[re]SOLUTIONS for 2016

I have made my goals for the year, and one of them is to read the Book of Mormon every day. Studying the Old Testament for Seminary this last year, I have let my Book of Mormon study get a little lax. 

I love the quote from Pres. Ezra Taft Benson about the Book of Mormon:

"There is a power in the [Book of Mormon] which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance." (The Book of Mormon -- Keystone of Our Religion", General Conference, October 1986)

I need life in greater abundance right now.  I need the blessings that come from a focus on the Book of Mormon! I need to de-stress.  I know that I will find greater strength and ability through my focus on the Book of Mormon! 

Drawings

A while back, I was talking about adding drawings to my studies, and over the last few months, as I have been studying the Old Testament, I have been drawing things in the margins, especially things that add to the understanding of a concept or definition.  Here are a few examples:

As we have been going through the lessons in Seminary, I have been adding drawings of the things that we are learning about.  The Tabernacle, for example.

Two weeks ago I got a wild hare to get much more decorative with my drawings and I have been having so much fun!

Again, I can't say enough about the wide-margin scriptures that you can find at www.bradjackman.com!  Having all that beautiful space to draw is wonderful! I am looking forward to continuing this as I go through all the standard works.  It is giving me a lovely outlet for my creativity, and my stress! :)

#ASaviorIsBorn

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has created a beautiful new video for the Christmas season called A Savior Is Born.  

Along with the video is a media campaign, using the hashtag #ASaviorIsBorn.  I used the video and the signs in my Seminary class, and I loved the phrasing that the students used!

A Savior is Born so I...

                ...could repent        ...could remember Him always

                                 ...could live with my family forever

...can be full of peace and happiness  
                          
                     ...could live and have a family

                                                            ...can repent and live forever

Aren't those wonderful, faithful answers?!  I love these kids so much!

This is mine:

In this world of turmoil and stress and distractions, I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the peace that His gospel and the blessing of His atonement bring to my life!

General Conference and Scripture Mastery

I did General Conference a little differently this time around. I told my Seminary students to text me every time they heard a Scripture Mastery scripture during a Conference talk, so I had to seriously pay attention to all the scriptures that were mentioned throughout the Conference.  (I did take personal notes, but I was heavily focused on the scriptures.)

Scripture Mastery scriptures (from any year) were mentioned 24 times during Conference.

Women's Session (26 Sept 2015)
Sister Carol F. McConnell -- Moses 1:39

Saturday Morning Session (3 Oct 2015)
Francisco J. Viñas -- Isaiah 58:13
Elder Quinten L. Cook -- Isaiah 5:20 and Alma 41:10

Saturday Afternoon Session (3 Oct 2015)
Elder Robert D. Hales -- 2 Nephi 9:29
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland -- Isaiah 53:4 and Moroni 7:45
James B. Martino -- Moroni 10:3-5 
Elder Dallin H. Oaks -- Alma 7:11-13 and Philippians 4:13

Priesthood Session (3 Oct 2015)
Elder Neil L. Andersen -- Doctrine & Covenants 8:2
Pres. Thomas S. Monson -- Isaiah 1:18

Sunday Morning Session (4 Oct 2015)
Pres. Thomas S. Monson -- Matthew 5:16
Elder Dale G. Renlund -- Moroni 7:45, 47-48
Gregory A. Schwitzer -- Acts 2:26

Sunday Afternoon Session (4 Oct 2015)
Elder D. Todd Christopherson -- Moses 1:39 and Ephesians 4:13
Devin Durrant -- 2 Nephi 31:20
Sister Carole M. Stephens -- John 14:15 and Doctrine & Covenants 1:37-38
Allen D. Haynie -- Moses 1:39
Koichi Aoyagi -- Abraham 3:22-23 and Moses 1:39
Elder David A. Bednar -- Doctrine & Covenants 1:38

I love the Ponderize idea from Devin Durrant as well, and I am looking forward to adding that to our Seminary class!  I want to use it with our Scripture Mastery each week.

Sticky notes

Today at the end of Seminary class I gave each of the students a sticky note and asked them to write down the most important things they learned in Seminary this week.  Their answers were wonderful! I am so glad I did this!  It is definitely going to be a weekly thing now!  It made my heart happy!  What an uplifting way to end the week!

Seminary has begun!

All summer I have been preparing for Seminary!  Studying scriptures, attending trainings, completing the on-line trainings, emails to coordinators with questions, etc..  It has been a wonderful, yet a time-consuming process.  I keep sitting down to add to this blog, and then something would come up and now it's already begun!

As we hadn't made a list of people to do the Devotionals yet, I gave one today, on my favorite scripture, Helaman 5:12.  I read the scripture and I shared an experience that I had very recently that applied to the scripture.  I am sharing that experience here, with more details than I offered to my students.

In the process of preparing for Seminary, there have been several times when I have felt overwhelmed at the magnitude of the responsibilities of my calling.  It seemed that there was always something MORE that had to be done.  In addition, for the past three weeks, I have been waking up at 5:00am in an attempt to get my body acclimated to the earlier mornings.  This has been difficult, as I haven't always been able to get to bed earlier.

One morning, about a week ago, as I was waking up and rolling out of bed I remember having a thought come to my head that I needed to go online and find some lesson ideas that other people have used to make preparing easier. Because of the rock on which I have built my foundation, I almost immediately recognized that thought as a temptation of Satan.  Do less, find a shortcut, you have so much to do already.  That is his tempting message.  

In the trainings this summer, I have been told over and over that I must rely on the Holy Ghost as I prepare, as my class is different than anyone else's and Heavenly Father knows these students better than I do and will guide me in the things that I should do and teach for this particular class.  (Not to say that I can't use ideas that others have had!  As a first time student, I am relying on the ideas of others to help get me started, but I should not just use what someone else has done to make it easier on me.)  

It may seem a small thing, that one little thought, but I feel that Satan would never tempt me to do drugs or steal a car, as he knows that is something I would not do.  But, he can try to put little, seemingly insignificant thoughts in my head, that if followed, could eventually lead me away from relying on Heavenly Father and His Spirit for guidance and direction.

I am so grateful for this calling and I am grateful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost in my preparation and as I teach!  I am relying on it!!

My humble little Seminary classroom

For My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures

I found this on Pinterest, but I don't know where it came from before that, but I LOVE it! Beautiful! There is SO much going on in life right now that I haven't had time to post, and I miss it.  I am gearing up for Seminary, all the summer activities my kids are doing, my two jobs, etc., etc.. With all of this going on, I value the time that I have to slow down for a portion of my day and read and study the scriptures! It is my delight!