4th of July Party Printables and Thoughts About Freedom

Have you found and visited the "I Dig Pinterest" blog yet? My friend, Christine, gathers ideas that she likes from Pinterest and then tries them out with her family. She posts her results, recipes, ideas, and creations there every week. Christine asked me to design some party printables for her readers and followers to help celebrate the 4th of July, so I created some cupcake toppers, a few food tent labels, and a banner that says "Let Freedom Ring" that you can print and decorate with--for FREE! Check out Christine's original post here to see some other creative ideas for the cupcake toppers! Her ideas are so cute!

I think the 4th of July is such a great holiday. Besides the fact that my husband gets the day off to spend with the family, it's a fantastic reminder of the freedoms and liberties that my family and I get to enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. We have the privilege to work, worship however we'd like, and have safety and protection in the towns and cities we live in.

Freedom is something that our Heavenly Father wants each of His children to have. The scriptures teach us that the Spirit of God is the spirit of freedom (Alma 61:15) and that if we follow Christ, we will be a free people (D&C 38:22). Moroni gloried in the freedom of his country (Alma 48:11), because he knew that his people would be more righteous and closer to Christ if they were able to have the freedom to worship. Many righteous people in the scriptures fought for their freedom, as well as soldiers who have fought for the freedoms in our time.

I am grateful for freedom. I am grateful for the independence of our beautiful country. Let freedom ring!

What are you doing to celebrate the 4th of July with your family?

My good friend already printed her banner and hung it on her mantel!

 Download all of the 4th of July party printables here!
(The printables are in .pdf format)

Let me know what you think, and feel free to share links to photos or posts about how you used these! Also, would you like to see more party printables? Leave me a comment below! And don't forget to check out the "God Bless America" free 4th of July print here.

God Bless America

God Bless America. What more can I say? I desire the blessings of my Heavenly Father to be poured out upon this land that I live in and love. I pray for the safety of my country, as well as the safety of other countries. The USA is not above the rest--we know that all men are created equal. Safety, liberty, and happiness should be granted to all citizens in whatever land they may live in.

I am grateful that our Founding Fathers believed in God and implemented freedoms in the Constitution that have allowed me to worship as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that they were inspired men. I pray that our political leaders will remember the freedoms that we were given because of faith in God, and pray that God's name will never be removed from our hearts as Americans.

How has the freedom to worship blessed your life?

Download here.

Fathers Are So Special

We are just a few weeks away from celebrating Father's Day! Are you looking for some ideas of what to give your husband or father? Here are four free printables that you can use as cards, prints, or tags to go along with your other awesome ideas.

I would like to give a quick thank you to my father-in-law. We just got back from visiting my in-laws for the weekend, and I admire my father-in-law so much. He has been a spiritual rock for his children and has been a righteous priesthood holder in his home. He has raised 6 boys who are all returned missionaries, currently serving, or putting their papers in, as well as a righteous and virtuous daughter. He reads scriptures and prays with his family every day, and teaches them to honor their priesthood, be honest, and pay their tithing. Their home is a holy place filled with love and laughter, and he gives them praise, love, and confidence. He is a great man and I am so lucky to be married to his son!

What things have the father figures in your life taught you?

This first printable is a celebration of the best father ever! I have three "best fathers" ever: my husband, my daddy, and my father-in-law. (So, if you're like me, you can cheat and give this one to all of them! Shh! I won't tell!)

Download "Best Father Ever" here.

This next printable is a quote is by Elder L. Tom Perry, from his talk entitled "Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling." This talk is very direct and reminds fathers that their role is divine, and that Satan is striving to destroy fathers and families. He reminds fathers that they must be leaders of righteousness in their homes. I loved this quote from his talk: "Fatherhood is leadership, the most important kind of leadership. It has always been so; it always will be so."

Download "Fatherhood is Leadership" here.

The next printable is from a Primary song called "Fathers." The chorus reflects how I feel about the fathers in my life. They really are so special, and so is the love they offer to their children. I am grateful for loving, righteous fathers who sacrifice so much to guide and protect their families.

Download "Fathers Are So Special" here.

And finally, this last printable is also from a Primary song. "My Dad" is how I want my kids to feel about my husband. I want them to learn honesty and unconditional love through their daddy's example. I also want them to have so much fun with him and be the greatest of pals. :)

Download "Favorite Pal" here.

You can also click here to see 9 Father's Day printables that I posted last year. Happy Father's Day planning!

I Will Never Be One of Them

Why does contention happen so often in our relationships?
3 Nephi 11:29 says, "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another."

Scripture mastery in Seminary taught me to remember this scripture as "Contention is of the devil."

My husband and I have a wonderful marriage full of love, joy, and forgiveness. However, there are times when the spirit of contention creeps into our home. It happens when we get stressed or prideful, when we bicker, argue, fight, or criticize. Even though our goal is to have peace and love in all of our conversations, we are weak. We think we are right and the other person is wrong, or we take out our stress on our spouses or family members.

Lately I have found that I tend to be the initiator of the negative conversations that lead to contention in my home, and the Spirit of the Lord gently reminded me today of the talk given in this past General Conference by Elder Enrique R. Falabella.

The quote I remembered most from his amazing talk was the motto his wife lives by: "In order to contend, you need two people, and I will never be one of them.”

This motto seems so simple and so powerful. As I have been pondering about it, I realize that it is a motto we all should live by. If we each choose to not be a contributor to contention, then contention would never be a part of our relationships. Satan uses contention as a tool to break down families, hearts, and friendships, and he will do everything he can to stir up our hearts in anger. We must stand against his vicious attempts to destroy our peace.

I am committing today to live by this motto and be a peacemaker in my home and in my family.

Will you commit with me to avoid contention and make this your motto? How will this bless your life?

 Download here.

Check out more of Sunday's General Conference quotes here!

Spring is Finally Here! (And Summer is Coming!)

I think God set up the seasons of the year so well. He created the winter so that we could appreciate hot chocolate, sitting by the fire, playing in the snow, and snuggling up with our loved ones. Then He purposefully made winter feel wayyyy too long so that we would be ready for spring. He must have known that we would better appreciate the flowers blooming, the sun shining, and the "April showers." :)

Then, He made spring so warm and cheery that we look forward to the summer. We get anxious for the beach, for swimming pools, and for late evening BBQs. This is where I have found myself the last few days--I finally feel like spring has truly arrived, and I am already getting excited for the increasing warmth as we prepare for summer.

My husband and I recently moved out-of-state for an internship, and we are spending the majority of our spring and summer seasons away from our family and friends. I have reflected lately on how important it is that we have seasons in our lives. This "season" of life is already proving to be a blessing for us, even though it is different than what we have experienced before. This is our time to be our own family unit, our time to start living our dreams, our time to grow in the gospel.

I enjoy these verses in Ecclesiastes 3 that remind us that it is God's plan to have seasons that we experience, not only in weather changes during the year, but in life experiences:

 1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I love the spring, I love the summer, and I love the scriptures. I love my "season" of life, and look forward to the others that God has in store for me. These printables are just fun reminders that it is finally warm outside! I hope you enjoy displaying them in your homes, or using them to brighten someone's day.

What is going on in your season of life?
 

Download "I Love Spring" here.

Download "I Love Summer" here.

Dear Mother

I love the Primary hymn "I Often Go Walking" and I have sung it to my daughter many times. As I have been getting ready for Mother's Day, I have heard quite a few people say that they don't know what to do for their mom yet. Seeing how Mother's Day is only 3 days away, I thought I would put up a few more printable options for those of you (us...cough cough) who are still working on the perfect gift to celebrate those special women in your life.

Over the last few days, I have been reflecting on the things my mother has taught me, and how grateful I am for those things. In the song it says, "For if I love blossoms and meadows and walking,
I learn how to love them, dear mother, from you." I really feel like my mother has taught me to love all things good and beautiful, and I couldn't be more grateful. My mom is my best friend and I am so blessed to have been raised by her. I also lucked out and got an amazing mother-in-law too! Dear Mother(s), thank you for raising your children in a gospel-centered home.

These printables would go great along with a bouquet of flowers from a florist, or freshly picked flowers from a garden. They're also wonderful as a framed gift for your mom to display. There are four different styles, with 4x5 versions available for download if you want to use them as a card, or 8x10 versions to use as framed printables. Happy Mother's Day!

What things has your mother taught you that you are grateful for?

Download purple 4x5 here.

Download purple 8x10 here.

Download pink 5x4 here.

Download pink 8x10 here.

Download blue 4x5 here.

Download blue 8x10 here.

Download white 5x4 here.

Download white 8x10 here.

The Power of the Priesthood in the Boy

Tonight I watched Elder Tad R. Callister's talk from the priesthood session of General Conference. (Watch it here.) I was inspired as I listened for counsel that I could share with my husband and son.

Even though my son is only 7 weeks old, he will someday hold the priesthood of God. Elder Callister said something I felt was profound to teach my boys as they grow older: "...the priesthood in the boy is just as powerful as the priesthood in the man when exercised in righteousness." If my sons learn to be righteous and honorable, they can use their priesthood power to do great good, just as much good as a grown man with the priesthood.

If the young men of the Church can realize the miraculous power that they hold, perhaps it would be easier for them to avoid temptation, to stand for truth and righteousness, and to righteously exercise their power for the good of others and for the glory of God. I hope that I can help to share this truth that the priesthood is real, that it blesses our world, and that it is God's manifestation of power within His Church.

How do you teach your sons about the importance of the priesthood?

 

Download here.

The Influence of a Mother

I have been so consumed with my new baby and preparing for our family's big move out of state that I just barely realized it was almost Mother's Day. My role as a mother has been busy and overwhelming lately, but I have been learning about how incredibly important my influence is on my children.

I noticed that when I am cranky, my children tend to be cranky, which in turn makes me more cranky, and it becomes a vicious cycle. When I am happy and singing and dancing around the house, my little girl dances and sings. I learned that when I say things that are negative, my daughter picks up on them and says them too. If I play and laugh and give kisses and hugs all day, she wants to do the same. I recognized that if I throw things in the house, my daughter thinks it is acceptable to throw anything. My actions completely influence her actions.

When I stop and think about my own mother, I can see that she has influenced me for good in so many ways. My mother is dedicated to the gospel and to serving the Lord; she sacrifices everything so that her children can have everything; she is kind, a good listener, and a loyal friend; and she loves her friends and family unconditionally. I have learned how to be a better person because of my mom, and I strive to be more like her every day.

There are two quotes that I found this week that speak of the significance of a mother's influence:

"...there is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation." (James E. Faust)

and

"When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children." (Julie B. Beck)

Children need mothers. More importantly, children need righteous, covenant-keeping mothers who are devoted to teaching and rearing their children in the ways of Christ. You moms out there, stop for a moment and think about the ways you are currently influencing your children. If there is anything in your behavior that could be influencing your children negatively, I urge you to change that behavior and replace it with a positive one. I am setting goals right now to be a better influence on my two little ones.

How has your mother influenced your life for good?

Here are two brand-new printables to get ready for Mother's Day! Feel free to use these as framed prints, handouts, or greeting cards.

Download above image here.

Download above image here. 

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Family Time is Sacred

My life has felt extra crazy these last few weeks. I had my baby boy a month ago, my toddler got more messy and needy, my husband got extra busy with work and school, and then we found out that his summer internship wanted us to come 7 weeks early. That shocker has changed everything for us. Not only did we have to give up our apartment that we love in a ward that we love, but we have to move out of state to a place where we don't know anyone, as well as find a new place to live when we get back. Between my late-night feedings (and every two hours during the day) with the baby, my husband's all-nighters at the school to get his projects finished and finals studied for, our regular school/work/kids schedules, and packing for our big move, we haven't had much time as a family. In fact, we only have gotten a few precious minutes of time in the same room.

Needless to say, we're all feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed.

However, we have a hope for our near future. As soon as my husband's finals are finished, he gets to be with us 24/7 for a week or so until the internship starts. We'll finish packing, move to our new summer home, and then he will start his internship. Family time will be normalized once again. Every morning we'll be together, and after work we will all be together for dinner and the rest of the evening. I can't tell you how excited I am to have every night with my family together! I love my little family!

When a friend recently requested a quote from the April 2012 General Conference, I jumped on the opportunity. This quote by Boyd K. Packer is one that I love, and one that I hope I can become even better at living.

"Family time is sacred time and should be protected and respected."

We all need family time. Whether or not we notice it each day, the time spent with our families completes us and builds us up. Even if the time we spend together isn't necessarily fun or exciting, we are growing as a unit and strengthening each other.  I need to be much better at being with my family when we are together too--not being on the computer, on the phone, or finishing projects all the time, claiming that we are "together" simply because we are in the same home. I just need to sit, talk, cuddle, and play with my husband and children without other distractions.

I am so grateful to be a member of the true church of Christ and to have prophets and apostles who teach me how to be a better mom and wife. I am grateful for wise counsel to cling to the values that are most important - family and the gospel.

How do you make sure that you are protecting and respecting your family time?

Download vertical version here.

Download horizontal version here.

By the way...did you know that I re-did my "Stop It" printable from the April 2012 General Conference? I had to--I was so embarrassed at my first attempt! Click here to download the newest version right now!

Stand Ye in Holy Places - Permaneced en lugares santos

I have seen so many BEAUTIFUL printables all over the Internet for the 2013 LDS Youth theme "Stand Ye in Holy Places, and Be Not Moved." I wasn't planning on making one for LDS Printables, but I received a request from a follower asking if I could do one in Spanish. I searched the web and didn't find any printables of the theme done in Spanish, so I thought I would create one for my Spanish-speaking friends. And since I was at it, I threw together an English version too.

I am thrilled that I got a chance to ponder on this message for awhile. There is a song by Jenny Jordan Frogley called "Stand in Holy Places" that I have always loved, and instantly thought of the song as I thought of the theme. I listened to this gorgeous song at least 1,000 times on my mission, and it never ceased to give me the chills and fill me with the Spirit. (Listen and see the lyrics on this YouTube video here!) The song inspires me to think about where my feet and heart are--am I standing in holy places at all times? Am I safe from the evils of the world? Do I set an example of holiness and faith to the people around me? Do I place my trust in my Captain, my Savior?

I love that the Church works so much to inspire and teach the youth. (Check out the Church's youth site here to see and learn more.) I have three teenage siblings, and I am so happy to know that they are learning now to avoid temptation and to serve God. I hope that my children will learn truth and righteousness from this valiant generation of youth being taught now. I pray that the youth of the Church will prepare themselves for the temple and for missions and for eternal families.

How are you striving to "stand in holy places?"

Descargar la versión rosa aquí.

Descargar la versión azul aquí.

Download pink version here.

Download blue version here.