"17 Miracles"

In honor of Pioneer Day, on July 24, we gathered together to watch the movie "17 Miracles" on Netflix.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SResQFe35S8 

(lol- what better way to celebrate PIONEER DAY than watching a movie on modern technology?)  After months and months of doing family searching, it was a nice break to make connection on a personal and emotional level through entertainment.  They took REAL pioneer stories and made a touching movie.   

 "It will all be worth it if my posterity will KEEP THE FAITH!"    

 

One young women shared the stories from the movie with her family, where she then learned that she is actually from a long line of great pioneers who helped rescue handcart parties and helped translated the Book of Mormon to Spanish!  

 Although I don't have any of these great pioneers in my family tree I have a DEEP appreciation for the LOVE of the gospel they had and the sacrifices they made.

Do you have any Pioneers in YOUR family?  Whats your Favorite pioneer story- Leave a comment and share!!!

POOL of TEARS get together

 

WE LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!  And are going to HATE to see them go!!!  This was NOT a party, but a POOL of TEARS get together!!!  We wish you all the luck!!!  LOTS OF LOVE!!  Come back and visit us often!!!

Finding Family!

We were challenged to do some family searching and bring a family name (up to 5 names) to the temple for youth conference this year.  We were starting from SCRATCH!!!  From logging on to learning how to use the site we have come a LONG WAY!!!  Several of our girls have found family members, and are ready to do the work for their family members that have been waiting on the other side!  Who knew family history could be soooooo much FUN!!!!

familysearch.org

KNOWLEDGE

 

 

 https://www.lds.org/young-women/personal-progress/knowledge?lang=eng

 

Sis Bishop always does a fabulous job with Personal Progress! 

Tonight she shared a touching story.  Here it is-

God's Embroidery

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing. She informed me that she was embroidering. As from the
underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.

She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "Son, you go about your playing for a while, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

 

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy.

 

Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

 

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?" The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."

 

WE WILL STAND IN HOLY PLACES!!!

These are some of the MOST AMAZING group of girls you will EVER meet!!!

  I mean that!  I hope you get a chance to sit down and chat with each one and learn about everyone of these sweet spirits!!!  They each are INCREDIBLE daughters of GOD who let their light SHINE everyday!!!  I feel super blessed to serve them and learn from them every week!!!  They help me draw closer to my Savior Jesus Christ and remind me, no matter how old I get, I too am still a daughter of GOD!!

Standing in a HOLY PLACE!!!

Our AWESOME YOUTH!!!

 

Its all about the FAMILY!!!

This was the Atwood Family's first time to ALL be old enough to be together in the temple, but not the last!

This was Cami's FIRST temple trip!

 

This was Abbie's FIRST temple trip!!

 

I LOVE seeing these "FIRST" temple pictures!  It will be so fun in several years down the road when we will see these girls come back wearing WHITE taking pictures with their families again on their WEDDING DAY!!!

This is NOT Brady's 1st temple trip, nor is it his last.  Brady just got his call for his mission to Hawaii!  He leaves July 16, 2014 to serve a two year mission for our church.  We will miss Brady, but we are super proud of him for serving!

 

Not all temples look the same, but all are BEAUTIFUL in their own.  They are usually built for their times or what they had to use for material or location.  You can look for similar structures on temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- like every temple faces east (leave a comment if you know the answer why!!).  Or you might want to look for the words "Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord" written on the outside wall of the temple.  And of course you will recognize the angel Moroni on top!


 Why do Latter Day Saints build temples?  Click here!

Good Works= GREAT WORK!!!

Good Works

Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (3 Nephi 12:16).

 

Cami and Abbie decided to team up with Personal Progress and do the Young Women's bulletin board in the Young Women's room!  WOW!!!  Look how AMAZING it turned out!!  These girls are quite talented!  How fun it will be every week to have something nice to look at every week!  THANK YOU ABBIE AND CAMI for your great service!!!

If you would like to know more about Cami and Abbie's project you can click on:

https://www.lds.org/young-women/personal-progress/good-works?lang=eng

to learn more!

Volleyball at SONIC!!

 

 

Summer in Bullard means one thing is for sure- you will have to spend a night playing volleyball at Sonic!!!  If you look close you can check out who works there!!!  It's TOBY!!!  Chrysta's buddy!!!  He has come to church several times with Chrysta and is a super sweet guy who started taking the missionary discussions!  He was able to take a break and come show us his awesome serve!  I was impressed how many of our youth were really awesome at this sport!  It is hard playing in the sand, but they didn't let that stop them! 

 Summer+Sun+Sand with all your friends= LOTS OF FUN!!!

Till we meet again....

 Karla and Claudia are our two Laurels that are heading off for college.  They have both been SOOOO FABULOUS for our young women and we will miss them so much!  We wish them the best of luck in all they do- and hope they come visit often!!  Sister Lords family is moving at the end of June down to Houston.  We too will miss them and wish them the best of luck!  To wish our sweet friends off Sister Link opened her pool for a swim party! 

The LORAX

 

MOVIE NIGHT!!  We drew the movie...um... book the LORAX as our girls camp skit night value.  It was interesting to hear what the girls got out of the movie as a deeper meaning than just a silly cartoon with singing and dancing.  Just ask any of our young women:"Which way does a tree fall?" or where should you plant the seed?  What do the bears like to eat? (ha!) or What was the main point?  to let it die??? NO!!  LET IT GROW!! 
(ps- I noticed it is much easier to sing and dance along if you were on the floor than if you were sunk down in a couch)

Mothers Day Scrub!

 

Happy Mother's Day to all our WONDERFUL mother's!!

Sis. Bishop combined personal progress with making a great gift for our mothers for Mother's day!  The girls all took a step in the process and then put their jars together filling up, wrapping a bow, and attaching a cute cut out.  The scrub smelt great!!

Happy Mother's Day to all our WONDERFUL mother's!!!

A message from Elder Holland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbYLKVgwztY

BOYS VS GIRLS

The Bishop gave a challenge: BOYS VS GIRLS

We had 6 weeks to see which group could get the most indexing done.  The losing group would have to make and SERVE dinner to the winners!  As a bonus the Bishop also gave the TOP indexer a super prize! 

So... Who do you think won???  The GIRLS!!!  WHOO HOO!! 

Meghan won a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble for doing over 600 names!!  The boys were great sports about it and served us hamburgers and chips with root beer floats for dessert!

 

After dinner we were in charge of filling 1,000 Easter eggs for the ward Easter party that Saturday!  We have a great group of youth!  They didn't complain- they make everything FUN!