Ward Christmas Party

A huge thank you to everyone who made this year's Tullahoma Ward Christmas Party so great! And thank you so much to all who came! So many of our ward family (from Tullahoma and Winchester) were there to eat, take part in the program, and enjoy each other's company!

THE CULTURAL HALL, BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED 

THE STAGE IS SET!

EACH TABLE HAD A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL CENTERPIECE

EACH FAMILY WAS ASKED TO MAKE A SNOWMAN TO DISPLAY.

We look forward to another great ward party next year!

Manchester Christmas Parade Float

November 29th and 30th Manchester held its annual Christmas parade. This year, the Tullahoma Ward had a float!

A big thanks to Brother Long and Elder Higgins who made the float.

Mackenzie Anderson was Mary and Mark Allen was Joseph.

The three wise men.

Also there were Becca Lynn, Dallas Holmes, Brother Noe, Brother Vetter, Hermana Schmit, Hermana Ayre, Elder Callahan, Elder Openshaw, Sister Demayola, Sister Carpenter, Mackenzie Anderson, Sister Anderson, Mark Allen, Brother and Sister Higgins, Brother Long, Brother Hariman, and Sister Rowe. Thanks to all who helped make the float possible! We look forward to doing it again next year!

Sacrament Attendance Chart - December 1, 2013

In January 2000, the fifteen apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, including the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles  as well as the three members of the First Presidency, proclaimed the following message:

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come. He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the first fruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fullness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire: the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3-4).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father –

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22-24).

We declare in the worlds of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth – “built upon the foundation of…apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and desired of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles – that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

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This holiday season, as we celebrate the birth and life of our dear Savior, may we emulate His spirit in all we do and declare to those around us that He lives!

Member Testimony

This week's testimony comes from Sister Meagan Vaughn.

I LOVE this time of year. The holiday season puts me in the greatest of moods. There is joy and hazelnut steamer running through my veins! Although I am a person who likes to milk each holiday and I am one of “those” people who puts their Christmas tree up before Thanksgiving just because it makes me happy, I realize this time of year can be difficult and sad for some people for one reason or another. For some, the holidays bring back painful memories of childhood or the loss of a loved one. For others, the burden of finances and stress can be overwhelming and make it hard to be thankful. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is a gift that will bless our own lives and those around us continually and especially during this time of year.

          

Elder Bednar recently taught us that gratitude is a spiritual gift. He says, “a subtle but significant blessing we can receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain our desires for what we want. A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment.” I believe that some people are given this gift while others have the opportunity to develop it. If we have the desire we can learn to change the way the natural man in us sees the world. The beauty of the atonement of Jesus Christ is that through it and through our Savior, we can change the very nature of who we are. We can learn to see our glass as half full even when there are storms of trial upon us. Gratitude to me is much like the principle of tithing. Giving away ten percent of what we have can be very difficult, especially if what we have is not much to begin with, but once our eyes and heart are opened  to the fact that EVERYTHING we have is literally a blessing and gift from Heavenly Father then, suddenly, returning a small portion of what he has blessed us with doesn’t seem so hard after all. I think showing gratitude is much the same way; being thankful (even in times of hardship) is very difficult but when we understand that all the good things in our life come from Heavenly Father, it makes weathering the storms a bit easier. I love the scripture in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

We know our struggles and trials in this life are but a small moment in the expanse of eternity. We also know the only source that we can turn to in times of darkness to soften and heal our hearts and to help us be thankful for our blessings.

There are two specific things that help me in the process of trying to have a thankful heart.

1. I remember, as a youth, hearing someone suggest that when we recognize the Holy Ghost working in our lives and guiding us, we pause to thank him. I remember the first time I actually stopped and said out loud, “Thank you!” to the Holy Ghost. It made me laugh and feel bizarre but as I have made that a habit, the blessing that has come from it is that I see far more often how many times the Holy Ghost has helped me and directed me with the promptings that I needed.

2. I also remember, as a primary aged child, learning that we could make decisions about things our life BEFORE they happened. For example, I knew that if/when I was ever offered drugs/alcohol/or immoral temptations that my answer would be no. I decided ahead of time that those choices were not for me.  As I got older, sure enough those situations became available to me. It was much easier than I had ever anticipated to refuse the things that I knew were bad for me because I had already decided to do so. We can do the same thing with gratitude. We can decide AHEAD of time to be thankful, to search for the silver lining, and to give thanks to Heavenly Father ALWAYS (even in the most difficult times).

I know people who have lived through some of the darkest most unspeakable things that this earthly life has to offer. I have seen those experiences destroy people/families and I have watched others choose gratitude. They choose to practice their faith…to forgive, to be thankful, and to endure. I have decided that when the greatest trials of my life come, I will not push out my faith…I will choose to be thankful even in the face of adversity. I sincerely hope that I can do that when those times come.

One of my favorite hymns inspires gratitude.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Although the Lord blesses us many times when we don’t deserve it, I imagine how much he must enjoy blessing us when we are thankful to Him. I know when my children show gratitude, I am more apt to repeat the thing that made them so happy. I try to remember that Heavenly Father probably feels the same way. We teach the primary children to begin their prayers by saying “Dear Heavenly Father, then thank Him for blessings he sends.” Showing thanks should be the first and most important part of our prayers.

Having an attitude of gratitude make us better disciples of Christ. When we realize how abundant our own blessings are, and are grateful for them, it gives us a sense of empathy for those around us. Hopefully that inspires us into action. The culmination of our gratitude is when we pass those blessings forward by serving others. This is my favorite thing about this time of year. It seems as though we all come together in the spirit of thankfulness and service. I hope that we can all follow the example of Savior, Jesus Christ and help the needy, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and impart of our substance to those who need it. May we be ever thankful to our Father in Heaven… “We truly need him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain." (President Monson)

New Members

Saturday, November 23rd, we gained two more new member in our ward family. Ray and Crystal Steward were baptized! The event started with a talk on baptism by Crystal's mother, Sister Linda Sanders. Sister Sanders was baptized in 2009 in McMinville and expressed a beautiful testimony to Crystal and Ray of the power that her baptism had in her life. She warned them that they would still face uncertainty and trials in life but that those trials would be easier to wade through with the Lord on their side. After Sister Sanders' remarks, Ray, and then Crystal were baptized by Elder Higgins. Their son, Tyler, was there to support them along with many members of the ward. Next, a handful of missionaries - Sister DeMeyola, Sister Carpenter, Hermana Schmit, Hermana Ayre, Elders Callahan, Elder Openshaw, Hermana Garlitz and her companion, and the district leader along with his companion - beautifully sang "I Believe in Christ" after which Sister Yockey gave an inspiriting talk on the Holy Ghost. Her words were inspiring and uplifting. She is truly, as she stated, a teacher of the Gospel. Crystal was welcomed into Relief Society by Sister Anderson. Brother Fricke welcomed Ray into Elder's Quorum, and then welcomed them both into the Ward.

  
The next morning, Sunday, November 24th, Ray and Crystal were confirmed members of the Church, given the gift of the Holy Ghost, and received beautiful blessings from Brother Jim Long.

We are so excited to have this strong couple join our ward family! Welcome Ray and Crystal!

Sacrament Attendance Chart - November 17, 2013

Sunday, November 17th, we were pleased to hear from Brother Jim Long during Sacrament meeting. To begin his talk, Brother Long asked all the veterans in the congregation to stand and be recognized. He went on to speak of the sacrifice that these men have given in defense of freedom and how service in the gospel can mean sacrifice as well.

Brother Long referenced the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:27-35 which reads:

"...Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

...A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on  him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and give them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee."

Perhaps the good Samaritan considered the sacrifices he was making in order to help the wounded man. But even still, he gave his effort, his time, and his money to help this downtrodden stranger.

Perhaps the Samaritan knew that what may seem like sacrifice in a moment is never such in the eternal scheme of things as we are told in Luke 10  "Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself....this do, and thou shalt live." Eternal life is our reward for such selflessness, which reward transforms sacrifice from merely loss into the currency required for something greater.

Brother Long went onto to relate other stories of men who sacrificed for their friends and for the Church. But, of course, the greatest sacrifice that Brother Long spoke of was that of the Savior. Hymn 191 "Behold the Great Redeemer Die" captures the sentiment of His great and loving sacrifice for us.

"Behold the great Redeemer die,
A broken law to satisfy.
He dies a sacrifice for sin,
That man may live and glory win.

While guilty men his pains deride,
They pierce his hands and feet and side:
And with insulting scoffs and scorns,
The crown his head with plaited thorns.

Although in agony he hung,
No murm'ring word escaped his tongue.
His high commission to fulfill,
He magnified his Father's will.

'Father, from me remove this cup.
Yet, if thou wilt, I'll drink it up.
I've done the work thou gavest me,
Receive my spirit unto thee.'

He died, and at the awful sight
The sun in shame withdrew its light!
Earth trembled, and all nature sighed
In dread response, 'A God has died!'

He lives -- he lives. We humbly now
Around these sacred symbols bow
And seek, as Saints of latter days,
To do his will and live his praise."

May we ever strive to show our gratitude to all those who give up so much on our behalf, especially those in the military and most especially our Savior. He died that we might live again. That is the greatest sacrifice of all. Let it not be in vain.