Relief Society Fireside

Last night the stake Relief Society had a fireside for all the women in which the theme was ' Establish a House of God'. It was taken from Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 "Organize yourselves: prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."
The evening was wonderful! Our Stake RS Pres., Sis. McGuire began with directing her comments to how we prioritize and that we need to put eternal things...things that  keep us directed toward the the Savior and our progression as first priority. How does our home feel when we walk into it?...Is it peaceful, is it organized? Does it reflect that it is a home where the gospel is taught? How do we treat each each family member? What is the tone of the home?  Do we try to do so much that the important things get pushed aside?  There were many things mentioned that made one evaluate their own home and where there is a need for improvement.
The next speaker, the Stake RS First Counselor, Debbie Bolen, spoke about how we can receive personal revelation to help us establish a house of God and how we need to learn to listen for those promptings as we ask for direction as to how we can improve our homes. When we feel a task is too much ....he will step in, guide us, and walk us through.
The RS Second Counselor, Connie Anderson, spoke about family relationships and how they need to be molded  and refined into masterpieces of our best work otherwise they can be destroyed by lack of care or protection.
Our Stake Pres., Pres. Richardson, spoken about how we need to be aware of what is in 'our attics'. Meaning, what is stored in our homes? Do we need to 'sweep out the cobwebs ...cleanout the debris", insulate to keep the cold out? Do we need to bring in prayer, scripture study, a pure heart, knowledge and learning, clean thoughts, forgiveness, etc? We need to make room for true treasures and rid ourselves of the garbage and clutter that the world would fill our attics with.
I wish I could give justice to how wonderful the evening and talks were. The timing was prefect for me, as over the weekend I had a breakdown and needed to be uplifted and directed in my thoughts to what I needed to do to lift the burdens that were weighting me down.  Sometimes life can feel over-whelming with the daily routines and expectations (or lack of) from others or ourselves. Over time, we can lose sight of how important our work as woman, wives, mothers, grandmothers, homemakers, and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us can be. We need not wait to be appreciated by others as much as we need to feel the satisfaction of doing what is right and good, knowing that our Father in Heaven is well pleased when we do.
I am grateful for others who take the time to understand through their callings and inspiration what is needed in HIS house, the church, that we all need reminding of.