As Elder Holland says, our words really our SACRED! They have great power and effect on us and those around us. It is up to us to use them with great care and respect! They can destroy, corrupt and control or they can uplift, liberate and empower others and ourselves. Most importantly they can keep us connected to the Spirit or can separate us from our own light, and the Spirit.
We believe in donating 10% of our earnings to help building the kingdom of God through tithing. Some believe it a lot to give but I wholeheartedly believe that the gifts, growth and sweet blessing from willing donations are REAL. The blessings far outweigh what could be had in worldly goods. I have personally witnessed the guidance, appreciation for what we do have and personal growth we have experienced in our little home and I link it to our diligence to contribute 10% of our earnings to tithing.
I created this worksheet for a lesson called, “Why do we pay tithing” from the YW “Come follow me” manua. It helps outline the blessings, where the funds go and attitude we must have in paying tithing. Here is the download:
I LOVE this quote by Elder Bednar that I put at the end of the worksheet,”The honest payment of tithing is much more than a duty; it is an important step in the process of personal sanctification.”
For me, it really is more than the money, or simply because we are commanded, it is the character we are chiseling out as we live laws that help us become more like Heavenly Father. If we can be free of any attachment to the things of this world, even to MONEY, it has no dominion over us and we are FREE! WE have dominion over it! We are given the power and wisdom to manage it optimally and share it freely! As we do so we open the windows of Heavens even wider to receive more and more power to give more. It is a beautiful and replenishing thing.
This handout was specially created for the Come follow Me lesson titled, “Why is temple marriage important” but it can be used to fit any lesson for church or home regarding the importance and sacred nature of marriage. In this lesson I focused on the relationship aspect of temple marriage and how to help make that sacred bond between a lady and a gentleman, truly eternal.
I created this worksheet to help myself and others define that they truly seek in their current or future marriage. A fun option is to put the folded up note in an envelope to read with future spouse-to-be or as a reminder to help create the kind or marriage you really want.
Real. Delicious. Love. From our Heavenly Father.
My thoughts on sacred nature of Eternal Marriage:
In my religion we believe in being married in the holy temple of our Lord for time and all eternity. The ordinance performed is sacred and holy because of the promises made to God and to each other. However, I believe our marriage is sanctified and we become more holy, pure and endowed with more spiritual power, not because we went through that motion in the temple alone, but because we continually uphold and keep those promises made. (D&C 132:18)
Each day we choose to remain sealed to our eternal companion by the thoughts, intents and actions we personally take to keep that Holy Spirit of promise in our lives. Our very intents, actions and very lives are purified because of the presences of the Spirit and that gives us greater capacity to treat each other with genuine love and thereby sanctify and seal the marriage forever. (video about Holy Ghost helps purify us.)
We ensure our marriage will be eternal by continually choosing thoughts and actions that will sustain our marriage forever!
There is enormous power and wisdom found in commitment. When we understand what it means to be sealed, we become aware that we are indeed creating an eternal commitment and bond. Though it might be frightening for our pride and skiddish ‘natural man’, our spirits long for commitment and partnership because in that mutual trust, our love deepens and we become more willing to give ALL of ourselves and we can both experience even deeper joy and take greater leaps into our own eternal progression. Continue reading “How to create an Eternal Marriage. Worksheet and treat object lesson”
I’m really excited about this new site!! Here is where you can find all the faith building lessons, object lessons and handouts originally found on MotherhoodTrade.com in one place. The materials here, although created for my current calling in church (YW teacher) are designed to be used for any calling, any faith, to teach your family or for personal use.
Today’s topic, TESTIMONY!! Testimony is a personal witness of TRUTH given to us by the Holy Ghost. Is that awesome or what?? That means we can actually rise above our limited human preconceived notions, stubborn lifetime conditioning that has been programed in our brains and come to know pure undefiled TRUTH for ourselves. Things as they really are, as they have been and will be. It is a power given to us through the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of Truth. (Jacob 4:13)
We can know for ourselves things that are not otherwise tangible or easy for our mortal minds to understand. That is the gift God grants us, that through a power greater than us, we can actually allow our spirits to come to a knowledge of things of the Spirit: Things beyond the physical, tangible or evident. The coolest things is that we can really come to know things of the Spirit (as intangible as it may seem) and feel and KNOW things in a very clear way and REAL way. Our minds can come to understand things in an Eternal perspective and come to know our Creator better.
We can gain a testimony that there is a God, that He cares personally about you. You can come to better understand any principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How is this done? How can we better come to a better understanding of things of Heavenly Father and Eternity? Use this worksheet to find out!
When it comes to organizing an event, I think the most delightful difference between females and males is probably that a females feel compelled to theme, color coordinate and cutsie every aspect of the experience. A male on the other hand…well…lets just say I grew up with 3 brothers and I clearly remember invitations to activities were swiftly hand written notes that were photocopied. I was also quite shocked to walk in on one of their big camp planning meeting (with only 2 week prior to the camp, no less) to find out that they had NO THEME, crafts planned, OR decorations for their camp site!!! When I asked about it, I remember those males were in bigger shock that we actually brought things like that up to camp.
My question is–What is the point if it won’t be pretty or over the top creative??
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on making the invitation. It was an envelope containing a boarding pass. Click HERE if you want use this design with your event info
Anyway. With this year’s Mutual theme being, “O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.”, we all went nautical nutty and decided on a cruise ship theme. With a surge of genius, though not without the help of pintrest (my, have planning meetings changed. Each girl, phone in hand swiping upward to get some insPINation…) here is what the ladies came up with. Continue reading “Cruise themed YW New Beginnings-Free Printables”
It has been a huge blessing that I was called into the YW a little after I started this blog. Since I was planning, thinking and creating material for my lesson anyway, this blog became the perfect outlet to share what I was already doing. It also gave me the chance to share the dearest part of my heart and life-my testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ. Teaching YW provided topics and resources and became the perfect ground to talk about, share and fine tune for myself the beliefs I had.
Having said that, I hope these lessons, although initially intended to teach teenaged girls in a church group, can be read and applied to anyone’s life. Mothers, girls, women, boys and men. These are principles of a happy, fulfilling life.
With that said, the things I share are true feelings, beliefs and stories that I share with my YW but I share them to also hopefully help anyone else along too.
The lesson was I teaching on was Why do we have adversity? Which was timely for me.
The last couple weeks I’ve been pretty sick. I had a fever higher than I can ever remember having. It was 103-104 degrees for 4 days. I was weak and exhausted. I somehow still had to take care of my 3 sick kids on top of that. I knew complaining and getting frustrated at my situation would only make things worse so I did what I could to redirect my focus to what I COULD do and think (not to say I didn’t have my weak moments of utter defeat!). I thought of the YW lesson I was preparing to teach and thought, “Oh perfect. There is no better way to learn about why we have adversity than to go through this.” My thinking shifted to “What can I learn from this? and “How can this experience help me grow?”
That mental shift changed everything.
Here some of the things I learned.
Tribulations brings a softening and humbling of spirit and heart.
When I was so physically weak from illness, I was reminded of how I feel when I fast. The physical weakness and lack of energy can be turned to a precious moments of humility and direct one to a different power beyond physical strength-spiritual strength.
I have learned every experience, evening if unpleasant at the moment, can be used to create more room in ones soul to allow greater strength and experience deeper peace and joy later.
Feeling spiritually disconnected and alone
The most difficult moments for me are not the physically weak ones but the moments when I feel alone, left in the dark and disconnect from the source of peace and joy. The most trying challenge comes when I can hardly feel that spiritual strength and power within myself.
Being sick for that length of time combined with the demands of parenthood left me unbalanced in all sorts of ways. Despite my efforts, I wasn’t getting enough rest for what my body needed to recover. I didn’t leave for the gym in the mornings because I felt too sick. Which meant I didn’t get the exercise I usually get which helps keep me emotionally, mentally and physically afloat. This threw me for a mental/spiritual/emotional spin off. It left me feeling really down casted, unmotivated, depressed and easily discouraged by everything. It was that familiar dark place where it feel like something inside me has died. Life feels dismal and meaningless. Everything I was once excited about–my passions, my ideas, my insights– all seem to disappear. Thinking about things like that at the time of gloom seemed like foolish nonsense.
Having gone through this several times before (see “dealing with mommy blues“) I have learned that this is actually part of the test. It is the most difficult testing point for me. It is where I must make good choices when I feel no motivation for them. It is a slippery time when I feel my very faith and sentiment toward God seems dim and waning. It is where the darkness of doubt, fear and insecurities creep in again to confuse everything inside me.
I have learned that however seemingly illogical, I must still continue to seek the God I can no longer feel and the light that seems like is no longer there to guide me. I must make good choices for myself and respect others even when I don’t feel like it. It is the only way to get out the dark.
It is a moment where my FAITH becomes a principle of deliberate DECISION and ACTION instead of a genuine sentiment or feeling.
I thought of Joseph Smith and how he must have also felt abandoned when he cried out, “Oh God, where art thou?” in Carthrage Jail. I know my experience is not nearly as dramatic and devastating as that of the prophet but I believe that no matter our outer challenges it is the inner workings and battles of the soul in each of us that are the most challenging and ultimately where our character is built.
Heavenly Father answers Joseph’s plea with, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;” (D&C 121:7)
I thought, “This too shall pass and I will enjoy greater happiness once I am able to overcome this yucky time!”
What is happening TO you is happening FOR you.
I used to stay in the dumps for a long time before I was able to climb out. I used to panic and condemn myself for what I was experiencing and it would start a vicious cycle that made it difficult to climb out of. Now I know to not freakout. I am getting quicker and better because of what I have learned. Doom and gloom are lies from the adversary we must learn to not believe. It is not because God has abandoned us. He is ALWAYS there, even in and especially during the times we can’t feel Him. He lets us experience dark moments and soul shaking attacks from the adversary because He knows we grow tremendously every time we can conquer those times with His strength. It is pressing forward in faith and continuing to make positive choices even when we don’t feel like it. Overcoming the dark cavities within ourselves create greater room for the Spirit to dwell with in us. It is preparatory for us to enjoy greater joy and peace and connection to God later. He allows these sorts of things FOR OUR OWN GROWTH and GOODNESS. Trust.
“Almost three years ago a devastating fire gutted the interior of the beloved, historic tabernacle in Provo, Utah. Its loss was deemed a great tragedy by both the community and Church members. Many wondered, “Why did the Lord let this happen? Surely He could have prevented the fire or stopped its destruction.”
Ten months later, during the October 2011 general conference, there was an audible gasp when President Thomas S. Monson announced that the nearly destroyed tabernacle was to become a holy temple—a house of the Lord! Suddenly we could see what the Lord had always known! He didn’t cause the fire, but He allowed the fire to strip away the interior. He saw the tabernacle as a magnificent temple—a permanent home for making sacred, eternal covenants.4
Rendering of upcoming Provo temple (end of 2015-beg of 2016). (Source)
My dear sisters, the Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones—and maybe our own—figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But He does not leave us in the ashes; He stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to Him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where His Spirit can dwell eternally.
Painting saved from the fire. Christ never leaves us alone. He is alway there with His arms extended towards us. (Source)
If you would like to use this analogy to teach your family, or church group, here is the download of the pictures in a PDF. It can be printed on paper (or cardstock) to display as you tell the story.
I think it is important to write down our thoughts and impressions we receive in moment of clarity and wisdom. Quotes and scriptures that touch us and help us through are essential to write down so we have positive references when life isn’t looking or feeling good. It’s all about REMEMBERING. I created this handout for anyone to use to help them remember the good stuff that will pull us through!
For my lesson I showed the video, “Mountains to climb” and had girls fill out above handout as they heard things that impressed them. Through out lesson they wrotte down thoughts that could help them.
I’m preparing a young lesson called, “How can I develop Christlike love?“, As I pondered about how His love in my life works, here is a handout idea that I was inspired with.
A fun object lesson and treat to go along with it is to include a wrapped chocolate or candy. Explain that any negative feeling can block us from feeling God’s love, just like like the wrapper is blocking us from tasting the chocolate.
To overcome our negative feelings, we must be willing to forgive others and ourselves. Once we are willing to change our thoughts and attitudes to overcome our negative feelings, through the help of the Spirit, we can once again come to taste the sweetness of God’s love within us.
I’m preparing a YW lesson for this month’s theme of Priesthood and priesthood keys. So I’ve been mulling over in my brain and heart how I feel about the priesthood (the power of God given to man on earth, read more about it here.). I’ve also been thinking about the great blessing it is in my life and for everyone that participates in the ordinances involved.
I know it can become a sensitive subject to some since there are those that feel like they never had the priesthood in their homes. There are others that feel it an injustice since “women don’t hold the priesthood.” The reality, however, is that ALL MEMBERS of THE CHURCH– guys, girls, kids, old and young– get to receive and participate in priesthood blessings (Read this ).
As Elder Oaks said, “While we sometimes refer to priesthood holders as ‘the priesthood,’ we must never forget that the priesthood is not owned by or embodied in those who hold it. It is held in a sacred trust to be used for the benefit of men, women, and children alike.”
Here is an analogy depicting our individual role, responsibility and blessings within the priesthood.
What is more important in helping a car run and move forward? The steering wheel or the wheels?
I like to think of the priesthood (the power of God given to man on earth) as a complete car and the members as different vital components that help the whole car function. All members can ride, benefit, receive and contribute to the priesthood, but each person has different responsibilities to build and operate it smoothly. We all are vital components needed to make it run; the whole couldn’t operate without the individual parts.
Just because one person is called to be the ‘steering wheel’ doesn’t make him better or worse or more important than those who serve as the ‘wheels’. A steering wheel is useless to the whole function of the car without the rest of the parts. Comparing and arguing who has what part or what responsibility and feeling resentful of the difference instead of focusing on the performance of the whole results in an unsatisfying, dysfunctional and divided effort. Focusing on doing our part, keeping our end of the covenant, trusting and allowing the car and work of the Lord to move forward brings satisfaction, blessings and progress to the whole and individuals involved.
That is what helps brings the power of God (or priesthood) into our personal lives. Sister Sherry Dew said, “The power of the priesthood heals, protects, and inoculates all of the righteous against the powers of darkness.” Think of the ‘priesthood car’ as a vehicle on the way to eternal life protected against the thick and luring powers of Satan all around.
That is awesome power to have, if you ask me. AND we can ALL have that personal power of the priesthood in our lives as we make and stay true to our sacred covenants! Yay!
Sister Dew continues, “Most significantly, the fullness of the priesthood contained in the highest ordinances of the house of the Lord can be received only by a man and woman together.” It is a power that is then increased as men and women come together and complete each other in the priesthood. One part cannot fully function without the other. There is humility required in understanding that we depend on one another and to achieve unity.
This analogy can be perpetuated to a large scale to encompass the entire ‘vehicle’ of The Church of Jesus Christ as we trust the ordained leaders in our church. This includes callings in our local wards and family units. We must trust that our part is moving the Lord’s work forward, whatever that may be. We are all full partakers of the blessings of the priesthood as we make promises with God and receive awesome blessings and power like the Holy Ghost to lead us. It opens up our eyes to how precious we are in producing a lot of good in this church, in our own personal lives, and in this world to glorify God.
I trust that Heavenly Father is the master ‘car engineer.’ He is not only the engineer but the DRIVER Himself. Man is not the one ‘driving the priesthood,’ He is only operating through God.
Heavenly Father knows our divine capacities and where we will serve best. He also understands we need to learn to rely on each other and Him. I’m so happy He lends to all His children His power of the priesthood to direct and protect us in this life so we can return back to Him. Its a beautiful thing.
Scripture to tie into car analogy: D&C: 84:109-110
109 Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling; and let not the head say unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without the feet how shall the body be able to stand?
110 Also the body hath need of every member, that all may beedified together, that the system may be kept perfect.
Love this quote because we are really all in this together:
Here is the file to download to use as a handout (4 on a pg)
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For more lds object lessons click on image above:.
I’m so excited to share these birthday cards, free for you to print and share with those you love. I created them for my Church Young Women’s Group (more YW stuff here) to wish them them birthday wishes. They sport the Young Women value colors and the 2014 Mutual theme on back, woot!
[Download not found]
If you want to use them for more general purposes, here is the same colors without the theme on the back. ENJOY.
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To print with rich colors, I like to use matte photo paper that is compatible with my printer.
I’m prepare a Young Women’s Lesson for my church titled, “Why do the Choice I make matter?” I LOVE this topic, the very real power of CHOICE and how it literally governs the outcomes of our lives! Here are some of my thoughts:
Tell me, what ultimately determines our destiny in this life?
-What you look like
-Your personality traits
-The circumstances you were born into
– Your genetic predispositions
-Your IQ
-The social influences that surround you.
-Fortunes or mishaps that occur in your life
-The way you were raised
Those are all huge factors in life, right? So which one is it? What will best tell what our lives will look like? Is it nature or nurture? The great debate! Is it all the weakness and strengths we are born with or the weakness and strengths of our surroundings that will decide the happiness of our life??
Ready for my epiphany moment?
See, even though those factors can have a big influence in the life of person, the ultimate determining factor is actually one’s choices.Ultimately, what we choose to do with what we’ve been given is what determines everything.
That is one BIG FAT POWERFUL TRUTH.
That means that no matter who you are, where you were born, what you look like, how you were raised, how ‘smart’ you are, what choices others make, what happens to you in life, YOU ALWAYS continue to have CHOICE, AGENCY, one of the greatest powers available to you. To choose God, to choose love, to choose the Spirit, to choose peace, to choose JOY, to choose to contribute to humanity! Everytime. With the guiding power of Christ, his enabling Atonement and the Holy Ghost that communicate this to us (or spirit of Christ that is given to every man) WE ARE ALL given the tools to make powerful choices in our lives to bring us great happiness! It is what sets us FREE from all the factors we cannot control in our lives from controlling what and who we become! To ‘act for ourselves and not be acted upon.’
Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
Mean trick of the adversary.
One greatest games that Satan pulls on us ALL the TIME (and enforced by our ‘natural man’) is to make us believe that we simply DON’T have choice! He tries to blinds us to the choices we have and responsibility we have towards our own progression and happiness. He wants us to believe we are victims and forever captive to our situation. As long as we believe it, we will be held captive! That mentality stunts the progress we can make. It comes in beliefs that it is somebody else’s fault that we can’t do something, or that our behavior is excused by this person or situation. Or that our circumstances make it so we can’t be happy, successful or at peace. That people MAKE us angry, MAKE us depressed, MAKE us do things we aren’t proud of. Even though it is our very human nature to believe this when things don’t go smoothly, we are given a greater power through the Atonement of Christ and His Spirit to eventually overcome default reactions and impulses. It gives the strength that help us reclaim our right to peace and happiness, even in difficult situations.
What it will takes from us.
It mostly likely will require us to have humility, to forgive, to repentance and engage in a gradual process of letting go (again and again and again) but it is available to us! It empowers us to rise above our circumstances and our fallen selves! Yay!
Commitment of choice.
There are solid choices that can be made beforehand that can help keep us undeviated on our journey. Choices that take us to where we want to be and become. If we have written these commitments on paper and in our hearts, when confusion sets in, when we feel lost and weary, when temptation is roaring, when everyone else around us sucumbs to what you know isn’t right, you still know what is right and can continue to choose it. And you will remain unscathed, clean and strong. That is the power of choice.
Sister Elaine S. Dalton ‘choice’ advice:
“When I was a young woman, I learned that some decisions need to be made only once. I wrote my list of things I would always do and things I would never do in a small tablet. It included things like obeying the Word of Wisdom, praying daily, paying my tithing, and committing to never miss church. I made those decisions once, and then in the moment of decision, I knew exactly what to do because I had decided beforehand. When my high school friends said, “Just one drink won’t hurt,” I laughed and said, “I decided when I was 12 not to do that.” Making decisions in advance will help you be guardians of virtue. I hope each of you will write a list of things you will always do and things you will never do. Then live your list.” ~From her talk “Guardians of Virtue”
that is compatible with my printer.
