Rainbow Party Activity

Depending on what age you are throwing a party for this might end up being a lot of fun for the kids to do. If your party is colored themed or rainbow themed this craft could work out as something to keep them busy and entertained. Even not throwing a party it could be a fun indoor activity during the cold, or a kick off for spring!
All we did was cut colored paper into square inch pieces, cut a paper plate in half, and had some colored strips of streamers. I'm pretty sure they would be just as cute if not more if you used little tissue paper pieces and used a pencil (like so many school crafts do).
We just used glue sticks, and the kids would put it on themselves.

This is how one of them turned out:

Have fun crafting!

Cute Kid Turkeys

My sister-in-law Becky found a really cute idea for a kid's craft for the Thanksgiving holiday. The "pinspiration" can be found here


The kids that participated had a lot of fun. It allows them to get down and messy. Unless your kid is like my older daughter who couldn't wait to wash the paint off. It's a cute idea especially to keep a memory of how big they were this year. Love my two kiddoes. If you find a creative way of doing this differently, post a picture! I would love to see what everyone comes up with.

Personal Progress Bookmarks

We found on sugardoodle.net  a bookmark that we thought would be a really good idea for this next year. At the beginning of the year we are going to have the girls fill it out with their goals, and we'll have them keep it in their scriptures. We're hoping that this way if they have goals they will try to make them throughout the year if they have a reminder. This is what our version looks like (we kept it simple): I apologize the thing in the background is a picture of Christ. The quote that you can't read very well is just the full theme for next year.

Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).	Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).	Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).	Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).
Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).	Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).	Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).	Come Unto Christ Faith______________________ ___________________________ Divine Nature____________ ___________________________ Individual Worth_________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Knowledge________________ ___________________________ Choice and Accountability___________ ___________________________ Good Works______________ ___________________________ Integrity__________________ ___________________________ Virtue_____________________ ____________________________   “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).

December Personal Progress Handout

My mom is her ward's Personal Progress...Coordinator I guess would be the correct term. So I have been helping her with some things. I am stealing the ideas of my ward's P.P.C. So. One of the things that she does on a monthly basis is give a hand out with a list of value experiences that the girls could be working on based on what the monthly topic from the Come Follow Me lesson is. So for December 2013 this is what her handout reads (we just print like six so they are big enough for the girls to read and keep in their scriptures):

Building the Kingdom of God in the Latter Days

Individual Worth

Value Experience #3

Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 and 121:45. Do all you can to build others and make them feel of worth. Every day for two weeks notice the worthwhile qualities and attributes of others. Acknowledge them verbally or in writing. In your journal write what you have learned about the worth of individuals and how your own confidence grows when you build others.

 

Additional:

Divine Nature #7

Choice and Accountability #2

Good Works #5, #6, #7

 

 

December 2013

Lesson on Chastity. Yeah, I got that fun one...

I got the fun lesson on chastity....Anyways,  this is how I approached it. I'm sure there are better ways, I was trying to show the girls that although they are all convinced that they will never make these mistakes that if they do they can turn back and be forgiven. The girls I was teaching are not dating age yet, and were all sure that they wouldn't ever struggle with this. Maybe they won't, but it was frustrating when they constantly, oh why are you even teaching us about this, we don't have this problem. Finally one of the other leaders pointed out, you guys aren't even dating yet. Come back to us and say this again, when you are dating a boy that you think you are absolutely in love with. We didn't want the girls to think that it was impossible for them to stick to their guns, but we wanted them to be aware that it's not easy, and that they need to be reminded to choose the right so that they will.

Object Lesson:

                        Jars of Representation: Jar of Money and Jar representing what they pay. You have been saving for a couple of years because you know how important school is to you and your family. You have saved quite a bit, and it will pay for a lot of your college. However, there are a few things that are tempting to buy, and you can find reasons with yourself why it is ok to purchase them.

College Fund	Your Virtue
Your friends want to go to a movie and you don’t have any other money. It’s a movie you have looked forward to. You also figure it’s only 10 dollars.	Your friends do not dress modestly, and have encouraged you to dress like them. You want to fit in, and figure it’s only the way you dress.
Family and friends have made a little fun of the clothes that you are wearing, commenting on how you will look funny as a college student wearing something like that. So you think maybe it’s time for a make over to get ready for school. Make a new you. It costs 100 dollars for everything, so you got some great deals.	You and your friends have a few movies that you have really wanted to see, but have found out they are rated pg 13 or R for sexually explicit content. You figure it’s ok to just watch it, its not like you are doing anything wrong.
Your cheap phone can be frustrating when you watch someone using the newest model. You decided in order to succeed socially with your teachers, and of course your study group you are going to need a better phone. It costs 400 dollars, but now you can look up all the information you need.	You decided that it has been a little frustrating to be the third wheel with your friends who have boyfriends even though they aren’t 16 yet. You don’t see the harm in dating before 16, plus you just want to have some fun.
A friends beg to be able to borrow a large sum of money for a trip, and promise to pay you back. They aren’t able to come up with the money.	You have become steady with a boy you really like, but he doesn’t exactly have the same plans as you do. Your friends are sexually active and make you feel ridiculous for not being so. You can’t really seem to figure out what your argument against it is anymore.
Your mom has been planning on driving you to school, or you can ride the bus to college for a couple of years, but you suddenly find yourself a little embarrassed. You have spent a little money on other stuff, but you figure you should still have enough money for school. You decide if you can find a car for a good price that you should purchase one so that you can drive yourself to and from college so you don’t have to worry if you miss the bus or your mom is running late.	Upon arriving to many different reasons such as it’s your body and you will do what you want with it, the church is too strict and you can always repent, you want to fit in, you want to keep your boyfriend. No matter the reason but you have decided to give up yourself, and your virtue. You will make it to the temple eventually.
Time to register and pay for school comes and you don’t quite have the amount that is due. You didn’t realize that you had spent that much. Even with your whole next check you won’t quite make it.	You have made some mistakes, and find the guy that you want to marry. You know that this is the one that you want to marry in the temple, and he wants to take you there. You realize that you don’t quite make it. Elder Holland said in his talk about Personal Purity: You may discover to your horror that what you should have saved you have spent, and that only God’s grace can recover the virtue you so casually gave away.
You decide that it’s time for you to approach your parents. They know how hard you had been trying to save money, and they know you made mistakes. Although you didn’t do it by yourself, you ask them if they would help you. Your parents pay the rest of the amount needed to pay for your school even though they were struggling for money for themselves.	How can you make it? Repentance. Unlike money you don’t get it back, but you can repent for it and be forgiven to become worthy of the temple. If you are trying, if you have repented, the sacrifice of Christ will make up the difference for you.

Now this is just one scenario. You could choose not to pay for things that are not good, and not make the mistakes that could cost you dearly. Which obviously is what God wants for you, and what we want for you when we teach you to not do things that you will regret. We want you to make it to the temple because it is important.

Our topic this month has been marriage and family and we have touched upon the topic I chose, but I would like to go a little further into it. What is chastity?

--sexual purity and involves being morally clean in thoughts, words, and actions. Sexual intimacy is ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between a husband and wife. God has commanded that sexual intimacy be reserved for marriage. When we are sexually pure, we qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and we are protected from the emotional and spiritual damage of sexual sin.

So based on this statement why is chastity so important? No unclean thing can enter the temple. We want to enter the temple to be sealed for all time and eternity.

So in this world what are you taught about sexual purity? What does the media tell you through music, movies, television? What do your peers say? Is it considered uncool to still be a virgin?

Read scriptures: Genesis 39:7-21, 1 Nephi 10:21, Alma 39:1-13, Moroni 9:9, D and C 46:33.

I want to pose a question. Do you think it would be easier to give into the world and have a sexual relationship outside of marriage, such as with a boyfriend in junior high or high school? Do you think your life would be easier? Or do you think that although you continually get hit from almost every side with this type of thought that it is in fact easier to stay pure and virtuous? I want to know your thoughts so please share?

I want to share with you some piece of Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk on Personal Purity. He wants to answer these questions:

·  Why should we be morally clean? Why is it such an important issue to God? Does the Church have to be so strict about it when others don’t seem to be?

Why should we? The writer of Proverbs observes: “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? . . . Whoso committeth adultery . . . destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away” (Prov. 6:27–28, 32–33).

Why is it important to God? He is trying to tell us about its place in His plan for all men and women? I submit to you He is doing precisely that—commenting about the very plan of life itself. Clearly among His greatest concerns regarding mortality are how one gets into this world and how one gets out of it. He has set very strict limits in these matters.

·  Does the Church have to be so strict about it when others don’t seem to be?

The body is an essential part of the soul. This distinctive and very important Latter-day Saint doctrine underscores why sexual sin is so serious. We declare that one who uses the God-given body of another without divine sanction abuses the very soul of that individual, abuses the central purpose and processes of life, “the very key” Secondly, human intimacy is reserved for a married couple because it is the ultimate symbol of total union, a totality and a union ordained and defined by God. You must wait until you can give everything, and you cannot give everything until you are legally and lawfully married. If you persist in pursuing physical satisfaction without the sanction of heaven, you run the terrible risk of such spiritual, psychic damage that you may undermine both your longing for physical intimacy and your ability to give wholehearted devotion to a later, truer love. The only control placed on us is self control. Unless such powers are controlled and commandments kept, your future may be burned; your world could go up in flames. Penalty may not come on the precise day of transgression, but it comes surely and certainly enough. And unless there is true repentance and obedience to a merciful God, then someday, somewhere, the unclean will pray like the rich man who wished Lazarus to “dip . . . his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame”

 

Now, I’m sure you guys have had many lessons on staying abstinent and not having sex outside of marriage, so I want to talk about the other aspects of chastity.

Clean thoughts, words, and actions. 

Read Strength of youth Dress and Appearance.  D and C 121:45-46, and Strength of Youth Sexual Purity part.

So why is it important to have clean thoughts, words, and actions?

--in order to have the Holy Ghost with us, so we can make good choices. The farther we are from sin the easier it is not to do so.

Show True Confidence video.

So just to close, I shared a personal story, which I would rather not share with the entire world, but if you have a personal story, it might be good to share it with your youth in order for them to realize that it is serious, and it’s not just a lesson for them to listen to. It’s something they need to pay attention to. I want you girls to know, no matter how bad, how often, how far you have turned away from the commandments, you can turn back, and it is worth it. It will be the most challenging thing you can ever experience, but it is worth it.  I also can guarantee you that if you choose instead to not make the mistakes, if you rely on God for help and strength, and if you don’t push yourself to the limits thinking you will be able to pull up in time, you will live a much happier life.  I also talked about the feelings of shame, how that is the Devil’s tool. We talked about how you need the sense of shame to realize you have done something wrong, but the devil uses it when it is time to choose the right such as repenting. He will shame you into thinking that it is too embarrassing, or that you don’t deserve to be forgiven. I urged the girls not to pay attention to this shame. I reminded them that the day they decide to choose the right is when they should hold their head up high.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

 

The body is something to be kept pure and holy. Do not be afraid of soiling its hands in honest labor. Do not be afraid of scars that may come in defending the truth or fighting for the right, but beware scars that spiritually disfigure, that come to you in activities you should not have undertaken, that befall you in places where you should not have gone.

 

My Talk On Family: A proclamation to the World; Roles of Fathers and Mothers

I was asked to speak in Church in June for Father's Day, and I am one that absolutely despises talking in church. I never feel like I should be the one trying to teach others, since I have plenty of learning to do. Anyways, I'm awful, I know. When they asked they had given me a topic about fathers and the priesthood, and I figured I could talk about how thankful I am to have the priesthood in my life, and knowing that I could just go to my dad for a blessing when I was younger, and being able to call on my husband, or my home teachers if I need one now. Well mid-week, they decided to change topics to the one as my topic. I read the proclamation that night, and didn't feel any ideas popping into my head. I grew frustrated and rather than, you know, researching, praying, and all the good stuff I should do, I continued to grumble about even having to speak. Anyways, long story short, Saturday afternoon came around, and I decided to finally sit down and write a talk. So with my attitude this is what came out. I'll have you know this is what I actually said in church. I realized as I was writing my talk that many of the negative feelings that I was writing was exactly how I was feeling. I probably was more mad about the topic mainly because I felt like I was not living up to what they labeled as the roles of moms in the proclamation. I felt the need to talk about how we all judge ourselves so harshly. So here it goes:

You are a failure. Your kids don’t fully qualify as properly dressed. One of your kids is yelling rather loudly during sacrament meeting. You lose all your patience, and you shush. When that doesn’t work you take your kid out, knowing all eyes are on you, and thoughts about why you can’t control you kid. That’s what they’re thinking. You proceed to class, trying to drop your kid off to nursery, primary, or even Sunday school where they burst into tears, yes sometimes even the teens, and you end up having to stay until they stop and are preoccupied enough for you to sneak out. Or your teenagers make snide remarks and are so incredibly disrespectful, you wonder what you have done wrong. You have done everything wrong. Your kids don’t behave, your house is a mess, you fail in the cooking department, your yard is awful, you have no energy at work. Sometimes you wonder why you thought you were capable of having kids. Your kids are going to turn out awful and it is your fault. Good luck facing God and explaining why you weren’t  like the parents next door. You know the ones. They hold family home evening every week—actually hold it. Their kids are always dressed and clean. The kids can read by age two. They sit quietly in church, the teenagers are so polite and wonderful, and not to top it off but the father is fit and has an awesome car. The mom always looks perfect and just seems like she is superwoman. Well, they are. They are super people.

I don’t know about you, but I have felt this way. We were asked to speak on the Family: A Proclamation to the World, and more specifically the roles of mothers and fathers. As I was searching for information, I was bombarded with the thought, as well as the actual information of things that moms should be doing, but I struggle to do. I know I am not the only one that looks at other moms and thinks that they have it all together, and what lucky kids to have such a mom. Reading through different Ensign articles, I want to pass on something that needs to be stamped on our foreheads, so that we see it every time we look in the mirror, and others see it every time they look at us. We are good enough. Dads too, I didn’t forget that it’s Father’s Day. You are better dads than you think, and probably than what you may be given credit for. We are all good enough.

However, good enough does not mean that we don’t have room for improvement. I say good enough because we all judge ourselves harsher than others do. You are the people that I look at and can’t figure out how you are such super beings. I’m sure many of you don’t see how I can think that, but it’s true. I decided to take this topic as an opportunity to actually try to improve on something as a mom, and to learn what I might have missed. I have never felt more incapable of succeeding than I do when I am trying to teach Dani that men with beards and long hair are not Jesus. So reading over the roles of a mother, both in the Family: A proclamation to the World, and in other teachings, here are some points that I, and maybe even you can improve on.

First point that might be the most important is to work on your relationship with your husband. I have been told this many times that it is important to make sure that you still have date nights, and you take the time to have adult conversations.  In his address, “Brethen, Love Your Wives,” Elder James E. Faust Said, “The relationship between husband and wife is the linchpin in the whole family relationship. . . The most sacred, intimate, and blessed relationship is between husband and wife. We must strive for greater spirituality in our relationships, and especially in our homes.”

There is a saying that happy wife makes happy home, but it should be happy husband and wife makes happy children. There are many things you can do together to strengthen your relationship. It takes faith. Pray together.  According to , Jannette K. Gibbons, there are Seven Steps to Strengthen a marriage. First, Have a clear goal in mind. The goal should be to have a celestial marriage. Second, Include God in your relationship. Without him in your relationship you will always fall short. Third, acknowledge the reality that Satan is your enemy. He will try to weaken you and overcome you. Fourth, Remember that you are best friends, it will help you take control from Satan. Fifth, Remember that you are growing together toward perfection. Both of you are imperfect. Sixth,  Accept the reality that differences of opinion occur. Respect each other. It is more important to be loving than to be right. And seventh, Be honest, but charitable when communicating with each other. Do not dwell on the negative. If you have a concern, voice it. Don’t store it inside.

Many members are single for different reasons. You can improve by taking care of yourself. You can have the goal of a celestial eternity, you can include God in your every day life, and accept that Satan is the enemy, knowing that he will try to tear you down. Remember that you are a child of God. Remember that yes, you are imperfect, but you can strive towards perfection. Respect yourself. We all need to be doing this.

Second point that I believe that we can all work on is spending enough time with our kids. This is difficult for many of us because of the need to work. I do believe though that we can make more of an effort. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “As a mother guided by the Lord, you weave a fabric of character in your children from threads of truth through careful instruction and worthy example. You imbue the traits of honesty, faith in God, duty, respect for others, kindness, self-confidence, and the desire to contribute, to learn, and to give in your trusting children’s minds and hearts. It is your sacred right and privilege.”

In the 2000 Marriage and Family Relations Manual, Lesson 11, it lists President Ezra Taft Benson’s 10 suggestions on what mothers can do to spend effective time with their children. I think that men should know that they are also part of this. 1. Be at the crossroads. Know where your kids are, who they are with, and what they are doing. 2. Be a real friend. 3. Read to your children. 4. Pray with your children. 5. Have weekly home evenings. 6. Be together at mealtimes. 7. Read scriptures daily. 8 Do things as a family. 9. Teach your children. 10. Truly love your children.

We have many distractions occurring around us every day. We have technology and media that can fill up all of our time if we allow it. We need to make sure that these things do not become more important to us than our family. Spending the extra time with our kids will also help them grow spiritually. Spending time with them will allow them to see your example. Which is the third point I want to discuss.

Strengthen yourself so that you can be an example for your kids. Here’s my confession. I know that I am quick to lose my patience. I also am not great at reading my scriptures regularly. We have struggled to have family home evening every week. I know that in order for my kids to see how important the simple Primary answers of study your scriptures, attend church regularly, hold family home evening,  and pray that I need to be doing them myself. How can I expect them to learn that these things don’t just give them a simple answer but is something that should actually be implemented if I am not doing them myself? We all struggle in different areas of these simple steps. One of the best things we can do for our families is by remembering these things.

Final point: We need to remember that God has entrusted us with his eternal children. It is our duty to do our best. We are doing what we are supposed to be doing. We are doing his work. We have an eternal partnership with him. When we struggle that is the time to turn to him for help. When we are succeeding that is the time to thank him.

 In closing I would like to read from the Family: A Proclamation to the World. “ Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.”