This morning I read the sweetest story by President Monson.  It is the message from the First Presidency in this month's issue of the Friend.  Yes, it's the 11th and I'm barely reading it now, but better late than never. :)

It talks about a woman with three canaries...he is such a great story teller and speaker that I am not going to paraphrase it but am just posting it here:

Canaries with Gray on Their Wings

By President Thomas S. Monson

From “Canaries with Gray on Their Wings,” Ensign, June 2010, 4.

 While I was serving as a young bishop, Sister McKee, a widow in my ward, passed away. Among her things were three pet canaries. Two, with perfect yellow coloring, were to be given to her friends. The third, Billie, had yellow coloring marred by gray on his wings. Sister McKee had written in a note to me: “Will you and your family make a home for Billie? He isn’t the prettiest, but his song is the best.”

Sister McKee was much like her yellow canary with gray on its wings. She was not blessed with beauty, gifted with poise, or honored by posterity. Yet her song helped others to more willingly bear their burdens.

We are sons and daughters of a living God in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God.

In our world, moral character ofttimes seems secondary to beauty or charm. But from long ago the Lord’s counsel to Samuel the prophet echoes: “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

When the Savior sought a man of faith, He did not select him from the throng of the self-righteous who were found regularly in the synagogue. Rather, He called him from among the fishermen of Capernaum. Doubting, unschooled, impetuous Simon became Peter, Apostle of faith. A yellow canary with gray on his wings qualified for the Master’s full confidence and abiding love.

The Redeemer calls you and me to serve Him here below. May a true song come from our hearts as we do so.

(If you click on the article it will take you to the magazine online where there is an activity and coloring page too.)

This week I have felt like a canary with gray all over it's feathered body.  I've felt like I'm too impatient with my children.  I've felt fat while I'm jogging down the road.  I've felt stressed and worn down (probably because I haven't been writing here- this always lifts my mood!)  But as President Monson said, it's our song that matters.  It's our heart that matters.  And I know my heart is in the right place.

So I will be patient with myself, appreciate more that moral character I have within and trust in the Lord's timing for all things.  After all...

 Luke 12:6-7  

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is ^aforgotten before God?  But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

I hope these thoughts help you realize you "are of more value than many sparrows" and never forgotten before our God.  I love ya!  The Gospel IS true!  Thanks for reading!  Luv, Eva

Just One Scripture CAN Make A Difference...

Last week we printed out this coloring page from www.lds.org/friend.  The picture is of a child inviting another child who looks lonely to play a game of basketball.  The caption beneath it reads
"Jesus Christ is the perfect example for me."  Then the following scripture is printed:

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (John 13:15)

We talked about what was happening in the picture as they colored.  By the end of this activity there was an argument about markers and my son was complaining his hands were tired so he couldn't clean up and ended up throwing a fit...ugh.

But another night, again, we looked at this picture and read the verse as our family scripture study.  Sometimes, actually quite often, one scripture is all we get for family study since we are all frazzled and tired and ready for bedtime (well, at least my hubby and I are.)  Reading just one verse kind of felt like a cop-out but I felt like something was better than nothing...

Imagine my sweet surprise to hear the following when my little boy said prayer last night:

"And if we're playing basketball and somebody is sad please help us let them play with us and be nice to them."

What more could I ask for from a 4 year-old?  Seriously.  Every time I feel like giving up on this whole teaching-my-kids thing, or I'm frustrated or don't feel like my efforts are making any difference, Heavenly Father blesses me an experience to show it IS worth it and my attempts DO matter.  In fact, to that little boy they mattered a lot.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes by our late prophet, President Hinckley:

"...be strong and bold and brave and march forward with gladness in your eye and love in your heart...You are doing the best you can and that best results in good to yourself and to others" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "To The Women of The Church," Ensign, Nov. 2003, 113).

The Gospel IS TRUE!  You ARE doing the BEST YOU CAN and that best DOES result in GOOD to yourself and others!!!    LOVE, Eva

Free Printables Of Scripture Stories, Old Testament and More!

Hi Friends!  I just had to share what helped us get through Sacrament meeting quietly (woohoo!!!) and actually have family scripture study tonight: www.ldsfamilyfun.com  If you haven't already, USE THIS AWESOME RESOURCE! :)  You have to give them your email address to register and sign-in to use the site, but you can opt out of their monthly newsletter if you like so it's relatively painless as far as the junkmail side of things goes (I don't thnk their newsletter is junkmail btw, but I know someties people hesitate to give out their email, anyway....)  What do you get?  Access to SO much!

I just downloaded the activity books about Abraham and Daniel.  Each book has coloring pages, word games, matching activities, etc about the spotlighted story/prophet.  The prophet books have a list of scriptural references at the beginning which highlight important parts of the prophet's life.  So we selected the pages that were age-appropriate, printed them, and colored these during Sacrament meeting.

Then we colored more tonight before bed as I read some of the scripture references.  The kids crossed off the scriptures we read, and were able to see in the pictures we were coloring what was happening in the reading.  Just another idea to make scripture learning time happen.  I don't have the money to buy all these books in their entirety, but printing off the few coloring pages is worth it to me.  I know it's a daily challenge for us to read the scriptures as a family.  Even tonight's success took 3 tries, but once we sat down and feasted on the words of Christ together it felt so great inside my heart and in our home. I know it was worth it! 

I hope you have a great week!  The work you are doing is real and worth it.  If you need a pick-me-up as far as teaching your kids and having more patience with them (don't we all) watch this clip.  You ARE DOING A GREAT WORK!  The Gospel is true, and God (and I) love you! -Eva

Motherhood: An Eternal Partenrship With God

Double-Duty...

Life with a preschooler and kindergartener and newborn is kind of...CRAZY!  There is already homework to do, I'm balancing laundry and starting a photography business, and there is never enough time.  I'm sure those of you with teenagers are thinking, "just wait."  :) So FHE last week had to be "double-duty."  We practiced numbers and fine-motor skills and got our reading in, all by talking about missionary work and using The Friend.

Numbers & Reading!  To work on number recognition and order, I numbered the pictures in the "Matt and Mandy" story, cut them out and mixed them up, then, as a family, we put them in order again.  You could also do this easily with the "Inviting Jacob" story on pg. 32 which is specifically about missionary work.  Of course, reading the story and asking them what is happening in the pictures is great for developing comprehension skills and getting in that minimum of 20 minutes of reading a day.

Coordination!  I helped in my daughter's kindergarten class this week and loved this activity of picking up cotton balls with a clothes pin or other pinching clip to strengthen the muscles in the hand they need to hold a pencil.  We talked about how even doing little deeds of service and missionary work add up, and how little by little the gospel is filling the world!

 You can see them moving the cotton balls from one container to the other with every idea they can say of how to serve others and be a missionary.  You can also see our put-together Matt and Mandy story on the floor, as well as our "uh-oh". LOL

 Finally, just coloring together is another great, wholesome activity that can teach your child (depending what is in the picture) and help them develop fine motor skills.  Look on pg. 46 for this coloring activity.  I'm planning on including a bunch of links on an upcoming post of LDS coloring pages.  Yeah, it's great to color Spider-Man and My Little Pony, but it's such an easy, fun way to bring up and teach gospel principles too!

I hope these ideas can be a little more motivation to make time for FHE and teaching our children by using The Friend.  The Gospel is True!  Don't be afraid to share it-ESPECIALLY with your kids!  Luv, Eva

Remembering Thanksgiving

Hi Friends!
Chances are you are back from your Thanksgiving travels and getting your Christmas decorations out.  Well, before we move too quickly on to a new holiday, it might be nice to take a few minutes to remember the good time you had, be it with your immediate family or extended family.

Just click on this link and you will have a cute setting to color!  You can circle all the things in the picture you are thankful for.  Then draw in your family and friends enjoying Thanksgiving together.  Here is how ours turned out...

I hope your Thanksgiving was fantastic and you had a chance to think about the many things you have to be thankful for!  Remember, the gospel is true!
Love,
Molly

Adam & Eve

Did you ever wonder who the first people God created were?  In the scriptures we learn their names were Adam and Eve, and they were created in God's image, just like us!   Ask a grown-up to help you read about that in Genesis1:26-28.

Here are some coloring pages of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Adam Coloring Page

Eve Coloring Page

At first they did not know very much.  They did not even know how to take care of their bodies by keeping them clothed!  But they loved the Lord and were willing to learn.  We can be brave like Adam and Eve, the first people in this world, by remembering we are children of God and trying to learn His teachings.
Have fun coloring!  Here is how one of our pages turned out.  Cool, huh? 

Remember, the gospel is true!
Love,
Molly Mormon