Switching Gears

Last week I was sustained as the Laurel Advisor in my "new" ward.  I'm beyond excited to be working and teaching the Young Women!  At the same time I feel a stronger sense of urgency to uplift the Youth than I did when I was serving in Primary.  This urgency I partly coming from the announcement about missionary work shared in General Conference.  I will play a small (albeit, a very small) part in helping Young Women in my ward prepare to serve full-time missions, become wives and mothers, and also continue to be righteous daughters of our Heavenly Father.  I feel a bit of pressure, but I know that I as study and prepare, seeking Heavenly Father's guidance, I can do it.

I've been nervous about switching gears from Primary to Young Womens.  Sharing Time is fifteen minutes long, while a lesson in Young Womens in closer 30 minutes.  With my nervousness I started to prepare my lesson for the 4th this past week.  It is on "Courage to Try."  I read conference talks, watched Youth videos on the church website, read from "Teaching No Greater Call" and prayed.  Then this morning, I sat in some confusion as another leader taught the lesson on "Courage."  She did a beautiful job and provided wonderful insight to the lesson.  It was an amazing lesson.

My only interpretation is that Heavenly Father knew that I needed courage (and perhaps some practice preparing a lesson).

Here is a copy of the handout I had prepared for the "Courage" lesson:

The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz was going to be my introduction to the lesson.  I was going to explain that sometimes we may think that we don't have any courage at it.  We may think it is a talent of someone.  Courage, however, is something we have all along, inside of us.  The rest of the lesson was dedicated to having courage to stand for the right.  To have courage to defend the truth.

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to teach the youth.  I hope I can help and inspire them.