kids journal prompts

If you or family is having trouble journaling, try some prompts. Also try drawing pictures to go with what you're writing about. It is also good just to free write even if it's just writing silly stuff and not actually recording what you have been doing with your life.


My name is




I live in




My address is




I am           years old.


I am awesome!














!
I want to learn:

1.


2.


3.


4.




These are my pajamas:



















Doodle of the day:












How to clean your room
1.

2.

3.

4.




The most delicious pizza needs to have










The hungriest person I know








The smartest person I know








The bravest person I know








The                          person I know








I'm grateful for

















I wish I could change

















Where I'm sitting:













From here I can see





















Dear                         ,












                                        Love,




If I was face to face with a wild animal I would...

















When I'm at the beach,


















If                                        could talk,
















Hot                                Cold













A mystery:





















A dream:















A secret:



















I like it best when...
















I used to...




but now I...













I wish...






I will...




only if...






No one should ever in his/her wildest dreams...
















Never say...











Once in a great while, I get to...











The last time I...

Book recommendations for parenting

Here are some books that I recommend that are available from the Greater Phoenix Digital Library. You just need a library card with a pin to one of the local libraries.



Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
Unfortunately this one is only available as an audiobook.



The Diaper-Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh
I only found this recently, so I haven't really tried it with my baby yet.



Love and Logic for Early Childhood by Jim Fay
I haven't read this one yet, but I did like Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay (not available from the library).



What to Expect when You're Expecting and What to Expect the First Year and others by Heidi Murkoff
There are more of these books, but I've only read the first one so far.

Poem School

I like to use a sing song voice for this one kind of like the Fun song from Sponge Bob.

School

S is for summer vacation is over.
C is for citizenship.
H is for heaps of homework.
O is for outstanding grades.
O is for observing the rules and instructions.
L is for lots of learning.

Poems Haiku

They aren't really Haiku or even that good, but I was just messing around with the 5-7-5 syllable pattern one morning when I couldn't sleep. I decided to give them titles.


Reading

If the Braille bug bites
When you read in the darkness,
You can feel the words.


Crunch

When eating apples
Be prepared for the crunching;
Most like them crispy.


Begging

Eating bananas?
Prepare to share with babies;
They love bananas.


Thomas

Sit in a window.
Watch out for little fingers;
Do not ever harm.


Knick Knacks

Sitting on a shelf,
But I'm not a Christmas elf:
Forgotten treasure.

Scripture Mastery fill in the blank 2

I need to make more of these for family home evening activities.

2 Nephi 32: 8-9

8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ___________________ still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the ______________ which teacheth a man to ______________, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit ______________________ not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray __________________, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the _________________ save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will ______________________ thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the ___________________ of thy soul.

Jacob 2:18-19

18 But before ye seek for ____________________, seek ye for the _________________ of God.

19 And after ye have obtained a _______________ in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the ___________________ to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer __________________ to the sick and the afflicted.

Mosiah 2:17

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ___________________; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ____________________ of your fellow ____________ ye are only in the service of your God.

Mosiah 3:19

For the natural _________ is an enemey to God, and has been from the _________ of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the ________________________________, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the ____________________ of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ___________, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth ________ to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his _____________________.

Mosiah 4:30

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not _________________ yourselves, and your thoughts, and your ______________, and your deets, and observe the commandments of God, and __________________ in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your ________________, ye must perish. And now, O man, ____________________, and perish not.

Fast Sunday

Well, I guess I'm one of those few people who happen to love fast Sunday. However, I haven't been able to fast for like a year and a half counting the time I was pregnant and now am still nursing. This results in me missing fasting quite a bit. I miss getting to forgo food and spend that time on more spiritual things. I can't remember missing a fast Sunday since I was like eight, but maybe my memory's just faulty. I only remember having a snack before dinner the first time I was fasting, but then I felt bad for eating when everyone else was waiting so I didn't do that again. I even was fasting when I was in France and that was the day we were scheduled to visit Le Mont Saint Michel so I couldn't go to church because we were going to an abbey instead.
I guess maybe fasting is harder for some people than others, because for years of primary and young women's and in the singles ward, and now in my own family, I couldn't figure out why everyone was so crabby and complaining so much. I guess it mostly bothers me this much to hear everyone's complaints about something they "have to do" that I would love to do but can't do until Edmund is completely weened or maybe once he's down to only nursing once a day. I guess a lot of people just spend the day in bed because they feel they have no energy since they didn't have any food, but I wish I could do more of the hour long scripture studying or the journaling I used to do instead of eating. Now I have to fit it in when I can, usually when Edmund's napping. 

In trying to make sure I had spelled forgo right I discovered that forego and forgo are two different words.

Talk in church Sept 2013

A lot of people told me it was a good talk even though it doesn't sound very spectacular to me. It's just regular old stuff. The talk by Elder Nelson is "Catch the Wave," Ensign, May 2013 here:

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/05/catch-the-wave?lang=eng

    In conference in April, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave a talk about the Restoration of the gospel, eternal families, and missionary work. I'm going to start with what he said in conclusion: “I thank God and His Son, Jesus Christ, for the Restoration and its power to propel a magnificent wave of truth and righteousness across the earth. May we catch this wave and fulfill the Lord’s command to take the gospel 'to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,' I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” In his talk he gives ways that people in their various circumstances can catch this wave of missionary work. He encourages young men and women to be worthy of mission calls and encourages teenagers to “embrace [their] new curriculum and teach one another the doctrine of Jesus Christ” saying “Now is your time to prepare to teach others about the goodness of God.” He stresses the importance of preparing for your advanced education before your mission. If you apply to your college or university of choice before going on your mission, you can often get a deferral so you won't have to worry about where you'll go to school when you get back. He also encourages adults and senior couples to help the “spiritual, physical, and financial preparation of future missionaries.” We can save money and plan for a future time when we can go on missions. We could also send our money to the General Missionary Fund.

    Elder Nelson advises us, especially those on the ward council and the ward mission leaders, to “help [the missionaries] to fill their daily planners with focused and meaningful teaching opportunities.” We can work on finding those who are ready to talk to the missionaries. He encourages parents and teachers to “prepare our rising generation to be worthy of missionary service” and to lead exemplary lives. If we can be an example and draw the interest of friends or neighbors, we need to be ready to answer why we live as we do. Elder Nelson instructs, “Be ready to give a reason for the hope and joy that they see in you. When such questions come, you might respond by saying, 'Let’s ask the missionaries! They can help us! And if you desire, I will be at your side as the missionaries respond and teach you.'” If we live our religion, those around us will see it. Be ready to talk about things if they ask. The prophet Joseph Smith said of missionary work, “We don't ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more. What if all the world should embrace this gospel? They would then see eye to eye, and the blessings of God would be poured out upon the people, which is the desire of my whole soul” (History of the Church, 5:259). We want to share the truths of the restored gospel with everyone in the world to bring them the joy that the gospel brings us.

    This wave of missionary work started with the Restoration which started with the First Vision where the prophet Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Elder Nelson explains, “our living God is a loving God! He wants His children to know Him and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent! And He wants His children to gain immortality and eternal life!” In the Bible, the apostle Peter spoke of this time of restoration, saying, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:19-21). I know Christ and the Father did appear to Joseph Smith and usher in the Restoration of His gospel. To live His gospel is to follow His example, to have faith, to repent, to be baptized, and to receive the Holy Ghost (A of F 1:4, D&C 39:6, 3 Ne 27:13-14,21).

   Due to the Restoration we now have The Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ and gives an account of the former inhabitants of this continent and contains the fulness of the everlasting Gospel, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants (JSH 1:34). Included in the Restoration was the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood, “knowledge and essential ordinances for salvation and exaltation”, and teachings about tithing. I add my testimony to Elder Nelson's that you will be blessed for obedience to the law of tithing.

    Also restored were teachings about baptism for the dead and the plan of happiness, and priesthood keys for the gathering of Israel and the sealing authority. Temple work was restored. The prophet Joseph Smith had a brother who had died before the church was restored; In the Doctrine and Covenants he said, “Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God;” Elder Nelson joys that “Ordinances for our deceased ancestors are now performed vicariously in 141 temples throughout the world! There is no other way to offer salvation to our ancestors who died without a knowledge of the gospel!” In the Doctrine and Covenants Joseph Smith taught about needing to link the fathers and the children and how these ordinances were “prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel” (D&C 128:5).

    Through the restoration we know that families can be together forever. The family relationships we nurture on earth can last eternally. Couples can be sealed in the temples of God and have their children sealed to them. We can provide this same opportunity to generations past through temple work and family history. The words of a primary song can help me express my joy in the knowledge of eternal families:

I have a fam'ly here on earth.

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Fam'lies can be together forever
Through Heav'nly Father's plan.

I always want to be with my own family,

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

(Children's Song Book, Families Can Be Together Forever, 188)

I am exceedingly glad about this part of Heavenly Father's plan: that those we know and love in this life, especially those who are closest to us, will not be lost after death.

    I'll wrap up with a couple of my favorite quotes from Elder Nelson. “Our inquiring friends and neighbors not of our faith can also catch the wave. We encourage them to keep all that is good and true in their lives. And we invite them to receive more, especially the glorious truth that through God’s eternal plan, families can be together forever.” “Together, members and missionaries invite all to learn of God, of Jesus Christ, and of His gospel. Each inquiring individual should seek earnestly and pray fervently for the assurance that these things are true. The truth will be manifest by the power of the Holy Ghost.” I need to add my testimony that I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there for us. I know that through God's plan of redemption we can be saved from our sinful fallen state. As Alma taught his son Corianton in Alma ch.42, through the Atonement and repentance we can be reclaimed from the spiritual death brought by the fall. We can be with our loved ones again after our mortal lives have ended. I know this is the true church and want others to know what I know. I hope I can live in such a manner that I will draw others to Christ and His Restored Church. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.