Newsletters are great. I’ve seen so many different styles over the years; it kind of gives you a flavor of what the ward is like, at a glance.

I can still say today that my favorite calling has been the ward newsletter person. Before you all write me off as crazy, I’ll tell you what made it so great.

My objective was not to share news and events. It was to bring the ward closer by sharing spiritual information of interest. Often, I would pick a random theme and interview ward members on their thoughts of that theme. Or at conference time, I would gather past quotes from our leaders. I kept things on a spiritual level, because this was a ward newsletter, not the neighborhood news flash. Today, I would be sharing something about the history of our Relief Society to keep it fresh in everyone’s mind.

Nowadays, we need a place to share thought-provoking, spirit-building, positive information that will get us through the month. Knowing that someone cares enough to put together some spiritually uplifting thoughts can make all the difference in someone’s lonely/hectic life.

I know of one Relief Society president who has a knack for saying something simple, yet resonating. Here is an example of a message she emails out to her sisters.

Right after high school, I moved into a little apartment that was about a half a mile from the beach.  I usually had to leave for work by 5:00 am and often I would go to my car in fog that was so thick, I could hardly see my hand in front of my face.  I would inch through the neighborhood to get to the freeway with my hands clenched around the steering wheel.  When the fog was that thick, it would sometimes take 30 minutes of heart-pounding, fearful driving before it would start to thin and the sun would start to rise.

There are still days when I feel like the fog is thick (metaphorically speaking).  As if I can’t see what is right in front of my face.  As if the pressures of the world might make me lose my way.

But President Monson said this: “My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing.” (A Word At Closing – May 2010).

As I would travel down the 101, away from the beach, it was never too long before I saw light.  I would look to the east and there would be a beautiful sunrise and I would look to the west and there would be the endless ocean.  I am coming (very slowly) to realize that there will always be a beacon of light to rescue us.  That when we have lost our way or cannot see what has been placed right in front of us, that we can turn to the Lord and return to the right path.  His signals will never fail us.

I pray daily that I can trust in Him more readily.  That I can look to Him for counsel and guidance.  That I can see my way through the fog.

Have a great rest of the week.  

We may not all have examples from our own lives, or talent to inspire others with our own writing, but we have access to our leaders thoughts and stories. What counts is the spirit that comes from everlasting truths. This is one way we can reach every sister and let her know we care, we’re thinking of her, and we can all get through this life together.

And one more thought: A newsletter isn’t the only place to uplift and bless. Have you ever passed someone’s garden and felt you should stop and thank her for offering up such beauty? Or thought of visiting someone every time you pass by their house…in a rush? Even dropping a note off at their house will let them know someone out there sees them and remembers them.

All good efforts are of worth to the Lord.

(Thanks Meagan, for letting me share your message.)