Prayer Journal

Keep a prayer card or journal beside your bed. Before you pray contemplate on what it is that you need to pray about. Write the date and what it is you are specifically praying for at that time. Leave a couple lines between each concern. There are some things that you will always pray for and there is not specifically an answer. Just write the things that hoping to recieve an answer for or help with. Continue to take down notes as more concerns come throughout time. When a prayer is answered or unanswered(and you see the reasoning behind it) write it down next to the original concern with the date. It is testimony building to see how prayers are answered and also fun to look back and see the different events and concerns going on your life. This would also be good to do for family prayer to help your children to see the power of prayer and be more aware of the things we should pray for.

Object Lesson on Support

In California there are huge Redwood trees that are know for their enormous size. Some of them are over 2000 yrs. old and still standing. The reason these trees have done so well and able to grow so big is because of their root systems. It differs from the way many trees' roots behave. Most roots tunnel down for support from the ground, but the Redwood trees spread their roots horizontally. This enables them to knit their roots with other Redwood trees around them. Because the Redwood trees support eachother through their root system, they are able to reach their full capacity and stand much longer than most trees. I like to relate this to the family/ward/friends- we need to ground our roots in the same way that the Redwood trees ground theirs. We need to tightly knit our roots together so that we are there to help each other reach full capapcity and help them stand when times get rough.

Favorite Quotes

"When we walk into a room we are influencing it."
"It is not the way you feel around others that matters, it is the way you make others feel when they are around you."  Hillary Weeks
"Be believing.  Be happy.  Don't get discouraged.  Things will work out."  President Hinckley
"There is no more faith-promoting and discouragement-chasing experience than to kneel before God."
"Spending Time with Children is more important than spending money on Children." Anthony Douglas Williams
"When the mess is gone, the children are Gone too."

Recommended Books

Awake Arise and Come unto Christ- Sheri Dew
Press On- messages on faith, hope, and charity from Joseph B. Wirthlin

The gift of Encouragement

Ephesians 4:29
Present a little silver box with a bow on top. Talk about how our words should be like a gift. Always build up others and speak kind words.

Object Lesson on Trials

"When the rain came down and the floods came up the house on the rock stood still." We are told to build our house on the rock. I believe most of us have been working to build our houses on the rock. But when trials and tribulations come upon us sometimes we think why is this happening to us when I have worked so hard to build my house upon the rock? What we need to realize is that our house might be built on the rock, but the rain is still going to fall and the floods will still come up. Hard times will still come our way even when we are built upon a firm foundation. But it is that firm foundation that will keep us where we need to be.

Object Lesson on Eternal Perspective

Draw a large X on the board. Talk about all the things that we are told not to do in the church. Things that others might call restrictions from having fun. Examples: no drinking, no premarital sex, no dating until 16, no swearing, no immodest clothes, etc. This all seems hard to follow and like we are being told what not to do all of the time. A lot of people believe we aren't enjoying life or experimenting, or know what life is really all about. The part they are not seeing is that by doing those things they are only restricting themselves. Although it may feel at times like we have this big X on us of things not to do- as we continually make righteous choices the X opens up and gives us more opportunities for happiness than those that thought they were experiencing happiness. A choice not to have premarital sex during our teenage years means experiencing the joy of the temple and being sealed to your spouse and children for eternity. All the small choices that are made that feel like restrictions will eventually become blessings and bring much more joy than the instantaneous moments of happiness from making unrighteous choices.

Object Lesson on Sin

A talk was given in sacrament on sinning and as the speaker was giving his talk he held up a white piece of paper in front of him as he spoke he slowly removed the front paper and placed in back of the pile. The paper that followed next was just a tint darker than the paper before it, barely enough that a person would pick up on the sublte difference. After sometime of speaking and changing the paper he showed the difference between the first and last paper which was very noticeable. That is very similiar to how sin sneeks its way into our lives. As we justify little by little and become comfortable with small unrighteous changes we can barely see that we are slipping away from being pure and white. Before we know it we have changed and may feel dirty/dark.