Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Handouts From Women's Conference

Link to President Welton's Class


Handouts from Stephanie Stewart's organizing class

How to ORGANIZE just about ANYTHING
 How to ORGANIZE just ablout ANYTHING 
1.     Start with a goal:           I want  ________________________________________ to be more organized

2.     Evaluate the problem  -  determine what is and isn’t working with how you are doing things and how things are currently set up  ______________________________________________________________  

3.     Determine what COULD change or be done differently _________________________________________

4.     Try to look at it a new way – don’t be limited by existing format or structure  - imagine starting fresh _______________________________________________________________________________________

5.     Take an inventory – determine what you have, what’s missing, what’s weighing you down ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
http://embraceurdestiny.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Got-a-Plan.jpg
6.     Draw up a plan & put it in writing – detail everything (make sure it will fit, you’ve included everything, try to foresee problems, decide where to start, who will help, & when to begin) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

7.     Remove the baggage - holding you back, weighing you down, taking up space? Get rid of it! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8.     Get everything you need to execute the plan – supplies, support, equipment, time, sleep J
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
9.     Execute the plan/ Organize it - set it up,  put pieces in place, put things in order

10.  Try it out - See if it works, give it some time to see what may or may not be working

11.  Evaluate it – don’t abandon it! Tweak it & improve it until it’s working well _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

12.  Adapt as life changes - adjust and reconfigure as needed to keep it organized & working
13.  Do a Happy dance ~ you did it!         


© Stephanie Stewart – www.bringingorder.com

Keys of an effective TO DO list
 Keys to an effective TO DO list               
v  Decide the type of list you’ll use - (paper vs. digital) & how and where you’ll keep it
v  Plan it out – how will it be set up? When will you plan/update it (weekly & daily)?
v  Dump your brain - Put EVERYTHING on it! Anything and everything that needs to be done in every category of your life goes on the list.
v  Include yesterday and tomorrow - things you missed, things coming up
v  Sort into Types of Tasks - what action? (call, go, buy, desk, decide, discuss, yard, home)
v  Determine & sort by priority – MUST do, SHOULD do, COULD do
v  Don’t list any vague tasks -  determine specific action required and list that
v  Break down “projects” into small specific tasks (what do I need to do first, next, last?)
v  Add daily tasks (*if you want) - great way to remind yourself to do daily things
v  Add Repeat Reminders (* if you want) - Add repeat tasks of things you need to do every month, year or at specific times (ie. sprinklers, household maintenance, checkups, gifts, holiday traditions, Christmas tasks)
v  Get help by sharing the list with those involved – look at the list as a family/couple, use the list to help with decisions, make a plan for when you’ll look at it and do things
v  Add to it every day - whenever you think of (or someone mentions) a new to do
v  Make a DO TODAY list and use it (evaluate your day and schedule, make it reasonable and realistic -  separate by MUST do, SHOULD do, & COULD do)
v  Work off of DO TODAY and then make one for tomorrow - check things off as you complete them, evaluate and then plan for tomorrow
v  Reevaluate and rework the plan - what’s not working? find a solution, change it up
v  Give yourself a break – do what works for you! celebrate your successes

© Stephanie Stewart – www.bringingorder.com


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Full Class Descriptions of Women's Conference


Mining for Diamonds:  Finding the Power and Beauty of Personal Scripture Study-Julie McClellan

Bio:Julie McClellan and her husband Gary have been married for 43 years and have lived in Oregon for 38 of those years.  Julie graduated from BYU with a degree in American History and the intention to teach high school.  Instead she raised her five children and taught in all the church auxiliaries.  Recently she and her husband returned from serving in the Indianapolis Indiana mission as Institute Teachers.  Besides spending time with her family and teaching the gospel, Julie loves to read, quilt, camp and hike.







Building Positive Relationships:In this interactive class, you will learn your dominate thinking style, understand its strength and learn of some of the drawbacks you might experience because of it.  You will gain an understanding of how others think, how you can benefit from their style and how working together can be mutually beneficial to all. The concepts learned in the class will help you improve your relationships with family, co-workers and friends. –Arthella Starke


Parenting-Understanding Behavior:This class will fill focus on understanding a child’s behavior and will help the parent gain insights on how to reinforce positive behavior and eliminate negative behavior.  The parent will learn to view behavior in a broader scope rather than an incident or occurrence coming to understand that the behavior is an indication of a "need" that the child has.  The participants will gain an understanding of "triggers" and "payoffs" and how to help the child get what they want in an appropriate manner. –Arthella Starke 


Bio-Arthella Starke graduated from BYU with a degree in Psychology and then went on to get a masters in education.   She has taught students of all ages from elementary to college level, but loved teaching high school the most. She has been a Parenting Instructor for over 15 years including community settings, various school districts, Clackamas Community College and church.  Bob and Arthella have been happily married for nearly 45 years, have 6 married children and 12.5 grandchildren.  Bob and Arthella are currently serving a mission as Managers of the Bishop's Storehouse here in Portland. 






Incorporating Food Storage into Everyday Cooking:Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program". President Spencer W Kimbal-Cindy White


Bio-Cindy White is a distributor for Bosch mixers and grain mills. She has been demonstrating and teaching classes on food storage for more than 30 years. When Cindy bought her first 50 lb. bag of wheat in the late 70's, it was around $7.50. She discovered that made a lot of bread. She found that she could cook healthy and feed her family on a budget. She has enjoyed using variety in cooking, i.e. rye or kamut to make waffles, buckwheat and oats to make pancakes. Just like grains, beans were cheaper in bulk. Before long her food storage was building, and it was not hard to eat what she stored and store what she ate. In the late 90's Cindy operated a business in Las Vegas and provided the community with truckloads of grain and other food storage needs while teaching them how to use the items they stored. She enjoys cooking from scratch, knowing what is in the food she eats. Through her love of healthy cooking skills she has passed on a legacy of nutrition and the art of baking. After 35 years of experimenting on her husband and 7 children she is still trying out new recipes. 






Design Your Life:Amber Jepsen
Cupcakes and Christ:Amber Jepsen



Bio-Amber Jepsen is a Southern California native transplanted into the Pacific Northwest. She attended Laguna College of Art + Design in Laguna Beach, CA where she earned a BFA in Graphic Design and Digital Media. She then moved to Oregon a year and a half ago to work at Nike WHQ. Amber is a sport enthusiast who loves baking, reading, binge watching tv shows on Netflix, and pretty much anything outdoors. Amber joined the church five and a half years ago and is the only member in her family. A few fun facts about Amber: she knows how to do traditional Scottish dancing, she's been in the New Year's Day Rose Parade twice and Disneyland and the beach are her two favorite places in the world. 





The Hurdles to Moving Forward: Avoiding complacency and learn the  process to move ahead in your life-Bryan Welton.



Bio-Bryan L. Welton, served a full time mission for the LDS Church to Peru. While attending BYU, he married Jenny Lynn Lanenga of Orlando, Florida in 1999. He received a Bachelor’s Degree from Brigham Young University in Political Science and later, received an MBA from the University of Phoenix.   He serves on several Boards of businesses in manufacturing and technology, including the BYU Center for Entrepreneurship Founders Board at the Marriott School of Management, where he lectures regularly and has taught as as adjunct professor of Venture Capital.  As a member of the LDS Church, he has served as a ward Young Men President, Elders Quorum President, Ward Executive Secretary, Bishopric Counselor, Bishop and Counselor in the Stake Presidency.  He resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon with Jenny and their 6 children.  





Who Can Find a Virtuous Women?: What an LDS woman, wife and mother of today can learn from exemplary women in the scriptures who built their foundation on Jesus Christ and His gospel.  We will discuss how to apply what we learn to our marriages, homes and lives.-Marcie Lake



Bio - Marcie Lake grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She attended the University of Utah and graduated with a BS in Nursing.  She married David Lake while in college and they are the parents of five wonderful children and grandparents to five wonderful grandchildren.  They have lived in Minnesota and California.  Marcie works part time as an operating room nurse at an outpatient surgery center.  The Lake family has lived in the Lake Oswego Stake for 25 years and feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such faithful saints.  You are a blessing in our lives!







Do an About-Face: Organize and Prioritize to Make Time for the Essentials-Stephanie Stewart

The Secrets of an Effective TO DO List ?:Stephanie Stewart


Bio-Stephanie Stewart is the second oldest in a family of ten children and the mother of three busy teenage girls.  As a professional organizer,  she helps friends and clients organize their homes, lives and offices.  She says she loves helping people find the peace that organized living brings. 











Your Legal Survival Kit:The basic legal tools you will need for disability and end-of-life decisions. This will be an interactive presentation about wills, powers of attorney, taxes, trusts and how to save your family from expensive legal mistakes. Come with questions.Tom Pixon 




Bio- Tom Pixon, principal of the Pixon Law Group, is a seasoned elder law and estate planning attorney with more than 20 years of experience advising families about how to find and pay for long term care and preserve seniors' hard earned assets. He attended University of California at Berkeley, Brigham Young University, and University of San Francisco where he received his law degree in 1975. Tom is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, ElderCounsel and the Estate Planning and Elder Law sections of the Oregon State Bar. He sits on the executive committee of the Oregon State Bar Elder Law Section and is also licensed in Washington adn California. Tom is a musician, private pilot, husband, father of seven and grandfather of 17 at last count.






The Power of Women in the Latter Day Missionary Force: The errand of angels is given to women..." (Hymn 309) As sister missionaries and senior couple missionaries, we become the allies of the angels.  Sisters and senior couples can be like the "navy seals" or special forces teams of the missionary force.  Come and hear at least 10 vital pointers of missionary preparation (some may surprise you) that mothers and others preparing the next generation of missionaries could easily overlook.  Learn how " you can do something for another person that no one else ever born can do", as you prepare yourself or others to serve the Lord in these final days.Terry and Laraine Clark.




Bio-Terrence Andrew Clark was born in Provo, Utah to Selby and Alice Clark.  After his parents’ divorce, his mother and 5 of the 6 children ended up moving to Grand Forks, North Dakota. Terry was the first of his family since the mid 1800’s to serve a full time mission.  He served from 1975-1977 in the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission.  Terry and Laraine and their new infant daughter moved to Portland, Oregon in 1978 and have been here ever since.  Terry attended Portland State University and then Oregon Health and Science University Dental School, graduating in 1986. He attended a one year dental residency and bought a dental practice in Wilsonville in 1987.  Terry served as ward and stake executive secretary and Gospel doctrine teacher and a temple ordinance worker.  In 2002, he was called to be the Stake President of the Lake Oswego Stake.  Six and one half years later, early in 2009, he was called as the President of the Singapore Mission.  He and Laraine served in Singapore and Malaysia until June 2012.  He has returned to dental practice.  Currently Terry serves as the Bishop of the Westlake YSA ward.
Laraine Clark was the 4th generation of her family that was born in Portland, Oregon.  Her father was a career Air Force pilot and she lived in a number of different places around the USA as she was growing up.  When she started 10th grade, her family moved to the air force base outside of Grand Forks, North Dakota. After graduation, Laraine moved into Grand Forks to attend the Colllege of Nursing at the University of North Dakota.  It was here that she discovered Terry was in 4 of her classes and they began dating.  At the time she was a faithful member of a different church and Terry was preparing to serve a mission.  He introduced her to the LDS church and she was baptized a few months after he left to serve his 2 year mission in Louisiana.  She was one of the rare few who “waited for her missionary” and they were married in the Salt Lake temple 7 weeks after his return.  Her decision to join the church resulted in her being disowned by her father and she was not welcome to come home for nearly 4 years.  Her family was not present when she was married.  Fortunately, the arrival of her children softened the hearts of her family.
Laraine graduated in 1978, on the same weekend that her oldest daughter was born, and she became a registered nurse. She spent over 30 years as a maternal / child nurse, caring for thousands of families in the hospital and home setting.  She became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 1991 and is currently beginning a private practice for in-home lactation services.  Laraine’s favorite pastime is Family History.  Laraine served with her husband in the Singapore mission from 2009 through 2012.  She and Terry are the parents of 3 children, all married in the Portland Temple, and 7 grandchildren.  She considers it one of her greatest blessings that all of their children’s families own homes within 10 miles of their own.  

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Classes for the Upcoming Women's Conference

Here is a list of the classes for the upcoming Women’s Conference. Detailed class descriptions and bios from the teachers will be available next week.

Mining For Diamonds: Finding the Power and Beauty of Personal Scripture Study-Julie McClellan

Building Positive Relationships:The concepts learned in the class will help you improve your relationships with family, co-workers and friends. –Arthella Starke

Parenting-Understanding Behavior:  The parent will learn to view behavior in a broader scope rather than an incident or occurrence coming to understand that the behavior is an indication of a "need" that the child has.-Arthella Starke

All About Missions- Bishop Terry Clark.

Design Your Life-Amber Jepsen

Cupcakes and Christ-Amber Jepsen

An Educated Conscience-President Welton

Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman? What an LDS woman, wife and mother of today can learn from exemplary women in the scriptures- Marcie Lake

Do an About-face - Organize and Prioritize to Make Time for the Essentials-Stephanie Stewart

The Secrets of an Effective TO DO List -Stephanie Stewart

Meal Planning and Budgeting-Cindy White

Your Legal Survival Kit- The basic legal tools you will need for disability and end-of-life
decisions.  -Tom Pixon

Sunday, February 2, 2014




CONTINUE SCROLLING DOWN FOR NOTES, HANDOUTS, ETC.
They are being posted as quickly as received.
When you get to the bottom of the page, click the "older posts" for additional posts

Lake Oswego Stake Relief Society
2014 Women’s Conference: “Be …”
January 17-18, 2014

THANK YOU to all who participated at Friday Night Fun
With a special thank you to those who prepared or taught:
Fun Art with Kaaren Pixton
Fun Service Project prepared by Mimi Beem
Fun I-phone Photography Class taught by Pamela Rust
Yummy Treats planned by Laura Rasmussen
Last but not least… drum roll, drum roll, the ever popular:
Yes, it’s  FUN  ZUMBA !  with Andrea Bowles

And a debt of gratitude
 to the presenters of our
Saturday Conference Classes 

Be Calm and Carry On
Keynote/Farewell by President R. Scott Stevenson
President and Sister Stevenson have been called to preside over the Ghana Cape Coast Mission in Africa for three years beginning in July. He will be released as our stake president at our upcoming February stake conference.  We happily grant his request for this final opportunity to address us together as Relief Society Sisters.

Personal Spirituality:
1. Megan Wilcken:Be crackedFinding Power in Vulnerability

2.  Bobbie Poppleton:   Be ImmersedDiving deeper into the scriptures, because a little sprinkling will never compare to a restoring plunge.”

3.  President Hornibrook:  Be Still and Know:  Through Trials, Tumult and Triumphs of Life, God Is There for You Always

Healthy Eating and Cooking:
1 and 2.  Genet Friess:  Be Conscientious:  Honoring your Own Body’s Wisdom and Eating What Feels Right

Travels and  Finance:
1. and 2.   Geri Gates:  Be Adventurous:  Take the High Road with Your Family and Recreate History Along the Way

3.   Bsp. Doug Perry:  Be Prosperous:  7 Steps to Winning with your Money and 4 Pitfalls to Avoid

Parenting and Grandparenting:
1.  Small Children--Audrey Buchanan: "Be Present:  Making the Most of the Early Years

2.  Grandparenting--Regina Wahlstrom:  Be Creative:  Memorable & Meaningful Grandparenting for Beginners”

3.  Teens-- Amy Biancardi:  Be Real:  from Amazing Teen to Stalwart Adult

Mental Health and Resilience:
1. and 2.  Katie Curtis:  Be Shameless:  Managing, Supporting, and Navigating Mental Health

3.       Stacey Brennan:  Be Resilient:  Facing Fears, Finding Faith, Having Fun!”


FINALLY, thank you to all who so willingly brought soup for our luncheon.







BE CRACKED: Finding Power in Vulnerability
Class by Megan Wilcken

Megan provided a link from her own blog post.
Go HERE:
http://meganwandering.blogspot.com/2014/02/be-cracked-surprising-power-of.html

Monday, January 27, 2014


BE PROSPEROUS: 7 Steps to Winning with Your Money and 4 Pitfalls to Avoid
Class by Doug Parry

Path to Riches…Winning with Your Money!

1)     Pay an Honest Tithing & A Generous Fast Offering for Life
Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future.  Give us faith to pay our tithes and offerings and put our trust in Thee, the Almighty, to open the windows of heaven as Thou hast promised.  Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequence follow.”   (“Lord, Increase Our Faith,” Ensign, Nov. 1987,53)

2)     Stop Hemorrhaging Your Income (Stop going in debt)
You must accept personal responsibility
Income less Spending = Savings or Debt  
Increase your income or Decrease your spending = PAIN/SACRIFICE!
Sell your debt payments & toys (assets that have value)

3)     “Stay out of Debt Fund” 
Save an initial amount of cash:  $1,000 to $2,000
This small amount of “Savings” acts as a shield of protection
--to keep you from sliding into debt…stuff happens…unexpectedly! 
You must have these cash resources available in order to Pay as you go!”
Continue to add $200 monthly to the above amount—Make this a part of your                          monthly budget

4)  Become “Debt-Free”—then—Stay “Debt-Free” for life
                        Begin throwing all your energy & resources to attacking your debt
                        Adopt a ZERO tolerance—no exceptions attitude towards debt—excluding an affordable                               home

5)  “Emergency Fund”
Save an additional amount of cash (minimum):  $5,000 to $10,000
Ideally accumulate enough cash to cover 6 to 8 months—of living expenses
This larger amount of liquid “Cash Savings” acts as a secondary wall of defense
            --to keep you “Debt-Free!”
Enhance your Self-Reliance—Build up an adequate supply of “Food Storage, Clothing, & Fuel

6)     “Stop Working Someday Fund” 
Save monthly a minimum of $150 for you & $150 for your spouse or $300 per couple!
Ideally save 15% of your take-home pay…Over your working-LIFE!
Small amounts of $ saved, regularly, over long-periods of time nourishes your wealth-tree!
Avoid high-risk, speculative investments—Scams, Schemes offered by someone you KNOW!

7)     Purchase an affordable HOME—then—Pay your HOME off early
Pay off your home mortgage in 15 years or less—if possible!
“The difference between being rich & being poor is not having a house payment”
     Make a down payment of 20% in order to avoid paying PMI (Private mortgage insurance)
      Your total mortgage debt payment should NOT exceed 25%-30% of your take-home                    pay!
                        Keep your family secure—NEVER borrow the equity out of your home—for any reason!

“Life’s tough…it’s even tougher if you’re stupid”         (John Wayne)