Personal Progress

So begins my journey of receiving my Personal Progress Young Womanhood Medallion...ah...again. Yup! As a leader I get to do the new program (well new to me anyway...the Personal Progress book that I had as a teenager was much larger and had WAY more stuff to do in it but whatever). In case you didn't know already there are now 8 Values (Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and Virtue) in the new program young women have to complete 6 experiences and 1 ten hour project for each Value (so that is 46 experiences-there is only 4 to complete in Virtue-and 8 projects) over the course of their six years in Young Womens. Very do able if you ask me.

As a leader I can get my medallion after only a year and I only have to complete the three required experiences for each Value and only three projects. I have already got a plan! I have laid out all the requirements I have to meet for each experience in a word document and attached any conference talks or other reading I have to do, as well as made charts to keep track of anything I have to do for a set amount of time! I am so proud of myself! I was never this organized back when I was a teenager. I wish I had been because I might have got more out of the program than I actually did. I also have a bit more HOME time now. Back then I was crazy busy with school, sports, FOCUS, and a million other activities that claimed my time back then. I find that now I want to be more focused on those things that will help me grow and progress spiritually. I see now, as I was unable to then, that my personal progress has a huge effect on me and those around me, and I find that I want the blessings that come more for my family than for myself. My task for the next three weeks is to pray morning and night to develop and increase my faith. I am doing the first value experience in Faith:

Learn about faith from the scriptures and living prophets. Read Hebrews 11, Alma 32:17–42, Ether 12:6–22, and Joseph Smith—History 1:11–20. Read two general conference talks on faith. Exercise your own faith by establishing a habit of prayer in your life. Begin by saying your morning and evening prayers regularly. After three weeks of following this pattern, discuss with a parent or leader what you have learned about faith and daily personal prayer. In your journal express your feelings about faith and prayer.

I have already picked out my talks and set up my goal chart and I am so excited to challenge myself. While I already pray everyday, I usually only get around to it once, either at night or in the morning. We pray at meals as a family as well, but I really need to help Cady say them at bed time every night and the best way to remind myself and be an example is if I am saying my prayers as well.

I will post the experiences and projects as I go along! Feel free to do them with me! :o)