Vision Statement: Strengthening Eternal Families by Promoting and Defending Adoption and
Increasing our Involvement in the Community

Monday, October 17, 2011

Evergreens Fundraiser- Help Needed!

This year as an FSA Board we have been working hard to increase adoption awareness in our community.  As part of our efforts we have decided to participate in the Evergreens Fundraiser, which is similar to the Festival of Trees, but on a smaller level.  Our chapter is going to donate a decorated tree to be auctioned off at their yearly Christmas Tree Auction and Fundraiser with all proceeds going towards Safe Harbor Crisis Center, a shelter in our community for victims of domestic violence.

More information about the fundraiser can be found at their website: http://www.evergreensfundraiser.org/register.html.

We are excited to do this!  The theme for our tree is "Tell Me Your Story" based on children's adoption books.


The vision of the tree is cut up pages of the books, framed and made into ornaments, as well as handprints of adopted children.  The main colors are burgundy, green, creamy white, yellow, and blue.

We are asking any of you that are able to donate items or your time to please help us in this project as it is a big undertaking!

Here are the list of items we need:

-Vinyl
-Wood Blocks
-Clear, Glass ornaments
-Ribbon
-Wire
-Children's Adoption books
-Wooden ABC Blocks
-Kid's Toys
-Other toys: rag dolls, trains, airplanes
-A Rocking Chair
-An Angel Tree Topper
-Tree Skirt or Fabric to make a tree skirt
-Extension Cord

We are planning a FAMILY NIGHT ACTIVITY to collect and assemble crafts for the tree on MONDAY, OCTOBER 24th at 7 pm at the Church on 3161 W 150 N in Layton.

Our activities committee has some fun Halloween activities planned for the night as well and children are welcome to wear their costumes if they want.

If you are interested in helping please contact us at laytonfsa@gmail.com.

We appreciate all efforts to help!

Sincerely,
                Layton Families Supporting Adoption Board

Monday, October 10, 2011

Waiting Upon the Lord

If there is one thing that adoptive families and those who are going through the adoption process are familiar with it is WAITING. At times waiting can be discouraging- especially when one’s righteous desires and pleas to the Lord seem to go unnoticed.

The following excerpts are taken from the most recent General Conference and address the topics of waiting on the Lord, receiving answers to prayers, and obtaining blessings promised by God, particularly parenthood.

From Elder Robert D. Hales Waiting Upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done:
. . . The purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences. How do we do this? The scriptures give us an answer in one simple phrase: we “wait upon the Lord.”12 Tests and trials are given to all of us. These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, “all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.”13

What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

To wait upon the Lord means planting the seed of faith and nourishing it “with great diligence, and … patience.”17

It means praying as the Savior did—to God, our Heavenly Father—saying: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.”18 It is a prayer we offer with our whole souls in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Waiting upon the Lord means pondering in our hearts and “receiv[ing] the Holy Ghost” so that we can know “all things what [we] should do.”19

As we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we discover that “tribulation worketh patience”20 and we learn to “continue in patience until [we] are perfected.”21 

We may not know when or how the Lord’s answers will be given, but in His time and His way, I testify, His answers will come. For some answers we may have to wait until the hereafter. This may be true for some promises in our patriarchal blessings and for some blessings for family members. Let us not give up on the Lord. His blessings are eternal, not temporary.

He hears your prayers. His peace and rest will be yours as you continue to wait upon Him in faith.

From Barbara Thompson’s Personal Revelation and Testimony:

The way to receive personal revelation is really quite clear. We need to desire to receive revelation, we must not harden our hearts, and then we need to ask in faith, truly believe that we will receive an answer, and then diligently keep the commandments of God.

Following this pattern does not mean that every time we ask a question of God, the answer will immediately appear with every detail of what to do. However, it does mean that if we diligently keep the commandments and ask in faith, answers will come in the Lord’s own way and in His time.

From Neil L. Anderson’s Children:

The bearing of children can also be a heartbreaking subject for righteous couples who marry and find that they are unable to have the children they so anxiously anticipated or for a husband and wife who plan on having a large family but are blessed with a smaller family.

We cannot always explain the difficulties of our mortality. Sometimes life seems very unfair—especially when our greatest desire is to do exactly what the Lord has commanded. As the Lord’s servant, I assure you that this promise is certain: “Faithful members whose circumstances do not allow them to receive the blessings of eternal marriage and parenthood in this life will receive all promised blessings in the eternities, [as] they keep the covenants they have made with God.”17

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Utah Infertility Awareness Fall Event

This is a FREE Event!  Seating is Limited; Click HERE to register.