My Dear Sisters,

This is my last entry in the blog as a Stake Relief Society President.  I wanted to thank all of you for coming to the Stake Relief Society Dinner & Broadcast.  I have never seen so many sisters in one place at one time in this stake.  We ate, we visited, we cried, we shopped, and we watched the broadcast together.  I went home on such a high just because I was able to spend the evening with you.  I loved it!!!

In case you didn't attend the Stake Relief Society Dinner & Broadcast, I was released as the Stake Relief Society President.  Starr Logsdon was released as the 1st Counselor and Bannah Hannover as the 2nd Counselor.  The new president is Christie Kasteler from the New Albany Ward.  The 1st Counselor is Bannah Hannover and the 2nd Counselor is Pat Yingling from the Charlestown Branch.  Madelyn Ripley will remain as the Secretary.  Starr is moving on to another calling with her husband.  I will be going to the temple with my husband.  He has been called to serve in the Temple Presidency as the 2nd Counselor and I will be an Assistant to the Matron.

I am so excited for the new presidency.  They will be marvelous in their callings and will be such an inspiration to you all.  I hope you will love and support them, as you have us.

There is a wonderful story that I want to share with you.  I heard it from a friend and some of you may have heard it, but it bears repeating.

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his Biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides... a burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!" You know, life is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. So...please pass me a biscuit. And yes, the burned one will do just fine! And please pass this along to someone who has enriched your life... I just did! Life is too short to wake up with regrets... Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't. ENJOY LIFE NOW - IT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE!.

So, as this new presidency moves forward, rejoice in the differences.  It's what makes the world interesting.  I love you all and will miss you.  But, as I said on Saturday night:  "This is not goodbye.  I will see you in the temple!"

Love,
Pat Romney

Dear Friends,

As I often tell you, I am amazed at the speed with which time passes.  I feel that the days, weeks, and months fly by so quickly that there will never be enough time to do everything that needs to be done.  I like the quote by President Julie B. Beck, the General Relief Society President.  She says:

“A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently. The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." —Julie B. Beck

Elder Dallin H. Oaks said in a recent General Conference: "Most of us have more things expected of us than we can possibly do. As breadwinners, as parents, as Church workers and members, we face many choices on what we will do with our time and other resources. ....We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.

I hope that each of us will find the most important works that need to be done.  That through prayer and meditation, we can attend to the best things in life and become all that our Heavenly Father knows we can become.

I love you all and look forward to seeing you at the Stake Relief Society Dinner & Broadcast on September 24th at 5:30 p.m. at the New Albany Stake Center.  I think we will have a lovely time and it will be a joy to be together.

Love,
Pat Romney