The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

What a great time of the year to be in the Primary!  There is just something magical about being around children at Christmas time. 

This month, we have focused on the birth of Christ, of course, but also on His death, resurrection and Second Coming.  Sister Francom blessed us all by reading her favorite childhood Christmas Story, Davey and the First Christmas.  The children listened intently as she read the story of Christ's birth from the point of view of the donkey and his young owner. 

This past Sunday, we had an Easter celebration, complete with jelly beans and plastic eggs.  We talked about the correlation between Easter and Christmas, and the idea that without Easter, there would be no Christmas.  Each child got an ornament to take home to their Christmas tree.  (We do have extra, so if you missed this week, let Sister Murphy know.)

It is our wish that each of the primary kids will feel the true spirit of this Christmas season.  Merry Christmas!

r-e-s-p-e-c-t, Find out What it Means to Me

If there's one word my kids at home hear more than almost any other, it's the word "respect."  I often remind them to be respectful of their teachers or their classmates, and sometimes they even need to be reminded to respect themselves.  I'm not sure when respect became such an important thing to me, but it really, really is something that I value and that I hope my kids will also learn to value.  You see, I firmly believe that all good characteristics and habits are born of respect.  If we respect others, we will love them.  If we have respect for ourselves, we will make good choices.  If we respect our Father in Heaven and our Savior, we will show reverence for those things and places that are sacred to Them.

The theme for Primary this month has been, "Reverence is Love and Respect for God."  When I started preparing for this month and noticed the theme, I was thrilled!  As a presidency, we were excited to teach of the important role that respect plays, not only at church on Sundays, but in our daily lives.   We learned to be reverent at church and at home, with our family AND with our friends.  We were taught of the importance of being reverent during the Sacrament.  Shelby explained in a talk that being reverent during this sacred ordinance not only shows respect for our Savior, but also for those around us who are trying to be reverent.  I was able to explain the reason that I wanted all of the primary children to dress in their Sunday best for our Saturday program practice last month.  The chapel is the most sacred place in our church buildings because of the ordinance performed there, and it shows respect for us to be dress appropriately when inside it.  We also learned about showing respect toward the other parts of the church building, the Temple, our homes and at school.  Finally, yesterday, we learned that Reverence for God helps us respect and love others.  What a fun time we had singing songs about respecting ALL of God's children, while the primary kids took turns learning how to lead the music.

I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to work with these fantastic children who have been extraordinary examples of respect and reverence.  I am also grateful for the inspired lesson plans that we have been given to teach from.

Next month's theme will be, "The Scriptures Teach Me about the Savior's Birth and Second Coming."

Prayers and Puppets

Our theme this month is, "Prayer is Reverent Communication between God and Me."

This past Sunday, we heard a wonderful talk from Sam Schaaf, who recounted the story of the First Vision.  He read to us from Joseph Smith History and reminded us of the importance of praying in faith.  Thank you, Sam, for the great reminder!

Sharing time was the perfect blend of fun and reverence, thanks to some inspiration from our neighbor friend, Tracey Critchley, who graciously loaned her collection of puppets and puppet theater to the primary children.  The kids were divided into four groups, and each group received a topic from which they prepared a short play to present to the rest of the primary.  The amount of effort that the children and their teachers put into their presentations was incredible!  They varied from a story taken from The Friend magazine to a modern-day rendition of Little Red Riding Hood praying for protection as she ventured through the woods.  As a presidency, we were very pleased with the spirit that these short presentations brought to sharing time.  We will always be grateful to Tracey for listening to the promptings that she felt and lending the Primary her beloved collection.  Thanks, Tracey!

Ghosts & Goblins (and Spiderman, too)

Thanks so much to the Young Men and Young Women for putting on a fantastic Halloween Party for the Primary kids.  It was great fun to see so many of our neighborhood friends join us!  It was also Sister Olney's first activity as a Primary Worker, and she was so happy to be there.  Thanks again to the YM/YW and their leaders.

I Know the Scriptures are True

What an amazing spirit we had about us in Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday.  The kids were all very comfortable with their speaking parts and did an incredible job singing.  We may be few in numbers, but we are mighty in spirit.

The primary theme this year - I Know the Scriptures are True - is one that is very close to my heart.  As it says in 2 Nephi 4:15, "...my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them."  We have learned this year that the scriptures are the word of God and they they teach of Heavenly Father's plan for us.  We learned that Heavenly Father speaks to us through his prophets, and the the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored.  We learned how the first principles and ordinances of the gospel make it possible for us to live with God again and that Jesus Christ is our savior and redeemer.  We also learned that not only is the temple the House of God, but that our bodies are temples and need to be treated as such.  We have learned about missionary work and prayer and reverence and respect.

Through both sharing time and singing time, your children - our children of the primary - are building testimonies of their own.  Inspired leaders have given us, as leaders and teachers, the tools to help these little testimonies grow.  It is my prayer that through our righteous examples, each of these children will be able to say, along with me, "I know the scriptures are true."

Oh, How Time Flies!

I can't believe that it's been so long since I've posted any updates.  I promise to do better in the future!  Here are some random photos from this spring and summer that I meant to post before time got away from me.  I so love all the children of our neighborhood!  Just look at their happy faces.

Activity Days Treasure Hunt

The Wellsville Mile

Activity Days - Mother/Daughter Fashion Show

Sister Olsen and Sister Johnson put together a fabulous Mother/Daughter Activity this past Tuesday.  There were nine girls that attended, along with their mothers.  It was so fun to have Rebecca Critchley and her mom, Tracey with us, along with Anja Majumdar and her mother-for-the-night, Marnie Spencer.  The evening really started off with a bang, thanks to Sister Olsen's (borrowed) fondue pot!!  When that excitement died down a little bit, we moved into the living room for a fun mother/daughter game.

Moms and daughters took turns answering questions about each other.  It was a great way to be reminded about things like favorite colors and date nights and school subjects.  In the end, Riley Dalton showed that she and her mom knew the most about each other.  Great job!

The hit of the night, though, was the surprise fashion show.  The mothers and daughters got to dance through the Johnson's living room, dressed in the clothes that they had chosen for each other.  There were some pretty silly outfits and lots and lots of laughter!

What a fun, fun time.  Thanks Sisters Olsen and Johnson for making it possible!!  We love you!

Mmmmmmm......fondue!!

He Lives

Easter is always an uplifting, spiritual and reverent day.  Thoughts of the sacrifice made by our Savior fill my mind and touch my heart most every day, but especially on this, the day of celebration and remembrance. 

I feel most blessed today to have been able to begin my Easter Sunday with the children of the primary.  Nowhere else can one feel the spirit with such purity.  As Sister Ditton and Sister Mills led singing time and Sister Johnson did Sharing time, the children periodically volunteered bits of knowledge: 'Jesus taught the apostles to Love One Another during their last dinner together', 'Jesus was on the cross for 9 hours', and my personal favorite, Landon's analysis of the peoples' choice to free Barabus instead of Jesus.  Each child listened intently to the teachings of these amazing women.

I want to add my testimony to theirs.  I, too, know that Jesus suffered and died for each of us.  I know that it was his choice to take upon himself the sins of the world, and I know that he loves each of those primary children more than could ever be put into words.  I also know one other thing...that He lives.  Because of this we will also be resurrected, and for that I am eternally grateful.   I bear this testimony in His name, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bee-ing Reverent

Our first Sunday together with the new presidency was certainly a buzz-y one!  The kids were introduced to our new friend, Bee Reverent, the traveling bee.

Each week, as the children enter the primary room after Sacrament Meeting, Bee Reverent will be hiding.  As each child spots him on the wall (or the ceiling, or the floor - wherever he's chosen to land that day), they will sit down and fold their arms.  This will be the signal that Bee Reverent has been found!

Bee Reverent is also on the lookout for reverent classrooms.  He will fly up and down the halls during class time, looking for the most reverent class.  Today, he found the Valiant 9-11 boys sitting reverently and politely raising their hands.  Great job boys!!

After we were introduced to Bee Reverent, we spent the rest of Sharing Time putting together a "Thank You" project for the former primary presidency.  We are all so grateful for the blessings that Sister Datwyler, Sister Ensign, Sister Holladay and Sister Jessop brought to our lives.

Special thanks to our photographer, Dan Francom, for these fun pictures!  

Congratulations!

When people, especially my family members, found out about my new calling as Primary President, the first reaction I got from nearly all of them was, "Congratulations!!". Congratulations?  It seemed sort of a strange thing to me.  I didn't win a race, I didn't campaign or get elected or win a pageant.  In fact, I feel so underqualified for the job that I think I expected people to react with expressions of shock and awe, not congratulations.  However, after having a few weeks to pray and reflect on my position, I have come to change my way of thinking.  Congratulations are most definitely in order, but not for the reasons that most may think.

In accepting this calling, I have been put in the predicament of filling some awfully big shoes.  Since we moved to this neighborhood, my children have been blessed to be led by some amazing women.  Janis Hughes, Marsha Herron and Kim Datwyler, along with their amazing counselors, have helped to shape the lives of dozens of neighborhood children - including five of my own.  Because of their phenomenal leadership, each of the children that I have been given charge of are already well on their way to leading righteous, successful lives.  I couldn't ask for better examples.  Congratulations!

Having never held a presidency position in the church, I have never had the blessing of choosing counselors to work with me.  I can say that this did not seem like a blessing at first.  I agonized over the decision for days, praying for inspiration almost continually.  What if I chose the wrong people?  What if they said no?  Inspiration came to me at different times and in different ways for each of the counselors and secretary, but I can definitely say without hesitation that each woman was chosen with help from the Lord.  And when it was all said and done and each accepted her calling, I felt like I had won the lottery.  Mary, Julia and Wendy are three of the most amazing women I know.  I am SO very excited to be able to work with them.  Congratulations!

The last, and probably most profound, reason that I can say that "congratulations" is an appropriate response to my calling is, of course, the children.  In all the places that I've lived in my adult life, Providence 5th Ward is full of the most incredible youth.  From the Sunbeams all the way up through the Young Men and Young Women's programs, each child is so knowledgeable when it comes to areas of gospel study.  It is evident in their responses to questions during lessons that they have been well-taught in their homes.  They are not only willing to share this knowledge through Primary talks and Sharing Time, they are all very excited to do so.  I am humbled and honored to be in the position to teach as well as learn from each of them.  Congratulations!

I think that I can say, on behalf of the entire Primary Presidency, that we are so grateful for this opportunity to work with such fantastic children and teachers.  We hope that this blog will be a continued source of information about the things that are happening both at church and away from church in the lives of the kids of the Providence 5th Ward Primary.