I have to give my very first lesson in Relief Society this Sunday! Maybe I just picked a hard topic. I decided to talk on the worth of sisters, like individual worth. Our sisters have so much going on right now I think a lot of them don't feel that what they do is of value. But I'm having the worst time finding the info I want. I don't know what I want! Help!! I thought I would start out asking the women if they've had a bad week and why. Then ask how those things make us feel. Which I will tie into feeling valued/worth something. Does this make sense? Then I thought about talking about what the world expects us to do and how to live. Like having a full time job making more money than a man instead of being a mom. That's all I have so far, with some other things in between. Does this sound really really stupid and boring? Please be honest. Our sisters look so bored during lessons I want to spruce mine up but I don't have any ideas. Can someone please help me? Pretty please? I don't know what direction to take next. I just want to cry.

__________________

When I think about people not valuing the things they do I think about the amazing impact of small things--you know, "By small and simple things, great things are brought to pass"? I think it is amazing the impact that little things make in the universe. We may think that some particular act of service is too small to be noticed, but it is not only noticed, it changes the world we live in.

I think, too, that the "I'm not doing enough" syndrome comes from a lack of clarity about why we are here and what we are doing. It's not about measuring up to other people or other people's standards. We're here to grow spiritually and to make our way back to the Father. Little steps forward are all we need. We have the eternities to finish the race--we just need to keep going forward!

Personally, I think being a decent human being makes far more impact than things that are measurable--ie, a clean house, a paycheck, a perfect body. You can spend your day being a decent human and have nothing really to "show" for it...but that doesn't mean that you didn't accomplish anything.

I think this is most visible in the work we do with our children. We all know that time spent coloring and blowing bubbles etc. is much more than just coloring and bubbles. That love and that security and that fun mold those little humans and teach them important eternal principles. That's really true in all of our human interactions.

I don't know what would be something to catch their attention. Hmmm. Cheesy physical example? One drop of food coloring coloring the whole bowl of water? I don't know. Maybe ask them to think of the top 10 things that brighten an average day? Those things are usually little things, don't ya think?

I'm curious to hear what everyone else has to say too

Marianne

__________________
Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you!
--"A Beautiful Mind"

I was just looking online for an object lesson to go with my lesson tomorrow on Scripture reading, and I came across this. I think it would fit your lesson nicely.

It's from this website: http://www.jennysmith.net and then click on the object lesson link and search for your topic


Brief Description/Purpose:
A twenty dollar bill doesn't loose its value, and neither do children of God.

Objects Used/Preparation:
a twenty dollar bill

Lesson:
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still, the hands were up in the air." "Well," he continued, "what if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20."

"Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstance that come our way." We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value: dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you." Keep this in mind: The worth of our lives comes not from what we do or who we are, but by whose we are!

You might use 2 Corinthians 4:18: "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

__________________
~*~ Katie ~*~






http://thewanfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/

Marianne & Katie - you guys just made my day! I almost cried when I read your posts. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have really helped me find the direction I was going. THANK YOU! *HUGS*

__________________