent a few days and enough hours to make this one of our projects in the Personal Progress Program!

OUR WORK BEGINS!

First we took down all the previous pictures and Lori began working on our "Come Unto Christ" mutual theme and flag banner while I got our motto and monthly lesson and other pictures framed.

So many wonderful and amazing programs within the Young Women's organization! It's exceptional and truly inspired.

~ Now for the "Before" and After" pictures ~

^^^^^^^^^^^ BEFORE ^^^^^^^^^^^

(Aren't those the most adorable girls!)

Bazinga!

Now for the rest of the "AFTER" pictures . . .

(I had to post every one of the "after" pictures because it was such a fun project and it turned out so wonderful ~ the room sets the mood and is conducive to a feeling of contentment, learning, well-being and spirituality).

In these pics you can kind of get a better idea of the whole room. The door the girls enter is on the right (west side) and the east wall has a picture of the Savior.

Each month we focus on a different value, this month was on knowledge (green): "Seek learning, even by study and also by faith (D&C 88:118). I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth"

The Motto and Torch picture along with the monthly lesson and our YW's scripture are seen as you come into the room and on the piano is our Personal Progress "treat" jars. Each time a YW completes one of the value experiences in Faith (white), Divine Nature (blue), Individual Worth (red), Knowledge (green), Choice & Accountability (orange), Good Works (yellow), Integrity (purple) or Virtue (gold) she gets to get a treat from one of the value jars. Just another incentive tactic to help the girls strengthen their testimonies of Jesus Christ, strengthen both their present and future families, prepare to be worthy to make and keep sacred temple covenants and prepare for their future roles and responsibilities.

As the Young Women enter the room they get a "treat" for just being there. Then they find their notebook (spiritual journal) and take a seat. The theme, value and 'another' treat are displayed as well (for those that brought their scriptures and personal progress book)!

As you can see, I am really into treats - I like to refer to them as positive reinforcements - I figure that everyone likes rewards - for those in the work force their reward is a paycheck, for those that come to YW's theirs is a spiritual experience along with a yummy treat.

On the main table is a basket for handouts, a few extra Book of Mormon's, some True to

the Faith books (one of my all time favorite books in the whole wide world), pencils, etc..

We're all ready for an enriching and enlightening lesson from one of our fantastic leaders!

On to the back wall! It was just blank so I bought 2 bulletin boards and had Bro Fisher put them up for me, we (he) also moved the hymnal case to the east wall (from the west wall where we put the picture of the St George Temple).

^^^Before^^^ and ^^^After^^^

~The End~
. . . or should I say, "The Beginning"!

Side note: after the room was finished we started getting a lot of people coming in during the 2nd block and just hanging out; it was a very inviting and cozy room to be in!

Monday, January 6, 2014

~restoration

1/7/14

Restoration of the
"Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"~

Sister Shurtliff (Amber) gave the best lesson on the Restoration

(Disclaimer - I am ad-libbing here about her lesson -
it was much better than I am describing it).
For a wonderful and complete talk on the Restoration,
by Elder James E. Faust, go here:
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/the-restoration-of-all-things?lang=eng

Amber held up a tile with the words:

Sacrament, Prophets, Revelation, Priesthood Ordinances, Correct

Principles, Temple Ordinances, Gift of Tongues, Tithes and Offerings, etc.

They represented the organization of Christ's Church as it was when
He lived on the earth. She explained how it constitutes the fullness
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! He taught about faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the priesthood, sacred ordinances, etc.

He gave His Apostles His authority, which is the priesthood of God. After Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, His Apostles went forth to preach His Gospel. The church grew but many people rejected the Apostles and His Disciples
and there was great persecution for all the believing.

It wasn't long before all the Apostles, except John the Beloved,
died and the keys and authority of the holy priesthood were lost
with the deaths of the Church leaders. Without this authority,
no new revelation, doctrine or scripture could come.

Multitudes of Christians were tortured and many killed. Thousands of Christians were martyred and many apostatized. The church and the priesthood were taken from the earth for hundreds of years, this being the Great Apostasy.

At this point Amber gave Aingeal the tile and told her to
smash it on the ground. Aingeal complied and did it with Gusto!

Amber explained that this is what happened to the Church
when all the apostles were killed and the Priesthood was no
longer on the earth. The truths were lost and scattered.

There were many good people on the earth and they tried to establish Christ's church again by taking as many parts (tile pieces) of the church that they knew about. The problem was that none of the churches had all the "pieces"
(eternal doctrine, priesthood authority, the ordinances of salvation, etc.)
of Christ's original Church. In other words, they did not have the "fulness"
of the gospel, hence they could never have the complete Gospel.

Amber then held up a tile that was identical to the one she had at the beginning

of her lesson. She explained that in 1819, when young Joseph Smith (age 14) was trying to decide which of all the reformed churches to join, he read from James, chapter 5 vs 1. Then he wrote of this experience,

"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to "ask of God," concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture"

And venture he did! After reading this scripture he went to a grove of trees and knelt down and prayed to Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ appeared to him and he was told to join none of the churches.

https://www.lds.org/topics/joseph-smith/testimony?lang=eng

It was in our dispensation that the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was Restored. It included all the eternal doctrine, priesthood authority and ordinances of salvation that was taught when Christ was on the earth and established His church. And it was through Joseph Smith that it was brought back and restored to the earth.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1.11-19?lang=eng#10

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

~can't stop partying ~ StG ppppp

The YW of the 17th Ward, St George Utah Stake spent their time, effort and many long hours preparing for our PPPPP extravaganza!! It was a huge success!!
~Pink~

Personal Progress

~Pajama Party~

Date: Thursday, June 13, 2013

Time: 4pm-10pm (Leave when you need)

Location: Sister Matthews Home

695 North 500 West #14

What to Bring:

-Pillow Case

-Personal Progress book

-Scriptures

-Personal Progress journal

-Pajamas (Preferably PINK Pajamas)

-Blanket (Optional)

Favorite Waffle Topping (Optional)

-Favorite Snack (Optional)

Aingeal, Sister Matthews (me) and Dakota!
Each of the YW had many responsibility's that were assigned to them by the Mia Maids. It was a fantastic evening and we passed off many of our Personal Progress goals!!

The house was completely decorated but somehow,
in the excitement of it all, pictures were not taken until we went downstairs for games!

Lauryn, Kelli and WyLynn
Playing "Psychology"
(one of my favorite games in all the world!)!!

Dakota, Codie, WyLynn (on the ground cracking-up)
Sister Sly, Lauryn, Kelli and Kelli's cousin!!
I cannot, for the life of me, remember what our "quirk" was when WyLynn was the Psychologist but it was a good one as she was in the middle circle for a very long time (as you will be able to see by all the pictures below)!!