Printable-Palooza

This summer has been an interesting journey of self discovery and I have let things slip yet again. I apologize! With that being said, I am resolving to not make any other promises here on this blog. This blog will just be. Because I need to learn to just be and not force unattainable goals onto myself. I am working on prioritizing and just being. Join me, should you feel the need to break free!  Below are a bunch of free printables I have made that go along with talks from. the April 2018 General Conference. Feel free to use them for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Thank you for your support!

Primary Lesson Helps Link List

Many of you have had trouble downloading my lesson helps from the past due to a DropBox issue (my issue, not DropBox's issue). Below is a list of the lesson helps I have available on Google Drive. Some of these files are OLD, but I hope they help! I will update as I create more files. Thanks for your patience!

{Primary Lesson Helps}

Four Class Rules

Prayer Chart

Primary 2 Lesson 12

Primary 2 Lesson 13

Primary 2 Lesson 14

Primary 2 Lesson 15

Primary 2 Lesson 16

Primary 2 Lesson 18

Primary 2 Lesson 19

Primary 2 Lesson 20

Primary 2 Lesson 21

Primary 2 Lesson 22

Primary 2 Lesson 23

Primary 2 Lesson 24

Primary 2 Lesson 25

Primary 2 Lesson 26

Primary 2 Lesson 27

Primary 2 Lesson 28

Primary 2 Lesson 29

Primary 2 Lesson 30

Primary 2 Lesson 31

Primary 2 Lesson 45

Primary 3 Lesson 14

Primary 6 Lesson 01

Children of God + Forgiveness

Hi, all! I know it's Saturday, but I had to read, re-read, and think about this week's talks because I felt the need to do so, as I have been struggling. It's the end of the school year, it's my first year of teaching, and I feel a mixture of emotions. If any of you are also teachers, and have had similar experiences, please let me know and give me advice below! :)

And now, on to the talks. I am going to do some bullet points on thoughts I had for both of them, plus I do have a print for each talk as a freebie for you! First up, "Am I a Child of God" by Elder Brian K. Taylor.

• I think it is normal and human to question where we come from. Even if we know our royal origin as children of God, we all wonder if it is true at times. This is nothing to be ashamed about! It is an opportunity for us to come closer to our Father and Savior, should we choose that route.
• In a world where many question who/what they are, we can always find peace as we strive to understand our eternal potential and learn from the Spirit the answers to these questions. The gifts of prayer, priesthood blessings (especially patriarchal blessings), and scripture study can lead to answers we seek.
• Service to others help us to strengthen our belief of our divine nature, as well as see others' divine heritage. It also helps us to come together as brothers and sisters.
• When we put the belief of our religion into practice, we will come to have a perfect understanding of our Father's and Savior's perfect qualities, and perfect them in ourselves.

Next up, "Even as Christ Forgives You, So Also Do Ye" by Elder Larry J. Echo Hawk. This one was particularly difficult for me, because I struggle to forgive myself and those I feel should know better, especially when a sincere apology has not been forthcoming. Therefore, I am only going to share a few thoughts, and keep the rest to ponder on.

• Repentance is a personal responsibility. This means that nobody else can do this for us. I believe that forgiving is also a personal responsibility, which is difficult for me to admit.
• When we seek the Holy Ghost and always remember our Savior's Atonement, we can forgive anything. 
• I loved the example of extending love to the family of someone who has offended us/done us wrong. I have often wondered about the families of those who commit heinous crimes and how they feel. While most of us (myself included) are quick to judge and say they are probably partially to blame, I feel there are times when this is not the case. Each of us has the ability to choose, no matter what our parentage or upbringing.
• Forgiveness brings peace. We all need more peace. I've decided that when my anxiety starts to increase, I am going to do some self-reflection to see if it is because I need to forgive. I had the opportunity to do that this past week, and it really helped!

That's all I have for today, friends! I will be back (hopefully tomorrow) with another General Conference talk to share my thoughts on. Until then, have a wonderful and blessed day!

Precious Gifts from God + Easter Week Recap

Hello, all! Sorry I missed last week--I had a very busy weekend that included watching General Conference, so blogging took a back seat to being inspired! Very quickly, I will give you a short recap of my week leading up to Easter:

• My focus was "Choose Hope".
• It was a very rough week, but each day I was blessed with a situation that helped me have hope or see hope in my daily life.
• I need to continue with this focus to help me live a happier life.
• General Conference was a beautiful way to help me end a stressful week and gave me even more hope because I was able to go on Sunday morning with a coworker of my husband's who is interested in learning more about the Church!
• Heavenly Father answers prayers.

So, there are my thoughts on that. 

Next, I am very excited to get to be writing this post to go along with the talk "Precious Gifts from God" by President M. Russell Ballard. My sister-in-law had a great idea to create a calendar of talks for us to study until the next conference in October, and this was the first talk on the list. Each week, I will share thoughts on the assigned talk and what I learned. The original challenge is to read the talk each day, but I am not sure I will be able to follow through with that, so I will at least read it each Sunday and refer back to it as it enters my mind during the week. My thoughts will be added to each weekly post. I'll also try to keep including a freebie print. :)

Here's this week's freebie.

I'm not sure how each weekly post will be presented, but this week I'm using bullet points. Each bullet point will include something from the talk that stood out to me from the talk, then my thoughts. I apologize now if some of my thoughts are unclear. Please feel free to ask for clarification in the comments below! Here we go...

• Pres. Ballard encouraged us to write our feelings about the solemn assembly in our journals. I had not done so, but I still remember the feelings that I had. I felt an overwhelming peace and gratitude as I was privileged to participate in the solemn assembly where a new Prophet of the Lord was sustained. I did cry. I did feel hope. This was the beginning of the overwhelming happiness and hope that encompassed that weekend. I know that President Nelson is the prophet that this world needs today, that he was inspired to choose the men he did as counselors, and that the will lead the Savior's Church by hearkening to the work of Jesus Christ, the true head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• "In an orderly way we have now begun a new chapter in our Church history. This is a precious gift from God....With our raised hands, we promised to hearken unto his voice as he receives direction from the Lord." I love how the Lord prepares us step-by-step, even over the course of two days. This quote was a preparatory remark to help those of us watching each session become prepared for the different changes made to Church programs Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. I am in awe with the way the Lord's servants can provide those stepping stones to us if we are faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord!
• "Given the reality of our human weaknesses and shortcomings, how do we move forward in supporting and sustaining each other? It begins with faith—real, sincere faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in the Savior is the first principle of the doctrine and gospel of Christ." I personally struggle with human weaknesses. I struggle with my own and those of others. My faith has been very shaky the last few years because of illness, changes, and new chapters beginning in my life. This statement has encouraged me to work on my faith in Christ. I am hopeful that as I do, I will be able to come to terms with certain situations that have occurred and get past them. I will say this in behalf of all those who struggle with faith (all of us, honestly): DO NOT force your faith on them by making comments that are pointed and demeaning.  The side comments do not help, they create even larger chasms in trust. DO NOT judge them based on how you handle situations and think they should act. When you do this, you are acting from a place of personal opinion, not love. DO NOT view them as lesser than you because they struggle and choose differently than you do. You do not know their personal situation, nor do you understand their motives. DO reach out without the motive of forcing them to conform to any expectations. People don't like being forced into things. Allow people to grow they way they need to. We all have agency, we should respect each other's agency. DO try to understand their perspective by validating feelings to help them move past them. Telling them that they shouldn't have the feelings they do is shaming. The Savior would never shame. He seeks to help us feel understood. This is the basis of loving communication. DO love and serve them. Without strings attached.
• "The power of the Sabbath day is to experience in church and at home the delight, the joy, and the warmth of feeling the Spirit of the Lord without any kind of distraction." This is something I need to work on. Specifically his statement about being too plugged into the world. I made the decision a few years ago to not have the internet continually available on my phone. I was experiencing huge amounts of anxiety. I felt the needs to be constantly available online via every device I owned. Taking a step back, turning off the internet on one device, and allowing myself to place boundaries with regards to getting back to others has helped my anxiety tremendously. My schedule and my life do not need to revolve around the desires and needs of others. I should be aware of them and want to help, but my life should be centered on Christ. In order to do that, I need to be able to hear the Holy Ghost and act when I am prompted by a perfect Being, my Heavenly Father. This means keeping an open mind, a semi-open schedule, and a willing heart when to go where I am guided. It helps when you have a husband like I do who is willing to aid me in my attempts at Christ-like service. Cutting out a lot of social media, email, and watching television on the Sabbath do help me focus on the Savior. I am not perfect at this, but I am wanting to be better!
• "Partaking of the sacrament and renewing our covenants is a sign by us to the Lord that we do always remember Him. His Atonement is a gracious gift from God." This is something that is personal to me. It is something I need to do better. Because it is so personal, this is all that I will share. I think it would be good if each of us seriously took a step back and determined our motives, thoughts, and feelings each week during the sacrament. Am I just partaking because it's a habit? Am I only going through the motions? Does that benefit me?
• "The privilege of service to Heavenly Father’s children is another opportunity to follow the example of His Beloved Son by serving one another." I feel that, in the past, I have been mistaken as to which service is most important--a Church calling or service rendered to those who don't attend the Church each week. I have come to realize that there are times and seasons. Service to any of God's children is service to Him. Not just those who attend Church each week, but anyone we come in contact with. We won't get more "points" for fulfilling callings than serving those outside the Church or vice versa. Our baptismal covenant doesn't specify that we "mourn with those who mourn" in our congregations only. There is no specificity in that language. I will say, though, I truly feel that where our service is going to be mostly scrutinized is within the walls of our homes. We have made specific covenants with those who live with us, and those covenants can bind us together or tear us apart. Each covenant we make is also tied to the Lord. How does our interactions with those in our homes (and outside of them) reflect on our relationship with the Lord?
• "Peter may have given the best description of the Savior’s mortal ministry in five words when he referred to Jesus, 'who went about doing good' (Acts 10:38)." I need to stop putting boundaries on my service, and just go about doing good without worrying about stepping on toes or offending someone who feels it isn't my job to help. I firmly believe that when we are prompted to do good, we need no further "permission". You have been given permission from God. Who has a higher authority?

I am sure that as I ponder and re-read, I will be further edified. I invite you to come and join us each week, should you feel the desire! Have a wonderful week!

Easter Week

Hello, friends! I am sorry I missed last week, although I'm sure I'm the only one who noticed. ;) I was down with bronchitis and slept all day long. It was glorious and needed. But, I'm back with a new post this week!

The Easter week is one that spur many to rethink and change. I look forward to each year as the Church offers an initiative at www.mormon.org/easter to help me focus my week more fully on the Savior, plus the beautiful Easter video (click to watch, or watch below). This year is no different, and I am so excited!

I love that there are four choices for me to choose from that I can use as my focus this week. The options are "Love Your Neighbor", "Look to God", "Focus on Family", and "Embrace Hope". After reading each section, along with activities to help keep each focus, I am torn between two--"Look to God" and "Embrace Hope". I will make my decision this evening, then be back next week with a report!

After I read through this page, I decided to start thinking about what I could do to help others feel the spirit of rebirth at Easter. With that in mind, I counseled with my husband and we have decided to make special Easter candles to take to specific people on Easter Sunday. I have made a tag to go along with it.

Here's the tag:

It measures 2" x 3". If you would like a PDF sheet with these (without the watermark), please find them HERE! Feel free to email me at onastampage @ gmail.com if you have trouble accessing the file.

I leave you with my favorite Easter video.

Have a blessed week, friends!

Divine Design

Happy Sunday, friends! This week's post was inspired by Elder Ronald A. Rasband's talk, "Divine Design", given last fall in the October 2017 General Conference. Elder Rasband discusses the term "coincidence" and how there are no true coincidences in our lives. Each detail is looked down upon by a loving Heavenly Father, intent on meeting His children's needs in the only way He is able--through each of us.

Here is the print it inspired.

This topic is near and dear to my heart. As I try to reflect on my life regularly, I can see the hand of the Lord guiding me to where He needs me to be. It amazes me that He can use not only my choices, but the choices of others (both good and bad), to further His work.

Here is just one chain of events in my life that has been a blessing, all guided by the Lord:

1. Marry my husband in the temple. (Honestly, all good things since this choice have come because of this choice).
2. Husband encourages me to take time to work in schools to see if teaching is what I want to do.
3. Work as a paraeducator for a few years, praying to know when to go back to school.
4. Husband receives a promotion and I become aware of a program to help me receive a teaching degree from my dream school.
5. Quit job, start school.
6. Complete school part of degree, enter student teaching.
7. Have experiences in my student teaching that directly taught me things I would need later in my job.
8. Stress about finding a job and whether I am being too picky about where I am applying.
9. Get job three weeks after graduating.
10. Start job, it's incredibly difficult, but because I was picky I have support that I need.
11. Pray daily to find those who need to be helped. 
12. Find numerous ways to serve in my school.

This was a long and drawn out process, but I am grateful for it. There are so many stories behind each item on the list, I can't even begin to tell you how much God has helped guide my life! So here's my invitation to you--how has the Lord guided you recently? Once you start writing it, you might be surprised to see how far back it goes! I encourage you to do this. Write it down, then give thanks! Even in our darkest hours, there is hope glimmering if we can see that the Lord has a plan for us. Have a blessed week, all!

Choose to Believe

I have been thinking a lot about the ability to choose. I firmly believe that people are born with the ability to choose and that we can make choices to help us become happy, no matter our circumstances. This is a gift from our Father in Heaven. We learn how to choose correctly by making choices at an early age and learning from low-stakes mistakes made by those choices. Without the ability to choose, we are objects being acted upon instead of capable human beings who have the power to make decisions.

I love that the Spirit can guide me to more information to help me perfect my belief and knowledge about this agency that has been given to me. This week's talk is called "Choose to Believe" and was given by L. Whitney Clayton back in April of 2015. As I read, I realized that I have to DAILY  choose to believe in Christ, in the Father's Plan, in the power of the Holy Ghost, and in my own abilities in order to become the person that I am meant to be.

Each of us will go through difficult times. There will always be a trial just around the corner. If we choose to believe, we are choosing hope, and with that hope will come peace. May each of us choose to believe in the all-knowing and all-loving power of God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, each day is my prayer. Have a beautiful week, friends!

Seeking Holiness

Happy Sunday, friends! I have been doing a lot of self reflection as of late. Parent teacher conference time always brings that out in me. I try to determine if I am finding ways to make sure student strengths are being utilized to help them overcome weaknesses or areas of concern. I also try to examine if I am doing the same for myself. The only way to do this is by relying on the Lord to lead me to change.

As I've been pondering this, I have been reading the account of Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. They certainly changed. Sometimes I wonder if I really am capable of that type of immense character change. Other times, I look back and can't believe how much I've changed in general! I firmly believe that all these changes need to be leading me back to God. Enter the Lord, yet again, and this conference talk!

If the changes I am making are not leading me towards holiness, which is a word I need to think about more, then they are not changes that are being approved by the Lord. This can get tricky, I think. Especially when other people want to judge our actions and have all sorts of opinions about what we do or think or feel. (If you don't believe me, just go to a blog on any topic that has a larger following than this one and read the comments. YIKES!)

If I can lay down at night, feel that I have done my best, and have peace given to me by the Lord from His Spirit, then I think I am on the right track. I have had times in my life when I have not received guidance from the Spirit because of my actions, and it is not pretty. I am SO thankful to have Heavenly Father's guidance on a daily basis, helping me to do my best in all facets of my life.

Thanks for sticking with the post this week. I know it was very stream-of-conscious. I encourage you to do some self-reflecting on a regular basis. I truly believe that this is a fundamental part of the repentance process and one of the ways Heavenly Father can guide us. Let me know how your time spent doing so goes, should you feel the need! Until next week, sending peaceful wishes for a Spirit-filled week!

Become

Happy Sabbath, friends! This week's post is about what God wants us to become. Specifically, it's about what I know He wants me to become. The newest Mormon Message hit me powerfully today as I watched it. In it, the man speaking shares about losing both parents at a young age and the need he had and has to rely on the Lord for strength to overcome and persevere. I love hearing these stories of how the Lord strengthens His children!

My own journey to become what God would have me be has most definitely not been what I had planned. My husband and I planned to have six children, and I would be a stay-at-home mom to fulfill the role of motherhood in the way I felt God needed me to. Instead of having children, however, we have been blessed to not have them.

That statement probably sounds strange to some of you, and may even be offensive. It isn't meant to be. It is a statement of contentment knowing that the Lord has greater plans for me than what I thought should be. It is not meant to undermine or demean those who are blessed to have children and raise them. It is my acceptance of the Lord's will, and my desire to continue on the path HE has for me instead of my own.

I could share with you all about our journey through infertility, but that is not what my focus is this week. Instead, I wanted to share with you all what I have been able to BECOME because He knows better than I do what I need.  Here is the list of what He has helped me become:

1. A wife and eternal companion in a relationship that values open communication, trust, and support of each other.
2. The mother of a fur-baby pup that has given me joy that I never understood, but now can't live without.
3. A teacher of children from all walks of life who need to feel the influence of the Spirit in some way, and I strive to do that daily.
4. A colleague that values the opinion and wisdom of others, who understands that we are better together than alone.
5. A daughter of God who trusts that His ways will always lead me where I need to go, tell me what I can do in any given situation, and allows me to repent daily.

I'm sure that I could go on, but that's all that I have for now. I created another printable to help me remember that God is continually helping me to BECOME what He would have me be. I made it in a variety of colors, hoping that each of you can find one you love!

Thank you for stopping by again today! I hope that you have been uplifted and can see all that God is helping YOU to become. You are wonderful, amazing, beautiful, talented, and, above all, His child. Wishing you peace this week, and always!

Move Forward Together

Moment of truth here. I used to place value on my worth based on callings that I received. This is not only a dangerous practice, but one that leads ultimately to unhappiness and an unwillingness to do what the Lord would have us do. I have found that each calling is just as important as the next, although I still feel that anyone who teaches young children (especially in nursery) have the most vital callings.

As I have come in contact with other people, I can see the difference in those who understand that their worth is NEVER tied to a calling and those who cannot divide the two. Those who don't tie their worth to their calling are much more kind, loving, and willing to serve outside of their callings and just generally do good. I'm not saying that those who keep the two connected never do good, I am saying it seems more difficult for them to look outside their realm and realize that their responsibility is to all mankind, not just those they are called to serve in this moment.

Today I came across THIS ARTICLE which really spoke to me. The main focus was that callings are not about stepping up or down. They are about moving forward. Here is the print I made for the article:

My goal this week is to help others move forward, whether they are baptized members of the Church or not. I hope you join me!

Seek Truth Earnestly

I have decided to start being more proactive about what I view and do on the Sabbath day. It's been a very long time since I posted here at My Uni-Verse, and I feel that posting here weekly about something uplifting I viewed on the Sabbath will help me keep on track. Since we all know how I have been in the past, I am hoping this simple change will be do-able and not overwhelming.

That said, this week's post is about seeking truth. Today I viewed this Mormon Message:

I was very touched by this parable. I am a second grade teacher and often have situations arise where I do not have the full picture. I may be quick to judge a student based on past behavior instead of getting all the facts. I am aware of this fault and am working on it.

I was grateful to know that Heavenly Father is aware of this and would guide me today to something that would encourage me to be better! He is so kind and long-suffering towards me. I have created a print to share with you all that I am planning to print and display in my classroom as a reminder.

I hope you each take time to seek truth earnestly each day so that we can all become perfected and live with God again. Sending love and hugs to each and all!