Sunday School

I haven't "done" Sunday School here in a while.
So, if you are new, just to let you know-

Sometimes I hold a baby during Sunday School & you get to hear all about that. (Two weeks ago, I got to hold the cutest little one who absolutely loved my hair. She grabbed it in a death grip & ate a couple of handfulls.-I had to leave the meeting, I was laughing so hard.)

Sometimes I go to my meetings and something touches my heart & I tell you about it.

Sometimes I get to teach something and I might tell you about it.

Sometimes something has happened during the week that's got me thinking in a spiritul way.

So, around here, Sunday School is a mixed bag.

Like today, I was nervous, so I didn't go-to the official Sunday School-but that's ok, because they were having the same lesson on Jonah that I sat through last week in Texas, so I didn't feel too guilty. I joined the foyer crowd. You know those people who hang out and visit & don't go to the organized classes; whom, if they get too loud, draw undo attention to themselves and get asked to quiet down & reminded that there are wonderful teachers who have prepared wonderful messages to be heard by you wonderful people.

Ok, so that didn't happen today & I had good reason to be hanging out. I was nervous.
Nervous, because, for the first time in a very long while, I was going to be teaching adults.
I can handle the kids (for the most part), but when it comes to the adults, I get antsy.
I needed to go over my notes.

Here comes the churchy stuff:

I've been praying for as long as I've known about teaching this lesson for His help and guidance.
And wow did He come through. I am very ever so grateful.

Last Friday, I was worried about how to organize the material into a lesson and had the impression to make an outline of the address that the lesson was focused on. (The lesson was from a talk -aka speech- given at a Church university.) I felt like I should outline that talk. After I did that, it was fairly easy to move sections around and make it flow for me. And- I had strong impressions about what was the most important to present.

I wasn't nervous until we got to church. But, as soon as I stood up in front of the ladies (in my church, the last meeting is separate for the men and women), the nervousness was gone. The woman who said the opening prayer in that meeting prayed specifically for the person who had prepared to give the lesson (she didn't know it was me). That touched my heart deeply. I know I didn't make the nervousness disappear. It was very faith affirming, and that was awesome because guess what the lesson was titled?
Yes, "Increasing our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."

And here is a brief bit of the lesson- a little bit on how we can increase our faith in Him:
     -the basic Sunday School answers- Read your Scriptures & Pray
     -Remembering what He has done for us
     -Face our Challenges with Faith that He is there for us
     -and very importantly, live a temple worthy life.

Probably most of those make sense to everyone out there, but just in case that temple reference is throwing you, here's a link to help it make some sense: mormon.org.

Here is the final quote I used in the lesson-remember these are not my words, but I sure do believe them:

"I remember thinking when I seemed discouraged and everything was wrong, 'Why is life so hard?' Do you ever wonder that? Almost instantly, I flet an impression like a voice in my mind, saying, 'Well, would you like it easier?' At that very moment, something hit me and I said, 'No, no, no pleae, I'm sorry. Leave it as it is. I trust. I trust thee. I trust Thy ways.' I've never forgotten that experience. Don't ever try to think you are smarter than the Lord. Just do what He asks of you to do."

and

"I have learned for myself that Jesus has all power. That He desires to bless and help us. I know that He gives us strength to survive any challenge. I know that He doesn't require that we have the faith to walk on water, to be saved from an otherwise deadly sea or storm. We just have to try and keep trying."
      -John H. Groberg


For the full video, audio, or text of the talk this was based on, you can go here.