Friday, February 18, 2011

God's Prophets speak to us at General Conference Sharing time

Sharing Time-God's Prophets speaks to us at General Conference
September 2013 Week 2
"Prophets and Apostles Show Us How to Serve Others"
 

Credit for jar label- blog.poultonfam.com
http://blog.poultonfam.com/megan/files/2010/04/Warm-Fuzzy-Jar-copy.jpg

Sharing Time- President Monson speaks to us at General Conference
 

God's prophets and apostles speak to us in General Conference and tell us the things we can do to make our lives better and become more like Jesus Christ. They often to tell us to obey our parents, read the scriptures, pray and serve other people. We are going to use a general conference talk by the prophet, President Monson during today's sharing time. It is called,"Have You Done Any Good in the World Today" given at the October 2009 General Conference.
http://lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/what-have-i-done-for-someone-today?lang=eng&query=have+done+someone+today

A few years ago, the prophet Pres Monson was asked the question ~ what he would like for his birthday? He answered "Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely, and do something for him or her.” This is called service, and service is important because when we are baptized we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ and Jesus spent each moment of his life serving or doing things for other people. Big acts of service, small acts and secret service are ways to become like our Savior and choose the right. He is the perfect example of how we should treat others around us. When we serve other people, we are showing love for our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ "When ye are in the service of your fellow being, ye are only in the service of your God” So President Monson received hundreds and hundreds of letters telling him of how children just like you were able to choose the right by serving others.


As you watch the video(I burned it to a CD off the internet) of a part of President Monson’s talk, I would like you to think about these questions- What did the primary children do to show service, What was the question President Monson asks us at the end, and what can we do this week to show service to someone?
1) What did the Primary children do to show service?- (Use pictures to help recall some of the Primary stories The pictures are attached to envelopes(post office gave them to me free) that are addressed to President Monson. attached to the picture inside, I handwrote these letters like they were really from kids and signed them, "small child", "8 year old girl", "11 year old girl", etc.) Sorry I cut these "Friend" pictures pre-blog!!

I got the envelopes at the post office for free. They were happy to give them to me for teaching. I addressed them to President Monson, 50 E. North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 and then I made a stamp with his picture.
Toy closet picture-could use http://platinumgalleria.com/kidkraft_limited_edition_toy_box_white_girl.JPG From an 8-year-old girl: “My sister and I served my mom and family by organizing and cleaning the toy closet. It took us a few hours and we had fun. The best part was that we surprised my mom and made her happy because she didn’t even ask us to do it.”
Picture of babysitting- An 11-year-old girl wrote: “There was a family in my ward that did not have a lot of money. They have three little girls. The mom and dad had to go somewhere, so I offered to watch the three girls. The dad was just about to hand me a $5 bill. I said, ‘I can’t take [it].’ My service was that I watched the girls for free.”
Picture of boy and water- http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_537/1284050073diFFOO.jpgA Primary child in Mongolia wrote that he had brought in water from the well so his mother would not have to do so.
Picture of army dad and hug-  could put together this picture http://olive-drab.com/images/clipart_gallery/people_army_soldier.jpg on a page with this girl hugging mom http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nV4pBNYj6XY/TSnfJn44tXI/AAAAAAAAAyI/G33p-dO6mBw/s1600/hug%2Bfrom%2Bmom.jpgFrom a 4-year-old boy, no doubt written by a Primary teacher: “My dad is gone for army training for a few weeks. My special job is to give my mom hugs and kisses.”
Picture of girl picking strawberries- could use http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/evgenyb/evgenyb0706/evgenyb070600067/1124800-closeup-of-child-s-hand-picking-strawberry-in-fruit-garden-in-summer.jpg Wrote a 9-year-old girl: “I picked strawberries for my great-grandma. I felt good inside!”
Playground picture Friend January 2010, p.21  pg. 21 of http://lds.org/churchmagazines/FR_2010_01_00___09261_000_000.pdf       And another: “I played with a lonely kid.”
Picture of boy visiting a Grandma- could use pg 3 of
http://lds.org/churchmagazines/2003/Apr2003Friend.pdf
http://www.soentpiet.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/grandma_hugging_boy_merchant_lv.jpgFrom a boy: “I went to a lady’s house and asked her questions and sang her a song. It felt good to visit her. She was happy because she never gets visitors.”
 
Picture of warm fuzzy jar http://blog.poultonfam.com/megan/files/2010/04/Warm-Fuzzy-Jar-copy.jpg- One very creative Primary sent a large jar containing hundreds of what they called “warm fuzzies,” each one representing an act of service performed during the year by one of the children in the Primary. I can only imagine the happiness these children experienced as they told of their service and then placed a “warm fuzzy” in the jar.

2) What was the question that President Monson asked us at the end? (What have you done for someone today?)
3) What can we do to show service this week? Secret service? What is something you can do for someone else that would give them that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. brainstorm with a larger warm fuzzy ball and toss it to the children that have ideas of how to serve someone this week. It can be a family member, friend, an adult, (if it is a friend or an adult, be safe and have a parent help you, or at least know you are doing it)
During the next month, the Primary presidency is challenging you to choose the right by doing service. If you serve someone or more, big or small, next week you will be able to put a warm fuzzy in this jar to show that you did service. Then we will have the challenge again for the next week, and the next. Hopefully, we will fill up our jar with lots or warm fuzzies and service. Each of your teachers have a paper warm fuzzy for you.(Just pieces of construction paper cut into fuzz balls.)On your warm fuzzy, write or draw one thing you can do to serve someone this week and then you can put it in our big jar on the chalkboard. Then next week you can put a real fuzzy in the jar for the service.
Ideas if children get stuck-
  • Send a note of cheer or thanks in the email
  • Do something for MOM today!!!!!
  • Take in your neighbor's trash can, mail or newspapers
  • Give someone a smile! it can go a long way!
  • Wink!
  • Visit the elderly or homebound
  • Cook a meal
  • Visit someone who is sick. Send them a "care" package
  • Send flowers anonymously to cheer someone up
  • Pray to someone in need
  • Watch younger siblings with care
  • Lend a listening ear and an understanding heart!
  • Compliment someone
  • Share a scripture
  • Share a talent you have with someone, like giving karate tips to someone younger
  • Give a call to someone
  • Leave a note of appreciation on a doorstep, on a pillow, or in a lunchbox
  • "Phantom" someone with goodies
  • Take out the trash
  • Rake leaves
  • Keep an eye out for neighbors children
  • Pray for someone
  • Sit with an ill person
  • Ask a temple recommend holder to put a name on the prayer roll that is sick
  • Weed a neighbor's garden
  • Share vegetables or flowers from your garden
  • Help mom when she is tired
  • Leave anonymous gifts, money, etc. for someone in need
  • Speak well of others. Pass on only good information. Never gossip
  • Stop to visit with someone
  • Say "HI" to someone who looks like they need a friend
  • Leave a note on someone's bed or pillow, or something to uplift them
  • Make someone's bed
  • Clean up after dinner for mom
  • Read a story to a child or a younger sibling
  • Do a family member's chores for them
  • Put coins in expired parking meters for people so they don't get a ticket
  • Clean the house while Mom is gone
Continue project during first few minutes of Primary as the children filter in from Sacrament meeting for a month. Could have one share a warm fuzzy with the Primary and then invite the Bishop in after three weeks and give as a Primary present for his office.


8 comments:

  1. This is a great idea! I might have to do this at some point for our little branch Primary here in Bulgaria. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Which branch are you in? My husband served his mission in Bulgaria. He was mainly in Vurgas, Mladost, Pernick and the mission office! Thanks for the comment!:)

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  2. Great idea! For junior primary, I am also going to bring a warm blanket to wrap around a child to show how you "feel warm inside" when doing service.

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  3. love this idea thanks

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  4. Wonderful idea! Do you remember which issue of The Friend that you pulled those pictures from?
    Also, the link to the picture of the toy closet doesn't work. There isn't a link to the baby-sitting one. The first link with the army dad and hug didn't work.

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  5. How did you download the video? it's excellent!!

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  6. I am also wondering how you downloaded the video.

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  7. I used this general idea yesterday for sharing time. We talked about how prophets are good examples on how to serve others. Then I showed the video clip. Then instead of filling a jar with warm fuzzies I cut out crazy shapes and had each of the kids write a service they had done on them and we glued them to a poster. I added Pres. Monson's quote and a scripture then hung it on the Bishop's door. They kids had fun and the bishop loved it.
    Thank you again for inspiring another great Sunday lesson.

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