Jan 31 Announcements and Spiritual Thought

Sorry...forgot to add these to the last post!

This is the last day to do our VT for January. Please make sure that your sisters are contacted this month.

The new Visiting Teaching routes are available today. You can find them on the round table outside the Relief Society Room. If your route is not there or if you have any questions please contact Susan Holder, 452-0600.

We need volunteers to make sandwiches tomorrow at St Johns at the corner of N. 6^th and B. We meet at 1pm. If you have any questions please contact Susan Holder.

Our weight loss support group meets every Wednesday evening at 6:30 at the church. It is open to everyone who wants to attend.

We will have our Girls Night Out in February. More information will be available next Sunday.

Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception—and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are."

David A. Bednar

5th Sunday Combined Priesthood/RS Meeting

I wasn't able to attend today...sick kiddos...but Brannon said that Bishop Bardin taught the lesson this week. He told me that it was about forgiveness and reaching out to less active members of the Ward. He also showed a conference talk by Elder Bednar. I think this may be the link to the article out of the Ensign (November 2006). Somebody please correct me if this isn't it! The article is called "And Nothing Shall Offend Them".

The group was also given a handout outlining the goals for the Fort Smith Arkansas Stake for this year.

Proclaim the Gospel

--Follow President Hinckley's admonition to double convert baptisms (120 stake wide)
--Pray daily to have opportunities to share testimony of Jesus Christ.
--2 Missionary referrals per family

Perfect the Saints

--Increase faith in Jesus Christ by studying scriptures and having personal and family prayer each day
--Be a 100% Home Teacher/Visiting Teacher-THEN RETURN AND REPORT
--Maintain a healthier lifestyle by better adherence to the Word of Wisdom as per Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants
--March and September-100% Home Teaching/Visiting Teaching months for every unit in the Stake


Redeem the Dead

--Schedule and participate in Ward Temple Days
--Participate in Stake fill the Temple Day and submit a minimum of 5 names for family file work
--60% of endowed Adults with Temple Recommends

Fun Family Home Evening Blog

I found this link on Facebook today and thought I would share. It's a blog for 52 Family Home Evenings by Emilie Ahern...scrapbookers may recognize her from some of the scrapbooking magazines. It looks like a fun web site! http://ayearoffhe.blogspot.com/

Sunday Lesson--Jan 24 and Announcements

Susan Holder did our lesson today in Relief Society. She used Ann Dibbs talk from General Conference (October 2009) called Hold On. It was a great lesson!!

Here are our announcements for this week:

Volunteers are needed to help make sandwiches at St. John's on Monday.

The weight-loss group meets Wednesday at 6:30 in the Relief Society room. Men can come too!

The new Visiting Teaching routes will be available next Sunday.

Don't forget to finish your Visiting Teaching for January! Please let Sister Condren or Sister Holder know when you are finished. There are VT reports in the folder that is passed around on Sundays that you can fill out and give to them too.

If you would like to complete your Young Women in Progress and receive your medallion, contact the Young Women's Presidency. They are letting the Relief Society work with the girls to accomplish their goals. This is a great opportunity to get to know our future Relief Society sisters and to strengthen our own spirituality at the same time!

Spiritual Thought:

"The purpose of Relief Society, as established by the Lord, is to organize, teach, and inspire His daughters to prepare them for the blessings of eternal life.

"To fulfill the purpose of Relief Society, the Lord has commissioned each Relief Society sister and the organization as a whole to:

"1. Increase in faith and personal righteousness.

"2. Strengthen families and homes.

"3. Serve the Lord and His children.

"Each one of these responsibilities supports and reinforces the other two. When we increase our faith, the result of that effort strengthens our family. When we serve the Lord and His children, our faith and capacity for righteousness increase."

Julie B. Beck, "Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society," Ensign, November 2008, 109

Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake

I found this recipe on a box of Philadelphia cream cheese several years ago and was in the mood to make it today. It is way better than the one you buy at Sam's!!

2 cups Oreo Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 bag (14-oz) Kraft Caramels
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Planters Pecan Pieces
3 pkgs (8-oz each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate

Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-inch springform pan. Place caramels and milk in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 3 minutes or until caramels are melted, stirring after each minute. Pour 1/2 of caramel mixture into crust. Refrigerate 10 minutes. Set remaining caramel mixture aside for later use.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over caramel mixture in crust.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. (Bake at 300 for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake, cool before removing side of pan.

Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Top with remaining caramel mixture and pecans just before serving. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cheesecake. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Makes 16 servings.

Ok...I don't buy the Oreo crumbs. I buy a package of Oreos and break them up in a food processor and then eat the leftovers. Sorry weight-loss group but that's what I do!! :D It only takes about 1 1/2 rows of cookies to make two cups.

Enjoy!!

Weight-loss Group

Bree Watson is starting a weight-loss blog to help keep her motivated and us too! Here's the link if you are interested...Goings On At The Reducing Salon.

January 17 Announcements

The weightloss group will meet Wednesday at 6:30 in the Relief Society room.

The new VT routes will be available January 31. Keep your current route for January.

Volunteers are needed every Monday to make sandwiches at St. John's (6th and B). If enough show up, then it only takes an hour.

Emailed RS announcements are now going out via the Ward email. To sign up, either sign the sheet being passed around in RS or send an email to fortsmithward@gmail.com.

January 30 is the Young Women's pancake breakfast. It will be from 8 am to 10 am. This will be the YW's fundraiser for Girl's Camp. There will be a Primary activity later that morning also.

We are now doing a newsletter for Relief Society. Copies were sent out via Ward email. Hardcopies will be available outside the RS room also. You can also access it by clicking on the following link: Charity Chatter. You will need Adobe Reader to open the file. Most computers have Reader already but if yours doesn't, you can get it for free at www.adobe.com.

January 10 Announcements

The weight-loss group will meet at 6:30 pm Wednesday in the Relief Society room.

The new Visiting Teaching routes will be available on January 31. Please keep your current routes for January's visits.

The Ward Temple trip is next Saturday, Jan 16 at 10:15.

Please remember to sign up for Ward email to continue receiving RS announcements by email.

Relief Society Announcements

The weight-loss group is meeting again on Wednesdays at 6:30 in the Relief Society room.

Updated Visiting Teaching routes will be available next Sunday, Jan 10th.

Visiting Teaching reports need to be made to Sister Condren or Sister Holder.

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