Today, at church, I taught Relief Society.

It is the women’s organization of our church. The lesson was on Ministering. The leaders of the church have asked the members to Minister to each other. What used to be Home Teaching for the men, and Visiting Teaching for the women, which meant a monthly visit, we now will become ministers to our fellow saints.

What is ministering?

Sister Jean B. Bingham said, “What does ministering look like? Ministering looks like going for a walk, getting together for a game night, offering service, serving together, visiting (in person, by phone, online, or via text), delivering a birthday card, and cheering at a soccer game. It looks like sharing a scripture or quote from a conference talk that would be meaningful to that individual. It looks like discussing a gospel question and sharing testimony to bring clarity and peace. It looks like becoming part of someone’s life and caring about him or her.”

I shared the feelings that I have, that this time and this way of serving I will call my Ministry. The Ministry of Joy. I will do my best to follow the Savior’s example to serve and minister to others. I love them and treat them the way the Savior would have me do it.

What does your ministry look like?

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

“The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one of the greatest sins of which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin of ingratitude. I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much.”

You could have an experience with the gift of the Holy Ghost today. You could begin a private prayer with thanks. You could start to count your blessings, and then pause for a moment. If you exercise faith, and with the gift of the Holy Ghost, you will find that memories of other blessings will flood into your mind. If you begin to express gratitude for each of them, your prayer may take a little longer than usual. Remembrance will come. And so will gratitude.

You could try the same thing as you write an entry in your book of remembrance. The Holy Ghost has helped with that since the beginning of time. You remember in the record of Moses it says: “And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration.” (Moses 6:5.)

President Spencer W. Kimball described that process of inspired writing: “Those who keep a book of remembrance are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives. Journals are a way of counting our blessings and of leaving an inventory of these blessings for our posterity.”

As you start to write, you could ask yourself, “How did God bless me today?” If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life.

-Henry B. Eyring

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 One year, a few years ago, I kept a daily gratitude journal. It was wonderful to take the time to notice the everyday blessings that Father in Heaven has given me. These blessings are so much a part of our daily lives that sometimes we don’t even notice them. We take them for granted. Remembering to thank God in our prayers is so important, but keeping a gratitude journal helps you come up with at least 365 things you’re grateful for, or helping you to pay attention to the little usually insignificant things that are blessing straight from God. His way of letting you know He is there, He cares about what is important to you, and He loves you!

I had to smile today at what our sweet daughter-in-law said. She said she knew Heavenly Father loves her because we were having breakfast casserole for Sunday dinner. She had a busy day at church, and was super tired. Having breakfast casserole for dinner felt like a blessing. It was very good!

I really think it’s ok to give God the credit for everything we are blessed with, even breakfast casserole. After all He gave us life and the opportunity to live in the beautiful world. All the yummy food is a blessing of living in a world that provides the necessities of life. Janet needed some breakfast casserole, and God provided it.

I had a wonderful experience the year I kept a gratitude journal. I recommend it. We are blessed more than we realize if we take the time to notice.

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Doctrine & Covenants 130

18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

Our Relief Society lesson today was about continuing to learn as we go through our lives. Comments were made that the older we get, the harder it is to recall what we have learned in the past. Not only that, but as our lives get busier our minds are filled with so much, we forget things.

I feel very confident in putting the effort into learning and gaining ore knowledge if I know that it will be something I can eventually have readily available in my memory.

When I am resurrected I will have a perfect body. My spirit and body with be reunited forever. Because of our Savior and His resurrection, we will all be resurrected.

What a blessing to know these things.

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

“May the real meaning of the gospel distill into our hearts that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are to be used in the service of others.

If we will give such service, our days will be filled with joy and gladness. More important, they will be consecrated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to the blessing of all whose lives we touch.”-Gordon B. Hinckley

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

“What does it mean to be of good cheer? It means having hope, not getting discouraged, not losing faith, and living life joyfully. “Men are, that they might have joy.” It means facing life with confidence. The gospel of Jesus Christ gives us the strength and the eternal perspective to face what is coming with good cheer.” -Adhemar Damiani

We cannot always control what happens in our life, but we can always do our best to be hopeful, and have faith that our loving Father in Heaven is aware of us and will help us and bless us as we go through our life.

Hope your Sunday was the Best! Love, Joy

Today is Relief Society we talked about marriage.

It is such a wonderful topic and I’m always so grateful for my marriage!

I shared this cute clip from the Pixar movie “Up”. Watching it always make me smile and tear up. Carl and Ellie are the cute couple in the movie. They are so typical of most the marriages I know. They start out with so much hope and expectations for their adventure in life, but things don’t always go the way we think or want them to go. It seems the best way to be married is to love each other and just keep moving forward with love and faith in each other and God.

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Every marriage is subject to occasional stormy weather. But with patience, mutual respect, and a spirit of forbearance, we can weather these storms. Where mistakes have been made, there can be apology, repentance, and forgiveness. But there must be willingness to do so on the part of both parties. …

I have learned that the real essence of happiness in marriage lies … in an anxious concern for the comfort and well-being of one’s companion. Thinking of self alone and of the gratification of personal desires will build neither trust, love, nor happiness. Only when there is unselfishness will love, with its concomitant qualities, flourish and blossom.

-Gordon B. Hinckley

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I have learned in my marriage that men and women are different and complimentary. My sweetheart is my best match. I have strengths, and so does he. When I am overwhelmed with something, he is there to support and handle the situation. When a decision needs to be made, we discuss it and I am usually the one who follows through with the decision.

We couldn’t do as well as we have in our marriage without our Father in Heaven, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to bless us, and to help us be our best selves in our relationship. They want us to have a successful marriage, too!

Hope your Sunday is the Best! Love, Joy

“God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord.”

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Our Father in Heaven is so patient with us. He is always there for us, waiting for us to come to Him. I am learning, or relearning, that I need Him more everyday. I can’t do life without the help of Heavenly Father. I am so grateful that He is there for me. I love Him.

Hope your Sunday is the Best! Love. Joy