Opportunities For Learning and Growth Continue

For Christmas I made a tile for my dad, a new bishop which read, "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." Today that quote hit right at home with me. This morning after sleeping for only 1 hour after working a night shift, I woke 21 minutes before I was suppose to meet with my bishop. It was quite a flurry as I tried to cover up my dark circles under my eyes and make myself presentable for church. I had plugged in the curlers, but didn't have time to even attempt to put them in, so I grabbed a clip and stuck my hair on the top of my head. I was lucky I didn't put on the navy hose instead of the black ones, as I wasn't quite awake when dressing. As I arrived at the church house, Counselor Eric Wheatly met me at the door of the Bishops office and accompanied the Bishop and I into his office. I asked Eric if he was there for support. He just smiled. Bishop Mattingly couldn't beat around the bush for long as Sacrament meeting was just around the corner, so he quickly got to the point asking me to be the second counselor in the Relief Society Presidency.

Because of my lack of sleep over the past 48 hours, my emotions were definitely at the surface and were pretty much uncontrollable the entire three hours of church. How embarrassing, it wasn't like I was called to be the president. It is a humbling calling as I always thought callings like these were filled by mothers and wives or at least by women with a little more experience than I currently have. I sat through church wondering if people were thinking, what does a single women know about home and family. I am sure no one was thinking that, as I had so many sweet sisters tell me I was going to be great.

My thoughts today have been on Sister Dew and all that she has done and those she has touched, including me, in Relief Society as a single sister. And so it is my hope that in the coming weeks and months, that I may touch those sisters in my ward that maybe no one else would be able to touch.

All of the songs we sang in Relief Society today were meant for me; Be Thou Humble, I Need Thee Every Hour, and Be Still My Soul. The words to these songs all touched me and helped me remember that our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are always available to us. I am sure I will be much more reliant on them in my up coming challenges.

After only 1 year with my cub scouts, I was actually quite saddened and said to the Bishop, "I am not worried about me, I am worried about my cub scouts." The Bishop quickly assured me they would be taken care of. At first I wasn't so sure of the calling as a Den Mother and my family and friends thought it was quite comical, but the past year has been such an amazing experience. From this experience, I have learned the following:

• How to have patience with 8 and 9 year old boys.
• How to entertain them for a whole hour once a week and coming up with last minute activities when the activity planned didn't take the entire hour.
• That the blue and gold banquet doesn't always have to be decorated in blue and gold, but in Chinese dragons made by cub scouts.
• How much I love saying the Pledge of Allegiance every week and being reminded of the freedoms we have.
• How 8 and 9 year old boys can have such respect for our countries flag.
• How a very large Flag can just disappear two or three times in one year!
• How to play magic cranium, made up by my co-den mother Blayke.
• My scouts favorite books and games.
• How fun it is to have different nationalities amongst our group of cub scouts.
• How much fun it is to be creative and to see how creative boys can be with items in my recycle bin.
• How organized Halloween evening can be with cub scouts serving hot dogs and french fries to hungry witches, ghosts, and Disney characters.
• How the pinewood derby brings back so many memories and has got to be the most fun of all pack meetings.
• How fun it is to make up a story with words picked out of a hat.
• That a glow in the dark Frisbee is all it takes for boys to have fun.
• That the boys don't care how my day was, but what the treat will be in 1 hour.
• If you speak quietly, it doesn't work, but if you don't say anything and put two fingers to your forehead, eventually it will be silent.
• That I can grow to love other mother's children.
• That Heavenly Father places us where we can create lasting friendships with those we serve with; Blayke and Karen.
• That we are given callings more for us and our growth than for anyone else.
• That Heavenly Father will allow you to fulfill your callings, as He makes your work schedule work out that you have cub scout night off.
• That I am going to miss Wednesday night cub scouts.

As I have gone through the above list, I am amazed at all that I have learned in 1 year. I know that the coming years will only be years for growth, service, love and unimaginable opportunities and friendships.