New and Improved!

You may have noticed that there are some changes being made to the blog. MORE changes are definitely on their way, and not all cosmetic!  I love the inspiration I get during each General Conference session, and one of the many ways I was inspired last weekend was on a few things to do differently here on the ol' FHE blog.  So I'll be trying out my "new and improved" ideas soon!  Some things to look forward to:

• Tabbed links to my most regularly used FHE resources!
• Faith in God, Personal Progress, and even Scouting requirements that fit along with each lesson (where appropriate).
• Ideas for families of all shapes and sizes, not just those with small children!  (It's funny, we don't even have kids ourselves, and yet I find myself prepping lessons for small children more often than anything else.)
• No more "dates" on the FHE lessons--I'm going to start including not only weekly FHE lessons based on Conference talks, but "My Gospel Standards"/"For the Strength of Youth" and the Proclamation to the World on the Family as I see fit, and just lump it all together under the topic.

Get excited!  I know I am!

Memorizing the 10 Commandments

The 10 Commandments are a fairly universal concept across religions, but I have always struggled to remember them.  I never learned any mnemonics to help me remember the order of the 10 commandments before, either, which is just sad, really.  But Paul taught me the ones his mission companion taught him. A few of them I didn’t like (they were a little hard for me to remember), so I did some internet research and together we came up with our own mixture to help us remember. and we spent an FHE compiling our own list and taking pictures (please excuse the gross, graying, tired-after-a-long-day-of-work me in them and focus on the hands instead :).    So, for your FHE/lesson-planning enjoyment, I give you, the 10 Commandments a la Fernandez.  :)

1. Hold up index finger, pointing toward heaven.  We should only have ONE God.

2. Hold up both index fingers and put them on either side of your head, kinda like a devil or the horns of a bull.  This could represent some of the “graven images” people worship that we should NOT make.

3. Hold up your first three fingers to make a “W”.  W stands for “Watch your Words.”  We must take care not to offend God by taking his name in vain (or, by extension, using other offensive language).

4. Remember that old finger play rhyme, “Here is the church, here is the steeple, open up the doors and see all the people?”  Your thumbs and index fingers make 4 fingers total.  We can remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy by going to Church.

5. This one I made up, knowing a little American Sign Language.  If you make the sign for Father and Mother, you actually use all 5 fingers of your dominant hand to do them.

6. Don’t kill—open up one hand and aim a “gun” (forefinger of the other hand) at it…6 fingers, don’t kill.

7. Hold out a flat, open hand, palm up.  Stand two fingers (like a little running man) on top of it.  The open hand represents a Church, and the two fingers represent a bride and groom making covenants and promises of fidelity and virtue.  We should not break those promises by committing adultery.

 (And a fun alternative to number 7, again using some ASL...the number seven is actually touching your thumb to your ring finger...a symbol of marriage/commitment.  Love that one, too.)

8. One of my favorites—hold up four fingers on each hand (no thumbs) and put them across your face like jail cell bars.  Don’t steal or you’ll go to jail!  J

9. This one is hard to explain…look at the picture for clarification…but the cunning and sneaky “I’ve got you now” fingers (minus a thumb that is hiding inside) could represent the bad intentions of someone who is bearing false witness.  I also read online that the thumb could be the one bad person in the group of ten who decided not to tell the truth, who is being sneaky and hiding from the rest.

10. Make grabby hands.  Thou shalt not covet.   If you do it palms up and grab towards you a little, you actually do the ASL sign for want.  ;)

There you have it!  An easy way for anyone, but especially your little movers, to remember the 10 commandments!  :)

FHE 7/9: The Race of Life

This week's FHE lesson is inspired by President Thomas S. Monson's talk, "The Race of Life."

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

QUOTES:

• "In our times of deepest reflection or greatest need, the soul of man reaches heavenward, seeking a divine response to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where do we go after we leave this life? Answers to these questions are not discovered within the covers of academia’s textbooks or by checking the Internet. These questions transcend mortality. They embrace eternity."
• "The Apostle Paul likened life to a race. To the Hebrews he urged, “Let us lay aside … the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”⁹
  In our zeal, let us not overlook the sage counsel from Ecclesiastes: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.”¹⁰ Actually, the prize belongs to him or her who endures to the end."
• "The toy boats of childhood had no keel for stability, no rudder to provide direction, and no source of power. Inevitably, their destination was downstream—the path of least resistance.
  Unlike toy boats, we have been provided divine attributes to guide our journey. We enter mortality not to float with the moving currents of life but with the power to think, to reason, and to achieve.
  Our Heavenly Father did not launch us on our eternal voyage without providing the means whereby we could receive from Him guidance to ensure our safe return. I speak of prayer. I speak too of the whisperings from that still, small voice; and I do not overlook the holy scriptures, which contain the word of the Lord and the words of the prophets—provided to us to help us successfully cross the finish line."

SONGS:

• I Will Follow God's Plan
• Listen to the Still Small Voice
• Dare to Do Right
• As a Child of God

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Really, President Monson's already got the object lesson embedded in his talk, likening life to a race.  So I'm going to skip this part this week, since almost all the activities below involve race-themed ideas.  :)

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• Organize family races at a local park or gym or field.  After a few relays, discuss the meaning of truly "enduring to the end." 
• Make paper boats and float them in a race just like in President Monson's story!  (Could be in a bathtub, down a gutter, or in a stream/river.)  Talk about his quote that "the toy boats of childhood had no keel for stability, no rudder to provide direction, and no source of power. Inevitably, their destination was downstream—the path of least resistance. Unlike toy boats, we have been provided divine attributes to guide our journey. We enter mortality not to float with the moving currents of life but with the power to think, to reason, and to achieve."  Discuss with your family what some of those divine attributes are that help us "win the race."
• (Older children) Print off a copy of the talk for each family member.  Have "the big three" questions printed on separate pieces of paper: Where do we come from?  Why are we here?  Where are we going?  Assign each family member one of the questions (could be several to a group if necessary) and have them: (1) find the answer to that question as found in President Monson's talk,  (2) find a scripture that supports it, and (3) tell of an experience they've had with that question.  Have each group share.

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES

• Have family members color their own Plan of Salvation clipart FOUND HERE.  This Plan is really what answers all those big questions. After they color, you can cut them out and use them to talk about that race of life and where our real destination/goal is.
• I've made bookmarks again for you!   These are 4x6 prints, as usual.  You can download the JPEG HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• Create paper boats for the race activity above.  Directions HERE.
• Create a family collage or coloring pages for each other of all the things that help us win the race of life!

TREATS:

• Race-themed treats, such as this food bicycle or this winner's trophy JELLO dessert, are always a hit.  You can do any sort of finger food with these cute race flag toothpicks in them, or just some "recharging" trail mix and water.

FHE 7/2: The Doctrine of Christ

You may have noticed I skipped over the Priesthood Session and the talk by Sister Beck about Relief Society.  We will get to the priesthood session in a bit--I thought it would be a good review in preparation for the next Conference sessions.  Honestly, while the Relief Society talk is a POWERFUL overview of the purposes of Relief Society that I think every adult member (or teenaged, for that matter, especially girls) ought to read and ponder, it isn't really applicably or easily made into an FHE lesson--especially for families with young kids.  So I will leave it up to you. 

SO.  This week's lesson is based on Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk, "The Doctrine of Christ." There are several components of this talk--the way the Lord reveals his will to the Prophet, the counsel of Apostles and other Church leaders in seeking spiritual guidance, etc.  But the heart of it is the affirmation that we believe in Jesus Christ, and that this belief is central to all others, and that coming unto Him is the ONLY way to be saved.  What simpler, better truth to remind our families of?

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

• What do you believe about Christ--really? 
• In what ways does your family already come to know Christ and be reminded of Him?  In what ways could you improve?

QUOTES:

• The Savior taught His doctrine in the meridian of time, and His Apostles struggled mightily to preserve it against a barrage of false tradition and philosophy. New Testament Epistles cite numerous incidents demonstrating that serious and widespread apostasy was already under way during the Apostles’ ministry.¹
  The centuries that followed were illuminated by occasional rays of gospel light until, in the 19th century, a brilliant dawn of Restoration broke upon the world, and the gospel of Christ, full and complete, was once again upon the earth. This glorious day began when, in “a pillar of light … above the brightness of the sun” (Joseph Smith—History 1:16), God the Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, visited young Joseph Smith and initiated what would become a virtual flood of revelation linked with divine power and authority.
  In these revelations we find what might be termed the core doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ reestablished upon the earth. Jesus Himself defined that doctrine in these words recorded in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ:
  “This is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.
  “And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.
  “And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.
  “… And whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost. …
  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them” (3 Nephi 11:32–35, 39).
  This is our message, the rock upon which we build, the foundation of everything else in the Church. Like all that comes from God, this doctrine is pure, it is clear, it is easy to understand—even for a child. With glad hearts, we invite all to receive it.
• The Prophet Joseph Smith confirmed the Savior’s central role in our doctrine in one definitive sentence: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”⁷ Joseph Smith’s testimony of Jesus is that He lives, “for [he] saw him, even on the right hand of God; and [he] heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father” (D&C 76:23; see also verse 22). I appeal to all who hear or read this message to seek through prayer and study of the scriptures that same witness of the divine character, the Atonement, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Accept His doctrine by repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then throughout your life following the laws and covenants of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

SONGS:

• He Sent His Son
• Beautiful Savior
• This is My Beloved Son
• To Think About Jesus
• The 1st Article of Faith
• I Feel My Savior's Love
• Tell Me the Stories of Jesus

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Compare Christ to the North Star (older children)
• Repentance & Baptism: Removing the Tarnish from our Lives. Grab a pile of pennies, some that are shiny and some that are tarnished.  Have the children separate the pile into two groups.  Ask: What is the difference between the two kinds of pennies? Is it possible to make the tarnished pennies shine like the new pennies? Put the tarnished pennies in a container with vinegar and stir or shake for several minutes. In the meantime, talk about baptism or repentance. Take the pennies & rub with the cloth until they are clean & shiny. (Anonymous, via mormonshare.com)
• Taking Advantage of the Atonement (by Jenny Smith via mormonshare.com)Ask a class member to make a paper airplane, or make one yourself. Tape a coin, rock, or weight to one side of the airplane. Stand on the same side of the room as the class members, and ask a class member to throw the airplane gently toward the other side of the room. Next, pick up the airplane and remove the taped object. Have the class member throw the airplane again. After the class member has done so a few times, put the airplane away, and ask the following question: How can just one small weight keep the plane from flying correctly? (This object lesson can also be likened to repentance. One small sin can keep us from "flying" back to our Father. We need Christ's atoning sacrifice to make us clean.)

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• If you have a Gospel Art Kit or Book handy, copy or print a few pictures of Christ's life--the Nativity, teaching in the temple at 12 years old, some of His teachings and ministry and miracles, the Garden of Gethsemane, the crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the 2nd coming.  Have family members put them in order and then talk about Christ's life.  If you don't have one handy or are lazy or want smaller copies for quiet books and the like, I've got a copy for you of 12 "cards" you can print off and use HERE.  :)  It's a JPEG sized to 8 1/2" x 11".  The order of the miracles and such don't matter as much, but otherwise you can turn this into a timeline game if you print them on nice cardstock or something. 

• Help family members memorize the 1st, 3rd, and/or 4th Article of Faith.  For tips on helping children memorize scripture, check out my post HERE. 
• Some ideas on teaching children from The Living Christ from "The Family Home Evening Spot": Read selected sections from "The Living Christ" and discuss with family members.  Give each child a copy and on the back have them write their testimonies (younger children can draw pictures).  Show a short video of the Prophet or Apostles speaking about Christ.

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

• There are a few coloring pages about Christ's birth HERE .  There's an 8-page mini coloring book about the last days of Christ's life HERE.  Coloring flannel board story of Christ's resurrection can be found HERE.  A coloring page of Christ with a Nephite-looking girl can be found HERE, while a boy putting up a poster of Christ can be found HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• Create "The Living Christ" collages!
• Have children cut up pictures from old Friends and Ensigns about Christ and make a collage/poster for their bedrooms.

TREATS:

• Any treats will do this week, but I like the idea of Easter rolls or something like it.  :)

Helping Children Memorize Scripture

As a teacher by trade, I know that memorization is NOT the most important thing in teaching or learning.  I'm also really bad at it myself, so I try not to put much emphasis on it in school or at church.  But there are times--like learning the 13 Articles of Faith or scripture mastery--where memorization not only is required but it can really come in handy.  Having a favorite verse committed to memory is truly knowing it "by heart," and we can call on these things in times when we need comfort or words beyond our own as we teach others.

So how do we help our children memorize scripture?  While there are a TON of great ideas out there, these are some of the principles that have helped ME learn and teach scripture "by heart."

RULE #1:  Make sure children understand the doctrine/ideas BEHIND the scripture first. 

I cannot stress this enough!  Before you set out to commit anything to memory, you have to understand what it means.  Especially if there are big words in it that maybe children don't understand.  Spend time teaching the principles and vocabulary FIRST, and the memorization will come more easily afterwards.

RULE #2: Make it FUN!

There are a PLETHORA of ideas out on "the interwebs" about games to help kids learn.  Some that are tried-and-true for me are:
(1) Setting it to music.  Many children learn best through music and rhythm.  The Articles of Faith, the Books in each of the scriptures, the order of modern prophets--these all have songs in the Children's Songbook for a reason!  USE THEM!  If you are trying to set a scripture to music that doesn't already exist, enlist the children's help!
(2) Have visuals handy.  Whether it's pictures to match or words/first letters to each word, start with lots of visuals that you can slowly take away as you recite.  Repetition is a lot less dull when you have visuals to help you.  Let the kids help make them for an extra activity!
(3) Play games!  There are some great Articles of Faith mazes/word searches/etc. all linked up at Sugardoodle HERE.  One of my primary kids' favorite games to play when I was teaching the Articles of Faith was Pass the Spoon--just grab a wooden spoon from your kitchen and hand it to the first child, who says the first word in whatever scripture you are memorizing.  They pass it to the second person, who says the second word, and so on.  If kids get stuck on a word, they can ask their neighbors, but if they can't figure it out, they are OUT of that round!  Another idea is to have the words/pictures to the scripture all scrambled up and have the kids put them in order.  Or have the more kinesthetic learners play pictionary with the key words, march around as you recite, or pop up like popcorn when certain words are repeated.  There are as many different games to play as there are people who are learning!

RULE #3: Practice makes perfect.

If your kids are only reciting these things at FHE or in primary/seminary, they will NOT learn all the scriptures they need to in time...and if they do, they certainly won't STICK with them for long. One of my fondest memories is my brother and sisters and I challenging each other throughout the week--in the car, on the schoolbus, at the store, wherever--to recite scriptures and songs and other things we had memorized.  Because of that constant repetition, we can still sing a handful of songs from elementary school almost 2 decades later, and recite all 50 states, and the 9 planets, and the 7 dwarfs, and even important things like all 13 articles of faith.  :)  So make time for practicing these things constantly, and post the words in places where they will be viewed frequently--whether it's making a pocket-sized verse to carry around or writing them on the bathroom mirror!

RULE #4: Don't be afraid of incentives!

I know a lot of people think of incentives as "bribes," but the truth is that most people wouldn't do anything they do without a little push or reward at the end of the day.  Especially for our children who aren't intrinsically motivated to memorize or learn, incentives can be your very best friend.  Have them work toward a party, a special treat or gift, date night with Mom or Dad, bragging rights, ANYTHING that motivates them.  When we were children and the world wasn't so political about its food, we had a big 13 Articles of Faith Ice Cream Party in my primary.  We earned a scoop of ice cream for each AoF we memorized.  I still remember that party 18 years later!  But obviously that isn't the most healthy option.  You don't have to use food--we have Article of Faith "Keys" (found on Sugardoodle) that our primary kids are earning as they pass off each one, and let me tell you that earning a full set of those paper keys is JUST as motivating!  The key is to find out (even if it means you have to ask them point-blank) what will motivate your children to TRY.

What are some of your favorite ways to learn new scripture?  Or what have you seen done in primary/nursery to help children memorize?  I'm always looking for new ideas.  :)

Apologies

Sorry, things have been REALLY busy and just out-of-routine lately and I haven't had much time to work on extra projects like my FHE blog.  But I will!  Starting today.  So stay tuned!  And thank you for your patience! Happy Friday the 13th!  :P

P.S. I will probably "backlog" some of the other posts I'd intended to post, since this is more of an archives or filebox for FHE ideas anyway so it doesn't really matter.  To the one or two people who actually read this, bear with me.  :)

FHE 6/25: Special Lessons

This talk, "Special Lessons" by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, centers on life lessons learned by caring for a child with special needs.  It really hit home for me with Caida's struggles with epilepsy the last 5 1/2 years.  When you have something like that strike in your life, you really do learn many small but powerful life lessons.  I had a hard time deciding exactly how to approach this talk this week (which is why you're getting it late); the first part of Elder Rasband's talk focuses a lot on having faith through adversity, while the second half of the talk really struck me as a call to action of sorts--to be superheroes in serving others!  Seriously, the word "superheroes" just kept running through my mind as I read.  :)  Anyway, I'd thought about going both ways, but really I wanted to focus on this idea of compassionate service for those in need, knowing the worth of souls is indeed great in the sight of God.  We sometimes think our families will just learn how to treat other children with special needs (or any different circumstances), but explicitly talking about these things--and ultimately about how much Heavenly Father loves us ALL--is absolutely necessary if we want to ensure our children and families are compassionate and accepting of all.

 

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

 

• What lessons have I learned from my biggest trials?
• We know the worth of souls is great in the sight of God--what does that mean?  What is the worth of souls to us?
• What experiences have my children/family members had with special needs?

 

QUOTES:

 

• “A perfect body is not required to achieve a divine destiny. In fact, some of the sweetest spirits are housed in frail frames. …“Eventually the time will come when each ‘spirit and … body shall be reunited again in … perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame’ (Alma 11:43). Then, thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become perfected in Him.”¹
• "Some might ask when faced with such suffering, how could Almighty God let this happen? And then that seemingly inevitable question, why did this happen to me? Why must we experience disease and events that disable or call precious family members home early or extend their years in pain? Why the heartaches? At these moments we can turn to the great plan of happiness authored by our Heavenly Father. That plan, when presented in the pre-earth life, prompted us all to shout for joy. Put simply, this life is training for eternal exaltation, and that process means tests and trials. It has always been so, and no one is spared. Trusting in God’s will is central to our mortality. With faith in Him, we draw upon the power of Christ’s Atonement at those times when questions abound and answers are few."
• "President James E. Faust, my boyhood stake president, said: “I have a great appreciation for those loving parents who stoically bear and overcome their anguish and heartbreak for a child who was born with or who has developed a serious mental or physical infirmity. This anguish often continues every day, without relief, during the lifetime of the parent or the child. Not infrequently, parents are required to give superhuman nurturing care that never ceases, day or night. Many a mother’s arms and heart have ached years on end, giving comfort and relieving the suffering of her special child.”"
• "Paxton’s family has learned they are surrounded by countless heavenly and earthly ministering angels. Some have quietly slipped in when needed and silently slipped out. Others have been at the door with food, doing the laundry, picking up the siblings, calling with encouragement, and especially praying for Paxton. Thus another special lesson learned: If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if they need help—or would it be better to just jump in and save them from the deepening waters? The offer, while well meaning and often given, “Let me know if I can help” is really no help at all."
• "One night early in Paxton’s life, we were in the neonatal intensive care unit of the wonderful Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, marveling at the dedicated, undivided attention given by the doctors, nurses, and caregivers. I asked my daughter how we would ever pay for this and ventured a guess at what the cost would be. A doctor standing nearby suggested that I was “way low” and that little Paxton’s care would cost substantially more than I had estimated. We learned that much of the expense for care given in this hospital is covered by the generous gifts of time and monetary contributions of others. His words humbled me as I thought of the worth of this tiny little soul to those who were so carefully watching over him. I was reminded of a familiar missionary scripture that took on new meaning: “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”
  I wept as I pondered the limitless love our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, have for each one of us, while learning in a powerful way what the worth of a soul is, both physically and spiritually, to God."

 

SONGS:

 

• "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus"
• "I Am a Child of God"
• "I'll Walk With You"
• "Every Star is Different"
• "We Are Different"

 

OBJECT LESSONS:

 

• Don't Judge a Kiwi by its Cover by Jenny Smith: "Pass around the kiwi fruit. Make the point that the kiwi has a rough, unpleasant, hairy, tasteless exterior. Ask the students the following questions:1) What makes the kiwi fruit seem unappealing? (It's exterior.)
  2) What are some outward features by which we judge others?
  3) Who might be "kiwi people" around us?
  When the fruit has been examined by everyone, peel off the skin, and slice up the inside to share. Make the following points:
  1) Under it's unappealing exterior, the kiwi is an exciting, delicious fruit.
  2) The kiwi is one of God's creations. Do you think God loved it less than a shiny apple or perfect strawberry? Why not?
  3) You may feel you have a kiwi-like exterior. How does God feel about you? Read 1 Samuel 16:7.
  3) People around us might be like this kiwi -- unappealing on the outside. How must we treat "kiwi people" around us? (By looking at them as God does -- focusing the good that's on the inside. Read 1 Samuel 16:1-7)"
  
   

 

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

 

• There are a variety of activities you can do, but keep this great advice (from the experts) in mind:

Basic ideas to share with your child

1. No two people are the same -- some differences are just more noticeable.
2. A disability is only one characteristic of a person. People have many facets: likes and dislikes, strengths and challenges.
3. Children with disabilities are like all children in that they want friends, respect and to be included.
4. Children can be born disabled or become disabled from an accident or illness. You can't "catch" a disability from someone else.
5. Just because someone has a physical disability (when a part or parts of the body do not work well) does not mean they necessarily have a cognitive (or thinking) disability.
6. Children with disabilities can do many of the things your child does, but it might take them longer. They may need assistance or adaptive equipment to help them.
7. Try to use clear, respectful language when talking about someone with disabilities. For a younger child, keep explanations simple, such as, "She uses a wheelchair because a part of her body does not work as well as it could."

• One way to help children develop empathy is to do (tactfully) disability awareness activities--have them sculpt play-doh or get through a simple obstacle course, or even performing simple tasks like tying shoes or finding their way to the bedroom, but they have to adapt it because they are blindfolded/can only use one hand/foot, etc.  Discuss how they initially felt about having to do it with a "disability," but then focus more on the fact that they used their creativity to find a different way to do it, and it still got done--beautifully! Focus on the beautiful and positive things that come from various disabilities--like sign language and braille, and the special lessons mentioned in the talk.
• There's a story from the Friend (Tin Pot, 1998) about a girl who helps a boy with disabilities...and she learns that it's the flower that matters, not the pot you put it in.  (An object lesson, too!)  You could also (especially for younger children) find some books from the library about children with special needs and read and discuss them.
• For older children/youth: Allow family members a few minutes to find a scripture of either someone with disabilities coming unto Christ or of a prophet expressing concern over his weaknesses (there are quite a few to choose from!).  You could show pictures from the Gospel Art Kit.  Discuss how the Lord takes care of our needs one-by-one, and no one is exempt from His love and compassion.  If we truly want to take upon us the name of Christ, we must deal with people one-by-one in love and compassion as well.
• Also for older children/youth: Have a Q&A/panel discussion, or invite a family member with a disability to speak (if they're comfortable).  Children have so many great questions, both about the day-to-day stuff and how it all relates to the gospel, and allowing them to ask any questions and to hear about it all straight from the source can really make a big difference.  For example, my niece talks to her class sometimes about what is going on, how it makes her feel, etc., and once the kids can talk about it, they are MUCH more accepting of her differences. 
• From the sunbeam manual: "Using familiar examples from your ward or area, discuss how to show kindness and love to those who have disabilities. Help the children think of specific ways they might help a person with a disability. How can we show love (or play, etc.) to someone who cannot see? How can we show love to someone who cannot hear? How can we show love to someone who uses a wheelchair or crutches?"  (Really, giving specifics and openly talking about these things takes away a lot of the "mystery" of it all.)
• For younger children: have popsicle stick puppets or pictures of two children--one with a disability, one without--for each child.  Start by asking questions that get at their differences, such as "this child can use their eyes," etc., and have them hold up which child they think you're talking about...but end by moving into several questions that get at their similarities.  Point out that we all want friends, want to learn and grow and be healthy, have likes/dislikes, things we're good at and things we're not, etc.  Emphasize through this activity that people are more alike than different, no matter where they come from or what challenges they face. 

 

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

 

• The last picture in the "Service" category on THIS PAGE is a good coloring page.  :)
• There are some neat quotes to add to your files on disabilities from Church leaders HERE.
• There is a very practical coloring book free to download HERE that teaches kids disability etiquette--concrete ways to be kind.  Along with that, there are some great activity ideas, discussion items, and book recommendations from the same people HERE--you have LOTS of secular resources for this!  :)
   

 

CRAFTS & MORE:

 

• Make family superhero tee-shirts or capes! Discuss the principles of ACTION and SERVICE in this talk, and use the superhero costumes as a reminder to act. 

 

TREATS:

 

• Chocolate coins (worth of souls)
   

FHE 6/18: Gratitude

Gratitude is always a great topic to study.  :)  This week's FHE lessons ideas stem from Elder Russell M. Nelson's talk, "Thanks Be to God."  Gratitude, faith, and happiness are all SO interconnected in our lives--where you increase one, you increase the others.  Helping our families learn to be grateful and to express that gratitude--especially to our Heavenly Father--is SO key to not only this life but the life to come. I love Elder Nelson's talk because it gives us a LOT of specifics that we can be forever grateful about, even on our bad days.  It's worth the read just to stop and wonder at all the blessings we really do have!

POINTS TO PONDER:

• How good am I at being grateful when things go WRONG?
• What can I do to improve this in my own life, and in my family?

QUOTES:

• "Recently, Sister Nelson and I enjoyed the beauty of tropical fish in a small private aquarium. Fish with vivid colors and of a variety of shapes and sizes darted back and forth. I asked the attendant nearby, “Who provides food for these beautiful fish?”  She responded, “I do.”  Then I asked, “Have they ever thanked you?”  She replied, “Not yet!”  I thought of some people I know who are just as oblivious to their Creator and their true “bread of life.” They live from day to day without an awareness of God and His goodness unto them.  How much better it would be if all could be more aware of God’s providence and love and express that gratitude to Him."
• "Anyone who studies the workings of the human body has surely "seen God moving in his majesty and power"...Yet some people erroneously think that these marvelous physical attributes happened by chance or resulted from a big bang somewhere.  Ask yourself, "Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary?"  The likelihood is most remote.  But if so, it could never heal its own torn pages or reproduce its own newer editions!"
• "The attributes by which we shall be judged one day are all spiritual.  These include love, virtue, integrity, compassion, and service to others.  Your spirit, coupled with and housed in your body, is able to develop and manifest these attributes in ways that are vital to your eternal progression...God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, but we are not.  Each day, ours is the challenge to access the power of the Atonement so that we can truly change, become more Christlike, and qualify for the gift of exaltation and live eternally with God, Jesus Christ, and our families.  For these powers, privileges, and gospel gifts, thanks be to God!"

SONGS:

• "Children All Over the World"
• "For Health and Strength"
• "My Heavenly Father Loves Me"
• "Can a Little Child Like Me?"
• "I Thank Thee, Dear Father"

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Tell the children, "Look around the room and find all the things you can that are purple." After they had a few minutes to do so, she had them close their eyes. Then she said, "Okay, now tell me all the things you saw that were yellow."And they couldn't do it. That's because they had focused so intently on the purple that they didn't even notice the yellow things."  You can see the application to contentment and gratitude. When we focus on what we don't have, pretty soon that's all we can see, so we become discontented, and whiny, and unsatisfied. But when we focus on our many amazing blessings, we become more and more aware of them, and thus more and more content and humble and grateful. And I might add, happier. And more peaceful."  (Mary Ellen Edmunds, You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don't Need, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005], p. 153.)

• Display an empty cup, a spoon, and a container of water. Ask the children to think of the many blessings Heavenly Father has given them, and explain that each time they name a blessing they may take a spoonful of water from the container and put it into the cup.  Place the cup and the container of water in the pan or dish to catch spills, and place the pan or dish on a flat surface such as the table or floor.  Have the children take turns naming blessings and putting spoonfuls of water in the cup until the cup is filled to overflowing. Explain that Heavenly Father loves us and has given us many blessings. When we think of these blessings, we are thankful and filled with love for Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father has given us so many blessings that we can overflow with love, just like the cup overflowed with water.  (Read Psalms 23:5)
• Explain that being ungrateful for the Savior's sacrifice or refusing to accept the love of the Savior or his forgiveness in our lives is like if you spent months choosing the perfect birthday gift for person you love the most. You had sold everything you owned to purchase this special gift. Then, when it came time to give the gift, which you had wrapped in the most costly and beautiful wrapping you could find, the receiver simply looked at your package and said, "no thanks" without even opening it. The thought of how that would feel reminds me everyday to thank my Heavenly Father for the sacrifice of the Savior and recognize His hand in all the blessing I receive in this life and the blessings I will receive in the life to come. (Credit Unknown)

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• We feel it is important for our family to visualize the many things we are grateful for. A simple activity that helps us to remember our blessings is called “the gratitude web.” One person holds a ball of yarn or string and identifies one thing for which he is thankful. Holding onto part of the yarn, he then tosses the yarn ball to someone else in the circle. That person then repeats the process, also holding onto a portion of the yarn. The activity continues until everyone has had at least one turn. Depending on the size of your family, you may want to play several times until a web is formed, connecting the group. ~Kristen W. Belcher
• Play “alphabetical gratitude.” Go around the room and have each person say something he is grateful for. The first person names something that starts with the letter a, and the next person names something beginning with the letter b. Continue around the room as many times as necessary until the entire alphabet is complete.
• For older children/youth: read D&C 59:16-22 together and discuss.  Create a list (from that scripture passage as well as just from your own experiences) of things each of us can ALWAYS be grateful for.  If they don't mention something that is in Elder Nelson's talk, read that passage together.
• Write thank-you notes (can attach treats or small gifts if you want, but not necessary) to neighbors, teachers, Church leaders, etc.  Talk about how much MORE we ought to thank our Heavenly Father, not only in words but in our actions.
• Make one of the gratitude-themed crafts below as a family.  :)
• In a primary lesson, children are challenged to find ways to SHOW their gratitude for specific blessings in different scenarios, not just tell but SHOW.  Scroll down HERE 'til you get to the heading "WE CAN SHOW OUR GRATITUDE THROUGH OUR ACTIONS"

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

• There's a very cute handout HERE about gratitude--both feeling and expressing it.  :)
• I have a generic 2"x6" bookmark about giving thanks HERE--the idea is that people can write in the journaling spaces what they're grateful for--you could laminate them and use dry-erase markers if you want.  I also have another bookmark using Elder Nelson's quote about the tropical fish HERE.  It's a 4"x6" handout, so you could use it as a postcard if you wanted, too.  :)

• There are a TON of coloring pages and games about gratitude, taken from the Friend, HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• You could create a family gratitude jar, adding to it all year and reading them together on Thanksgiving Day or New Year's Eve.
• You could make gratitude journals to be filled out each evening or on Sundays (even the little kiddos can draw a picture and have parents label them).  Encourage gratitude for the LITTLE things just as much as the big things!
• Make a (paper) quilt with small white squares; each family member gets to draw on several squares, tape or staple them together and display somewhere for the week!  (Or, you could make a paper chain instead.)
• I know it's not Thanksgiving, but you could make a thankful tree like THIS one, anyway.  :)
• How about something simple--a frame and paper/dry erase markers or chalkboard paint make this cute Gratitude memo board interactive fun for the whole family.

TREATS:

• Anything you normally serve only on Thanksgiving would be appropriate here...especially being about midway through the year. :)  That means cute little turkey-shaped treats, pumpkin or other pies, your special cranberry sauce...all those things you get a craving for.  :)
• Make hand-shaped sandwiches, melon slices, or cookies.  Before kids can eat them, they must hold up their fingers and name 5 things (one for each finger) that they are grateful for.  

FHE 6/11: Forgiveness

This week's lesson is from the amazing talk on forgiveness by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, entitled "The Merciful Obtain Mercy."  I think everyone remembers this talk a little, because we ALL struggle with forgiveness in some way or another--whether holding grudges, judging others, gossiping, repenting, or forgiving ourselves.  I know I do, anyway.  So I'm grateful for the timely message that reiterates its importance, that reminds us that it's a simple thing (but not easy), and that we aren't alone in our quest to obey this important commandment.  Rereading it this week really brought a lot of peace to my own heart, and inspiration about what my next steps should be. 

POINTS TO PONDER:

• On a scale of 1-10, how good am I at forgiving others?  At forgiving myself? 
• What is keeping me from forgiving fully?  What can I do about it?  What can the LORD do about it?

QUOTES:

• "When we feel hurt, angry, or envious, it is quite easy to judge other people, often assigning dark motives to their actions in order to justify our own feelings of resentment."
• "This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!"
• "It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children."
• "Because we all depend on the mercy of God, how can we deny to others any measure of the grace we so desperately desire for ourselves? My beloved brothers and sisters, should we not forgive as we wish to be forgiven?"
• "Is this difficult to do? Yes, of course. Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy. In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking—even a change of heart. But there is good news. This “mighty change” of heart is exactly what the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to bring into our lives. How is it done? Through the love of God."
• "The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade."
• "My dear brothers and sisters, consider the following questions as a self-test:
  Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?
  Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true?
  Do you exclude, push away, or punish others because of something they have done?
  Do you secretly envy another?
  Do you wish to cause harm to someone?
  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop it!"

SONGS:

• "Help Me, Dear Father"
• "Love One Another"
• "Jesus Said Love Everyone"

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Ask a class member to make a paper airplane, or make one yourself. Tape a coin, rock, or weight to one side of the airplane. Stand on the same side of the room as the class members, and ask a class member to throw the airplane gently toward the other side of the room. Next, pick up the airplane and remove the taped object. Have the class member throw the airplane again. After the class member has done so a few times, put the airplane away, and ask the following questions: How can just one small weight keep the plane from flying correctly? Explain that taping a weight to the wing of a paper airplane is like holding a grudge. When we refuse to forgive others, we carry around a weight that keeps us from traveling the straight and narrow path our Father in Heaven wants for us. It is important to forgive others so that we can enjoy the companionship of the Holy Spirit and grow spiritually.
• Fill a bag or sack with five heavy objects (such as books or rocks) that have each been labeled with one of the following words: revenge, hurt, hate, resentment, and anger. Have each family member take a turn trying to carry this heavy load. Explain that carrying those feelings in our hearts is an even greater burden than carrying the heavy bag. When we really forgive, we forget all of these feelings and are free from the burden of carrying them.
  

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• There is a fun, life-sized board game idea (with printables, just click, print, cut and go!) about forgiving and forgetting HERE.
• Sometimes Paul & I play a game when we get a little road-ragey where we try to imagine all the good reasons why that guy just cut us off, or why that person was driving so fast.  It's easier to forgive someone for the little things when you try to understand their reasons and point of view--even if you don't agree with what they did.  There's a game kinda like that for kid-friendly situations HERE.  I'd be really interested to hear the funny reasons kids come up with for doing the things they do sometimes!  :)
• Prepare a simple obstacle course. Have each person try to get through it backwards. After everyone has had a turn, let them go through the same course looking forward. Discuss how looking forward is like forgiveness, because when we forgive, we can concentrate on our future and forget the hurts of our past.
• Write down a few situations where someone might accidentally (or even on purpose) make someone else sad, and have family members act them out with a forgiving ending.  Practice makes perfect!
• We just heard this story retold and reiterated in our Stake Conference (it's from 1983, from Bishop H. Burke Peterson).  Relate the story and his words yourself.  Discuss and have the kids act it out afterwards (especially if you have toy snakes anywhere!):

"For much of our lives, we lived in central Arizona. Some years ago a group of teenagers from the local high school went on an all-day picnic into the desert on the outskirts of Phoenix. As some of you know, the desert foliage is rather sparse—mostly mesquite, cat-claw, and palo verde trees, with a few cactus scattered here and there. In the heat of the summer, where there are thickets of this desert growth, you may also find rattlesnakes as unwelcome residents. These young people were picnicking and playing, and during their frolicking, one of the girls was bitten on the ankle by a rattlesnake. As is the case with such a bite, the rattler’s fangs released venom almost immediately into her bloodstream.

This very moment was a time of critical decision. They could immediately begin to extract the poison from her leg, or they could search out the snake and destroy it. Their decision made, the girl and her young friends pursued the snake. It slipped quickly into the undergrowth and avoided them for fifteen or twenty minutes. Finally, they found it, and rocks and stones soon avenged the infliction.

Then they remembered: their companion had been bitten! They became aware of her discomfort, as by now the venom had had time to move from the surface of the skin deep into the tissues of her foot and leg. Within another thirty minutes they were at the emergency room of the hospital. By then, the venom was well into its work of destruction.

A couple of days later I was informed of the incident and was asked by some young members of the Church to visit their friend in the hospital. As I entered her room, I saw a pathetic sight. Her foot and leg were elevated—swollen almost beyond recognition. The tissue in her limb had been destroyed by the poison, and a few days later it was found her leg would have to be amputated below the knee.

It was a senseless sacrifice, this price of revenge. How much better it would have been if, after the young woman had been bitten, there had been an extraction of the venom from the leg in a process known to all desert dwellers.

As I have said, there are those today who have been bitten—or offended, if you will—by others. What can be done? What will you do when hurt by another? The safe way, the sure way, the right way is to look inward and immediately start the cleansing process. The wise and the happy person removes first the impurities from within. The longer the poison of resentment and unforgiveness stays in a body, the greater and longer lasting is its destructive effect. As long as we blame others for our condition or circumstance and build a wall of self-justification around ourselves, our strength will diminish and our power and ability to rise above our situation will fade away. The poison of revenge, or of unforgiving thoughts or attitudes, unless removed, will destroy the soul in which it is harbored."

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

• There's a coloring page called "Forgiveness Makes Us Happy" HERE, where kids get to draw on happy faces and color the kids.  There's one specifically about Joseph (of Egypt) forgiving his brothers HERE--you could summarize that story with pictures while they color.
• There's a beautiful copy of a C. S. Lewis quote about forgiveness HERE (I'm sure you could print it off and frame it. :)
• There's a file folder game about forgiveness (and some great scriptural examples) available for free download HERE.
• I made a bookmark ('cause you can NEVER have too many of those :) with my favorite quote from President Uchtdorf's talk.  You can download it HERE.  :)  (It's a 4"x6" print, cut into two, as usual.)

CRAFTS & MORE:

• There's a cute kids' handprint craft & poem (you could make it grown-up and fancy if you wanted) about "forgiving fingers" HERE.
• You could stamp letters into metal brackets or washers for charms/pendants/bookmarks, like HERE.
• If you're really artsy, it might be healing to try your hand at art centered around forgiveness.  Check out HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for inspiration.  :)

TREATS:

• Make S'mores in the microwave. "Don't just forgive....forgive s'more!" (Even 70x7)
• Have 490 of something (mini marshmallows, M&Ms, pretzel sticks, grapes, anything small that you can have A LOT of).  Read Matthew 18:21-22 together and discuss how we aren't really supposed to keep track, it's just a way of saying A LOT, completely, forever.  :)
• Make sugar cookie stop signs (or watermelon with "stop" written in fruit dip letters) and discuss the quote from President Uchtdorf about "stopping it."

FHE 6/4: Receiving Revelation

This week's FHE stems from two talks: Elder Quentin L. Cook's "In Tune With the Music of Faith," and Elder Richard G. Scott's "How to Obtain Revelation and Inspiration For Your Personal Life."  I really believe that learning to feel the Spirit--to be "in tune with the music of faith"--is one of the most important and most rewarding things we can spend our efforts on in this lifetime.  Last week we learned a little about how to align our lives with the Lord's ways--to choose His side--so that we can be worthy of receiving this much-desired Spirit.  This week's lesson focuses a little more on that, as well as the importance of being able to *hear* it.  What better things to teach our families than this?

*Note* The Church has made pretty clear that we should not have children--or anyone, really--represent the Spirit by directly acting like it in Church lessons.  I think this holds true for FHE lessons, too.  We should also not draw it like a ghost or trivialize/make it un-sacred in any way.

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

• What does is mean to be "in tune" with the Spirit?  What do you think of when you hear the phrase "in tune"--an old radio?  A tuning fork?  A relationship in your life where you were 'in sync' with each other?  Something else?
• When have you clearly received inspiration in your life?  Are any of these experiences something you could share with your family?

QUOTES:
FROM ELDER COOK'S TALK:

• Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks of England, speaking to Roman Catholic leaders last December at the Pontifical Gregorian University, noted how secular some parts of the world have become. He stated that one culprit is “an aggressive scientific atheism tone deaf to the music of faith.”²
• "Finally, there are those who are in tune with the music of faith. You know who you are. You love the Lord and His gospel and continuously try to live and share His message, especially with your families.⁷ You are in harmony with the promptings of the Spirit, have awakened to the power of God’s word, have religious observance in your homes, and diligently try to live Christlike lives as His disciples."
• "In addition, when we inculcate into our lives scriptural imperatives and live the gospel, we are blessed with the Spirit and taste of His goodness with feelings of joy, happiness, and especially peace.²³ Clearly, a dividing line between those who hear the music of faith and those who are tone-deaf or off-key is the active study of the scriptures. I was deeply touched years ago that a beloved prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, emphasized the need to continually read and study the scriptures. He said: “I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns.”^24"

FROM ELDER SCOTT'S TALK:

• "The Holy Ghost communicates important information that we need to guide us in our mortal journey. When it is crisp and clear and essential, it warrants the title of revelation. When it is a series of promptings we often have to guide us step by step to a worthy objective, for the purpose of this message, it is inspiration."
• "When I am faced with a very difficult matter, this is how I try to understand what to do. I fast. I pray to find and understand scriptures that will be helpful. That process is cyclical. I start reading a passage of scripture; I ponder what the verse means and pray for inspiration. I then ponder and pray to know if I have captured all the Lord wants me to do. Often more impressions come with increased understanding of doctrine. I have found that pattern to be a good way to learn from the scriptures."
• "Inspiration carefully recorded shows God that His communications are sacred to us. Recording will also enhance our ability to recall revelation."
• REALLY, you should read this WHOLE TALK.  It's amazing and every word is powerful...I find myself wanting to just put the whole thing here.  :)

SONGS:

• "Listen, Listen" (the short, round of a song. :)
• "Search, Ponder, and Pray"
• "The Holy Ghost"
• "If With All Your Hearts"

OBJECT LESSONS:

• (Put a quarter on your head) Tell the children that whomever can get the quarter off your head without touching you can have it. When they cannot get the quarter, tell them that if anyone of them had asked, you would have handed him/her the quarter. The Bible says "Ask, and it shall be given you" Matthew 7:7 (see also verse 8). God desires to share His blessings with us, but we must ask in order to receive.
• Obviously, since one of the talks focuses heavily on being in tune with the music of faith, you could have lots of music playing from different sources (some worldly, but not inappropriate, music and then one primary song on repeat).  Have the children try to listen to the music--discuss how they feel (frazzled? confused? is it hard?).  Then have them literally "tune out" or turn off altogether the other songs until they can only hear the Church one, and talk about how they feel now.
• If you have access to a piano and/or a tuning fork: Ring the tuning fork, play the same note on the piano. Ask if the piano is in tune with the tuning fork. Ask why or why not? (piano hasn't been tuned, humidity, time between tunings, etc.) Make the connection that we need to do certain things to keep ourselves in tune with the Holy Spirit, i.e. prayer, scripture study, church attendance, etc.     
• Start off your lesson with a volenteer to put on a pair of socks. When you show the volenteer the muddy socks, he/she won't want to put them on. Walk around the room asking for another volenteer to put them on. After they are reject the opportunity to put on the socks, relate it the the holy ghost, that he does not dwell in unclean things, just like we would not like to wear muddy socks, the Holy Ghost does not want to be in unclean situations. 

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• Show pictures of people doing good things, such as sharing and helping each other. Ask the children how they feel when they do good things. Describe to the children some situations of people doing good and bad things, such as helping their mothers, fighting with their brothers, sharing their toys, and disobeying their parents. Have the children smile when the action is good and frown when the action is not good.
• In a quiet voice say, “Everyone who can hear my voice, put your finger on your nose. Everyone who can hear my voice, put your hand on your head.” Continue, designating other parts of the body, until all the children are listening to your quiet voice. Explain that even though you were speaking quietly, when the children listened, they could hear your voice and obey your instructions. Explain that the Holy Ghost sometimes speaks to us in a quiet voice. If we listen carefully he will tell us important things.
• Set up a simple obstacle course, blindfold one of the kids, and have someone designated as the "leader" to get them through the course.  Everyone else tries to lead them astray.  Liken this to the Holy Ghost and the many distractions in our lives.
• People feel the Spirit in different ways.  I know for me, sometimes it comes in a feeling of peace and warmth like Elder Scott said.  Sometimes it's having something brought to my memory.  Sometimes it's a feeling of clarity, or excitement.  Reflect on your own life and find a few examples of inspiration/revelation that YOU have had, and share them with your family--even your very small children.  Give them something to relate their feelings to.  Have them share their own experiences if they feel so inclined.  Teach your family through word and example Elder Scott's counsel: "Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency."
• One of my favorite games growing up was Outburst--where you picked a card that had a category and then 10 things that fell under that category, and you tried to name them all in a certain amount of time.  I made an "Outburst" card (for the whole family to work together) that summarizes the ideas in Elder Scott's talk in 15 points.  Download HERE. (Sorry, I didn't cover it in cool red marks, you'll just have to print it and mark off what the family says in black sharpie or something. :)  Give family members 1-2 minutes to come up with as many things as they can from the list.  If they miss anything, go back and highlight what Elder Scott said about it in his talk.
• For older children/youth, have them make a "T-chart" (divide a paper into two columns).  On one side, write "Inviting the Spirit."  On the other side, write "Things that block the Spirit." As you listen to Elder Scott's talk together, family members write down principles under the appropriate column.  Share & compare.  Have each person come up with a personal goal to help them improve their being "in tune" with the Spirit for this whole month.  Follow up later.

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

• There's a coloring DICE about the Spirit, along with instructions on how you might use the cube, in THIS NURSERY LESSON.  There's a coloring page of a boy getting the gift of the Holy Ghost HERE and a girl one HERE.
• There's a fun crossword all about the Holy Ghost HERE and a word search HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• No crafts for you this week.  That's okay, right?  The Spirit does the inner beautifying.  :)

TREATS:

• Give family members an origami box filled with white candies (it's a gift, just as the Holy Ghost is...and the white represents our purity).  Wash it all down with some good ol' milk!

FHE 5/28: Who's on the Lord's Side?

This week's FHE ideas are from two different talks: Elder Ulisses Soares' "Abide in the Lord's Territory!" and Elder Paul B. Pieper's "To Hold Sacred."  Both of these talks center around the struggle to put off our "natural man" and the worldly, secular temptations around us and instead to "sow in the spirit" and hold to the sacred things we've been given.  We know that a key, foundational part of our having agency is that there is "opposition in all things"...and yet we must "choose the better part" if we want to return to our Father in Heaven and inherit all He has in store for us.  So this lesson is about OUR CHOOSING THE SACRED, spending our time on the things of eternity.  Prioritizing, if you will.  And that doesn't just mean choosing good over evil, (although that's what's emphasized in these talks)--it's more often that we struggle to choose the RIGHT over all the other good things we *could* do.  NEXT week, we will focus on the feelings of the Spirit that attends us when we do this.  :)

POINTS TO PONDER BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

• Does what I spend my time on truly reflect my priorities?  Of course we all feel that our hearts are in the right place, but are we SOWING in the Spirit?  Do our actions and our time reflect that?
• What "opposition" am I facing right now?  What can I do to overcome it?

QUOTES:
From Elder Soares:

• "To sow in the Spirit means that all our thoughts, words, and actions must elevate us to the level of the divinity of our heavenly parents. However, the scriptures refer to the flesh as the physical or carnal nature of the natural man, which allows people to be influenced by passion, desires, appetites, and drives of the flesh instead of looking for inspiration from the Holy Ghost. If we are not careful, those influences together with the pressure of the evil in the world may conduct us to adopt vulgar and reckless behavior which may become part of our character. In order to avoid those bad influences, we have to follow what the Lord instructed the Prophet Joseph Smith about continuously sowing in the Spirit: “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33)."
• "Therefore, our daily question must be, “Do my actions place me in the Lord’s or in the enemy’s territory?”...The Light of Christ together with the companionship of the Holy Ghost must help us determine if our manner of living is placing us in the Lord’s territory or not. If our attitudes are good, they are inspired of God, for every good thing comes from God. However, if our attitudes are bad, we are being influenced by the enemy because he persuades men to do evil."

From Elder Pieper:

• "That which is sacred to God becomes sacred to us only through the exercise of agency; each must choose to accept and hold sacred that which God has defined as sacred. He sends light and knowledge from heaven. He invites us to receive and treat it as sacred."
• "The opposite of sacred is profane or secular—that which is temporal or worldly. The worldly constantly competes with the sacred for our attention and priorities. Knowledge of the secular is essential for our daily temporal living. The Lord instructs us to seek learning and wisdom, to study and learn out of the best books, and to become acquainted with languages, tongues, and people (see D&C 88:118; 90:15). Therefore, the choice to place the sacred above the secular is one of relative priority, not exclusivity; “to be learned is good if [we] hearken unto the counsels of God” (2 Nephi 9:29; emphasis added)."
• "The sacred cannot be selectively surrendered. Those who choose to abandon even one sacred thing will have their minds darkened (see D&C 84:54), and unless they repent, the light they have shall be taken from them (see D&C 1:33). Unanchored by the sacred, they will find themselves morally adrift on a secular sea. In contrast, those who hold sacred things sacred receive promises: “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day” (D&C 50:24)."

SONGS:

• "Who's On the Lord's Side, Who?" (a hymn, not a primary song, but still...most appropriate :)
• "Choose the Right" (also a hymn, but primary kids are learning it this year)
• "Seek the Lord Early"
• "The Wise Man & The Foolish Man"
• "Choose the Right Way"
• "I Have Two Little Hands"

OBJECT LESSONS:

• Obviously, with a theme like "you reap what you sow," anything related to plants would be a good object lesson.  If you plant a tomato seed, you're not going to sprout up peaches!  If we want to grow a strong, spiritual self, we need to "sow in the Spirit" as these leaders suggested.
• Give each family member a small pack of LEGOs (make sure each pack has the same number/color/sizes of bricks), and have them build anything they want.  Point out that they were given the same things, but they made choices with each one and in the end they were all very different structures.  NOW, show them step-by-step (or show a picture for older children) how to build one specific way.  This is like life--we're each given different talents, sure, but we are all given the same time in a day to build what we want with those talents, and we could turn out lots of different ways.  But when we prioritize our lives to follow what the Savior would have us do, we turn out as HE envisions us to become--and that is the best version of ourselves we can be.
• This is a classic from my youth: gather a few mason jars, large rocks or tennis balls (they should fit into a mason jar so much it seems "full"), some dried beans, some sand or rice, and some water to pour in at the end (optional).  (You'll want to do this ahead of time to measure how much of each to have for them to use.)  Have your kids experiment a little to see who can fit the most things in their jars.  Show them that if you put the biggest things first, and work your way to the smallest, you'll have room for almost everything.  But if you start with the small things, like the rice or beans, you won't be able to fit in the BIG ROCKS.  Liken this to the BIG THINGS that matter most, that we ought to put first in our lives.
• From Mormonshare.com: "At the start of the lesson I had each person write on their popsicle stick something that they enjoyed spending their time on. (hobbie, sports, etc.) We talked about the importance of spiritual things and how the world tends to pull our focus away from those things. Have them look at the picture that your brought. (do this from a distance of atleast 7-10 feet) Know ask them to hold up their popsicle stick and put it in their field of vision. While focusing on Christ you can still keep in line other things. What would happen if you changed all your focus off of Christ and only on your stick. As you do this you will notice that your spiritual focus has been thrown off because you are focusing to much time on the other."      

GAMES & LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

• Write or show pictures of several things your family does in a day--be sure to include some things that are spiritual, some things that are necessary, and some things that are fun.  Have your family work together to put them on a spectrum from MOST important to LEAST important.  I bet young children will have some pretty strong opinions about the matter!  (Be sure to point out that most things we want to do are GOOD things, but that some things matter more because they help us work towards eternal life/draw nearer to Heavenly Father, and some things HAVE to be done or we aren't taking care of ourselves!)  You could also do this with a daily to-do list or with a "bucket list" of 5 things each person really wants to do when he/she grows up.
• Ask your family to pretend they are in the following situation: Someone calls, “Help, the neighbor’s house is on fire!” As you rush to help the neighbors, which of the following would you do first? Carry out the furniture, call for help, save members of the family, or get the car out of the garage? Why did you choose as you did? Discuss with the family the fact that all of these things are important, but saving the family members is the most important, so it is the thing you should do first. Explain that in this situation it is very easy to see that one thing is more important than other things and so must be done first. But every day we must decide which are the most important things for us to do that day, and often we have a hard time making the right decisions.
• Elder Soares says that every choice we make has us either on the Lord's side or Satan's.  Grab a handful of Teddy Grahams, Sour Patch Kids, or other human-esque treat (gingerbread men?) and some stringy licorice.  Lay out the licorice and decide where the "Lord's side" and "Satan's side" are going to be.  Give examples (pertinent to your family's age) of choices you might make and have them place their people-marker on the appropriate side.  Point out that even when we make bad choices, we can repent and come over to the good side again.  :)
• Does anyone else want to watch a Star Wars clip now?  Maybe you could even have pool noodle lightsaber wars as your kids fight off the "dark side."  :)
• Speaking of Star Wars and other fictional characters, what kid doesn't like to learn about Super Heroes and super villains?  There's a fun FHE idea HERE that likens Christ to a super hero, and has kids drawing choices that lead them "upstairs" to Christ or "downstairs" to the devil--with some repentance cards thrown in there, too!  :)
• Print off the "CTR gameboard" HERE and make up your own cards on half-size index cards that have to do with choices we might make (multiple-choice questions, and they choose the answer they think...Important (priority) and eternal choices should be worth more points than everyday, secular things, and good choices move you forward that many spaces--bad choices move you back.   

HANDOUTS & FREEBIES:

• COLORING: There's one about choosing the right HERE.  There's one about our spiritual attitudes (definitely coordinating with the talks even though the quote is by President McKay) HERE (I like the second one, personally, which is the picture shown above).  And I made a simple coloring page for you again, about choosing the Lord's path over all the others, shown below.  :)  You can download that one HERE.

CRAFTS & MORE:

• Make a pretty bucket list (like this one, or this one, or even just for this season, if not your whole life) or daily to-do that you can easily change out.  Display it somewhere to keep your mind focused on the things that matter most to you!
• Obviously things of eternal importance--especially daily prayer and scripture study--keep us on the Lord's side best and should be our biggest priorities.  Paint/design prayer rocks and print off a scripture reading chart for each person to color in as they read, or make a spiritual sticker chart, etc...

TREATS:

• Eat the Teddy Grahams/Animal Crackers and twizzlers from the activity above.  :)
• 'Use Scrabble Tile Cheez-its to spell words like "agency," "priorities," "choice," etc. or a sentence like "I Will Follow the Lord."  Each child gets to eat their words!
• Make fortune cookies with things you all want to do in the future as your fortunes! 
• If your discussions, like mentioned in the talks, led you to talking about prioritizing spiritual and secular education, make these "scripture cookies"--you'll need BOTH to make them!

Scripture Cookies–Oatmeal Raisin

Psalms 55:21- 3/4 c. crisco butter 2 Ne 26:25- 1/3c. milk & honey Jeremiah 6:20- 2/3 c. packed brown sugar Isaiah 10:14- 2 eggsAdd to above mixture: Kings 4:22- 1 c. flour Songs of Solomon 4:14- 1 tsp. cinnamon D&C 101:39- 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Corinthians 4:6- 1 tsp. baking soda 1 Samuel 30:12- 1 c. raisins D&C 89:17- 3 c. oatmealMix well. Drop tablespoon size onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.