Friday night we had the privilege of supporting L in a concert in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square with a beautiful women's choir. Their performance was beautiful!!! M. Webb is amazing!
She opened the evening with a Haki Mai Greeting (you can listen to a rendition of it here) that was so beautifully sung solo by her, walking up the isle toward the stage. The choir joined her, and multiplied the intensity of the spirit permeating that magnificent room! It was awe inspiring! Then she explained the meaning of Aloha as being our very being, the breathe of life given to us by God. She explained it as an opening of ourselves to love to give and receive. She challenged us to live Aloha, to give and receive that love to all we interact with, to be open and honest with ourselves and others (here is an online explanation trying to define Aloha). It was a beautiful opening. I believe it was in the seminar last week that she spoke of her chant, saying that it reminded all that we are the precious adornment worn around the necks of our ancestors. Powerful. I later found online this more complete translation of her beautiful Hawaiian Chant.
Among the songs they sang was the 23rd Psalm. Beautifully they sang... She challenged the audience to hold their applause, and allow this song to "heal" them! To leave behind the cares of the world, and to allow Him to "anoint, guide, and inspire us!"
This was a beautiful setting to welcome the weekend of our change in Primary theme to Jesus Christ is our Savior. I have been pondering, wondering, searching for just the right combination for my primary. I am grateful that this opportunity has room for creativity and ingenuity and yet we each direct our 20 minute allocated time in such different directions! I pray I can be in tune with the needs of my primary friends, and that together we can learn the gospel, and plant those seeds in their heart to grow and carry them through rough waters ahead!
So, for this week, I have finished compiling the music called for in each lesson. I have the other two manuals already complied, Primary #1 here and CTR B Lesson #3 here. I just completed the Primary Manual 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History manual here. I like to include some of those songs called for in their primary lessons in my singing time to reinforce the lessons taught by their teachers that day. I list them at the bottom of my planning sheet (attached here) so I am aware of what they are talking about and sometimes I haven't planned on including them, but rather than choose a favorite, I look to those songs when given a few extra minutes. Every little bit helps. :)
Finally, it is now Sunday morning, and I just came from the shower. It seems that the water on my head sometimes opens the heavens so I can hear better! Yes, it worked again this morning. I am taking my mirror. I love these paintings!!!
I am taking my mirror. I have an old calendar I have cut these images of the Savior to put on the side of the mirror. I will have the kids stand in front of the mirror and sing "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." I will write with dry erase markers key words on the mirror.
Then I have prepared papers for them to color on that I have written "Watching over you." with this white marker:
I will have them color a picture with the colored ones, and the message will appear. :)
She opened the evening with a Haki Mai Greeting (you can listen to a rendition of it here) that was so beautifully sung solo by her, walking up the isle toward the stage. The choir joined her, and multiplied the intensity of the spirit permeating that magnificent room! It was awe inspiring! Then she explained the meaning of Aloha as being our very being, the breathe of life given to us by God. She explained it as an opening of ourselves to love to give and receive. She challenged us to live Aloha, to give and receive that love to all we interact with, to be open and honest with ourselves and others (here is an online explanation trying to define Aloha). It was a beautiful opening. I believe it was in the seminar last week that she spoke of her chant, saying that it reminded all that we are the precious adornment worn around the necks of our ancestors. Powerful. I later found online this more complete translation of her beautiful Hawaiian Chant.
Among the songs they sang was the 23rd Psalm. Beautifully they sang... She challenged the audience to hold their applause, and allow this song to "heal" them! To leave behind the cares of the world, and to allow Him to "anoint, guide, and inspire us!"
This was a beautiful setting to welcome the weekend of our change in Primary theme to Jesus Christ is our Savior. I have been pondering, wondering, searching for just the right combination for my primary. I am grateful that this opportunity has room for creativity and ingenuity and yet we each direct our 20 minute allocated time in such different directions! I pray I can be in tune with the needs of my primary friends, and that together we can learn the gospel, and plant those seeds in their heart to grow and carry them through rough waters ahead!
So, for this week, I have finished compiling the music called for in each lesson. I have the other two manuals already complied, Primary #1 here and CTR B Lesson #3 here. I just completed the Primary Manual 5: Doctrine and Covenants and Church History manual here. I like to include some of those songs called for in their primary lessons in my singing time to reinforce the lessons taught by their teachers that day. I list them at the bottom of my planning sheet (attached here) so I am aware of what they are talking about and sometimes I haven't planned on including them, but rather than choose a favorite, I look to those songs when given a few extra minutes. Every little bit helps. :)
Finally, it is now Sunday morning, and I just came from the shower. It seems that the water on my head sometimes opens the heavens so I can hear better! Yes, it worked again this morning. I am taking my mirror. I love these paintings!!!
I am taking my mirror. I have an old calendar I have cut these images of the Savior to put on the side of the mirror. I will have the kids stand in front of the mirror and sing "If the Savior Stood Beside Me." I will write with dry erase markers key words on the mirror.
I will have them color a picture with the colored ones, and the message will appear. :) Then I am using the mirror singing movement from the Teach a Child to Sing workshop - have two kids sing facing each other, and mirror each other (see the very last activity mentioned in this handout). Here is a link to my flipchart for If the Savior Stood Beside Me in dropbox.
Working on details. I hope to also include Jesus Once was a Little Child and When Jesus Christ Was Baptized. I've linked the flipcharts I'm using on the song name. Thanks to great primary friends who share their work! Thank you! I hope I can pay it forward!
Lots to still get ready including ironing white shirts!
Oh, one of the cool things I want to do is take my little triangle and have it remind us that the Holy Ghost is close by.
Follow up Report - I lost my voice two days ago, and it just hasn't come back. I tried yesterday to find others to handle singing time for me, but didn't find anyone. I went to church prepared, prayed for a miracle that I would be able to sing, or that someone would be willing to take my plan and run with it on their own. Neither of these happened, but the spirit was there sooo strong today! Laus Deo!
I took my little musical triangle, and had a teacher ring it for me when she felt the spirit there. It was a beautiful little addition - I loved testifying even in my scratchy whisper that what we were feeling was the Holy Ghost, testifying that He was indeed close by! It was heavenly! (Oh, but it WAS HOT!) Someone turned the heater on, and we really didn't need that! I had "glow" drips :) running off my face when I got done in Jr. But I would never trade them, I love feeling the Spirit that strong!
The kids LOVED the markers! I did that for both Jr. and Sr. They all ate those up and thought they were sooo cool! I simply took a blank piece of paper and wrote in the middle of the paper "Watching Over me". Everyone loved finding the secret clue on the page!
I always plan way more than I think I will need. They loved the mirror! Everyone was a little more conscious about singing in front of it. I think for next week, I will go prepared with a few movement actions to teach them to the beat of the song, and have both groups repeat the mirror activity. They all loved it, but some did better than others!
In Jr., I have to write this down so I don't forget - there was a visiting little girl who waited and waited for a turn to dance in front of the mirror while we sang. Oh, when she finally got a turn, she stood up there so tall, and twirled, she smiled at herself in the mirror, and looked at the beautiful picture of the Savior on the side. Then she would twirl again. She transported us all to Heaven! The little triangle rang, and reminded all that yes, the Holy Ghost was there!
In Sr. When I asked them to do the mirror activity, I numbered the group off - teachers included - 1, 2. Then I said that the ones were to be the actor and the 2's the mirrors. A couple of the teachers wouldn't play. But on the back row, J. Vaughan and her cute son N stood up to participate. They started a bit awkwardly trying to mirror each other, but soon they were so syncronized that I can't even tell you which one was leading, because tears came to my eyes! (repeating now!) They were so in tune - so aware of each other, they moved together! Others struggled, and tried, enjoying the excuse to move, and stretch, giggling and pulling funny faces. I testified that I hope that someday I can be synchronized with the Savior like that team was! It was a powerful moment for all. I didn't remember ahead of time to assign someone in Sr. to ring the bell, but I wished it could have rung at that moment because I know that everyone there felt that spirit so strong! We talked about how we know our family better and so it makes it easier to stay together. I hope I can be that close with my Savior! It was powerful! Laus Deo. My spirit was fed a beautiful feast today and I am grateful! Thank you Father! Laus Deo!