Church Stuff

So...

Early this month, we held our annual Young Women in Excellence for our Young Women.  It ended up being super awesome.  We did the theme as 1 Timothy 4:12:
 

We did everything black and white.  White table cloths with black decor.  We painted punkins black and white and glittered them too like this without dots:

We used newspapers as tablecloths on the display tables.  Even the desserts were black and white.

We had white Christmas lights all over and vases with black and white ornaments as the centerpieces on the tables.  I printed off the values with scripture and theme here in black and white.  Each Laurel wrote her testimony and we typed it to kinda look like this, but in a frame and used them as centerpieces as well:

Go here for this awesome idea.

It was absolutely beautiful.  One of the girls said, "It was so pretty in there I thought I was at a wedding!"  I was so happy to have Vanessa help me out with the decorations and for the other leaders who helped decorate.  It really looked wonderful.

The handouts turned out so cute.  One of my Beehives was helping with YWinE for her Integrity project and helped make the invitations and the handouts.  This is sort of what they looked like:

Okay, so we didn't do it on wood (cost and sanity saved!) but we did have her cut out the "be" part on black and white paper, then glued it onto really cute and complimentary black and white paper.  Then I wrote on a tag "thou an example".  Then we put them in 8 x 10 frames and they looked adorable.  We put them all over the display tables and anywhere that needed a filler.  For a template, go here.

We sang "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" and did the theme, scripture, and intro to Personal Progress.  Each young women had a place to display things they had done in Personal Progress, school, sports, and other talents they had.  We had the young women who got their awards this year speak.  They did absolutely amazing.  It made me so happy to listen to them.  One of the girls did a musical number where she played the piano and sang at the same time.  Awesome, right? 

It was so nice to be able to brag about the young people and the amazing things they do.  All in all, I would do it all over again.  I'm really lucky to serve in the Young Women program and I am so happy to have the people I serve with.

janalee

Making Mistakes

Well, this post is all about how stupid my week has been.

Soooo....

I was just waiting at the church for some girls who had a meeting so they were running a tad late to Young Womens.  We were going to see an awesome production of West Side Story.  I had taken a book to read, but then thought, "the church is empty, I am alone...I could play the piano and actually enjoy it."  Side note:  I am not very good at playing the piano, but I wanted to see if I still could play some songs I used to enjoy.  Another side note:  If you are in my ward and tattle that I play the piano, you will be in trouble.  Haha.  So I put my phone on silent so it wouldn't be disrespectful and go off in the chapel.  I placed it up on the piano so I can see if the YW text or call me when they arrive.  I'm playing the first song and totally relaxing.  I had been having a week that I wish would just go away and everything just seemed a lot better in that moment. 

Don't worry.  It didn't end there.  I go to change the page when I have finished the song, and I bump the piano and my phone falls...INTO THE GRAND PIANO.

Seriously.  Who loses their phone in a freaking piano??

So I'm trying to get to it, but my hands aren't freakishly long and thin, so its not doing anything but hurting my hand.  Then, my phone starts to vibrate.  Its ringing.  Awesome.  I can't get to it.  So then, a girl comes in and says, "I've been calling you and you haven't been answering!"  I said, "Yeah, cuz my stupid phone is in the stupid piano."  HAHAHA.  I was SUPER frustrated.  So we got a spatula and tried to get it out.  I can only imagine what people would have thought had they seen us.  Finally, she said, "The play starts in fifteen minutes."  I said, "Okay...we're not really getting anywhere with this, so we'll go and pray the whole time."  So we get going a little ways when a police car comes behind me.  "OH NO!  Court...my Driver License is inside my phone!!!"  I have an old phone that flips open to a keyboard and when I don't want to take my wallet, I put the DL in there.  Stupid?  Yep.  She said, "Relax!  I'm sure this happens all the time!"  "Really?  Idiots get their phones holding their Driver License lost in pianos ALL the time?"  HAHAHA  Wow.  She was so kind.  "This won't matter in the end, it will all be okay."  I asked for her to call and let them know we are coming.  She hands me the iPhone, and I have NO clue how to use it.  She said, "You don't have an iPhone?  Janalee...This is a BLESSING!  Its God's way of saying, get a smartphone!"  HAHAHA  She is awesome.  As luck would have it, we got to the play before it started.  So I went and asked my Bishopric to help me after.

Then, the anxiety came.  How much will this cost?  How will I get the photos off?  I'll have to get a new Driver License.  What about all my contacts?  And what about all the stuff I have written so I don't forget or lose the info.  IDIOT.  Why am I so dependent on a PHONE???  I didn't calm down and with every song, I got more upset.  Why did this happen?  Seriously.  I'm so dumb.

So after the play, which was a sad story, but good, we went back to the church.  Just as the Bishop is saying, I don't think there is any way for us to get to it without breaking the piano, he sort of pulls this one part and it came straight off!!!!  MIRACLE!  I grabbed my phone, SO THANKFUL that it was finally free and I could stop worrying.  We all were so surprised it worked out!  I said how thankful I was and immediately texted Courtnie, and the others I had told about it!  Everyone said, "Its a miracle!"  And I agreed.

So, when you have a bad day, and you think you are dumb, ask yourself this question:  "Am I so dumb that I got my own phone with my Driver License stuck in a grand piano?"

I hope that the answer will be "no" for everyone else.

janalee