Week 19: Go Forward With Faith

By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

Alma 37:6

Click HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Ideas from Lindsey: 

Give your family a small puzzle with one piece missing. Ask them to put it together. Explain that they need all the "pieces of the puzzle" (or gospel) to go forward with faith. You may even choose to write things on the back of the puzzle according to the lesson...prayer, scriptures, faith, obedience, etc.

Challenge all family members to read their scriptures and pray for one month straight. Select a reward for your family if everyone completes the goal.

Write a family mission statement. Include ways your family will go forward with faith.

Teach a lesson on journal writing and the importance of documenting faith promoting experiences. Consider creating a book where family members can write down miracles.

Have each family member share a faith promoting experience.

Make a "spiritual time capsule" for your family full of miracles and testimonies.

For the little ones...create a paper doll for the armor of God and label all the parts.

Cut out a paper flower (daisy or sunflower). Write "go forward with faith" on the center circle, then write all the things they need to do on the petals. Hand out petals or hide around the room. Tape up petals as you go. OR...create a train, balloon bouquet, whatever your family loves!

Week 18: Work and Self-Reliance

Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent.

Doctrine and Covenants 60:13

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Ideas from Lindsey:
Share with your family what your first job was and explain the importance of work in your life
Make a family budget together (or individual budgets/spending plans)
Mock Interviews (coach family members on interview etiquette and proper attire...then ask them actual interview questions)
Share inspirational stories from your ancesters about how they showed the importance of hard work and self-reliance
List marketable qualities that employers look for when hiring...discuss how to acquire these qualities. *I suggest also pointing out how the gospel and many programs in the church help prepare us to have qualities that employers are looking for.
Discuss idleness and the importance of avoiding being idle. List things that cause us to be idle and read the paragraph from the lesson about avoiding such activities
Reality Check Time! For those teens preparing for college/missions...write college spending plans together, taking into account how much money they will actually need to survive
For the little ones, have them choose something they REALLY want to buy.
Go outside and work together!!! 
"You can get something for nothing" discuss the dangers of gambling (as found in the lesson)
Write goals for the future
Define Self-Reliance

Here is a GREAT link from the primary: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25795141/Work-I-Can-Do-My-Part-FHE-Lesson

Thanks Amy!

Next Week's Lesson (the last lesson!!!): Go Forward with Faith

Week 17: Tithes and Offerings

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, … and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing.

Malachi 3:10

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Ideas from Lindsey:
Create tithing jars
Teach what 10% is by giving the rest of your family 10 of something they love (candy bars, dollars, toys, etc) and then of course, tell them they have to pay 1 of them in tithing.
Use this fun tithing maze CLICK HERE
Use this LINK for a FHE game for your family (includes making tithing cups
Make a TITHING WHEEL and play a game at the following link (includes songs, lesson, activity, etc.)
Discuss the importance of "offerings" and plan with your family how you can donate to others
Teach the law of the fast
Tithing Lesson: The Parable of the Skittles





Next week's Lesson: Work and Self-Reliance

Week 16: Sexual Purity

The sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org

Ideas from Lindsey:
Read the lesson straight out of the manual with your family
Teach your family the definition of VIRTUE
Show your family a picture of you on your wedding day, discuss the importance of being unspotted from the world when you get married
Do an object lesson on the Iron Rod and the importance of holding strong to the iron rod
Show the following video: Chastity: What are the Limits
Show the following video: Choose to be Pure
Show the following video: Return to Virtue
Teach your children some self defense moves
Make a family plan of action of how to stay virtuous (for example, set specific rules as to expectations in your family...and what they should do if they are ever in need of help)
Go through scenarios with your children and have them decide what they would do to stay sexually pure. For example, your high school friends invite you to go camping with boys and girls from school, what should you do to remain sexually pure? OR...Your college boyfriend (or girlfriend) invites you to come back and see his bedroom..Be creative


Links from Elders Quorum (with updated links in dropbox)
Sexual Purity
Physical Intimacy

Insights from Leah Young:
 I was asked to share a few thoughts about this upcoming weeks topic. It's hard because there is so much that can be said, when teaching ALL ages, about this subject. We love Linda and Richard Eyre and have paid a one time fee to be members on their valuesparenting.com site, where we have learned so much about how to go about talking and teaching our children about intimacy. I will continue to HIGHLY recommend this resource to ALL parents! Below is a mini section included in their "introduction" section of their "how to talk to kids about sex" section of the site.

Before I send you on to read that however, I think it's important to note that this is not a topic that we need to wait until the age of 8, or later, to start talking to our kids about. We can talk to little ones about how mommy and daddy show love with kisses and hugs and how we sleep in the same bed because we are married and it's such a fun thing to have sleepovers every night after you get married...in fact it's so fun and special and awesome that those are neat things that Heavenly Father says we get to do after we are sealed in the temple. It's something exciting to look forward to and it's so special that we want to save those fun things for after we are married to our husband/wife. There are many spins that can be taken, but keeping it simple, light and exciting is key. We really need to make sure that our kids understand how exciting and wonderful intimacy can be at the right time with the right person rather than taking an approach that leaves children feeling that intimacy is bad or wrong or shameful.

After our first "big talk" with Brinley we made a pact, the three of us, that we would always be open and talk to each other about "the special hug" whenever there were questions that came up. We have had several "booster" discussions with her since her 8th birthday and she will periodically come to us with questions after hearing things at school. We have been able to foster an enviornment that allows her to feel comfortable and open to sharing and discussing this topic.

Cody and I spent months talking about, reading articles on and practicing going through the "big talk" with one another prior to beginning the full blown discussions with our oldest. It is our thought and hope, with this topic as with all character qualities we strive to instill in our children, that taking the time and energy during these formative years will pay off in great dividends for the rest of their lives and ours as well.

Hope this helps,
Leah

Here is the Eyre's section:

It may be the most important talk you will ever have with your child! The

“big talk” about sex should come early (we recommend the eighth birthday), but it

is never too late! A “preemptive strike” can give your child a healthy, positive,

respectful view of human intimacy that will stand up to all the garbage that will

come from the media and the peer group. And being able to talk together about

THE MOST intimate subject will make any and every other subject “on limits”

between you and you child. But all parents need help with this subject! We tend to avoid it and delay it

and feel embarrassed and hesitant about it.

Parents all over the world want to know how to talk to their kids about sex in a positive, pragmatic way,
and they want reassurance that their voice and their influence can outweigh that of the

media and the peer group.

This pivotal discussion should be preceded by preparatory dialogues and followed by discussions designed to continue all through adolescence, each adaptable to your situation, your personality, and the age of your child.

Our theory is that the best (and most effective) reason for sexual restraint and responsibility is that it increases one’s chances for a successful and lasting long term commitment and for a safe and happy family. A child with this goal, this hope, this vision will make better decisions in every area of his or her life.

The adjectives “beautiful” and “awesome” are used repeatedly to symbolize this

positive approach. The single greatest protection for kids (and the strongest

motivation for avoiding early, dangerous sex) is to grow up thinking of sex as a

wonderful, spectacular miracle that not only makes babies but also can bind

couples and families together in a loyal, happy way. The words “beautiful and

awesome” will come to represent this to your child.

Next Week's Lesson: Tithes and Offerings

Week 15: Service

When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Mosiah 2:17

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson from LDS.org
Sorry followers...forgot to post the week for service! Having too much fun in Montana!