Letter - Personal Progress

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Happy Wednesday, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve written.  I hope to write an update of events that have gone on soon, but this letter/journal entry has a different purpose today.  I am working on getting my YW’s medallion again this year.  YW leaders and mothers can get earn medallions too.  Lucky for me, YW leaders have fewer requirements that the girls and mothers do.  Anyway, I’ve felt prompted that the best way I can motivate my young women to get their medallion is to work alongside them.

I have been working on my Divine Nature value experiences.  It the first required value experience I have been asked to list the divine qualities of a daughter of God mentioned in The Family Proclamation; 2 Peter 1; Alma 7:23-24; and Doctrine and Covenants 121:45, then think about how I can discover and develop each of these qualities and record my ideas in my journal.  Here is my list:

• Created in God’s image
• Beloved by Heavenly parents
• Have a Divine Destiny
• Womanhood has purpose
• Heir of eternal life is my divine destiny
• Potential wife and mother
• Commanded to multiply and replenish
• My life is sacred and important
• Cares for her husband and children with love and righteousness
• The Lord’s heritage
• Accountable to God
• Needs Marriage
• Faithful to Spouse
• Needs fun
• Nurturer
• Equal partner
• Adaptable
• Helps extended family members
• Subject to calamities if not obedient
• Promotes the family
• Strengthens the family
• Diligent
• Virtuous
• Knowledgeable
• Patient
• Godly
• Kind
• Charitable
• Not barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ
• Gentle
• Easy to be entreated
• Keeps commandments at all times
• Asks for things she needs, spiritual and temporal
• Thankful for things received
• Hopeful
• Has virtuous thoughts
• Glorious
• Humble
• Submissive
• Faithful
• Abounds in good works
• Confident before God
• Learns doctrine line upon line

Thinking about developing all these qualities can be overwhelming.  But I know as I study, pray and ponder on spiritual things and as I come to know and turn toward my savior by Serving Him in callings that come to me and elsewhere, my love for Him will grow and that love will rid me of all unrighteousness.  At least that is some of what has been promised to me in my patriarchal blessing.

In the second required value experience for Divine Nature it asks me to Read Proverbs 31:10-31 and two talks on womanhood.  When reading Proverbs 31 the phrase “her candle goeth not out by night” in verse 18 stood out to me.  It reminds me of the parable of the 10 virgins.  It also reminds me that motherhood is a 24 hour calling.  I know I can be a better mother in the middle of the night.  There are lots of times when my patience runs thin and I do not act in accordance with the divine qualities that I listed above when my kids bother me in the middle of the night or early morning; especially if they wake a little kid up really early.  Not when they’re sick though.  I am patient with that.

The second requirement also says to read two conference talks on womanhood.  I read The Joy of Womanhood and Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor.  Here are some quotes I liked from The Joy of Womanhood: 

• Our lives reflect that for which we seek. And if with all our hearts we truly seek to know the Savior and to be more like Him, we shall be.
• You can recognize women who are grateful to be a daughter of God by their outward appearance. These women understand their stewardship over their bodies and treat them with dignity. They care for their bodies as they would a holy temple, for they understand the Lord’s teaching: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). Women who love God would never abuse or deface a temple with graffiti. Nor would they throw open the doors of that holy, dedicated edifice and invite the world to look on. How even more sacred is the body, for it was not made by man.

Here are the quotes I liked from Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor:

• In The many Beehive and Mia Maid girls in this audience remind me of this little anecdote written by a sister who was preparing for a Young Women activity. She said: “My 5-year-old daughter asked me how many ‘Honeyhives’ I had. After a little discussion, I determined she was talking about Beehives. I counted the young women who were Beehives and told her. She had made a paper airplane for each young woman, and proceeded to count out the appropriate number of airplanes.  “When she was finished, she still had a few paper airplanes left. After a moment of thought, she asked, ‘How many Mermaids do you have?’” 
• Serving others can begin at almost any age. Often the greatest service to others is one-on-one. It need not be on a grand scale, and it is noblest within the family.

Another part of requirement 2 is to ask my mother what she thinks are important attributes for being a mother, list them in my journal, then choose one of those attributes and strive to develop it.  When I wrote my mom and asked her she said, “Patience and the ability to change schedules in a hurry.”  So true.  So so so true.  I will always be thankful for my mom for quickly changing all her Flake Reunion/24^th of July plans to come down and take care of me and my family when I broke my neck.  She left everything to come and take care of us.  I am going to try to do better a being patient especially when plans change and things don’t happen as expected.

Ok, well that’s enough for now. 

Love,

Mindy