Because I Have Been Given Much

"We are the Lord's hands...The needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone" (President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign November 2009).



Opening Song: Because I Have Been Given Much (Hymns, 219)
Prayer: Dad
Scripture: Acts 20:35

Lesson:
What Have I Done for Someone Today?
Help children learn the proper way to set the kitchen table. (Tip: Provide a placemat with an outline of a plate, glass and utensils.) Then recount the story Pres. Monson shared in general conference about the McConnell family. What question did the father ask his children each night at the dinner table? (Answer: What did you do for someone today?) Share how this tradition inspired the McConnell children to help others throughout their lives.

How Can I Provide Service for Others?
Invite each family member to share one way they can serve others. Then list the examples Pres. Monson shared. (Tip: Younger children can act out a service and invite others to guess what it is; older children can list as many acts of service as they can on paper and earn points for unique answers.) Read Matt. 25: 34-40. Testify that when we serve others we are serving the Lord.

Service Placemats
Talk about what you can do as a family to follow the prophet's counsel and serve others. Decorate placemats and write on each mat the phrase "What have I done for someone today?". Remember to ask yourselves this question each night at dinner, as the prophet counseled us to do.

Challenge
Plan a family service project, or introduce a "warm fuzzy" jar to encourage daily service. That is, place a colorful pom-pom inside a jar each time you give service to represent the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you show kindness to others. Similarly, you can place a piece of straw (or rafia) in a manger each time you give service to ready the manger for the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day (see photo below).

Activity: Decorate the Christmas tree. Have a family sleepover in the living room under the tree and reminisce about Christmases past.

Treat: Leftover pie from Thanksgiving

Closing Song: Have I Done Any Good? (Hymns, 223)
Prayer: Mom



Credits:
Conducting= Luke
Lesson= Collin
Activity= Mom
Treat= Dad

Things to Be Thankful For

"Thank the Lord for His restored church. Thank Him for all that it offers you. Thank Him for friends and family. Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights" (from Gratitude, True to the Faith).



Opening song: Children All Over the World (CS, 16)
Prayer: Collin
Scripture: 1 Thesselonians 5:16-18

Lesson:
Blastoff Space Explorers!
Read "Matt and Mandy Blastoff" (see Friend, Nov. 2009). Like Matt and Mandy, decorate a large box to look like a rocket ship and pretend to be astronauts. Then explore different rooms in your house (representing different planets) in search of things to be thankful for. Your space mission will include stories and activities from The Friend. (See suggestions below.)

Planet R (Restoration)
Read "Fearless in Sharing the Gospel" and complete the activity that follows. Invite each family member to look up one of the scriptures, then decode the message on the banner to find something to be thankful for. The restoration of the gospel is something to be thankful for!

Planet F (Friends)
Read "The Right Kind of Friend". Find a hidden CTR ring somewhere in the room (and in the Friend magazine), then talk about how important it is to choose good friends. Good friends are something to be thankful for!

Planet H (Home & Family)
Put together the puzzle from "A Happy Home" or complete the activity "Making Your Home a Holy Place". Express appreciation for something that each family member does to make your home a happy place. A happy home where the Spirit of the Lord can be felt is something to be thankful for!

Planet B (Body)
Learn how to communicate a few words in sign language then read "Porter's Terrible Super Day". Learn how to sign a favorite song by watching a video tutorial. Alternatively, read "Jesus Heals a Sick Man" and learn how to transport a person who is hurt or ill (i.e., take turns being carried in a blanket). Having a healthy body is something to be thankful for!

Planet E (Earth)
As you come back to planet Earth, share with your family your favorite creation. The beauty of the Earth is something to be thankful for!

Testify that because God loves us, He has given us many things to be thankful for, such as the gospel, friends, family, a body and this beautiful Earth.

Activity:
Play Dough
Build space ships with Legos or sculpt aliens from Play Dough. (Making homemade play dough is always fun!) Then create planets for them using coffee filters, markers and a spray bottle. Color coffee filters with markers, then spray with water and watch the colors blend. When dry, glue the planet to a black piece of construction paper.

Refreshment: Root Beer floats

Song: For the Beauty of the Earth (Hymns, 92)
Prayer: Dad



Credits:
Conducting= Luke
Lesson= Mom
Activity= Dad
Refreshments= Collin

Don't Ever Forget to Pray

"And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness." (Ether 5:3)



Opening song: Children All Over the World (CS, 16)
Prayer: Luke
Scripture: 1 Thesselonians 5:16-18

Lesson:
Saying Thank You in Many Languages
Learn how to say thank you in a few different languages (refer to song above). Discuss how Heavenly Father understands the language of all of His children. He knows them and loves them. Through prayer we can communicate with our Father in Heaven. We can thank Him for the great blessings we receive.

The Jaredites Pray in Faith
The Jaredites lived at a time when many wicked people tried to build a tower to reach heaven. To punish them the Lord confused their language. How would it feel to suddenly not understand the language of your neighbors, friends and family?

Did the Lord change the language of the Jaredite family? Let's tell the story and find out (see Ether 1-6 and artwork). Include actions like building a block tower of Babel (see Genesis 11:1-9), kneeling to pray, building a boat (blankets over the kitchen table), and finding sixteen hidden stones. Turn off the lights and get in your "boat", then shine a flashlight on the stones. Talk about how the Lord touched them and made them shine with light.

Don't Ever Forget to Pray
Recall that there was a time that the Jaredite family forgot to pray. Before they set sail for the promised land, they lived in peace by the sea for four years. They began to take their blessings for granted and forgot to thank the Lord. Eventually, the Lord spoke with the brother of Jared and invited him to repent and pray always.

Testify that when we have a grateful heart and pray in faith, the Lord can perform miracles in our lives.

Activity:
Building a Block Tower of Babel
Challenge your family to build a block tower that touches the ceiling! Use blocks, boxes, non-perishable foods, or whatever you can find to make your tower as tall as possible.

Refreshments:
Lemon bars
(See recipe below.)

Closing song: Don't Ever Forget to Pray (see Friend, April 20o6)
Prayer: Dad



Recipe:
Lemon Squares
Crust:
1 c. butter
1/2 c. powdered sugar (packed)
1/2 t. salt
2 c. flour

Mix well. Spread into bottom of greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. (until slightly browned).

Filling:
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1/2 t. powder
1/4 c. flour (packed)
1/4 c. lemon juice

Mix together. Pour over hot crust. Bake an additional 20-25 min. at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar on top while still warm.

Credits:
Conducting: Luke
Lesson: Dad
Activity: Collin
Refreshments: Mom

Gratitude Is an Attitude

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thesselonians 5:16-18).




Opening song: Count Your Blessings (Hymns, 241)
Prayer: Collin
Scripture: 1 Thesselonians 5:16-18

Lesson:
Gratitude Glasses
Hide a variety of objects (representing blessings) inside brown paper lunch bags, such as an apple, a family photo, scriptures, autumn leaves, etc. Talk about how we have many blessings but sometimes forget them, or have a difficult time seeing them. Present a pair of "gratitude glasses" to your family. Explain that when nothing seems to be going right, these glasses can help you find things to be glad about. Take turns wearing the glasses as you open each bag. Discuss each blessing you discover.

The Ten Lepers
Read the Biblical account of the ten lepers healed by Jesus (see Luke 17:11-19 and art work). Why is it important to thank God for the blessings He gives us? How do we show our thanks to God? Play the game below to help you think about your own blessings.

The Leper Wrap Game
Unwrap a roll of toilet paper (representing leper bandages) and use a marker to write the letters in the word G-R-A-T-I-T-U-D-E. Each letter should be written on a tissue square that is far apart from the others. To begin play, the first person wraps an arm or leg in tissue until he finds a letter (and possibly a hidden candy). He then tears the roll of tissue and says something he is grateful for. The roll of tissue is then passed to the next family member. Continue until the tissue is completely gone and you have a family of grateful lepers. Build the word 'gratitude' and remind children that gratitude is an attitude of thankfulness.

Challenge: Stuff the Turkey
Decorate a paper bag turkey. Each day until Thanksgiving, write something you are grateful for and put it inside the turkey. Come Thanksgiving you will have "stuffed" the turkey. Read blessings aloud on Thanksgiving Day and try to guess who wrote what. Also, invite kids to put on the gratitude glasses whenever they start whining or complaining. It will remind them to have an attitude of gratitude!

Activity:
Handmade Thank You Cards
Decorate your own thank you cards with fingerprint turkeys (see photo below). Write a note inside then deliver them to neighbors, friends, family, teachers, and others you wish to thank for the kindness they have shown to you.

Refreshments:
Coconut Cupcakes
Decorate like turkeys using Nutter Butter cookies for the head and fruit leather for colored feathers (see instructions or recipe below).

Closing song: Children All Over the World (CS, 16)
Prayer: Mom



Credits:
Conducting: Luke
Lesson: Collin
Activity: Mom
Refreshments: Dad