Kindness

Greetings!

Tonight my oldest daughter wanted to do FHE. She disappeared into her room and came out later with a lesson, story, and activity all ready to go.

She picked a great topic too: KINDNESS. I am thankful that she could see that it is just what our family needed to hear.

It was a sweet lesson with a great story about kindness, a scavenger hunt that had the boys work to show kindness to complete, and then a visual lesson.

Meet Don't Do It Ducky

 This little duck tells you DON'T be kind, DON'T be nice.

Our goal for the week is to "make him fly South and stay out of our house".

This is Be Kind Bear:

This is the bear that helps us all show love and kindness to each other. We "want him to stay on our shoulders all the time".

Thanks sis for a creative and uplifting lesson. We love you very much!

Keep the Faith...

Challenges and Rewards

I have been really pondering on this a lot lately. It is really easy to question our Heavenly Father's reasons for things that happen to us. I have to admit that I have let this attitude really eat away at me for the past few days. I have had a hard time this week feeling like a good person, a person of worth. I know that my wife and children love me (thank goodness) and I know that I have good friends around me (for which I am very thankful), but I still find myself sinking further and further into darkness and depression.

I over heard my students talking about how you could die if you accidentally took too many pills. I chastised them for talking about such things. Inside it brought up a lot or sorrow and pain. You see, I lost a really good friend several years ago to that very thing. He didn't think there was any other way out. He didn't think that anyone cared. Then he was gone. Those feelings have been eating at me too. He tried to call me the night he took his own life, and I wasn't home. I didn't see the caller ID until the next day. Could I have made a difference in the choice that he made? Would he still he around to make me laugh today and see my kids if I had been more aware! I know it isn't my fault, and I know that things happen for a reason, even if we don't know what it is right now.

This week I have been questioning my talents and abilities as a teacher. It seems that I have the same problems year after year. Now, using simple deduction, I am the only constant year after year. So hence, I am led to believe that I am the cause of my own trials and frustrations. Knowing this is true for all people, I shouldn't feel all that bad, after all, if EVERYONE brings it on themselves, then I am like everyone else. But that explanation isn't going to cut it this time. I could easily list my weaknesses here (but won't out of embarrassment for the length would be) and discuss each one. However, that wouldn't prove helpful either. So, let's move to the Rewards part of this post.

So, as I have pondered, stewed, fumed, berated myself, and finally have given up and lost hope, I realized that I am looking at this all wrong. As I thought about all the problems I am currently having, I have learned that I use the word "I" a lot! My wife did an amazing FHE on looking for the good in others. I think it was for me. Each night since, we have taken a few minutes after scriptures and discussed and written down all the good things we have seen other family members do. I need to have one of those notes stapled to my forehead.

It seems that when I step in my job location, all that I know, feel, love, and understand gets turned on its head. It confuses and frustrates me as to why I can't keep things in perspective. Why do I care if the kids talk a little? Why should it matter if the kids don't bring their homework or sit and do nothing? Or...
I am so confused as to why I can't let go and let God. Will I feel like a better teacher? Will I feel like more of a failure? Why? What are the answers?

My reward is this: I know that God loves me. I am his son and he won't give me more than I can handle. Does that make everything all better right now?  Unfortunately no. Does it make me feel better at this moment? A little bit. It is still hard to see the goal when the forrest of anger, frustration, and despair spring up to block the way. But I will make it through...I will...

FHE with my Son

Tonight my oldest son decided he wanted to teach the FHE lesson. I get nervous when my kids want to teach the lesson. Sometimes they don't put much thought in to what they plan to do. The dosen't hold true with my oldest son. He is a true gem, just a little spacey at times (I think that is common with 5th graders!). He taught a lesson about Jonah. He found a story in the Friend and explained what they story represented (that we should listen to the Lord the FIRST time he asks).

We had to run a few errands and then we came home and had our treats and are watching Veggie Tales "Jonah and the Whale". It is a great version.

I am grateful for kids that want to teach me about the gospel.

Keep the Faith...

Jesus and the 10 "Leopards"

It was my 5-year olds turn to teach family home evening last night. Talk about a great lesson. Last Sunday in primary, his teacher (also his grandma) did a lesson on gratitude. The kids colored a picture of Jesus and the 10 lepers and made some little game to play.

Due to me being gone for three days, we had FHE last night instead of Monday night like we usually do. We all gathered around and started with the opening song, scripture and prayer. Then my little Z started is lesson. He sat on our piano bench and held up his picture he had colored and told us the story of the ten "sick guys" who went to see Jesus. After they were healed, "The guys all ran away because they were so happy, and one guy talked to Jesus". (My 5-year was doing great. The other kids were actually listening better than they do to my wife and I. I was smiling both inside and out at this little warrior and his amazing memory and teaching). When I pressed a little for more information, he did know the answers: The other were did not show how "thankful" they were for Jesus making them better". Then he really made us laugh. He asked us if we wanted to know the name of the man who had returned and thanked Jesus. My wife and I looked at each other a little shocked and also with smiles. "Sure," I said. "What was the man's name?" After all, maybe he knew something I didn't. He said, "Well. His name is spelled I-V-E-E." We all DIED laughing. "Ivee?" I asked. He got a little embarrassed. Then he tried to get silly. We go the lesson back on track however.

My daughter, in conjunction with my Z-man had setup a great family activity where we did what they did in primary class as well. She had a bowl full of water with a teaspoon in it and a second smaller bowl with a small cup in it. We each took turn saying up to 4 things we were thankful for. With each "thing" we put in a teaspoon of water. By the end the cup was running over (with all the gratitude our family felt). It was fun to hear what each of the kids was thankful for. They said some cute things and I am glad that they all mentioned how thankful they were for each other. My oldest son even said that he was thankful that we were all a family. That made me feel like maybe my wife and I ARE doing okay as parents.

We ended FHE by singing "I am a Child of God" and having family prayer. Oh, and we can't forget that for dessert we had ice cream bars- YUMMY!

I really am grateful for such a great little family. We aren't even close to being perfect, but I think that I am learning to accept the fact that as we strive to draw closer to our Savior and follow his teachings, we will be blessed. I love the FHE program and I know that it will bless the lives of those who will faithfully hold it each week.

Keep the Faith...

They DO Listen...

I think at times we grow so frustrated with our children because we feel they are not listening. I know in our house Family Home Evening seems to disintegrate weekly in to Family Fight Night. I often wonder if I have any parenting skills in my body at all. When the kids are screaming at each other, teasing, fighting, and chasing each other, I have to close my eyes and tell myself over and over that I LOVE MY KIDS! :)

However, every once in a while, something will happen that let's a parent know that his kids DO listen and that maybe, just maybe there is hope for him in the parenting department.

I had been working on my college work (papers, papers, papers, reading, papers, papers, etc.). The kids asked me to look at what they had made. I was engrossed in what I was doing and it took me a minute to pull myself from my train of thought (I think this is partly from being a man). I turned to see that my oldest two children had made a "temple" complete with a golden angel Moroni!

I smiled- both inside and out. It was a testimony to me that regardless of what is going on on the surface with our children, they really DO listen. This means that the next time you are tempted to mutter under your breath remember that they ARE listening! I know that as we seek to enrich and bless the lives of our children we will find blessing and success.

Keep the Faith...

Let's Be Peacemakers

Tonight my sweet little 7 year-old daughter did the lesson for Family Home Evening. She wanted to do it based off what they had learned in church yesterday. She marked the opening and closing songs, assigned jobs, and made a cute little game to play. We drew actions from a hat and decided if they were "good" or "bad" choices. Then she would slide a little game piece up of down. When it was all done, we were closer to the "good" side and we all cheered. Next we listened to her read us a story about being kind and not judging. For the finale we went to the kitchen table and drew picture of ways we could be kind to others. For dessert we had homemade cheesecake (YUMMY!). My mom and dad showed up right after that so we had a little interlude and visited for a few minutes. After they left we sang a closing song and had family prayer.
While the evening was far from perfect with the older boys fighting and a tired 11 month-old screaming through most of it, I can sit back and be thankful for many things.
1) That I HAVE a family
2) That despite the trials and frustrations, I really do have wonderful caring kids
3) That I really lucked out (or rather was TRULY blessed by the Lord) to find such an
amazing wife!
4) I am grateful that we have been commanded to hold Family Home Evening. I know the
kids are listening and getting something even when it feels like a big waste of
time!

What a glorious gospel we are blessed to be a part of in these latter-days! I just hope that I can be worthy of all that the Lord as in store for me! I know that if you will hold FHE regularly with your little (or big) families, you WILL be blessed-

Just Do It...