Today's young generation is armed internally with great reservoirs of strength. How do we as parents help them find their strengths, instead of focusing on their weaknesses? Time for some FHE Fun as we go visit "museums"!
Opening Song: #254 True to the Faith
Opening Prayer: By invitation.
Emergency Prep Tip: Last week we added water to our 72-hour kits. This week, we'll add 72-hours worth of food items. Here is a sample idea: 72-hour food bars . They are light-weight, filling, and small in size. A perfect addition to each family member's 72-hour kit! (Of course, if you have food allergies, research your choices carefully.)
Devotional: Invite family members to come each week with a scripture verse they'd like to share with the others in the family. Let everyone each new verse. Enjoy the spirit that comes from these moments. Have fun talking about how or why these verses strengthen. Scripture study is meant to refresh us during the week, NOT be a hindrance or a “have-to”. Devotionals are one of the best ways to teach this truth, when handled in encouraging fashion.
Activity: Has your family ever gone on a tour? Museums are fun places for children to experience a world outside their usual experiences. For FHE this week, why not take a tour of a local museum or historical location. If you do not live close to such a center, set up a fun "tour" of your home. Have someone play the "docent" who gets to explain the purpose of each living area.
Application: Once the "tour" is over, have fun discussing the highlights of the tour. What were the most memorable (or most amusing) moments?
Explain that life is like going to a big museum. There are all kinds of interesting sites or "rooms" to see. But life is different than a museum in one important way. There are danger spots on earth that would not be present at a museum. It is for this purpose the Lord gave His children -- through the prophets -- a handbook or "tour guide" to help avoid troubled areas. That dynamic "tour guide" is a pamphlet called "For the Strength of Youth."
Spend a few moments exploring the webpage for the pamphlet http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,30-1-7-1,00.html . It contains an introduction to this very important "tour guide" to life. Explain that over the next few weeks, the family will visit "rooms" in the pamphlet to discover all the amazing things that those "room" have to offer for your family's life. Living those principles will bring some of the greatest joy God's children can find on earth. It will help your children (and the adults in the family) find their strengths and help them with their weaknesses.
Finish by bearing your testimony how you feel about the prophets that have lived throughout the ages. They've sacrificed so much to warn us about dangerous thoughts and "places" offered by so many during this amazing experience we call life!
Closing Song: #261 Thy Servants Are Prepared
Closing Prayer: By invitation.
Refreshments: You may want to sample some of these Sorbet recipes as a fancy finish to your FHE "tour". Any one of them would make a soothing treat on a hot summer's evening, as you build family memories and togetherness time during FHE!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Here are some fun web pages to explore as a family. They will help your children -- especially the younger ones -- to understand the purpose of having a tour guide when visiting a new place. (Do keep in mind: We at Meridian Magazine are not recommending these services. We simply provide the web pages to help introduce the concept of "tour guides" and what they do.)
* Central Park tour guides
* Professional tour guides for Washington, D.C.
* China family tour guides
Struggling with your teens? C.S. Bezas' book is an essential help for parents and youth leaders. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers teaches you how to create powerful change. Visit your local LDS bookstore or get your copy online here.
