Thursday, March 20, 2014

My People

Today is my daughter's birthday and I was reflecting on the fact that my kids are now 21, 19, 17, 15, and 12.  It's hard to believe my "little people" are now all taller than me (save 1, Katie, who has grown and inch  and a half in the last month).

Big or little, these five individuals and the Dad who created them with me are the most important people in my life.  It is my privilege to think and pray and plan and prepare for them every single day.  Nothing else I do compares to the deep satisfaction I feel in being a mother.  It is the best.  I love you!!


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Beware the FROZEN Heart...Come Unto Christ

Last Sunday, I (along with my Laurels and their advisors) put on a fabulous New Beginnings with the theme "Beware the Frozen Heart...Come Unto Christ."  We had such a great response from girls and parents that I wanted to share it.  Here is a sample of some of the things we did:
Invitation

Food table
Donut snowmen, blue punch in cups that I colored on the outside with those markers you use to write on car windows.

Theme table with gifts

Gift for every girl:  adjustable bracelet with charm that says "Come Unto Christ", the tag is laminated to be hung in their room or on a bathroom mirror.
Front - we projected the videos here and you can see the snowflakes we had hung from the ceiling.
Program (names taken off for privacy)

ANNA - INVITATION
Leader:  Our theme tonight is Break the FROZEN heart…Come Unto Christ.  When the movie opens, Anna is singing to her sister Elsa asking, “Do you want to build a snowman?”  It is an invitation to her to connect, to love, to be friends and share life together.  Christ is similar to Anna in that He issues that invitation to each of us to come unto Him, to know Him, to love Him and be loved by Him. He is your brother and He wants to be your friend.

_____________________ : In Moroni 10:32 we read: “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness.”  Henry B. Eyring said, “The words “come unto Christ” are an invitation.  It is the most important invitation you could ever offer to another person.  It is the most important invitation anyone could accept…Every member of the Church, upon accepting the baptismal covenant, becomes a disciple who has promised to stand as a witness of Jesus Christ at all times in any place he or she may be in.  The purpose of our witness is to invite people to come unto him.”


Introduction of new Beehives

TROLLS - IMPROVE
Leader:  The trolls describe Kristoff as being a “Fixer Upper.”  Each of us is a fixer upper, too!  Christ wants to help us with this, in fact, we can’t do it without Him.  That’s why we are commanded to “be perfected in him.”  Personal Progress helps Young Women come unto Christ and be like him.


_______________:  Do first part of Good Works #3 (Read Mosiah 18:7-10, and in your journal list three ways you can comfort others or help them bear their burdens.)  Encourage the parents to follow up with their daughters to complete the experience.

ELSA - INSPIRE
Leader:  In the movie, Elsa’s breakthrough comes when she sings “Let It Go” –- she realizes that the greatest freedom she can experience is when she lets go of the things of the world and becomes what she was meant to be.  You, too, are meant to be more than what the world would have you be.  You can become what Heavenly Father intended you to be.  You will accomplish this as you come unto Christ, become perfected in him, and “deny yourselves of all ungodliness.”

_______________:  Are we truly striving to come unto Christ in our lives?  How do we know?  Those who have come unto Christ are those who are striving to become like Him.  They are not striving for worldly things or the approval of the world. 

_______________:  One of the ways Young Women “deny themselves ungodliness” is by participating in worthwhile activities.  These activities bring us together as “fellowcitizens with the saints” (Ephesians 2:19) and help us grow into the kind of people Heavenly Father wants and needs us to be.

Show slide show of past year activities to song "Let It Go"

Bishop speaks

Song sung by all Young Women:  “Come Unto Christ”