New Job

I had to say goodbye to my adorable nursery kids last Sunday because I got a new job at church. I went from teaching 18 month-olds to 18 year-olds! Quite a jump, believe me. I am now the Laurel Advisor, which is the teacher of 16-18 year olds on Sunday.

I am sure it's going to be a lot of fun and I will adjust to this new assignment. However, I have to admit that for now... I'M SCARED! This is such a change for me. I haven't been in the Young Women's organization since I WAS a Young Woman! I have always served in Primary (the younger children) or Relief Society (the older women) so I have not developed the skills to serve girls this age. And I don't have teenagers of my own, so I feel like I am learning to speak a new language. I know it will be a growing experience for me. I just hope and pray that I can give these girls what they need. 

So I am I adjusting to the communication and social skills needed for this role, and I am also adjusting to the time schedule! Suddenly I find myself required to attend a whole bunch of meetings, Tuesday night activities, Girls Camp, and other events. I want to be totally dedicated to this calling, so it's requiring some major juggling. I am going to have to be really good at planning ahead and I am going to have to be more choosy about how I spend my free

time- what little there seems to be!

  

I was listening to the song "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift the other day and there is a part where she says "... I didn't know who I was supposed to be..." and I thought to myself- I am so thankful to be a member of a church that teaches these beautiful, vulnerable young girls EXACTLY who they are and who they are supposed to be. There is no question that they are daughters of God and that He wants them to make good choices, respect themselves, stay close to their Savior, be morally clean, and become strong women of integrity. What a blessing to have this knowledge!

I know this program is really important. I had a hard time when I was in Young Women's. I think it was tough growing up outside of Utah where there were only a handful of girls my age at church and NONE in my whole school (except for my own sister). I would go to activities and sometimes the leaders weren't even there! Other times I would go just to go, but didn't really get excited about what was being taught. However, despite my wishy-washy attitude, I absorbed the concepts and I gained a knowledge of the gospel. I think this new calling will help to strengthen my testimony of this program. It will help me to be a better mom to my girls and to support the program when they turn 12 (Olivia is only 4.5 years away from that day!) 

So our first activity was Tuesday night. We made some thank you's for the outgoing leaders (the entire Young Women's board was basically replaced) and had a "Get to Know You" for the rest of us. We all brought 2 things to represent who we are. I took a Thai Book of Mormon and a small dumbbell. It was fun to go around the room guessing what object belonged to whom- and learning about each other in the meantime. The girls are really cute. I hope they remind me how to loosen up and have more FUN!!! because sometimes I think I have forgotten how to do that.

So please wish me luck and say a prayer on my behalf. I'm going to need it!