Gathering As Sisters Series - C1 & HA

Our "Gathering As Sisters" post series is designed to help us as sisters within our wards/branches see that we are part of a whole - that across the stake there are other groups of sisters gathering together in activities and service to support & teach one another and develop friendships as they fulfill the purposes of the Relief Society in building faith, strengthening families and providing relief.  Each month through the end of this year, we will share one or two highlights from activities within our Relief Societies.

We have truly been blessed with our current Handbook of Instruction that allows each ward/branch to counsel together and then plan with inspiration according to their specific needs. We hope that by sharing some of the wonderful things happening within our wards/branches, we can understand better the individual yet similar needs we share as sisters in the Columbia Maryland Stake.

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Our Hampstead Ward Sisters:

For our February activity we got together to try and improve our communication and better understand our style of communication. We gathered together in a circle so it would be easy to talk with one another. I handed out a quiz for everyone to take, so they could understand their communication style. Everyone loved it. It was fun and informative. Then I threw out some questions to get the conversation flowing about what things they have all learned, what bothers them, what do they like, what has worked when communicating with your spouse, co-worker, children, etc. we laughed about the mistakes we've made and we were able to learn what works for others that we might try in our own lives. We ended our activity with cookies and milk and conversation hearts. It was a laid back, but enjoyable and informative activity.

-Ashton Jensen

Here are some of the tips/advice from their activity:

From Barry L. Johnson, associate professor of sociology, serves as bishop of the  Brigham Young University 148th Ward, BYU Sixth Stake - Here are some suggestions to help you improve your “couple talk.”     1.    When you want to talk about concerns and problems with your spouse, pick a comfortable setting, one free of distractions or interruptions. Choose a  place where the two of you can be alone.     2.    Talk face to face, close enough to touch each other and with enough light  to see each other’s features clearly.     3.    Express your thoughts and feelings by using “I” messages rather than  “you” messages (blaming and criticizing statements). Try “I feel unimportant  when I don’t get to explain the problem” instead of “You never listen to me!”     4.    Keep your comments brief—no more than two sentences.     5.    Don’t put your spouse on the defensive. Express negative feelings in a  respectful manner, such as, “When I am criticized, I feel angry and hurt.” Say  how you want the burgers cooked rather than criticizing after they’re done.  Accentuate the positive.     6.    Don’t hide your feelings behind intellectual jargon. Instead, be kindly  straightforward about what you really feel and think.     7.    Make requests clear and respectful: “I’d like you to put gas in the car this  morning. Do you have time to do that?”     8.    Do not try to be a mind reader. The only way to find out what your  spouse thinks or feels is to ask.     9.    Do not blame, demean, or accuse. Focus on the problem rather than  criticizing. Use the no‐fault approach: “I’m uncomfortable/unhappy with this  situation. Let’s talk about what we can do to change it.”     10.    Remember that listening, controlling anger, and using the appropriate  tone of voice all contribute to good communication. Nagging, conversational  discourtesies, and sullen silence detract from it.

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Our Columbia 1 Ward Sisters:

In March, many Relief Societies across the world celebrated the birthday of the Relief Society.  I was able to visit the activity held by the Columbia 1 Ward sisters.  They enjoyed a salad bar, a fun baby picture matching game, table question prompts designed to help sisters get to know each other better, yummy cake and lots of chatting & mingling.  It was fun to be with them and it was clear how much they enjoyed getting together.

-Lorie Pierce

General Womens Meeting - March 26, 2016

Last week we had the opportunity to gather as sisters of the Columbia Maryland Stake with sisters from all around the world for the General Womens Meeting broadcast from Salt Lake City.  If you were unable to listen to or view this meeting, you can use this link to access the talks and video presentations from that night.

General Womens Meeting - March 26, 2016

About 190 of our Stake sisters, young women and Primary girls joined us at the Stake Center for a meal before the broadcast.  It was fun to see so many of the younger girls there with moms establishing traditions and making new friends.  We are very grateful for the assistance and support provided by the brethren that day.  Without their help, we would not have been able to manage such a large meal.

Humanitarian Aid Project Q & A

If you are looking for a Conference Weekend project...we could use some experienced crocheters to make some hacky sacks up to the fill stage - so that we will have some ready for filling early on at the April 23 Activity.  Click Here for the Pattern

This is an additional blog post....if you didn't see the original post with details about this upcoming Stake RS Activity CLICK HERE

We are getting questions about the April 23 Stake RS Activity - A Humanitarian Aid Project for orphan children in Haiti. I will post here the questions so far and my answers back. If you have further questions...feel free to email me (loriepierce.rs@gmail.com) and I will do my best to provide answers.

Questions to date:

Q - Are the hacky sacks a beginner friendly project?

A - - I tried one out today. Once I understood the directions it was simple. It is all done in single crochet.  (see the first video below)  You will also need to know how to single crochet 2 together. (second video below) You will need to know how to single crochet before this activity if you want to actually make hacky sacks that day.

Q - Do we need knitting needles?

A - At this point unless we find someone with a good knitting pattern able to be there that day to guide a knitting group...we will be going with all crochet.

Q - What types of yarn do you need?

A - This is a great project for using up all the leftover yarns from other projects you have done. But fuzzy, tinsel woven, extra fat yarns will not work.

Q - Is there something we can do if we don't knit or crochet?

A - Yes. We will need people to wind and splice yarn to create variegated balls, fill the hacky sacks and stitch them shut with a tapestry needle & yarn. Also we are making draw string back packs which will need people to iron fabric, cut fabric, pin seams, sew seams, cut cording, lace cording.

Q - Do you need fabric? And what kinds?

A - We have some, but more will be great! Most fabrics will be usable - Except minky, satins, extra light weight cottons, fleece, velvets. More durable fabrics will be best.

Q - How big do the fabric pieces need to be?

A - 1/2 yard of fabric per bag is a good measurement.  The regular size bags when cut are 15 x 38 (folded 15x19) inches and the toddler size bags when cut are 12 x 32 (folded 12x16) inches.  Because these orphanages have children from infant all the way up to young teens, we will make both size bags.

Q - I have yarn or fabric to donate but won't be able to come that day?

A - Let me (loriepierce.rs@gmail.com) know and I will help coordinate getting it from you.

Q - How are the items going to get to Haiti?

A - My son will be visiting us the first weekend in May. I will give everything to him them. He and several other volunteers will be returning to Haiti in July and will take it all down then. The airlines have been very good about not charging him for his suitcases with donations to the orphans :-)


Q - What if we don't get everything finished on the 23rd or in time for your son's visit in May?
A - Any items that are finished later by sisters can be passed back to me and I will ship them to my son in Utah before his July trip.


Q - What will the Hacky Sacks be filled with?
A - Plastic pony beads


Q - What if we would like to continue helping these orphans?
A - I can help coordinate with my son for delivery of items on his upcoming trips down to Haiti.


Q - What other kinds of things are helpful for them?
A - They love Futbol.  Used soccer balls are great.  My son deflates them for packing to take in suitcases.  Clothing is always welcome - just think durable and hot, humid.  They wash everything by hand and hang to dry.  Life is hard on clothes for these children.  Old children's jeans (like with worn out knees) that can be cut off and hemmed into shorts are great (if you don't sew, I'll take them and hem them).  Left over school supplies are also appreciated.


Q - Will you be collecting these other items at the April 23 activity?
A - We haven't made plans to, but if sisters want to bring them to me that day, I will be happy to collect them.  Or sisters can directly contact me about passing them on.  (loriepierce.rs@gmail.com)


Q - What language do they speak?
A - Haitian French

FYI - We will need sisters willing to bring sewing machines (threaded), rotary cutters w/mats & straight edge, scissors, irons & boards, crochet hooks, tapestry needles. AND there will be an awesome digital slideshow at our activity of children from the 3 orphanages we are helping.

Stake Relief Society Spring Activity -- Save the Date!

A Humanitarian Aid Project To Benefit Orphan Children In Haiti

Saturday, April 23, 9am-12pm at the Stake Center

Brunch Buffet    --   Casual Dress

"We are the Lord's hands on the earth."   - President Thomas S. Monson

My son, Matt, for the past few years has been working with three orphanages in Haiti that have about 300 children between them.  The women who began and maintain these orphanages are also Relief Society sisters.  They like us are doing what they can to help those in need.

Matt helped us decide what would be a good project and he will deliver the items for us on his trip in July.  Some of you may be aware that I have been making t-shirt dresses and shorts for these children.  We decided that our stake project needed to be easier to accommodate beginner sewers and avoid the need to serge or French seam clothing as their living circumstances are very hard on clothing.

Sisters will be able to help make hacky sacks and draw string backpacks.  Regardless of sewing or crochet/knitting ability, there will be things to work on.  Sometime in the next couple weeks someone from the project committees will be in touch with ward/branch presidencies regarding items (like sewing machines) that we will need to borrow/have sisters bring.

These children have so very little and this is a simple way to bless lives in a real way. The backpacks will be very useful for them and they love futbol, so the hacky sacks will be fun for them.

We are looking forward to this opportunity to work together as a Stake Relief Society.  The morning will be very relaxed and allow sisters to mingle as they work.  There will be a slide show of children from these orphanages.  We hope many of you will be able to join us.

-Lorie Pierce

Sabbath Day Blessings - Guest Post Series

Kristy Nunly - Eldersburg Ward

Recently, Sabbath day observance, and more specifically making the Sabbath a delight, has been a topic of discussion in General Conference, as well as Stake and Ward conferences church-wide. It’s become something of a “hot topic” at my house, as not all parties in my family can agree on what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy. As a lifelong member of the church, I grew up with certain expectations for Sunday living that my husband, a later-life convert, did not. It’s been a compromise for both of us to determine how we can keep the Sabbath day holy in our family.

As part of determining how my family is going to elevate the Sabbath, I took time to think about what the Sabbath really means to me and why it matters to keep it holy. For the most part, I’ve always been good about avoiding working on Sunday, not going to the store, attending church, etc. which seem to be the “staples” of keeping the Sabbath day holy, right? But, as I look back with a keener eye, I can see that I have certainly made exceptions and concessions, justifying certain behaviors and actions that aren’t exactly what Heavenly Father would want from me on a day set aside for His purposes. In order to make a change for myself, I decided to do a little research. This is the best way for me to gain a testimony of the concept so that I’m better able to keep the commandment consistently and joyfully.

So, why does keeping the Sabbath day holy matter? Does keeping any of God's commandments matter? We know that because of Jesus Christ's atonement the demands of justice are met and we, being imperfect, can repent and return to live with God. This is the gift of God's grace. That even though we sin, we can still return to his presence. So, with this in mind, is there really any point to the commandments at all? Pres. Uchtdorf asked, “if grace is a gift of God, why, then, is obedience to God’s commandments so important? Why bother with God’s commandments—or repentance, for that matter? Why not just admit we’re sinful and let God save us?”[1]

The answer is simple. We obey because we love God. Because we're grateful for His gift, and for all the blessings He gives us. And, we obey because He asks us to.

Sometimes obedience is hard for me. It’s not always convenient and it doesn’t always come as naturally to me as I’d like.  But, if God, as an infinite, all knowing being who loves me more than I can possibly comprehend, asks me to do something (like keep the Sabbath day holy) with His assurance that doing so will make me happy and bring me peace, shouldn't I do it? I’m thinking, yes!

Now I know that I want to keep God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy, but how do I do it? What more am I supposed to do? Through my pondering, I see that it's not about rules or a list of do's and don'ts for the day. It's more about a state of mind. This is a day that I profess to be dedicated to God. So, how will that affect my behavior?

The biggest thing I am doing now in order to elevate my Sabbath observance is to get my family to church. On time. With a good attitude. And to stay for all the meetings. I have three little kids (and a perpetually late husband), so getting to church is a challenge for us. Staying at church with two very energetic toddlers and a not-quite-two-month-old is also a challenge for us. But, we’re trying. Sometimes I walk the halls the entire three hours. But, I’m there. My kids are there. So, blessings gonna come!

The thing that has helped me most in my goal to increase and elevate Sabbath day observance is deciding that I want Sunday to be different. I want this one day to be treated differently. More reverently in my attitude, actions, even my appearance. I don't think God is asking too much for me to set aside one day where I (attempt to) abandon the cares of the world and focus on spiritual growth, taking inventory of how I’m doing and where I can improve. I need that in my life! To get through difficult weeks, I really, really need that.

What is most important is that I’m trying. My husband and I don’t always agree on particular Sabbath activities, but we do agree that teaching our kids to be committed to keeping God's commandments matters. That's all I can hope to do. I'm not perfect, but I want to be a positive example to my children. To show them that I love God and that I'm willing to work. A small change, even if it’s just a change in attitude, can elevate our Sabbath observance.

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[1] President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2015 “The Gift of Grace,” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng.

March 17, 1842

This month marks 174 years since the organization of the Relief Society under the direction of Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois.  Many of the ward/branch Relief Societies in our Stake and across the world will find ways to commemorate that occasion.  I thought it appropriate to share the story of that early beginning.  The following text is taken from "Daughers in My Kingdom".

--In the spring of 1842, the Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois, worked enthusiastically to build a temple in their city. Sarah M. Kimball recounted: “The Nauvoo Temple walls were about three feet high. Strong appeals were being made by the President of the Church and others for help to forward the work. “Miss [Margaret] Cook . . . one day in conversation with me on the subject of a recent appeal for provisions, clothing, bedding and general supplies for the workmen and their families, remarked that she would be pleased to contribute needlework if it could be made available. I proffered material for her to make up, and suggested that others might feel as we did. We then [discussed] the subject of organizing a sewing society. The object of which should be to aid in the erection of the temple. “About a dozen of the neighboring sisters by invitation met in my [home] the following Thursday.”

The women who met at Sarah Kimball’s home decided to establish a constitution and bylaws, and Eliza R. Snow accepted the responsibility to write them. Then the women asked Joseph Smith to review and give his opinion of them. After the Prophet read them, he said they were “the best he had ever seen. ‘But,’ he said, ‘this is not what you want. Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord, and he has something better for them than a written constitution. I invite them all to meet with me and a few of the brethren . . . next Thursday afternoon, and I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.’”

That next Thursday, on March 17, 1842, twenty women assembled on the upper floor of a building, often called “the red brick store,” where Joseph Smith had an office and a business to support his family. They met under the direction of Joseph Smith and two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elders John Taylor and Willard Richards.  Rather than pattern a Latter-day Saint women’s organization after the women’s societies that were prevalent and popular at that time, the Prophet Joseph Smith organized them in a divinely inspired and authorized manner. Early in the meeting, he told the sisters that they were to encourage “the brethren to good works in looking to the wants of the poor— searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants—to assist by correcting the morals and strengthening the virtues of the female community.”

In a Relief Society meeting six weeks later, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the sisters at length and then said: “This society is to get instruction through the order which God has established—through the medium of those appointed to lead—and I now turn the key to you in the name of God, and this society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time—this is the beginning of better days to this society.”

As the Lord’s prophet, Joseph Smith held all the keys of priesthood authority on the earth. Therefore, when he organized the Relief Society to function under his overall direction, he unlocked opportunities for the women of the Church to play vital roles in the work of the Lord’s kingdom. They now served under the authority of the priesthood and were promised blessings beyond those they had already received. These blessings would come to them according to their faithfulness and diligence. Knowledge and intelligence would flow to them as they received a fulness of priesthood blessings in the temple. They would receive ordinances and make sacred covenants that would help them prepare themselves and their families for eternal life.--

I have been a member of the Relief Society for 33 years.  There have been times when that has meant more to me than at other times.  I am grateful for the example of those early sisters.  They teach us much about charity, sacrifice and personal testimony.

My own 3rd great-grandmother, Nancy Naomi Tracy was part of that first Relief Society in Nauvoo.  In her personal history she wrote, "I was a member of this first Relief Society.  It was organized for the relief of the poor and every other noble purpose that comes within woman's sphere of action."

As I think about those early sister's spheres of action - spheres of influence, I am humbled and filled with a desire to emulate more fully their desires and actions.  I hope that we as sisters of the Columbia Maryland Stake will take time this month to reflect on those sisters who have come before us, who are with us now and who will follow after us and that we will allow our motto "Charity Never Faileth" to sink a little deeper into our hearts and lives.

-Lorie Pierce

Gathering As Sisters Series - YSA

Our "Gathering As Sisters" post series is designed to help us as sisters within our wards/branches see that we are part of a whole - that across the stake there are other groups of sisters gathering together in activities and service to support & teach one another and develop friendships as they fulfill the purposes of the Relief Society in building faith, strengthening families and providing relief.  Each month through the end of this year, we will share one or two highlights from activities within our Relief Societies.

We have truly been blessed with our current Handbook of Instruction that allows each ward/branch to counsel together and then plan with inspiration according to their specific needs. We hope that by sharing some of the wonderful things happening within our wards/branches, we can understand better the individual yet similar needs we share as sisters in the Columbia Maryland Stake.

-Lorie Pierce

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From Our YSA Branch Relief Society:

In Febuary, the YSA Branch Relief Society decided that since we're a bunch of single ladies, it would be fun to have a "Gal"entine's Day activity to celebrate the love we "gals" have for one another. It was a great success! We did facials, manicures, and pedicures while eating ice cream and laughing with one another. We also had a lot of fun creating "gal"entine's for one another. It was a great opportunity for all of us to get to know one another better and just spend time pampering ourselves! Happy Galentine's Day! - Gina Stephens