Sunday Blessings

I have been wanting to try a bible study with my kids for several years.  But something kept stopping me.  Fear that it would be to complicated for them.  That it would be like pulling teeth to get them to want to sit down and talk about Jesus or Heavenly Father.  I will admit, I am not the best role model when it comes to reading my scriptures, or saying family prayers or even my own private prayers.

Despite these fears I continued to bounce the idea around in my mind.  I know that Heavenly Father hears us even when we are not praying for help directly to him.  He knows what our hearts desire, and He points us in the direction that we should go to find what we are looking for.  And this desire of wanting to spend a little spiritual time with my kids was an easy thing for Him to help me with.

I found on the LDS Website some resources that I thought might work for us.

New Testament Stories Book

New Testament Stories Audio/Videos

Clip art (symbols) 

Music

So what I gathered first was binders for each kid.  I printed a picture of the scriptures from the Clip Art link I have listed above.  I put it on the cover of their binders.

Next I printed up the pages for the New Testament Stories book for Chapter 1.  We had listened to the introduction several months ago before summer.  So I felt that it would be OK to go straight to Chapter 1.  I 3 hole punched the pages.  

I sat the kids down and said we were going to do a short scripture lesson.  I was so surprised to find that both of them were very interested in doing this, and neither of them complained.  It was peaceful. My daughter gave a short little prayer. We listened to one of the songs on the link I have posted above.  I figured it is good to listen to those specific ones as those will be the ones that the kids need to learn for the Primary Program that usually happens in November.  Singing them at home would help to reinforce them.  I knew that my daughter would love to sing it, and would know most of the words, but I had no idea that my son would know the song so well.  He sung is little heart out.  Amazing.

 Then I reminded them of the lesson we had done back in May. They know a lot already about the pre-exsistance and how we all had a choice to either follow Lucifer or Jesus.  We had a little discussion about choices that we each make while on Earth.  Good choices and Bad choices.  Jesus came to Earth to help us be forgiven for those Bad Choices that we make.  So we were going to learn about Jesus. 

Then I handed them their sheets from Chapter 1 and told them they could color the pictures in and hightlight any words they want during the reading.  I then turned on the Audio/Video recording of the chapter and allowing them to listen; they were looking at the pictures and reading along.  We then discussed what we read.  They both were very engaged and eager to ask questions as well as answer mine.  

I am happy how it turned out.  I told them that each Sunday we would be doing this.  It is nice it is only 10 mins max of time.  I know it is not that much time...but I think at this point it needs to be short and sweet.  I wish I had learned about these links above sooner - as I am sure I would have tried to do this years ago.  But at the same time, I think it was revealed to me at this time and not sooner because I was ready to find it, and that my heart was open to it.

I am grateful that Heavenly Father listens to our hearts even when we don't know how to ask for help.

~Brenda

Family Home Evening Idea!!!

I was surfing around the blog community and came across a really fun and totally easy Family Home Evening Idea that I just had to share with you all.

I found it on Family Home Evening Planner.

Topic was Heavenly Father has a body. Click here for the link! GREAT activity idea and perfect for Little ones!!! I can't wait to do this with Bug!!!!

Family Fridays

I love surfing on the Internet and finding things that will help me be a better wife, parent and homemaker. I am inspired by all that is out there from others who share what works for them and suggestions that they share.

I also love to search for curtain topics and one of those things is Family Home Evening ideas. Because I find it over whelming to come up with a topic on my own; I tend to look at lessons that others have kindly posted on the Internet and use them in my quest to educate my son and help bring peace to my home. Sometimes with the searching and looking at the ideas I do come up with something on my own, but most of my FHE ideas are from others.

Here is the link to the first post I did on FHE last summer (July 2007)
Oh and sometimes the lesson works great, and sometimes they don't work at all. It all depends on what Mood my family is in, meaning Bug most of the time, but sometimes myself and my husband. If we are overly tired it can become a challenge. Sometimes I find myself planning way to much in the lesson. I find myself rushing through the lesson to get it all in. Why do I do this? I think it is because I worked to put it together and print up the pictures that "By Golly" Bug is going to see all that work I did. I know this is the wrong reason to be doing FHE, but in the mist of things this tends to be the emotion that sweeps over me. I am human.

Today I wanted to share one of the lessons that I found surfing around. Click here to read the lesson. I am planning on doing this lesson this week; probably on Wednesday evening.

In the weeks ahead I think I will post a new link to a new lesson that I have found online. I have so many links to share! I have to laugh from time to time at my self at how many lesson ideas that I have found online because I collect and collect (hoard) the ideas and then I tend to forget that I have them.

Oh and the lessons that I have found are not only for toddlers but can be for older children too. So be on the look out!

Family Fridays

Something new that I would like to try doing is posting some thing Family Related on Fridays. This week I am going to post my quick Family Home Evening Activity that we are planning on doing sometime next week. Bryan works on Monday Evenings so we usually try and do them on Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. They are really quick since Bug has a very short attention span.



It is meant to only last about 10-15 minutes at the most. That is on the good days, but it has been known to only last 3-5 minutes at times, if it is a topic Bug is not interested in. I try to have songs he likes to sing, as well as a felt board activity since he is so visual and loves to look at pictures. And then I do try to do some hands on activity; whether it is a craft or something like a movement activity.



This Family Home Evening is taken from the Primary 1 Manual; Lesson 10.



I Am Thankful for Trees, Plants, and Flowers


“Lesson 10: I Am Thankful for Trees, Plants, and Flowers,” Primary 1: I Am a Child of God, 28

What you will need:


· A fruit, vegetable, or small branch in a cloth or paper bag.


o A Bible.


o If possible, obtain pictures of local trees, plants, and flowers, and a few small wooden objects, such as a pencil, spoon, and bowl.


o Some seeds, small paper cup, and dirt.


o Children’s song book or CD of music. Or if you have Internet access you can find the song on line.




Opening Prayer


Sing “In the Leafy Treetops” (Children’s Songbook, p. 240)


Attention Activity
Pass around the bag with the fruit, vegetable, or branch in it, closed so the children cannot see what is inside. Have the children feel the bag and guess what is in it. Let the children tell you what they think is in the bag. Take the item out of the bag, and talk about its appearance and usefulness.


Trees, plants, and flowers make the earth a beautiful place to live
Explain that Heavenly Father and Jesus wanted to make the earth beautiful with trees, plants, and flowers. Display the cutout of flowers and any pictures of trees, plants, or flowers you obtained. Let the children talk about experiences they have had with trees, plants, or flowers. Remind the children that everything on the earth was created according to Heavenly Father’s plan. On the third day of creation, Jesus created trees, plants, and flowers (see Genesis 1:11–13).

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Felt Board activity:
Print up the following pictures:
A little girl
A tree with blossoms on it.


Tell the following story as you place the pictures on the felt board:
Kelly has a favorite tree to play under. One morning her mother wakes her and says that she has a surprise for Kelly to see. Kelly’s favorite tree is covered with beautiful white blossoms that look like popcorn. Kelly asks how popcorn got on her favorite tree, and her mother explains the importance of blossoms.


Song
Have the children stand and sing “Popcorn Popping” (Children’s Songbook, p. 242), using hand actions as suggested by the words. Explain that in the springtime, apricot trees grow white flowers that look like popcorn.


I looked out the window, and what did I see?

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!

Spring had brought me such a nice surprise,

Blossoms popping right before my eyes.

I could take an armful and make a treat,

A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.

It wasn’t really so, but it seemed to be

Popcorn popping on the apricot tree.


Plants and trees are necessary for us to live
Show some items that are made of wood (pencil, spoon, bowl), and talk about the many uses of wood.
· • What other things do you know of that are made of wood?
Explain that we also use plants in many ways. One of the most important things plants provide for us is food.
· • What kinds of plants do we eat?
If any of the local pictures you have obtained show plants that are used for food, show them again.


ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

· Give your child some seeds (such as flower seeds, beans, or wheat) and a paper cup full of soil. Show the children how to plant their seeds, and remind them that they will need to provide water and sunlight for the seeds to grow.

Repeat this poem/finger play during the activity and after the activity.
I Dig
I dig and dig and dig (make digging motions),

And then I plant some seeds (bend over and pretend to plant seeds).

I rake and rake and rake (make raking motions with long strokes),

And then I pull some weeds (bend low and make pulling motions).

The sun shines bright and warm (make arms form a circle),

The rain comes down, and so (bring arms down, wiggling fingers)

Right there before my eyes,

My seeds begin to grow (push fingers of left hand between fingers of right hand).


Have the children repeat after you the words to the song “Little Seeds Lie Fast Asleep” (Children’s Songbook, p. 243). Then have the children pretend to be the little seeds waking up and stretching while you sing or say the words again


· Closing Prayer

Afterwards
Go for a nature walk outside to look at different types of plants. If the weather does not permit going outdoors, the children might look out the window and take turns telling what plants they can see. If appropriate, explain the seasonal changes that affect the plants and trees.

Back home for a treat of apples and peanut butter and milk.



If you are interested in copies of the pictures that I have picked out for this Family Home Evening, just leave me a request in my comments and your email address if you think I don't have it, and I will be sure to email them to you.



They are saved in Word document form. I just print them up and then laminate them, and put a little felt on the back to help it stick to the felt board. You could easily just print them up and cut them out and hold them up to show your child or children and then let them hold on to them. If your child is anything like mine, they will love holding it. It keeps their little hands busy.

Let me know if you use the idea and how it went. Enjoy!

Family Home Evening (FHE)

For those who might read my blog who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or who might now about the this church but have not heard of the term "Family Home Evening" I wanted to share a little bit about what "it" is and what we as a Family do during it.

Unfortuantly, I don't know when the FHE started with the members of the Church, because I am a convert and don't know the dates of all things pertaining to the church....but I do know that I love this program....and I am thankful for the Prophet who recommended that each family to this program. Here is a link from the Church website that talks about what FHE is. Basicly, it is a time we as a family set a side to spend time together as a family. We try to make it spiritual most of the time, but it can be as simple as singing a church song and reading out of the Church Magazine, or doing some service as a family for a neighbor. The leaders of the Church have set a side Mondays as the day of the week that FHE happens but that doesn't mean that all families can do it this day....and your family can pick a day that works for your family. We have picked Sundays. Bryan works Monday Nights. We did try to do it on Thursday evenings but I was so tired after all my running around all day, so we decided on Sundays.


We have officially had 3 weeks of FHE and tonights was the best so far. I just had to share with you all.

The first one we did the topic was about Daniel and the Lions Den. I got it a kit from Hatch Patch Creations several years ago before Bug was born. I was excited to do the kit. Bug was wild and crazy and it took alot to keep him focused even for 10 minutes.

The second one we did was the topic of the Pioneers since the following week (July 24th) was Pioneer Day. The kit was also from Hatch Patch Creations. I learned to shorten the lesson a bit and it was a bit better.

Today was the thrid one, and we were going to do the lesson from Hatch Patch Creations on Brigham Young but after coloring the pictures, cutting them out and laminating them and then looking at the story to share, I realized that there was no way I was going to beable to make this fun for a 2 year old.

So I scapped the lesson I had planned and went online to look up the Primary 1 manual on line and found the lesson that the Nursery and Sunbeams did today at church. It was about Family Prayer. I reviewed the lesson and designed a quick lesson for FHE! And it turned out to be the best one yet. I am so happy. Bug sat so well during our prayers. He even said "Jesus" when we showed him a picture of Jesus in the Western Hemispher.

I wanted to share what I did for the lesson with you all. It might help ohters out there.

Primary 1 Manual

Lesson 27: We Can Pray As a Family.

We started off by singing the song "Family Prayer"
Then we had a prayer.

I showed this picture to Bug.


We discussed the picture and pointed out the Mom and Dad and the kids. And pointed out that they were praying as a family.

I printed out this picture as well. And we discussed this picture. We mentioned that Jesus told the families in this picture to pray as a family to Heavenly Father. This is the picture that Bug pointed to JESUS in the picture and said "Jesus".

We then read the poem:

We love Heavenly Father;

We thank him when we pray.

Heavenly Father loves us;

He hears the things we say.

And then we let Bug color some clip art of a Mom, Dad, Brother and Sister. I am going to cut them out and laminate them and then use them in a future FHE.

And then we sang the the song "Family Prayer" again and then did a closing prayer and we were done. It was only 10 minutes long but it was the most that Bug was interested in a long time. I was so proud of him sitting with Bryan and Me while we prayed and he had his arms folded and his head bowed and eyes closed. It made me so proud.

Bryan whispered to me later on "He is getting the hang of it. It just takes time for him to understand."

Smiles!