Lesson in Relief Society

Sis. Kerrie Graff gave another great lesson in Relief Society today. It was from a talk from the Ensign that Bro. Hales (I believe) gave. There was so much information to go through, I believe it could have been a two-week lesson!
We discussed negative self talk.
It's easy to get down on yourself and fall in to the negative patterns we see around us. We need to be aware of how we've diminished our freedoms by the choices we've made.
We discussed debt.
A little debt is okay. Education, a modest car and home are examples of necessary debt. But something we need to do is break the cycle of debt and control our addiction of buying. Spending money on something we want, not need, is a temptation for many of us. Satan knows us well. He knows when, where, and how to tempt us. But each temptation we overcome is to strengthen us, not to destroy us. We've created our own challenges by the decisions we've made. They are a part of the test of our mortality. The hunger of addiction can only be replaced through the love of Jesus Christ.
We need to practice the principles of provident living, and do it joyfully. For example: paying our tithing can help us overcome our desires to make unnecessary purchases.

My testimony:
I am a stay at home mom, and I always look for ways to help my family with income, budgeting, etc. I want to do my part. So in my prayers, I started asking for help and guidance. It took me a month or two for me to realize that my prayers were answered. Because usually, I have a great desire to eat out. I love hamburgers at Iggy's, and pasta at the Olive Garden. I love tasty food, but I was blessed to have my addiction disappear. I found myself loving to cook. I started to like the taste of plain rice and corn, and so did my kids (wow!). This has been a tremendous blessing to our family. We now eat at our kitchen table every night, only going out for special occasions. I really appreciated this lesson on provident living, and I hope to make changes in other aspects of my life as well. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Sis. Richards