Filling the Cracks with Gold

"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." 

 ~Barbara Bloom

Just for Fun

"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.

Modern Day Martha's

"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?

FHE Spot - Blessings

Opening Song: Count Your Many Blessings

Opening Prayer:

Lesson:

For the Object Lesson you will need:

• A small cup
• Dish full of water
• Spoon
• Saucer to place under the empty cup

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:

Dessert: Homemade Cinnabons

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

Making Blessings Count

"We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count."

— Neal A. Maxwell

Application for today: What are your blessings? How can you show more gratitude for them and make them count?

Enjoy your Sabbath day:).

Spending Money

"Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like."

~Will Rogers

Improving the Quality of your Prayers

Bishop H. Burke Peterson:

"As you feel the need to confide in the Lord or to improve the quality of your visits with him—to pray, if you please—may I suggest a process to follow:

• Go where you can be alone, go where you can think, go where you can kneel, go where you can speak out loud to Him. The bedroom, the bathroom, or the closet will do.
• Now, picture Him in your mind’s eye. Think to whom you are speaking, control your thoughts
• Now tell Him things you really feel to tell Him—not trite phrases that have little meaning, but have a sincere, heartfelt conversation with Him. Confide in Him, ask Him for forgiveness, plead with Him, enjoy Him, thank Him, express your love to Him, and then listen for his answers.
• Listening is an essential part of praying. Answers from the Lord come quietly—ever so quietly. In fact, few hear His answers audibly with their ears. We must be listening so carefully or we will never recognize them. Most answers from the Lord are felt in our heart as a warm comfortable expression, or they may come as thoughts to our mind. They come to those who are prepared and who are patient.

(“Conference Excerpts,” New Era, Jan. 1974, 6)

Application for today: What is one thing you can do to improve the quality of your prayers? Apply.

Best wishes for a great day:)

Looking at the Stars

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

Oscar Wilde

I recently read this quote and really liked it. None of us can say we have had a trial free life, we've all had them, and will continue to have them, the perspective we should have though should be a hopeful one, silver linings always rear their pretty heads when trials abound, and really can be seen as often as we look for them.

Application for today: If you're feeling 'in the gutter', look for the stars in your life until you find them

You're Never Alone

A disciple of Jesus Christ, Elaine S. Dalton, describes how a grueling marathon taught her about prayer and the strength we can receive from God.

Application for today: Remember that you are never truly alone, and when you feel like you are, pray. Heavenly Father will let you know He's there, and always has been:)


Have a great day!

The Chinese Bamboo Tree Parable

I love this parable. It's a good 'keep doing what you're doing and just hang in there' parable:

"In everything you do in your family, keep in mind the miracle of the Chinese bamboo tree. After the seed for this amazing tree is planted, you see nothing, absolutely nothing, for four years except for a tiny shoot coming out of a bulb. During those four years, all the growth is underground in a massive, fibrous root structure that spreads deep and wide in the earth. But then in the the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet!

"Many things in family life are like the Chinese bamboo tree. You work and you invest time and effort, and you do everything you can possibly do to nurture growth, and sometimes you don't see anything for weeks, months, or even years. But if you're patient and keep working and nurturing, that "fifth year" will come, and you will be astonished at the growth and change you see taking place.

"Patience is faith in action. Patience is emotional diligence. It's the willingness to suffer inside so that others can grow. It reveals love. It gives birth to understanding."

From The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey (pp. 22-23)

Today's application: Repeat after me..... "But if you're patient and keep working and nurturing, that "fifth year" will come, and you will be astonished at the growth and change you see taking place.", and then repeat, repeat, repeat, till you believe it:)

FHE Spot - The Scriptures

I have decided that every Monday I will post a FHE lesson, it will be appropriate for families with children, and hopefully adaptable to other circumstances too. I have a wonderful friend who posts one of these lessons each week and will usually steal her ideas! Her name is Alisha and her blog is Homemaking Honeys, so head on over and check out her blog too, it's full of 'craft'iness.

Family Home Evening - The Scriptures

This year in Primary our children are learning about the importance of the scriptures. I thought what better way to spend one of the first official FHE's of the year than to talk about the scriptures.


Opening Song: Search, Ponder and Pray
Opening Prayer:


Lesson:  

Put the scriptures on the table or floor in front of you and cover with a small towel. Explain to the children that you have something really special under the towel. A gift from our Father in heaven. Have them ask questions Yes or No questions to try and guess what the item is. After a few minutes let them slide their hands under the towel to feel the scriptures and see if they can guess.


Explain that the scriptures are important books that are different from other books. They are sacred books. Remind the children that something that is sacred helps us think about Heavenly Father and Jesus. Explain that the scriptures tell us about Heavenly Father and Jesus and how much they love us. They tell us what Heavenly Father and Jesus want us to do so we can be happy.


In advance (if possible) have someone prepare to tell one of their favorite stories from the scriptures.


Explain that some of the scriptures were written by men who knew Jesus and lived when he did. They saw Jesus and heard him teach. These men wrote scriptures so that everyone could learn about Jesus and his teachings and know that he was Heavenly Father’s son.


Recite the 8th Article of Faith with the children:
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."


Share your testimony of the scriptures. Possibly ask your children what their favorite scripture story is.


Activity: I found this really fantastic game in one of the old Friends called "Scripture Picture Game" All you have to do it print it out. You will also need a dice and game pieces. My children will love this and I'm sure yours will too!


Closing Song: Book of Mormon Stories
Closing Prayer:


Refreshments: White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies - Mmmmm Yummy!

Love & Appropriate Action

“The relationship between love and appropriate action is demonstrated repeatedly in the scriptures and is highlighted by the Savior’s instruction to His Apostles: ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15). Just as our love of and for the Lord is evidenced by walking ever in His ways (see Deuteronomy 19:9), so our love for spouse, parents, and children is reflected most powerfully in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds (see Mosiah 4:30).”

David A. Bednar, “More Diligent and Concerned at Home,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 18

Application for today: Put your love into action today for someone that you love. 

Sweet Peace

James E. Faust:

"Sometimes we carry unhappy feelings about past hurts too long. We spend too much energy dwelling on things that have passed and cannot be changed. We struggle to close the door and let go of the hurt. If, after time, we can forgive whatever may have caused the hurt, we will tap 'into a life-giving source of comfort' through the Atonement, and the 'sweet peace' of forgiveness will be ours. Some injuries are so hurtful and deep that healing comes only with help from a higher power and hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. . . . You can tap into that higher power and receive precious comfort and sweet peace."
"Instruments in the Hands of God," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 115, and,  ("My Journey to Forgiving," Ensign, Feb. 1997. 43)

Try to Remove Yourself

"Meditate, engage in daily prayers, read uplifting books, commune with Mother Nature--in some way try to remove yourself from the discord of the everyday world that invades your sense of inner peace."

~Stephen R. Covey