If there were "hostess awards," Harriet Dodge would win by a landslide. Thank you, Harriet, for opening your home to ANWA for our yearly retreat. Although [they had been] in their new home for only two weeks, Harriet's wonderfully obliging husband did his own retreat to Mesa and let us ladies have the house to ourselves. With sixteen of us, we had no trouble filling every room.

The food was good, the snacks were varied (lots of chocolate), and the classes were enlightening. But, most of all, I enjoyed getting to know my ANWA sisters better. What a diverse and wonderful group we are.

A great many of our informal discussions centered on writing by the spirit and the necessity of inviting the spirit into our minds and hearts as we write. Linda [Whiting] summed it up quite succinctly when she said, "The Lord has given us a specific assignment to write. Don't argue with Him!"

That thought was taken a step further. If we have been given a specific assignment to write, and that assignment comes from the Lord, then we must have the faith of Nephi as expressed in 1 Nephi 3:7. Surely if the Lord has given us a commandment to write, He will prepare a way for us to accomplish it. As in all things, it depends upon us as to the degree of faith, and the degree of effort we are willing to put forth to fulfill our assignment.

Gayla Wise provided a spiritual thought as our final sharing at the end of the retreat. In the June 2002 Ensign is an article by Elder Richard G. Scott entitled "To Acquire Knowledge and the Strength to Use It Wisely." She shared this from Elder Scott's statements:

"First, I will share a principle that, if understood and consistently applied, will bring enormous blessings throughout your life.It is not difficult for me to explain, nor for you to understand. However, it will require of you significant, determined effort to yield its full potential. With it, you can learn vital truths that will bring you greater, enduring happiness and make your life more productive and meaningful:

• I will consistently strive to learn by what I hear, see, and feel.
• I will write down the important things I learn, and I will do them.

You can learn vitally important things by what you hear and see and especially by what you feel, as prompted by the Holy Ghost. Most individuals limit their learning primarily to what they hear or what they read. Be wise. Develop the skill of learning by what you see and particularly by what the Holy Ghost prompts you to feel. Consciously seek to learn by what you see and feel, and your capacity to do so will expand through consistent practice. Ask in faith for such help. Live to be worthy of it. Seek to recognize it. Write down in a secure place the important things you learn from the Spirit. You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come. Also, the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life. Always, day or night, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, seek to recognize and respond to the direction of the Spirit. Express gratitude for the help received and obey it. This practice will reinforce your capacity to learn by the Spirit. It will permit the Lord to guide your life and to enrich the use of every other capacity latent in your being."

What wonderful advice and empowering promise! Maybe as mere humans we can't write glorious words that will effect the whole of mankind. On the other hand, who can limit what affect we can have when empowered by the spirit?

Happy writing, sisters.