Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Display Pictures

Last year I made these for girls camp. We hung them on the girls bunk beds. They were simple to make. I just grabbed some string and started tying fabric and ribbon on it. I found some shower curtain rings at Wal-Mart that I tied to the ends. The YW loved them! There is something about pictures that makes the YW feel united. Maybe it's capturing the memories of good times?? I'm not sure but I do know everyone loves a good picture.



These would be a fun display for new beginnings or even YWIE :) Make memories and share them!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

I saw this idea over at LITTLE BIRDIE SECRETS. There is even a tutorial. I had to try it. This is what I came up with for our YW. More to come Sunday :)

I also came up with this mutual block kit using paper instead of vinyl. It's cheaper to make and that's always a good thing! Does Martha Stewart say that?!

YW SERVICE PROJECT

Our group is growing :) To read more about this project click HERE.

*Melinda Beachell from the Battleground Ward (Battleground, Washington)

*Tara Curtis from the Continental Ranch Ward (Tucson, Arizona)

*Sharon Wood from the ? Ward (Springs South Africa)

*Barbie Williams from the Highland 1st Ward (Highland California)

*Shannon from the ? Ward ( ?, Florida)

*Wendy Jenson from the ? Ward (?)

*Amber Garvin from the ? Ward (?)

*Dawn russo from the ? Ward (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

*Janna Streibel from the Marsing 1st Ward (Caldwell, Idaho)

*Marye Eby from the ? Ward (Lehi, UT)

*Shelly ? from the Stockdale Ward (Bakersfield, California)

*Traci Pankratz From the Bitburg Military Ward (Germany)

*Vikki Playforth from the ? Ward (United Kingdom, England)

*Mary Pugh from the ? Ward (Boston, Massachusetts)

*Allena Allread from the Warrenton Ward (Warrenton, Missouri)

*Julie Bradford from the ? Ward (Cedar Hills, UT)

*Ginger Thompson from the ? Ward (?)

*Coreen Phipps from the ? Ward (?)

*Jennifer South from the ? Ward (?)

*Debbie Orosco from the ? Ward (Ventura, California)

*Jullie Olenslager from the Thayne 1st Ward (?, Wyoming)

Monday, December 28, 2009

YW Christmas Lesson

I know it's a little late for a Christmas lesson this year but maybe you can use it for next year :) My friend Jessica was in charge of our Christmas lesson. She slightly edited this TALK into parts for the YW leaders to read.


JESSICA: It is an oft told tradition at Christmas that the true spirit of Christmas is found in giving rather than in receiving. The selfless bestowing of gifts and time to others is indeed a blessing to each of us! The Christmas Story, after all, is woven together around the giving of self, life, love, priceless treasures, faith, hope and promise! And, while I wholeheartedly agree I would like to argue that the JOY of Christmas is actually in receiving. Let me explain. When I was a little girl people told me that the true spirit of Christmas was the spirit of giving, but I didn’t believe them. I knew that the true spirit of Christmas was getting. I could hardly wait until Christmas morning when my mother would stand at the door to the living room that separated me from a wonder of toys. She would peek through and tell me Santa had been here and express her surprise that he had given me so much. Then I was obliged to eat breakfast, make my bed, brush my teeth and get dressed. The anxiety and anticipation this caused is impossible to describe. By the time I attacked the neatly wrapped packages and saw the delights they contained, I was filled with a joy and relief I have not found comparable to any joy on Earth.


I remember the year I grew up. That was the year Christmas lost its magic and I began to say, like the adults around me, “The true spirit of Christmas is giving”. I found there WAS satisfaction in giving but the magic never returned and each yeas as the tree was decorated and the lights were hung on the front porch I wondered if Christmas wasn’t a whole lot better when I thought more about what I received and less about what I gave.
The years went on and I became a woman giving to my children and secretly envying their sheer delight at receiving the marvelous gifts of Christmas.
A few years ago I read very carefully the story of the first Christmas in the Americas. To my wonder and delight I discovered I had been right as a child - the true spirit of Christmas WAS the spirit of receiving. Since then the wonder of Christmas has returned. Let me take you in your imagination back to Zarahemla in the year 5 b.c. . and let us live together the most marvelous Christmas story ever written.


MELINDA: The year 5 bc is an interesting and challenging time to be a Christian. Our generation is an unstable one. We have seen the people shift from wickedness to righteousness and back to wickedness again. We have seen the slow erosion of our laws until Nephi II, our great prophet and chief judge, gives up the seat of government, weary with his inability to cause positive reform. He decides the only way to reform and save his people is in “bearing down in pure testimony” as his ancestor Alma had done.


MICHELLE: We have seen the rise of the Gadianton robbers. They have filled the judgment seats. They have assassinated their opponents, and they wield great power. About ten years ago we saw Nephi bring the people to their knees in repentance through a prolonged famine that ended for a time the self-destructive wars of our people. But the people quickly forgot the lesson and have been slipping ever so quickly back into their materialistic and proud ways.


KARIANN: Most marvelous of all, we have witnessed the end of an era of interracial wars between the Nephites and Lamanites. As youth, roughly twenty-five years ago we witnessed the conversion of the entire Lamanite nation through the preaching of Nephi and his brother Lehi. We are adults now with families. Nephi is older, though still actively leading the Church and preaching the gospel. But there are dark clouds on the horizon. The strength of the Gadianton robbers is growing again and the intensity of faith seems to be waning in the church. As prosperity flourishes the lessons of the past are forgotten. It is an interesting and challenging time to live.

MELINDA: Recently there has been a Lamanite prophet named Samuel preaching in the streets and markets of Zarahemla. Though we don’t know it he is about to test our faith and the faith of all the Christians in the land.

MICHELLE: The Nephites, unwilling to listen to the exhortations of Samuel, have cast him out; but as we enter the city, we notice a large crowd in a state of great excitement gathered near the walls. There on the wall stands Samuel. He has returned. His message has not changed from his earlier warnings.

KARIANN: An Acquaintance of ours approaches us as we listen. He is one who has relinquished his faith and is caught up in the materialistic greed of a Gadianton society.

WENDY: What do you think of this Lamanite?

KARIANN: He is a prophet.

WENDY: So he proclaims. Then you believe in his predictions?

KARIANN: We accept all the words of a prophet.

MELINDA: As we listen Samuel begins to speak of Christ, predicting his birth after five years pass. This is not a new or strange prophecy, for Lehi predicted the Savior would be born six hundred years after he left Jerusalem. Those with faith and a calendar know He will come in five years, but our acquaintance asks us,

WENDY: Do you believe this, that Christ will come after five years?
MELINDA: Yes. It has been prophesied from the very beginning by many prophets.

MELINDA: Our acquaintance comments with a mocking tone about the convenience of having Christ born across the sea, in another land, making true verification impossible. And had Samuel not continued under the inspiration of the Lord, our faith would not be tried; but Samuel continued.

SAMUEL: “And behold this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of His coming. For behold there shall be great lights in Heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.
“Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sigh; for ye shall know a the rising of the sun and also of its setting therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night, nevertheless the night shall not be darkened, and it shall be the night before he is born.
“And behold there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.”

JESSICA: Let us pause a moment in our narrative. I have often wondered how I would have accepted the pronouncement. I am sure I would have looked at the sun with a certain uneasiness. I am sure I would have watched it set that night and felt with a growing fear the darkness settle over the land. I cannot think of a single prophetic utterance in all of scripture so completely remarkable as this one. What boldness and courage it took to utter it! What faith and courage it took to receive it!

MICHELLE: As we try to comprehend the impact of this prophecy our acquaintance, with a certain delight turns and asks:

WENDY: You certainly don’t believe that do you?

MICHELLE: We hesitate. If only Nephi II had uttered it, not a Lamanite prophet newly arrived in Zarahemla. Our acquaintance notices our hesitation.

WENDY: Because, of course, it is absolutely and utterly impossible for the sun to go down and it remain as light as day. You know that, don’t you?

JESSICA: I would like to believe that I would have had the faith and the whispered assurances of the spirit so that I could have answered the critics and the mockers. I would have wanted to say “Yes, I believe Samuel has spoken under the direction of the Holy Ghost and that this sign will come.
Perhaps our skeptical friend would have answered:

WENDY: Then you’re a bigger fool than I imagined. But for your sake I hope it comes.”

MICHELLE: There is the hint of a veiled threat in his words that we do not yet comprehend. We listen with uneasiness to the rest of Samuel’s message but the words “one day and a night and a day” haunt our thoughts. The crowd becomes more and more agitated. Suddenly they are shooting arrows and slinging stones at the figure on the wall, but they cannot hit him and the words of Samuel continue. When they approach to bind him, his message delivered, Samuel leaps from the wall to return to his own people. “He was never heard of more among the Nephites.”

JESSICA: What reflection is contained in that single last line in Helaman! In the coming months and years, how often would we have wanted to hear Samuel assure us that his words were inspired, that he knew the sign would come, that he was sure of God’s promise and the coming of the Christ child? But he would not be seen among the Nephites again. How often would our scorning friends have picked at our faith, during those months and years, seeking to enlarge the tiny doubts we try to keep from entering our minds.

WENDY: Where is your Lamanite prophet? Why do you suppose he’s never returned? He didn’t stay to see the sun set, night after night, did he? But I imagine even a Lamanite prophet knows when he has uttered foolishness. Give up this ridiculous belief. It will always be dark when the sun sets. How can it be otherwise?

KARIANN: The Lord knows how to test his people. There is, however, one thing that we have on our side - Nephi. He is still the prophet, and he assures the faithful “ of things which must shortly come.” The Nephi to whom God gave all power is with us. The Nephi who humbled these same people with famine leads us. The Nephi who stood face to face with the corrupt lawyers and Gadianton robbers, predicting their assassinations, revealing their evil plans, and bearing witness of their sins, stands at out head. With Nephi our fears are calmed; but ever night we watch the sun set and every night the darkness returns.

JESSICA: When would the fears and doubts, the straining for faith, have become almost unbearable? The first year? The second? The third? What would have been our thoughts as the opposition grew and their mocking becomes increasingly threatening? How strong would our faith have been when the fifth year began and the sun set and the night came? How would our fears have increased when the power of the unbelievers became great and they proclaimed a day on which all the believers who did not renounce their faith would be put to death if the sign didn’t come? I wonder how I would have felt as I watched the twilight deepen night after night and thought of my children sleeping and the fate that awaited them if the night grew dark one time too many.
More and more we would have turned to Nephi to hear his calm assurance of faith - “The sign will come, the sign will come.” But there would have been other voices; and though we would have tried to shut them out, at night in the stillness they would have come and repeated the question asked so often, “How can there be light when there is no sun?”

MELINDA: Sometime during that last year a new factor enters the test. Nephi II, the strength of our people, is taken by the Lord. He gives his son Nephi III charge concerning the plates and “departs out of the land, and whither he went no man knoweth.” OH how this knowledge greeted us! The doubts it sparked anew! If Nephi II had died, we could have mourned his loss; but there would have been no awakened opportunity for doubt. But when he just disappears it is hard to deny new suspicions!

WENDY: “Where is your great prophet Nephi? Has he abandoned you to your deaths as Samuel did? Why do you think he left the way he did, sneaking into the wilderness to save his own life? Even he knows the sign is an impossibility. Are you still so stubborn in your old traditions that you can’t face reality? There will be no Christ!”

MICHELLE: On and on the mocking and challenging continue, and as we eagerly wait for the sunset each evening the smiles of silent reproach widen on the faces of those who anticipate the appointed day of destruction.

JESSICA: How would we have felt those last week as as we “watched steadfastly for that night and that day”? Would not our prayers have been fervent and deep and full of meaning? How does it feel to have hope dashed with every setting sun? How would we have felt those last days while our enemies prepared themselves for the coming slaughter?

KARIANN: On the last day Nephi, with deep concern, kneels and cries “mightily” for his people. The Lord speaks peace to him saying, “On this night shall the sign be given.” But Nephi cannot spread those words of comfort in a single day. The people’s faith will be tested to the last rays of the setting sun.

JESSICA: The scriptures are not clear on the method of destruction planned for the believers. Perhaps they were rounded up into the center of their cities or outside the walls where at sunset they would be put to the sword. Perhaps mob rule prevailed and every man sought out his neighbors. As believers, with our families we would have watched from our homes the setting sun. If given a final chance that afternoon to save our lives by renouncing our beliefs in the Savior, would we have done so? Would we have thought that if the sign didn’t come, life would have no meaning, for a life without Christ is no life at all?

MELINDA: Holding the hands of our families we step into the open light of late afternoon and watch what may be our last sunset. There is that moment when the sun hangs trembling at the brink of the horizon. It slips out of sight. There is a moment of hesitation, watching, hoping, and questioning. “is it getting dark? Are our lives forfeit?” Then there is the moment when the realization enters our hearts that the darkness if not gathering. It is getting, on the contrary, lighter and lighter!

JESSICA: If we can picture that moment, if we can transport ourselves past barriers of time, place and culture, we will hear a sound. It is the sound of Christmas. It is the sound of weeping, the sound of gratitude, the sound of joy and triumph and faith renewed and vindicated. It is the sound of mankind receiving with a love beyond words the incomparable gift of the Son of God into the world. It is the true spirit of Christmas - which isn’t the spirit of giving at all, but the spirit of receiving. Receiving the love of our Father and His Son, and in its reception with thankfulness giving God the only gift He seeks, that of a broken heart and contrite spirit. What a moment and what a sound that is! May it’s sound ring through all our Christmases. May we hear it again and again.

MICHELLE: What a night that would have been! With what “wondering awe” would we have searched the sky as the hours passed and the light grew as bright as noonday. We would have gathered in small groups of joy and happiness, almost not daring to believe what our eyes testified was true. Perhaps we would have sun the hymns of our belief. It would have been a night never to be forgotten.

KARIANN: With what emotion would we have greeted the rising sun after long hours of rejoicing? And when the star appeared, our wonder would have been born anew. I do not believe that an unlearned farm boy from New York could create such a story. I do not believe any kind of fiction could describe in such simple and undramatic language a moment, a time, a test, a faith as sublime as the Nephite Christ mas story. There WAS such a night of wonder and gratitude.

JESSICA: As a child I felt the wonder of Christmas in a worldly way. As a woman the wonder has turned to a deep appreciation and reverence. It is my hope that we may feel this wonder all of our lives. Especially on those nights when we watch the sunsets that settle the world into darkness.

(Jessica was nice enough to give me her notes for her lesson they are as follows...)

I LOVE this story! When I, like the author, really read it, and realized for the first time the wonder of it I was filled with joy! I was filled with gratitude , respect, and admiration for those Nephites who had the courage to remain faithful in the face of execution, for the realization that we are blessed today to also have a prophet like Nephi who pleads with the Lord in our behalf and mostly especially for a re-awakened understanding of what Christmas is all about. It is about our choice to receive the most awesome gift - the Love of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The opportunity to hear Him and follow Him and THEN, through this to show our gratitude by giving - kindness, charity, love, generosity, sacrifice, humility, faith, courage, obedience….gifts most precious to our Savior because not only will they change us but they will also bless the lives of everyone around us.

Growing up we, like most everyone, had Christmas Eve traditions. A wonderful dinner, a special FHE which always included my Dad reading the Christmas story to us from the Bible, setting out our stockings in our own carefully selected places. One thing I always loved though was when we read the story of the empty stocking. It is from one of my families favorite Christmas movies…an old black and white classic called The Bishop’s Wife. At the end, the Bishop reads to his congregation a story called the Empty stocking.

JODY: read the poem

After we had read this story we would each take a few minutes to write something we could do during the coming year that would be pleasing to the Savior - a gift of sorts. We would reflect on what we had written the year before and then add the new promise to the stocking. That little stocking is still bulging with those little slips of paper from my childhood and now there is a small decorated box under the tree at home where Steve and I, with our children, continue this tradition each Christmas Eve.

Over the next 5 minutes I’d like you each to think of something you can personally work on, do, accomplish, whatever it might be this year to bring you closer to Christ. Write it on your slip of paper and put it into your stocking. Then, keep your stocking somewhere where you will notice it daily throughout the rest of the Christmas season. Each year, when you unpack your Christmas decorations I would encourage you to, again, display this little white stocking, think of the Nephite Christmas story, and reflect upon your progress. Then start again working on the same goal or choosing a new one for the coming year.

I hope that we can all remember the message in the Nephite Christmas story…that the spirit of Christmas is most definitely about and begins with receiving!

At the end each girl received a homemade felt stocking with the poem. It was a good lesson :)

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
The girlies want to wear hats this year so I have been busy crocheting all day :)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Gift Ideas

I'm surrounded by creative people :) I feel lucky to be inspired by their ideas. Today I'm going to share two of those wonderful ideas with you. You've heard me talk about crafty neighbor girl (Wendy) but did you know not only is she crafty but she is also my son's preschool teacher...not to mention my girls' tumbling teacher? I was talking about all the amazing things Wendy does to my sister and she asked if Wendy could come be her neighbor. I think you will have to come live by me if you want to be her neighbor...I won't let her move away :) Back to the crafts.... My son Bryce came home from preschool last Thursday with this....

How adorable! This would be a perfect parent or grandparents gift this Christmas. I know I love it!

Next is an adorable poem my friend and neighbor Kristen came up with. I came home last night to find this poem with a bag full of frozen cookie dough bites on my doorstep. Pure genius :)

Perfect neighbor gift!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

YW SERVICE PROJECT

This is a copy of the most recent e-mail I have sent out regarding our YW Service Project. If you want to know more click HERE. You can also go down on my sidebar and click the link titled "YW SERVICE PROJECT". There you will find all the ideas associated with this project. I will not be sharing all the patterns on my blog due to I got permission to use some patterns that aren't mind but as I state in my e-mail the use is only for service. I'm sure you can make yourself a hat or two just don't go out there and sell them :) Here is the e-mail....

***********************************************************

Hey lovely women! I've been crazy busy (I'm sure you all have too) and forgot to send out the patterns. I've attached them and why I'm at it I just want to give a few reminders. First a few words about the patterns. These are for service or personal use only. ***Please only give these patterns for your YW to use or for your own personal use. I got permission to use one I didn't write but with the conditions we would be doing service with it.*** If you have any questions or need help with the patterns please e-mail me or call me. I'm always around to help! Ok...now on to the few other reminders.... I'm hoping each of you will be able to e-mail some sort of group YW pic as soon as you get a chance. For example...this is a picture from our YW blog....


Any picture will do. If your curious...I'm in the middle with the big puffy black vest :) As soon as I get the majority of pics I will e-mail them out to you. I will send a picture of our bulletin board focusing on this project soon. I am getting it ready. It will have a map and each of your locations will be pin pointed. My hope is to run a string to each of your pictures :)

Our group has gotten bigger. These are the names I have so far....please please please if I'm missing some info e-mail me and help me out!

*Melinda Beachell from the Battleground Ward (Battleground, Washington)

*Tara Curtis from the Continental Ranch Ward (Tucson, Arizona)

*Sharon Wood from the ? Ward (Springs South Africa)

*Barbie Williams from the Highland 1st Ward (Highland California)

*Shannon from the ? Ward ( ?, Florida)

*Wendy Jenson from the ? Ward (?)

*Amber Garvin from the ? Ward (?)

*Dawn russo from the ? Ward (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

*Janna Streibel from the Marsing 1st Ward (Caldwell, Idaho)

*Marye Eby from the ? Ward (Lehi, UT)

*Shelly ? from the Stockdale Ward (Bakersfield, California)

*Traci Pankratz From the Bitburg Military Ward (Germany)

*Vikki Playforth from the ? Ward (United Kingdom, England)

*Mary Pugh from the ? Ward (Boston, Massachusetts)

*Allena Allread from the Warrenton Ward (Warrenton, Missouri)

*Julie Bradford from the Cedar Hills 14th Ward (Cedar Hills, UT)

*Ginger Thompson from the ? Ward (?)

* Coreen Phipps from the ? Ward (?)

I know some of you are still trying to figure out how you will be able to participate in this project. If you would like me to take your name off the list just let me know. All these groups are going to look awesome on my map. I can't wait. Our YW are talking about this project nonstop :) That's a good thing!

Last of all if any of you have any ideas you would like to share...do it! I love ideas :) I hope you all have a very merry Christmas!!

Melinda Beachell
360-991-6472
beachellfamily02@hotmail.com
http://undermypolkadotumbrella.blogspot.com/

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Everyone is welcome to join. It's going to be a lot of fun and I truly believe serving changes people for the better :) I'm working on a fun idea to track our goal right now.

For some reason my blog isn't e-mailing me my comments. So if you write a comment and I don't respond I promise I'm not being rude. Sometimes it just takes me a while to find them!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Adorable Candy Cane Pattern

I love this "do it yourself" movement. I'm one of those people who walks by an item at a store and thinks "Why would I buy that? I can make it!". I admit sometimes I go home, attempt to make the item and realize I better just go buy it:)

This is totally a DIY item. Check out this candy cane ornament....

It was so easy! Just in case you are thinking it's not...I'll walk through the steps!

STEP 1: Cut out the pattern at the end of this post. Trace it onto 1/2 inch thick MDF. It will look something like this:


STEP 2: Sand that candy cane like it's nobody's buisness...because it is nobody's business how you sand your own candy cane:) I use sand paper and also my dremel. The dremel gives it some nice deep grooves.

STEP 3: Paint your candy cane cream or whatever color you hear desires. Let dry. I don't know about where you live but where I live things aren't drying like they did in that Summer weather (BTW I'm a Fall girl at heart!) so I put my candy cane by a heater. It dried within minutes.


STEP 4: This step might vary from person to person. Are you a perfectionist? Well good...welcome to the club. If you are a perfectionist get some painters tape. I cut a strip in half and then wrapped the strips around my candy cane. If you are super artsy and don't need tape just free hand the stripes.


Step 5: Paint your red stripes and let dry again.



Step 6: Remove tape.


Step 7: Again sand that candy cane until your achieve the desired look :) My Christmas tree is covered with these little beauties. They make me smile and that's a good thing! Here is the pattern...


Sunday, December 20, 2009

Climb a Mountain

I did this next idea with 2 of my beautiful maimaids as a personal progress project. Again I'm pulling it from my family blog to share. It was really hard but well worth it. These two girls often talk about this experience. What an accomplishment! I wish I had a picture of their YWIE poster. I think people were amazed!


Friday was the day. The mission: To climb Mt. St. Helens and two YW have their projects for YWIE completed. Mission a success! As I was climbing the mountain I was thinking what value climbing a mountain would fall under. Individual worth really sums up the whole experience. You have to reach deep within yourself to accomplish climbing a mountain and these two fabulous girls did it!


Here is our group.... Yes I'm the one who look like the dork:)


The girls look so happy in this picture. There were times we weren't so happy.

Seriana got blisters on both feet early on. She still made it to the top. She is amazing!


I didn't hear Nicole complain once. I'm so glad she got to come! When you work this hard you need a lot of breaks...




My husband is adorable. He even admitted climbing the mountain was hard. Good job honey!

The picture below is the last stretch. I think some people might go crazy there. You can see the top. It looks so close but you are exhausted and getting there sure isn't easy. As I was climbing there was a guy in front of me climbing on his hands and knees. He was really struggling. At one point I heard Jayson yell "Your almost there man! keep going!". When he made it strangers were yelling congrats to him. Climbing a mountain is kind of like life. Some times it's really hard. We struggle and sometimes have to get down on our hands and knees to make it. It's always nice to have those people cheering you on. I think when we make it to the top it will be worth it:)


The girlies at the top. What an accomplishment!


We forgot about how much work it was to get up there. This is what part of the climb down looked like....

What a beautiful world we live in!

Climbed the same mountain twice....my next adventure is knitting :)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Glass Jar Lantern

This is an idea we used at girls camp this past year. Our girls loved them. I can't tell you enough how much I love lanterns and even better they were practically free to make. We used battery powered tealights from the dollar store (they come two in a pack). That was for those who are worried about a bunch of YW carrying around fire at camp! Ahhh! Scary!



Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of something in the dark?! Crazy! The process of making this lantern was simple. I had a ton of canning jars sitting in my pantry. I pulled them out and cleaned them. I then cut out different shapes on my Cricut (I used contact paper). We are doing a flower theme in our cabin but I couldn't resist some polka dots! Oh I should mention you totally don't have to have a Cricut for these projects. It just makes life a whole lot easier (If you live by me you can come over and use mine). You can cut the shapes out by hand. Stick whatever shapes you choose on your jar and spray a glass frosting all over your jar. Here is a picture of the kind I used...
I purchased mine from Michaels. Bring your 50% of coupon (With the coupon I believe it's about $4.00) and it does about 25 jars. Not bad! I love this stuff. It dries within minutes and I could handle the jars. I tried another brand that was more expensive and came in a small spray can. It took FOREVER to dry (I'm not a patient person when it comes to crafts) and it also had a slight yellow tint to it. Go for the Valspar!



I do recommend you give it time to dry (do as I say not as I do!). After they are dry peel off the contact paper shapes and you are almost done. Last I added the wire as a handle. I think they ended up pretty cute. Can't you see a bunch of YW carrying these around? These lanterns would be fun as centerpieces for YWIE also!


Go HERE for a wire handle tutorial :)

YW Retreat

***Slowly but surely I'm transferring all of my YW ideas from my private blog to this one. If you have seen an idea before, I'm sorry It's a repeat! I just want to have all my ideas on this blog also. THANKS!***

Our YW are always saying they never get to go anywhere. So we decided to make it happen. My friends sister who owns a cabin in Mossyrock gave us a major deal that fit our budget! We decided to make the trip a fun retreat.


The first day we decided each taught a class the girls rotated through. The classes were things that the we had noticed that either girls were struggle with as a group or maybe just needed to be reminded of. My lesson was about reverence. I combined a bunch of ideas from sugardoodle. I am including my outline below but it isn't in a certain order. I usually feel out the group and then use the ideas that apply to them.

CHALKBOARD DISCUSSION:

Talk about what the meaning of reverence (a very predictable beginning with the very predictable answers) and listed what amounted to the definitions we learn in Primary.

QUOTE:

Read President Kimball’s definition of reverence: “We must remember that reverence is not a somber, temporary behavior that we adopt on Sunday. True reverence involves happiness, as well as love, respect, gratitude, and godly fear. It is a virtue that should be part of our way of life. In fact, Latter-day Saints should be the most reverent people in all the earth.” (We Should Be a Reverent People, [pamphlet, 1976], p. 4.)

CHALKBOARD DISCUSSION:

Reverent behavior vs. Irreverent behavior

Then we talked about why we should be reverent. I asked what it felt like. As they answered, I listed things like "peaceful" and "quiet" and then someone mentioned that the Holy Ghost is near when we are reverent so we listed "Holy Ghost" among other things. We also talked about irreverence and how people act when they aren't being reverent. We listed "loud" and "angry" and "scared" and "confused" among other things. This was a very short list. Our Reverent list started having things like "sacred" and "holy" and pretty soon we were talking about where we would rather be. We looked at the world and identified the non-reverent list with how the world is. We looked at the reverence list and decided that *this* is where we wanted to be. We wanted the companionship of the Holy Ghost. We wanted personal revelation. We wanted safety and peace. When we were finished, we realize that Reverence is a condition, a state of mind.

ACTIVITY

First I told the YW what reverence is and that we were going to do an exercise to help them experience it. I asked them to sit quietly and do everything I told them. (After you read through this, you might try the exercise yourself.) I asked them to close their eyes. Then I asked them to imagine themselves in the following scenario:

You are walking down a path in a meadow. The meadow is filled with beautiful flowers. Birds are singing. The sky is blue and the sun is warm. You feel quiet and happy. As you walk, you realize that someone is approaching you from far down the path. You walk toward each other for a while. Now you can see him clearly. You stop as you realize it is the Savior. He continues to walk steadily toward you. As he nears, you fall to your knees. He stops before you,
reaches down to take your hand, and lifts you to your feet. Then he embraces you. As his arms fold around you, you feel his spirit wash over your entire body. He steps back, and as you look into his eyes you see his gentle love and concern for you. You stay there for a moment just looking into his eyes. then, slowly, you turn and go back the way you have come. You walk back through the meadow and into your seats in this room. Now, open your eyes.

THOUGHT:
If we love the Lord, we will have reverence for him, we will have reverence for his house, we
will have reverence for the home, for ourselves, and for his priesthood.
(Marion G. Romney, “Reverence,” Ensign, Sept. 1982, 3)

THE MEANING OF REVERENCE…

Help them realize that it is more than being quiet.
It is a feeling of love and respect for Heavenly Father, Jesus, and their creations, as well as for sacred places.
It grows as we learn about Heavenly Father and Jesus and their love for us.
Have you ever thought what it means to be reverent? Reverence is a special feeling of Respect and Love. It is a feeling close to our Heavenly Father. It is caring about others, showing respect for them and being courteous to them. When we love our Heavenly Father, our families, friends, leaders, and teachers, we will respect them. We show our special feeling of love and respect for others by REVERENCE. When we listen to our parents, teachers, and leaders and do what they want us to do because we respect and love them, we are being reverent, as Heavenly Father expects us to be.

QUOTE:

"As leaders, we see some patterns related to reverence that, if not corrected, may open up chinks in your spiritual armor. For example, we have noticed a growing trend in the Church to arrive late at sacrament meeting, priesthood, and other meetings. Bishops and stake presidents report some members coming in as late as half an hour after the meeting has started. Occasionally there may be a legitimate excuse for not arriving on time (such as having an emergency appendectomy), but in most cases it is because you simply plan poorly or do not care enough. The ideal would be to arrive five or ten minutes early so you can sit in the chapel quietly listening to the prelude music and preparing yourselves to worship. Our sacrament meetings belong to the Savior. When you arrive late, it not only interrupts the reverence of others, but it is a sign of your own disrespect and apathy." -Elder Ballard in the July 2004 Ensign

As a reminder to be reverent I made the girls t-shirts.


I really can't sum up how much fun we had. I think the girls managed to stay up all night. For sure we made some fun memories :)

Friday, December 18, 2009

Cookie Exchange 2009

My friend and I just had our 4th annual cookie/ornament exchange. It was so fun. If you don't do one with your friends I suggest you start a tradition of having one. This year I found this cute invitation...


Click HERE to read more about these amazing invites. Hers are way better than my imitation :)
(Spatulas are from the dollar store!)

So you make your invite and tell your friends each to bring 3 dozen cookies. Out of those 3 dozen cookies, 1 dozen goes to what we call a "tasters table" and 2 dozen go to the exchange table. Everyone gets to go around and eat cookies from the tasters table.






The picture below is from before the party started. Check out the crystal looking cookie stand I built. Everything from the dollar store :)

We also have an ornament exchange. Each person brings a wrapped ornament and we play an exchange game. We have used THIS one the past four years and we still love it! I love my cute friends :)

At the end of the party everyone goes around exchanging cookies. Bring 2 dozen go home with a different 2 dozen. My kids were so excited to see me. You give them a cookie and they look like this...


It's worth every moment!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Words....

I'm pulling this post off my family blog to share with all of you. I mentioned a word of the year in my last post with the washers and I thought of sharing this idea so you all can be thinking of your word for next year. Here it is...

Today I got a chance to do a little blog surfing on some of my fav sites and I found this on Ali's site (BTW...she takes some AWESOME pics!!)...

"Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2009?
It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word."

We do this every year...with an exception...we do it as a family. So MY word also belongs to my family. For Christmas gifts for family and friends I shared our family word and also a message by Dieter F. Uchtdorf . "Make a courageous effort to hope. Even when everything around you contradicts this hope." Check it out...




The Infinite Power of Hope
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 21–24

My dear brothers and sisters and friends, what a glorious day for us to witness the announcement of five new temples by our beloved prophet. What a beautiful day for all of us.
Toward the end of World War II, my father was drafted into the German army and sent to the western front, leaving my mother alone to care for our family. Though I was only three years old, I can still remember this time of fear and hunger. We lived in Czechoslovakia, and with every passing day, the war came nearer and the danger grew greater.

Finally, during the cold winter of 1944, my mother decided to flee to Germany, where her parents were living. She bundled us up and somehow managed to get us on one of the last refugee trains heading west. Traveling during that time was dangerous. Everywhere we went, the sound of explosions, the stressed faces, and ever-present hunger reminded us that we were in a war zone.

Along the way the train stopped occasionally to get supplies. One night during one of these stops, my mother hurried out of the train to search for some food for her four children. When she returned, to her great horror, the train and her children were gone!
She was weighed down with worry; desperate prayers filled her heart. She frantically searched the large and dark train station, urgently crisscrossing the numerous tracks while hoping against hope that the train had not already departed.
Perhaps I will never know all that went through my mother’s heart and mind on that black night as she searched through a grim railroad station for her lost children. That she was terrified, I have no doubt. I am certain it crossed her mind that if she did not find this train, she might never see her children again. I know with certainty: her faith overcame her fear, and her hope overcame her despair. She was not a woman who would sit and bemoan tragedy. She moved. She put her faith and hope into action.

And so she ran from track to track and from train to train until she finally found our train. It had been moved to a remote area of the station. There, at last, she found her children again.
I have often thought about that night and what my mother must have endured. If I could go back in time and sit by her side, I would ask her how she managed to go on in the face of her fears. I would ask about faith and hope and how she overcame despair.
While that is impossible, perhaps today I could sit by your side and by the side of any who might feel discouraged, worried, or lonely. Today I would like to speak with you about the infinite power of hope.

The Importance of Hope

Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time. The scriptures are clear and certain about the importance of hope. The Apostle Paul taught that the scriptures were written to the end that we “might have hope.”1

Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness.2 Its absence—when this desire of our heart is delayed—can make “the heart sick.”3

Hope is a gift of the Spirit.4 It is a hope that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His Resurrection, we shall be raised unto life eternal and this because of our faith in the Savior.5 This kind of hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment,6 and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope. Hope in our Heavenly Father’s merciful plan of happiness leads to peace,7 mercy,8 rejoicing,9 and gladness.10 The hope of salvation is like a protective helmet;11 it is the foundation of our faith12 and an anchor to our souls.13

Moroni in his solitude—even after having witnessed the complete destruction of his people—believed in hope. In the twilight of the Nephite nation, Moroni wrote that without hope we cannot receive an inheritance in the kingdom of God.14
But Why Then Is There Despair?

The scriptures say that there must be “an opposition in all things.”15 So it is with faith, hope, and charity. Doubt, despair, and failure to care for our fellowmen lead us into temptation, which can cause us to forfeit choice and precious blessings.

The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward.
Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.

What, Then, Is Hope?

The complexities of language offer several variations and intensities of the word hope. For example, a toddler may hope for a toy phone; an adolescent may hope for a phone call from a special friend; and an adult may simply hope that the phone will stop ringing altogether.
I wish to speak today of the hope that transcends the trivial and centers on the Hope of Israel,16 the great hope of mankind, even our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Hope is not knowledge,17 but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future.18 It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.
In the language of the gospel, this hope is sure, unwavering, and active. The prophets of old speak of a “firm hope”19 and a “lively hope.”20 It is a hope glorifying God through good works. With hope comes joy and happiness.21 With hope, we can “have patience, and bear … [our] afflictions.”22

Things We Hope For, Things We Hope In

The things we hope for are often future events. If only we could look beyond the horizon of mortality into what awaits us beyond this life. Is it possible to imagine a more glorious future than the one prepared for us by our Heavenly Father? Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we need not fear, for we will live forever, never to taste of death again.23 Because of His infinite Atonement, we can be cleansed of sin and stand pure and holy before the judgment bar.24 The Savior is the Author of our Salvation.25

And what kind of existence can we hope for? Those who come unto Christ, repent of their sins, and live in faith will reside forever in peace. Think of the worth of this eternal gift. Surrounded by those we love, we will know the meaning of ultimate joy as we progress in knowledge and in happiness. No matter how bleak the chapter of our lives may look today, because of the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we may hope and be assured that the ending of the book of our lives will exceed our grandest expectations. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”26
The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptations, and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light.

We hope in Jesus the Christ, in the goodness of God, in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, in the knowledge that prayers are heard and answered. Because God has been faithful and kept His promises in the past, we can hope with confidence that God will keep His promises to us in the present and in the future. In times of distress, we can hold tightly to the hope that things will “work together for [our] good”27 as we follow the counsel of God’s prophets. This type of hope in God, His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges and gives strength to those who feel threatened by enclosing walls of fear, doubt, and despair.

Hope Leads to Good Works

We learn to cultivate hope the same way we learn to walk, one step at a time. As we study the scriptures, speak with our Heavenly Father daily, commit to keep the commandments of God, like the Word of Wisdom, and to pay a full tithing, we attain hope.28 We grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,”29 as we more perfectly live the gospel.
There may be times when we must make a courageous decision to hope even when everything around us contradicts this hope. Like Father Abraham, we will “against hope [believe] in hope.”30 Or, as one writer expressed, “in the depth of winter, [we find] within [us] an invincible summer.”31

Faith, hope, and charity complement each other, and as one increases, the others grow as well. Hope comes of faith,32 for without faith, there is no hope.33 In like manner faith comes of hope, for faith is “the substance of things hoped for.”34

Hope is critical to both faith and charity. When disobedience, disappointment, and procrastination erode faith, hope is there to uphold our faith. When frustration and impatience challenge charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our charity.

The things we hope for lead us to faith, while the things we hope in lead us to charity. The three qualities—faith, hope, and charity35—working together, grounded on the truth and light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, lead us to abound in good works.36
Hope from Personal Experience

Each time a hope is fulfilled, it creates confidence and leads to greater hope. I can think of many instances in my life where I learned firsthand the power of hope. I well remember the days in my childhood encompassed by the horrors and despair of a world war, the lack of educational opportunities, life-threatening health issues during youth, and the challenging and discouraging economic experiences as a refugee. The example of our mother, even in the worst of times, to move forward and put faith and hope into action, not just worrying or wishful thinking, sustained our family and me and gave confidence that present circumstances would give way to future blessings.

I know from these experiences that it is the gospel of Jesus Christ and our membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that strengthen faith, offer a bright hope, and lead us to charity.

Hope sustains us through despair. Hope teaches that there is reason to rejoice even when all seems dark around us.

With Jeremiah I proclaim, “Blessed is the man … whose hope the Lord is.”37
With Joel I testify, “The Lord [is] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”38

With Nephi I declare: “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”39

This is the quality of hope we must cherish and develop. Such a mature hope comes in and through our Savior Jesus Christ, for “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as [the Savior] is pure.”40

The Lord has given us a reassuring message of hope: “Fear not, little flock.”41 God will wait with “open arms to receive”42 those who give away their sins and continue in faith, hope, and charity.
And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely—I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in.

Never surrender.

Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.

Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart.
Of this I testify and leave you my blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Notes
1. Romans 15:4. 2. See Psalm 146:5. 3. Proverbs 13:12. 4. See Moroni 8:26.
5. See Moroni 7:41. 6. See Colossians 1:21–23. 7. See Romans 15:13. 8. See Psalm 33:22.
9. See Romans 12:12. 10. See Proverbs 10:28. 11. See 1 Thessalonians 5:8. 12. See Hebrews 11:1; Moroni 7:40.
13. See Hebrews 6:19; Ether 12:4. 14. See Ether 12:32; see also Romans 8:24. 15. 2 Nephi 2:11.
16. See Jeremiah 17:13. 17. See Romans 8:24. 18. See D&C 59:23. 19. Alma 34:41.
20. 1 Peter 1:3. 21. See Psalm 146:5. 22. Alma 34:41. 23. See Alma 11:45.
24. See 2 Nephi 2:6–10. 25. See Hebrews 5:9. 26. 1 Corinthians 2:9. 27. D&C 90:24.
28. See Romans 15:14. 29. Romans 15:13. 30. Romans 4:18.
31. Albert Camus, in John Bartlett, comp., Familiar Quotations, 17th ed. (2002), 790.
32. See Ether 12:4. 33. See Moroni 7:42. 34. Hebrews 11:1. 35. See Moroni 10:20.
36. See Alma 7:24. 37. Jeremiah 17:7. 38. Joel 3:16. 39. 2 Nephi 31:20.
40. 1 John 3:3. 41. D&C 6:34. 42. See Mormon 6:17.

Yes, kind of a long message for simple me but a GOOD one! I hope to share HOPE with all of you this coming year. I took this picture the other day and It makes me think of hope. It not the best picture..it's the meaning of the picture to me. Even when you are surrounded by darkness and you feel like you can't find your way...there is always a Light and a Way. "Never surrender."

Please post your WORD on your blog and let me know so I can be inspired by all of you!
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