tab bar

FAITH FAMILY ADVENTURE SHORT ANSWERS

Search This Blog

Loading...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Flying Fingers

While I was washing dishes tonight, Christine asked if she could use my computer to record Lizzy's song. She said Lizzy had made up a song and had been working on it all day.

I wasn't terribly surprised to hear Lizzy had been composing. She's made up a song or two before. But when I heard her start playing it in the other room, I was first taken back by the chord progression--it's not terribly complicated or deep, but it's more mature than I expected. Then I was impressed by her playing--again, not flawless, but more confident and controlled (in keeping the rhythm even) than I would have thought.

Anyway, enough commentary from the proud dad. Here's Lizzy's composing debut. She calls it "Flying Fingers."

Monday, August 24, 2009

Family Home Evening Log

Conducting: Mommy

Trick by Lizzy

Opening Song: Let the Holy Spirit Guide

Opening Prayer: Mommy

Lesson: Daddy told the story of Perseus, who had a difficult quest. To help him on his quest, the gods gave him three magical gifts: a helmet, a shield, and a sword. Our lives are like quests also: we have a glorious goal (eternal life) and we will have to overcome many challenges and difficulties to get there. To help us on our quest, Heavenly Father has given us a gift better than Perseus' magical weapons. When we are baptized, we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost (2 Ne. 31:12), to guide us, protect us, teach us, comfort us, and help us complete our quest and return home to Heavenly Father. Lizzy pointed out that our opening song lists a lot of things the Holy Ghost will do to help us in our lives:

    1. Let the Holy Spirit guide;
    Let him teach us what is true.
    He will testify of Christ,
    Light our minds with heaven’s view.

    2. Let the Holy Spirit guard;
    Let his whisper govern choice.
    He will lead us safely home
    If we listen to his voice.

    3. Let the Spirit heal our hearts
    Thru his quiet, gentle pow’r.
    May we purify our lives
    To receive him hour by hour.


Family Prayer: Lizzy

Refreshments: Ice cream (strawberry, vanilla, cookie dough, or cherry bo berry)

Game: Wacky Words (a mad-lib sort of game). Here's the story we created. The words/phrases in a different color are the words we came up with to fill in the blanks. The initial of the person who thought of with each word or phrase is in brackets after the word or phrase. Lizzy and Mommy tied with 6 points each (two points per blank); Daddy had 4 points.

    My Book Report

    I read Musical Magical Mushrooms [L] by Penelope P. Peters.
    It's a funny story about munchkins making music [M].
    My favorite character was the furry Barney the Dinosaur [L].
    I laughed out loud when he ate the Empire State Building [D]!
    I was surprised when the dog-like [L] man
    lost his snakeskin slippers [D]!
    I thought the book was lovely as linguini [M].
    Any kid who likes shiitakes, slippers, or silly songs [M] should read it.

Friday, August 14, 2009

ADD and Multiplication

This is what it's like living with a brilliant, slightly ADD child:

Lizzy is supposed to be putting jammies on. Instead she is half undressed, head on the ground, bum in the air, thinking about multiplication.

Lizzy: "Mom, did you know that nine times nine is 81?"

Christine: "Yes. How did you know that?"

Lizzy: "Because nine times 10 is 90 and it's nine less than that."

Christine: "Ok, now get your jammies on."

A minute or so later, I hear Lizzy mumbling to herself: "Now, eight times eight..."

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Last Full Measure of Devotion

In early July of 1863, the peace of southern Pennsylvania’s green rolling hills was obliterated by the thundering sound of war. The Civil War had come north, and in a fierce battle, the South attacked the North just outside a small village called Gettysburg. In three days of fighting, the Confederates charged the Union lines repeatedly but were unable to break through. On July 4, after suffering severe losses, the Confederate Army retreated.

But the Union casualties were nearly as great as the Confederate. More than 3,000 boys in blue died in that battle, and some 20,000 more were wounded, captured, or recorded missing. By the end of the war, more than 600,000 Americans would lose their lives.

From the hills of Pennsylvania in 1863 to the farmlands of Massachusetts in 1775 to the forests of eastern France in 1944 to the deserts of Afghanistan and Iraq in 2003, millions upon millions have given their last breaths for our liberty, for us.

Sacrifices in our behalf are not confined to men and women in uniform. In addition to Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, each summer in Utah we celebrate Pioneer Day, remembering those who left homes and comforts and lost lives and family members for the faith we share with them. And on June 27 we honor another martyr for our faith, Joseph Smith.

Many are the courageous, faithful, selfless individuals who have given “the last full measure of devotion,” as Abraham Lincoln called it, to causes of faith and liberty. Our debt of gratitude is, indeed, great. How can we, today, even begin repay that debt?

In November 1863, four months after the battle at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln visited the site of the conflict, where he praised those fallen soldiers and expressed the duty that is incumbent on all who benefit from such sacrifices--whether made by soldiers in the 1860s, by pioneers in the 1850s, or by Joseph Smith in 1844.

“It is for us the living, rather,” said Lincoln, “to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

Increased devotion to the cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that’s how we can pay our debt of gratitude. We can carry on the work they began. We can advance the cause to which they consecrated such unswerving faith. By so doing, we can ensure that their gift to us, the ultimate gift, was not given in vain.

A short distance from the beaches in Normandy, France, ranks upon ranks of small white crosses cover a green field. Spaced carefully in perfect rows and columns, nearly 10,000 crosses honor American soldiers who gave their lives to secure the freedom of the French people. It is fitting that these brave dead are memorialized by crosses, which represent another cross, a cross upon which One died to secure the liberty of many.

In the Book of Mormon, yet another martyr, Abinadi, spoke of the Savior’s sacrifice and of our duty to honor that gift. “When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,” Abinadi said, quoting Isaiah, “. . . he shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied” (Mosiah 14:10–11).

When we make the Savior’s soul an offering for sin, when we apply His sacrifice to our lives, when we continue the work He started--the work of our own salvation--then do we ensure that His sacrifice was not in vain. And as we live lives of faith, courage, and repentance, we honor His gift to us as well as the millions of similar gifts passed down through the centuries to us today.