Showing posts with label family traditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family traditions. Show all posts
Saturday, April 2, 2022
General Conference Preparations - Thoughts in 2022
I love general conference weekend! In our home our general conference participation has changed over the seasons. But I love the traditions and practices we have done. Happy memories! It still brings the family together.
Here is an invitation! Life can be stressful. But at general conference, you can find peace. Take some time to ponder what questions you have for God. Then don’t miss the inspiration the Lord has in store for you. Tune into general conference April 2–3 and see what’s possible because of Him. You can watch online at www.churchofjesuschrist.org.
There are many ways to get ready. Things to do to set apart the weekend. Honestly, it is like a fun holiday for me. But don't put too much pressure on yourself. Don't feel bad if your conference participation looks different than someone else. Each season of our lives looks different, and it is okay.
For instance, in the spring of 2014 I did a blog post, "Preparing for General Conference, our Conference Tradition" (https://rejoicerecordandremember.blogspot.com/2014/03/preparing-for-general-conference-our.html) . That post explains a lot of the ideas our family did for general conference. With older children (ages 27-18) our preparations and what we do now looks different than a season or two ago. And it is great! The efforts and preparation my husband and I made to make general conference a priority and special when our children were younger has paid off to be a big blessing. Consistency, diligence and sprinkled with some fun!
One of the main things for preparaing for general conference, I feel, is to personally prepare by opening our hearts and our minds to receive from God and Jesus Christ through the spirit.
This week in studying Exodus 7-13 with the "Come, Follow Me" study, I saw a lot of connection to my preparations and approach to general conference from the hard heart of Pharaoh and his actions. As well as the plagues and consequences of Pharaoh not listening and obeying God.
President Nelson knows a lot about hearts and at age 97 years old he has seen a lot of the trials and afflictions (plagues) throughout the world. I can trust him. President Nelson knows Jesus Christ. President Nelson hears Him and hearkens to His counsel so he can lead the Church and Christ's people today. I know it! Just like the prophet Moses, President Nelson is also a prophet. A living prophet on the earth today. What a blessing!
Enjoy general conference!
Friday, December 1, 2017
Come, Let Us Adore Him and #LIGHTtheWORLD Resources
Recently my family was asked to share what we do at our home during the Christmas season to remember the Savior. My initial thought was goodness, am I? Have we in the past? I hope we do, after all it is His birthday and He is the reason we celebrate Christmas so I hope I/we are remembering Him a lot. With a few more minutes to ponder this question, I quickly remembered that we have a tradition of going to Temple Square to see the lights on the First Monday after Thanksgiving. Seeing the wondrous statue of Christ, the beauty and of all the lights, the nativities and being together as a family sure kicks off the season and helps us remember Jesus.
We make an effort to gather as a family and watch The First Presidency Christmas Devotional the first Sunday in December with hot cocoa. I love how the messages and music are all inspiring and focus on the true spirit of Christmas. We try to decorate our home and tree together. A few nativities and other Christ-centered items help us remember Him with the atmosphere of Christmas decor. Music of Christmas fills our home, but not until after Thanksgiving. On Sunday we keep the music playing, however it is more holy and appropriate for Sunday worship. There are so many beautiful Christmas songs! Truly more songs than there are days in December to listen to them all.
One of the main things we do daily in December, is use a "Come, Let Us Adore Him" Advent Calendar that appeared in the 1989 New Era. (Please note, there is another advent another advent that appeared in the 1998 New Era, but it is a different one.) While we have not been doing this since 1989, it has been a yearly tradition in our home since about 2004. I have made it work for our family year after by cutting out the daily items and putting it into our Santa advent wall hanging. Instead of doing our normal morning family scripture study during December, the advent becomes our focus. Each day has a scripture reading, a hymn or Christmas carol to sing, and a suggestion of something to do that day to grow closer to the Savior. It's simple, it's easy and does not take too much time (unless we miss a few days and we have some catching up to do.) Below is a sample. At the end of the post, I'll share the entire outline I copied and created. You can also find the original article here: https://www.lds.org/new-era/1989/12/come-let-us-adore-him-an-advent-calendar?lang=eng
Day
|
Scripture
|
Hymn
or Carol
|
Suggestion
|
1
|
Matthew 18:20
Remember the Savior’s
promise…
|
“Oh,
Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns, 1985, no. 202.
|
Invite your family to join you in each day’s reading and singing.
|
2
|
Mosiah 3:5, 8-10
At Christmas we
celebrate much more than the birth of a baby—we celebrate who that child
already was, and what he would yet become. Christmas is a time of looking—to
the past, with its glimpses of pre-mortal glory, and to the future, with its
promise of eternity.
|
“I Believe in
Christ,” Hymns, no. 134.
|
As you decorate for Christmas, choose or make a decoration that will
remind you of the Savior and his mission.
|
Today was December 1st, our first day to start! This morning we announced that are family was still going to continue doing the "Come, Let us Adore Him" advent ALONG WITH the Christmas initiative #LIGHTtheWORLD (I'll share more ideas and resources later on). Around 6:45 a.m., after the family announcement, I had one child proclaim they were not going to sing this morning. We skipped the singing. A bit later I got some inspiration about making a Spotify playlist - a "Come, Let Us Adore Him" playlist! Which includes songs that go along with the advent calendar. This way, I can play the songs in the morning while everyone is getting ready for the day. I will share the playlist with them so they might consider taking some time on their own to listen throughout the day. Today the song was "O, Come All Ye Faithful" and I found many different versions of this song. It was enjoyable finding them and listening to all of the various arrangements. See, thus my example of too many songs to hear them all during the month of December.;) My plan is to continue to add the suggested daily songs throughout the month. Not all of them are Christmas carols, some are Hymns and songs from the Children's Songbook, but I'll do my best to find them on Spotify and add them. The scripture advent has been a great tradition for our family, and I am happy to share one of the ways we strive to remember the Savior during the Christmas season.
The #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign, is another fabulous way to remember Jesus and add light and happiness to your own life and to others. Last year's campaign was great and this year is going to be even better! You can find out more here https://www.mormon.org/ and I hope you'll choose to join in too! There are so many gifted and talented people, which have added their creative twist on the celebrating and freely sharing too. I made a CHRISTMAS bookmark on my PC to save some websites and resources and wanted to pass along what I have found.
- First, obviously is #LIGHTtheWORLD main page. Check out this page everyday!
- Here is a digital advent calendar with lots of daily goodies. You'll want to bookmark this one for sure! "Each day click on the door to open and reveal 1) Christmas Story video, 2) Christmas Carol/Song, 3) Uplifting video clip about sacrifice/sharing/giving, 3) Light The World, a way to serve others to follow the spirit of Christmas. Feel free to share this with your family and friends." This activity is great to do on a tablet with your kids cuddled close or on the family PC during breakfast or dinner time.
- If you want a free printable kit to help you and your family #LIGHTtheWORLD, with ideas and suggestions to do, check out The Red Headed Hostess. There are some adorable little ornaments and tags that can be printed and cut out and added to your own family advent pockets. That is what I did! Also, on there are links to 25+ other bloggers with more ideas and resources to help #LIGHTtheWORLD. You'll want to follow The Red Headed Hostess on Instagram, because each day are service ideas and additional quotes.
- A friend told me about The Small Seed website with free downloads also for the Light The World Christmas Campaign https://www.thesmallseed.com/blog/2017/11/20/light-the-world-2017-christmas-download
- Many of us like digital and like the calendar on our phones. Here is a link to someone who created a #LIGHTtheWORLD Google calendar! I love this, because I use the Goggle calendar APP a lot. I like to import my children's school calendars, which saves me so much time and helps keep us organized. Anyway, this blogger writes, "we want to help everyone participate in sharing goodness this Christmas, we collaborated with 20 other bloggers to create a #LightTheWorld Calendar. Each day will have ideas from Mormon.org as well as ideas from a bunch of talented contributors." ALL ON A CALENDAR THAT YOU CAN IMPORT TO YOUR OWN CALENDAR! Check this resource out, as it will also work on other calendars too.
- If you are in the Salt Lake area, the Deseret News had a few articles with Christmas events around the area and a list of Christmas Television Programs. Some of these happenings are sure to help you in your holiday celebrating and with more ways to remember Jesus Christ this season!
I am grateful for all of these people who have "freely received and are freely giving to others" (Matthew 10:8) as they share their talents with so many of us!
I want to make room for Jesus everyday in my life. Especially at Christmas time when we celebrate HIS birthday. I have made a covenant with Him to always remember Him and I don't want to get so busy that I crowd Him out or forget the reason for all the merry celebrating. Neal A. Maxwell said, "Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus." Let's all make more room for Jesus in our lives and let's find joy as we #LIGHTtheWORLD! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
On the first day of Christmas we bring this gift to you,
So the true spirit of Christmas can join your family too.
Now throughout this holiday season, as the days get hectic and long,
Gather together at the end of each day - share a scripture, story and song.
With your hearts and voices joined together, the spirit will ring loud and clear,
And we hope that this time spent together will fill your holidays with cheer!
We were introduced to the following advent calendar, entitled “Come Let Us Adore Him”, which was
originally printed in the New Era (December 1989). This is something our family plans to do this
holiday season and thought your family might enjoy it too.
Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!
This advent reviews the Savior’s entire mission from pre-mortal councils on through his future return as Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Each day between now and Christmas you’ll read one or more passages of scripture, moving from epoch to epoch across the vast span of the Redeemer’s work. Each day there will be a suggestion of something you can do to grow closer to the Savior. There will also be a hymn or carol to sing. Here are the day’s suggestions:
Day
|
Scripture
|
Hymn
or Carol
|
Suggestion
|
1
|
Matthew 18:20
Remember the Savior’s
promise…
|
“Oh,
Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns, 1985, no. 202.
|
Invite your family to join you in each day’s reading and singing.
|
2
|
Mosiah 3:5, 8-10
At Christmas we
celebrate much more than the birth of a baby—we celebrate who that child
already was, and what he would yet become. Christmas is a time of looking—to
the past, with its glimpses of pre-mortal glory, and to the future, with its
promise of eternity.
|
“I Believe in
Christ,” Hymns, no. 134.
|
As you decorate for Christmas, choose or make a decoration that will
remind you of the Savior and his mission.
|
3
|
Luke
17:12, 14, 15, 17
All
that we have—the air we breathe, the light by which we see—are gifts from a
loving Father and his Son. In this season of giving, let us give one of the
greatest gifts we can offer—a grateful, humble heart.
|
“Count
Your Blessings,” Hymns, no. 241
|
In one of your prayers today, give thanks for
every blessing you can name, without asking anything.
|
4
|
Matthew
14:15-19
Many
people are hungry—not just for food but for love, for acceptance, for
support. Some are starving spiritually. Jesus knew how to feed every kind of
hunger. In our small way we can do the same.
|
“Tell
Me the Stories of Jesus,” Children’s Songbook, 1989, p. 57.
|
Feed someone spiritually. Write your testimony in
a Book of Mormon and give it away.
|
5
|
D&C 88:6-13
Christmas shines with lights—on trees and
houses and city streets. As we recall the bright star over Bethlehem, do we
remember the Source of all light?
|
“The
Lord Is My Light,” Hymns, no. 89.
|
Look up at the heavens and think about who made
the sun, moon, and stars. Record your feelings in your journal.
|
6
|
3
Nephi 17:5,6,9
Jesus
was a healer. He touched away blindness and filled withered limbs with new
life. He restored the mind and soul. Surrounded by much hurt and sorrow, we
can, in our own way, be healers also. Sometimes a kind word and a helping
hand are all that is needed.
|
“I
Need Thee Every Hour,” Hymns, no. 98.
|
Try to be as kind as possible to others today.
|
7
|
Isaiah 53:3-5; Matthew 11:28
The Savior knows the weight of our suffering
and the depth of our pain. He has
suffered for us, and he loves us without reservation. There is no problem so hard or despair so dark
that he can’t help us if we let him.
|
“Come
unto Jesus,” Hymns, no. 117.
|
Go out of your way to befriend someone who needs
a friend. Follow through in the days
and weeks to come.
|
8
|
3
Nephi 12:3-9
The
greatest blessings aren’t those of getting but those of becoming. Consider what Jesus taught…
|
“More
Holiness Give Me,” Hymns, no. 131.
|
Foster peace on earth by not quarreling with your
brothers or sisters.
|
9
|
Luke 10:3-34, 36
In a world divided by national, religious,
political, and racial hatreds, it’s time everyone reviewed Jesus’ answer to
the question, “Who is my neighbor?”
|
“Because
I Have Been Given Much,” Hymns, no. 219.
|
Do a good deed anonymously.
|
10
|
Moses 4:1-3
We take our free agency for granted, but it
was seriously challenged before our mortal lives even began. This Christmas let’s give thanks for the
one who defended our freedom.
|
“How
Great the Wisdom and the Love,” Hymns, no. 195.
|
Use your free agency to set some goals for
yourself. Seal a copy in an envelope
to be opened in a year.
|
11
|
Matthew 25:37-40
We could labor every day of our lives and
still not repay the kindness of our Lord.
But he has shown us that there is a way to serve him.
|
“A
Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief,” Hymns, no. 29.
|
Visit someone who is sick or lonely.
|
12
|
3
Nephi 13:19-20
The
Master taught that it isn’t what you have that counts; it’s what you
give. Giving of yourself can fill your
world with joy, not only at Christmas, but also all year long.
|
“I
Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Hymns, no. 214.
|
You’ll treasure the time you spend helping
others. Do volunteer work for some
worthy cause.
|
13
|
John
11:35, 36, 41, 43, 44
We
don’t like to think of illness or death at Christmastime, but these shadows
can fall on any season. Jesus taught us an unforgettable lesson in empathy
when he shared the grief of his friends after the death of Lazarus.
|
“Abide
with Me!” Hymns, no. 166.
|
Do something to bring cheer to someone who has a
reason to feel sad.
|
14
|
3 Nephi 17:12, 21, 24
Christmas would hardly be Christmas without
children. They are so much of the
magic in the season. The Savior also
loved children. In both the New World
and the old, he called the little ones to him.
|
“I
Think When I Read That Sweet Story,” Children’s Songbook, p. 56.
|
Do something fun with a little brother or sister
or some other child.
|
15
|
John
14:15; Matthew 7:12; Mark 10:43-44; John 13:34-35
Turmoil
and strife, combat and competition—our world is full of the consequences of
man dealing with man. But the Savior
told us how to truly succeed, through peace on earth and good will toward
men.
|
“Love
One Another,” Hymns, no. 308.
|
Today tell someone that you love them. Express love for the Lord in your prayers.
|
16
|
Matthew
18:21-22; Matthew 6:14-15; 3 Nephi 12:44
Jesus came to lift our burdens. One of the heaviest burdens we carry is
that of hate. In teaching us to
forgive, the Lord set us free.
|
“Did
You Think to Pray?” Hymns, no. 140.
|
Try to forgive someone who has wronged you. If appropriate, go to him today and be
reconciled.
|
17
|
3
Nephi 18:1,3,5,7,9-11
Have
you ever wished you could be baptized again and start over fresh? When we repent of our sins and partake of
the sacrament worthily, we renew our covenants and are clean.
|
“While
of These Emblems We Partake,” Hymns, no. 173.
|
As you partake of the sacrament, make a special
effort to think about the Savior.
|
18
|
Matthew
8:23-26
We
all have storms in our lives—storms of fear and anger and regret—storms at
home and at school. The Master’s hand
can calm all our tempests.
|
“Master,
the Tempest Is Raging,” Hymns, no. 105.
|
Be a calming influence today. Try extra hard to
control your temper.
|
19
|
Matthew
26:39; D&C 19:16-19
The
greatest victory of all time was not won on a battlefield but in a quiet
hillside garden.
We
cannot fully understand the cost of that triumph, but as Christmas draws near
we should at least try.
|
“How
Great Thou Art,” Hymns, no. 86.
|
Accept the gift of forgiveness. Pray to Heavenly
Father about some weakness and ask for help in repenting of it.
|
20
|
Matthew
27:28-30; Luke 23:33-34; Mark 15:29-32
Some
things are almost too painful to think about.
To see our Savior mocked and murdered is one such thing. And yet, through the scriptures, we should
visit Calvary from time to time. We
must never forget Jesus died so that we might live and live more abundantly.
|
“There
Is a Green Hill Far Away,” Hymns, no. 194.
|
Read the accounts of the crucifixion in the four
Gospels, and then write your feelings in your journal.
|
21
|
Matthew
28:1-6, Isaiah 25:8
The morning of Christ’s resurrection was the
brightest morning in all history—a time of transcendent joy following the
gloom of the crucifixion. The words of
the angel still echo down the centuries undiminished. He is risen! Those words signaled more than the triumph
of a God. They proclaimed the supremacy
of life over death. As we celebrate
Christmas, we also celebrate the free gift of immortality for all
mankind.
|
“He
is Risen!” Hymns, no. 199.
|
Read the accounts of the Resurrection in the four
Gospels and 3 Nephi, and then record your feelings in your journal (see
Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, 3 Nephi 11).
|
22
|
John
6:35; John 10-14; John 11:25; John 8:12
As the holidays get busier and busier, we
become involved in so many things—running errands, attending parties, buying
presents, and choosing wrapping paper and ribbons. It’s easy to become focused on material
things. Instead, let’s remember where
our lives ought to be centered.
|
“The
Lord Is My Shepherd,” Hymns, no. 108.
|
Go look at Christmas lights and think about where
all light really comes from.
|
23
|
D&C
76:19-20; 22-24
Jesus
is no mere figure from the past, captive in the pages of scripture. He lives today! He holds the universe to
its course, and guides the work of his servants on the earth.
|
“I
Know That My Redeemer Lives,” Hymns, no. 136.
|
Go out with friends singing Christmas carols, but
add some hymns about other aspects of Christ’s ministry.
|
24
|
Matthew
24:27, 29-30, 36, 42
Jesus
came to Bethlehem a humble babe, born in poverty. But he has promised to return to earth in
majesty. Then heaven and earth will be
reconciled, and the King of Kings will reign.
|
“When
He Comes Again,” Children’s Songbook, p. 82.
|
Try to live this day as if it were the day of
Christ’s second coming.
|
25
|
1
Nephi 11:14-15, 18-21; Luke 1:30-32, 34-35, 38; Luke 2:1, 3-16
Jesus
was born in the meridian of time, thus giving an ideal vantage point from
which to look both backward and forward.
For the last 24 days you have stood, as it were, in Bethlehem, gazing
in both directions. You have heard the
Master’s voice in pre-mortal councils. You have seen him suffer, die, and
rise again. You have watched him
return triumphant in the clouds of heaven.
Now you are ready to focus with greater joy on that moment when heaven
came down to earth.
|
“Joy
to the World,” Hymns, no. 201.
|
Consider what gift you could give the Savior and
determine to give it all year long.
|
We hope you’ve enjoyed this Christmas pilgrimage through the life of the Savior. If you have, there is still one last gift to open. Open your LDS edition of the Bible to the Topical Guide and look under “Jesus Christ.” You will find 18 1/2 pages of references! Christmas may be past, but you can go right on reading about the Savior’s mission. In fact, what you received here was only a small taste of the scriptural feast available. The suggested activity for this day and the rest of your life is to read and enjoy the word of God as found in the Holy Scriptures. Give yourself a gift that fills every day of your life with the real spirit of Christmas. (December 1989, New Era, "Come, Let Us Adore Him: An Advent Calendar)
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Preparing for General Conference, our Conference Tradition
Less than a week away before we
get to participate in General
Conference. I'm excited! This has become an anticipated event
for me and for the most part, I think the rest of my family too.
When the children were younger they would do conference bingo or coloring-type activities as they watched and listened. Doesn't mean the kids were angels, because some of these activities worked only for a short time (even if M&Ms or Skittles were involved for the Bingo markers). Yep, we had our fair share of weeping and wailing, and quite often from my husband and me. It was hard to get everyone to listen and be quiet for that many hours. But we just kept at it each year, conference by conference. Our efforts are beginning to pay off.
I have tried to make conference time enjoyable and memorable for our family, but it does require some preparation. Besides making, copying, or putting together little packets of activities (please see additional website links at the end of this post for more activity ideas), we have always displayed large photos of the Prophets and Apostles on our wall. Which were easily purchased at the Church Distribution Center. Sometimes a child would put sticky notes on the picture after the apostle/prophet spoke - keeping track of who spoke and who was yet to speak. A few times I would jot down little notes on the post-it about what their message was about and later review as a family at Family Home Evening. Displaying the pictures, I feel, is a nice way to get younger children familiar with the names and faces of the apostles. Each of the pictures is in its own page protector. So after conference, the blue adhesive putty is removed from the back and the pictures are all placed back in a 3-ring binder ready for the next conference. Additionally, over the years I have cut out articles about the prophet's and apostles’ personal life, which have appeared in some church magazines, then stored that too in the page protector along with the picture. This has allowed us to learn more about our leaders and to better relate to them and their conference messages. These days, this information is easily available and can be researched on LDS.org. Another entertaining way we've learned the names of the apostles and the order of them being called to serve, is by watching and listening to the Prophet and Apostles Song; not necessarily Church approved, but helpful and fun.
A few years ago, I saw on KSL-TV a fabulous idea a family shared for their General Conference tradition. I loved it! You can view it here and get a better idea of what I'm about to explain. The idea involves food and there is some preparation that goes into it, but it is well worth it, trust me. We assign a certain food item that is to be eaten when each of the apostles speak. For example, when Elder Scott speaks we suck on butter"scot"ch candies. President Monson enjoyed fishing, so we eat gold fish crackers. We drink individual containers of chocolate milk when Elder Anderson speaks, because he grew up on a dairy farm milking cows. And the list goes on. All of the snacks are gathered and placed in a basket, unless it requires refrigeration of course. Attaching a tag to the food item and a similar tag on the apostle picture posted on our wall, has become helpful so everyone knows what the next treat will be. It's a lot about the food, right? But there is a catch, in our home you have to be watching or listening to get the snack. This has become a really fun tradition and it's been great for our entire family to think of snack items to coordinate with each prophet and apostle. It’s great to shake it up, so we don't necessarily do the same food items each time. I mentioned earlier the additional bio information that is added to the prophet and apostle pictures; for researching and finding good food ideas to go along with each apostle, the info has come in very handy. This snack idea is an enjoyable tradition and seems to work great for our family, but if it's too much, I also found a scaled down snack idea another family uses for their conference tradition and you can find it here.
I recently found that the Church has a whole web page on how to prepare ourselves and our families for General Conference. Addressing important topics such as: why we need prophets, or the blessing of General Conference, or how General Conference addresses individual circumstances, preparing children for conference, and more. Great subjects for a Family Night discussion!
Now that our children are older, conference time has become a true joy. Something to rejoice in! I look forward to it and hope my children do too. It’s the tradition I love. General Conference at our home is not only spiritually uplifting, but a lot of fun - pajamas, conference bingo, yummy breakfast, air mattresses and blankets, silly snacks, note taking and just being together as a family listening to living prophets is a joy!
I welcome your comments sharing what you do in your home for General Conference. Below are additional web sites with creative General Conference ideas I have gathered over the years. This is all making me think I should create a Pinterest account, so I can have a General Conference board. :)
A few days after the original posting, I found a few more websites with more General Conference ideas! I am so grateful that there are so many creative people willing to share their ideas and creations. Thank you!!!
http://www.ldsliving.com/story/75387-100-conference-activities-for-kids (This is a link to 53+ ideas)
http://www.simplyfreshdesigns.com/2012/01/quiet-book-apostles-prophets/
https://www.theredheadedhostess.com/teach/general-conference-teach/general-conference-trivia-game/
https://www.theredheadedhostess.com/teach/general-conference-teach/make-your-own-general-conference-review-game/
http://www.ldsliving.com/story/75395-fhe-following-the-prophet
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)