Stake Conference

Today was our Stake Conference....which I dread! It is just SO hard to entertain young kids for 2 hours without a break. We didn't go to the last Stake Conference because it seemed too stressful. Now its even more difficult because we can't meet at the tabernacle since its not in use due to construction. I like the tabernacle because when the kids get rowdy you just take them to the back to wander and maybe take a walk around the temple. Its a good peaceful way to still keep the spirit (As best you can while frustrated) during the long 2 hour meeting.

So this conference was held in our stake center which to me sounded like a nightmare. It doesn't fit the same amount of people comfortably. I knew right away that if we went, I wanted a bench! I didn't care what it took, I really really wanted a bench. With a bench it is easier to keep the kids entertained without dropping crayons off the back of the chair. So we went to bed Saturday with a game plan: David would wake up, get ready, and go save us a bench. I would then get myself and the girls ready and go meet him there.

Everything went smoothly. David got a bench! Even better, he got a bench behind Barb, Crista, Brian and Janis! AWESOME! I was able to get the girls ready without any tears and we arrived 10 minutes early. (I hate being late) The girls wanted to sit by Barb so I allowed. They were a little back and forth between the two benches but not so much that they were a distraction. They may have chatted to Barb and made her miss bits and pieces of the talks, but overall they were absolutely AMAZING! I didn't think we would make it without me leaving completely frustrated. I packed a good bag, we had great family who helped and supplied many treats, and I was able to enjoy and listen to most of every talk. SUCCESS! I am so happy to have my kids at an age where they are able to sit through a long (boring to them) meeting and behave well the whole time.

I enjoyed the talks very much. All of them had lessons to be learned and taught me things I could improve on. I left feeling like I was able to make some positive changes in my life. One thing that stuck with me is something President Monson said. It wasn't exactly the topic of his talk, but he said it and I liked it. " A friend is more focused on helping others than getting credit." This is something that I try to do. I grew up with a mom who taught me how important service is. I don't know how many times I heard the phrase "Service with a smile" (which sometimes made me want to scream) I enjoyed serving others and I loved knowing that I helped those who needed it. From things like charity donations to simple things like babysitting for free. I have always had a love of helping others. My mom always taught me that when you serve others you will be blessed in return. THOSE blessing are your recognition from God and you need no other recognition. If I received a "thank you" I was thrilled because you could always tell by the tone of voice that it was sincere and the person appreciated what you did. If I did something anonymously, I knew that they would be happy when they were surprised with my little act of service. All in all, service has been a big part of my life. The biggest lesson I learned was that you need no thanks or recognition for the things you do for others. Simply do it because you were inspired to do it, asked to do, or even told to do it. And yes.....you should do it willfully and happily and even with a smile. :)

When President Monson said that "A friend is more focused on helping others than getting credit" I thought of times where people seem to flaunt or brag about the fact that they went out of their way to help someone. To me when you do this, you are serving for the wrong reason. You should not serve to feel superior or to get everybody's applause, you should do it because you care deeply about the welfare of others. To me when you boast about doing service, the attention you get from those complimenting you IS your blessing. I know that none of this is necessarily the teachings of the church and simply my OWN opinion, but hey it is MY blog after all. I just figured I would share a little thought that has been on my mind all day.

I am so glad that my mom taught me to serve. I am also very glad that Davids parents taught him the same. Service is so important and you never know how hard of a time someone may be having. A simple smile, phone call, note or treat may be the one thing that keeps someone going for the week. I hope that I can teach my girls the same as mine and David's parents taught us. And I hope that somehow I can teach them that allowing someone to serve you is just as important. My mom is a stubborn ol' bird and it took her a very long time to learn that lesson. I have just recently started to allow others to serve me and am still quite stubborn about it. (But getting better) I hope that through each generation we will get less stubborn....but I won't hold my breath!