Sunday ponderings — women’s session of General Conference

I’m not doing so hot on my “Sunday ponderings” weekly post idea.  I’ve realized it just doesn’t work on the weekends because there’s too much to juggle.  But I’m going to keep trying (probably write it earlier in the week and schedule it to post on Sunday) and I’m not going to feel too bad about doing one of these puppies on a Monday.

Because my heart is bursting with gratitude for the LDS Women’s session of General Conference that took place this last weekend.

The women’s session always happens a week before General Conference.  (General Conference happens twice a year and it’s when talks and beautiful council from church leaders are broadcast from Salt Lake City all over the world).

It’s always my grand idea to get all spiffed up with my girls and head to the church to watch that women’s broadcast together.  Sometimes we have joined with cousins to watch.  I love the strength that can be felt as we join together.

But sometimes life gets in the way and I love that you can find the broadcast on the Mormon Channel on television.  Or you can log in and listen from a computer.  Technology is pretty amazing that way.

Claire had a soccer game right smack-dab in the middle of the broadcast on Saturday evening, and everyone was going different directions after that.  So I gathered my girls together on Sunday morning (our church isn’t until 12:30) and we watched together, they, snuggled in with blankets on the couch:

(they look pretty mesmerized don’t you think? 🙂

And me whipping up some pumpkin pancakes in the kitchen:

(And as a side-note, those were probably the best pancakes we’ve had over here.  I found the recipe HERE and it is the most perfect Fall breakfast you can imagine…especially if you add a few chocolate chips…)

I had to keep pausing the broadcast to discuss certain points with my girls because I’m telling you, those talks hit me so hard this time around.  And then I was tearing up every other minute and my girls were smiling but also wondering what in the world was wrong with their mother 🙂

It was as if Sister Eubanks spoke directly to me.  She voiced some of the exact thoughts I’ve been thinking (and will be posting about later this week).  She asked some really poignant questions to help me evaluate where I am in life and gave such beautiful challenges.  I loved her story about the 80-person “human chain” to help those caught in the current at the beach. It made me tear up to think about how that human chain relates so well to life in general.  We need to be life-lines to others, to reach out and love and build and lift.

I loved Sister Marriott’s challenge to deepen our relationship with God.  Accept His invitation to draw near to him.  I loved her story of “borrowing love” from God for someone she couldn’t quite muster enough love for.

I loved the encouragement to recognize and act on the promptings we get.  This is especially poignant to me as I’ve been working on my “one word” for 2017: “Guided.”  I’m working so hard on “listening” and also acting.  (Sometimes I’m downright awful at this, but other times I think I’m making progress.  I think this is my favorite “one-word” yet in so many ways.)

I loved the encouragement to let love for the Savior overpower the self-doubt we have.  To cling to the Savior.  Not to get confused as to who we really are:  Daughters of a God who loved us and is rooting for us — always.

How incredibly grateful I am for the prayerful preparation and pondering and work that was put into those thoughts shared with my girls and I on a Sunday morning.

If you’d like to listen, you can find that session HERE.  Skip past the singing if you want to get directly to the talks that start about an hour in.

Makes me excited for next weekend when we get to hear more wonderful council washing over us to change us and help us renew.

Happy listening.
xoxoxo