Happy 171st Birthday Relief Society
Boyd K Packer said this
"It is my purpose to give unqualified endorsement to the Relief Society—to encourage all women to join in and attend, and priesthood leaders, at every level of administration, to act so that Relief Society will flourish.
"The Relief Society was organized and named by prophets and apostles who acted under divine inspiration. It has an illustrious history. Always, it has dispensed encouragement and sustenance to those in need.
"The tender hand of the sister gives a gentle touch of healing and encouragement which the hand of a man, however well intentioned, can never quite duplicate." ("The Relief Society," General Conference, April 1998; Ensign, May 1998.)
We chose 2 words which represent what Relief Society does for each sister individually. I am sure you can agree that there have been times you have felt UPLIFTed by another sister. We had 2 sisters share experiences of difficult times when they have been UPLIFTed by a sister in a time of need. It was touching to hear their stories of triumph over tragedy through the tender heart of another sister.
The other word we chose as our theme was SPARK. Often we are sparked by one another to be better women. We are sparked and enlightened by another to be a better mother/wife/friend, to be more creative, to be more compassionate, to be more spiritual, to be loving. It is often through the examples of others that we discover ways to improve and better ourselves to become the women that God intended us to be. 2 sisters shared how they were SPARKED by another member of Relief Society.
WE had a salad palooza dinner. We feasted on all different kinds of salads brought by our generous Relief Society sisters. We indulged on a dessert table piled high with all kinds of lemony treats.
Each sister got to take home a flag with the words UPLIFT and SPARK on it. I have seen them displayed as I entered sisters homes..pinned on bullentin boards, hung on wreaths on their doors, stuck in flower pots. Hopefully these are good reminders of the power we feel from one another. We truly are blessed to be part of such a lovely organization that is divinely planned and watched over.
Our centerpieces where simple pots of wheat grass grown in baskets and chip/dip containers from the dollar store. We used wheat that we all have buckets of in our food storage. About 10 days before the event, I filled the containers 3/4 full of potting soil. Then spread the seeds on top until you completely cover the dirt. Water. I grew mine down in my basement on top of folding tables with a fluorescent long lights directly over head. You don't have to do this under artificial light. I just wanted to ensure they would be full by the night of the birthday celebration. You can grow outside under natural sunlight. Do not let it dry completely out. Water often.
