Happy Holidays! Be Safe. Be Good. Enjoy.

Tithing Settlement Continues

Don't forget to sign up to meet with Bishopric about tithing settlement before it gets too hectic with finals! Appointments available Tues and Wed nights and Sunday afternoons. Contact Exec. Sec. Ryan for further info and making appointments.

Bishopric Appointments

Contact Excecutive Secretary Ryan (405-519-3241 rbw@ou.edu) to meet with the Bishopric for either a recommend (for Saturday) or Tithing settlement (starting next Monday).

Busy Bees

With mid terms, homecoming, fall obligations, and the plethora of activities this month, there are plenty of reasons to stay busy...but don't forget to MAKE the time to talk with and listen to the Lord as well as serve your fellowman. Take a time out to reflect on the simple beauty of life and take a study break to just sit and talk with a friend (in person, facebook doesn't count).

Habitat for Humanity

Thanks to all who came out to the service project on Saturday and stayed for five grueling hours of wrong measurements:) We appreciate all of the help and make sure to tell Sister Jennifer Horn "Thanks" for this wonderful opportunity to serve.

Pictures from Broadway in the Park

If you wanna see pics from the music filled Stake event, visit:

normanstake.shutterfly.com

FHE Sept. 27th

We will be writing the missionaries from our ward at FHE! So do those finger exercises and come with an open heart! *Also please note that the missionary addresses are listed at the bottom of this blog page for you to write any time:)

Reporting

The end of the month is here again, family. Don't forget to report your home and visit teaching to your respective supervisors...Thanks for your service in the kingdom

Missionary Service

Don't FORGET!! 10am - 2pm on Wednesdays the Missionaries will be in the Student Union. Support them and the work by helping them out with this fabulous opportunity to save souls.

Also be sure to sign up to feed the missionaries, as they are hungry.

FHE Sept. 20th

Monday, 9/20 7pm

Campfire: Roast hot dogs and marsh mellows

Place: Thad and Amy Balkman's home

3403 36th Ave N.E.

Directions: Can take Alameda or Robinson St., going east to 36th Ave. Turn left, will be going North. Balkman's home sits back off the main road, so look for the FHE sign to turn onto driveway. Campfire will be back behind their house - follow the trail to the trees.

*Need a Ride?: Meet at the Institute @ 6:30pm. Will be leaving promptly at 6:45pm.

Labor Day Party

The labor day party was a blast with a HUGE turnout! Thanks to Jensen and J.D. for providing a place to party on labor day!

FHE AUG 30th

FHE tonight will be SLAUGHTERBALL!! at the Norman Stake Center at 7pm...be there or you'll get hit in the face with a ball...wait a minute....

School In Session

School has begun and the hubub is felt on every corner. Don't forget this week is cookie week at the Institute and make sure you sign up for an institute class while munching down! Hope everyone's semester is bright!

Pres. Keyes' Promise

There is only a week left until school begins, so press forward with faith to achieve the goal of reading the Book of Mormon through before then. Look to the right or below for promised blessings. :)

ZOO

Write about the ward Zoo trip here!

No Soul Left Behind

If you attended the Stake 'Fill the Temple Days', please feel free to blog about the experience and share testimony of fulfilling those assignments...

Missionary Addresses

Please note that I have included, at the bottom of the blog page, as many of the current Missionaries' addresses from our ward that I could get my paws on....so take the time to write those who are faithfully serving our Lord!

Father's Day Sacrament

Today's meetings were powerful! Sacrament was filled with Spirit led talks on Agency, Prayer, and Scriptures, and a musical number reminding us of the power of remembrance and the peace which Christ affords. Gospel Doctrines was all about true friendship and love and Relief Society returned again to the importance of scriptures. Which allows me excellent segue to reiterate the challenge which our fabulous Stake President gave us (and repeated at Stake Conference):

If you will read the Book of Mormon through before school starts back, your testimony of the Book of Mormon will increase, you will have an added measure of the Spirit to be able to avoid and resist temptations, you will be awarded sweet peace in trials, removal of fear, and confidence of being on the Lord's side, and you will have intellectual clarity and understanding, an opening in your mind, and your ability to reason will be expanded.

Elder Nelson attends Stake Conference

Elder Nelson gave us much to think on at yesterday's conference. I hope the Spirit filled you and you recieved much revelation from this event. Continue to live faithfully and righteously with hope and faith in Jesus Christ and you can claim the rights as a son or daughter of God, heirs to the kingdom.
Feel free to leave a comment or post about your experience with Stake Conference:)

Remember the Promise

President Keys gave the Norman University Ward a promise if we would read the Book of Mormon from start to finish before fall semester begins then we would: 1) have the power to resist temptation and root out evil, 2) receive greater clarity in our minds, and 3) be privy to revelation and clarity for each of our righteous pursuits. Take this challenge and run with it! And feel free to leave your testimony of this experience in the comments section of this blog, to further encourage and strengthen one another

VT/HT

Today is the last day to do your Home Teaching and Visit Teaching for May! And Please make sure you report them to your respective supervisors no later than tomorrow. Thanks for all you do in fulfilling your callings and serving our brothers and sisters:)

Fast Sunday

Remember folks this Sunday is Fast and Testimony Sunday (due to conference the following weeks).
Here is a little info on Fast Sunday from www.lds.org:

"Proper observance of fast Sunday includes going without food and drink for two consecutive meals, attending fast and testimony meeting, and giving a fast offering to help care for those in need. To fast is to go without food and drink voluntarily for a certain period of time. Fasting combined with sincere prayer can strengthen us spiritually, bring us closer to God, and help us prepare ourselves and others to receive His blessings."

Summer Begins

Summer has began, no, not the summer solstice but certainly the summer we all know begins when finals are over! Hooray and congratulations to all those who have graduated or merely survived the spring semester. We look forward to a great summer with those of you who remain in or have returned to our great city of Norman and the University Ward!

Upcoming Events

Forget listing these out by organization. You're all smart people, right? You know which events apply to you and which don't. So we're just going to do them by date from now on. Much easier that way.

Don't forget about Institute!

Institute classes have begun already, but you can still enroll for a great learning experience and good times. The schedules are printed on green paper and in the usual spot. Or you can view it online at http://www.ldsces.org/iws1/index.aspx?p=60501.
Jan. 23 @ 6pm- Erin's Baptism. (Yay!)
Jan. 24 @ 10am- Choir begins again.
Jan. 30- Ward Bowling!
Feb. 4 @ 7pm- RS Activity. Dating and Relationship Panel/Workshop. An opportunity to ask any question you've ever thought of about dating and maintaining a relationship, whether romantic or not.

Got an event coming up? Send your event to elmstsaints@gmail.com!

Sunday Update

Zoiks! Another Sunday gone! We're glad to see more and more of you coming back from Christmas vacation. It was pretty empty there for a while!

Sunday School:
Gospel Doctrine- OT Lesson 3, "The Creation" Moses 1:27–42; 2–3
Gospel Principles- Lesson 9, Prophets of God

RS and EQ:
Gospel Principles Manual- Lesson 2

Upcoming Events

Ward:
Jan. 21- Endowment trip. Session at 7:30, carpool at 5:45
Jan. 23- Baptism of Erin
Every Friday at 7pm beginning Jan. 8- Ballroom dance lessons at the Stake Center. Sis. Ledesma is offering free lessons to interested persons. She is a wonderful and patient teacher. The lessons are in preparation for the Stake Valentine's Dance, but any who are interested are encouraged to attend. No partner necessary.

Relief Society:
Jan. 7- Bread Making at 7
Jan. 13- Girl's Lunch, Panera on Main St at noon
Feb. 4- Dating and Relationship Workshop/Panel Discussion

Elder's Quorum:
Jan. 16- Wii, pizza, and fun at Nate Nichols'. 7pm

Institute:
Jan. 23- Opening Social. Time is TBD.

Sunday Update

Thanks to our teachers for great lessons! What a way to kick off the new year!

For next Sunday-

Sunday School:
Gospel Principles- Lesson 2
Gospel Doctrine- Lesson 2 (Old Testament)
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=ff7d3f7719605010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD

EQ and RS: NEW Gospel Principles book Lesson 1 (Whoohoo!!!)