A Faith Stone

I remember "Good ol' Charlie Brown" at Halloween.  All he got was a rock!  I gave my YW a rock recently.  I asked them if they had ever seen a worry stone.  They are usually polished gemstones with an indentation in it to rub between the thumb and index finger to help relieve one's worries.  I wanted to give a spiritual thought on Sunday and found a talk by Elder Wirthlin called "Young Women-Real Guardians."  It was given a long time ago.  In it, he states that we should not "be discouraged at seemingly overwhelming odds in (y)our desire to live and help others live God's commandments.  At times it may seem like David trying to fight Goliath.  But remember, David did win."  I loved that statement!  I know in our challenges in life, we often feel like we are fighting a gargantuan battle and need to remember that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  (Philippians 4:13). So...I gave my girls a Faith Stone.  It was a small, smooth stone. It wasn't very fancy but on it, I printed "David won!" and placed it on a card to hand out.  I told them they could put it in their purse, the backpacks, or their pockets just to remember, when we are challenged, we can conquer all through our faith in Jesus Christ. 

An Amazing Service Project

Artist:  Greg Olson

We have a severely developmentally disabled young woman in our ward.  We have watched her grow up through the years and when she reached YW age, we looked for ways to include her and have the girls come to know her.  Another ward in our Stake had a similar situation and following their example, we asked the girls if they would be willing to earn her Young Womanhood Recognition Award in her behalf.  What a marvelous experience this was!  One of the Laurels spearheaded the work as a Laurel project, keeping track of who did what and when it was completed.  It was a two year labor of love. Each of our girls took on extra Personal Project Value Experiences and Projects so that E could earn her Medallion.  Each Sunday, our Laurel posted a chart with our progress.  It was such a blessing in all of our lives!  Our YW in Excellence last year was an experience beyond words as we watched E, with the help of her father, walk slowly up to the pulpit and receive her Medallion.  The Spirit so strongly testified that these girls had done something of great love.  We are so grateful for the girls who gave so much of themselves and when they meet E on the other side of the veil, I am sure she will thank them for their efforts and they will thank her for teaching them Christlike love.

Archery

This mid week's activity was archery.  The girls really enjoyed themselves and shot until the light was gone.  We met earlier than usual in order to take advantage of the daylight.  The leaders, of course, all got a chance as well.  Our instructor had taught Boy Scouts in the past and had multiple bows which allowed for group participation so we did not have girls waiting for their turn.  Once they learned the safety rules and were outfitted with protective padding on their arms and for their hands, they were ready to go!  It was so much fun!  This would also make a great camp activity also!  If this is something you are interested in and do not know anyone whose hobby is archery, BSA has a list of Merit Badge Counselors for your area and you can find an instructor there. 

A Quick Gift

 Ever get that call that you have to come up with a little gift or handout at the last minute?  That always sends me scrambling to see what I have and what I can come up with.  I have a tendency to save some things I think might be useful later and saved these empty Crystal Light containers thinking they were such a cute shape and kind of a handy size.  I usually have some candy left over from goodie bags or gifts in my YW stash of stuff and these were the perfect size for them.  In went one Butterfinger, one Payday, and one Mounds bar.  I tied a ribbon around it and placed a chalk board tag on the top.  I thought it came out rather cute for a 10 min. project.   These containers are a perfect size for coloured pencils, M&Ms, or perhaps a tablet and  pen to gift.  What kind of stuff  do you keep in your stash?

The Candy Lesson

My girls call it "The Candy Bar Lesson" and they love it.  I got it here:  http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/ywc/activities/whatkind.htm and a Special Thanks to whomever is responsible for it.  

I bring in a basket full of candy bars which excites the girls immediately to see what is ahead.  I allow them to pass the basket and choose their candy.  They soon find out that each candy symbolizes certain characteristics of a young man.  Some are positive characteristics and some are not.    Is his testimony strong?  Does he cherish you?  How does he treat your family and friends?  Does he work hard?  Did he serve a mission?  Is this the kind of man we want to date and perhaps marry?  It leads to a great discussion in YW and sometimes at home. 

I always begin with myself as a demo and I always take the Nerds out of the basket.  (My husband is a very cute Nerd.)  It's a fun Sunday lesson (not on Fast Sunday) or a fun Tuesday night activity.  Of course, they get eat their candy when we are finished with our discussion.