My Teaching Matters: Recent Episodes
Linsey Jensen
As parents in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we are striving to help our children develop STRONG TESTIMONIES and have PERSONAL EXPERIENCES with Jesus Christ, EVEN when we don't have time to prepare fancy lessons.
Mother-daughter duo Leslie Johnson and Linsey Jensen share their experiences, giving LDS parents actionable tips and tricks and helping us gain the tools and confidence we need to step away from lectures and learn to teach Come, Follow Me in a way that allows our families to experience the power of Christ.
Your Teaching Matters!
Remember those times when your two year old wants to get herself dressed and she does not want any help from you? she gets to the point where she’s pulling the shirt over her head, but she’s stuck because she’s trying to push her head through the arm hole instead of the neck hole. The harder she pulls the more frustrated she becomes until finally she cries out “HELP!”
In today’s episode, we are going to talk about our new theme, “God Wants to Help”. God really does want to help us, but sometimes we are too stubborn or proud to ask for His help. Once we can humble ourselves enough to ask for God’s help, we will be amazed at how the blessings flow.
Join us today as we look at how we can learn for ourselves and teach our children that God does want to help.
If you would like to receive the monthly theme and experiences, email us at Linsey@myteachingmatters.com
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What causes a lesson to be engaging versus boring?
In today’s episode, we talk about the four levels of questions and how we can use them to help elevate our lessons to be more interactive and more meaningful for our families.
Asking the right types of questions can create a framework that allows us to help our children learn without giving them the answer. Kind of like teaching your child how to figure out what 9 X 8 is rather than just giving them the answer.
Questions are a powerful tool for teaching.
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We all have heard of family feuds that have lasted for years or generations, even to the point that no one remembers what the original grievance was about. History records the stories of Romeo and Juliet’s families, the Capulets and the Montagues or the Hatfields and Mccoys.
Even the bible tells stories of Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel, and Joseph being sold into Egypt by his brothers. These stories all illustrate that jealousy can lead quickly to many other unkind and hurtful choices.
However, some people chose forgiveness and that forgiveness allowed healing and love to flow unrestrained.
In a world filled with contempt and contention, how can we teach our children to use the power of forgiveness to free them from the negative feelings of anger, frustration and contempt ? How can we choose to forgive more and be jealous less?
Join us in today’s discussion as we look at how we can create experiences that will help teach our children not only WHY they should forgive, but also HOW they can forgive.
Want to join us in our upcoming Children Who Know Challenge? Be sure to get on our mailing list so you don’t miss this amazing experience.
Email us at linsey@mytheachingmatters.com or join our Facebook group, Come Follow Me - Intentionally teaching our children and youth.
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What is happening right now in your family that is driving you crazy? Maybe you have a child who has a problem not telling the truth, or maybe your kids aren’t getting their chores done in a timely manner, or getting them done at all. Maybe you have children who are extremely concerned about everything being fair, (heaven forbid one child should get more fruit loops than another!), or maybe one of your children is afraid to try new things and it’s DRIVING YOU CRAZY!
What if your scripture study time was also time spent teaching your children things like responsibility, courage, honesty, forgiveness or love? How would your family life be better if your kids actually learned to LIVE some of these values?
In today’s episode, Linsey and I look at how when we combine our physical challenges with spiritual principles, we can actually use the scriptures to help us combat things that are DRIVING US CRAZY today while at the same time, building a solid foundation of spiritual understanding for our children.
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Have any of you ever asked yourselves one of these questions?
How do I get my child to stop lying? What can I do to help my child follow through on what he says he will do? How can I teach my children to be more dependable and responsible? Well, if you have…. You’re in good company. I don’t know of a family yet who hasn’t had issues with one of these values.
This next month we are going to be focusing on how we can teach our children to keep their promises. Whether it is keeping their word when they said they would clean their room, or a commitment to remember to put their clothes away, or a resolve to tell the truth, or most importantly a promise to obey God’s commandments when they are baptized.
Whatever angle you want to address it, this month’s theme and experience can help you, help your family . Join Linsey and Dixie and myself as we discuss how we plan on using this theme to solve these typical problems in our own homes.
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The other day my husband made the comment that God didn’t real give us much help when it comes to raising children. God taught us a lot of things, but parenting wasn’t one of them.
I told him I disagreed. That the scriptures had all sorts of examples of how to parent.
Like what?
Well today’s episode we answer that question , like what? Today we share a sampling of some of the finest examples of how God interacts with His children and what we can learn from it.
If you are a bit like my husband and wonder what advice God has for us as parents, stay tuned as we reveal some of God’s greatest parenting tools.
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Have you ever tried picking up half a stick? No matter how hard you try, the other end always comes with it.
So it is with our choices. They all have a consequence. Good, bad or indifferent. Every action has a reaction associated with it. In a world where victim mentality is so prevalent, it is important we teach our children the power they have to choose.
In today's podcast we talk about how we are going to focus on this theme of choices and consequences. We share our ideas of how to introduce the theme to your family through a fun object lesson so that you can use it as a reference point for the rest of the month. (What good choices might look like versus yucky choices.)
We also share ideas of how to use the stories from the scriptures to reinforce the idea, and we give you great additional resource ideas of books and videos that you can use outside of the scriptures to help teach the principle of choices and consequences.
To make it even better, we’ve put all the information that we talk about today in a free PDF that you are not going to want to miss. We’ve spent hours sorting through the best books and movies and put together a book list with YouTube read aloud links, scripture videos and interactive stories and even a full length movie. We’ve done all the hard work so you don’t have to!
To make sure you receive your free resource guide email us at linsey@myteachingmatters.com and we’ll make sure you get this amazing free resource. You’re going to LOVE today’s episode!
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Being a parent is hard. Sometimes we second guess ourselves, are we doing it right? Is there a better way? Sometimes we straight up get told we are doing it wrong (like in the story I share with you today), and sometimes, very infrequently, we get the confirmation that we are on the right track.
In today’s episode I share a couple of stories about how I found confidence in my role of a mother and how you can do the same.
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The month of December can be a hectic time and keeping up with your family scripture study can often feel like one more thing on your checklist to get done.
In today's episode, Dixie Christensen shares how she is simplifying her scripture study to accommodate both Christmas and CFM. She shares some great ideas of how to use our December theme of “ I Believe” to help her family connect the birth of the Christ Child to the Jesus we talk about in the scriptures and the principles of the gospel we believe in that will be discussed in our Come Follow Me for the rest of the year.
Dixie shares several easy ways to incorporate the Articles of Faith, Proclamation on the Family and the Living Christ into your daily Christmas time routines making your family scripture study, not only possible, but meaningful.
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Do you envision Christmas as a magical time with excitement and joy and love flowing through the air or do you think of Christmas as stressful, tiring, and hectic?
How can we make Christmas be more magical, where we actually experience the spirit of Christmas and not the stress and bustle of the holiday season with the present buying, and the party planning, and the house decorating?
In todays episode Tiffany Hinkson shares with us her ideas of how to bring back the magic of Christmas by simplifying our holiday season.
Download her FREE Simplified Christmas Planner here.
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There is a line in a primary song that says - God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—
Why would having a family help us become what God wants us to be? I truly believe that having a family is a gift from God and that it is within the family unit that we practice the many things we need to learn to become like God. Pes Nelson once said, "The home is the great laboratory of love. There the raw chemicals of selfishness and greed are melded in the crucible of cooperation to yield compassionate concern and love one for another." 1
Spending time with our loved ones is a great way to strengthen and reinforce that love for each other. During the holiday season it is a great time to reconnect with our extended family and draw on the power of family. In today’s episode, I share with you our family's plan for trying to create a Thanksgiving that is not only enjoyable, but meaningful as well.
1 “Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” CR April 1999, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/04/our-sacred-duty-to-honor-women?lang=eng, see also “The Canker of Contention,” CR April 1989, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/the-canker-of-contention?lang=eng and “Salvation and Exaltation,” CR April 2008, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/salvation-and-exaltation?lang=eng
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It's not enough just to teach our children the gospel, we also need to teach them how to teach others the gospel. As a novice mother I made the mistake of thinking that just because my children had grown up going to church every week, having family scripture study every day and Family Home Evening every week, they would automatically know how to give a coherent ,well thought out lesson. Oh how wrong I was.
Knowing how to be an effective teacher takes practice. Allowing our kids to practice at home where the stakes are low is so important for preparing them to teach outside of the home. Whether its a talk in sacrament meeting or a young men's/young women's lesson, you can help your youth give the perfect lesson by teaching them to follow these four simple steps when preparing their lesson.
You can find the perfect lesson plan template at myteachingmatters.com/tools
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What is driving you crazy in your family right now? Is it that the kids are fighting all the time?
Is it 6 year old Abi who is afraid to try anything new and constantly needs your help to do simple tasks?
Or Maybe it’s eight year old Max who loves to tease and harass the younger kids until they are crying and whining - causing constant contention.
Or possibly the fact that Alex has a propensity to embellish the truth to the point you can’t trust a thing she says.
What is a parent to do ? Being a parent is hard. It seems like there is always something or someone who is driving you crazy.
What if I were to tell you there was a systematic way to overcome these sources of frustration and irritation?
Today we share with you our system for dealing with unwanted issues that come up in every family. A five step system that when used consistently, can create positive and sustainable change for your family.
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A few years back I was visiting with a non member friend of mine. We had just finished conference weekend and I was showing her pictures of the apostles and prophet who had spoken. In sincere curiosity, she asked me, “Why are they all so old?” I laughed not quite knowing how to answer that question.
I have thought about that question over the years, and I would be better prepared to answer that question now. I have come to understand that the wonderful wisdom and insights these men have is due in part to their many years of life experience. There is something to be said about the wisdom that is shared from those who have gone through the refining fires of life.
In today’s episode, I share with you my personal journey of coming to understand 3 critically important things when it comes to teaching. Things I have learned by trial and error, Things I have learned through years of experimenting and things I have been guided to understand from the Heavens above.
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“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”(Alma 37:6)
Our guest today is living proof of what the Lord can do with small and simple things.
Angie Killian didn’t grow up thinking she would be a famous songwriter. Her plans were to become a math teacher!
But somewhere along the line, she listened as God presented another plan. A plan that took her in a totally different direction. A plan that allowed Him to take her Widow’s mite and make it something amazing.
Angie’s music has now gone on to touch thousands of hearts all over the world. A feat she attributes to a promise she made to God in a moment of despair.
Join us today as Angie shares her miraculous journey of learning to partner with God to co-create music that inspires so many. We also talk about how we can use a small thing like music to help teach the gospel to our families.
To access some of the resources Angie talks about, visit her website at https://www.angiekillian.com/
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Henry B. Eyring stated, “To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching” (“The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest” [evening with a General Authority, Feb. 6, 1998], 5–6; emphasis added).
What does it mean that asking and answering questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching. Well, this last week we hosted a council call with our “Teaching as a Fearless Mother of Faith” group, and we witnessed first hand how great learning and great teaching can be achieved by asking and answering questions.
Join Linsey and me today as we share some amazing insights we had about the importance of asking the right questions to help personalize the scriptures to ourselves and to our families.
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Pres Nelson once said this about women….
“To help another human being reach one’s celestial potential is part of the divine mission of woman. As mother, teacher, or nurturing Saint, she molds living clay to the shape of her hopes. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting.” Russell M. Nelson, “Woman—Of Infinite Worth,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 22.
In our sacred responsibility of teaching our children, I love the fact that it is a partnership with God. He does not expect us to do it alone. He wants to help, He yearns to help, He wants to be our partner and yet so often we feel overwhelmed, under qualified and totally inadequate for the task, because we have to do it alone.
In today’s episode we talk about how we can partner with God more often and access His power when teaching the gospel to our children. Join us today with Patti Rokus and Melia Rios-Lazo as we explore how we can Partner with God in this most important work.
To learn more about Patti and Melia check out their websites at: www.RockArtCamp.com and www.tinytrunktales.com
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Have you ever noticed how most of the scripture stories we tell are all about men? Finding those femine role models within the scriptures is not easy.
Today I’ve invited my friend Amber Corkin to share with us all about her new book ,”Dear Divine Daughter: Inspiring Stories of Bible Women". She and her twin sister Aubrey scoured the bible for stories of women. They found so many they had to narrow it down to the best 34 inspirational stories they found. Who knew there were that many stories about women?
In today’s episode, Amber shares her amazing journey of this inspired book. Nearly four years in the making, several rejection from publishers and finally a break that has placed her book on the shelves of some very prominent retail stores.
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Conference weekend is a time for revelation and inspiration. As we prepare for conference this year, I want to replay our most popular episode of this program. "How to Recognize the Holy Ghost" with Julie Ferguson. Julie walks us through her experience of really learning all the different ways the Holy Ghost speaks to her. You will be amazed at how many different ways she has been directed and taught by the Holy Ghost.
As we prepare to receive direction and inspiration during General Conference this weekend, or any time for that matter, consider some of the ideas that Julie shares with us of ways we might not realize that the Holy Ghost can speak to us.
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“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. “The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. … That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (Elder Boyd K Packer)
In todays episode we share some examples of this inspired truth. Listen to see how parents and individuals are using their gospel study, to change their behavior and the behavior of their children.
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Have you ever had that time where your Aunt Susan or some other person wants to show you all the pictures she has of her last vacation full of people and places you don’t know and don’t care about?
Or maybe you’ve been the one that experienced something totally amazing, but when you try to tell others about it you just can’t convey the impact it had on you?
There are just some things that can’t be known except by experiencing them yourself.
Elder Jan Newman, 2nd counselor in the General Sunday School made this comment, “Children inherit many things from their parents, but a testimony is not one of them. We can’t give our children a testimony any more than we can make a seed grow. But we can provide a nourishing environment so that our children can find a place for that seed and discover for themselves that the seed is good…. Everyone who teaches in the home and at church can offer to others the opportunity to have their own spiritual experiences…. Where they can come to know the truth of all things.”
In today’s episode, we talk about the importance of creating spiritual experiences for our children.
We also invite you to share in an experience we have created for you to help you understand more fully the things we’ve been talking about.
Sign up here to join us for our Children Who Know Challenge.
Link to Elder Newman's Conference Address, Teaching In The Savior's Way
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Anybody out there struggle getting their teens to participate with family scripture study? Are your invitations met with moans and groans and excuses of why they cant or don’t have time? Well my friend, you are in good company.
Keeping your kids engaged in scripture study during their teens can often be a challenge. In today’s episode, we share with you two simple ideas of how you can change your scripture study time so it becomes a bit more palatable for those finicky teens.
We are getting ready for our 5-Day Children Who Know Challenge on September 20. It has been really popular in the past! Plus, this is the first time we're offering it FREE! So if you haven't taken it before, but you want to figure out how to have SIMPLE, POWERFUL family scripture study that helps your children USE the gospel… you should sign up now!
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Keeping your small children's attention during scripture study is no small feat! In today's episode we share our top 3 EASY tips of engagement for young kids. These 3 tips do not take any prep time or require any printing. Learn how to use your child's natural learning style to engage them in meaningful ways.
If you want to dive deeper into how to use some of these techniques, join us for our FREE 5 day challenge to experience how YOU can make your family scripture study simpler and more meaningful!
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In today’s episode we asked several mothers from our Fearless Mother’s group to share with us their favorite themes and what made them so memorable. Some of the most popular themes were “God Wants to Help Us”, “God Wants us to Be Happy”, “I Can Repent” and “I Can Choose Faith over Fear”.
These are just a few of the themes that have helped change families for the better. Listen to find out what made these themes so memorable and how you can use themes in your own homes to help change your family to become more like Christ.
Interested in learning how to use themes in your own home?
Sign up for our FREE 5 day “Children Who Know” challenge at www.MyTeachingMatters.com/Challenge
To hear more about Stephanie’s story listen here episode 033
To hear more about Dixie’s story listen here episode 014
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I was waiting for the panic to set in.
I just realized that we had no teacher for RS
I was responsible for teaching 30 women a 50 minute lesson and I had not even read the lesson for that week.
But instead of fear, I was surprised how calm I felt.
In this episode, I share how I was able to spontaneously give a 50 minute lesson with absolutely NO preparation, just by following these few simple steps.
To learn more about how to simplify and strengthen your family scriptures study, join us for a FREE 5 day challenge where we show you step by step how to make it work for your family!
MyTeachingMatters.com/challenge
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In today’s episode we share with you the power of systems. We look at how small and simple changes can have big results. We talk about how a system can reduce the amount of time you spend preparing and how your teaching becomes much more powerful and meaningful when used within a system.
Take our quiz to find out which scripture study trap is holding your family back. http://myteachingmatters.com/quiz/
Join us for our FREE 5 day challenge: http://myteachingmatters.com/challenge/
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After a year and a half of being at home almost all the time because of Covid… emotions are running high in our household and there has been a lot of contention. I don’t know about you… but my kids have been getting really mad at each other recently.
Today, I want to share a story of our one scripture study that has significantly helped solve this problem. At least for a few days now, there has been minimal yelling in our house, and I’m excited to tell you why!
Also... we have a new quiz out! To find out what family "scripture study trap" is holding children back... visit www.myteachingmatters.com/quiz
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What is holding you back from having Family Gospel Study?
If you’re like me, maybe it's just the lack of routine during the summer, or maybe you’re like my friend who is just too busy, or maybe you're like one our listeners who just doesn't know how to do it.
Maybe you are having family gospel study, but you're wondering if it's even making a difference in the lives of your children.
In today’s episode we look at some of the limiting beliefs people have about gospel study and how those beliefs are getting in the way of having truly simple, effective gospel study that will have a lasting impact on your family.
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As parents it is our job to prepare our children for the future. The more tools, and preparation we can give them, the greater chance they have to be successful.
In today’s episode, I share how I taught 150 girls that God still loves them even when life isn’t fair.
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Do you ever feel that feeling when you mess up that it's just not worth it now? For me it's when I’m trying to eat healthy and then I slip up and eat that bowl of ice-cream and then I think “Well I’ve already broken my goal to eat healthy so I might as well finish off this box of cookies, or eat this bag of chips” or whatever it might be.
Even as I tell you thing, I am thinking what a stupid way to think. Why does it have to be an all or nothing mentality?
Sometimes we can get ourselves in this mode with our gospel study. When we miss gospel study for a few days, sometimes we allow it to become a week or a two or a whole summer. We think we either have to go back and catch up on all the reading that we missed (which sounds overwhelming) , or we think it's just too hard to get going again.
In today’s episode we talk about changing the way we look at our relationship with gospel study. It’s not about checking the box, it's about changing who we are, and there are lots of ways to do that.
Join us for our last episode of our Simplifying Summer Scripture Study Series to learn what to do when you just don’t feel like getting back on the wagon train.
For a copy of our free download, the perfect CFM lesson plan, click here.
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Today my daughter Hailey sent me a link to a SUPER CUTE you-tube video.
I’ve been thinking about it all morning, replaying it over and over in my head, and to be completely honest, I may have even re-watched it more than once.
The video has a message that struck deep in my heart, but I don’t think that was what was even intended.
This video left me with a smile on my face and a change of attitude for the day.
What is it about this video that has left such an impression on me?
Let me tell you about his video.
Its a video of this little 3 or 4 year old boy dressed to go rollerblading.
He has on his blades, a helmet, and crash pads for his hands and knees. But that’s not what is so cute.
What is so cute is this little boy singing while he’s holding on to the side of the car so he won’t fall down on his rollerblades.
He’s making up a tuneless song that goes something like this...
"Today is gunna be a great day,
Today is gunna be a smiley day,
Today is gunna be a Jesus day,
I can do hard things
And I can by myself
Its hard to get me up
Its hard to go down hill
It’s ok to fall down
I can do hard things
Today’s going to be awesome, Today going to be awesome!"
Why do I tell this story?
Because today we talk about how to simplify your summer scripture study and teach eternal truths through music!
Music is fun, music is memorable, and music is easy. You can make tunes up while you practice your roller blading!
Join us for this part 3 of How to Simplify Your Summer Scripture Study.
Click here to watch the video of happy roller bladder!
https://fb.watch/6BIg11xOJe/
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Growing up I loved stories. I remember during those long summer days when you were staying up late and playing outside all day long, my mother would often make us lay down for an afternoon nap. The only way Mom could get us to hold still long enough to fall asleep was to read us a few stories. This is where I learned the childhood classics of the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the 3 bears, or Tortoise and the Hare, Brer Rabbit, and even nursery rhymes.
Stories that taught me the importance of building a strong house, the idea that slow and steady wins the race and the beauty of twinkling stars.
Today is our second episode in our series “Simplify Your Summer Scripture Study”. Today we look at the power and simplicity of using stories to teach the gospel to our children and how we can use stories to reinforce our monthly theme.
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I hope I’m not the only one who feels bombarded with the craziness of summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love summer time, but at the same time, It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed the “Lazy Days of Summer”.
Trying to keep up with regular family scripture study can be a challenge during the summer but with a few tips and tricks you can still successfully teach your family and enjoy your summertime fun.
This podcast is the first in a series of several short episodes, giving you quick and easy tips on how to simplify your summer scripture study. Today we talk about the single most important thing you can do to make your summer gospel learning simple yet meaningful.
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As intentional parents, we care about how we can influence and teach our children. Research shows that STORYTELLING is on of the most effective ways to influence, teach, and inspire.
In today’s episode, we talk about the power of storytelling in connecting with and teaching our children.
We explore how and why stories stick, and how we can use them more effectively in our teaching.
Join us today, as we explore the Power of Stories.
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I often get asked the question, "How old should my children be before I can start teaching them the gospel?" The answer might surprise you. Sister Joy D. Jones in her conference address from April 2021 entitled Essential Conversations, tells us that “There is a uniquely special time in children’s lives when they are protected from Satan’s influence. It is a time when they are innocent and sin free. It is a sacred time for parent and child. “
That being the case, we can’t wait until their 8 before we begin the teaching process. We need to start as early as possible!
In this episode Dixie Christensen shares with us how she is finding ways to teach her four small children ranging from 1 -6. Much of her teaching centers around using a theme and creating experiences to help her children relate what they are learning to their own lives.
Listen to Dixie as she shares real life examples of how to take advantage of this sacred time.
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Our youth have been saved and prepared to come to earth at this time when Satan has great hold upon the hearts of men. They have been taught in the premortal life all of the things they need to succeed during their time on earth.
As parents, it is our sacred responsibility to help our children remember these things they were taught. We must take advantage of the natural experiences our children have to help them connect what they are experiencing to the eternal truths they already know.
In this episode, Verity Simmons shares some enlightening examples of how she uses natural, yet essential conversations to help teach the gospel to her young family.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/32709_eng.pdf?lang=eng
"To treat them as children spiritually, as the world might treat the
same age group, is therefore and likewise an anachronism. I say once
more, there is scarcely a youth that comes through your seminary or
institute door who has not been the conscious beneficiary of spiritual
blessings, or who has not seen the efficacy of prayer, or who has not
witnessed the power of faith to heal the sick, or who has not beheld
spiritual outpourings of which the world at large is today ignorant.
You do not have to sneak up behind this spiritually experienced
youth and whisper religion in his ears; you can come right out, face
to face, and talk with him. You do not need to disguise religious
truths with a cloak of worldly things; you can bring these truths to
him openly, in their natural guise. Youth may prove to be not more
fearful of them than you are. There is no need for gradual
approaches, for “bedtime” stories, for coddling, for patronizing, or
for any of the other childish devices used in efforts to reach those
spiritually inexperienced and all but spiritually dead."
The Charted Course of the Church in Education
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Let's face it. Summer is a difficult time to be totally consistent and diligent about family gospel study. But what if that were Okay? Summer may be difficult for regular sit down scripture reading and lessons, but it is the perfect time to strengthen your family in different ways! Embrace summer and the opportunity to connect with your children and strengthen your family by playing together, working together and spending time with extended family and friends. Plan now what you want to accomplish this summer. With realistic expectations and a general plan, you may find that Summer is even better than you anticipated!
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What do you want your children to be when they grow up?
Last week we had a zoom call with our Fearless Mother’s of Faith group. I asked a few of them a similar question. One of the Mom’s said she wanted her children to be resilient, and self reliant, another wanted her children to be confident in their talents were and use those talents to serve others; and still another mentioned how she wants her children to understand their personal mission for this earth life and to accomplish that mission.
All of these things are great desires. Very much worth striving for. But what is the method or the system or the path they are going to use to help their children get there? It won’t just happen on its own!
In today’s episode, we talk about how the the Children and Youth Guidebooks that the church has provided us, can help our children become all that they are meant to become. We talk how we can simply integrate this program into what we are already doing in our gospel study, and how we can ensure that our children are developing their own unique gifts
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This past year, a friend of mine lost her son to suicide. It rocked their whole existence. It shook my foundation as I wondered what had happened to make this sweet, fun loving boy, feel the need to take his life?
Unfortunately, I’m sure many of you listeners have stories similar to mine. The stresses and pressures faced by our youth today are unprecedented.
As intentional parents, what are we doing to help our children develop the emotional resilience they need to deal with these extreme pressures?
In today’s episode, Corrine Kendall is back to share her insights as a Jr. High counselor on how we can help our children deal with anxiety, depression and even suicidal tendencies.
Whether it is one of our own children, or a child of someone we know, we all have a responsibility to understand what our youth are faced with and what we can do to help .
The SafeUT Crisis Chat and Tip Line is a statewide service that provides real-time crisis intervention to youth through live chat and a confidential tip program – right from your smartphone.
Find them online at https://healthcare.utah.edu/hmhi/safe-ut/ or download the app SafeUT onto your smartphone
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How many of us really know what is going on with our kids when they are at school? What kind of pressures are they having to deal with? What are the most difficult challenges they are faced with?
In today’s episode, we get a sneak peak into the day in the life of a middle schooler. Corrine Kendall, a middle school/junior high counselor, talks to us about what she sees as some of the trends and challenges that our young people are dealing with and what we as intentional parents can do to help combat the trends of the world.
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Take a minute and think back on a happy memory you have with your family? What were you doing? How did you feel? What makes this memory special?
I would venture to say that most of you were thinking of a time spent with your family doing something fun. Maybe a vacation you took together, a special evening together, or a silly time spent laughing and playing with each other.
Creating these family bonds is an important part of creating a strong family.
In today's episode, we look at ways you can create a strong family culture by intentionally planning wholesome recreational activities for your entire family.
Click Herefor a FREE PDF of 31 Fun Family Activities!
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In the most recent general conference Sis Joy Jones talked about how having simple yet “Essential conversations” with our children can help prepare them for the future. Sis Jones states, "We can have fun helping our children build spiritual resilience at any age. It doesn't have to be complicated or time intensive. Simple, caring conversations can lead children to know not only what they believe, but more important, why they believe it."(Apr. 2021 General Conference, Essential Conversations, Joy D. Jones)
So what does an Essential Conversation look like? How can we include more of them in our teaching ? and How will they help to strengthen my family's testimony?
Join us in today’s episode to as we look at the FIVE steps for creating simple, caring conversations.
Download the Perfect CFM Lesson Template here.
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The closet was dark and Evelyn couldn’t see very well. What if she couldn’t find the string she was looking for because it was too dark? What if things were to fall out of the closet while she was lookin? What if she created a mess? or What if her new bike was too big and she couldn’t ride it, or what if she fell off? What if , What if, What if…..
Life is full of uncertainties and unknowns. How do we move past the fearful “What if’s “ to look for the positive possibilities?
In today’s episode, We talk about how we can help our children let go of the fearful anxiety of the unknown and choose to have faith and hope in the future.
Listen to find out what happened to Evelyn as her mother helped her learn how to intentionally choose to have faith.
Join our 5 day challenge and start helping your children choose to LIVE the gospel of Jesus Christ.
http://myteachingmatters.com/challenge/
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As parents, we have been commanded to teach our children to UNDERSTAND the doctrine of repentance, faith and baptism. How do you know if our children are understanding what we are trying to teach?
What if your five year old came up to you with tears in their eyes and said “Mom, I feel uncomfortable inside, can you help me make it feel better?” Or you overheard your two year old saying “Uh-oh, I need repent!”
If either of those scenarios were to happen in my home, I would be pretty confident that my children were coming to understand the principle of repentance.
In today’s episode we talk about how you as fearless mothers, can teach your children the doctrine of repentance in such a way that you will be able to see by their actions, that they are understanding.
By using the 3 simple techniques outlined in this episode, you will no longer have to wonder if your teaching is sinking in, you will be able to SEE the fruits of your labors.
Join us for a 5 day challenge where we take you step by step through the process of teaching for true understanding. http://myteachingmatters.com/challenge/
Interested in hearing more about how the 2 year old learned the need for repentance? Check out Dixie’s story here:
014 How Dixie Christensen Learned to Teach Her Wiggly 3 Year Old and Make a Difference in Her Family
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Do you remember back to your school days when you took a test and felt pretty good about it. Then you get your score back and you realize to your horror that totally misjudged how well you did. Your expected A turned out to be a frightening D?
Hopefully you don’t recall too many of those experiences, but I think I’m not the only one who has experienced being shocked when faced with the reality of a situation.
In today’s episode, I share a moment where I was totally taken off guard at how well my teaching was being received by my children. I was totally off base... but the worst part was, I didn’t even know it!
How do you know if your teaching is really sinking in? How do you know if you’re doing it right?
In today’s episode, I share with you the mistakes I made, and the journey I took to find a solution. I will share the solution I found with you, so you don't have to wait until your kids are teenagers before realizing you were going about it all wrong.
You don't have to make the same mistakes I did.
You can make the changes you need to now, before it’s too late.
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What Message does the Lord have for your this General Conference?
A year ago this April, Pres. Nelson said, "The purpose of this and every general conference is to help us to hear Him."
If the purpose of our prophet and Apostle, is to help us hear Him, what is our role? What can we do to prepare to have their purpose fulfilled in our lives?
Pres. Nelson goes on to say, “We have prayed, and invite you to pray, that the Spirit of the Lord will be with us in such rich abundance that you can hear the messages that the Savior has especially for you—messages that will bring peace to your soul. Messages that will heal your broken heart. Messages that will illuminate your mind. Messages that will help you know what to do as you move ahead through times of turmoil and trial. "
President Russel M Nelson
Today’s episode, is a replay of an episode we ran a year ago about how to prepare yourself and your family to Hear the messages the Lord has for His children.
This episode had so many great ideas, contributed from Fearless Mothers from around the country that we just had to share it again, giving you another opportunity to try some of these amazing tips on how to prepare for this Spring’s General Conference.
To download a free PDF of engaging yet meaningful General Conference activities, visit our website at www.myteachingmatters.com/conference
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A few weeks ago my husband and I spent the night at his brothers home. He and his wife invited us to join them the next morning for their early morning scripture study. I was interested to share this time with another family to see how this process worked for them.
We each took a turn reading a few verses from the assigned CFM reading, but after the reading something magical happened. His wife asked a question. The question she asked was NOT, How did the spirit speak to Oliver Cowdery, nor was it even What are the different ways the spirit can speak to us? , but instead she asked, “What experiences have you had where the Holy Ghost has spoken to you? “,.
Wow! Was that ever a power packed questions. That one question spurred a discussion that continued far longer than it should have as some of the kids had to get ready for school, but each of us shared and listened to each other’s experiences, all of us were edified.
This experience reinforced the idea that not all questions are created equal. How can we turn an average question into a powerful question? What are the principles around questions that I need to understand to help me ask better questions?
In today’s episode, Keith Johnson, this very brother in law , in whose home we stayed, shares his journey of he has learned to harness the power of the question.
"Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege". Doctrine and Covenants 88:122.
Links to items mentioned in Podcast:
- Download your perfect lesson plan template at www.MyTeachingMatters.com
- Pres. Eyring’s video on the importance of asking questions: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2015-01-1200-asking-questions?lang=eng
- Podcast from LeadingSaints.org about teaching effectively through Zoom https://leadingsaints.org/teaching-the-gospel-virtually-an-interview-with-deanna-murphy/
Keith’s 4 Levels of Communication:
Level 1:
Definition: Acknowledgement
Typical Question(s): Hi, How are you?
Benefit: Awareness, kindness
Level 2:
Definition: Facts, Knowledge, Information, Lectures, many talks
Typical Question(s): What is….?
Benefit: Dispensing information, Education. Get stories of others
Level 3:
Definition: Feelings, Personal insight
Typical Question(s): Why….?, How do YOU feel about….?
Benefit: Get to really know someone, and learn how they think and feel. Get personal stories
Level 4:
Definition: Connect personally to what you just learned, but don’t take over or “one-up”.
Typical Question(s): Thank you for sharing, I can relate because of….
Benefit: Connect more deeply with the person with empathy and love
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It is common in the church to stand and testify that we KNOW the Church is True.
But what does that really mean? Is it enough that our children know the church is true or is there something more that we are striving for?
In the October 2000 General Conference, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said this, “ It is not enough for us to be convinced of the gospel; we must act and think so that we are converted by it. In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something…. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly father desires us to become.” (The Challenge to Become, Oct. 2000 Conference)
In this episode, we talk about the importance of focusing on who we are BECOMING rather than what knowledge we are obtaining.
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Let’s face it, as busy mother’s we don’t have a lot of extra time just for ourselves. How do we find time to devote to our own scriptures study when the kids usually get us out of bed in the morning and we fall into bed exhausted shortly after they go to bed at night?
Well, what if I were to tell you that you could actually have a meaningful scripture study in one minute a day? ONE MINUTE! Do you think you could squeeze it in?
Cali Black is co-host of the podcast 1 Minute Scripture Study; a podcast that is truly only 1 minute long! (if you skip the intro and outro parts.) In today’s episode, Cali shares how busy moms like you and I, can find ways to have meaningful scripture study that helps us progress and change without sacrificing our family or our sanity!
For those of you who need help getting started again on your own personal study habits, or if you just need a fallback idea for those days when it’s just not going to happen otherwise, this episode is for you.
Links to find Cali:
Instagram: Come Follow Me Study - Daily thoughts and actionable take aways
Web Site: Comefollowmestudy.com - Access to study journals, daily thoughts and podcasts
Podcast: 1 Minute Scripture Study - found on most podcast platforms
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How we can teach our children intentionally but practically. You know what it is like to be a busy mother and yet want to make sure you are teaching your children in a way that is meaningful but doesn't stress you out in the preparation.
Engaging our littles in gospel learning can be simple and fun. Singing songs, adding movement, repeating phrases and stories is all very easy and certainly age appropriate for our little learners.
Today Miss Lindsey from Miss Lindsey’s Come Follow Me for Kids, joins us to share some of her tips and tricks on what she does to teach the gospel in a fun and memorable way.
Link to Miss Lindsey's Come Follow Me for Kids
https://anchor.fm/lindsey-paradis#:~:text=An%20interactive%20podcast%20for%20littles,Christ%20of%20Latter%2Dday%20Saints.
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As Fearless Mothers of Faith we want our children to understand their own self worth and who they are in the eyes of their Heavenly Father. We want them to have the spiritual confidence they need to stand up for truth and right. We want them to have the power they need to resist temptation and make good choices.
What can we as intentional parents do to help our children develop that sense of self worth, or access that spiritual power they so desperately need?
In today’s episode, Linsey and I share the results of a research study (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/02/helping-children-develop-feelings-of-self-worth?lang=eng) done by two BYU professors who found that those youth who were spiritually confident, had several things in common, including parents who did two specific things to help them develop that sense of self worth.
Join us today as we discover what we as Fearless Mothers of Faith can do to help build that spiritual confidence in our children.
Additional resources mentioned in the podcast:
Research Study: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2006/02/helping-children-develop-feelings-of-self-worth?lang=eng
Book "How to Hug a Porcupine" https://www.amazon.com/How-Hug-Porcupine-Difficult-Personalities/dp/1891114344/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3J2BIOLAYUY2L&dchild=1&keywords=how+to+hug+a+porcupine&qid=1613435867&sprefix=how+to+hug%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-3
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As our children grow, the way that they learn and understand changes and develops. As parents, our teaching needs to grow with them, and our expectations need to change. What is that age where we can transition from wiggle songs and coloring pages, to real gospel learning and personal understanding?
In today’s episode we talk about how to engage children from the ages of 7 to 11, or Sr. Primary age children. What makes these children different from their junior primary friends and siblings, and how can we modify our teaching to begin to promote self learning and personal connections?
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Teaching our toddlers can often be an exercise of frustration. They are in that stage where they want to be independent, they want to do things for themselves, but they haven't quite mastered the ability to do so yet.
Their language is still developing so you can’t really hold conversations or reason with them very well.
They are curious about everything and if left alone for any amount of time can cause irreparable damage to a variety of things.
So what do we do with these little bundles of energy and joy?
In today’s podcast, Kristin Shaeffer shares how music can help direct and teach our little ones in a very effective and natural way. Music is an easy, engaging, tool to use as we try to focus those exuberant energies into productive learning experiences.
Join us as Kristin shares a few tips and tricks that might work in your home.
You can reach Kristin at Kristin@lifeofarealmom.com. Below are a few useful few links Kristin wants to share with our listeners:
Kristin’s free parenting course “How to Have a Happy Toddler”
https://music-and-me-academy.teachable.com/p/how-to-engage-with-your-toddler/
Kristin’s website has more articles about the role of music in parenting and many more parenting tips from her.
https://lifeofarealmom.com/
Kristin’s YouTube channel with songs to teach your children.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRTyrJMUxoptlWwJUkbm0LA
Kristin's Sister AnnaJo’s online preschool is another place where 3-5 year olds learn a lot with music, including the planets, the presidents of the U.S.A., gospel principles, and much more.
https://www.lillearninglab.com/optin1592231645845
Shawna Edwards music
https://shawnaedwardsmusic.com/collections/tree-of-life
An example of a family’s activity to learn the words “The Tree of Life” by Shawna Edwards
https://lifeofarealmom.com/gods-love-symbolized-by-the-fruit-of-a-tree/
Melanie Hoffman’s music
https://www.hoffmanhouse.com
https://lifeofarealmom.com/jesus-gave-for-me-and-you/
Link for the Children’s Songbook
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/childrens-songbook?lang=eng
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As Fearless Mothers of Faith, we are looking for ways to improve ourselves and come closer to Christ. We welcome ideas and invitations to help us do that, but sometimes we are at a loss of HOW to actually go about doing that.
Today’s guest Cami Moody shares with us a study guide she created after listening to Pres. Nelson’s invitation to Let God Prevail in our lives.
Cami’s study guide breaks down the steps of coming to understand HOW we can let God prevail in our lives. She takes quotes from Pres. Nelson’s talk, adds words and scriptures to read and study, and then invites us to ponder on a list of questions that help us reflect and personalize what we are learning.
Cami has done a great job at creating a tool that will help us follow through on our Prophet’s invitation to Let God Prevail.
If you are interested in using this study guide you can find it here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UnP7ehYQTlgraaq9s_EVRoVI5ob-4pzz/view?usp=sharing
Also, here is the link to the Ensign article she references as well
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1991/01/of-the-house-of-israel?lang=eng
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In 2018 Pres Nelson issued a prophetic plea to the Women of the church, to shape the future by helping to gather scattered Israel. As part of that invitation, he talks about Fearless Mothers of Faith and the influence they can have.
Who are these Fearless Mothers of Faith and what do they look like?
Fearless Mothers of Faith are Mothers who trust in God's promises and aren’t afraid to invite their children to act on the things they're learning.
Fearless Mothers of Faith, aren't swayed by the opinions of other mothers or even of their own children. They know their end goal and are willing to do what it takes to help their family get there.
Fearless Mothers of Faith, are committed to improving themselves, doing what's right, and consistently growing closer to their Savior.
Do these attributes resonate with you? Is this something you are striving to become? If so, you will enjoy this episode as we explore more deeply what it means to be a Fearless Mother of Faith and how we can become one.
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Motherhood is hard and it is often easy to fall into the discouragement trap. However, in this episode our guest Hailey Johnson reminds each of us of our self worth and of the trust that Heavenly Father has in us as stewards of His children. We have been chosen to be Mothers in the Last Days, when turmoil and trouble abound. But Heavenly Father has confidence in our abilities and trusts us to raise His precious children. In His eyes, we are enough. Are we enough in our own eyes?
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Sometimes we know something isn’t quite right, or something is missing but we don’t quite know what that is. For Stephanie Allman, she knew she wanted more for her children than she was currently giving them for their gospel learning, but she didn’t know exactly what that looked like. When she came across our 10 day challenge called “Children Who Know”, she knew that was what she wanted. She wanted her children to KNOW the gospel on a level that went deep into their hearts. She wanted them to understand the gospel in a way that left them with a desire to LIVE the gospel. She wanted them to have testimonies that were independent of her own.
In this episode Stephanie will share her journey of transformation. The transformation she made in the way she taught. The transformation she saw in her children as they experienced for themselves the gospel principles she was teaching, and the transformation she experienced in her own personal understanding of the gospel.
You can sign up for the Children Who Know Challenge here: https://sites.google.com/view/myteachingmatters/children-who-know?authuser=1
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Is it really possible to teach our children in such a way that they have a desire to live the principles that we teach? Do the things we teach go in one ear and out the other or do they stick somewhere inside and slowly grow? How do we know if what we are teaching is having an affect or not?
In today’s episode we talk about the difference between teaching to share information versus teaching to invoke transformation. You will hear from several different people who have experienced the power of using the transformational cycle to teach their families and how it has changed their teaching for the better and how they are beginning to see how their teaching is making a difference in the lives of their children.
Sign up for the Children Who Know Challenge here: https://sites.google.com/view/myteachingmatters/children-who-know?authuser=1
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**The Doctrine and Covenants is a totally different book of scripture and it can be a little bit intimidating when trying to consider how you are going to be consistent in your scripture study and CFM during 2021. In this episode Linsey and I we talk about how we are going to approach our Doctrine and Covenants study and how you can create your own successful plan for your family.
Sign up for the Children Who Know Challenge here: https://sites.google.com/view/myteachingmatters/children-who-know?authuser=1**
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As intentional parents, you are concerned about your children developing strong testimonies, you want them to know how to get answers to their prayers, you want them to l make good choices. You want them to know who they are and what their potential is. You want them to know where to find truth and know that God loves them. But how do you teach them these important truths ?
In today’s episode we will talk about 1 important principle that God uses to teach us, His children and how we as parents, can use that same principle to teach our children.
Sign up for the Children Who Know Challenge here: https://sites.google.com/view/myteachingmatters/children-who-know?authuser=1
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Christmas is a magical time. There are so many exciting and wonderful things to talk about around Christmas. As intentional parents, we see Christmas as a treasure trove of opportunity to teach our children about Christ’s birth, his life, his gift to us, about the true meaning of Christmas.
In this episode, we share lots of ideas of how you, as intentional parents, can use this special time of year to help build your child’s testimony around Christ.
Also, make sure to stick around to the end of the episode, because we have one last surprise idea to share with you from one of our listeners.
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Today’s guest Jessica Jackson, host of the Thriving in Motherhood Podcast, shares with us her journey of how she has been able to continue to effectively teach her children the gospel even when she is barely surviving herself.
By using a few techniques she learned from My Teaching Matters, she has found that she can have confidence in her teaching without adding more to her already full “to do” list.
Her children are learning and growing in the gospel in ways that are meaningful and surprisingly delightful.
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Every parent desires for their children to have their own testimony and be strong in their commitment to the gospel, but how can we as parents help our children obtain their own testimony?
In todays episode we look at the power of inspired invitations. Pres. Russel M. Nelson is the master of inspired invitations. He knows that it is only through acting on gospel principles will we have a desire for change. Learn how to incorporate the same techniques that Pres. Nelson uses in your own teaching to help your children experience the gospel in a personal and meaningful way.
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For many years as a young mother I searched for the perfect parenting manual. I was searching for the secret to raising children with strong testimonies. I was confident that someone must have figured it out long ago, I just had to find it.
But it wasn’t until my kids were mostly grown that I found what I had been looking for, and it turned out to be a little bit different than I was expecting, but oh so much better.
In this week’s podcast, Linsey and I share What this amazing manual is and a bit of what we’ve discovered by studying it. We share 3 critical principles that can help you as you focus on raising children who KNOW.
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Trying to keep everyone engaged in a gospel lesson can be challenging to say the least. There is no good solution for keeping a 2 year old and a 12 year old engaged at the same time. However, in today’s podcast, we will look at what we can expect from children of different ages and how we can adapt our teaching to meet them where they are at.
Using proven teaching theories about how children of different ages learn, we break down the ages into four different groups: Pre-school/Kindergarten, 1st through 4th, 5th through 8th, and 9th through 12th. At each stage we explore how children learn and what that looks like in a home setting.
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We all know that we can receive answers to our prayers, but sometimes learning to recognize those answers is hard! In today’s episode we talk about 6 specific steps to help us learn how to recognize when the spirit is speaking to us. Join us as we explore what these steps look like, how to implement them and what to expect along the way.
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President Nelson has said, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost”. As parents, not only do we have to learn how to recognize the Holy Ghost on our own, but we need to help our children learn to listen to the Holy Ghost as well.
Today I talk with Julie Ferguson, a mom of three children who has been documenting all the different ways the Holy Ghost speaks to her and she has had some amazing insights she wants to share with us because of it. Not only has she been paying attention to her own experiences with the Holy Ghost, but she has been actively teaching her children to recognize the Holy Ghost as well… The result? Some pretty incredible stories about her young children learning to recognize and act on their own promptings.
You won’t want to miss this.
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What does Gospel Teaching look like in your home? How do you do scripture study with littles, what about with teens? Do you do Family Home Evening or Come Follow Me lessons? How long does your teaching last?
There are as many different answers to these questions as there are people. So while each family is different, it can still be helpful to see how other people are making it work in their homes.
In this episode, we take you behind the scenes to look at what gospel teaching looks like in our homes.
Linsey shares how she does family scripture study around the breakfast table. Her young kids seem to be more attentive while they keep their mouths full of Cheerios. Linsey spends most of her time teaching scripture stories and gospel principles found in the Book of Mormon Reader.
I (Leslie) share how my teens wake up before school and breakfast to get a few minutes of Come Follow Me scripture study in. While they may look like they are catching the last few minutes of sleep snuggled up in their blanket on the coach, they know they have to be awake enough to share at least one meaningful thing they learned during scripture study with the rest of the family..
Both Linsey and I use Sunday Come Follow Me lessons or Family Home Evening lessons to do a bit longer gospel lesson during the week. We also both use a monthly theme to make spontaneous gospel teaching easier and to give focus to our learning.
By sharing what works for us, we hope to inspire you to figure out what works best for you. What works for you might be totally different than what you see here, and that’s ok. It should be different. The key in whatever you do and however you do it is to be consistent. If you are consistent, the results will come!
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“There was this moment when I was holding my newborn daughter and I had this strong feeling, like I was holding something divine…” (Amber Corkin)
I think all of us as mothers have felt that divinity of a new born child as we hold them so new and fresh from their Heavenly home, but as they grow how do we help our children understand and remember their own divine nature? How can we help them have a desire to grow and develop those divine Christ-like attributes that they have inherited from their Heavenly Parents?
In today’s episode, we will be speaking with Amber Corkin who will share with us a project she and her twin sister Aubri have been working on for the last three years, to help children, particularly young girls, come to see their divine heritage and have a desire to develop Christ-like attributes as they read the inspiring stories of 34 unique and talented women from the Bible. (DearDivineDaughter.com)
As each story is told, a unique characteristic such as brave, confident, faithful or just is highlighted. After each story, a short prompt is given, encouraging your daughter to personalize the message and think how she too, could develop that characteristic in her own life.
At the conclusion of the book, there is a space left for your daughter to personalize her experience even further. It is a place to record her own story, of her unique strengths and divine nature.
Throughout the episode, Amber shares her vision of how she hopes this book can inspire young girls (and boys) everywhere to work on developing Christ-like attributes and remembering who they are and their divine worth as Children of God.
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In the most recent general conference, Pres. Nelson invites us to embrace a “new normal”. A new normal that would have us “turning our hearts, minds, and souls increasingly to our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ."
In this episode, we take a detailed look at a group of people who did just that, who turned their lives to Christ and what happened as a result. How did their lives, and their children’s lives, even their grand and great-grandchildren lives change because of their decision to come unto Christ?
Join us as we uncover the secret to lasting conversion. A new normal that will change you and the lives of your loved ones for generations to come.
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Today we get an inside peak at one family's celebration of General Conference. For Latter Day Saints everywhere, listening to Corie is like trying to decorate with glitter. It gets everywhere! Corey’s enthusiasm for conference is contagious. Conference weekend is the best two weekends of the year for her. In this episode you will hear how she prepares herself and her family to be spiritually and temporally fed during General Conference . From Conference buckets to a full out Conference menu, Corey loves to celebrate the word of God.
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What would happen if you were able to use General conference to help create a meaningful experiences for you and your family? How can General Conference change your relationship with your family and the Lord? How can we continue to use General Conference in our teaching after General Conference is over?
These questions are answered in this week's episode as we share what we learned from LDS moms all over the country about how they make General Conference meaningful for them and their family.
Throughout the episode, we give lots of tried and true ideas on how to keep young kids engaged during conference. Some of the ideas are how to keep them quiet so you can listen, other are activities you can do to teach them gospel principles or ways to remember the apostles and prophets.
We explore different ways to make conference a time to create memories and strengthen family relationships as well as ways to help your children have a spiritual experience during and even after conference is over.
By the end of this episode, you will have tons of ideas of how to make this general conference meaningful and memorable for your whole family.
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As parents, our goal is not to TELL our kids what they need to know but to GUIDE them through experiences that will help them learn for themselves.
But HOW do you help your child have these personal experiences?
This week we highlight some simple questions that build on each other to help your child have that "aha" moment themselves.
We role play two different lesson plans: to SHOW you the difference between traditional lecturing lessons and more personal, engaging lessons.
With these insights and examples, you will see the power of personal questions and how to use them to GUIDE your children’s learning.
Key Takeaways:
- A child won't remember what YOU say, but they will remember what THEY say
- Ideally, your children are speaking more than 50% of the lesson
- Remember, as the parent, your role is to GUIDE them. Not TELL them. Not let them have free reign. You are the GUIDE.
- Start by knowing where you want to go. There needs to be an objective to the lesson. What do you want them to learn or testify of?
- Choose an experience that goes along with your objective (a story, a scripture, an activity, etc.)
- Use questions that BUILD on each other to help your children come to their own conclusion.
- Questions can include: (1) Short comprehension questions (what happened?); (2) Why it's important questions (Why did they do that? or What did they learn?); (3) Personalization questions (what does this mean to me?); (4) Action questions/invitations (What are you going to do in the future because of what you learned?
- TIME TO ROLE PLAY- What does this type of teaching look like in real life?
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Trying to create a lesson that is meaningful for everyone in the family can be your own lesson in frustration.
With a baby who cries when she’s not being held, a toddler who won’t hold still, a kindergartner and a 7 year old who is on the precipice of “knowing it already”, finding something that will hold the attention of everyone is nearly impossible!
In today's episode we will explore the learning styles of different age groups. By understanding the general learning styles for children as they grow we can better tailor your lessons to fit their natural learning modes.
We talk about the intellectual development of children and how they learn at different ages.
Then we show YOU how you can create a lesson that encompasses all of these learning styles, by using a real CFM lesson plan from this month’s Friend. We illustrate how simple it is to make adaptions that will include everyone.
Our hope is that you will walk away from this episode with a better understanding how children learn and how to use those learning styles to engage them in your own family lessons.
Key Takeaways:
- 0-3 year olds learn by interacting with the world around them, not by language; Need to use their bodies
- 4-7 year olds can start to think about more abstract things; Still have short attention spans and need to use their bodies
- 8+ year olds enjoy intellectually stimulating activities that engage their minds
- If you want to engage everyone have the younger children do something active while the older kids answer questions/participate in a discussion
- REMEMBER that real learning happens throughout the week... not just during your lessons. Many of the most memorable events from the Savior's life includes when he worked one on one with others.
- Some lessons will cater to older kids, some will cater to younger kids. That's okay.
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What will your future family look like? In 10-15 years who will you all become? And what can you do now to help your family become the family you desire?
In today's episode we take you through the process of creating your own family values, putting together a plan to work on those values, and finally how you actually implement them in your family.
Key Takeaways
We can CHOOSE what we want our family to look like-- okay maybe not the number of kids or what everyone wears or does. BUT we can choose the culture that we foster in our family.
Think about the family you want to have in ~15 years. How do get there?
Step 1: Start with the end in mind - Create a vision for your family
- Brainstorm a list of adjectives you want to describe your family
- Choose 5-6 words that are particularly meaningful for your family (make sure to include your family in this process)
- WRITE it down
Listen to the Thriving in Motherhood episode all about establishing and living their family values.
Step 2: Create a plan
- This isn't something we can do for you. This will be very individual.
- Think about the adjectives you just chose for your family. What kinds of things can you do that will help you get there?
- Be intentional about the things you choose to do with your family
Step 3: Follow through
- Repeat, repeat, repeat your values and/or vision. Make sure everyone in your family knows what you care about. The more you say it, the more you will believe it
- Live it! Set the example. Praise when you see your children exemplifying those values.
- Re-evaluate when necessary
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Dixie Christensen has four children under the age of 5, including a very wiggly three year old boy. She has tried many different methods of family scripture study and Come, Follow Me study to teach her children about the Savior and has found some things that do and don't work.
Into today's podcast episode, Dixie delves deep into telling us her story of trying to find ways to teach her children. Some of the questions she has been figuring out include:
- How do I teach my young children so they understand?
- How do I get my wiggly children to pay attention during scripture study or Come, Follow Me study?
- How can I make our gospel study more meaningful and less random?
Dixie Christensen has some great insights and tips for those of us trying to find meaningful ways to teach our young children the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Key Takeaways:
- Using Picture Scriptures helped ALL her children focus during scripture study, help her children remember the scripture stories, and easily review what they had learned at the end of each week.
Find the Picture Scriptures here: http://picturescripturebooks.blogspot.com/ * Using monthly themes has been a GAME CHANGER for her. Because of monthly themes:
She takes less than 5 minutes to prepare lessons
She knows what to focus on and is helping her children ACT on what they're learning
They spent a month talking about repentance... even her 2 year old has learned how to (sometimes) stop doing something wrong, change, and start doing something better
They are spending a month talking about how the gospel can protect us, including how taking care of our bodies is a form of protection.
Her personal scripture study is the most meaningful it has ever been in her life because she's looking for insight into ONE topic at a time.
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I don't have time to create an elaborate lesson all the time. But if I'm going to spend time doing something, I want it to be meaningful.
Is it possible to create an awesome lesson in just a few minutes?
It will be when you learn the 5 step framework we talk about in this podcast episode.
I've used this framework when I had 10 minutes notice that a primary teacher wasn't there and they needed a substitute. I've also used it on Monday nights when I realized I didn't have an FHE lesson planned so I excused myself from dinner dishes to quickly put something together.
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"In the end, when all is said and done, I just want to be there with my family, right?"
That's what one good friend told me recently. Isn't that what we all want? To feel loved, to give love and to live our lives in such a way that we can live in heaven with our families forever?
We know that teaching our children about Jesus Christ is an important part of reaching that goal. But there are lots of problems we run into as we try to teach them. Things like:
- I really struggle with daily scripture study
- I don't have time or energy to create another Come, Follow Me lesson
- How do I get my children to stop bouncing around and start paying attention?
- How do I teach my older kids and younger kids at the same time?
- My kids don't like being at home with us
- How do I get my kids to answer my questions and talk back to us?
In this podcast episode we present a new framework. A new way to think about things to help you understand the three pillars and identities necessary to create a strong converted family.
Find more show notes at https://www.myteachingmatters.com/blog/012
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The story of the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon is a favorite of a lot of people. And for good reason! It's inspiring, it's encouraging, and oh so powerful! How did their mothers do it? What did the mothers of the stripling warriors do differently from the Nephite mothers that made the testimonies of those teenage boys so incredibly strong?
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Many of us can have decent Come, Follow Me lessons at home, but how can we make gospel discussions and experiences a part of our normal life so it changes us? How can I teach my children when I barely feel like I know enough? How can I see the daily teaching moments that occur each day when I feel so busy?
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What is keeping us from having more gospel discussions at home? Is it important to have gospel discussions outside of sit down lessons? Why? How can we overcome those challenges? What can you do to help your family feel more comfortable opening up and sharing their thoughts and insights?
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What is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for teaching our children the gospel? Why is it so powerful? Why is it underutilized? And how can we go about using it more in our lessons?
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What does it mean to experience the power of Christ at home? Can I have those types of experiences? Can I as a parent help my children internalize gospel principles? How can I help my children have a testimony of their own? That's what we're going to explore in this episode.
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What can I do when I feel like my efforts to teach the gospel aren't good enough? What should I expect of myself and my family when it comes to teaching the gospel? What can I do to make teaching easier when I'm short on time? These are the types of things we want to explore in this episode.
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Does God speak to children? What does it look like? What can we do as parents to help our children recognize the Holy Ghost and what God is trying to tell them? Those are the types of things we want to explore in this episode.
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What makes a good question? Why do some questions create rich discussion while other questions flop and all you hear are crickets? Is it possible to use questions in your gospel lessons to lead your family towards meaningful change? Let's find out in today's episode.
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Kids want to jump and run and play and fidget. How can we get them to listen to our lessons? That's what we want to talk about today.
Key Takeaways
We need to set realistic expectations for our children. Expecting them to sit quietly and pay attention for 20 minutes isn't super realistic. But there are other things we can do to keep them engaged.
Having multiple SHORT (5-10 minute) lessons can be more effective than having fewer long lessons. And it adds up to be quite a bit.
You can use kids desire for movement to your advantage. Have them act a story out, raise their hand when they hear a certain word, or simply have them march around while singing songs or talking about things.
There are a lot of resources out there designed for young children. The Come, Follow Me primary manual is super useful. As is The Friend.
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Today we explore 6 steps to make Come, Follow Me study a habit. We talk about one thing you can do to help everyone in your family be more committed, and give some ideas to make gospel study with your family less overwhelming.
Key Takeaways
Having a family council will allow you to gain insight into what your family members are thinking and will help everyone be more committed to studying together.
Choose a concrete time to have your study each day and pair it with another activity to help you remember and make sure it happens each day.
Keep everything simple! And simplify further as you go.
Plan for obstacles - talk about what kinds of obstacles might come up and plan for them beforehand.
And! If you want help making Come, Follow Me study a habit you can download our free 30-day family scripture study experience/game here: https://www.myteachingmatters.com/familyscripturestudy
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This is our Introduction Episode where we talk about why we believe so strongly that our teaching matters. We give a little insight into why we care, how we got started, and what we're hoping to do with this podcast.
Key Points:
Learning to teach our children the gospel well should be easy, but it's not as straightfoward as it seems.
Leslie has spent YEARS learning how to teach more effectively and she wants to share her experiences with others so they don't have to make all the same mistakes.
Linsey has young kids at home, and she feels Pres. Nelson's charge to "raise a sin-resistant" generation very strongly. Even if it's not obtainable, she wants to put in her best effort and learn to teach in such a way that her kids are given the best chance at life.
Heavenly Father is on this journey with us. He wants our children to come to know him. As we learn to teach more effectively, he will bless our efforts.
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Today we explore the idea of what we can do as parents to help our children gain their own testimonies. We talk about what is essential for your children to develop a testimony, how you can create experiences that encourage testimony building, and how you can find testimony building opportunities in day to day life.
Key Takeaways
We can't give our children a testimony. Only the Holy Ghost can do that, but we CAN create opportunities for the Holy Ghost to testify to our children about things.
We can create experiences during FHE or home church that allow the Holy Ghost to testify to our children.
Capitalizing on real life experiences is a great way to help kids internalize gospel principles.
Having a monthly theme is REALLY helpful when you try to take advantage of real life experiences.
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