In February, one of my friends from Refreshment UK will be travelling to the village of Kotipalli to work in the Faith India Children's Home, just one of many homes in India that looks after children who are either orphaned or whose parents can no longer look after them.
Simon wants to take along greetings from across the world to these people. The local greeting in Telugu to these children is 'Vandanalu' and it shows warmth, LOVE and FRIENDSHIP.
The aim is to show these children that they are cared about and cherished, so using social media, we have set up the 'Vandanalu' Challenge - where you can bring a greeting to these children by posting your videos to them.
This is a challenge of a few days and we plan to show them all of the videos at the end of the week on Wednesday 18th February 2015.
Show them that you care and say 'Vandanalu' to these wonderful children.
Please donate what you can but most importantly, let’s show these children some love. Make a video on your phone, tablet, laptop, whatever and share at the Vandanalu Challenge on Facebook and using #vandanaluchallenge ! Share some love!
Anyone who is familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will know that Monday is the night that the Church has dedicated to Family Home Evening. This is simply one night a week where the Church will not have any scheduled activities, to allow for families to be together and to participate in social and spiritual activities as a family. There is more information about the idea of Family Home Evening (FHE) in the BYU Enclyclopaedia of Mormonism webpage here.
I often feel as though I don't do enough each week to fulfil my spiritual requirements. One thing that has been lacking is Family Home Evening. There is only my husband and I at home (as of yet, we haven't been blessed with children). My husband is not a member of the Church and is not particularly religious. I hope that by setting an example at home, he will come to love the Gospel and love our Saviour, as I do.
Being a single-member household makes Family Home Evening somewhat of a challenge. However, this week, my husband and I came to an agreement - one night a week, once he comes home from work, we will sit down together for dinner and have a "No Technology Night".
What is No Technology Night?
No Technology Night is what is sounds like: an evening where we will refrain from using computers, watching television or using our mobile telephones. It is going to be an evening where we focus on each other, our relationship and communicating with each other, face to face.
I strongly believe that relationships are being damaged by the cultural necessity to remain 'plugged in'. We're losing the ability to just sit and chat with each other, to tell stories, play games: to enjoy each other's company. The following video was recently posted to my Facebook page and I couldn't help but be strongly moved by its message:
So, whether or not you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, whether you are Christian or not, I challenge you to start your own No Technology Night! Let's all reconnect with each other on a more basic level and let's start building our relationships back up.
Ideas for No Technology Night
Family History work
Story telling
Board Games
Card Games
Reading
Go for a walk in the local park
Visit a friend in need together
Write each other letters
If you decide to take me up on the No Technology Night Challenge, then let me know what you get up to!!
Enjoy your time together - life is precious and remember that the family is central to Heavenly Father's Plan of Salvation.
More resources for strengthening the family unit can be found here.
I trust that 2015 finds you all well and happy. My darling friend, Kimmy, has nominated me for the Liebster Award... so it would be rude not to accept!
Here are the rules of the game, ladies and gentlemen!
1. Each person awarded must post 11 facts about themselves.
2. Answer the 11 questions the nominator has set for them.
3. Choose bloggers to nominate.
4. Create 11 more questions for the bloggers they will nominate.
5. Let the lucky bloggers know.
So, without further ado... let's start the ball rolling with 11 tasty tidbits about me...
#1 I love to sing! Whether it's with the fantastic Manchester Show Choir or each week at Church, I just love to sing.
#2 I'm kind of addicted to showers. Showers are the most incredible invention ever, aren't they? I could spend full days at a time under the shower. I just love them. I loathe baths, but showers, they are my thing. I long for the day when I can install a rain head shower into my very own private wetroom in the mansion I will eventually undoubtedly own. Possibly. Maybe.
Deliciously heavenly showers...
#3 I also play clarinet and piano; alas, not simultaneously.
#4 I have Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, but I am being treated by the renowned Professor Carolyn Young at the Walton Centre - I'm so grateful to God for His mercy. I'm very fortunate to be being treated at such a wonderful specialist centre by such a renowned neurologist.
#5 I'm very poor at thinking about original things which are about me. No, really, this is a very taxing exercise.
#6 My favourite colour is purple. Nothing can beat purple. For reals. I love it.
#7 I own two lovely pussy cats called Bramble and Shelby. They are my fur babies and are completely adorable. See?
#8 My favourite Disney film of all time is Lady & The Tramp.
#9 I was baptised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in August 2014 and it was the best decision of my life! I'm so grateful to have been welcomed into the Church with open arms and I feel like a real member of the international Mormon family!
#10 On 21st June 2008, I married my best friend! Love you, Mr. Peartree!
#11 I have a love of challenging myself every year. This year I'm signed up to do a sprint triathlon and a 5K... I'm am beyond terrified.
So, there you have 11 inane facts about myself... Now onto Kimmy's questions!
#1 How many bones have you broken?
Surprisingly, I've only broken 2 bones, that I can remember (despite being one of the most clumsy individuals on the planet)... I feel over a step in a bathroom when I was young and fractured my left arm (I'm a lefty) and I once broke my big toe by failing to jump over a badminton net... (I was barefoot and the toe didn't make it over the net...).
#2 If you could learn any fictional language, what would it be?
Elvish. It's so beautiful.
#3 What is your dream job?
To be a Mummy. Yes, I'm quite career driven and I want to someday go back to being self-employed, but there is one job that I would love to do and that is to be a Mummy. God willing, my time will come.
#4 Your thoughts on Snooki?
Given that I just had to Google who that was, I'd say I have a limited opinion...
#5 Your favorite holiday and why?
In 2006, Philip whisked me away for a surprise holiday to Oslo, Norway and he proposed to me! Best. Holiday. Ever.
Here is a photograph of me looking cold and terrified at the top of the Holmenkollen...
#6 Have you ever convinced your sibling they were found in a trash can and adopted?
I can honestly answer that I have never done this, yet.
#7 What is your earliest memory? How old were you?
I remember sitting at a table in my room drawing a picture with my Mum. I think I was about 3 years old.
#8 Name something you're afraid of.
Clowns.
#9 What's your favorite hobby?
Rollerskating. I'm dreadful, but it's fun!
#10 If you were trapped on an island and could choose one celebrity to be there, who would you choose?
Tough question! Probably Hugh Laurie. He's soft on the eyes, English, good actor, musical and an interesting fellow. Plus he's tall. Yes, Hugh Laurie. Funny, smart, sexy and tall enough to reach the good fruit off the top of the tree.
#11 If you had to choose to watch only one comedy for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
These questions are hard work! My favourite comedian is Victoria Wood, so I think I could spend my life watching her stand up, without much hesitation! My Nominations I nominate:
So a belated Merry Christmas, dear readers! I'm writing this after coming home from spending Boxing Day / St. Stephen's Day with my family at my Dad's house. We had so much fun! There was (as usual) a lot of food but the thing that I enjoyed the most about the day was playing charades with the family! We have never done that before and I felt as though we really bonded and spent some proper, quality time with each other, rather than just sitting limply in front of the television, ignoring each other. I love my family and I am loving growing closer to the Lord. The closer I grow to the Lord, the closer I become with my family. We are going to be a family forever, so I am looking forward to forging stronger relationships with my God and my family over the coming year.
This past Sunday I was asked to give a talk during Sacrament meeting about how the gospel is changing my life. The spirit has prompted me to share my talk with you here too, perhaps someone reading will gain some inspiration from it. When I was first asked to give a talk about how the gospel is changing my life I really didn't know that I had a lot to say, but then I got down on my knees and prayed to Heavenly Father to ask Him to allow the Spirit to be with me and to lead me to prepare a talk which someone in the ward needed to hear. Almost instantly things started flying into my mind, beginning with a very obvious one: PRAYER! When I was first being taught by the missionaries, I openly admitted that I really struggled with the act of prayer. Praying to Heavenly Father just wasn't something that came naturally to me. When I was growing up my family rarely went to Church - only for weddings, christenings, funerals etc., yet we used to bid each other good night and God bless every evening! The fact that I now pray repeatedly to Heavenly Father throughout the day is a big change for me. Over time, I have come to realise that prayer is the tool that Heavenly Father gave us to communicate with Him. He is our Father in Heaven and He is our family. I would like to think that we talk with our families regularly - that we ask them how they are doing, we share our ups and our downs, ask for advice or ask for someone to listen to us - that's what Heavenly Father wants from us - He wants us to communicate with Him - that's how we build our relationships spiritually and temporally. Prayer is so very important! In 3 Nephi 18:19-20 Jesus tells us: "Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." We must always pray unto the Father and we must have faith and believe that we will receive an answer from Him, even if it may be an answer that we didn't want to hear!
So, we are commanded to pray - but more importantly, we need to want to communicate with Heavenly Father, even though He already knows what's in our hearts, He needs us to counsel with Him each day and to spend time with Him. Of course, I'm still very much a "baby Christian" - I'm still learning and I'll forever be learning but praying each day to my Father in Heaven is a big change for me, even if I'm taking baby steps each day, I'm pleased to be building my relationship with the Lord my God. Every day I'm learning a little bit more about what it means to be a woman of God. I'm learning about obedience to the Lord; that I am a strong-willed and sometimes ridiculously stubborn individual, yet I am slowly coming to realise that I must learn to exercise patience; that things will be done in God's own time, not necessarily when and by what means I want them to happen. If I miss Church due to illness, or travelling, it now feels strange: my week just doesn't feel complete without taking the Sacrament, which is like my weekly spiritual recharge. I'm learning that my scriptures are my best friend and counsellor - they are the first place I should seek guidance and comfort (as well as through prayer to Heavenly Father). Finally, the biggest change is taking place in my heart. I just need to learn to trust more in the Lord. He knows where I am going and what lies ahead. I can take my struggles to Him as well as my gratitude for my blessings and He will always guide me. I'm so grateful that He softened my heart enough to receive the gospel into my life. In just over a week we will be celebrating Christmas. This will be the first CHRISTmas for me in a long time and I am so excited to be learning about my Saviour and building upon my relationship with Him. Having a Christ-centred Christmas is a big deal for me and I'm also a little bit nervous but as my husband recently reminded me: there's no need to be nervous when you know that God's backing you up. There are so many other lessons I'm learning every day as my testimony grows but I will leave those for another time. I know that this Church is true, that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, lives as the Head of the Church and that through Jesus' Atonement, we can all have eternal life with Heavenly Father and our Saviour. I'm so grateful for the restored gospel, so grateful to Joseph Smith who I know was a prophet of God and I'm grateful to our living prophet, Thomas S Monson for his guiding and leading the Saints to salvation. I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I'm writing this at almost midnight having returned from my first ever trip to the Preston Temple! I have been literally blown away!!! I cannot explain the level of spiritual calm and spiritual peace that I am feeling at the moment and that I've felt ever since I set foot in the Temple earlier this evening.
LDS Temple in Chorley, near Preston, England
I received my Limited-Use Temple Recommend from the Bishop this last Sunday and was very excited as a result. Our Stake President, President Marshall, set Liverpool Stake the challenge of indexing at least one batch of names and to work on our family histories and take at least one name to the temple with us during this week; our Stake Temple Week.
I have been doing some indexing since I joined the Church and try to do a couple of batches each week but I had hit a brick wall with my family history. I realised that I didn't really know what I was doing and I mentioned this to one of my companions from the church when we were manning the local Poppy Appeal table last week. Sister Kopecna generously offered to help me with my Family History work and help me she did! With her assistance, I was able to track down 14 people from my family to add to my Family Tree and for whom Temple work could be completed, where appropriate.
I didn't realise how much this meant to me, but before I left for the Temple this evening, I prayed to Heavenly Father to ask His help at the Temple tonight and I asked for His guidance and to for me to act in the way that He wants me to act and what He wanted me to do. I was overcome with emotion and ended up sobbing my heart out. It was entirely unexpected. Then, I was suddenly embraced by a feeling of warmth and the tears stopped as quickly as they started. I had to go to the Temple and do what I was asked. So I did and I feel so so blessed as a result. Both when I was being baptised and when I was being confirmed, I felt the Spirit with me very strongly and I was again overcome with emotion. It was as though I could hear my ancestors. I could feel them. It was a beautiful and very moving experience and I was pretty sad when we had to leave. I didn't want the feeling of peace to end - and it hasn't.
I have a testimony of the peace of the temple and I'm looking forward to doing more work on my family tree and reconnecting with my ancestors. I now understand what President Monson meant when he said:
"As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls - not the peace provided by men but the peace promised by the Son of God when He said, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid'".
In 1995, President Boyd K Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counseled:
"The Lord will bless us as we attend to the sacred ordinance work of the temples. Blessings there will not be limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all our affairs" (The Holy Temple, Ensign, February 1995).
I always want to have a valid Temple Recommend because I do not want to never be able to experience the peace that I'm feeling now. I want this peace to be with me always. How about you?
The Church pamphlet "For the Strength of Youth" counsels us that "Service to others is an important characteristic of a disciple of Jesus Christ". I want to be a good disciple of Jesus Christ, after all, when I was baptised at the end of August, I covenanted with Heavenly Father to take upon myself the name of Jesus Christ, to always remember Him, keep His commandments and to serve Him to the end. Regardless of all that, I also really enjoy helping people, so I'm keen to perform acts of service whenever I can. Today, I have another opportunity to serve in my local community - helping the Royal British Legion to raise money for the 2014 Poppy Appeal. The Legion are aiming to raise £40,000,000 for the Armed Forces through this year's appeal. You can read the story of the poppy here.
Church members have been helping our contact at the Royal British Legion sell paper poppies (donation only), commemorative wooden crosses (donations only), wristbands, car stickers, car bumper poppies, money boxes, etc at our local Tesco Supermarket for a couple of each hours each day for the past week. It's really not a difficult task - if you consider the number of men and women who gave their lives in both World War I and World War II, to allow us to now live in peacetime, you realise what little sacrifice a couple of hours once a year really is. There are so many ways to help out! You can volunteer and give a couple of hours of your time to the Royal British Legion, raising money to support their welfare work for the families of the armed forces past and present, or you can make a one-off or a regular donation. You can even donate online. There really are plenty of way to help out. Remember the commandment we were given in John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
