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Presidency Message
Presidency Message
It's a Beautiful Day
Dear Sisters,
There's a lovely 2014 General Conference talk by President Uchtdorf called "Grateful in Any Circumstances." In it, he says:
We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?
Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.
This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind.
To keep this idea close to your heart, may I recommend a song my boys found on YouTube and frequently wander around singing?. "It's a Beautiful Day" mashup by Jamaican schoolboy Rushawn and South African DJ David Scott. The chorus goes like this:
Lord, I thank you for sunshine, thank you for rain
Thank you for joy, thank you for pain
It's a beautiful day, it's a beautiful day
Lisa Anderson, RS First Counselor
July
Sunday, July 6 Sunday School
Sunday, July 13 RS, "Spiritually Whole in Him," by Camille N. Johnson, taught by Emily Eskelsen
Sunday, July 20 Sunday School
Sunday, July 27 RS, "Compensating Blessings," by Bishop Gérald Caussé, taught by Shanda Robertson
August
Sunday, August 3 Sunday School
Sunday, August 10 RS, "Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy," by Sister Tamara W. Runia, taught by Gabriella McDermott
Sunday, August 17 Sunday School
Saturday, August 23 Ward Barbecue, 4-6 PM
Sunday, August 24 RS, Lesson topic will be announced closer to date
Sunday, August 31 Fifth Sunday lesson
July
7/2 Sky Robertson
7/2 Suzanne Batta
7/3 Galilea Portillo
7/5 Jill Johnson
7/5 Mary Manzione
7/8 Shanda Robertson
7/9 Madeline Johnson
7/12 Claudia Montecinos
7/13 Christine Moser
7/14 Kirstin McFarlane
7/14 Amanda Yates
7/23 Karen Shaw
7/29 Maria Barber
7/30 Kiana Sherlund
August
8/2 Christina Crockett
8/4 Pam Borup
8/7 Desiree Garcia
8/8 Nancy Adams
8/9 Kerri Ellsworth
8/11 Jen Jensen
8/15 Susan Mulliner
8/15 Lucille Toehl
8/18 Lyndie Hansen
8/28 Margery Sabolsky
Service Corner
FACETS Back to School Drive
As we kick off this year’s Back to School Drive, we’re inviting you to help children across Fairfax County head into the school year with confidence and the tools they need to succeed.
Our Goal? Distribute 500+ backpacks filled with essential supplies to students in need.
Our Goal? Distribute 500+ backpacks filled with essential supplies to students in need.
How You Can Help:
How You Can Help:
Make a Gift—Donate HERE and we’ll handle the back-to-school shopping for you (donate $100 to sponsor the price of a fully packed backpack!)
Host a Drive—collect bulk school supplies or focus on most-needed items like backpacks
Donate Pre-filled Backpacks—reach out to FACETS for checklists to pack your own backpacks
Shop our Amazon Wishlist—support FACETS from the comfort of your own home
Donation Drop Off Details:
Donation Drop Off Details:
Please note our new donation drop-off location:
Fairfax Presbyterian Church
10723 Main St
Fairfax, VA 22030
Preferred donation deadline: August 1
Ready to make a difference this year? We’d love to hear from you!
Reach out to development@facetscares.org if you are interested in hosting a drive, packing backpacks, or have any other questions about how to get involved. Flyers, logos, and backpack checklists are available to help promote your efforts.
Missionary Meal Calendar
The July Missionary Meal Signup Calendar is available now! It's summertime! How about grilling some burgers? Corn on the cob? Ice cold lemonade? Or just ordering in a pizza in an air-conditioned dining room? Our hard-working missionaries would love everything and anything!
Many opportunities to serve, both in our community and virtually, can be found at JustServe.org. Please contact Karin Floyd (703-772-6959) if you are looking for additional opportunities to serve or have questions.
Spotlight
Spotlight
Kaylie Brassfield
As I am new to the ward and new to this calling, it was suggested that I use my first go at the newsletter to introduce myself. I was born in New York City but grew up in Southern California, the oldest of four children. I met my husband Chris while studying Sociology and International Development at BYU. This August marks 10 years since we packed everything that would fit in our Camry and drove across the country for Chris to start law school at George Washington University. We have lived in Arlington and Vienna and moved to Mantua earlier this year. We have two children, Sam, 5, and Sydney, 2.5.
It always feels disingenuous to talk about my interests and hobbies in this stage of life since most nights after my kids go to bed I'm too tired to do anything more than vegetate (and yet somehow I still always stay up too late). I enjoy reading, watching period pieces and Korean Dramas (I'm always happy to give recommendations!), and dabbling in various creative hobbies. I'm an avid thrifter, an Aldi enthusiast, and I'd never turn down an invitation to karaoke. I've been a member of a competitive dessert club with a group of women in Arlington for the last 6 years (they started the club almost 20 years ago) where we meet on a monthly basis to share desserts we make around a theme and vote on a winner. I enjoy the creative aspect of deciding what to make for each theme and that it challenges me to attempt things I never would otherwise. My kids love to help me in the kitchen (which requires a Herculean amount of patience on my part) and we spend a lot of time at the park. I have a deep appreciation for tasty food - Vietnamese, Korean, Moroccan, Thai, Indian, falafel, a hearty salad; I could go on. I have wanted to try Ethiopian food for the last few years, even more so now that my nephew has been called to serve a mission to Addis Ababa. I'd welcome anyone who wants to join! We are excited to be part of this ward!
Use the QR code or click the button above to join the Wakefield Ward Relief Society GroupMe group, where you can receive additional announcements and communicate with sisters.
Book Recommendations from Oct 2024 RS Activity
Book Recommendations from Oct 2024 RS Activity
Disclaimer: comfort-level with language and subject matter varies from person-to-person; because of this, not all books on this list may be "squeaky clean reads" according to your preferences.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Barking to the Choir by Gregory Boyle
Star Wars X-Wing: Rogue Squadron by Michael A Stackpole
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Julian of Norwich: The Showings by Mirabai Starr
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Joe’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
Marmee by Sarah Miller
Just Mercy by Brian Stevenson
The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
The First Ladies by Marie Benedict
The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (clean)
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Emma Carey (not the cleanest read)
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Teen Interpreter by Terri Apter
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Northwoods by Daniel Mason
The Charm School by Nelson DeMille
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
The Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
American Culture Patterns: A Cross-Culture Perspective by Edward C Stewart and Milton J Bennett
Outcasts United by Warren St John
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Steven James and David Thomas
Teaching From Rest by Sarah McKenzie
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Being Mortal by Artul Gawande
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
My Jesus by Anne Wilson
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Insights from a Prophet’s Life by Sheri Dew
Positive Match by Tony Chiu
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