Welcome to Serendipity Hollow! We hope you will enjoy the tutorials and freebies that are posted here. Happy Crafting!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Scripture Nuggets -- so cute!





Make this cute little set of scriptures out of Hershey's Nuggets, paper and ribbon. This idea can be used with the Young Women April Restoration lessons, or for the May lesson on why it is important to study the scriptures . . . or any lesson when you want to use a short scriptural passage. 

Here is a short tutorial page. Charm your whole class with a set!



Friday, March 28, 2014

Forget Expensive Chocolate Rabbits! Here's an Affordable Treat Worth Sharing . . .



Pass out some smiles ! 

Instead of the expensive chocolate rabbits, pass out these more affordable Easter treats to your friends and family, or put them in the Easter baskets. (Wrappers are for snack- sized candy bars, or those cute little nuggets.)





Joseph and Hyrum Smith - RS Lesson 7

Handout for Relief Society and Priesthood Lesson 7



Have Your Own FHE Passover Feast --

Passover  Feast

Family Home Evening
The main purpose of a Passover Feast is to celebrate the fact that God spared the Children of Israel, in the days of Moses, from the last plague he sent down upon Egypt. Another purpose of the feast is to review and learn about the Passover and exodus of the Israelites, and to understand how the Lord protects His people today.
[ The Jewish feast includes many symbolic foods and rituals, some of which we will use and explain in this Family Home Evening. (Read about the plagues and Passover in the Bible, Exodus 7-12; and read the article “The Passover Supper” on pages 74-75 of this month’s Ensign—April 2014.)  We will not try to go through the 15 steps of a ritual Jewish Seder here, but will talk about the symbolism of the foods eaten, the story of the plagues and exodus, and how the Passover relates to Latter-day Saints. ]

1)    To Begin . . .
The first thing you can do as a family to prepare for your Passover Feast is to symbolically rid your house of all unleavened bread. (Exodus 12:15)
Activity:  Place some kind of raised donut or cinnamon roll in 10 baggies, and hide them throughout the house. Have the children search for and find them. Once the house is clean of unleavened bread, you can hold your feast, or dinner. (You could save the treats for an after meal dessert.)
2)    Next . . . Eat Your Feast
The foods you will need for your feast are:
1.      Unleavened Bread: Fry bread, tortilla, or crackers of some kind—symbolizes the fact that they were in a hurry and did not have time for yeast bread to rise, and also that Christ is the bread of life.
2.      Bitter Herbs: Horseradish, parsley, peppermint, chives, romaine lettuce, or some other kind of bitter tasting herb—symbolizes the bitterness of slavery and the bitterness of Christ suffering for our sins.
3.      Fruit Paste:  a mixture of chopped nuts, apples, cinnamon, and honey or grape juice—symbolizes the mortar used between bricks to build storehouses and pyramids for the Pharaoh.
4.      Vegetable and Salt Water Dip: Cut up celery, carrots, broccoli and/or cauliflower and some kind of vegetable dip in place of salt water—symbolizes new life, and the shedding of the tears of the Children of Israel. (It used to be a sign of royalty to dip food in sauces, and of course slaves did not have dips.)
5.      Boiled Egg: A regular hard-boiled egg—symbolizes the renewal of body and spirit, the arrival of spring, and mourning for the loss of the Jerusalem Temple.
6.      Meat: Lamb, goat, or chicken—symbolizes the Passover lamb sacrificed on the eve of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. It also represents the sinless Christ who sacrificed for our sins, and the absolute dedication required of God’s covenant people.
3)    Now . . . Hold a discussion on “The ten plagues of Egypt and the Exodus”
You might want to watch part of the movie “The Ten Commandments.”
The plagues are:
1.     Water is turned to blood (Exodus 7:19, 20)
2.      Frogs cover the land (Exodus 8:5,6)
3.      Lice throughout all the land (Exodus 8:16, 17)
4.      Flies plague the Egyptians, but not the Israelites (Exodus 8:21-24)
5.      Death of Egyptian cattle, (and other animals), but not the Israelites     (Exodus 9:3-6)
6.      Boils and Blains upon the Egyptians (Exodus 9:8-11)
7.     The land is smitten with hail, fire, and thunder (Exodus 10:22-25)
8.      Locusts cover the land and eat the greenery (Exodus 10:12-15)
9.      Darkness covers the land for three days (Exodus 10:21-23)
10.   All the firstborn of Egypt die, both man and beast. Those Israelites are spared who put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts (Exodus 11:4-7)

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:12, 13)

After the last plague, Pharaoh lets the children of Israel leave Egypt where they have been slaves for the past 430 years. The Lord institutes the Passover, and the feast of unleavened bread that they and their posterity might remember this Passover forever.

            “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generation; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” (Exodus 12:14)

After the Israelites left, Pharaoh changed his mind and chased after them with his soldiers on their horses and chariots. Moses led the Children of Israel to the Red Sea where the Lord opened the waters and allowed the people to pass through the waters on dry ground. (Exodus 14:16) A pillar of fire kept the Pharaoh and his host from passing through the Red Sea until all the Israelites were safe on the other side. Then, when the Pharaoh and his soldiers were well into the Red Sea on dry ground, the Lord instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea and cover them with water.

            “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
            And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:30, 31)
         
            As Latter-day Saints, we are also a covenant people. Each week when we attend Sacrament Meeting, we renew our covenants with the Lord when we partake of the sacrament, which has replaced the sacrificial burnt offering of the Israelites. The Lord delights in our repentance and thoughtful covenant renewal.   In the November 1995 Ensign, on page 68, and again in the April 2014 issue on page 75, Jeffrey R. Holland says:
“Do we see [our weekly sacramental service] as our Passover, remembrance of our safety and deliverance and redemption?
            “With so very much at stake, this ordinance commemorating our escape from the angel of darkness should be taken more seriously than it sometimes is.”

            As Latter-day Saints, we know that the Lord protects His covenant people when we keep His commandments, just as He did the Children of Israel when they did as He commanded.  
Note that those same Israelites who were obedient in putting blood on their doorposts, and following the Lord’s instructions in their deliverance from slavery, had trouble remembering the lesson of obedience. As a result, they spent the next forty years wandering in the wilderness, trying to learn obedience.

4)    Ask These Questions:
 How might you avoid wandering in a wilderness of disobedience?
In what ways has the angel of darkness passed over you in the past week, month, or year?
What other blessings and protections come from belonging to the Lord’s Church and partaking of its covenants?
(So many helpers through life’s journey—Prophet, Bishop, teachers, home teachers, visiting teachers, a Ward Family, the gift of the Holy Ghost, Temple blessings, understanding of the Godhead and of where we came from, our purpose on earth, and where we are going, The Book of Mormon and its insights, the Welfare program, etc. Our blessings are endless.)


          5)    Finally . . . Play a game, color the coloring book pages, watch some of             “The  Ten Commandments,” or eat those donuts/cinnamon rolls! 

Jesus Christ: Savior and Redeemer


Relief Society Pass-out Cards for April 2014 






Why Am I Glad the Church Was Restored?

Because, when the apostles were all killed, we lost so much . . .  




But through Joseph Smith, God restored all of these blessings that I now enjoy . . . 



Monday, March 10, 2014

Pass out the Patties!


Treats "mint" for lucky Irish friends!



It’s so much fun to “pass out the patties” to the crowd at work, or to the ladies you visit teach.  It takes just a few minutes to cut out and glue these simple envelopes together and stuff with those yummy Peppermint Patties. Don’t go out empty-handed on St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Or if Peppermint Patties isn't your thing, make some other lucky choice, stuff it in this owl envelope, and pass it on.  We should all be so lucky to get it!




Deck the Irish Halls with GREEN!


Copy, paste, and print out on cardstock, these delightful St. Patrick's Day leprechauns and clovers. String them on a ribbon and hang across a window, a mantel, a mirror, or a china hutch--like me. I love the festive look such a simple decoration brings into my home! 


Irish Dinner--melts in your mouth!







Merry’s Irish Dinner

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 ½ hours

Ingredients:
4 red medium-sized potatoes, cut up
1large onion, chopped
 ½ head of cabbage, cut up
1 large celery stalk, sliced
Other optional vegetables, cut up:
     broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms
1 lb. bacon  (or turkey bacon)
 Seasonal, salt, pepper, herb & garlic seasoning

Directions:
Arrange all vegetables in a large baking dish.
Season as desired .Cut bacon strips into quarters
 and arrange on top of vegetables. Cover with
 tin foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 
45 minutes. Take  tin foil off baking dish and
 cook uncovered for an additional 45 minutes

 to allow bacon to brown and crisp. 

It's delicious--melts in your mouth!

Lucky Snack





Surprise the children with some fun cereal as a lucky Irish snack or breakfast. Use the following labels on regular-sized baggies.



Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Family Treasure


Show how you treasure your family --

Copy, paste, and print out this Pot O’ Gold picture and fill in the gold pieces with family photos. Show the picture to your family and explain how you treasure each family member. Or do the project as a family!



Saturday, March 1, 2014

Family Home Evening -- families

           



Families SHOULD Be Together Forever

by Marie Scott
March 2014

God Put Us into Families

            Father in Heaven put us into families so we would have natural ties of love and acceptance from the minute we leave our heavenly home, until we return.
            While in our families, though we are all brothers and sisters on earth, we develop strong feelings of love and understanding for our parents, grandparents, and siblings, and the Lord has provided a way for us to keep those bonds throughout all eternity. Ideally, families should be together forever—not living in the same home— but they should be together in love and kinship. 
           

Family Goal: The Celestial Kingdom

There is only one place after earth life where we live again as families, and that is in the celestial kingdom. Our job is to work to reach the celestial kingdom, and help our family members reach it as well. We do that by:  living the commandments, being baptized, being endowed in the temple, being sealed to a spouse in the temple one day, and by enduring to the end of our lives in righteousness.

That is harder to do than it sounds, but the Lord has given us many helps along the way, including our families, the Church, the atonement, and vicarious work for the dead. We need the help of others to reach this goal, but the most important thing we can do as parents and individuals is to love each other and set a good example of righteous living.

Matthew Brown, says of children adopting the beliefs of their parents:

It is important for parents to model how to practice their faith by
attending and serving in the church, but that influence can be
blunted if either parent doesn’t have a close relationship with
their children.
(Deseret News’ Supplement to the February 2014 Ensign, page 1 & 11, “Passing the Torch,”)

The old saying, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care,” is true. Children who have a bad relationship with their parents won’t want to adopt their beliefs—far from it.

Getting Along with Others

Even in families, everyone is unique and different, which makes getting along with others something we all have to work at. That is best done in love, and with tactful honesty.

            In the 2010 Ensign, page 125, President Thomas S. Monson said:

            All of you wear the mantle of charity. Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing  [his or] her best to deal with the challenges which come [his or] her way, and may we strive to do our best to help out.

            As family members, we should understand, as President Monson said, that life is not easy for anyone, and there are behaviors we should avoid. It is never a good thing:

·         for one sibling to daily pick on another just because he or she can  (Mosiah 27:3, Proverbs 10:12)
·         for families to gang up on one member and criticize him or her  (Mosiah 4:14, Alma 1:21)
·         for one member of the family to carry most of the load and do all the work  (Mosiah 4:27, D&C 10:4)
·         for any family member to repeatedly slough responsibilities  (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
·         for tempers to continually flare  (Colossians 3:8)
·         for the home to be continually disordered  (D&C 88:119)
·         for someone to be continually over-controlling  (D&C 121:37, 39)

These are all behaviors or things that build up in a home over time that Satan makes good use of. They destroy peace or self-esteem, making individuals want to flee the home. Home, though it may not be perfect, should be a place where we want to be, where we are loved, where we can grow, where we feel needed, and where we are increasingly free to choose the right as we grow up.

The Big Picture / How is the Home’s Temperature?

Parents and children should periodically take a step back and look at the big picture of home. How is the home temperature?  Is home a good place to be? How is life for each family member? Does everyone feel loved? Does everyone help out and feel needed?  Is any one individual overwhelmed? Is anyone feeling stifled for some reason? Is everyone doing what he or she can to help or contribute?  (Play the “Home Temperature Game” to help family members become more aware of each other and the feeling in your home.)

Parents and children who are trying to be together forever should also be living the gospel by:
            Holding family prayer morning and night  (D&C 88:120)
            Having family and individual scripture study
            Holding regular Family Home Evenings
            Attending church meetings (and the temple) regularly
Eating dinner together regularly, and
            Serving others

Parents should teach children to work, organize, solve problems; and to love and respect God, self, and others. They should also teach them that the sacrifice the Lord requires of us, today, is that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. (Psalms 34:18, D&C 56:18)

Let’s make being together worth it now, so it will be possible in the future . . . Our family should be together forever and ever.

How’s the Home Temperature? activity:  Using the thermometer, (after this lesson), and questions above, (or make up some of your own questions), ask the family how they feel they are doing on each one. Raise or lower the thermometer according to the general consensus.   

Dinner table activity:  Sometime when everyone is present, have everyone look around the dinner table and point out how satisfying it is to have everyone together. Ask family members to imagine having any seat permanently vacant, and note how sad that would be if it was forever. 

Family Pot O' Gold:  Print out the Family Pot O' Gold picture on this blog and fill in the gold pieces with family photos. Show the completed collage and explain how each family member is treasured.

FHE demonstration:  Take the family photo album, or find pictures of each family member. One-by-one, hold up the pictures and tell about each person. Then point out how sad it would be to you to ever lose any of those people from your life. Our Father in Heaven loves each of His children even more than we can, and He doesn’t want to lose any of us either.





Family Fun! Color and Count the Shamrocks

How many large shamrocks are there?
How many small shamrocks are there?
How many medium sized shamrock are there?
How many three-leaf clovers are there?
How many lucky four-leaf clovers are there?


The Light of the World -- Visiting Teaching





Visiting Teaching Cards


Copy, paste, cut apart, and hand out cards 



Don't Get Pinched -- Last Minute St. Patrick's Day Buttons