Family Home Evening: Hymns

Posted on June 16, 2013 by

Welcome back for this week’s Family Home Evening!

Opening Song: I Like to See the Temple

Prayer

Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 64:9-11

Lesson: HymnsFamily home evening hymns

First we shared a few of our favorite hymns.

Next we discussed the purpose of hymns.

  • They are a prayer in song
  • They show our devotion to our Heavenly Father
  • They are a form of worship
  • Hymns invite the spirit
  • One of my kiddos said the hymns during the meeting helps them stay awake during the meetings

The preface to the hymn book states, “Three months after the Church was organized, the Lord, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, instructed Joseph’s wife, Emma, to make a selection of sacred hymns for the Church: “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads” (D&C 25:12).” It’s easy to understand why we have been counseled to memorize a few hymns so we can sing one when we are facing temptation or need to have His spirit with us.

Activity: Apples to Apples – my favorite game

Closing Song: Once there Was a Snowman

Prayer

Treat: Muddy Buddies

What hymns have inspired you or brought you comfort?

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Friday Favorites: June 14

Posted on June 14, 2013 by

Happy Flag Day! This week’s favorites have largely come from our Summer Bucket List Challenge. So far we have completed 15 items – and most of them were even fun. We had a streak of poor sportsmanship during a game. It was the Hunger Games board game, so maybe it’s hard to be a good sport when your playing a game about bumping off the competition.bucket list favorites

  • We attempted to attend the MCC Planetarium Night, but we arrived to late to get tickets. No matter, we watched a show about Pluto (poor demoted planet), looked at Saturn through a telescope and shot film canister rockets.
  • We had our family book club for Deadweather and Sunrise.
  • We tried frying an egg on the sidewalk, but it was too cold. (There’s something you don’t hear about an Arizona summer day very often!) We’ll have to try again when it hits 115.
  • We made Father’s Day cards.
  • Our ice cream social was a delicious success! There’s even some ice cream left over to make milkshakes; a list item for another day.
  • Not a summer bucket list item, but we had another meeting planning the ANWA Writer’s Conference. It’s going to be so cool!

Were your Friday Favorites also you Summer Bucket List items? Share your favorites so I can use them for my family too!

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New Lands Book Review

Posted on June 10, 2013 by

Since my book review of Deadweather and Sunrise, I’ve read the second installment of the Chronicles of Egg, New  Lands. Author Geoff Rodkey continues his adventure with pirates, slavers and some pretty scary natives.

New Lands Book Review

After a narrow escape from Deadweather Island, Egg and his slightly deranged partner Guts head for the remote New Lands. They’re in search of the lost Okalu tribe, who hold the key to the mysterious treasure map that Egg can’t decipher. But the ruthless Roger Pembroke is hard on Egg’s trail, and the New Lands are full of new enemies—against which our heroes’ only weapons are their brains, their courage…and the two dozen swear words Guts just memorized in the local tongue.

They’re going to need help. But who can they trust? Is Kira, the beautiful and heavily armed Okalu refugee, their ally…or their enemy? Is Pembroke’s daughter Millicent on Egg’s side…or her father’s? Why on earth is the notorious pirate Burn Healy being so nice to them? And the biggest question of all: what shocking secret is Egg about to discover in the shadow of an ancient Okalu temple? {Amazon}

With the last book, one of my kiddos got to it before me; this time two of them did. I had to work twice as hard to make sure they weren’t book spoilers! Now there are three of us anxious for the release of the third and final book in the series next year.

As Egg continues to face odd situations and challenges, he gets more confident and mature, as does Guts. Despite the strain of new friends and their unique talents, their friendship grows stronger. Millicent is as overbearing as ever, she also struggles with the realization that her father, Roger Pembroke, isn’t the hero she thinks he is.

New Lands was released about a month ago and is available in stores near you. I would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for sending me the ARC of this exciting book. Now, how do I get my hands on the next one?

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