Inspired Ministering Part II

I had a cool experience about listening to the Spirit on the day that I wrote down my talk on inspired ministering for stake conference...I had been preparing for a little over a week, and it was getting closer to the day of  the conference, and I had been looking forward to all the kids being at school so that I could have 2 hours of uninterrupted time to finally write down all of my thoughts. (Quiet time around this house can be pretty hard to come by!) So, as I finally got Kesslyn to kindergarten, I was ready to go sit down at the computer to get writing, and I just couldn't do it. I could not get certain people out of my mind. So, I took it as a sign from God that I needed to check on these people first, and THEN I would be able to write my talk.

One of those people was Jane Kaelin.

After years of trying to meet this person, I ( nor anyone in our ward leadership) had ever even met Jane, but I recently learned that while bishop Gabe was on a walk during the pandemic, that he saw a woman that he didn't recognize, and found out that it was Jane. I asked bishop if I could have her number, and of course he shared it with me!

The spirit prompted me to "take a picture of myself, send it to Jane over a text, and introduce myself!"

I am not the "selfie" type and I had never done this before, so this was waaaay out of my comfort zone, but I did it. The text that I sent was accompanied by my words of trying to stop by to meet her multiple times but missing her, and that I was super excited to meet her, and when could I stop by?

As soon as I had done this my mind became free and clear, and I went and sat down at the computer to write my talk, and my thoughts just seemed to flow right on down to the paper. 

As I sat writing I received a text back from Jane with this picture:

I could hardly believe what I was seeing!

Not only had I never met this person (even after multiple attempts), but almost instantly after following the promptings of the Spirit I was I able to connect with Jane, and find out that she had just given birth to this beautiful baby boy Lorenzo only days before. Now, not only was I connecting with Jane, but I was able to be introduced into her life at a time when she was sensitive and willing to allow me in, and even accept some service that we so desperately wanted to give!

I told Jane that I wanted to bring her dinner, and so I called on my good friend Emily for help and together we were able to serve her a delicious meal that she didn't even have to worry about! I also got a baby gift for her, and a small gift for the big brother, dad, and her as well. 

The next day after my presidency meeting where I was able to share with my presidency what had happened, more people wanted to help! Lauren ended up taking dinner to Jane the next day, and Jill took her a warm loaf of homemade bread the day after that!

I feel like a door has been opened and new opportunities for us to become friends are presenting themselves, all because I was willing to listen to the direction of the Spirit, and perform some inspired ministering.

This was a huge testimony building experience for me, and I am once again very aware of just how much God is aware of each of His children.

Thank you Heavenly Father for trusting me with some of the tender care of some of your precious children. I am grateful for these experiences and opportunities and will do my best to not let you down. :)

Inspired Ministering

Hello. :)

This is me.

I was asked by President Metcalf to speak in Stake Conference on Inspired Ministering, and although speaking is quite intimidating, I was blessed by the Spirit to know exactly what message Heavenly Father wanted me to deliver. So, after much study, prayer, pondering, and even instructive dreams, I gave this talk a couple of weeks ago. 

Ministering has been such a part of my life serving as the relief society president for 4 and a half years now, that these experiences definitely belong in my blog journal. So, here it is!

(I was also instructed to give an 8 minute talk, so it is condensed where needed for timing purposes. :)

Happy Monday. :)

Inspired Ministering – By Susette Trickett

Leadership Session, Riverton Summerhill Stake Conference February 6, 2021

   In the beginning of 1 Nephi 11, Nephi says “I had desired to know the things that my father had seen,” and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain which I never before had seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot. “

   I just love how when we read the scriptures we can liken things unto ourselves, and as I read this again just the other day, the Spirit taught me a new lesson, not about Nephi wanting to see the vision of the tree of Life that his father Lehi had seen, but this scripture was teaching me about inspired ministering. I thought to myself, “I desire to behold the things which MY Father sees...I want to have the same love for and the same view of my brothers and sisters as Heavenly Father has, and I, like Nephi, believe that the Lord is able to make these things known unto me if I will do my part. If I will sit and ponder these things in my heart, then I too can be caught away in the Spirit of the Lord to know how best to minister to His children. We too can be lifted up into an exceedingly high mountain, even up to that higher and holier place of ministering to our brothers and sisters in the most sincere and loving way that our Father would have us do. Brothers and sisters, we CAN through inspired ministering see things in which we never before have seen and even go places upon which we never before have set foot. When we see things as Heavenly Father sees, we WILL see miracles and accomplish the work of inspired ministering.

   Heavenly Father knows each of us individually, and that is how we need to minister, ONE BY ONE. While I was gone with my family on a trip last summer, I received a phone call that a sister in our ward had fallen and hit her head sustaining injuries that took her life. Her ministering companion was also her very best friend in the ward, and together, her and I had the sacred opportunity of helping to dress her body in her temple clothes When we arrived at the mortuary, I held this sister’s arm while walking her into the room where her best friend’s body lay. I smiled while holding back tears as I watched this sister hold her friend’s lifeless hand and tenderly rub her arm.  I felt it such an important part of ministering to this sweet sister as anything because she missed and loved her friend so much. But what I love is how she taught me. I was there to help and comfort her, but instead she taught me what ministering to “the one” looks like.  And in such a sensitive setting where the veil was so thin, the vision of what “my Father sees” was very clear to me that day.

   Not only does Inspired Ministering come from loving the one, but it also comes from spending valued and precious TIME with individuals...time building trust, building friendships, confidence, and lasting relationships. I remember one day I sat in relief society and felt impressed to look behind me at a certain sister who had recently become a young widow. As I turned to look for her, my eyes caught her just in time to see her slipping quickly out the door. The Spirit told me to go after her. I stood and walked out of the room, but as I entered the hall, she was nowhere to be found. I asked Heavenly Father, “Where should I go?” And then the Spirit spoke to me, “Go where she would go.” So I took a deep breath and headed to my car. I started driving and said a prayer that I would have the right words to say, and then as I drove to the cemetery, I saw her sitting at her husband’s grave. When I got out of the car and walked over to her she said, “How did you find me?” I simply responded, “I just knew.” Now what I learned from this lesson is how very important it is to KNOW those we minister to. The spirit did not tell me, “Go to the cemetery” but it said, “Go where she would go.” I was grateful for the extended length of TIME that we had spent with each other and that in her hour of need, I knew her heart and where she would go Once again, as I tried ministering to her, she was ministering to me by teaching me. That day I feel that I was “caught away in the Spirit of the Lord” and not necessarily into a high mountain, but rather just around the corner to the cemetery.

   As we continue to minister with guidance and inspiration from the Spirit, I also believe that we WILL see miracles through our service. One day I felt impressed to go and visit one of the widow’s in our ward. She seemed quiet and a little shy, and so I went for a friendly visit just so that I could get to know her better. But, while I was there, I felt like I should ask her if she would like to be a ministering sister. So, I listened to the spirit and said, “How would you feel about being a ministering sister?” She responded very quickly, “Oh no, I am not good at that, I could never do that!” Then, with words that were not my own I said, “That’s OK, I understand. But would you be interested in being a member of my Scatter Sunshine committee?” Now at this point I didn’t even have a scatter sunshine committee, nor did I have a clue what had just come out of my mouth! She asked me, “What does a scatter sunshine committee do??” Then I replied, “You would watch for people who need a friend, or a pick me up if they are having a hard time...you would just scatter sunshine!” Then this fine sister smiled at me and said, “Sure, I can do that.” And THAT was the beginning of my Scatter Sunshine committee! I was experiencing that “exceedingly high mountain which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.” Through ministering service I was seeing a miracle, and seeing the potential and good in this sister that my Heavenly Father knew was in her all along.

  Brothers and sisters, I know that inspired ministering happens when we see others the way that our Heavenly Father sees them, and that when we minister one by one, and spend valuable time with individuals, we see miracles. This is our Savior’s work of whom I testify of, and of whom we are privileged to labor alongside of, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Just Like Their Dad

Just a little bit in love with these sweet sweet boys right here...

Gavin and I had a date the other morning and practiced his driving skills in the church parking lot before hitting the real road and going to pick up chocolate milk and donuts! ;)

Then, for part of their Valentine's from me. I left the boys these wax mustaches while I was away on my trip. When they texted me this picture it made me smile so big! They are cute and sweet, just like their dad. :)

 

A Little Friendly Competition!

This is a fun and crazy bunch that I get to spend my time with, and there is never a dull moment, nor any time that life is not a competition!

Especially when we go bowling! :)

We were all having one of the best games ever, and I was even beating Clint for a little while! (Until, that is, he realized that I was ahead of him!) Then he made a comeback with 4 strikes in a row to take the lead! ;)

The final score found Carew in 1st place, then Clint with a close second, then

Me

Gavin

Kambriella

Kesslyn

and Dallin. :)

(The bumper lanes really help the little girls. ;)

We also took off last weekend and spent a night at the cabin. We brought Kara along and stopped for dinner in Spanish Fork before heading out...

I'm truly grateful for this crew! I love each one of them individually, and I love the way that each one of them complete our family.

We are a lucky, crazy bunch indeed!!!

 

Valentine's Day In Breckenridge

Isn't it beautiful? 

The Colorado Rockies and the Colorado River in the winter!

This was our view as Clint whisked me away on a 4 day Valentine's trip to Breckenridge Colorado.

As much as I LOVED getting away, I loved our drive just as much because we had 7 hours each way to talk without interruption! That alone was worth the drive! :)

We had a wonderful time exploring the sights, tastes, smells, and sounds of the little ski town of Breckenridge.

We enjoyed everything from their local restaurants, to the quaint little shops all along the city streets...

We have NEVER seen a restaurant named after either one of us, and so when we saw "Clint's Bakery" we just HAD to go in!

We left the bakery with a peanut butter and chocolate brownie for Clint, and a blueberry buckle for me. :)

We both grabbed a hot chocolate too and took our treats out onto the snowy streets where we sipped our hot chocolate and walked around in the snow.

Yes, it was pretty magical. ;)

And pretty romantic too! ;)

We enjoyed window shopping and talking, and even found the world's yummiest sea salt and caramel fudge ever!!! We savored every bite of that fudge square for the 3 days we had it. It was SO yummy!!!

Fuzziwig's is a famous candy store, but we did not go inside...there was waaay too long of a line to get in and so we just smiled and snapped a picture as we walked along...

We also got to see Kierra, Riley, and Easton while we were there! We gave them some birthday and Valentine gifts, went out to dinner, played some games, and had a blast making Easton laugh. :)

I just love that little dude and Kierra and her sweet family.

It was a highlight for us to get to spend a little time with them!

All in all, my 4 day long weekend trip was just what Clint and I needed, along with plenty of time to focus on each other and remember how in love we are. He is my best friend, and my forever Valentine, and I'm so grateful for the wonderful time he planned for us!

I love you Clint! Happy Valentine's Day!

National Pizza Day

This year I learned something VERY important...

February 9th, is National Pizza Day!!!!

I knew as soon as I had said my morning prayers, that THIS was going to be a great day, and a great way to spread some LOVE!!!

So, in an effort to share my love for others, through my love for pizza, I typed up a "National Pizza Day" love letter, placed an online order for 27 pizzas, along with cookie dough from Papa Murphy's, and spent 6 good hours delivering love and a pizza to people throughout my neighborhood!

It was SO FUN!!!

I had some wonderful visits, saw a lot of people SMILE, and I think I just might do it again next year!!!

I LOVED that National Pizza Day fell during the same week as Valentine's Day because I got to share the love with some heart shaped pizzas! (And also some Mini Murph's personal pizzas that were just the right size for the single and widowed sisters that I wanted to visit...)

as I delivered the pizzas and the love, I was able to let people know that I love them more than I love pizza! (And that's a whole lot!!! :)

Bringing a Smile

What do you do when you find out that your sister's family has Covid?? You go to Costco and buy as much comfort food as you can find, you drop it off on their doorstep,  and be sure to include a beautiful bouquet of flowers,  suggested and hand picked by their favorite little 5 year old.  It's no fun to be sick,  but hopefully a sight like this will at least make you smile. Which always feels good whether you're sick or not... you are never too sick to feel loved!!!

 

Happy Birthday Riley!

Happy 28th birthday to my favorite son-in-law!!!

We love you Riley!

Our family is better with you in it! You bring laughter, optimism, and height...;) ;)

You are making a wonderful husband and father, and you already LOOK like a dentist! (Even though you have a few more months to go! :)

We are proud of how you love our daughter, and for the righteous way you are trying to lead your own home and family. Happy happy birthday Riley! We LOVE you!!! 

 

Enjoying Lolli-Pops

Last Thursday at about 2:00 in the afternoon, I drove to the airport to pick up 2 of my very favorite people in the world! Kierra and Easton!

Kierra was coming into town for her friend Katelyn's wedding reception, and we only got 3 days with her, but hey, we will take whatever we can get!

After stopping at Clint's work to say hello to all the boys, we drove home and spent the evening together with the family...eating Café Rio take out for dinner, playing games, and catching up on life.

On Friday morning since we don't have in person school those days, we decided to take a field trip to the Children's Discovery Museum at Thanksgiving Point.

Easton loved playing with the little play house washer and dryer, pushing the button over and over again to turn the light on and off again . :)

Him and Aunt Kesslyn also loved playing in the water table at the Water Works section of the museum!

…and although they had a great time there, they were most excited to run off to the jungle gym area...

Easton enjoyed climbing all around with his mom following close behind him.

And although you can't see them very well in this picture, all the kids were enjoying being up high in the tree tops scaling the rope bridges. They do not have a fear of heights like their mother, thank goodness!

It brings me so much comfort to have my family all together under one roof., and I know that may seem a little silly with everyone growing up so much, but I just love them all and feel complete when they are all there.

I have to enjoy every minute I have with them and be sure not to take anything for granted!

Kierra is such a good little mom and her and Riley are doing such a wonderful job raising Easton.

I was so impressed with her light packing skills in order to save a little money and not have to pay extra to check a bag on the plane. All she brought with her was one little back pack full of mostly things for little Easton (since she could borrow a lot of my things while she is here...) but in that one little back pack full of things was Easton's Book of Mormon reader. I love that she found it one of the most important things to pack, and that she is teaching him from this young age al about Jesus Christ. I love that she knows what truly matters most.

We had a great time playing outside on the playground for a while, eating lunch at Zupa's, and then heading home for a bit so that Easton could have a nap.

We colored with Kesslyn, and Kierra made this beautiful picture for her that she LOVES! :)

On Saturday when Kierra went to her friend's wedding reception, I got to babysit Easton, and we had a fun time together! I am grateful for technology because I think that helps him in being so familiar and comfortable with me. He didn't seem unsure of me at all. In fact he kept reaching out to me like he wanted to be with me and it made me feel so good!

I love the different parts of mothering, including this new phase of my life, grand-mothering. (Although I prefer to call it "enjoying Lolli-Pops.";)

We are a blessed family with so many sweet people in it to love. 

But I guess now that I think about it, that's really how every family is because we are all a part of that same big family. It's a comforting thing to know. :)

 

Going About Doing Good

So much good going on, it's time to catch up! :)

We've been busy! I took Kambriella out on a date where we went to the temple and talked about being in young women's. She is SO excited and has such a good heart.

I've been running quite a bit these days since the aerobics class I usually go to has been shut down because of covid...I have loved my quiet morning runs and the beautiful morning skies...

I have been teaching a temple prep class every other Sunday with my sister Tiffany, brother in law Colby, and my son Dallin. I love it, and it feels so good to be sharing that light together.

Kesslyn is daily perfecting her art skills and is always coloring or drawing something! 

I mean, just look at that Olaf next to the dinosaur! So sweet.

We've had the entire family in to the dentist for cleanings...some happier to go than others. ;)

We've been working on designing/dreaming up a design for a new logo to celebrate 20 years of business in 2021! I never could have imagined twenty years ago what this business would have looked like today...but after thinking about and seeing all of the hard work that has gone into it, I CAN believe it! We have been so blessed throughout it all, and the Lord continues to be at the helm of this "ship!"

I have also been asked to speak in the leadership session of stake conference this weekend coming up. I am speaking about "inspired ministering." I have had some inspired dreams where I really feel like I was receiving some guidance and instruction for this specific talk. I learned from my dreams that 1) Ministering needs to be done one by one.2) To be successful at ministering we need to spend TIME with individuals and show them that we really care and want to make a difference in their life. 3) When we offer service through ministering, we will see miracles! I will have to take the time to record these dreams at a later date, but suffice it to say, that my dreams were real, emotionally involved, and unforgettable.

I have also been working hard at getting all of my Christmas taken down and put away, and also at getting some of my decorating done since moving in over a year ago now! I always have some good boys to help me too. :)

I also went with Gavin to the high school for a suicide prevention/awareness night. Gavin serves on the HOPE squad at his school and is always learning about how to help people through some of these kinds of rough challenges. I have also found this kind of information very helpful while serving in this calling, and so it benefitted me too. Just the other day I had a sister reach out to me about the "very dark place" that she was in. We had a successful conversation about this very thing, and it made me so grateful for the good people out there who care about others and want to make a difference...just like Gavin. :)

There was live entertainment and speakers too, and Gavin got to clap his hands and sing along too in the background. Way to go Gavin!

I also took Dallin on his date the other day! We went and got shakes and fries from In N Out, and then went shopping and bought a surprise gift to deliver to his cute girl "friend" Jordyn.

We were sneaky and had Dallin slide down in his seat as to not get caught!

We bought this cute little bag and filled it with a gift card, temple recommend holder, necklace, bookmark, and a candy bar too! We hung it on her car door so she could find it when she got off of work.

Then we drove through the drive through of where she works and bought a half dozen cookies and said hello. We knew that it would make her day.

I mean we knew that Dallin would make her day. 

And he did. :)

I can feel the winds of change beginning to blow ever more increasingly. and I am trying to enjoy every minute that I have with my children still under my wing.

Before long, things are going to look very different around here. Still good, just different.

Happy Monday everyone!