Teaching Moment

  Teaching Moment

     This past Wednesday during Stake Presidency meeting the topic of teaching was mentioned. I was reminded of a story that my Mother told me about a time she saw my Father being a good teacher. My parents for many years taught a high school media production class. One year they took some of the members of the class on a "photo safari" to one of the outer islands. I those days cameras required film that was sensitive to light and could be ruined if if were mishandled. On the second day of the trip one of my Dad's students came up to him and asked him how to change the film in his camera. My Dad took a moment and showed him how and before long to student was off again taking pictures. After the student left my Mother asked my Father how he had managed to be so patient with that student. She taught with my Father and had seen him instruct the class multiple times how to change the film. His response to her has been instructive to me. "He was ready to learn then". How many times do we miss opportunities to teach because we become impatient just when someone is becoming ready to learn.

     Anyhow, that is my thought for the day. I hope to be able to write some inspiring stories from our family down so that we can remember them. If all goes well this will be the first.

Forget-Me-Not

Last night was the Annual General Relief Society Broadcast. I think it was prepared just for me. All of the messages were inspirational, especially President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's. He spoke of the small Forget-me-not flower and related it to five things we should not forget. I thought I would share a few of his points that I enjoyed most.

1. Forget not to be patient with yourself. “God wants to help us eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths, but He knows that this is a long-term goal,” President Uchtdorf said. “It is OK that you are not quite there yet. Keep working on it but stop punishing yourself.

2.Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice President Uchtdorf noted that every situation is different, and suggested asking, “Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?” in order to distinguish between good and foolish sacrifices.

3. Forget not to be Happy Now“The lesson here,” he said,” is that if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.”

4. Forget not the “why” of the gospel

President Uchtdorf said that sometimes, in the routines of daily life, the vital aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

President Uchtdorf reminded the sisters that the gospel is not an obligation, but a pathway leading to happiness and peace in this life and “glory and inexpressible fulfillment” in the life to come.

5.Forget not that the Lord loves you. "You are not forgotten- No mater how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be-- your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you."

I was very grateful to hear President Uchtdorf's Message. I know of at least five things I will be working on over the next long while.