Well Hello there, Gorgeous

March 12th at 10:00am

Come for brunch! All Sisters invited.

Bring the Kiddos and let them play while you Mingle and Munch.

Please bring a dish to share.

Standing in Holy Places: Finding your own Sacred Grove

We had a great combined meeting with Palm Harbor Relief Society the beginning of February. Since life can get crazy... always... the topic of the night highlighted a few areas to think about when trying to find your own Sacred Grove so you can recharge spiritually. All the presenters did a great job and it was a very positive and uplifting program. The presenters said it better, but for those of you who couldn't come, here are some of my notes.

Beautify

• If you don't love the space you live in, change it! Don't be scared to make mistakes because you can always change or repaint it.
•  A good place to get cheap furniture or items to decorate is thrift store shopping, garage sales, the side of the road (one woman's trash is another woman's treasure).
•  Anything can be up-cycled or repainted. Chalk paint (made of Latex and calcium carbonate) can be made and used to cover furniture without sanding down the whole surface.

Journaling
Besides traditional Journaling (writing every night before you go to bed) other ideas for keeping track of memories were presented.

• Photo Books - found on picture websites like Shutterfly, Snapfish.You can upload pictures and journal information next to the pictures. Ex. a travel book outlining all the places, funny things that were done or said on your vacation. 
• Grattitude Journal - everyday write one thing you are thankful for so you can look back and remember the day and be reminded of the good things in life.
• Calendar books - It has the dates already written and some have pretty pictures where you can write events of your day. 

Spirit (within the home)

• If you try to force or manufacture the spirit it will chase it away. Don't force it.
• The feeling you create in your home, is from all the things that you do. Stay on course and move forward. 
•  A plaque that hangs in their home says, "Be nice or go away."  This can also apply to the Spirit. If you are not nice, He will go away. 

Habits -Personal and Family Scripture study

• Pray before you start your scripture study.
• JUST KEEP TRYING 
• If you don't know what to study, try going to the Bible Dictionary or use a picture from the Gospel Pictures to study and learn more information.
• With your family act out scripture stories, they will never forget it.
• All seminary guides are online and can be used as a resource.
• Learn, Practice, use the Top 100 scriptures that are used in Seminary.
• It is a great help to your Sunday school and Relief Society teachers to read your manual and be prepared for class.

Talents
We all have different talents. We can find them by asking family and friends and by reading through our Patriarchal Blessing.

Music

• Helps their family get through the cleaning, but has also pulled them through tough times and given them some of the most spiritual moments that bind their family together.
• Church music (hymns, children songbook) is all available Free on LDS.org., use it! 

Resources

• Surround yourself with things you like. Pictures, quotes, poems anything that inspires you and change it when it isn't needed anymore. 
• A poem was shared about a man in a hole. If you are in a hole, did you put yourself there, do you want to get out, how do get out, can you avoid it next time?
• Ask yourself  "Have I done everything I can do today?"

Still working on adding leaves to my tree, but this was the craft of the night.

New Temple in Florida!

Ft. Lauderdale FL Temple

Public Open House

Dates: Saturday, March 29th - Saturday, April 19th (excluding Sundays, March 30, April 6, April 13)

Location: SW 154th Ave., Davie, FL

Dress: Modest Dress is requested.

Every Who down in Who-ville

This year's Relief Society Christmas party was centered on how to get rid of the "Grinchies " since they seem to sneak in so easily this time of year. We got to visit Who-ville for some refreshments, hot chocolate, and a cookie exchange! They even gave us some interesting Elf names and quizzed us on how well we knew about their town and their green furry resident (those with kids had quite an advantage). We were uplifted by words spoken in the Christmas devotional in 2010 titled "Seeing Christmas through new Eyes" given by Dieter Uchtdorf. He said it best, but suggested 3 things to ponder, study and apply.

• Rejoice in the Birth of the Savior - Take time to rejoice and celebrate that glorious first Christmas day.
• Ponder His influence in our lives today - Christmas is a time for remembering the Son of God, a time of grattitude, a time of forgiveness, a time of pondering the Atonement and what it means to us personally.
• Look Steadfast for his coming - Let us look forward. let us prepare for the blessed day when He will come again.

"If we look for what is wrong with the Christmas season, we can surely find it. If we look for the good, we can see this time of year with new eyes."

Have a Merry Christmas!

Some cookies recipes that were left to share

Peanut butter Cookie Balls - Makes 4 dozen

1 lb peanut butter cookies crushed

1 8 oz block of cream cheese softened

1 lb chocolate flavored candy coating 

1 cup crushed pretzels

In a large mixing bowl combine the crushed cookies with the cream cheese to form a stiff dough. Roll 3/4 inch size balls from the dough and refrigerate them overnight. Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler. Fill a mini cupcake pan with mini liners. With a spoon, place a small dollup of chocolate in the bottom of the liner then press a chilled cookie ball on top. Cover with additional chocolate and dust with crushed pretzels. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Cookies - from Glen Roosa Gulfport Branch

1 - 8oz pkg. cream cheese

1 box yellow cake mix

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup butter

1 egg yolk

Soften butter and cream cheese naturally (no microwaving). When softened, mix together. You can use a hand mixer to blend softened butter and cream cheese together. When well blended, add egg yolk and vanilla and blend together. Once all three ingredients are mixed together, add 1/3 of the box of cake mix. You can use a hand mixer, but dough will thicken up. When well mixed, add another 1/3 of the cake mix and repeat. When this is all mixed, add the last 1/3, but mix by hand using a wooden spoon. Refrigerate dough in covered bowl for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop one teaspoon size mixture onto ungreased cookie sheet. Baking time is 8 to 10 minutes, but please watch your oven. Once they start to appear cake like on top, but not completely brown, they are done. Doneness will depend on whether you like a softer cookie or not. Variations include using white cake mix or yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix.

It only takes a Minute to Win it

We went to the Big Top and had some circus fun for our August activity. Based on the TV show, Minute to Win it, we had some friendly competition playing various games. Some were harder than we thought and some were easy peasy. My favorite was the Elephant March where we had to knock over water bottles with our "trunks"!  Each game accomplished within the time frame, won the competitor free tickets. The more tickets, the more prizes won.... but who ended up counting them in the end. What's a circus without refreshments -popcorn, circus peanuts, pretzels, and A big Thank you for the cotton candy.

Reminder- Christmas Gift Collection Tomorrow

Hi Sisters!

Clearwater Ward is collecting items for The Haven women’s and children’s shelter for Christmas.
They are in need of new toys for Boys ages 3-12 and gift items for teens.
Examples include but not limited to

Boy age 3-5
Matchbox cars, race tracks, trucks, remote control cars, dinosaurs, balls, coloring books, blocks
Boy age 6-8
Pokemon, Beyblade, Transformers, Spiderman, balls, legos, scooter, puzzles

Boy age 9-12
Athletic equipment, books, video games, board games, mp3 player


Teen
Gift cards for movies, stores, museums
Wii games, books, DVDs,
Please help us provide a nice Christmas for these children by bringing your unwrapped gifts to the Clearwater Ward Christmas party on Friday, December 16. Thank you so much for your help!
Please contact me with any questions.
Have a great weekend!
Leah Larsen
727.776.2035
lmhlarsen@yahoo.com

Clearwater Ward Christmas Service Project

Hi Sisters!

Clearwater Ward is collecting items for The Haven women’s and children’s shelter for Christmas.
They are in need of new toys for Boys ages 3-12 and gift items for teens.
Examples include but not limited to

Boy age 3-5

Matchbox cars, race tracks, trucks, remote control cars, dinosaurs, balls, coloring books, blocks

Boy age 6-8

Pokemon, Beyblade, Transformers, Spiderman, balls, legos, scooter, puzzles

Boy age 9-12

Athletic equipment, books, video games, board games, mp3 player

Teen

Gift cards for movies, stores, museums

Wii games, books, DVDs,

Please help us provide a nice Christmas for these children by bringing your unwrapped gifts to the Clearwater Ward Christmas party on Friday, December 16.  Thank you so much for your help!
Please contact me with any questions.
Have a great weekend!

Leah Larsen
727.776.2035
lmhlarsen@yahoo.com