A New Year

We have before us a New Year to love and serve as the Savior did. This
is a beautiful piece of artwork that I discovered at BYU Idaho
yesterday. I love it! I am excited to share it with you. I know that
as you love and serve and sacrifice like our Savior Jesus Christ, then
you will draw near unto Him and you will come to know that He is "in
our midst".

 

Happy New Year!

Love- Tanya Yancey

Arlington Stake Primary President

 

Strength

In 3 Nephi 17, Jesus asked the people to bring their sick and afflicted to Him and He healed them all, then Jesus commanded that their little children should be brought to Him until all had been brought unto Him.  He surrounded Himself by these little children and they all knelt down and Jesus “groaned within Himself” for the wickedness of the House of Israel.  He continued His prayer unto the Father and spoke things which were great and marvelous.  He was strengthened by the children.  He was filled with Joy and wept.  He then took their little children one by one and blessed them. 

In Stake Conference, President Southworth taught us that as we surround ourselves with these little children, we can draw strength from their amazing faith and pureness.  As I listened to your wonderful Primary Programs, I thought about how much we need these little ones and how much they need us and together we are strong!  As we celebrate this Christmas Season and are surrounded by our families and friends, may each of us ponder the great miracle of the Baby Jesus and remember the beauty and love of these little ones and draw strength from our association with them!

Merry Christmas

Love -Tanya Yancey

Arlington Stake Primary President

Observe, Then Serve

“Observe, Then Serve” By Linda K. Burton -Relief Society General President

“We are all invited to follow Jesus’s teachings and to minister to others. This invitation is not limited to angelic sisters. As I share a few everyday examples of members who have learned to first observe and then serve, listen for the teachings of Jesus they illustrate.

A six-year-old Primary child said: “When I was chosen to be a class helper, I could choose a friend to work with me. I picked [a boy in my class who bullied me] because he never gets chosen by others. I wanted to make him feel good.”⁴

What did this child observe? He noticed that the class bully never got chosen. What did he do to serve? He simply chose him to be his friend as a class helper. Jesus taught, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.”⁵

For some, serving or ministering one by one, following the Savior’s example, doesn’t come easily. But with practice, each of us can become more like the Savior as we serve God’s children. May we all seek to first observe, then serve. As we do so, we are keeping covenants, and our service, like President Monson’s, will be evidence of our discipleship.”

At all times, but especially at this time of year, may we each make time to follow this inspired counsel-

With Love-
Tanya Yancey
Arlington Stake Primary President
Unit Commissioner

Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

The steps I take when Planning a lesson:  Like baking a cake

1.       Find a recipe:  Read the lesson a week or two ahead of time

2.       Shop for ingredients:  Pray to be aware of circumstances or object lessons in your environment that might contribute to what they learners need to hear

3.       Research cute designs:  Watch and be pondering the topic of the lesson for a week or two

4.       Put all ingredients together and bake:  A few days before the lesson, sacrifice something (movie, sleep, whatever) and go over lesson a second time and come up with great interactive questions to ask class

5.       Decorate to your heart’s content:  The day before or morning of, read through lesson again (seek and expect Revelation!) Highlight what the learners will be doing, think of visual aids, tie together all themes, think of individual needs, and anything else that the spirit prompts you to do to be prepared.

May the Lord bless you as you Teach His Children with the power of the Spirit and fortify them for an ever increasing wicked world!  The Spirit and Revelation will only come to us IF we sacrifice and are prepared.  Create some beautiful cakes!

Tanya Yancey

Arlington Stake Primary President