Sunday, February 28, 2016
My heart has been a little heavy the last
week. There have been some big changes
in our ward auxiliaries; we got a new Relief Society presidency and a new Primary
presidency. My good friend Kristen
Wilcox, who worked closely with me in Young Women’s as a laurel’s advisor, was
called as our ward’s new Relief Society president. Everyone should have a friend like Kristen
Wilcox. She is amazing. This was our second time to serve together;
she was my first counselor when I was the Primary president. Shortly after I was called as young women’s
president, my head was swimming and the bishop or bishopric let me know that
the bishop felt very strongly that she should be a laurel advisor. Of course I agreed that she would be good
because she is such a good friend and has a wonderful testimony. Now that I look back on things I realize how
inspired the bishop was to call her to serve with me. I don’t think I would have been able to do my
calling as young women’s president without her.
She was so fun to serve with and
has a “coolness factor” that is so engaging to the youth. She is so good with the young women because
she is so personable, is a genuine friend and breaks the ice in any situation with
her wonderful sense of humor. I’ve
learned so much from her. She did much
to lift my load and to help me bear my personal and administrative burdens. I am surely going to miss working with her,
but I know she is what our ward needs as a relief society president at this
time.
Also my friends Michele Sorenson and Sharon Miller
were released. Michele was released as a
Miamaids advisor and was called to be the primary secretary. Sharon was release as my 2nd
counselor and was called to teach gospel doctrine with her husband. Each of these ladies is also so dear to me,
however I didn’t work as closely with them as I did with Kristen. Michele is so dependable, gives sound advice
and input and was so good with the Miamaids.
Sharon, recently moved here with her husband as they retired from running
a ranch in Nevada. She was a wealth of
experience, so kind, soft spoken and classy.
She’s served as Relief Society president five times, YW president
several times and in the stake primary.
However, her health hasn’t been good and she’s also been taking care of
her Mom who is in very poor health.
I found out last Sunday right before ward council
that these three ladies were going to be released. Bishop Taylor invited me to come back that
afternoon at 4:00pm to part of the bishopric meeting to help discuss and
finalize all the callings that would need to be filled because of the women who
were going to be called to the new Primary and Relief Society Presidencies. I was able to choose those who would fill the
vacancies in the young women’s organization and was asked to give input on a
few other callings. I was reminded that
the changes were to be kept confidential.
That was a neat experience to be there and help pray over the callings. I’m glad I don’t have to do that regularly
though.
Now I will get to work closely with Amy Merrell, our
recently released Primary president, and Shanna Johnson since they were called
to be the new laurel advisors. I really
admire and respect those two women.
Melissa Lantz will be my new 2nd counselor. I’m excited to work with her again. She was my counselor when I was the Primary
president for short time. She is
wonderful. A new Miamaid advisor will be
called too, but she wasn’t called today, probably because she is really new and
her records aren’t in our ward yet.
Throughout the week I’ve gone through a little bit
of mourning because these ladies would be released. It feels like my security
blanket has been ripped off. At times I
would feel fear that maybe things won’t go well with the new ladies—like maybe we
won’t work well together so there will be drama, or they won’t like me--but
then I realized that Satan was giving me that fear and that I needed to have faith. I know that this is an opportunity to grow
not just for me, but for our ward. I
really feel strongly that my new laurel advisors will be able to help one
particular laurel who has been struggling.
I know that change is good and necessary for growth.
Now on to other happenings, Bryant had his last
basketball game yesterday. Marlee and
Karalee each played well in their soccer games yesterday. Spencer’s first three soccer games are next
week. On Friday Spencer’s team has a
game in Tucson so we will have a little road trip to go watch him. Heather and Elliot moved really close to us! Their friend’s house that they moved into
last month sold and so they had to move again already. They knew that house was for sale though and
that it was a temporary spot. Heather
and Elliot are now in our stake and Tilly is excited that they live close
enough that we can ride our bikes to their house and that they have a park
right out their front door. Chad ran a
little bit yesterday! I’m so happy for
him that his recovery is almost over. It’s
been a hard thing for him to bear. He
hasn’t totally been cleared to run by the doctor because he was sick and missed
his appointment, but he thinks he would have been given permission to run at
that visit from what his physical therapist said to him at his last physical
therapy appointment. He still can’t play
basketball yet though. Our whole family
got to go to a nice steak dinner at Steak on a Stone, owned by
Todd Gillespie from Snowflake, with Art and Jace and Macaia and their family a
week and a half ago when Art was in town.
Thanks Art!! It was fun to see
how Jace’s and Macaia’s kids have grown and notice that Porter’s voice has
changed. Last night Chad and I went out
with several friends, Heather and Elliot included, to a fun restaurant in
Phoenix called The Duce. Chad ate there
a few weeks ago as part of a work conference and raved about the delicious food
so we decided to get a group together to go eat there. The food was awesome and the company was very
fun.
My quotes for today come from speakers at our amazing
Stake Relief Society Meeting yesterday.
- President Derrick said, “There is an alignment of great trial with great joy. … There is opposition in all things.”
- Sharon Miller said, “Sin, misery and children help create the context for experiencing true joy.”
- Sharon also said, “If our greatest goal is a mansion in heaven, why would we invest in a shack in the slums where Satan uses his 'D tools'—Depression, Discouragement, Disobedience, Despair, Desolaiton.
Love,
Mindy
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