YW Lesson ... What is Grace?

(What I wrote on the chalkboard in class) 

I love getting to teach combined lessons on the first Sunday. This means I get to choose which outline..... which equals more options. I didn't really understand WHY I was being tugged towards the topic of GRACE when I was deciding and preparing. I just assumed it was because the Lord knew I needed to brush up on this topic. Heaven knows I do. I always learn more in Young Women's than I feel like I am teaching. But today in Testimony meeting I quickly and quite powerfully realized why this lesson needed shared. Today... one of the members of our ward who I have admired and adored for years shared her healing miracle of cancer that's been ravaging her body for 6 years now and the beauty of the Grace of God that took place in her life along the way. Today was a gift I hope NEVER to forget. I need to go jot down some things in my journal before I forget!

Anyway..... there were many different ways listed that this topic could be approached. I touched on several things and had the girls read a few different scriptures but the last half of class we listened to Elder David A. Bednar's talk.... "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease."    When you listen to this talk you will see why I created this fun handout to give the girls. I found the trucks at the Dollar store and had the small bags on hand to staple to the handout I shared below. It's already designed as a 4x6 print you can upload to Walgreen's or CVS and print like 4x6 photos. Just save it to your device and print! So much good stuff in today's lesson. Hope this can help some of you as you prepare this month! Happy March!

YW New Beginnings Invites 2018

Wow! I'm in shock how much time has passed since my last post. I guess life has been super busy and fun with my new calling so I haven't taken the time to update with handouts and gift ideas.... which there has been PLENTY of!!! I will resolve in 2018 to be better at updating here.  

I know when it was time for us (YW's Presidency) to start thinking about New Beginnings the first place we went for ideas was Pinterest. (duh!) Sadly we didn't find much that wasn't already done before so I came up with something myself. We are super excited for this special night and the decorating will be fun too!  I am in love with the scripture/theme for 2018. As soon as I read it I thought walking in His path (footprints) and for me personally.... the beach always calms my soul and brings me PEACE so this theme was a natural place for me to go. Plus, for anyone living in cold parts of the country right now.... this would be even MORE fun to have a SUNNY, WARM theme for the evening. 

I am posting the blank version I created BEFORE adding the wording so you can download it to your device and add your own details. It's already sized perfectly to upload to any one hour photo shop and get printed as 4x6 prints to handout for invitations to the parents and girls. I use Walgreen's because it's around the corner from my home and they also have online discount codes every week. 55 of these invites only cost me $11.00 so I am pretty happy with them!  

I will update with photos of our decorations and actual New Beginnings evening. Be sure and leave a comment if you decide to use this! I love hearing that it helped someone! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

***EDITED TO ADD ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FROM NEW BEGINNINGS***

Hi there! Sorry it's taken so long to update this post and add some additional photos from our actual New Beginnings evening. It was a HUGE success. I do have to apologize further though for NOT getting MORE pictures from our fun night. I didn't get any of our desert table that was so cute. It was decorated to match the front table that is pictured below.

One thing we did with the girls was had them all stamp images of their own footprints with paint. We then cut them out and laid them out on the floor of the cultural hall in a walking path. We numbered them and had the girls go around and guess whose footprints were whose! SO FUN!!!! 

Then the other photos are of the table that was at the front of the room which includes our scripture for the year.  

Chews To Love As Christ Loves

I sure love the "Come Follow Me" format the Church has adopted for teaching gospel principles. I love the discussions in our Young Women's classes that invite the spirit as the girls share examples of these principles at work in their lives. Seeing and hearing how your peers are growing their relationships with Heavenly Father and increasing their faith inspires them more than any leader can I feel. I love that it feels like I get to be guiding a discussion instead of just up at the front of a room for 30 minutes preaching to them. I am already in love with my new calling at church and hope the girls will feel my love for them as well.  

Yesterday I shared the "How can I develop Christlike love" lesson. I thought I would share the little handout I made for them. Just something fun. I found some bags of Hubba Bubba chewing gum at WalMart for $2 each. I got two bags since the lesson was combined and we have about 24 girls when they are all there on Sunday. This handout is great for anyone. Primary lessons, Visiting Teaching, anything!!  I posted the graphic I made for the tag so you can copy and save it and resize and print some as well. Hope you like it! Thanks for stopping by! 

Fun Conference Treat Idea

So last day of the month Visiting Teaching isn't normally my thing but in my defense... we had our routes changed last week and I'm just now getting to a gift-drop visit to my sisters in the morning... well... EARLY today since it's technically already Saturday as I'm typing this. 

Anyway.... Since General Conference sessions start today (YAY!!! MY FAVE!!) I thought I'd leave something fun and easy at each of my sisters' homes. A BIG bag of popcorn they can share with their families this weekend. I'm sharing the fun tag I created to attach also. 

Hope everyone has a blessed and inspired weekend! 

Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice - General Conference Notes

HI friends! Thanks for stopping by!  This morning when I was at the gym I found myself downloading an Audio Book through the Deseret Bookshelf app. This is my favorite way to “Read” because hearing the author speak seems to sink in to where I need it to go. It’s also a lot more practical being a busy mom who works from home and has a million things going on. I love getting on the treadmill and learning while moving!  

I didn’t get very far into the book by John Bytheway called Righteous Warriors before being inspired to create this fun worksheet to give our Youth… or anyone really… a place to jot down words from our General Authorities this weekend during Conference.  My new calling in our ward is 1^st Counselor in Young Women’s so of course I was thinking of them when the idea to design this came into my heart.

I have always loved John Bytheway and how he makes learning about the Gospel so fun and easy to relate to. He was referring to Alma 43 as he explained how Moroni, going into battle, seeked the advice of the prophet Alma to know where the threats were.  This same principle applies in our day. Every 6 months we are blessed with hearing the words and guidance of our Latter-Day Prophet and other leaders in our church as they give inspired counsel, direction, and even warnings about what we should and should not be doing as we prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ and to protect ourselves and our families from the war that 

Satan is waging against us. 

I’m a sketcher and a journaler so I love fun and creative ways I can take important notes. Hopefully this will be used to highlight favorite quotes and counsel but then placed somewhere it can be seen and referred to long after the words hit the heart and paper.  CLICK HERE TO GO TO A PRINTABLE PDF VERSION or save the image to your desktop and copy and paste it into a word doc to print. Either way.... ENJOY!!!!! And have a fabulous General Conference weekend! 

Love Notes

I'm excited to share this simple little thing that I think will make a HUGE impact on deepening our love and gratitude for each other here in our home. Living in a day and age where everything is created digitally or sent electronically.... I'm excited about this special place for HAND WRITTEN notes to each other. The guys in our home will have the solid black notebooks next to their beds and all the girls in our home will have the cute little heart ones on their night stands. I found those at the Dollar Tree by the way!!!! SUPER PERFECT FIND!! Anyway... These will serve as a place for us to leave notes to our family members as our hearts are nudged to!  Tell them THANK YOU for a kind thought or deed, tell them how awesome they did on their math test, tell them how much you love them and are glad they are in our lives.... WHATEVER.... handwritten notes. 

I personally plan on leaving little reminders in my phone at first to make sure I do this for each family member at least twice a week so I don't forget in the beginning. But can you imagine what a treasure this will be to keep forever close to your heart?? Special messages written to you from the people you hold dearest? I'm so excited! 

Here's the graphic I made for these through the AMAZING Rhonna Designs App so you can save this to your phone or desk top and print some to make for your family also! 

If you end up creating some I'd LOVE to see yours so be sure to come here and comment or tag me in your Social Media post! One more thing before I go.... I'm SUPER DUPER excited about a fun announcement I get to make next week!  SORRY FOR THE TEASER BUT I CAN'T WAIT TO SHARE!!!!  Have a great weekend friends! 

A fun and simple Baptism Treat

I just love the age group I teach in Primary. They are all so excited about turning 8 years old and making the decision to be baptized a member of the church. Their eagerness to learn and excitement is contagious. Here's a simple handout I designed that can be uploaded to any one hour photo and printed like a 5x7 photo. Glue on a Kit Kat candy bar and you're all set! A fun little Baptism gift for a boy or a girl! Who doesn't love chocolate and a fun reminder of your baptismal covenants! Thanks for stopping by!