A fresh take on Repentance



Watch the video to see how to tie this printable with an airplane analogy that will help your class really grasp this fresh take on repentance.

It’s easy to think that sin is merely a sinful action and repenting is stopping the sinful action. If you think about it is in the LEAVING our state of love or who we really are that is the sin (watch video to help explain). It Is forgetting who we really are. When we feel out of alignment we are in blame or shame and if we stay there and believe it and operate from that state, that is when our behavior will reflect that feeling. And that behavior is what is typically considered the “sin”

We don’t sin bc we are bad, I believe sin comes bc we BELIEVE we are bad or less then. That belief and feeling THEN drive us to behaviors that do NOT honor who we truly are.

Ok example here. Let’s say we don’t feel we are enough (the first step out of alignment is believing something not true about yourself) and that in that state of lack we are actually MORE driven to PROVE to everyone and ourselves we ARE enough.  THE LIE feels bad and now we need to prove to everyone that we are not that lie! #weirdbrainlogic

We are more likely to do things to get attention and approval, to create all sorts of dysfunction and disorders, we want to find love in all the places it doesn’t exist, we want to cheat, lie, steal, to get our way to be seen and heard. 

All to disprove a lie, to begin with. 

Instead of all that we can settle down and believe in the TRUTH! The truth will set you free, in fact. And the truth is surprisingly kind and loving. 

The truth reminds us to take full accountability and responsibility for our thoughts feelings and actions. To own it all as our creation, to stay out of blame and shame and begin to create from a place of truth and love instead. 

The truth is WE ARE ENOUGH. Believing the truth and feeling the love behind it is liberating! We can relax and bring our tired souls to rest. 

When we believe and truly feel our identity it as children of God and we feel that immense love and truth…guess what happens?

Our behavior changes.

We no longer identify with the bad feelings which tell us we are bad and sinful, we see ourselves as God sees us. As our true selves: abundant, GOOD honest true peaceful, and joyful. God sees us in our perfection and wholeness. When we can view ourselves in our own wholeness our BEHAVIOR begins to MATCH that truth.

This truth has literally changed EVERYTHING for me and my life. I when I feel bad, I give myself grace and know that I can return to my true state of love again. It pulls me out of the blame and shame. It helps take the simple steps to recover and return the the delicious state Heavenly state of having the Spirit of God with me again.

If you’d like to receive the airplane analogy printable as a 3 on a page PDF, drop your email and I will automatically send a full-resolution attachment to your inbox for free.










    FIll up with truth and light

    This handout was created for the lesson, “how can I prepare to be a righteous mother and wife” But can be used for any object lesson or handout.

    In my lesson we watched the first 2 minutes of sister Esplin’s talk where she talked about filling up with truth and light and used the filled soda can object lesson.

    I taped this printout to soda cans

    fill with truth and light-03

    Here is the download:  

    Download “Fill with Truth and Light” fill-with-truth-and-light-03.jpg – Downloaded 1924 times – 145 KB

    Here is a cute little worksheet the girls can use to fill out notes for the same lesson.

    Other come follow me  lessons this month (August).

    I believe in Family

    It wasn’t until I had a family of my own that I came to better realize the importance and sweetness found in family life. As I learned to put family relationships first (see this post) I have come to know more joy and gain more eternal understanding. I have found and felt the eternal depth of the sacred relationships within the family. These priceless relationships are the substance of eternity. They go beyond this mortal realm. They are more valuable than any worldly thing, possession, status or achievement. There is nothing that brings more joy, satisfaction, and mortal education as does a family.

    I’m preparing for the young women lesson titled, “Why is family so important?”  Here is a basic lesson outline, worksheet and handout I created.

     

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    Here is the same image but as a small handout (4 on a page).

    Download “It is what God gave Us time for PDF” it-is-what-god-gave-us-time-for-4-on-a-pg-1.pdf – Downloaded 1134 times – 391 KB

     

    why is family so important worksheet-01

    Download “Why is family so important worksheet” why-is-family-so-important-worksheet.pdf – Downloaded 1263 times – 176 KB

    • Introduce lesson- Imagine a friend asking them, “Why are families so important in your church?” Go around and let each girl answer.

    • Handout “Why is family so important” worksheet and let have an initial take on filling it out.

    • Pass out Sister Beck’s talk, “Teaching doctrine of the family” and highlight the “Threats to the family section.”

    • Have girls continue to fill out worksheet with additional info from Sister Beck’s talk.

    • Have them share and discuss any additional thoughts they have with the class.

    • If there is time, watch “Having faith in Children” video.

    What are the Roles of the Holy Ghost- Object lesson and worksheet

    Here is an object Lesson that helps teach how the Holy ghost blesses us and works in our lives. This also works really well for the  Holy Ghost Baptism Talk if you are LDS.

    Object lesson video helps:

    What we need to receive the Holy Ghost in our lives?

    Moroni 8:26

    And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.

    Include the following items in a box with the following titles and scriptures attached on a piece of paper:

    • Blanket: A comforter, John 14:26

    “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you”

    • Light bulb/flashlight/candle : A LIGHT,  which  functions as a teacher and a guide.  D&C 84:46.

    ” And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.”

    • Soap: A sanctifier, we become clean and more purified as we continually repent to have the Holy Ghost in our lives.  3 Nephi 27:20

    Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

    Lesson application

    I divided the class into 3 groups and had each group reach for an object in the box. Each group looked up the scripture and discussed ways the Holy Ghost was like the object. They presented in front of the class their object and explaination. Here is a worksheet they filled out as each presented:Roles of the Holy Ghost-01

    Click here to download the  above worksheet as a pdf:

    Download “Roles of the Holy Ghost” Roles-of-the-Holy-Ghost.pdf – Downloaded 2129 times – 83 KB

    Here is the same worksheet but does not include the blanket, light and soap graphic incase you just want a open ended worksheet to write down thoughts.

    Download “Roles of the Holy Ghost without graphic” Roles-of-the-Holy-Ghost-without-graphics.pdf – Downloaded 4424 times – 77 KB

    Other JANUARY “Come follow me Lessons”

    Inviting others to Christ and Helping friends return to Church

    This worksheet and  handout were created for the December “Come follow me” lesson : How can I help my less active friends return to church? But it can also go with the lesson How can I invite to come unto Christ or any other topic that helps bring others come to the light of the Gospel.

    This worksheet goes with Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Come, Join with Us,” Talk.

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    Download “Come Join with us worksheet” come-join-with-us-worksheet.pdf – Downloaded 1352 times – 112 KB

    I focused on these particular sections and divided them up among the class to fill out the worksheet:

    unanswered questions, Mistakes of imperfect people, What about my doubts, I just don’t fit in with you people in the Church, I don’t think I could live up to your standards, I know a member of your Church who is a hypocrite. I could never join a church that had someone like him as a member.

    Here is a handout that students can handout to friends or use as reminder of what the purpose of church is and invite others who are seeking truth, meaning,  faith in action,  and a place of belonging.

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    Download “Come join with us 4 on a page handout” come-join-with-us-4onpg-handout.pdf – Downloaded 1156 times – 97 KB

    Of course we want to invite other to drink in the goodness of the Gospel of  Jesus Christ but above all, I love what President Utchtdorf states: “It may break our hearts when their journey takes them away from the Church we love and the truth we have found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for ourselves.5“

    With that said, my focus on what it personally means to do missionary work has shifted.   Continue reading “Inviting others to Christ and Helping friends return to Church”

    FREE Lighthouse “The Lord is my Light” themed invitations and program for your event

    I design stuff for events in my church all the time and I figure, since I’ve already  created the file, I might as well just share it for others to benefit from, eh? Hmm, basically one of the main why I created this entire website.  Yep. These are FREE for you to go nuts and throw a lighthouse/nautical themed Evening in Excellence, Relief Society activity, and whatever have you. Here is what ours looks like with the text. light house invitation-06

    If you want to make a similar invite, I invite you to right click on the image and ‘save as’  to download onto your computer. Then open it on any image editing software like photoshop or any  FREE online places like Pixlar or picmonkey to add your personalized text.  Print as photos.light house invitation-07

    Here is one for activities that are not evening of excellencelight house invitation-08

     

     

    Here is the program that is designed to be printed on an 8.5×11 and folded in half: font and back:ligthhouse-program-09

    Inside design:ligthhouse-program-10

    Below is the pdf download for the program. To edit use editing software like adobe illustrator or photoshop but of course if you don’t have any on your computer you can always use online editors such as this one: PDFescape and PDF Buddy.

    Download “The lord is my light program blank” lighthouse-the-lord-in-my-light-program-blank.pdf – Downloaded 1627 times – 2 MB

     

    I am not currently accepting orders to customize programs or invites. Thank you for understanding..

    Self Reliance

    I love the topic of self reliance. When we use the inspiration and resources Heavenly Father grants us to get our own act together, we can live in more harmony and more easily and willingly bless the lives of those around us.

    Really, a ‘drowning’ person can do little to save another ‘drowning person’ When we learn to ‘swim’ and thrive in an area, we can also be there to bless to others. We are also in a place to share, show and teach another to gain self reliance. Together we can thrive together! It is a beautiful thing. This worksheet outlines the areas of self reliance described in section 6.1.1 of the Handbook 2.self reliance worksheet-01

     

    Here is the download for the worksheet above in PDF form.

    Download “Self Reliance Worksheet” self-reliance-worksheet.pdf – Downloaded 1360 times – 281 KB

     

    You can have students fill out the different areas with information they find in scriptures, talks, their own thoughts. Including what they can personally do in each area to help them become more self-sufficient is also a great idea.

    Other Come Follow Me lesson in NOVEMBER..

    Why is it important for me to gain an education and develop skills?P

    This is material created for the Come follow me Young Women’s Lesson: Why is it important for me to gain an education and develop skills? Though it can be used for any lesson regarding the importance of seeking learning and education.seek-learning-study-faith-handout-03

    Click on download below for above handout (6 on a page).

    Download “Seek learning by study and faith handout” seek-learning-by-study-faith-handout.pdf – Downloaded 1530 times – 108 KB

    This is how I presented this lesson using the worksheet below. Please remember that these are just suggestions and ideas. The inspiration you personally receive for your students as you prepare is far more valuable than a fixed lesson plan created by someone else.

    • Ask girls why it is important to gain and education and develop skills. (Encourage an open discussion or go around and have each girl say something.}
    • Pass out worksheet and have them fill out the first section with ideas they have already mentioned or heard talk about.
    • Divide scriptures (found on side box of worksheet) among the girls and have them quietly read and write more insight based on their scripture and then share what they read, wrote or learned with the class.
    HAPPY NOTE: the top half of this worksheet completes knowledge value experience 1!

     

    Importance of education worksheet-02

    Download “The lord is my light program blank” lighthouse-the-lord-in-my-light-program-blank.pdf – Downloaded 1627 times – 2 MB

     

     

    This bottom half is about applying the lesson. I encouraged my students to cut off the bottom half and hang it somewhere where they could see it everyday.  I believe that If you are reminded daily of what you value and want most, guess what??? You increase the chances of actually carrying it through! Getting started is the hardest part, creating an actionable step (and making it totally attainable) in the bottom box helps initiate the momentum to successfully accomplishing what you want.

     

    GOOD NEWS, if they do it, it can help pass of the Individual Worth Project 5! Woot.

    Other “Come Follow Me” lessons in NOVEMBER.

     

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    Give Loving Service Calendar

    I taught Primary on Sundays at my church and sometimes there is a handout of sorts. There was a give loving services calendar that was part of the lesson and I ended up scanning it and modifying it a little to bit be more functional for the kids by making it a ‘dry erase’ calendar to be used throughout the year. This way they have an idea each day of what kinds of service they could do. I have it on my fridge and people ask me all the time where I got it so here it is for the whole world to have access to and use.

    give-loving-service-calendar

    Here is my version, click on it to download pdf.

    Download “Give loving service Calendar” give-loving-service-calendar.pdf – Downloaded 6948 times – 2 MB

    Print on an 8.5×11 sheet slip into a sheet protector (or laminate or in frame with glass) to make it dry erase or wet erase, you can even slap a magnet on the back. Enjoy some loving service givin’!

    Here is what the original if you would like to view/download it.

    give-loving-service-calendar-original.

    Understanding and sharing light.

     This is a journal entry I wrote a few month ago when there was a lot of commotion and tension due to differing religious/moral beliefs floating around in social media. It was my way of sorting out my own feelings and beliefs. Since then, I’ve had the impression to share my feelings publicly in hopes that it could help those in search of truth and light. These are just my personal opinions based on my understanding of light, love and truth but hopefully it can help you form your own. It is our divine destiny to know and understand truth for ourselves.
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    Sometimes I have a hard time defending my beliefs. Not because I don’t know what I believe or I am afraid to be made fun of or be wrong, etc..but simply because if it I comes off as YOU are wrong and evil and I am right and righteous I have cause an unnecessary and counterproductive reaction. As soon as a person feels attacked as a person their defenses interfere from my message. Everything I say will now only prove how wrong and close minded I am. I have only reinforced their own beliefs and in their mind further shut down my own. Not only is it futile but quite destructive and goes against the very message of hope and love intended. The biggest problem for me is that it create SEPARATION among the human race. It breaks up unity.
    See, we are all God’s children. His only purpose and desire is that we attain as much light, truth, wisdom and love as we are willing to receive because that is how we get to attain the joy and glory He enjoys.
    We are ALL in this effort together.  All the people on this mortal sphere chose God (truth, love and light) because they are here on this earth. Attacking one another because our beliefs don’t align and causing separation causes our own light to recede. The battle isn’t who’s righteous and who’s evil. We are all God’s children with our divine inheritance being His light. We are ALL inherently light and GOOD.
    Coming to earth meant joining with a mortal body. They are the temple to our spirit and can serve us to fulfill the purpose of light and truth. The body, for survival sake, comes with strong primitive urges and defense mechanisms that can cause us to deviate from our mission. That means that we can be blinded to light and truth because of the strong impulses from our DNA and environmental conditioning of the human mind and body. This can cause a blindness, or darkness that is only covering up the light we really are.  Our most divine goal is dispelling the darkness by embracing the light.
    The great news is that we are not just body and mind. We are indeed spirit. That spirit is connected to the source of all light and truth. The more we rely on the spirit to guide us instead of merely our conditioning, impulses and reactions to life, the more light our mortal minds and bodies can understand light and wisdom and be TRAINED to know LOVE.
    Truly the spirit can overcome the flesh. Truly our spirit can redirect and bring our bodies and mind to the level of light and truth!
    How do we come to know light and truth? We choose it. That choice begins with humility. Anytime we choose love over anger. Anytime we choose to be compassionate over frustrated over someone. Anytime we choose to share goodness and truth instead of hatred and contempt. Anytime we choose to forgive instead of attempt to withhold love from someone that has offended us.  Anytime we choose stillness over frantic anxiety. Anytime we choose to connect instead or judge and separate from others. Anytime we choose to change and make amends when we deviate from our truth, our light is awakened again. This is how our light grows, how our soul remembers who it really is and how we train our minds and bodies to align with TRUTH and God.
    When we have an alignment with God, our actions, words and entire being is light. That means we do good because we want to. It is our nature, and a good deed is an extension of the joy we feel. Our presence, and nature is the best way to help others remember their own light and truth.

     As times and values change in the world and people make choices that go against their own light, our job was never to judge, criticize, try to change, look down on, scold, hate, reject, neglect, despise, or despair. These are all just reactions of separation, darkness and fear. Our only obligation and greatest commandment was to LOVE. First love God Himself because He is the very source of LOVE. He is how we even have the capacity to fulfill His second commandment and all commandments, which is to love our neighbor as ourself. Love is essentially one complete and encompassing truth. Meaning that we cannot fully love God without loving our neighbor or without fully loving ourselves. As we are filled with God’s love, the capacity to genuinely love and understand others and ourselves becomes natural and instinctive.

    God IS the very fountain of water, of life, love and truth.
    That is why He has asked us to seek His love first and foremost.  When we are not attached to the source, we are left to our own devices to fill our buckets. We usually fill it with sand or debris or rocks in attempts to fill it up but it only weighs us down and never quenches our thirst for love. It is not real love. When we are connected to Him, we are filled and OVERFLOWING, it is that overflow that allows us to give to others freely. Service, giving, compassion, forgiveness are, at that point, just an extension of our being and nature. We don’t have to give second thought, force ourselves or pride ourselves in this kind of love, it is just who we are and who we feel like being. It is us as our BEST and highest self. It is the path to become more like God as we connect to HIM.

    I believe in a God that loves us no matter what. He doesn’t wait for us to change so He can love and help us. It is the very love and help that creates that change within us that then motivates external change. Our main objective is to be in a place to receive that love and help and that place is humility. We are brought there naturally if not willingly. Meaning, when we have exhausted all our own devices and tried so hard to do everything according to our own strength and understanding, we will eventually break down. We are left in a place to receive divine help if we choose it.

    I believe that the greatest way to help others come to their own light again is to be a light. To live and align with light itself. If we expect others to change on our behalf, tell them that they are wrong, that they will never be happy with choices they are making or threaten them with hell, their instinct  will mostly likely  be to repel from us. Our true challenge and responsibility is overcoming our own negative judgements and separation against others and learning with the light of TRUTH how to accept them just as they are without fear or impulsive need to change them. We can learn to see them as they really are. We can finally view them them as a souls beyond their current choices. Our influence, that comes from remembering to choose light for ourselves so we are in a position to GIVE light to others, will have a MORE profound effect on the souls of mankind than persecution against their beliefs EVER will.

    By it’s nature, truth, light, and love will prevail. Love is the ultimate truth, the guide to all light and wisdom and ultimately what God is and wants US to be. Anything short of that will fail because it will not survive the test of time.

    Life teaches it’s own lessons naturally. We learn this in life over and over again whether we realize it or not. Anytime we deviate from love, light and wisdom (God), we will eventually suffer and despair because it simply does not align with truth and our own light.  The last thing we need when we are suffering is for someone to judge and condemn us. We do that enough on our own. The only healing back to our truth comes through love and understanding. When we come back to truth, we are at peace, calm and happy again. When we forget, we will eventually feel it in our suffering and  need to change our mentalities and behavior to align again.

    In that way, everyone’s path is perfect. When we make choices against our own light, we make choices that will eventually not work because they are not eternally sustainable choices. We will encounter friction and eventually despair. If we keep holding on to the same mentalities, we will keep making the same choices and create the same despair again. This will continue until, a lot of the time through suffering, we will hopefully eventually surrender in humility and choose to change and adhere to the light with in us. That added light in our understanding changes our PERCEPTIONS, thoughts and emotions towards life and that is what changes the way we do things. I believe this is why we don’t need to focus on changing people’s mind, but focus on sharing truth, understanding, compassion, goodness, love and light. It is that that will awaken what they need to do.

    As president Utchdorf said, “we must realize that all of God’s children wear the same jersey. Our team is [mankind]. This mortal life is our playing field. Our goal is to learn to love God and to extend that same love toward our fellowman”

    Love, it really is that simple.

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