When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.
When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.
When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.
When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.
When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."
When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.
I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from?
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
I wish you Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions!!!
I saw this on LDS Family Fun, and thought it would be a great intro into Valentines Day next week. After all, 'All you need is love':)
Opening Song: Love one Another (click HERE for music and lyrics)
Opening Prayer:
Lesson: (Choose whichever parts suit your family needs the best)
1. Watch Video clip:
2. Read John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
3. Discussion - Use as the Spirit and your family needs guide:
When Jesus gave this new commandment to “love one another” (John 13:34–35), was He speaking only to His twelve disciples? (No.)
What is a disciple? (One who believes in and follows Jesus.)
How can we show Jesus that we are His disciples? (By loving one another and keeping the commandments.)
4. How do we know that God loves us?
(He provided a Savior for us, so we can return to live with Him.) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.)
5. Is love important? (Yes.) “Love is of the very essence of life...Love is the security for which children weep, the desire of youth, the cement that binds marriage, and the smoothing oil that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, church, and neighbors.” Gordon B. Hinckley, Tambuli, Aug. 1982
6. Can love make the world a better place? (Yes.) “Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people, that can heal relationships shattered by bitterness....If the world is to be improved, the process of love must make a change in the hearts of men. It can do so when we look beyond self to give our love to God and others, and do so with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.” Gordon B. Hinckley, Tambuli, Aug. 1984
7. How can we can show our love for Heavenly Father and Jesus? (By serving and loving others and following our Savior’s example.)
8. What can we do to show greater love for each other? (Discuss ideas.)
STORY: Valentines for Jesus
Mother put the box of colored paper, ribbon, and lace on the kitchen table where the children were busy addressing their valentines for their classmates.
“When you’re done, do you want to make some special valentines?” Mother asked the children.
“I want to make a special valentine for Daddy!" answered Heidi.
“Oh, Daddy will love that, Heidi!”
“Mommy, would it be okay if I make a valentine for my school teacher?” asked Janece.
“I think you should make one for your teacher,” Mother answered.
“I want to make a valentine for my primary teacher!” Thomas added.
“That’s a great idea, Thomas! I’m sure that will make Sister Wells very happy.”
Five-year-old Breanna sat quietly, listening to her brothers and sisters make a list of people they wanted to make valentines for. “Do you have someone special you want to make a valentine for Breanna?” Mother asked.
“Can I make a valentine for anyone I want?” Breanna queried.
“Of course, Sweetie!” Mother assured her youngest daughter.
“Then I want to make a valentine for Jesus!” the little girl exclaimed.
“You’re silly, Breanna. You can’t give Jesus a valentine. Can you Mom?” Thomas taunted.
Mother looked at Thomas and then at Breanna, who’s eyes had filled with tears. “Breanna, tell Thomas, why you want to make a valentine for Jesus.”
“To show Him I love Him!”
“I think love, is the best reason to send a valentine. Don’t you, Thomas?”
Thomas looked down, “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Mommy, can we all make valentines for Jesus?” asked Heidi.
Mother smiled at her eager children, “Of course!”
“We need to make the very best valentines for Jesus!” added Janece.
Mother thought about what they could do to make special valentines for Jesus. “I know what we can do!” she said.
Heidi and Janece you help me trace two paper hearts on this white paper for each of you. Mother then showed Brianna and Thomas how to glue the hearts onto a piece of poster board. They then took a piece of red construction paper and glued it to the poster board. After the glue dried Heidi and Janece carefully cut out the hearts, while Thomas and Brianna cut the red paper into long strips.
As they worked on the special valentines, they sang, “As I have loved you, love one another....”
Mother then taught the children how to weave the red strips in and out of the slits, she had cut, in one of the hearts.
“Mommy, what’s a disciple?” asked Breanna.
“A disciple is someone who believes in and follows Jesus,” Mother answered.
“Are you a disciple, Mommy?” the little girl asked.
“I am! Are you?”
Breanna smiled and nodded.
“So, how do we show Jesus that we are His disciples?
“I know, I know!” shouted Thomas, “By loving one another. Like the song says!”
“That’s right Thomas. The song was written about the new commandment Jesus gave us in the scriptures. Should we write the scripture on your valentines?
“Yes! That’s my favorite song! And I want to also tell him that; I will be His disciple.”
“That a good idea,” Mother agreed.
The children finished their special valentines for Jesus by trimming them with lace and ribbon.
“Mommy, how will we give our valentines to Jesus?” Brianna asked.
“How about if we hang it in your room, where it can remind you to be Jesus’s disciple by loving one another. That way Jesus can see it and He will know that you love Him!”
Make valentines for Jesus. Click HERE for full instructions.
Or, maybe cut out some paper hearts and everyone write down something they are going to do this week to show Jesus that they love Him, and review at next weeks FHE.
This was created by Alisha over at Homemaking Honeys. She said:
"Friday morning while I was taking the children to school this song came on in the car. I was listening to the words and was invisioning Jesus Christ saying these words to me, "I will stand by you, I will help you through, when you've done all you can do if you cant cope. I will dry your eyes I will fight your fight, I will hold you tight and I wont let go. So I came straight home and through out the day made a music video to go with it. It did take all day, I mean I am still and most importantly a mom, but I really wanted to do this. So here it is. I hope you enjoy it. I would love your feedback!"
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught: “All too often a family's spending is governed more by their yearning than by their earning. They somehow believe that their life will be better if they surround themselves with an abundance of things. All too often all they are left with is avoidable anxiety and distress”.
("Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts," Ensign, May 2004, 42).
“I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we [stop] the sounds of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort.”
My Children can always use a lesson on this topic. I hope it comes of some use to you and your family.
Opening Song: Kindness begins with me Opening Prayer:
Lesson:
Heavenly Father has given us many wonderful blessings. We can see and hear and use our hands to work and to help others. One of the special blessings Heavenly Father has given us is our power to speak. We can use words to tell others what we need, to share a funny story or to say prayers. But words are very powerful. What kind of words we choose to use is a very important decision.
Some words we say can make other people feel happy. Some words we say can make other people feel sad. Some words we say can invite the Holy Ghost to be with us and other words can send him away.
I want to tell you a story from the Friend Magazine (January 2010) about a little boy who found out how powerful words can be:
"Robbie wiped the sweat from his face. The sun beat down on him as he played ball with other fourth-grade boys.
Seth threw the ball to Robbie. A boy on the other team lunged for it, but missed. Robbie dove for the ball and caught it before it hit the ground. The other boy called Robbie a mean name.
“Don’t let him get away with saying that, Robbie,” Seth said. Robbie ignored the mean name and took his position. Some of the boys snickered. Robbie couldn’t get the word out of his mind. When his team won the game, he didn’t feel like celebrating with his teammates.
That evening, Robbie told Dad what happened. “Why did he call me that word?” Robbie asked.
“Not everyone believes what we do,” Dad said. “Some people think using words like that makes them seem cool. Words have a lot of power. They can build people up or tear them down.”
“Seth told me not to let the boy get away with saying what he did,” Robbie said.
“What did you do?” Dad asked.
Robbie looked down. “I ignored him and kept playing,” Robbie said.
Dad hugged Robbie. “You did the right thing. I’m proud of you.”
Robbie was happy to hear Dad say that. “I guess you’re right,” Robbie said, smiling. “Words do have a lot of power.”
- When Robbie got called a name how did it make him feel? - How do we make others feel when we call them names? - What did Robbie do to the boy who called him a name? - Was that a good decision or a bad decision? - What will you do if someone ever calls you a mean name? - How did Robbie's Dad make him feel better using words?
Families are so important. Heavenly Father wants us to always treat our family with love and kindness.
- How will our home feel if we yell at each other and call each other mean names? - How can we use words to show love for each other?
Activity:
Get a beanbag or small stuffed animal. Have the family sit on the floor in a circle. Starting with a parent, have them say one "happy word" about another member in the circle. This can be a descriptive word that describes that person like sweet, kind, happy, fun, loving, affectionate, smart, musical, etc. Then toss the beanbag to that person. Then it is their turn to choose someone to say a "Happy Word" about and toss the bag to. Continue until every member of the family has had a turn as the tosser and receiver. You can continue as many times as you would like.
“We cannot see the future with precision, but we can know what the Lord intends and what it will take [for] each of us to qualify personally to participate.”
"When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful."
"Sacrament meeting was about to begin and a mother couldn't find her son. She searched everywhere and finally located him sitting outside on the curb with his head in his hands. She said "Son, we have to go in now. Sacrament is about to start." He responds, "I can't go in there, Mom. Nobody likes me. No one will talk to me." She says "But son, you have to go back in....You're the Bishop."
This was the opening remark by Sister Roche, the Washington D.C. temple matron, at the last Wilmington, N.C. Stake conference.
"Some mothers in today's world feel 'cumbered' by home duties and are thus attracted by other more 'romantic' challenges. Such women could make the same error of perspective that Martha made. The woman, for instance, who deserts the cradle in order to help defend civilization against the barbarians may well later meet, among the barbarians, her own neglected child."
— Neal A. Maxwell (Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward)
Application for today: Think about things you may be cumbered by. What can you change?
Ask the children to name blessings which they receive from our Father in Heaven. Every time they say a blessing they get to take a spoon full of water and put it in the cup. Quickly the cup will be completely full. My daughter said " Ummm Mommy the cup if over flowing" PERFECT. I then explained how this is just like our blessings from our Father in Heaven. He wants to bless us. He gives us so many blessings that they are overflowing as long as we are worthy to receive them.
I asked the children then what we have to do to be worthy to recieve blessings from our Father in Heaven.
Next we read, 1 Thessalonians 5:18
How can we thank Heavenly Father for all the blessings he has given us?
We discussed through our prayers meaning we can pray and tell heavenly Father thank you. We talked again very quickly about the 4 steps of prayer. We also talked about how we can thank him through our actions, i.e. being nice to our brother and sister :)
Bear your testimony and make sure to ask the children if there is anything else they want to discuss or anything they don't understand.
Activity: I have decided to do a decoration for our FHE activity. I have printed about 15 different color leaves I will then let the children write some of the blessings they are thankful for on the leaves I will then tie the leaves together and make a swag out of them to hang across our mantle (or you could hang it in their bedrooms for example) all week to remind us of all the things we are thankful for. Here is a picture I found on google of something similar to what I have in mind:
This is the best recipe ever if you are making homemade Cinnamon Rolls. It is tradition in my family to have Cinnamon Rolls and Hot Chocolate in the winter A LOT!! So starting tonight we will be having these. YUMMY
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