All In A Day's Work (Sort of)

I got home from a quick trip to Utah last weekend (not a quick return flying stand-by, but the price was right and I got to see my sweet grand babies, so I am not complaining one bit) and realized that the next lesson I would teach introduced the liahona to Lehi's family. I had expected to be home earlier in the week to prepare but all of the sudden, this important lesson was staring me in the face.
I was looking for a picture on the internet that I could print out and use as a visual aid, but, as with most of my lessons, a picture for something this prominent in The Book of Mormon wouldn't do.
I still needed to un-pack and get settled from being gone,but Megan needed some supplies for a school project which led led me to an afternoon adventure.
I was walking through Michael's Arts & Craft store when I spotted an intricately carved metal pumpkin.
This Seminary teacher's brain did not see a pumpkin. I saw a potential liahona! (I can't help myself!)
I bought the pumpkin and by late afternoon, I had turned it in to a liahona, and it was ready to be found outside our "tent" aka classroom door, the next morning.

Click HERE for details and more photos.

The "Before"

 During

 During

 During

 During

 After

Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John Seminary Activity

Hurricane Sandy is getting closer to our area so today was our "Friday".

We work hard all week in class and I like to use Friday as a review and change of pace. We clean up our room and move to the Cultural Hall for the last 15-20 minutes of class time. I plan something lively and interactive to reinforce what we have been learning all week.

Today we played "Apostles Turnover"...what do you mean you haven't played Apostle's Turnover? Well, have you played Fruit Basket Turnover? If so, then you have played Apostles Turnover.

Click HERE for directions to this game. 

The Seminary adaptation is that instead of everyone receiving the names of a fruit...they were Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. When it was time to say "Fruit Basket Turnover" the person in the middle said, "Apostles Turnover" 

Below are some pics of the game. Some of the kids have had homecoming activities at their schools this week, hence the costume-type dress. Watch for my separate blog of Seminary ideas. I have so many I want to share and it will be easier to get them all in one place. It looks like I will be hunkered down trying to stay dry as the feeder bands from Hurricane Sandy dump on my area all weekend. School closes early today and totally tomorrow. Happy Weekend all!

Seminary

This morning, I started my lesson with the following numbers on the chalkboard:

700

4,000

I asked my students what those numbers have to do with them.

They were right in the ball park with their answers.

700 is the average number of missionary applications submitted each week.

4,000 is the approximate number of applications received last week, with a little over half of the applications from young women.

Wow! We are truly living in a blessed time of history.

As often as possible, I point out that Seminary is the best Missionary Preparation class, and in many cases, the ONLY Missionary Preparation class they will have. For the boys, if they choose to serve a mission at 18 years old, they will go straight from Seminary to the MTC (MIssionary Training Center) No more Institute or Missionary Preparation classes during the first year of college.

As one of my students stated, the age change for missions just made a mission feel "real" for him. In other words, a mission is closer than he thinks.

I discussed how this number and the opportunity to serve a mission earlier than anticipated should affect the way they study the scriptures.

This week, we are spending most of our lesson time learning HOW to read and study. We teach that reading the scriptures is a commandment, but all too often, many youth (and adults) are discouraged when they don't understand what they are reading or don't know how to use footnotes, topical guide, etc. 

I used the points at the beginning of the New Testament Student Manual to break down scripture study in to 3 areas:

 Before, During, and After. This is information I know I will need to refer to all year long as I encourage scripture study.

Object Lesson:

The most important aspect of Scripture Study is APPLY.

To illustrate this, I had one of my students come up front and I pinned several bags containing healthy food all over his shirt. I asked how this related to scripture study..the food won't do his body any good on the outside, it needs to be eaten, digested, and become part of him to give him nourishment. This is the same with spiritual food. We must ponder, digest, and make it part of us. As President Eyring taught, we must get the doctrine deep inside our hearts.

Breakfast of Champions

This morning we kicked off our "TEN PER DAY" Scripture Reading Challenge. We are competing with the Seminary Class from Boynton Beach Ward from October 22-March 22 to see which class has the highest percentage of members reading from the New Testament at least 10 minutes per day. After our lesson, we headed to the Cultural Hall where a few moms had prepared a wonderful breakfast. After breakfast, we gathered in the center of the room and formed a tight circle aka a huddle! We huddled up and put our hands in the center as we chanted, "TEN PER DAY"

 Students are assigned a "Scripture Buddy" for this challenge. They are to motivate, encourage, and remind each other to read every day.

 Some of my students struggle with reading and have the New Testament on their ipod or on CD so they can listen to it. I told them they had to read along with the audio for it to count. I also discussed that this is a FABULOUS way to reinforce what they are reading and a way to build their reading skills and comprehension.

 Another great week behind us with many more ahead!

Seminary-Avoiding Temptation

Here is where my Cub Scout days pay off. I adapted the "Paper Plate Relay" for a Seminary activity. 

Yesterday, I had the students name the activities in our lives that help us avoid temptation. They named things like: personal prayer, worthily partaking of the Sacrament, daily scripture study, attending Seminary, dressing modestly, choosing uplifting music, movies, TV, media, etc.

I took those items and listed each one on a separate paper plate for today.

(I did this for 2 teams-each had the same things written on paper plates)

The Cultural Hall was set up for a large event for tonight, so our space was limited for the relay race, but we managed and I hope the students will remember what we learned while we were having fun.

Basically, the paper plates are stepping stones. 

The wood floor is temptation.

Staying on the stepping stones helps us avoid temptation and be spiritually strengthened.

Players stand in a straight line.

Before the game starts, each player is standing on a paper plate.

The last player in line is standing on a plate AND holding a plate.

At the word GO, each team needs to move forward only stepping on the paper plates (avoiding the floor, aka temptation)

The only way they can advance is with the extra plate that is at the end, so the last player in line passes the plate forward.

The first player in line places the extra plate on the floor and all players advance one plate forward.

Again this is repeated, with the last player sending the extra plate forward, etc.

When the last player in line crosses the finish line (safety at the end of the day) that team wins.

I likened the path they were walking to a day in their lives.

From start to finish, every day we need each step to help us resist temptation.

I showed them what would happen if we tried to skip a step (it is harder) or if we eliminate a step (can't get to the end of the day safely, etc)

There are so many parallels that can be drawn with this activity such as the need to help each other, team work, communication, etc.

I think they had a good time, and, most importantly, I think they will remember the principle I was trying to reinforce and teach.

This is an INCREDIBLE group of teenagers. Nothing ordinary about them.

Home For The Holidays

Excited Is An Understatement....

Photo from Christmas 2002, Curt's first Christmas home after his

mission to Venezuela. The Girls were so excited to have him home.

Excited to have.... Curt, Carmen, Jeffrey, Alison, and Andrew all with us for one day this weekend! Hooray!!! I am excited beyond words to have everyone together, even if it is for less than Twenty-Four Hours. We will meet in Orlando and let the fun begin. Ryan Ramos is getting married on Saturday in The Orlando LDS Temple. After the wedding and reception dinner, we will head to

Grandpa and Grandma's for an early Christmas Celebration.

Andrew flies in to West Palm Beach from Utah on Friday at 5:30pm. We will pick him up and head straight to Orlando. Curt and Carmen fly directly to Orlando from Michigan. Grandpa and Grandma will pick them up. Jeff and Alison will drive down from Gainesville. Curt, Carmen, Jeff, and Alison made reservations at the Grandpa and Grandma Hogie Inn. Andrew made reservations for the rest of us at the same Hotel Chain he works for in Salt Lake. The reunion will be short, yet oh so sweet.

This Sunday, Michael Watson speaks in Church prior to his departure for Missionary Service in Africa.

This week has been crazy. I am substituting for the Early Morning Seminary Teacher all week. It is not the getting up early that is difficult, it is the preparing a "song and dance" lesson for each day.

I think about the lesson all day long and into my dreams at night. My hat is off to anyone who TEACHES or ATTENDS Early Morning Seminary at 6am every school day. As my son, Curt, told the kids at Seminary in Utah when he attended there while we were on vacation in 1994....this is not "Real Seminary" (meaning, attending during the school day) I am sure he scored big points for verbalizing that observation. Wow...I am in awe of the entire Early Morning Seminary process. Great kids, Great Teachers!

Merry Christmas!