Hi Friends!
We have been sick here! :( I can't believe an entire week has passed, so we're going to have a little change of plans. We will go back to talking about the creation next week, but for what's left of this week we'll talk about being thankful.
On Monday we made chocolate chip cookies at home, but turned them in to Count-Your-Blessings Chocolate Chip Cookies! Simply make your favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe from scratch. While the cookies bake, take turns going around a table and letting people say what they are grateful for. For each thing someone says they get one chocolate chip. Count all your chocolate chips and practice counting too!
Here are some we came up with (remember you can use these as things to say you are thankful for when you pray too!):
1. I am thankful for cookies.
2. I am thankful for my house.
3. I am thankful for our pets.
4. I am thankful for brother.
5. I am thankful for sister.
6. I am thankful for clothes.
7. I am thankful for my friends.
8. I am thankful for food.
9. I am thankful for Mommy.
10. I am thankful for Daddy.
WOW! Ten things means ten chocolate chips! Yummy! :)
Another fun activity (that we did while the cookies cooled) is to learn the chorus to the hymn "Count Your Many Blessings." It repeats the same two lines twice so there aren't too many words and it has a happy tune. You can hear it by clicking here.
Finally, have you ever heard of President Hinckley's Six B's? He was the prophet a few years ago, like President Monson is today. President Hinckley gave us Six things to be, and do you know what the first one was? Be Grateful. He said:
“Walk with gratitude in your hearts, my dear friends. Be thankful for the wonderful blessings which are yours. Be grateful for the tremendous opportunities that you have. Be thankful to your parents, who care so very much about you and who have worked so very hard to provide for you. Let them know that you are grateful. Say thank you to your mother and your father. Say thank you to your friends. Say thank you to your teachers. Express appreciation to everyone who does you a favor or assists you in any way.
“Thank the Lord for His goodness to you.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Prophet’s Counsel: The Six B’s,” Liahona, Jun 2001, 8–9)
You can remember all Six B's by looking at your hand...
Your thumb reminds you to "Be Grateful." Aren't you glad you have a thumb?
Your pointer finger reminds you to "Be Smart." You can tap your head to remember!
Your middle finger reminds you to "Be Clean." We must never use bad words.
Your ring finger reminds your to "Be True." That is where our wedding ring goes, a reminder of the covenants we make.
Your pinky finger reminds you to "Be Humble." We are all small pieces to the Lord's big plan, but still important.
And finally, put both hands together to remember to "Be Prayerful."
The next time you say a prayer, try to say you are thankful for some new things you might have realized while you were making Count-Your-Blessings Cookies! Remember, God loves you and the gospel is true!
Love,
Molly Mormon
