July 2015 Visiting Teaching (VT) Message: 'Divine Attributes of Jesus Christ: Forgiving & Merciful'

Here is the new message for July, following on with the theme of Divine Attributes of Jesus Christ. The full message can be found {HERE}.

Here is a free handout for you, which can be downloaded out two to a page {HERE}, when the image appears just right-click and select 'save as' to save to your computer.

Have a great month!

Sarah

Feb 2015 VT Message - Attributes of Christ: Without Sin - Handout/Printable

This month's message is part two of the series on the Attributes of Christ - this one focuses on the Savior being 'Without Sin', the full message can be found {HERE}. 

Go HERE for March's Message

>>>> The handout with the flowers is available as 4x6 {HERE} and 4 to a page {HERE}. 
>>>> The handout with the photo of the Savior is available at 2 to a page {HERE}.
*** to download just right click on the image when it appears and select 'save as' to save to your computer.

 

TREAT IDEA

I found this cute treat idea to give as well... all you need is: 

• Cupcake Wrappers, Paper Straws, Scissors and Jumbo Marshmallows

Perfect for Valentine's Day and would be fun to dip in chocolate and give with a chocolate powder mix.

:: :: STRAWS CAN BE PURCHASED IN MY PARTY SHOP {HERE} at 25% OFF, using code FEBVT. Enjoy:) :: :: 

A full tutorial can be found {HERE}

Tutorial and image courtesy of: Living Locurto

April 2014 General Conference Printables - May 2014 Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching Handouts, 5x7 & 11x14

** IF PINNING, PLEASE PIN TO THIS WEBSITE, and NOT 4Shared.com, incase I change the download location,THANKS:) **

FOR CONFERENCE PRINTABLES FROM 2012 & 2013 GO HERE

So, many great quotes - this is just a small selection of them!!! All are available for free 5x7 download - can also be enlarged to 11x14 (prints without frame and matte showing), keep checking back as I will be updating this as I do more - to DOWNLOAD click the image you like and it will open it up, then just right-click on it to save to your computer!:)

Some suggestions for use:

• VT / HT Message in May 2014
• Family Home Evening Lessons (display a different print throughout the week as a reminder of the lesson
• 4th Sunday lesson (May - October 2014) Visual or Handout
• Gifts for friends
• or just display in your home :)

**
© All designs are copyrighted to Sprinkled Joy LLC. Download of prints does not transfer copyright. You may not sell the file, and it is for personal and church use only.

SATURDAY MORNING SESSION

Jeffrey R. Holland - "The Cost - and Blessings - of Discipleship"

"Pure Christ-like love flowing form true righteousness can change the world."

Jeffrey R. Holland - "The Cost - and Blessings - of Discipleship"

"Defend your beliefs with courtesy and compassion, but defend them."

Neil. L. Andersen - "Spiritual Whirlwinds"
"Families are the treasures of heaven."

Neil L. Andersen - "Spiritual Whirlwinds"

"Stand... in holy places and be not moved" Doctrine and Covenants 87:8

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

Russell M. Nelson - "Let Your Faith Show"

"Let your faith show!"

Russell M. Nelson - "Let Your Faith Show"

"Even if everyone is doing it, wrong is never right. Evil, error and darkness will never be truth, even if popular."

President Monson, quoted by Russell M. Nelson - "Let Your Faith Show"

"Courage, not compromise brings the smile of God's approval."

Richard G. Scott, quoting his wife in her youth - "I Have Given You An Example"

"When I marry, it will be to a faithful returned missionary in the temple."

Robert D. Hales - "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments"

"Obedience is taught by example, by how we teach our children."

PRIESTHOOD SESSION

Elder Hallstrom - 'What Manner Of Men'

"Once any of use conclude, 'That's just the way I am,' we give up our ability to change."

Randall L. Ridd - 'The Choice Generation'

"Plug in to the source of the power."

President Thomas S. Monson, quoting Jabari Parker's Father - 'Be Strong and of Great Courage'

"Just be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light."

SUNDAY MORNING SESSION

Dieter F. Uchtdorf - "Grateful In Any Circumstances"

How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?"

more to come....

SUNDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

to come...

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March 2014 Visiting Teaching Message - The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Light of the World

Hi there:) This months message can be found HERE - it's a great reminder to follow the example of the Savior and let our light shine. Only light can drive away darkness and the more let our light shine the less darkness can exist. The Savior shows us the way:)

Here are two handouts - one from my store (Sprinkled Joy), which has two 4x6 handouts (one with a white background and one with a white one), and a 4x6 recipe card for YUMMY lemon blueberry bread. You can download HERE.

And then also a free one for you using the Quentin L. Cook quote:) - sized 4x6

Download HERE

Happy Valentines Day:)

As I have loved you, love one another.

~John 13:34~

{available HERE}

Waiting Upon the Lord - Robert D. Hales

‎"Too often we pray for patience but we really want it right now. We may not know how or when answers to our prayers will come but I promise you they will come. Do not give up on the Lord, His blessings are Eternal."

(Robert D. Hales, from 'Waiting Upon the Lord', General Conference, October 2011)

The Great Commandment

Joseph B. Wirthlin: The Great Commandment

"Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity. You can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, and possess all knowledge; even if you have the faith to move mountains, without charity it won't profit you at all....

"Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive.

"When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and service"
(Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31).

Who Am I To Judge Another?

Who am I to judge another

When I walk imperfectly?

In the quiet heart is hidden

Sorrow that the eye can’t see.

Who am I to judge another?

Lord, I would follow thee.

(“Lord, I Would Follow Thee,” Hymns, no. 220)

No Cussing Club

I just found this article and video on www.youth.lds.org that was really inspiring. It shows how far a little courage and example will go. You can check the video out here too, definitely worth watching, I dare you not to be inspired:)

https://beta.lds.org/youth/from-every-nation/article/no-cussing-club?locale=eng

Article:

When McKay Hatch of Pasadena, California, and his friends started middle school at age 12, he was bothered by the increase in bad language. “I think what bothered me most,” says McKay, “was that they were using it every other word. It wasn’t just that they used a cuss word when they stubbed their toe. It was becoming part of their everyday language.”

McKay got up his nerve, spoke to his friends, and basically said that if they wanted to continue hanging out with him, they had to quit using bad language. He wondered if he would lose all his friends, but they stuck with him and cleaned up their language. McKay came up with the idea of starting a club—a No Cussing Club.

The first club meeting was held June 1, 2007, at the end of the school year. “A lot of people came,” says McKay. “I was surprised. We talked about what our goals were going to be and what we could do.” Since that simple beginning, McKay reports having members or branches of the club in all 50 states and in 35 countries. They now have T-shirts, wristbands, and a Web site.

The club wanted to have a cuss-free week in their city. McKay wrote to the city council, who agreed, and last year, March 3–7 was declared Cuss-Free Week. In March 2009, the county of Los Angeles, home to over 10 million people, is also going have a Cuss-Free Week, with McKay receiving the proclamation.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. At first, McKay almost quit because of negative response. Sometimes people would yell bad words at him. Or they would accuse him of trying to take away their freedom of speech. McKay points out that he isn’t making them do anything. He asks them to challenge themselves to improve. “I’m just trying to bring awareness about people’s language.”

McKay is often asked to talk at elementary schools. He tells the younger kids that their words become their thoughts, their thoughts become their actions, their actions become their character, and their character becomes their destiny. “I tell them it all starts with your words.”

The Time Has Come To......

"Now, my brethren and sisters, the time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all of our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike"
Gordon B. Hinckley - Gen. Conf. 1995 Apr.

Get the Venom or Pursue the Creature?

"It is reported that President Brigham Young once said that he who takes offense when no offence was intended is a fool, and he who takes offense when offense was intended is usually a fool. It was then explained that there are two courses if action to follow when one is bitten by a rattlesnake. One may, in anger, fear, or vengefulness, pursue the creature and kill it. Or he may make full haste to get the venom out of his system. If we pursue the latter course, we will likely survive, but if we attempt to follow the former, we may not be around for long enough to finish what we started".
(Elder Marion D Hanks, "Forgiveness: The Ultimate Form of Love")

----------------------------------

I just really liked that too. I think not forgiving people is ..... stupid (don't know what other word to use here...) and is something that is as a result of selfish pride. The Saviour died so that we would be able to be forgiven, so what right do we have withold forgiveness from another? I am sure this is what is lacking in the majority of marriages/relationships that struggle.

Witholding Love

From Elder Marion D Hanks's talk called "Forgiveness: The Ultimate Form of Love":

"Someone has written: The witholding of love is the negation of the spirit of Christ, the proof that we never knew him, that for us he lived in vain. It means that he suggested nothing in all our thoughts, that he inspired nothing in all our lives, that we were not once near enough to him to be seized with the spell of his compassion for the world". Christ's example and instructions to his friends are clear. He forgave, and he said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you". (Matthew 5:44)

----------------------

When I read this it, the part that really struck me is where it says, 'the witholding of love is the ..... proof that we never knew him, that for us he lived in vain'. I think it's sometimes so easy to 'withold' love from people - but it is so important to 'show' love to people, the genuine kind of love which softens peoples hearts, and helps them to see who they are more clearly. It would be a feeling I don't think I could handle to be told at the end of my days that I never really came to know Christ during my life - I can't imagine a worse possible feeling.

Loving Others

Alma 31:34 - 35
"O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.

"Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.

Spencer W Kimball:

“We must remember that those mortals we meet in parking lots, offices, elevators, and elsewhere are that portion of mankind God has given us to love and to serve.”
(Ensign, Aug. 1979)

What an honour it is be able to do as the Saviour would do, to love as He would love, and to serve as He would serve. What a difference is made when we follow in His footsteps and reach out.... for “their souls are precious”.

Relief from Trial

I am so grateful that the Atonement covers the “suffering pains and affliction and temptations of every kind;….” and that “he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy…, the he may know how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12). There is a principle in these verses that sometimes we miss, or don’t understand. We take upon ourselves the infirmities of others that our bowels may be filled with mercy. “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt 5:7). What a beautiful promise! We also learn how to succour and to have our bowels filled with mercy.

As we walk through life, we influence many people don’t we? We model what they see every day. A slightly dishonest act, and unkind word, a loss of temper, an impatient reply, a profane outburst, a white lie, a thoughtless act – all provide the image of what we really are. The reverse is also true. Every sweet and tender act we perform – our happy and buoyant spirit; the way we treat our children, spouse, family, friends; the daily service we perform – all provide the beholder with an image of us.

It’s a wonderful goal in life to improve our personal life, to strengthen our virtues, to overcome our weaknesses, and to be ever growing upward to Christ’s standards. There is a consequence for good or bad in everything we do. More than likely there will be at least one more trial in life, one more opportunity left to prove who we really are and what kind of impact we have had on others. President Harold B. Lee stated that we would be tested every month of our lives. As we are able to modify our perspective of “tests” when they come, we meet them knowing that we will be the beneficiaries in some way.

Someone once said: “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” And sometimes we feel alone when adversity comes. We might even see those who we thought were dear friends avoid or abandon us, therefore, we may suffer in silence and endure alone. Oliver Goldsmith said: “The greatest object in the universe, is a good person struggling with adversity; yet there is still greater, which is the good person that comes to relieve it. (‘The Vicar of Wakefield’.)

The wonderful and comforting thing about the Atonement is that we need not feel that we suffer alone or that we are ever abandoned if we live right. The Saviour has felt all of our pains, worries, sufferings, trials, and will never leave us. He did more good than any other. He exemplified greater humility, more tenderness, and deeper charity than anyone who ever lived. He alone understands the fullness of the trials we face, and He alone will stand to comfort, bless and abide with us in our darkest hours. He is the light of the world, and may we look forward to another day in which we can worship Him, by remembering him and by loving each other.

Chairty & Service

Moroni 7:47 - 48

“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”

Derek A. Cuthbert:"Service changes people. It refines, purifies, gives a finer perspective, and brings out the best in each one of us. It gets us looking outward instead of inward. Righteous service is the expression of true charity, such as the Savior showed."

(Ensign, May 1990)

Returning Good for Evil

"The Lord Jesus Christ liberated man from the world, by the pure gospel of love. He lived the plain and sure doctrine of service, of doing good to all men, friends and enemies alike. His charge to return good for evil is still the greatest challenge to the mind of man."

—Ezra Taft Benson, I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Let Us Be Men

Search & Rescue

Brigham Young explained this principle in conjunction with the celebration of a day of thanksgiving on 1 January 1852. He taught the saints this:

“[Y]ou cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be preparing for celestial glory, while the meanest menial under your charge or control, is in want of the smallest thing which God has given you power to supply . . .”
(Brigham Young, “Proclamation: For a Day of Praise and Thanksgiving for the Territory of Utah,” Ensign, Nov. 1971, 41)

Recently I was reading about the Martin & Willie handcart company. I was moved by the response of Brigham Young when he was brought news of their plight by Brother Richards. He “reported that there were hundreds of men, women, and children scattered over the long trail... They were in desperate trouble. Winter had come early. Snow-laden winds were howling across the highlands... Our people were hungry; their carts and their wagons were breaking down; their oxen dying. The people themselves were dying. All of them would perish unless they were rescued.”

The next morning Brigham Young stood in the tabernacle at the start of conference and said: “ ‘I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may speak... It is this... Many of our brethren and sisters are on the plains with handcarts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place, and they must be brought here, we must send assistance to them. The text will be, “to get them here.”

“ ‘That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people...

“ ‘I shall call upon the Bishops this day. I shall not wait until tomorrow, nor until the next day, for 60 good mule teams and 12 or 15 wagons. I do not want to send oxen. I want good horses and mules. They are in this Territory, and we must have them. Also 12 tons of flour and 40 good teamsters, besides those that drive the teams...

“ ‘I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains’."

(in LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, Handcarts to Zion [1960], 120–21).

Teams were rallied immediately, and lives were saved.

The phrase which has stayed in my mind is: “Go and bring in those people now on the plains”.

There are many people who are on the plains spiritually, but also emotionally, socially, physically and temporally. There are people within in our own families, and amongst our friends who are desperate to be brought in from the plains, and they lack the resources to be able to make it alone. They need our love and sensitivity, and sometimes our practical assistance. There are many organizations under the banner of “Search & Rescue”, what a wonderful title, one that is at the heart of the gospel.

There is One who gave us the perfect example to follow. He is able rescue us daily from pride, for He offers humility; hopelessness, for He instils hope; anger, for He fills us with His love. He says:

“Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.”
“... that I might draw all men unto me,...”
(3 Nephi 27:13 – 14)

I hope that we can follow our Saviour by searching for those who are "in want of the smallest thing which God has given you power to supply", that we too will be able to say: "that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me,... that I might draw all men unto [him],...".

What is Our Response?

Elder Marion D Hanks said in January 1974:

Christ’s example and instructions to his friends are clear. He forgave, and he said: “… Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44.)

What is our response when we are offended, misunderstood, unfairly or unkindly treated, or sinned against, made an offender for a word, falsely accused, passed over; hurt by those we love, our offerings rejected? Do we resent, become bitter, hold a grudge? Or do we resolve the problem if we can, forgive, and rid ourselves of the burden? The nature of our response to such situations may well determine the nature and quality of our lives, here and eternally. A courageous friend, her faith refined by many afflictions, said to me only hours ago, “Humiliation must come before exaltation.”

It is required of us to forgive. Our salvation depends upon it. In a revelation given in 1831 the Lord said:

“My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened.

“Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

“I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.”

(D&C 64:8–10.)
(“Conference Excerpts,” New Era, Jan. 1974, 6

Why wait??

Be Kind

"Be one who nurtures and who builds. Be one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them. If we could look into each other's hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently..."

(Marvin J. Ashton, Ensign, May 1992)

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"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

"Wherefore, be not weary in well–doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

(Ephesians 4:32; D&C 64:33)