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Saturday, November 5, 2016

Getting to Know The Prophet & The Apostles

Learning & Living the Gospel #4 ~ Read a recent conference address given by the prophet. Decide what you can do to follow the prophet, and do it.

IMG_8950This is the 3rd lesson about the Prophet and the Apostles.

I thought this would be a great activity for the kids to get to know the Prophets and the Apostles a little better.

I downloaded from Heather’s  website: www.simplyfreshdesigns.com. You can get the templates for your personal use by visiting her website.

I love it because each page has a photo of the prophet along with facts about them.  I used these pages instead of pictures so we can learn about each one as part of the activity.

IMG_8951It is a simple, just a few bullet points using facts from their biography's on the church website, so they can get to know them just a bit without being too overwhelmed.

They were reading through the cards and checked with the assigned brethren which they need to fill in the blanks on the worksheets.

Once everything is done, ... in which they could also add anything they would like that is not listed on the worksheet but they learned during they find the answers.

IMG_8958Once they have completed the worksheet, another exercise is the famous quote from each of the Prophet and Apostles.

I picked it out from the latest General Conference during April 2016.

Another follow up activity can be done is ask them to pick their favourite verses and read the conference address, choose something they can do to follow the prophet, and do it.

This time around is quite a lot of reading to be done. Both were felt a bit bored on this. May be next time, I can improve this activity by playing a games or sorts to make it more interesting.

IMG_8959‘The Matching Game’ is played by putting all of the cards face down, and then each child turns over 2 cards. If they match, the child keeps them. If they don’t match, the cards are turned back over. Then it’s the next child’s turn. This would train the kids start remembering where specific cards are, and start making matches.

Another would be whenever a child got a match, have them to read one of the facts. Then can play a game matching pictures to facts. This was a little harder.

Another one can be showing a short video with brief clips of each apostle talking, and see if the class can name them. Hopefully I can play with them next time.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

My First Safety Jogger

This is my first safety jogger since I have been in this field for more than 20 years, can you imagine that? Previously, it is not a compulsory to wear the safety boots to enter to a interior renovation site. But, nowadays it have become a new rules.

So, this is my first safety boots as one of the site need me to wear safety gears including safety helmet and safety vest. Just bought it from a hardware shop and under company expenses.

Made me feel like I am really on work when I wear this boots. Haha…

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

I Will Follow The Prophets

Learning & Living the Gospel #4 ~ Read a recent conference address given by the prophet. Decide what you can do to follow the prophet, and do it.

IMG_8677After the first part of teaching the children why we have prophets, here come our second part of the lesson. It is all about follow the prophets. What are the things that our Prophet asks us to do?

The kids just fill in the blanks when they saw the pictures shown, such as partake the sacrament, pray always, study the scriptures, working, serve others, pay tithing.

The last part is the reading of the conference address given by our Prophet Thomas S. Monson last April 2016. The talk is ‘Choices’.

IMG_8679I did pick illustration from Friends magazine. President gave us an example of the Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

During Alice comes to a crossroads with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions.

As she contemplates which way to turn, she is confronted by the Cheshire Cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?”

IMG_8682The cat answers, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

President told us, “Unlike Alice, we know where we want to go, and it does matter which way we go, for the path we follow in this life leads to our destination in the next life.”

How the children can able to follow Prophet’s words in choices? How to choose the right path?

  • IMG_8683We can build a great and powerful faith which will protect us and help us to choose the right.
  • When we make foolish choices, use the Savior’s gift of repentance.
  • Repenting will help us to get back to the path which will lead us to that celestial glory we seek.

I explained to both of them, that as President Monson said, sometimes and most of the time, the choices lay in front of us are always such a scenario: right things to do sometimes are hard and wrong things are easy and tempting.

IMG_8684That is why he ask us to ‘choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong’.

The last page is letting them draw out and write out what they have learned. it was so interesting looking at their drawings and their attention towards their own works!

Both of them can really draw out the scene of Alice and the Cheshire Cat on the tree in the story of Alice’s Adventure in the Wonderland.

Now when I think about it, it is good idea too that before started the lesson, we should sing the Children Songbook “Follow the Prophets”.

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It tells about the prophets of old and their teachings: Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Jonah and Daniel.

I especially love the last verses of the lyrics and it sing like this:

    • Now we have a world where people are confused.
    • If  you do not believe it, go and watch the news
    • We can get direction all along our way,
    • If we heed the prophets – follow what they say.

Frankly, I was pretty amazed by seeing the drawings they had drawn. Hope they will follow the Prophet’s counsel and choose the right!

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Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Issac at Painting Work 15 Oct 2016

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While I was writing my blog the other day, Issac was besu drawing his favourite Pokemon with water colours! He was at work!

Monday, October 17, 2016

Mama’s Birthday 15 Oct 2016

Daddy went back to Kuching to celebrate Mama’s birthday. Actually this is a surprise celebration which Sister Agatha and Brother Andrew organised for Mama.

Here are some of the photos and video that all the siblings and grandchildren celebrate the day together with their beloved mother and grandmother.

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The Birthday Cake that Sister Agatha prepared for this special occasion.

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Brother Andrew with Mama.

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All the grandchildren and children.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

LDS Primary Sharing Time ~ Scripture Power Missionary Heroes 16 Oct 2016

“Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do”

2 Nephi 32:3

IMG_8754This year 2016 Church outline for Sharing Time theme is ‘I Know the Scriptures Are True’.

This month theme is ‘Prayer is Reverent Communication between God and Me.’ Today we did it a bit different way.

Our Primary President Sister Jennifer have arranged our branch Missionary Elders to teach the lesson to the children during the Sharing Time. She feels that it is very important for the children to love and teach them search the scriptures.

IMG_8767Elder Forsyth was turned into a Scriptures Power Hero as Sister Jennifer prepared a yellow colour Superhero Cape and a big blue colour lettering “S” on a red colour round felt cloth which he pinned it on his chest position.

All the children were so excited when they saw the 2 Elders appeared in the room.

The scriptures are the word of God. Elder Forsyth was teaching the children to search the scriptures.

He wrote some scriptures verses on the board under some of the wordings related, such as Love, Repentance, Humility, Kindness, Forgiveness, Service, Sacred, Family, Anger, Bully, etc.

IMG_8766The children were asked to search all those verses and mark it on their scriptures with the post-it notes which Elder Mullins was distributing together with the stationery sets.

They were sitting down on the floor to search and mark the scriptures. It was quite a fun thing for the kids. Both Elder Forsyth and Elder Mullins were helping the children searching the scriptures too.

This activity is a continuation of the early year challenge from the Church – to give children opportunities to share what they have learned from their scriptures reading, and establish a habit of regular scripture study.

After the lesson, we took a group photo with the children together with our Scriptures Power Super Heroes today!

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And, they are our Scripture Power Heroes this week! Elder Forsyth and Elder Mullins were holding the Book of Mormon!

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Saturday, October 15, 2016

Why Do We Have Prophets?

Learning & Living the Gospel #4 ~ Read a recent conference address given by the prophet. Decide what you can do to follow the prophet, and do it.

 
This month is our church semi annually General Conference again. So, I am thinking of teaching the children about our prophets and apostles, at the same time study the recent talks of our prophet.
 
We started our first part of the lessons by watching this small video clip from our church website, briefly how God has followed a pattern to give us guidance and direction through prophets.
 
IMG_8672Who is Prophet?
 
What do Prophet do?

And till today, we have our living Prophet whom still teach, guide and testify to us that Jesus is the Christ and what Jesus wants us to do.
 
It was quite an interesting kick start for the children as the video clip itself is colourful and informative.
 
We learned about the Prophets from past, like Noah, Moses, Abraham and Joseph Smith our Prophet of Restoration, apostles during Jesus Christ ministry such as Paul, Peter, James and John. Of coarse not forgetting our living Prophet President Thomas S. Monson.
 
IMG_8673After which we learned about Prophet, Seer, and Revelator: A Prophet speaks for God; A Seer can see the past, present, and the future; A Revelator reveals (or shows) us the will of God.
 
The members of the First Presidency are all prophets, seers and revelators. So are all the Apostles.But, only the President of the church has the authority from God to lead the whole Church.
 
We discussed about why is it important to follow the Prophet? A Prophet is like someone watching from a tower. He can see danger that is coming and tells us how to be safe. He helps us follow Jesus Christ.
 
IMG_8674After which we talked about it is important for us to follow our living prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson. and what has he ask us to do?
  • Follow Jesus’s example and love everyone.
  • Pay tithing and donate to the missionary fund.
  • Stay away from bad movies, TV, and other media.
  • Put a picture of the temple in our bedroom.
  • Study general conference talks.
  • Visit the elderly and be a good neighbour.
 
And, I asked Issac and Annabelle pick one thing from the list that they can do. What will you do?
 
And How the Prophets Being Called?
 
  • When a prophet dies, Heavenly Father has a way to call a new prophet. He calls the new prophet from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
  • The man who has served as an Apostle the longest, besides the Prophet, is the President of the Quorum of the Twelve.
  • When a prophet dies, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve becomes the next prophet. He prays and calls two new counsellors.
  • In general conference, we raise our hand to sustain the new prophet. This means that we promise to do our best to follow what he teaches.
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Finally, I attached the photos of our current First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

This first lesson of the Prophets and Apostles is quite straight forward as the kids already knew some of it as they learned during their Sunday primary cIass and sharing time.
 
We love the illustration by Susan Fitch from her website. Made our lesson more fun and interesting! Her website is here: http://susanfitchdesign.blogspot.my. And, you can also visit her shop at etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/SusanFitchDesign.