Why?

I've recently been called into my YW Presidency in my new LDS ward. Hi--welcome to a new state, new job, new ward, and new calling. I haven't been in YW in a long time, but I'm so excited to serve there. I think it will be just great. I love the youth of the church, and I know that as leaders we can do so much to help them. I am so excited to serve and to help my Young Women to come to KNOW their Savior and to desire to serve Him for the remainder of their lives.

I am in a different position than most of the other leaders I know--I'm single. This means that I have more time on my hands. I don't have a family that I have to take care of when I'm not doing church things--it's just me. When I graduated college and moved to a new state, I went with the knowledge that I would have church to help me through any challenges. Because of this (and other factors), I made the goal to serve wherever I could and however I could. Since I don't have the opportunity to serve my husband and children, I am very grateful that I can put my energy into my job (teaching middle school) and into my young women.

As I was researching some things that I could do today (did you know that there are so MANY great resources for YW leaders? There are tons of blogs/websites/forums by other leaders that give great ideas. One thing I am not: Creative. I steal all my good ideas from others...)...Oh, I got distracted. Let me start over. As I was researching things I could do to help my YW today, I found information about receiving the Young Womanhood Recognition award as a leader. I remember hearing about this when I was in YWs, but I hadn't thought about it recently. I graduated YW in 2002--right when they started the new YW program. I graduated under the old program, but got the new medallion. And I think I did all the requirements half-heartedly, especially my Laurel projects. I'd like to try again. :)

Since I have time and the opportunity, I am going to earn my Young Womanhood Recognition award by the end of 2010. This will be a wonderful opportunity to better myself and to draw closer to my Savior. It will be a great opportunity for me to learn what my Young Women are doing, and also to be an example to them. I am starting this blog as a journal for the things I am learning/doing. I will post my responses to value experiences and I will record my testimony. I debated making this blog private, but I decided to follow the counsel of an Apostle and use it as a missionary tool. People might never see it. But then again they might, and if they do, I pray that they will know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves His children and wants them to live with them again. Because of that, He has restored His church to the earth again in its fullness--we have a Prophet on the earth who stands on the watchtower and teaches us what God wants us to know. I know we can live with our families again through God's Plan of Happiness. God wants us to be happy--we have trials in our lives and challenges, but He wants us to turn to Him so that we can be strengthened through the Atonement of His son, Jesus Christ. God loves us and will help us through the difficult things in our lives.

If you'd like to send me any ideas/thoughts/questions, you can send it as a comment and I will get back to you. Also, if you're a Young Women's leader and would like to join me in this challenge, let me know--I'd be more than happy to make this a group blog. :)