Monday, October 29, 2012

November 2012 LDS Primary Sharing Time Helps and Ideas

Image from one talented lady! http://melonheadsldsillustrating.blogspot.com/

Monthly Theme: I Can Choose to Be a Missionary Now
Monthly Scripture: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" Mark 16:15
 
An idea to incorporate General Conference this month is invite the Elders into primary to answer a couple questions from the children each week. Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a wonderful talk - Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!

Week 1 I can be a missionary by serving others.

From Preach My Gospel "Your faith to find people to teach is demonstrated through your actions. During His mortal ministry, the Savior "took upon him the form of a servant"(Philippians 2:7). He went about "doing good"(Acts 10:38) and "preaching the gospel"(Matthew 4:23). As you follow this example, you will find those who will recieve you.

Through service, you and those who are prepared for the restored gospel come together in a powerful, inspiring way. Your good works will help people recognize you as a servant of God and will lead to opportunities to teach the restored gospel." (page 168)

* Write some notes and draw some pictures to brighten up someone's day at a local rest home.

* Have the children make birthday cards to give to the Relief Society President for sisters who have upcoming birthdays!

* Prepare lots of paper hearts! Invite the children to write or draw something kind on the hearts. Take a little field trip, make sure the teachers come so there is plenty of supervision and put hearts on all the cars outside!!!

Galations 5:13 "...But by love serve one another."

* Do the missionaries have a car or a bike? Brighten their day by putting some balloons, streamers and notes from the children on them! (Again... another field trip!) 




Week 2 I can be a missionary by setting a good example.

* Elder Nelson talks about 6 ways we can be missionaries now, found HERE. You can figure out small objects to represent the 6 things he talks about. Ask children questions about each object and about what he says.

For example have a flashlight- "The light of the Lord can beam from your eyes." Does this mean we should attach flashlights to our glasses? Sing A Smile is Like the Sunshine (CS 267) How can we make our eyes twinkle? By smiling, yes! If we are happy, does it show in our eyes? What about if we are sad?

* HERE is an article from Elder Cook. He talks about 4 different ways we can be a good example. Divide into groups. Have 4 guest speakers come prepared with a story from their life that fits one of the different ways to be a good example. Have the children rotate to hear each guest. The guests could even be children themselves who you call the week before, or parents who tell a story of  something their child did to be a good example.

* Whip out some puppets! Let the children come up with short scenes to have the puppets act out and demonstrate how to be a good missionary by being a good example! They might need help coming up with a setting, so you can have them draw papers from a bag like school, family home evening, at the park, on a road trip, at a museum... etc.

* Learn THIS fabulous song, I want to be a missionary now (CS pg.168). While you are learning it, have small hidden paper clocks all around the room. Invite a child to fill in the blank... you sing a part of that song and leave out one word- if they can get the word, they can go search for a clock. On the clocks have questions and scriptures having to do with missionary work and being a good example. When is the best time to be a missionary? NOW & ALWAYS!!!

~And time to stand on a soapbox. I'll just get it over with. I get so annoyed when a child gives an answer and the leader says, "no that's not it" or "not really" or plain and simple, "No. Does anybody else know?". The children are putting themselves out there and now they feel rejected. Don't believe me? Look at their faces. Am I trying to suggest we breed a generation of wimps who can't handle the truth when they're wrong? Absolutely not. I'm saying, take a step back and look at the whole picture. They are disciples of Christ and the world is going to constantly tell them they are wrong and that their answers are "not it". Let's try to phrase things so that these children can feel confident when they participate. For example, we can say, "Oh my!! You are so smart! That is so close!! or Yes! What a great answer, it is a lot like... or Very good! Excellent thinking! Thank you so much for sharing. And then move on. Adults can be such killjoys sometimes. And really, if a child says prayer, even if that's not the answer you're looking for... it really is the right answer. Validate our primary friends!!! And I'm stepping off the soapbox... momentarily.~


Week 3 I can teach my friends about Jesus Christ and His Church.

* Have the children create Family Home Evening lesson plans on Jesus Christ and His church. Challenge the children to invite a friend over to their home to participate in the lesson they just made!

* Before you teach, you must know what you are teaching! So what do our primary friends know about Jesus Christ and His Church? Let the children make little books all about what they know about The Savior and His Church. Invite them to give their book to a friend or if they feel shy, the missionaries who can pass it along to someone they are teaching.

* "There are 2 ways to spell bear. Bear means to carry... There's another spelling to the word (and I wonder if we don't use the wrong one). Bare means to expose or reveal or make known. So we may carry a testimony but not reveal it! Teach our young people to bear their testimonies instead of saying they have testimonies and then not saying what they are. Teach them to bear direct witness." President Boyd K. Packer (Memorable Stories With a Message pg. 111)

Have children partner up in small groups and come up with 1 or 2 things that people can bear direct witness of. Have them come up front and share their answers with the whole primary after a minute or so. Is fast and testimony meeting the only place and time that we can bear testimony? Challenge the children to talk to a friend this week about something they know to be true.

You could also have a drawing of Testimony Timmy. You can write down suggestions from the children about things you say during a testimony. Examples could include, "I'd like to bear my testimony. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. I know that..."

*Briefly have the children act out the story of Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. Basically, they taught the gospel to not friends, but enemies!! What would be harder?

Alma 26:2-3, " And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell? Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work."

Have a basketful of instruments. Demonstrate how the instrument is just the tool, and nothing without the master musician! Let children come up front and choose and instrument, then say a way they can teach their friends about Christ and His Church.

Week 4 I can prepare now to serve a full-time mission.

* Make a mini-MTC experience!! Have a big picture of what MTC's look like. Have a few different stations:
1. Learn to say I know the church is true in a different language! from someone who has served a foreign speaking mission. Let that person tell a little bit about where they served.
2. Exercise Station. At the MTC exercise is important! Have a trash can they can throw a ball in. Have them do 10 jumping jacks.
3. Service Station. At the MTC they have weekly service opportunities to clean. Have the children take a reverent walk down the hall to see if there is any trash that needs to be picked up.
4. Cafeteria food! Have a little snack for the primary friends to enjoy. Remember, at the MTC, you're away from your family and you might miss your mom's cooking!!
5. Preach My Gospel Station. Perhaps you can have a ward missionary talk about how important this book is and one of their favorite parts!

HERE is a fun poster you could send home with the children.
 
* Great week to learn We'll Bring The World His Truth (CS pg. 172)!!

* "Missionaries need to understand the doctrine, and they need to know how to share it. You can’t take water out of an empty bucket. When missionaries know the gospel and how to teach it, they don’t want to do anything else. They know they can teach anybody, anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances, using their own words accompanied by the power of the Spirit. They have self-confidence and inner strength. There’s great power in that kind of preparation." Elder Ballard March 2007 Ensign How To Prepare to Be A Good Missionary It's a great read!!!

Have a large bucket. Invite children to fill the bucket up with water by saying ways they can prepare now to serve a full time mission.

* HERE is a chapter in the Missionary Preparation Student Manual. It was interesting to note "rigorous and demanding" were used a lot in regards to missionary work. You could have 10 steps to a better mission! Let's start today!
Have a path of stone pictures and on the back, something from the chapter that will help children prepare to be better missionaries along with a picture of that idea. A couple ideas could include:
"A steady diet of high-calorie fast foods, carbonated drinks, and high-sugartreats should not be the norm. A balanced diet that includes the basic food groups, where possible, is preferred.
" Flexibility—These exercises stretch muscles, tendons, and ligaments and should be done daily."
" Teeth should be brushed and flossed daily. Prospective missionaries who are not already involved in a regular dental care program should see a dentist as soon as possible..."

* HERE is a short video clip about the importance of preparing to serve a mission. President Monson has a great quote, "“Missionaries are marvelous. They’re called of God by prophecy. . . . They represent the fruits of all that is good within the Latter-day Saint family.”

Make a real fruit salad! Invite children to come up and add the fruit. As they do so, have them talk about ways they can prepare to serve a mission. Enjoy a healthy treat!!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

LDS Thanksgiving Song


This is a beautiful song for the upcoming month of November. It's found in the Nov. 1979 Friend by Rock E. Oakeson.

The Lyrics are:
Verse 1
Heavenly Father, I’m thankful to Thee
For life and its wonders, the earth and the sea,
For fam’ly who love me and help me to be
The kind of a child who’ll again live with Thee.
Verse 2
Each day I’m grateful for friends who are kind
And teachers who help me develop my mind.
The Lord in His goodness helps me ev’ry day.
I’ll show Him I’m thankful by living His way.

Click HERE for link.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Draw A Pumpkin Singing Time or FHE

Roll a Pumpkin
 
I came across some fun roll the dice art games and thought I'd make one for primary.
 
Start by singing a song. Any primary friend who is singing boldly, being reverent, or is just plain awesome will be picked to roll the dice.
 
On the first roll, they draw a body for the pumpkin depending on what they roll. If it's a 1, then they draw the long oval. If it's a 2, then the fat circle.... etc. You can use the chalkboard, a large piece of butcher paper. Make sure to have them draw big so everyone can see! The shapes are simple enough that even Sunbeams can draw.
 
Choose another friend to roll for eyes & noses. Then another for mouths and finally, a fourth friend to draw the stuff on top! Choose another primary friend to name our pumpkin creation!
 
By the time you sing some songs you'll have a unique primary pumpkin patch!
 
This could also work for Family Home Evening. You could sing songs or have gospel trivia questions. Once the question is answered, the family member rolls the dice.
 
Or you could just play it for fun!!!
 
I plan on doing a few more of these. If you are disgruntled by my lack of artistic skill, I'm with you 82.4%. But here's the thing. It doesn't matter because the elections will be done soooooooooon!!!!!
Hooray!!! I'm so over all the nastiness already!!
Aren't you!?!?!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Reviewing General Conference with My Children and Making it Meaningful

I have this 3 drawer plastic thing I found at a garage sale years ago. It sits in our closet housing junk. I was munching on some pumpkin cookies- you know the type you just take a box mix and add a can of pumpkin and a bag of chocolate chips? YUM!, staring at the local senate debate...GROSS! And then it clicked! Why don't I use the drawer thing to put activities in to make some of the conference talks fresh in our minds.

In each drawer I plan on having a laminated sheet with quotes from talks that stood out to me personally. Yes, I have a lamination addiction. I could get over it possibly, but there are no support groups and in my heart of hearts, I know I'd just come back to it even if there were.

Along with each set of quotes, I'll have the following activities. My only condition is that before we do the activity or during the activity, the quotes from the talk are read by someone:

1. Elder M. Russel Ballard, Be Anxiously Engaged
Honey Bee Tree -  I-Play Outdoors - Toys"R"Us
Our Honey Bee Tree Game

2. Sister Ann M. Dibb
T-Shirts with permanent markers to color & design on

3. Elder Russel M. Nelson
Stationary, Stickers & Envelopes to write the missionaries! Do we have any questions? Let's ask them!!

I'll probably rotate them out within the next 3 months for another 3 talks from this wonderful session!
I just really feel like, as much as I enjoy conference, I can never remember the specifics. Hopefully these activities I do with the munchkins will help my mind focus better!

I'm attempting to share the quotes I made for each drawer. Hopefully it will work! Feel free to print out and use if ya' like.

LDS General Conference October 2012

Sacrament Meeting Program Time!!

Because I have a gazillion links on the side I'm sure no one really clicks, I decided to repost some thoughts on Primary Sacrament Meeting Programs. Who knows, maybe it might help? Maybe it might not. Do you need tips on where to start writing or what to do for a practice?

Click HERE to see!

If you feel frustrated for spending 7-8 minutes reading to what I just referred you to, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you by sending you to a Ryan Gosling quote "hey-girl obsessed Mormons" site HERE. It will make you smile. Maybe they could do a "Hey girl, I really appreciate the Christ like way you helped that child back to his seat after he jumped off the stands during the Primary Program."

BEST NEWS EVER!!!!!!



Ok. I don't even know where to start. I feel beyond excited. The possibilities are endless.
 
I guess this came out in January of 2012 and I vaguely remember seeing it and thinking, that's nice.
Fast forward to this month and WOW. Let me explain.
 
LDS.ORG has a link

Do you have a beginning reader?
All The Friend rebus stories are HERE (Easy readers with pictures to substitute words)!!!!!!!

Do you want to make a baptism book for your child to study before they are baptized?

Click HERE for a bunch of great resources from The Friend... from a filling the font activity to a video of Christ being baptized. Fabulous!!

Do you want a nightly scripture to recite with the kiddos, maybe something to hang up on their wall until the next one??

Look no further!!! Click HERE for scriptures with beautiful artwork from The Friend!!!

Man... I need something quick to DO for Family Home Evening...

CRAFTS!!!!!!!!! Gospel Inspired.

Need help preparing for General Conference?
 
HERE are quotes from past conferences and HERE are words from the apostles!!!
 
For the young pianist!!! ALL the easy to play arrangements!!!!
 
Click HERE to start!!!
 
Whoever put all the resources together for this section of LDS.ORG, my deepest and most sincerest gratitude!!!!
 
Do you see friends? Do you SEE?!?!?! 
Baby shower gifts! Quick FHE's! Sunday Activities!!! Church bag materials!!
Knowledge!
Power!!!!!
 
Go. Get a file box!
Turn on the purple cow laminator.
Coscto Color Ink Refills- $15 right?
And don't forget to say a prayer to bless those who have worked so hard to put that website together.
 
I feel like we should all gather in a close circle, put our hands together, shout "Let's get closer to Heavenly Father!", break, hands in the air followed by a loud YEAY!!!!
 
I would be "LIKE #486", however I'm not on facebook. Can we just pretend? I am LIKE #486!!!
 
Please excuse all the exclamation marks. I can't contain myself! I hope you are excited as I am!!

Monday, October 1, 2012

President Monson Jeopardy... Round 2!!


I did a FHE jeopardy a while back that my kiddos loved. Everything came from his biography, To The Rescue, by Heidi Swinton.

You can see that jeopardy HERE.

I found some other fun facts as I finished the book, so I thought I'd do a round 2!! Double Jeopardy as you will.

Jeopardy Categories include:
Favorite Foods
All Over the World
Many Miracles
Who'd have thought!

Favorite Foods
100 What does President Monson like to eat in the mornings, a habit that he's had since childhood?
(Wheaties)

200 What flavor yogurt does President Monson favor?
(Lime)

300 President Monson likes to go to a coffee shop called the Little America Hotel, owned by one of his friends. He loves a certain menu item there for lunch, what is it?
(cream soups - especially tomato)

400 What does President Monson like to drink with his meals?
(Milk)

All Over the World
100 President Monson was called to preside over what mission at the age of 31?
(The Canadian Mission)

200 The first time, as an apostle, that President Monson attended a temple dedication was where?
(The Oakland California Temple)

300 President Monson was assigned to supervise the South Pacific Area. Often he would visit the islands for 3 to 5 weeks at a time! While he was there, how would he correspond with people back home in America?
(By letter... which was very slow to arrive!)

400 In this place, there was a severe drought. When President Monson arrived the first people he met were the stake presidents, President Rivers and President Waters. He thought this was amusing and told his traveling companion. His traveling companion introduced himself- Elder Brooks. The missionaries who met them at the airport included an Elder Rainey. Even at the hotel, the receptionist couldn't find the reservation until she check Thomas S. Monsoon!! Where was this place?
(Australia)

Many Miracles
100 President Monson often helped the members of East Germany. It was a war torn country and the government was very strict. One day, he was talking to President Kimball remarking how he wished they could have a copy of a a certain church handbook for the saints there. There was no way the government would let a copy in. President Monson was asked to memorize the very LONG book and then type it out while there. He sat down and started... he got through 30 pages when he was prompted to look up. It was a miracle. What did he see?
(A copy of the handbook completed and in the right language, no one knows to this day how it got there on a shelf above him)

200 One time when President Monson was on a plane, the pilot announced they wouldn't be able to land because of fog. President Monson was on a tight schedule, so he said a prayer. What happened next?
(Seconds later, the pilot said there was a momentary clearing and they would be able to land)

300 At a stake meeting, President Monson had a feeling to invite a former stake president forward to bear testimony and join him in setting apart the new stake president. The man said, "That would be the highlight of my life." The man was extremely happy to be able to do so and give thanks to the men and women of the stake whom he had served. The next morning President Monson received a call from the man's son. What had happened?
(The man had passed away, but before he did so, he said that yesterday was the happiest day of his life. It was a miracle.)

400  In Great Britain, President Monson was visiting a printing press that was printing new editions of the LDS bible. Feeling prompted he said to pull a sheet from that being printed, he knew there was an error. The pressman said, "Not possible, we've read this 12 times!!" President Monson said, "Well, you've missed it 12 times." Sure, enough, there was a small error. President Monson thanked who afterwards?
(Heavenly Father for His hand in all things)


Who'd have thought!!
100 When this football team plays, President Monson dons the maize and blue as a true fan. He records football scores, wins and losses, in his journal on New Year's Day. What college team is this?
(Michigan- A coach, Bo Schembechler made favorable comments about LaVell Edwards and the Church and President Monson has been a long time fan!)

200 President Monson met this American President and had a fun time discussing dogs and breeding. The American President showed him to his kennel and asked him which one he would choose. President Monson chose a pup with strong legs. The American President named the pup Ranger and when he visited Salt Lake City, he updated President Monson on quote, "their dog". Who was the American President?
(President George Bush, 1989)

300 President Monson rarely did this chore in his home. His wife did it for years!!
(Change the lightbulbs!)

400 The first time President Monson was away from home was on a scout camping trip. It was freezing and the first part of the trip the boys threw snowballs at each other. Everyone was shivering, wet and homesick. The next day President Monson's parents brought something over to comfort the boys. President Monson wanted it to be chili, but instead it was what?
(Ice cream!!)

Final Jeopardy Question: We are led by a living prophet today. Through these questions and stories we have learned a lot. What is something you appreciate and love about our dear President Monson?

And a quick thank you to Heavenly Father! I had an idea of what I wanted to do for the trivia questions, but always wanted to double check the material to make sure I've written it right. So out of 500+ pages I just "happened" to turn to the pages with the trivia information I needed at least 5 times. God loves us.