The Worth Of A "Sole" Is Great

About a month ago I was asked by the Young Women's President in our ward if I would head up Young Women In Excellence this year. This is a night where all girls ages 12-18 are honored for passing off goals in their Personal Progress books. All goals are designed to bring them closer to their Savior Jesus Christ and when finished with their goals they are presented with a beautiful medallion that they can wear as a reminder of their dedication to living a righteous life. The Personal Progress program in the church is one that I feel is very inspired because it keeps these great girls on a path that teaches them about the values of faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice & accountability, good works and integrity. These are the seven values that make up the Young Women's program and they teach the girls valuable life lessons that they can carry with them forever. I love to serve these girls and I learn so much from them. They are great examples of women that help to make this world a better place and I admire them.
When I was first asked to do this I decided that it would be best to put a committee of young women together to help me bring the night to life. I was so happy when several girls expressed their desire to help me. And help me they did. They came to meetings where we decided the theme. They helped paint, make posters and they all stepped up and made the desserts for the event. I would have gone insane without their help!

So, to make a long story really short I will give a quick rundown of all that transpired.
Theme: The worth of a "sole" is great.
Decoration: french shoe boutique.
Color Scheme: red, black and cream.
Food: cheese, crackers and fancy finger desserts.
Songs: " Teach Me To Walk In The Light" and "Come Follow Me".
Scripture: D&C 18:10-"For the worth of souls is great in the sight of God".
Program: each girl picked out and brought her favorite pair of shoes to display in the shoe boutique. During the evening each girl was given an opportunity to talk about her favorite shoes(what memory do they bring back? Why are they your favorite?), then they talked about their favorite goal that they passed off and why they liked it or what they learned from it. A fun way to get to know each girl a little better!
Skit: several girls were asked to wear silly shoes. Each pair of shoes represented one of the Young Women values. Example: Faith/Converse- It is our faith that will give us the courage to "converse" with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Divine Nature/little girl shoes-Since we were little girls we have been taught by our parents and teachers about who we are and what we stand for...we know who we are and where we are going. Individual Worth/ flip-flops-We know that our worth does not flip-flop with the attitudes and opinions others have about us. We look to God to see our true potential. Knowledge/ soccer cleats- We get a kick out of our personal progress program as we learn how to become women, wives, and mothers of virtue...we believe we are on the Lord's team and that He will strengthen our efforts to improve. Choice & Accountability/ slippers- As members of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we must never let our standards slip...we must be accountable for our choices. Good Works/high heels- Being a Young Woman in the church is uplifting. We are filled with a desire to do good and to help and encourage others. Integrity/ ballet flats- Tonight we commit to keeping on our toes with our personal progress. We want to be women who not only speak what we believe, but live our lives true to Christ's teachings.
This was a very shortened run-down of the skit, but this gives a good idea of what it was like.
After the girls did their parts then our Young Women's president stood and gave a talk on the topic of "The worth of a soul is great in the sight of God".
I felt really good about how the night went. The turn out was great and almost all the girls showed up prepared and ready to share their experiences. The parents who attended seemed to really enjoy the program. It was really fun to see the different personalities come out when they were talking about their favorite shoes. Though I am glad it is now over-it was a lot of hard work and took many hours- I am so happy with how it all came together. Oh, and the food was amazing!
***side note***-Matt's picture is showcased because he was the master mind and artist behind the awesome french shoe posters. I pulled up some images of shoes I thought looked "french" and he went to town and created the fun "french paintings". They did a lot to make the shoe boutique seem more boutiquey:0) Thanks babe!