Sister Missionaries ROCK

I improved my tie dye skills after spending time with the master ... my sister Laura. She is a genius! I also have to say that Brad is great too, or run the risk of denting my little brother's armor! :)

Anyway .. this adorable missionary in the front is from our ward. I helped her Mom and the girls make shirts for girls camp this year. Sister P sent the goods to Argentina so her favorite missionary girl could do the same lesson with her district. I think they turned out GREAT!!

Tie Dye Tips:
*Soak the shirts for a minimum of 3-4 hours before you dye in soda ash.
*Put the shirt in a Ziploc bag and let it brew overnight after you apply the colors.
*The next morning - rinse the shirt until the water runs clear.
*Wash with just a hint of laundry soap to remove the balance of the dye before wearing.

How does one turn this fun activity into an object lesson? Here are some of my ideas:

• Celebrate Individuality - Even though we started with the same standard set of colors, each of these tie dye shirts are each unique, and no two people are alike. We have different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and all of these things work to make us beautiful. Our job is to find the beauty in every person we meet.
• Our Path Through Life - Just like this plain white tshirt, we come to earth with a blank canvas. What we choose to do with our life is like adding color to the shirt. We choose what colors to add and how brightly they will shine. Our goal is to return to Heavenly Father with a canvas that we can display proudly!
• If you are LDS, you can bring in the YW values and the colors that each represents.

Obviously you can add to each of these concepts to get it as long or as short as you want the message to be. Please share if you have other ideas or ways to incorporate this concept into an object lesson!

How early is too early?

There is a long standing discussion that occurs at my house. How early is too early to decorate for Christmas?

I would like to put the tree up this weekend. Jer has some obsession with Thanksgiving getting its own moment ... Christmas arrives at the stores earlier and earlier ... Blah! Blah!

Don't know about you, but I am totally capable of listing off the things I am grateful for while sitting in front of the Christmas tree!! :)

Sparkles and Hooks

Heard this example in a talk today ... and I thought it was worth sharing!

Fishermen use many different things to attract the fish -- some use worms, eggs, or lures. Lures come in many shapes and sizes. Different fish are attracted to different types of lures.

Satan also has a tackle box full of lures to tempt each of us. Just like the fish, we are all attracted to different things. Some people may struggle with the lure of not keeping the sabbath day holy, while for others, this is an easy thing. He continually adds to his tackle box and identifies new lures. (hold up a fishing lure) No matter what lure he uses, there is always a hook on the end. He will disguise the hook, but it will be sharp and grab hold if he get too close.

We strive to keep the spirit with us so that no matter what lure he uses, we are prepared to swim the other way!