My gas light was on. Again. This time, the gauge was well past the “E” symbol that signified that my car was on the verge of running out of gas. I had pushed the limit several times before, just to see how far I could go before I really needed gas. That time, I ran out of gas at an intersection, causing traffic problems. My husband had to come rescue me. He didn’t appreciate that very much. This time I had to pick up two kindergarteners in 20 minutes and could not be late. I needed to find a gas station PRONTO!

I thought, “I should pray.”

I got an answer very quickly. An image popped into my mind and I understood the meaning immediately.

This painting is entitled “Five of Them Were Wise” in reference to the parable of the ten virgins as found in Matthew 25:1-13. I was being chastised for not keeping my gas tank full. Fumes got me to the closest gas station and to my kindergarten pick up on time. But my heart continued to ponder the deeper meaning of the image presented to me in my mind.

“Am I prepared?”
“Am I as foolish spiritually as I am physically?”
“What am I doing to fill my lamp?”

Elder Dallin H. Oaks gives some points to ponder on the subject of being spiritually ready to meet our Lord.

“What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them.”

“What is the state of our personal preparation for eternal life? The people of God have always been people of covenant. What is the measure of our compliance with covenants, including the sacred promises we made in the waters of baptism, in receiving the holy priesthood, and in the temples of God? Are we promisers who do not fulfill and believers who do not perform?”

The most poignant line for me in the parable of the ten virgins comes in the end of verse ten, “and the door was shut.” Every time I read that line I say, “No, not me! Don’t shut the door on me Lord. I will be ready.” Maybe I should print out a picture of the ten virgins and tape it next to my gas tank to remind me to literally and spiritually to keep my tank full and to start working on becoming one of the wise.

——————-

For more on this topic, following is content from lds.org on spiritual preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ:

Oil in Our Lamps by Elder Lynn G. Robbins

Preparation for the Second Coming by Dallin H. Oaks

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf also talked about this in the recent First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

Look steadfastly for [the Savior’s] coming. The early disciples of Jesus Christ yearned for the time when He would come again. For them, mortality was a time of preparation and growth, of sifting and refining, a time for trimming their lamps and preparing for the return of their beloved Savior…. [T]wo thousand years later, we also stand as His disciples….The term latter-day [in the name of our Church] is significant. We live and serve in a time prior to the Lord’s triumphant return. Our work is to prepare…for the coming of the Messiah in glory….While the Christmas season is typically a time for looking back and celebrating the birth of our Lord, it seems to me that it should also be a time of looking to the future. Let us look forward. Let us prepare for that blessed day when He will come again.

The post Spiritual Preparedness – Oil in My Lamp appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

There are many women in my circle of interaction who are in the throes of severe financial duress.  After praying, fasting and begging the Lord for this cup to pass, relief has been slow. Couples have been stretched to the limit, children have been caught unawares, and the faith of good people is being tried. In my conversations I’ve caught glimpses of their suffering:

“We prayed to know if this was a good investment. We thought we felt the Lord’s approval.”

“I didn’t even know we had an interest-only loan. I guess I didn’t understand what I was signing.”

“My house is being auctioned today on the courthouse steps.”

“My husband just told me we haven’t been paying our property taxes or mortgage payments for the last six months.”

“We took the money out of our retirement to pay for college and weddings. How could we pay for one child’s education and not the others’?”

“Sometimes I wish I could shop at the same stores I used to. I wish I didn’t have to move into a rental. Sometimes I wish I had my old life back. I know I sin in my wish.”

“We have been out of work for over a year. Our savings is gone. Will retirement even be possible?”

“I haven’t worked in 20 years, who is going to hire me?”

My heart aches as I listen to my friends’ suffering. How can they start over at 45, 55, 65? How can I help?

I guess the first thing I can do is listen. I can help them network. I have already spent dozens of hours scouring craigslist for jobs and affordable housing. I can remember that tomorrow it could be me. I can make sure that other parts of their life are easier by providing childcare or inviting them over for dinner or a game night to relieve stress. I can increase my fast offerings. In short, I can “mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” And when my trial of faith comes, I can allow them to return the favor.

Years ago, I found myself unemployed and living off of savings. I was in a new town and far from family. I took a multifaceted approach to finding a new job. The first place I visited was the LDS employment center. They matched my skills to current job openings and I sent out my résumé to a few potential employers.  Next, I contacted my alumni association and found an online job board for graduates in my field. Third, I went through the yellow pages and circled every job I thought I’d be good at or like.

You’d be surprised to learn that I actually found the job of my dreams via the yellow pages. After circling the jobs I thought I’d be good at, I started calling businesses directly and asking for a job. One company invited me in for an interview the next day. A part-time job at that firm led to a full-time position which led to a management position and I was happier at that job than at any previous workplace.

Recently, I found another great resource for individuals and families who would like to increase their personal finance skills. With the help of several professors at the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, Bryan Sudweeks provides a free online course to aid people in improving their personal finances. The material outlines how to buy a house, how to get out of debt, and how to make (and keep) a budget. This course is designed for the novice and experienced financier and everyone in between. While this course relies heavily on principles taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this course would be helpful to any household.

One quote from the website that I really appreciated was that “wealth is not a sign of righteousness.” I love my friends, I know they are good people who love God. Financial difficulties may plague them for a lifetime, but that will not change my affection for them. I know the Lord will bless them, if not financially, then spiritually. Just like Lehi in the Book of Mormon told his son Jacob, I’d like to say to my friends “Thou knowest the greatness of God; and He shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” I also need to prepare my heart to be as Job’s for the times of hardship that currently abide and will inevitably come my way, so I can declare with Job, “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

– – – – – – –

Editor’s note: Following are more resources that could help with financial management and the job search.

Being Savvy about Financial Matters: BYU Women’s Conference presentation handout on financial management

On the LDS Employment Resources link listed in the post above, be sure not to miss the Job Search Tip Sheets if you are in the mode of looking for work.

LDS Employment Resources also has links to myriad websites (not Church-affiliated) with information and resources on the following topics:

• Career Counseling
• Educational Funding
• Employer Profiles
• International Education
• Interviewing
• Job Search
• Micro and Small Business
• Networking
• Resume Help
• Schools and Education
• Self-Assessment

Indeed.com — find listings in the area where you want to work (available in multiple countries). Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com are other online job search sites.

If you are going to post electronic an résumé, this Newsweek article might be of interest about how to increase the chance employers might find you.

The post Starting Over: Facing Midlife Financial Crises appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

My name is Amanda and I am an LDS woman. I have been married to Bryan for ten years and we have three children – a boy who is 8, a girl who is 6, and another boy who is 4. I was born and raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My mother is an active member of the Church and showed her testimony and faith to us by taking five children to church meetings each week by herself.  Her doing this showed me how important the church is to her. My father is a baptized member of the church but doesn’t attend church. He always supported my mother in bringing us to church and would help to get us ready, but he never attended with us. It would have been much easier for my mother, I suspect, to stay home and not bother. I am so grateful to her that she didn’t take the easy road.

I was raised in Utah, where almost everyone (then) was a member of the LDS church. We went to church with our friends and neighbors. I loved being with so many people that shared my beliefs and standards. It was a safe place for me. When Bryan and I had been married for eight years, we moved from Utah to Oregon. Here, we are not surrounded by members, and that has been a hard adjustment for me. I miss going to church with my neighbors, but I have enjoyed branching out and meeting people from all walks of life. It has given me the chance to really show people what is important to us as well.

When I find myself with down time, I love to read and watch movies. I get nightmares easily though so nothing too scary! I spend time reading every single day. I also play volleyball in a league with other women each week. I love the physical activity and it gives me a breather from my regular life that I need. I am a crafty person, so I do some quilting and scrapbooking. I am not a perfectionist though so my quilts are always far from perfect. And that’s okay with me.

I am a stay-at-home mother – a homemaker. I enjoy it. Sometimes I find myself wishing that we had more money and I consider trying to find an outside job. I am a trained hairstylist and I miss regularly doing other people’s hair. I find that I when I am considering finding a job, the Lord reminds me why it is important for me to be in the home with my children. I enjoy taking care of them and being there for them. It is good for me, and I find that I am constantly learning new things about my “job.”

In church, my calling right now is Provident Living [preparedness] Specialist. I am new at the calling and I am not really yet sure what it means. I hope to help the women in my ward to build a three-month supply, [see this article as well], to learn to garden and be self-reliant, to use food storage, and to know how to budget and be responsible with money. We’ll also focus on exercise, nutrition and emotional and social health. I am also on the RS meeting [formerly Enrichment] committee, which is where a group of us plan midweek activities for the benefit of the ward Relief Society sisters.

In a former calling a few years ago, I was serving in the Young Women organization of the ward I was in. Our stake president [who oversees about 10 local congregations (wards/branches) issued a challenge for the youth to read the entire Book of Mormon over a summer. It meant reading a lot of pages each week to finish in the amount of time presented. I didn’t feel like I could issue a challenge to the young women in my group and not do this myself. Before this time I had not read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, because when I study scriptures, I tend to research a specific topic that I want to know more about. Over the course of the summer, I was able to develop the discipline that I needed to read the book in such a short amount of time. I was able to have a greater understanding of verses that beforehand I would have found confusing. I was also able to feel the truth of the book – I now know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is scripture; another account of the Savior, a companion to the Bible. And I know this to my core.

I love being a LDS woman because I love knowing that I am part of a worldwide sisterhood. I love knowing that there are many people out there that believe what I believe, that understand and can help me. I love that I know that I can be with my family forever if I make the right choices here. I love going to church and feeling that spiritual uplift that encourages me through another week. I know the reason I am on earth, and I know where I am going when my life is done. I know that the Lord loves me.
___
For more portraits of Mormon Women, please click here.

The post Portraits of a Mormon Woman: Amanda appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

“Food Storage for Smaller Families”: We wanted to find some ideas for those who have limited space or money and who may feel overwhelmed with the notion of food storage. This article from LDS Living magazine has some helpful tips on starting small and getting creative with limited space. A little food storage is better than none at all! If you are single, newly married, living in a small space, or on a limited budget, this article is worth a read. (p.s. Even though this is in an LDS magazine, the advice is useful regardless of your religious beliefs.)

The Damsel in Dis Dress (you know already she’s clever by that title) shares her “New Old School” tips. A great site full of helpful information, lots of lovely pictures, and a fun writing style. We also love the fact that she’s connecting us with what she has learned from women before her, including her mother and grandmother. Now a grandmother herself, she’s keeping the lessons alive.

Safely Gathered In: This site was created by a woman who had the simple desire to be helpful to the women in her ward congregation. (Her current calling is to help the sisters with home preparedness.) Be sure to browse through the recipes — complete with lots of great pictures! (For anyone with a garden overflowing with zucchini, she’s got some ideas for how to use it.)

Food Storage Made Easy: Follow along with Jodi and Julie as they teach you what they’re learning about emergency preparedness and food storage, one BabyStep at a time.  They have even created numerous videos.

Everyday Food Storage: Get great ideas about how to include food storage foods in your everyday cooking. Includes a broad variety of recipes that use both shorter-term and longer-term food storage items.

Find other preparedness links (including videos) in this previous article on our site.

The post Links We Like: Food Storage and Preparedness appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I love the principle of food storage, and I love going to the cannery. (If you have ever seen a Mormon’s food storage supply, you have probably seen the #10 cans that we fill and seal when we volunteer at our local canneries.) I love the spirit that is at the cannery — a spirit of industry, unity, obedience. It’s like a beehive, humming with activity. When I work at the cannery, I feel the joy that comes from both service and self-reliance.

There was one time, though, when I found myself wishing I had stayed home.

We were cruising: 50 cans of orange drink, 140 cans of white wheat, many cans of sugar, 50 cans of red wheat….

“How much wheat are you putting in those cans?” the missionary asked the sister across the table from me. [You know the missionaries you see walking two-by-two in the streets? We have older missionaries (usually couples) who serve in the canneries and elsewhere.]

“Five pounds,” was her reply.

He proceeded to tell her that she wasn’t putting enough in. The chart read 5 pounds, 13 ounces. (How did we all miss that?)

A rush of adrenaline surged through my body as I realized what was happening.

“I only put five pounds in the white wheat cans, too,” I confessed. The worst part of it all was that I was the one who had told the sister across from me how much to load.

“You’re kidding?” was all the shocked sister missionary could manage.

I hoped the others at the table had been smarter than I on the white wheat. No such luck.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity outside the room as the missionaries huddled together to figure out what to do. The activity in the canning room nearly came to a halt in the meantime.

To say I was embarrassed is an understatement. I was horrified. I heard talk of remeasuring, refilling, redoing. That would mean discarding nearly 200 cans, lids, and oxygen absorbers. That was not exactly a negligible potential loss, one that I felt was largely on my head.

They got us going on sealing carrots. We joked about making sure we had the right weights this time, but it was hard for me to laugh (or to even smile, for that matter). I was fighting back tears as I scooped the crunchy dehydrated tidbits into cans. For all my detail-orientation and hard work, I’d goofed, and goofed pretty badly. (I don’t really need to emphasize how much I hate to goof, do I?)

The sister missionary could tell I was not doing well. She came and put her arm around me, and told me not to worry. (Not worry? How could I not worry?)

But her kindness and love helped. She bore the burden with me, saying that it was as much their fault as mine. (Yeah, well, how hard is it to read a simple chart? Harumph.)

I stayed late to help clean up. Call it self-imposed penance (even as I knew I couldn’t make up for the lost time, effort, and money that I felt had been lost).

As I threw my plastic apron and hairnet into the garbage, I peered through the glass to see one of the sisters who worked in my group, piling cans onto a large dolly. It only took a second to realize what she was doing.

She was cheerfully purchasing every one of those goofed-up cans.

As I looked at her a bit incredulously, she simply said, “Oh, we have our truck out there and we can load it up and I’m sure our ward [local congregation] members will snatch these up in a hurry. Don’t you worry one bit about it.” (She said it as though purchasing nearly 200 cans of wheat was simply like sweeping up a few spilled kernels.)

Even as I think about it, I’m fighting back tears.

If fallible, imperfect people can show the kind of love and mercy that these people showed, what of the love and mercy of our Savior and Heavenly Father?

I think I am glad I didn’t stay home.

The post <i>First Person</i>: Reliant on Mercy appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

We thought we would pass along helpful information (a series of fact sheets) about preparing for a pandemic as provided on the Church’s emergency preparedness section of its Provident Living website. There’s much else on these sites that can help with general preparedness as well.

A powerful but relatively simple piece of advice that is often shared is to have a supply of food, medicine, and other necessities on hand (at least a couple of weeks’ worth, if not more) in case you are unable to get to a store (or stores are unable to provide what you need). Even a stressful period in one’s personal life could make such a supply helpful.

We live in wonderful, but also uncertain, times. Let’s not panic, but let’s try to be prepared.

(For your convenience, we have included the pandemin preparedness fact sheets from the website below.)

• Home and Family Preparedness
• Personal Hygiene
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Infectious Disease Cleanup
• Sheltering In Place
• Social Distancing
• Workplace Preparedness
• Health Care Worker Preparedness

The post Preparing for a Pandemic (even as we hope one won’t come) appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.