 COME UNTO CHRIST: John 8:12, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I love this painting by Simon Dewey. It is entitled "Lead Kindly Light." It is on my "Must Have" list for my home. I love this picture and feel like the painting as well as the scripture in John go so perfectly with the 2014 Theme for the Youth "Come Unto Christ." If you look at the Savior's hand it is very gently inviting us to come with him. He holds the light and if we follow him, we will not be lost. I know many of us are beginning to plan January "New Beginnings" and I thought maybe this image would be helpful or spark some ideas! ;)  **Please note: A copyright is definitely needed to print this image. I do not have a copyright release. I originally put the quote on the image so I could use it on a slide in a Power Point presentation. Since posting it on this site I have been contacted by so many wanting to print it. Unfortunately, I can't help with that. I have emailed a representative for the artist and explained the situation. If the artist or his company decides to put together something similar I will post a link to it on this site. :) In the meantime, a good option is to purchase the Simon Dewey print and hand that out to your girls. It doesn't have the quote on it but it is still a beautiful depiction of the "Come Unto Christ" theme. Deseret Book sells the prints (click here) 3X4 for .50 or 5X7 for 1.99. **People have asked me the name of the fonts used: All the words except the large "Christ" are (Bodoni Svty Two) the large Christ is (Zapfino).*** 
 December: "Building the Kingdom of God" Outline
This Power Point Covers: "What does it mean to stand as a witness of God?" "How does Heavenly Father want me to use my spiritual gifts?" This next month focuses on "Building the Kingdom of God." I really enjoyed reading the talks that went along with the first two sections of this month's outline. It can be so difficult to choose which things to include. I hope these power points are helpful. I also hope you are able to adapt them to your own group of young women. For the first section on "Standing as a witness" I found a talk by Sister Margaret Naudauld. I was really touched by her invitation for the Young Women to "Be The First..." Be the first to offer a smile, be the first to include someone, be the first to offer help. As Latter Day Saints we are trying to be like Jesus at all times. We are trying to follow his example. Jesus Christ did not wait for someone else to do the right thing. He was the first to seek out those who needed help. I have included this in the Power Point and I also plan on making sugar cookies in the shape of the number one. I will attach this handout to go with it. If you don't have a number one cookie cutter, you could always do a round cookie and use frosting to make a number one on top. ;) I am also going to ask one of the girls to read the story about "Jess" from Sister Dalton's talk, "At all times, in all things, in all places." I love the image above that says "The best gift ever!" At the end of the lesson I hope the girls are excited about their personal spiritual gifts and feel like they have been given, "The Best Gift Ever." This was another idea I had for a handout. I was at the craft store today and they had small gift boxes, 20 for $5.99. You could attach this note to the box to remind them of their Spiritual Gifts. We will also be watching the video "Exceptional Gift" found in the lesson outline. I appreciated President Eyring's comments that all of us have gifts and none of us were destined to fail. Lessons like this used to make me feel inferior. I couldn't play the piano, violin, sing, act etc. I did not realize that gifts that aren't visible are still gifts of the Spirit! Being a compassionate person, having faith, understanding the scriptures are all spiritual gifts that we can use to bless lives. I hope I can convey that to these sweet, talented girls. Good luck with your lessons this week. ;) 
 Like I mentioned before, I am loving the theme for 2014. I wanted to take the theme and try to "define" it a bit. Sometimes when I present things to the youth I forget to dissect it, to explain it, to give them a visual of what that really means for them. I created this image so I can show my YW, and talk about what each word means. To "Come" is a verb, it requires action and effort. The words are direct quotes from Sister Marriott and Sister Oscarson. The words next to "Unto" come from the dictionary. I used words from the definition of "toward." The words next to "Christ" came from lds.org.
I consider it a great blessing to work with the Young Women. Preparing lessons and teaching them truly strengthens my testimony. My goal is to take this theme and incorporate it into each weekly lesson throughout 2014. As Sister Oscarson stated, "this is at the very core of our gospel." I have attached both a JPEG and a PDF of the graphic. ;) 
 I am SO excited about the theme for 2014! I can't wait to come up with more images we can use for display, in our lessons, in power points, in our binders, etc. Here is my first draft. Feel free to download the JPEG with the link above. :) I can't think of a better message for our Young Women to hear right now. If they can Come Unto Christ and turn their hearts to him, I believe their testimonies will grow and they will be laying a solid foundation for their futures. What a great honor it is to serve in Young Womens with these amazing young ladies. 
 For those of you that requested the full theme...Here you go!
 November: "Spiritual and Temporal Self Reliance" Outline
This Power Point Covers: "What is the Lord's way for providing for the poor & needy?" "How can I find solutions to my challenges and problems?" This is another lesson I loved preparing! I truly feel the "Come Follow Me" curriculum is so inspired and provides a great environment for learning. I hope these Power Points help you as a leader provide opportunities for the girls to share their thoughts. Towards the end of this lesson I included an opportunity for the girls to split into small groups to search through a New Era or Ensign for answers to problems facing youth. I hope each girl will feel comfortable sharing her ideas. Feel free to adjust for your individual classes. For a handout, I planned on printing the "Scriptural Directory Assistance" This was produced in 2006 my Tressa Edmunds. I have retyped it because my original copy was a bit blurry. ;) My hope is that the girls come away from this lesson understanding their role in the Welfare of others and the importance in serving like Christ. I also hope they will realize how much they are loved NO MATTER WHAT! That the Lord is always there to help them. No one should feel like they are weathering the storms of this life alone, especially these beautiful Young Women. I want them to try to pray, read the scriptures, and to study the words of the prophets during their times of trial. Good luck with your lessons! ;)  It dawned on me about 3 years ago that I wanted my kids to have traditions! I wanted Thanksgiving to mean more than pigging out on food and laying around watching football (of course we still do that!;) I wanted them to have something to remember each holiday and special occasion by. I didn't want to do anything too elaborate that I would kick myself for for years to come! So I scoured the Internet and Pinterest for ideas... Here is my list of Super Simple Thanksgiving Traditions (that you won't cringe when you think about executing ;)
Super Super Easy (no supplies required) 1) I'm thankful for...For a set number of days before Thanksgiving (2 weeks, 1 week, whatever you choose) have each family member go around and say 1 thing they are thankful for during dinner. This might just start some pretty cool conversations ;) 2) Get moving...I avoid guilt at all costs. I know I'm going to eat WAY too much on Thanksgiving so if I can be active early before the actual feast I feel a bit less guilty when I eat my second dessert. Our city has a 5K race every Thanksgiving morning. It is also common protocol for the men (old and young) to gather for a Turkey Bowl. Turkey Bowl = Football played by very old and tired men who then complain all day and next that hey are SO sore. Super fun! ;) If running and football don't sound enticing, try going for a walk as a family or a bike ride. 3) 2 words, 5 syllables---Thanksgiving Charades...Nothing says Family Tradition like laughter and family-wide embarrassment. Acting out Thanksgiving words like Turkey, Indian, Pilgrim, Mayflower, Pumpkin Pie, Gobble, Blessings, etc....will make for lots of giggles and a chance for the kids to get out their wiggles (that rhymed ;) pre or post-dinner. 4) I wish I may, I wish I might...Drying the wishbone takes some times so this isn't technically going to happen ON Thanksgiving but it will still be something fun your kids look forward to. :) Who gets to pull the wishbone? Your family can decide...maybe the winner of the most Thanksgiving games (see posts below). Super Easy (minimal prep required) 1) Are you Game?...Thanksgiving themed games. (We already mentioned Charades) My family LOVES Bingo. We play it for every holiday. The board changes based on which holiday we are celebrating. There are lots of printable Bingo boards ( lots of FREE options here) on the Internet and markers can be candy corns, or other thanksgiving candy. Pictionary is another game that is lots of fun, and super easy to adapt to holidays. Click here for a basic outline and some topic ideas. Board games are a big hit around here and they don't have to be themed. Our kids would love to sit and play a board game marathon. They love CLUE, Monopoly, Guess Who etc. Card games are also easy to play while food is cooking (or settling ;) Try this fun bowling game, for a less expensive version use, empty 2 liter bottles. 2) Thankful Garland...Take a long piece of yarn, string, twine etc. and string it across your mantle. Cut lots of leaves from construction paper. (good activity to keep kids busy) You can start this on November 1st or 1 week before Thanksgiving, whatever duration you prefer. Each day have family members write what they are thankful for on a leaf and clip it to the yarn (cute idea here) On the big day, as guests arrive have them write what they are thankful for on a leaf and add it to your family garland. (same idea but Turkeys & Feathers instead of leaves :) 3) Fill in the Blanks...Journals, such a great idea, so hard to actually follow through. Journals can be overwhelming...unless of course they aren't ;) Try this...buy each family member a notebook (I like the composition notebooks, bound edge for a cleaner look, usually about .98 cents) They can decorate it if they like or they can leave it. Each day have a sentence for them to complete. Mom can come up with these (lucky you ;) or each family member can take a turn. The sentence should bring out something they are grateful for...examples: On a cold day I like... When I'm sad I need... If I'm lonely I call... It makes me happy when... I can't help but laugh when... You get the idea...Sometimes a little prompt can help start a flood of ideas. If you find your family is experience more of a trickle instead of a flood. Don't lose heart, this will be worth it. ;) 4) Have your cake & eat it too...The best kind of crafts are the kind you can eat! I know my kids LOVE to make things. It's fun, they like to be creative, it keeps them busy...BUT...I have 4 kids and I can only store and hang so many things! Hence my love for edible crafts! Let the kids make as many as they want, they can even deliver extras to neighbors or friends! Here are some super cute, super easy, super yummy ideas!: Turkey #1, Turkey #2, Turkey #3 Yummy! Enjoy! :) Holidays shouldn't be overwhelming! What kids really, really want isn't some elaborate meal or detailed craft that they can't do themselves. They want our time! They want to sit with us and giggle and feel loved. Good luck to all of us as we try to put what's REALLY important first. :)
 November: "Spiritual & Temporal Self Reliance" Outline
This Power Point Covers: "Why is work an important gospel principle" "Why does the Lord want me to be healthy?" Self Reliance isn't exactly one of those topics that makes the girls sit up straight and listen! I wanted to make sure I held their attention. This is one of the reasons I love using the Power Points. The girls are usually very good about focusing on the screen and reading from the screen. This lesson is one I found super important. I really, really want the girls to understand the importance of gaining an education, working hard and preparing for their futures. Also, being healthy in both mind and body is crucial. I remember being a young woman and was never quite happy with my appearance. Heck, I'm a grown woman and I still battle that! (stupid thighs ;) Anyway, I did not show any videos this week. Surprising I know. Feel free to add that to your lesson plan if you'd like. |
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**Please Note: Due to different versions of power point the slides may need to be adjusted after you download them. Please go through the power point before your lesson to make sure the pictures and the text are formatted correctly! I just opened a file I made using my laptop with my iPad and the font was different, colors were different and some of the pictures were in the wrong place. It may take a little tweeking! :)**
AuthorI'm a 36 year old Mom of 4 kiddos, 3 boys (12, 4 & 2 years old) and one little princess (9). I have an awesome hubby who puts up with my craziness...He supports me when I spend way too much time on my YW lessons. I started this blog for fun and have been so excited to watch it grow and watch others being able to use the Power Point lessons, handouts and other ideas I have posted. Thank you for stopping by! Archives
February 2017
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