HUGS!

This week for my YW lesson (Manuel 3, lesson 23) we are talking about Overcoming Opposition. The scriptures tell us "there must needs be opposition in all things"(2Nephi 2:11). With that in mind, we are going to do some fun flash cards. The cards will have words like up, out, in for which I will ask the girls to tell me their opposites. The words will start to get a little harder as we progress to words like discouraged, faith, etc. We will talk about the fall of Adam which made it possible for us to know sorrow and happiness. Although we don't ask for trials and opposition, they can help us become stronger.

Sometimes hugs just aren't enough to carry us through opposition, but there are some things we can do to get through it. For my handout, I have a little baggy of Hersheys Hugs. Attached to each Hug is one of the 12 ways listed in the lesson to help us overcome opposition.

Puzzled?

Last week In YW's the lesson was on keeping an Eternal Perspective. I brought 2 children's puzzles with me. (24 pieces each) To one group of girls I gave the boxed puzzle with the picture and to the other group I gave just the puzzle, no picture of what it was to be. After they put them together, we talked about how much easier it is to complete a puzzle when we have the picture of the finished product. We talked about how our perspective changes as we grow and learn. Our Heavenly Father knows where we are in our life and our challenges and knows we can make it through them. Having an eternal perspective is having the faith that there is a purpose greater than we can comprehend. It's relying on our faith that our Heavenly Father will guide us if we ask for his help. I gave each girl this handout, advising them when we get confused or "puzzled", try to see things as our Heavenly Father does!

BTW-the puzzle idea came from my friend Raeshel Hortin! Thanks Raeshel!

p.s.

I used Max's puzzle for the hand-out. Evidently it was his favorite because when he saw them he cried! This puzzle was missing pieces so I didn't think he would care, my bad! I did try to explain eternal perspective to him, he wasn't buyin' it!

Click on it for larger view!

Knowledge is Power!

One of the many blessings we have as Latter Day Saints is the knowledge that we have a purpose. We know that when this earth life is through, we continue on in the Spirit World. We also know that things of this world-monetary things, will have no value. The only thing we can take with us is our knowledge. Money seems to be the grease that moves the wheel in this life and I wanted to have an analogy that my youth could relate to. I came up with this poem. I reminded the young women that a single penny alone really isn't worth much, but if it's treasured and saved among others, it's value grows. The same is true of the things we learn in this life. All of life's lessons should be treasured as gold and collectively they help us grow stronger.

*Click the picture to see a larger view!

The Optimistic Monkey!

A few months ago, my YW lesson was on optimism. I had one of the girls wear a stuffed monkey on her back. She clearly could function, although putting on a sweater was problematic. We talked about how negativity is sometimes like the monkey. We can function, however often times carrying the extra baggage makes things difficult. As a handout, I wrote this poem and attached a little monkey key chain I bought online at http://www.orientaltrading.com/ If you click on it you

can see a larger image!