Sweet Release

Me, Annette, Ali, Natalie

I was released as Relief Society president a couple of weeks ago. And here are my girls. I love them! I had to super-crop this photo because I am a mammoth beast of a person right now. Two of my counselors are missing - yes, two! I actually had four different counselors during my year of service (in a student ward, you typically serve a year). Two of them moved unexpectedly. I think one of the reasons the Lord called me to serve as president was to train - I really do. Being in a student ward with so much transition and so many young, newly married couples, Randy and I are considered the old farts in our ward. I think I've mentioned this before, but I've served in either a Primary or Relief Society presidency for the last seven years - I have learned so much from the sisters I served with and I was confident in my ability to train. I was not, however, confident in so many other areas and I learned so much from my presidency and the sisters in our Relief Society this past year. Natalie, Ali & Annette were a great support to me, I really couldn't have asked for a better presidency to serve with.

I ate heaps and heaps of humble pie. Heaps! I was tried personally - Satan worked hard on me. There were a couple of months where I refused to read my scriptures because I felt that the Lord asked way too much of me and I didn't want to give Him any more. I wasn't always a cheerful servant. But I was still blessed with miracles. Miracles! Even though I wasn't always at my best, the Lord still blessed me and guided me. I received many promptings (usually in the wee hours of the morning, I guess that's when I was listening) to call a sister, or ask a question, or go visit someone. Service was my anchor - it was where I found joy amidst my own trials, I felt the love of my Heavenly Father so strongly as I served. It gave me the opportunity to look outside of my own problems and see that ALL of us have trials - no matter how big or small our trials are, none of us passes through mortality without them.

My friendships were strengthened ten-fold. My friends scraped me up, brushed me off and polished me with praise and love. They didn't judge or criticize, even though they had ample reason to. There is something so unique and special about women and our relationships with each other. We all need good women in our lives - to teach, uplift, listen, laugh & cry together.

I was blessed in my role as wife and mother. Randy was my rock. He gave me great counsel, and often - and put up with me when I put him and the boys second to take care of someone or something else. I love this counsel from Elder Ballard (I recommend this talk for anyone with a leadership position:

"Still there are those who experience some feelings of guilt as a consequence of their service in the Church. These feelings can come when our time and attention are being torn between competing demands and priorities. As mortals, we simply cannot do everything at once. Therefore we must do all things "in wisdom and order" (Mosiah 4:27). Often that will mean temporarily postponing attention to one priority in order to take care of another. Sometimes family demands will require your full attention. Other times professional responsibilities will come first. And there will be times when Church callings will come first. Good balance comes in doing things in a timely way and in not procrastinating our preparation or waiting to fulfill our responsibilities until the last minute." (Elder Russell M. Ballard, Ensign October 2006 " O Be Wise")

We were blessed as a family - we definitely grew. Arguments were few and far between with Randy and me. I think we all realized that we were in survival mode and were satisfied with just doing the best that we could. I was blessed with time. I've been released for a couple of weeks now and I'm finding that I had just as much time before I was released. I was given a gift to prioritize my time and focus on what was most important at any given moment.

I am very relieved - I was ready to be released. I gave it my best, and I feel a sense of accomplishment now that it is over. I am grateful for the time that I have now to focus on other things, but I will always cherish this time that I had as president. The Monday after I was released, I emailed the Primary president in our ward and campaigned for a teaching calling in Primary. By Wednesday, I had an appointment with the Bishop where he called me to teach Josh's class! I absolutely love it and I'm grateful for the change.