I will follow God's Plan for Me!

OK, So some follow up from last week.

The kids LOVED pin the kiss on Daddy. To save on time, we had them come up in groups to pin their kiss on Daddy. It kinda helps to get their wiggles out, and at the same time they learn the song. We will pull out "Danny Daddy" again next week to practice for our father's day performance on June 19th!

But, now is the task of preparing for the primary program.

It is HARD teaching 12 children 7 and under songs like "Praise to the man". Our ward is a student ward, and most children move out by the age of 6.  Most my little ones are sunbeams. So I gotta go outside the box to try to help these little kiddos remember. Laughter and fun help my brain to remember songs, along with the spirit. So we are going to try this to learn, "I will follow God's Plan for Me."

My life is a gift; my life has a plan.

My life has a purpose; in heav'n it began.

My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth

And seek for God's light to direct me from birth.

I will follow God's plan for me,

Holding fast to his word and his love.

I will work, and I will pray;

I will always walk in his way.

Then I will be happy on earth

And in my home above.

I read this and thought, PLAN OF HAPPINESS, yes! But in a song!

So why not make this song into a game? Like a treasure hunt where the plan of salvation is your map, to get the next clue you have to learn a few lines in the song, and use the clues as visual aids along the way to help them learn and remember the song. We will build upon each new line, and sing the ones we learned before every time we get a new one. So here is how I am thinking of introducing it!

OK kiddos. I got a problem,

Heavenly Father wants me to teach you this song! But it is kinda hard for me. BUT!! guess what, he left us a GIFT. And inside of it, he left us a map, or a plan to get back to him! At the end of this map, we will find a GREAT TREASURE that Heavenly Father has given to us. Will you help me to find this treasure!!?? Awesome. Now, the clues to get us to the treasure are in the new song we are learning called "I will follow God's Plan for Me." And the only way we can get the next clue is through singing and learning the lyrics of the song! As we learn more and more of the song, we will get closer and closer to finding the treasure and learning what Heavenly Father's plan for us is! So lets get started.

Week 1 plans! (Verse)

My life is a gift; - Gift box

my life has a plan.- plan of happiness map in gift box. After they learn these two lines, give them instructions on how to find next 2 clues.

My life has a purpose; in heav'n it began.- Inside gift box have picture of preearth life

My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth- Picture of earth somewhere (I did it on the box)- 

Place clue to find a light somewhere on back earth.

And seek for God's light to direct me from birth.- Light source. 

Week 2! (Chorus)

I will follow God's plan for me, 

Holding fast to his word and his love.

(stepping stones the kids can physically step on (I added the 4th article of faith on the stones since we just learned that) with a string tied from one chair to another like the iron rod that has hearts and words on it.) Each stone has the lyrics of the next line on it, and you come up with actions together).

I will work, and I will pray;- walk back to seat while hammering invisible hammer. fold arms for pray.

I will always walk in his way.-  March in place

Then I will be happy on earth- point to smile

And in my home above.- Make tepee with hands that slowly go up to sky.

Second week is a lot more hand movements than the visual. But this is just a two week plan to help teach the kids (That would take FOREVER to do this every week). Every week after that you can use the few props to help them remember  the words,and slowly remove the proper (just like a game, by saying "Do you think you can remember without the light!!?)

On week 2 at the end once they have learned the WHOLE SONG post a picture on the wall somewhere OF "IN MY HOME ABOVE" and ask them to find it. 

(I used this one) from library. And behind it I wrote, "The treasure is in the bishops office!!"

I still need to ask my bishop if he is willing to do this, but I was thinking of getting chocolate coins with a picture of jesus that on one side says "I know God's plan for me." for the treasure, and have the bishop share his testimony to them about the plan of salvation. 

It will probably change a little as I talk to my president about it and see what she thinks. But that is an idea for now!

Tata for now! Wish me luck!

Cast The First Stone

Brock Turner

A name I had never heard until about a week ago when it showed trending on my Facebook feed.

I read the story, was upset, and decided to click into the victim's letter to the judge.

Thoughts crossed my mind, "How could 6 months be enough jail time for what this cruel monster did to this poor girl?"

" The means don't justify the end."

Just because he was drunk does not excuse his behavior. It doesn't help that his father tried to defend his boy and take no responsibility for what his son did in a letter released. It poured gasoline on a raging forest fire.

My initial reaction to this kid's story was that since the US justice department did not deal justly in his sentence (in my -and it seems the whole world's- opinion) that it was now our job to make sure justice is served by destroying this young man on social media and publicizing his sins. So I took up my stone thinking "Isn't this what I would want if this had been my daughter in this situation? Social media rolling behind us, destroying the filth that harmed my family?"

And then I felt guilt.

I realized that my testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is not where it should be.

Just a few days before this I had wrote a comment on facebook about my views on the atonement

"It is not true that someone can use the atonement more than another. It doesn't work like that. It isn't a well I sinned 5% today, and that person over there sinned 80%, which means I am a better person because I needed to use less of the atonement. No. It doesn't work that way. Once we sin in the least degree, whether it is 90%, 50%, or 0.001% , we all disqualify ourselves for heaven, which makes us all sinners with equal need for the atonement. The Lord has said that He “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31). He doesn't say "small sins" or Large and egregious sins." he just says SIN.  All of us need the atonement 100% of the time, and if we think we don't, then we obviously don't understand it. "

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?... He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..."

I think God was trying to test my words to see if it matched my behavior. If this is truly how I felt, my reaction to the Brock Turner case would be Mercy and pain for a fellow sibling who made a mistake that caused another harm. And I would be OK with him receiving that mercy, because I know on the other side of the problem, the rape victim would receive the same comfort, care, love, and peace from the Savoir as well. And knowing that quenches my thirst for justice in her behalf.


I guess what I am trying to say is that if I truly believed my above statement-my reaction should not be to be the master of justice, Because, at this point, the act has been done.  I don't think casting stones at this poor boy at this point is going to lead him to repentance, only the God of Israel can do that. And I would rather not be one of the Pharisees or scribes seen holding a stone at the last day when God asks me, "What did you try to do to help bring your fellow brother to salvation when he made a mistake?"

I do feel that a major mistake has been made on the part of the Justice system in his sentencing. And I feel that it needs to be addressed and adjustments made to prevent this kind of mistake in the future. But that is where why energy will go. Not to declare damnation to the boy who committed this crime. I am pretty sure if he was the one to make the choice between being crucified on social media and going to prison for 5 years, He would choose the latter. The Judge's ruling of 6 months in jail unfortunately created a lifelong sentence for the 19 year old Brock Turner. The world will forever remember him for his one big mistake in life. 

Does this mean I think Mr. Tuner is not guilty? Not at all. He is 100% guilty. Do I still fight back feelings of anger because of what he did to another daughter of God? Yes.  But the beauty of the atonement is that we can be 100% guilty, and still be 100% forgiven if we decide to repent and forsake our sins. And those hurt by another's agency can be healed and find peace as a result of that same Atonement of Jesus Christ

I may view him as one of those 95% sinners and myself only 20%, but I need the atonement just as much as he does, no matter what degree our sins are. And for his sake I hope he uses it to find peace from a world that would try to convince him his sin is unforgivable. I will put my stones down and direct my desire that God will grant all of us Grace and Mercy for the unforgivable things we all do.

Daddy's Homecoming

So, I have been subbing as singing time teacher the past few weeks in Primary and have been having a lot of fun! Some ideas have been better than others, but I am excited to see how this week goes with teaching the kid's Daddy's Homecoming for fathers day!

1. I'm so glad when daddy* comes home,
   Glad as I can be;
   Clap my hands and shout for joy,
   Then climb upon his knee,
   Put my arms around his neck,
   Hug him tight like this,
   Pat his cheeks, then give him what?
   A great big kiss.

So, I searched Pintrest all over for a fun creative idea to help these kids learn this song, and I couldn't find anything that inspired me.

Then I had an epiphany...

"PIN THE KISS ON DADDY!!"

Oh so great.

So I made my own little "Stick daddy" that could fit on a chair. Each child will get a pair of colored "Lips" that they get to try to pin on Daddy at the end of the song, but to be able to earn their shot at pinning the kiss on Daddy, they have to come up and act out the song sitting on "Daddy's" lap.

I am hoping the kids will think it is silly and funny, but also by seeing other kids doing the actions while we sing the song over and over will help solidify the lyrics! 

Each kid will get a "Chocolate kiss" after they make their attempt (I am doing starbursts because we have some lactose kiddos...but they will get the point.)

I thought it was pretty clever. We will see how it goes this week!