2017 LDS Youth Theme Posters

With the new year, comes a new spiritual theme for LDS Youth. The 2017 LDS youth theme for this year is the scripture James 1:5-6.

I work with some amazing young ladies, so I get to learn and work on the theme each year. Every year the theme is based on a scripture. For the whole year we spend time memorizing and focusing on activities that represent this theme.

So to start the year off right, I am teaching a lesson about asking and praying to your Father in Heaven for answers. I made the above poster to help with the memorization of the full scripture reference. I also made a simplified poster inspired by this moving VIDEO  introducing the theme.

I am really excited about this theme and the reminder it is that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who wants to hear from us. He wants to know our questions. He wants to answer us. He is there for us.

Both of these printables can be downloaded as posters. I will only be printing off the full scripture as a poster. I will be using the simplified image as cards that they can put in their scriptures, hang up in a locker, or put on their mirror.

I put together a printable with this smaller option. I suggest printing them on cardstock.

Download 2017 Youth Theme Poster HERE
Download 2017 Youth Theme Simple Poster HERE
Download 2017 Youth Theme Simple cards HERE

Happy New Year. I hope you find these printable useful and that they help inspire your youth.

General Conference Bucks and Worksheets

I am not going to lie. I am not sure I even know how to write a blog post anymore. It was recently brought to my attention that I haven't posted in over two months. I was under the delusional assumption that it had only been one month. Then I was reminded that there is actually a month between July and September. I was told it is called August.

I had to concede that it had been two months. I am not sure this post is the place to list all of my excuses for the absence. So instead of waxing poetic about the what and whys, let's commemorate this momentous posting occasion with a really fun post just in time for the LDS semi-annual General Conference.

Twice a year my family and I feel blessed to be spiritually fed from our church leaders. I love it. Who wouldn't want 8 hours of warm and fuzzy feelings?

Did you just read 8 hours? Yup. It really is actually great, but 8 hours of quiet time is hard for any kid. Since we like to watch General Conference as a family, we like to have activities and worksheets that will engage the kids and encourage them to pay attention.

This year Little requested a Conference Concession stand. He was a little concerned though that he would have to use his own money to buy things at the concession stand. To put his mind at ease I made General Conference Bucks.

Download HERE 

They will be able to earn General Conference Bucks during each session of General Conference and turn them in for various concession stand items.

I printed it on green paper, but they would be fun in any bright color.

All cut out, they make a cute little stack of paper bucks.

My boys are pretty excited to use them. They could be earned in any way, but I made a few worksheets that my boys can use to earn each buck. They get bucks for each thing they do. As they hear and find a word, they earn a buck. They write down a song, they earn a buck. You get the point.

Download HERE

I made two different sets of worksheets. One set for my older kids and one set for my younger kids.

I am really excited for my kids to enjoy these worksheets. I am excited to set up a concession table and to see how my kids save and spend their General Conference Bucks. However, I am most excited to spend the weekend snuggled up in our home with our little family listening to men of God teach and inspire us.

I hope you enjoy these downloads and your family can use them to make General Conference special.

A Pinteresting Wednesday: Scripture Cover

The other day I gave a little sneak of this project. Yes on Instagram (follow along with me @larissa_anotherday)...my new obsession.

I busted out the sewing machine after a month and a half of not sewing a thing. Sewing was so overdue. My sewing machine was practically weeping in the corner of my sewing room. Poor baby.

Good thing I had the pieces for this Scripture Cover Tutorial from A Lemon Squeezy Home all cut out and ready to go...

I, uh, actually have had them cut out for over a month.

I pinned this tutorial on my pinboards right when she posted it.

My 9 year-old has had a set of scriptures but no way to carry them around, except with his somewhat reverent and grubby little hands.

He has been begging for his own case to carry his scriptures.

My motivation and the time available finally met up and I whipped out a Scripture Cover for Oldest's scriptures.

I grabbed some of my favorite boy fabric from my stash. I have had it on hand since Oldest's bowling themed birthday party from way back when.

The cover came together pretty easily. As easily as one can do a project in a Summer afternoon with a houseful of monkeys, that is.

Her instructions are easy to follow. What I love most is that her tutorial has a divider flap.

Easy for opening up and reading both his Bible and his Book of Mormon.

Then the set of scriptures can close up, thanks to the little velcro strap. The straps are perfect for little hands to carry them around.

I will definitely keep this tutorial on hand for future little sets of scriptures and their little owners.

Another Pinterest project done!

Follow along with Just Another Day in Paradise on Pinterest.

Sunday Lessons: Forgiveness Handout

Happy Sunday! Over a month ago I gave a lesson in church about forgiveness.

A big part of the lesson was about the concept of letting go. When we hold on to grudges and allow past wrongs to continue to hurt us, really we are hurting ourselves more than the one we are not forgiving.

There is also a bit of the Golden Rule where forgiveness is concerned.

None of us are perfect, and we all are in need of forgiveness. As we hope for forgiveness, we must also be willing to give forgiveness.

That can be hard.

But it is doable.

I loved this quote by the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley--

"May God help us to be a little kinder, showing

 greater forbearance, to be more forgiving,

more willing to walk the second milk, 

to reach down and lift up...

to lay aside old grudges and nurture

them no more."

I centered my hand out for the girls on this quote.

Since forgiveness is all about healing, both others and ourselves, I thought it would be cute to attach a band-aid to the handout.

I simply printed off the Forgiveness Tags (which I made using PicMonkey...do you guys ever get tired of me talking about that site???).

Here is the tag for you--

(right click on the tag image, save to the computer and insert to a Word document)

Then just hole punch a bunch of band-aids and each handout. Tie the band-aids to the handouts.

A lovely little reminder of the importance of forgiving others. I love the part of the quote that says, "to lay old grudges and nurture them no more".

I think I shall work on that!

Sunday Lessons: Might Have JOY

Several weeks ago I taught a lesson about the purpose of life at church to a group of Young Women.

Through teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ I have gained the knowledge that the purpose of life is really quite simple.

Men are that they might have joy and true joy is being able to return to live with our Father in Heaven.

We talked about how the purpose of life is to prepare to live with our Father in Heaven. Living in such a way will bring us true joy.

True joy, not what I call having a piece-of-chocolate-happy. That is the kind of happiness in the moment, but that can go away super quick.

True joy is forever kind of joy. How awesome is that?!?

We are here to gain a FOREVER kind of joy.

I wanted to make a fun hand out for the girls to remember the main message of the lesson.

I bought some Almond Joy candy bars and made up some tags to tape to them. I taped the tag right in front of the word "joy". The tag says "Men are that they might have..."

So all together the hand out says, "Men are that they might have JOY".

I made up a sheet of the tags that you can download and use for a hand out. Save it to your computer. Print out and tape it to regular sized Almond Joy candy bars.

Download HERE

Happy Sunday.

I have a pretty awesome giveaway tomorrow,

so stop on by to enter!

Sunday Lessons: Draw Near to Heavenly Father Hand Out

For Church I am asked to serve with the young women ages 12-13. Several Sundays a month I prepare a lesson based on gospel principles.

I have served in our Young Women's program for most of my adult life. I love, love, love working with the youth. I love being a part of their lives and I love helping them learn and understand who they are and all that our Father in Heaven has in store for them.

I love how they teach me. I love being in their presence. They make me a better person. They are great examples of Christ.

When I first started serving, I spent hours and hours making little hand outs for every single thing. As the years progressed I realized there were times when I worried more about the trinket and less about the doctrine. Consequently, I then focused just on the lessons.

I have recently realized that there is a place for both to work together. I really wanted the girls to be able to take a little something with them that would remind them of the principle taught that week. I know I kept lesson handouts for years after I had moved on from Young Women's.

Occasionally I will make printables to go with what I taught. I would like to share those with you. Regardless of your faith, I know that these principles ring true for everyone.

This last week we talked about our Heavenly Father, His love for us, and His plan for us. I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us. He knows us better than anyone else, and that is only by drawing close to Him we can understand who we really are and act accordingly.

I chose to make the handout reflect that truth.

I made a treat tag that said, "Your Heavenly Father Loves You and Wants You to Draw Near to Him". As luck would have it, Hubby had just bought a bag of cherry gummy hearts. I put some in small candy bags and then glued the tag in place.

Here is the printable you can download and then print off for you own personal use.

Download Here

I hope you enjoy and can use these printables. I look forward to creating more and sharing them with you occasionally on Sundays.

I do also hope to get back to the occasional Week In a Nutshell posts as well.