Mormon Blog Buttons

Looking for a button for your website or blog. These are designed by Lyndsay Johnson, a graphic designer, for the church to promote Mormon.org. Lots of cute choices. And, she even offers custom wording!

Ellen

Free LDS Temple Art

Thought there would be interest in this...

The LDS temple artwork [at this website] is available free for families who otherwise could not afford to have beautiful pictures in their home. These images are free for personal or church use (just not for profit). Click on the image, save to your computer and print with your favorite print shop. If you use them in a cute project or feature them on your site, please link back!

  e

A Few New Online Resources

Great new Seminary website from the Church
This is chocked full of good information. Find downloadable seminary music, online scripture mastery activities, access to seminary materials, and more. I love the "Your point of view" where a teen answers a gospel question. Makes it real.

These are just a few of the categories

Check out MormonNeighbor.org, An LDS Perspective
You'll want to bookmark this for future reference. It's a nice clean aggregator pulling together LDS content from across the web. Mostly official LDS stuff.

Mormonshare.com
Magnify your calling, prepare your lesson, plan your next activity. A wealth of ideas collected over the years for great lessons, handouts, sharing times etc. Their goal is to share lesson helps, from the best sources, easily found and even let you share your ideas too. "We consider it to be part of the building up of Zion on the internet -- isn't that really what Zion is -- The Ultimate Open Source Society?"

Enjoy!

e

P.S. I'll add this links to our Church websites tab at the top of the blog for easy reference.

Need some specific council to help with trials?

I just found THIS GREAT SITE on LDS.org's Family Service page with resources on ways to improve our emotional health.  It links great articles from General Conference, BYU devotionals, Church Resources, and the Ensign all in one location for specific topics.  Some examples of areas covered are: abuse, adoption, adversity, conflict resolution, depression, divorce, marriage, parenting, self worth, stress management, and many more! 

I know when it comes time for me to seek help in a particular area, I often find that I need specific direction and these articles are wonderful for that!  Plus I love knowing that they are all from LDS.org so the counsel will be appropriate.  If you are seeking help or just want to include some great resources to your scripture study, try reading some of these articles.  I hope they'll help you as much as they have me!

Devon

This seems like a hidden treasure. But not for long. I've posted a permanent link on our Official Church Websites tab for future reference. Thanks Devon for bringing it to our attention.  e

Church Launches New.lds.org

Visit the Church's new, upgraded website at new.lds.org.

The media-rich site emphasizes the teachings of living prophets and apostles, provides easy access to scriptures, and offers new tools for online gospel study.

I did some exploring and would like to introduce you to some of the new features.

I know, I know I've featured this on the blog before, BUT now it's even better...the design, the multimedia, the thoughtful choices of articles etc.

Study by Topic

I love this way of studying the scriptures. You get a complete picture of a gospel subject.

For example, let's look at the Temple topic.

First you get a simple definition or introduction, then Additional Information if you want to dive deeper.

"Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship where individuals make sacred covenants with God....

"Temples are places of learning. Their principal purpose is to provide ordinances necessary for the children of God to enable them to return to dwell with Him."

Then Reference Scriptures...Isaiah 2: 1-3.

"1 The word that ^aIsaiah the son of Amoz ^bsaw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

 
"2 And it shall come to pass in the ^alast days, that the ^bmountain of the Lord’s ^chouse shall be ^destablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all ^enations shall flow unto it.

     UAdd a Note 

"3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us ^ago up to the ^bmountain of the Lord, to the ^chouse of the God of Jacob; and he will ^dteach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of ^eZion shall go forth the ^flaw, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

Next is a list of related recent church magazine articles.

For example, Happiness and Joy in Temple Work, by Franklin D. Richards in 1986.

"A temple is a retreat from the vicissitudes of life, a place of prayer and meditation providing an opportunity to receive inner peace, inspiration, guidance, and, frequently, solutions to the problems that vex our daily lives.     UAdd a Note 

"A temple is a place where the divine spark in man, or the infinite in man, can seek the infinite in God"

And last, Additional Study Materials, such as the Encyclpedia of Mormonisn, the Bible Dictionary and so forth.

Take a minute and check it out. Enrich your scripture study with this resource.

Next post: More about My Study Notebook

e

Free Flu Shots Through the County

Hi Sisters,

It's that time of year again!  Where did the summer go?

If you are interested in  FREE flu shots for you or your children, here is the link for the county sites:

www.health.montcopa.org

The flu shot this year will contain the seasonal vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine.

We will also be offering pneumoccocal and Tdap vaccines.

As you have probably seen in the news, pertussis (whooping cough) is on the rise thoughout the country.  It is recommended that all parents, grandparents and children over 10 get a booster of Tdap to protect infants that have not had a complete series of DTaP. [DO THIS! I had Pertussis as an adult a few years ago and it is nasty!]

Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions.

Deb Chiapelli

Have You Seen LDS Maps?

Ward boundaries, households, meetinghouses and FH libraries

LDS Maps is a mashup with Church records and Google Maps where you can find an LDS church anywhere in the world.

Even better is the ability to see where members of the ward live and the ward boundaries. You can get address, phone numbers, e-mails and GPS information.

For this, of course, you need to sign in with your LDS Account user name and password.

The information is pulled from the membership records and the ward membership software (MLS). If something is not correct, contact our ward clerk.

It's in beta testing now so it's a bit slow.

This should be great resource.

Stake boundaries and meetinghouses

Dry Pack Canning Day

Join me for a morning of dry pack canning.

I have made an appointment at the Church storehouse in Bridgeport, NJ (under an hour away) for Saturday, July 31, 8 AM - noon. We have to be out by noon.

I'm hoping to get a bunch of you (6-8 adults) to go with me.  If you want to involve your older children/teens/husbands, they're also welcome.

Foods available to can, and prices, are listed on this link from lds.org or this form:
Open pdf order form

You can buy 1 can or many.  The food comes in either #10 cans (large food service size), or in mylar pouches.

Storage life is around 20 years—but you know you should actually use and rotate it!

The advantage of dry-pack is the long storage life—the cans keep out insects, rodents, and moisture.  Prices are excellent.

Send me an e-mail if you want to sign up—or if you have questions.

As Pres. Hinckley said "there is a portent of stormy weather ahead".

Owenna Nagy
owennanagy [at] gmail [dot] com

Photo credit

"Mormon Mission Biz" Link from CNBC

Click below to watch an interesting clip from CNBC on Missionaries and Mormons in the global economy.  Thanks Cheryl for the link!

CNBC Video Mormon Mission Biz

New Website: LDSjobs.org

The Church has a new website to help members find employment, called LDSjobs.org.

It has sections for the job seeker, student, and self-employed, but also for employers, schools, small business organizations, and stakes and wards.

You have to register to access tools, review profiles, or track your progress.

Personalized articles will meet your needs: Want to succeed in your new job? Recent graduate? Suddenly without a job? Returning to the workforce? Considering a new career? Not making enough money? These are just a few titles to a wealth of information that will fit your particular circumstances.

Check it out! Then pass on this good information to someone you know with an employment concern.

I'll post a permanent link on our church links page.

e

More Free Music at LDS.org

Have you seen the music section of LDS.org. It’s full of great music and great resources.

You can get the hymns and children’s songs. You can get camp music, music published in the church magazines, and the seminary music.

Download MP3s or the sheet music of your favorite hymns and children’s songs. See the hymns in sign language, learn how to lead music, or how to teach songs to children.


Have you tried the interactive music player yet? (Shown above.) You choose a song and it loads ready to play. Now choose music with parts, words and music, or music only. Choose which parts to play, the tempo, and the key. Push play! You’ll see the colored notes move along with the music. You may also print the song, learn more about it and interact with it.

Take a minute to explore this website and invite good music into your home, use for your family home evenings or add music to your lessons.

e

Free Inspirational Music

From Mormon Times:

Sally DeFord is a popular, brilliant LDS composer and arranger. You’ve no doubt heard her compositions performed by your ward choir, especially if you have a budget-savvy choir director.

DeFord offers her sheet music for free on her Web site. Those who have discovered DeFord's talents are eager to spread the word.

“I hope people understand that though I give away the sheet music for my compositions, I don't necessarily feel that others should be doing the same. Everyone who is employed is selling a divinely given talent or gift in exchange for their bread, and that's a good thing. This is just the way I felt inspired to do it.” 

FULL ARTICLE

Listen to her playlists, get the lyrics, download the sheet music, download her recordings at Defordmusic.com

Take a minute to explore. (Navigate through the Quick links dropdown. A little clunky but worth the effort to explore.)

e

Food Storage

Ward Families:

Paying too much for food?  If you are purchasing oatmeal, flour, rice, sugar, instant potatoes or pasta at the store, you might be paying too much!

All of these items and more can be purchased at the Church Cannery for relatively cheap prices.  And the best way to keep your food storage in good order is to rotate through it.  If you don't know how to use the food in your stores now, how will you know what to do when you actually need it?  When is the last time you took an inventory?

Do you know how much is required for your family's 1-year food storage?  The following offers the Essential Items of a 1-year food supply for a family of four (4):

Essential Items	Quantity
Water (potable)	56 gallons
Grains (wheat, oats, rice, flour, pastas, etc.)	1600 pounds
Dairy & Eggs (powdered milk, egg powder, etc.)	120 pounds
Sweeteners (honey, sugar, syrups, etc.)	240 pounds
Salt	32 pounds
Seasonings	192 ounces
Oils & Fats	48 quarts
Leaveners (yeast, baking powder, baking soda, etc.)	48 ounces
Legumes (beans, soup mixes, etc.)	240 pounds

Remember, this is just the basics.  I have an Excel spreadsheet that will help you see what you have and figure out what you still need.  I will forward it to anyone that wants it, just let me know. 

Want to can food, but pressed for time. Let the Wolf's help out. Our boys are needing scout service hours so put us to work. We will be checking the cannery out and canning at our house over the next few weekends. Let us know what you want canned.

Food storage is very important and now is a great time to stock up.  Don't feel intimidated... nobody gets their food storage done over night.  The key is to work on it a piece at a time.  Please let me know if there is any area that I can help you.  I will be going to the Church Cannery soon.  Attached is the pricing list from the Cannery.

Thx,
Charity Wolf
484-902-8220

Photo credit

Dry Pack Canning

Hello Everyone,

I’m going to the cannery this next weekend. I will be picking up the canner and anything else that anyone needs from the cannery.

I’m hoping to keep the canner at my house for a few weeks so people can use it. If you want to can something you have let me know and I will get you any food, cans, lids and oxygen packs while I'm there. If you want to can something from your house you can, that is why I'm bring the canner here.

I use the church rice, hot chocolate, sugar, flour, noodles and oatmeal all the time. I’m starting to use my beans more often so I know how.

The church food keeps my over all food bill down and if we ever needed to eat just food storage we will like eating it! It is not hard to start incorporating one meal a week in to your regular meals.

Please take time to look through the storage you have and decide if you need more. I'm willing to help anyway I can.

 I have always thought that one day I would be able to get on one of those fancy web sites and order a gourmet food storage, but really we just need to start a few cans at a time.....

Thx
Charity
484 902-8220 (Our number in the directory is wrong.)

Fill out your form for the cannery.

Ward Members on a Google Map

 

Did you know there is a ward Google map showing where ward members live?

It was set up some time ago for convenience in finding your home teaching or visiting teaching families.

If you have a Gmail account you can save it to My Maps for easy reference in the future.

It's not quite up-to-date but we are working on it. Check it out and if your name is missing let us know.

Thanks,
Devon

H1N1 Vaccination Clinic

Hi Sisters, For those of you interested in getting H1N1 vaccine for yourselves or your children, see info below. I will be working both days so come and visit me! Deb

Health Department to Hold H1N1 Vaccine Clinics for At Risk Populations. The Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) has scheduled two walk-in H1N1 flu clinics for people in the recommended target groups.

These clinics will only offer H1N1 vaccine to those who are in a high priority risk group as determined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania State Health Department.

There is no charge for the immunization.

The dates, times and locations of the clinics are:

Friday, November 20th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Hope Community Church, 2732 N Charlotte St Gilbertsville, PA

Saturday, November 21st from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Central Montco Technical High School, 821 Plymouth Road, Plymouth, PA

Those in the recommended target group include:
• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
• Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

Children from 6 months to 9 years old will require a second

Deb Chiapelli

Buying Fresh Bread

When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest?

Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores 5 days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day they use a different color twist-tie or plastic clip.

Monday: Blue
Tuesday: Green
Thursday: Red
Friday: White
Saturday: Yellow

The colors run alphabetically by color: blue, green, red, white and yellow so it's very easy to remember.

This goes for bread, rolls, buns, etc. Often the loaves on sale are several days old.

The bread is rotated off the shelves fairly quickly, but in my experience I've seen all the colors on one day.

This only a rule of thumb and may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some stores receive bread every day nowadays. So, do check the "sell by" date too.

I thought this was one of those viral e-mails that is a hoax. But it checks out and I've had luck with it through the years.

Next time you're in the store see for yourself.

Ellen

Photo by : : w i n t e r t w i n e d : :

Consignment Sale This Weekend

Hi Sisters:

There is a big consignment sale of children's stuff this weekend at the Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks.  They are selling used kid's clothing (current season/very good condition), furniture, toys, books, baby equipment, maternity clothes and children's sporting equipment.

Admission is $3.00, but there is a coupon online to get in free.  Below
is a link with further information:

Just Between Friends Western Mainline

Deb

Emergency Food Supply Buckets

Limited Time Offer at Costco:
$10 discount is reflected in the price.

Valid for orders placed
October 15, 2009 through November 1, 2009.
While supplies last.

Online Price      $84.99
Less                 -$10.00
YOUR COST    $74.99

Nutritional and preparation information
Basic preparation will impact the probability of your family’s survival in an emergency. Delicious and easy to prepare.  Each bucket contains 275 servings of pre-mixed and pre-seasoned 100% vegetarian and vitamin fortified food. With a 20 year long shelf life, this kit is perfect for the preparation of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or even for a camping or hunting trip.

• Easy to Prepare
• Must have water and a heat source
• 275 Servings
• All Meals 100% Vegetarian and Vitamin Fortified
• Sealed in convenient Weather-Proof bucket for easy transport
• 25 Servings - Potato Soup
• 30 Servings - Corn Chowder
• 25 Servings - Cacciatore
• 25 Servings - Western Stew
• 30 Servings - Country Noodle
• 25 Servings - Rice Lentil
• 45 Servings - Whey Milk
• 40 Servings - Blueberry Pancake
• 30 Servings - Barley Vegetable
• Total Weight: 23 lbs.

The Date of Manufacturing is printed on each individual packet. The Expiration Date for all the food is printed on a sticker on the outside of the bucket.

For best taste and nutritional value, use product before:

20 years of manufacturing date when stored at 60° F (16.6° C)

10 years of manufacturing date when stored at 70° F (21.1° C)

Charity and Owenna

Not Enough Time to Dig for Info on the Web?

Wonder how to find the good stuff on the web?

Wish for recommendations on the best ideas?

Want to share what you know about a topic?

Try Squidoo.

It's 2 things:

A popular publishing platform and community that makes it easy for you to create "lenses" online. Lenses are pages where you gather everything you know about your topic of interest.

And, a place to look for ideas and recommendations.

Here are a few of the categories: Books, travel, business, green living, health & medicine, news & politics, food & cooking, movies & TV, music, parenting & kids, DIY & hobbies, arts, home & garden, work at home, shopping, just to name a few.

Here are a few lenses I thought you'd be interested in:

• Where to find free audio books online
• 50 kids birthday party themes and cakes
• Free digital photo editing tools
• Community service ideas
• Customize your blogger template
• Tips to fall asleep fast
• Different dog breeds
• Children Halloween costumes
• Growing daffodils
• Starting a new Christmas tradition

Check it out! Then submit a comment and tell us about what you find interesting.

Ellen King