Influential Women......

Today was our big RS meeting where even if you are in YW's or Primary or wherever that keeps you from getting to attend RS....you get to attend today! The lesson that our Amazing and very influential Relief Society President gave today was on our influence as women. And that what the World thinks is influential and what the Lord thinks is influential is completely different and who's opinion is more important!

I had to hurry and come home and blog my feelings before the everyday hubbub that is life starts to help me forget some of the messages! It was a message that my Relief Society President had given to me personally once that I will be forever grateful for.....but it was also very emotional to me today because my dear friend Rebecca, took Aileen after Sacrament and kept her all through Sunday School and then even in Relief Society when I tried to take her back. She told me that Aileen had conveyed to her that she wanted to be with her this day. And I will say that Aileen was in heaven being with Rebecca and having Rebecca help her participate with the lesson! I love this dear friend!



In the lesson we listed who we thought and who we thought God thought were influential women. Names like Ruth, Esther, Eve, Sister Julie Beck, our RS President Kirsten, Mother Teresa, Emma Smith, Visiting Teachers, etc....

Then we listed qualities or traits we think these people or Influential women in general have. Qualities like faithful, courageous, patient, loving, example, testimony, compassion, integrity, prayerful, charity, diligent, humble, prepared, steadfast, willing, leaders, knowledgeable, service oriented, puts God 1st, virtuous etc.

Then we talked about how it is easy to see these qualities in others but not in ourselves. We were each given a star that we had to write our name in the middle of....then on each of the 5 points of the star we had to write from the list we made the qualities we felt described us! Well, I have to tell you that was hard.....I would have loved to have done it for either of my neighbors sitting next to me or every sister in the room...I could have listed exactly what qualities they possessed! But it was hard for me to put down which ones i felt I had. Our President said that she felt it was because we might think we are being prideful, or puffed up so we don't generally tell ourselves the good things we do. She also said that Satan wants us to think less of ourselves or belittle us as women and mothers and that is his greatest tool! This was what I have had to work on, because as my RS President told me personally once....Satan knows that he can not shake my testimony of the gospel or my faith in other things so he gets me by thinking less of myself or that no one likes me etc....so it has been something I have made a concerted effort to do better at so that Satan does not win!!!!

I also have a great VT partner, Mary Ann, who told me that her husband said to her once "I think your telling yourself the wrong story" and I loved that and have used that as my new mantra when I start putting myself down or thinking that people might be saying negative things about me I say to myself "I'm telling myself the wrong story"

But the real beauty of today and the reason my heart is so full is because of Rebecca and how she helped Aileen. And the qualities she and Aileen decided should go on her star are:

Humble, Patient, loving, courageous, and virtuous. And the joy in Aileen's face as I hung it up on her bulletin board was priceless! Only someone truly intuned to the Holy Ghost would know which words would mean the most to Aileen and would then bring her so much Joy!

I had a hard weekend with feeling bad about myself, because of hurting my daughter and making her cry and then because of something that was said to me by someone that I should feel safe with.....so today was very good for me to remember and remind myself that I might be telling myself the wrong story and to especially remember that I am a woman of influence and that I am a loved daughter of my Heavenly Father!

At the end we were given bags with notes that we had written to each other! For about a month and 1/2 now we have had the challenge to write notes of love and appreciation to every sister in the Ward! I was able to get a lot done, but I did fall short and did not get one to everyone written, and now that I see how much my bag means to me I feel bad that I wasn't able to get everyone done! So maybe my goal will be to personally send notes to the ones I didn't finish.... or maybe that fact that they had notes from others that will be enough!

But I am so grateful for Today, for the spirit that I felt in our Relief Society meeting and the Love I did feel for me and for my precious Aileen from my Heavenly Father through others!