Wake-up Call Wednesdays: The Refiners Fire

Taken from the church's Mormon Messages, today's wake-up call helps us remember why we go through trials, pain, and suffering.  We must remember that we chose to follow Heavenly Father's plan and come to earth to gain a body, but also to gain experience.  Trials help refine us to become what he knows we can become and ultimately become like Him.  Our prayer is that this video will inspire you to remember your role in that plan as trials are part of it.  Press onward!

Testimony Tuesday: Testimony of President Henry B. Erying

Meditation Mondays: Peace begins with me

Step 1: The mantra for this week's meditation is PEACE BEGINS WITH ME.  Read this mantra out loud to yourself.  PEACE BEGINS WITH ME.  Reflect on one thing that is not peaceful currently in your life.  Think about how you can bring more peace to the situation.  Or if there is nothing you can actively do, think of how you could respond to the situation peacefully.  We always have our agency in how we are going to react to a situation or to somebody.  Write one tiny goal of action down in your journal or on a sticky note or scrap piece of paper of what you are going to do to bring more peace or respond with more peace.  ALSO write the mantra down PEACE BEGINS WITH ME on a piece of paper and carry it with you wherever you are to remind yourself of your intention for the week.  If you have sticky notes write it down 5-10 times and put it where you can see it in the places you are most in during your day.  This will help you remember.

Step 2:  Read John 14:27.  How can we access the Savior, the Atonement, to help us bring more peace into our life, and respond with more peace in situations where our natural response may not be peace?

Step 3:  Watch and listen to this song entitled "Prince of Peace," by Hillsong United.  First watch it and read the lyrics and then if you can, replay it, but this time, close your eyes and think of the mantra PEACE BEGINS WITH ME, and think of the goal you wrote down and tune into your spirit and let the Holy Spirit direct you and reveal to you what you must do.

Step 4:  Pray.  Close your meditation with a prayer and talk it out with our Father asking for access to His Son, Jesus Christ for help in your intention this week.

Namaste.  Have a beautiful Monday.

Blog Update

You are going to have some inspiration fall into your emails as we are rolling up our sleeves and putting a little more thought and dedication into our blog!  We are going to bring you a little more inspiration and awareness and love through some specific themes as we go through our week as Sisters in Zion!  Please feel free to submit stories and topics to our R.S. Blogger, Aubrey Aguilar.  You can contact her at aubreyaguilar@gmail.com, and we will incorporate anything you would like to share with our Relief Society sisters through the blog.  All we ask is that it is submitted with love and it for the intention of inspiring all.  If any of you have poetry, art, short stories, or anything that will bring beauty, unity, and love to our Ward sister we welcome all submissions!  The following will be some of the themes that you will start seeing in your inboxes!

Meditation Mondays:  A way to silent the noise in our lives and minds and tune into Spirit.  This will include a mantra (an easy thought to say to yourself to bring you back to the spirit), a scripture (to instill the gospel doctrine taught by the Savior and prophets), and a meditation.  These meditations will help us find a stillness inside that may if you choose, bring personal revelation and joy!  Not to be missed!

Testimony Tuesdays:  A testimony from church leaders including the apostles and prophets will be shared through text or video.  Each of us benefits from both sharing and listening to testimonies!

Wake-up Call Wednesdays:  This theme will help us remember who we really are, and our divine potential, and our place in the plan of salvation and what we need to remember in those instances when we forget who we really are.  This will be a broad theme that will include many dynamics and submission of your personal wake-up calls will be part of this theme to inspire and help us each remember our divine roles as Women of God.

Thank-you Thursdays:  This will focus on gratitude.  A attitude of gratitude is one of our greatest powers to access the power of God in our lives.  And it isn't always easy depending on our phase of life.  Gratitude will help us remember from where all abundance comes, and help us to see how richly blessed each of us truly is.

Full of Faith Fridays:  Submissions in this theme will be faith promoting to inspire each woman in all her various phases of sisterhood, womanhood, motherhood, and as a woman lighting the world.  Seeing the faith of others helps each of us reach higher, dream bigger, and act with more courage.  We are going to inspire some incredible changes!

Super Soul Saturdays:  This will include not just spiritual leaders of the church, but spiritual leaders throughout the world who are doing good, teaching by light, and helping to teach all of us that we must create a spiritual practice and love with compassion.  Joseph Smith taught that all knowledge through which you can feel the spirit of God is good.  The fruits of the spirit will let you know that which is true.  There are many spiritual leaders throughout the world teaching truths.  Even though they may not have the whole restored truth, they are our brothers and sisters and we can learn so much through them.  They help elevate us and lift us to higher planes.  This will results in increased compassion for all people, kindred, and tongues.  Lets learn from all who are faith promoting and bring the Spirit!

I hope you all will help us with submissions and also comments below the submissions.  This will be a way we can connect with one another during the week when many of us do not have the opportunity to see each other.  We can unite as women and learn and help and inspire one another!  See you tomorrow for our first meditation!

*Make all submission to Aubrey Aguilar @ aubreyaguilar@gmail.com.  Include your name, the submission, and which theme you would like it to be submitted to.  Submissions will be planned for posting each Sunday for the upcoming week*

Remembering President Boyd K. Packer

Audrey Kolb shared a bit from the wisdom of one of our beloved apostles in her lesson today.  She wanted to share a video highlighting his life and service.  I am not sure if this is the video she was going to share, but it is beautiful and shows the amazing example of a man completely devoted to Christ and the building of his kingdom.  May we all strive to reach a little higher and shine a little brighter and bear testimony as President Packer exemplified.  We are so thankful for him and all he taught us.

Relief Society Enrichment! Don't Miss This One!

If you have never been to one of our Enrichment Nights, you will never, ever want to miss one after you get the chance to go!  We have THE most talented women who plan these nights and each one is as if you went to a spiritual, cleansing, rejuvenating spa for the soul, body, and mind.  If you HAVE attended you know what I am talking about and I can be sure you are anxiously awaiting this upcoming enrichment night and while you are waiting you are calling all your girlfriends, your visiting teaching sisters, and any women you can think to join your carpool to arrive ready for your personal soul spa at our event next Tuesday!  And don't forget to bring a pair of your shoes with YOUR story!!!  We can't wait to see you!  And here is a quick message from Kelsey Livington with an overview of the activity and a couple important details:

"Relief Society evening meeting has been moved to Tuesday June 30th at 6:30PM. The theme is going to be "Walk a Day in My Shoes". Sisters are asked to bring a pair of shoes that can be used to tell a great story about something in your life; about a time, an event, or a meaningful person. Also bring any **gently used** shoes that you wish to donate to charity, any size and gender accepted. There will be light food, dessert and beverage served, by way of food sign-up sheets that have been circulated at church. These meetings are always fun, entertaining and spiritually uplifting. We hope you can attend."

See you all there!

Congradulations to Liz!

All of us in the Colfax Relief Society want to shower Liz with hugs and kisses on her beautiful marriage to Joseph Nelson.  Liz has shown us all her courage and determination to continue in her progression by making the goal to get married in the temple.  We all are so proud of all her effort, patience, and her shining example of keeping her eye on what Heavenly Father wanted for her as His daughter.  She not only made her Father in Heaven proud yesterday, but also all of us in the ward and is such a beautiful example to every woman of God that if we strive to do what we know to be right, and work hard toward our goals whatever they may be, we will reach that goal if we are hand in hand with the Lord.  We are so thrilled that she is staying in the ward where we all will be able to learn from her, enjoy her talents, and continue our friendship with her and her family!  Liz we are so happy and proud of you!