They Are Beautiful and Amazing

Some days start with me and two students (not always my children, either).

More come.
I am glad they come.
They are wonderful, funny, witty (yes, that early in the morning). Often I tell stories that embarrass my sons and daughter. They tell me later if something made them uncomfortable, and they are good for positive feedback, too.

My other class, the group I am training at work, can't believe high school kids would wake up and come listen to "Bible Study" that early. They are intrigued with my seminary kids, wanting to know what they look like, if they date, if they are "normal."

No. They are super! Yes, they are social, have friends, involved in school activities and sports, bu they are not typical teenagers.

They shine! They glow! They know God loves them and have hope for good things in their lives. They believe in the scriptures. They are polite! They help each other and are eager to be good! Wish the world were more like them.

Do You Miss Me?

MARCH 10th is the next scheduled SEMINARY SCRIPTURE MASTERY ACTIVITY 7 pm at Susquehanna ward building.
I Miss YOU! Hopefully you are reading daily in your scriptures, remembering to pick up that Book of Mormon and feel the Spirit every day! Since we missed our VALENTINE party, here is a preview for next year's party:

For God so lo V ed the world,

That He g A ve

his on L y

Begott E n

So N

T hat whosoever

Believeth I n Him

Should N ot perish:

But have E verlasting life.

John 3:16

Know that you are loved. Hugs and prayers for your health. See you soon, I hope!

Readiness to Receive Inspiration & Revelation

Idea borrowed from another seminary blog and expanded for our class examples:

Put these on a scale of 1-10 (one being non-receptive, ten being ready to learn by the Spirit):

-Helpful
-Quickly opens scriptures
-Eager to participate
-Finds teacher boring
-Contributes, supports, builds up teacher
-Listens to answers
-Won't open scriptures
-Volunteers for devotional
-Frustration; Don't want to be there
-Brings friends to church/seminary
-Non-participating
-Contributes to reverence in class
-Inappropriate laughter
-Refuses to sing
-Consistently late to class
-Arrives early each day
-Marks scriptures
-Writes in small plates
-Won’t open large plates
-Opens hymn book to pg
-Cheerful, smiles
-Compliments others
-Says “Good Morning!”
-Raises hand to read
-Rests head on arms
-Snores loudly in class
-Texts during class, listens to ipod in class
-Talks, giggles while others speaking

This scale represents our "readiness to receive inspiration and revelation".

Seminary graduation is June 6th for our stake. Are you ready?

How will you prove that you "KNOW" the scripture mastery verses? What shows knowing? Having it memorized? Acting it out? Using it in real life? Finding it without prompts in your scriptures? Quoting the principle? Drawing main idea? Knowing the number reference? What do you think?

Next combined seminary activity is February 10 at the Susquehanna ward building. Come have fun with us!

How to Pass Seminary

80% attendance is passing. So it is PASS or FAIL.

I do not give A B C F grades.

I do let the bishop know how you do, how often you are tardy, and where you are in your reading. Both bishops from our two wards (and that is covering four high schools my students attend!) are quick to respond to reports about you. I know they care about you, pray for you, and are very interested in how you feel about seminary.

Your parents are getting the pass or fail information by this Sunday.

And some students are borderline %. Close. A few make-up days will make a big difference for passing seminary this year, and graduating, for many of you.

How to make-up a day:
1. Bear your testimony this coming Sunday. That equals one missed seminary day.
2. Fill in a heart/mind/strength/might form. (You can use your computer and EMAIL me: landbeck@verizon.net )


Susquehanna Seminary Student NAME:_______________________

During a recent General Conference, please pick out at least one quote/talk that focuses on counsel that applies to YOU, Your HEART, your MIND, your STRENGTH, your MIGHT.
Speaker:_________________________________ Scriptures used:______________________

Heart-
Mind-
Strength-
Might-

Application, what it means to ME, what I FEEL/DO/CHANGE/THINK/BE etc:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


TURN IN FOR CREDIT
=MAKE-UP FOR ONE MISSED SEMINARY DAY




The heart is a muscular organ pumping blood …in gospel terms: feelings and DESIRES; open heart; one heart =united; broken heart=HUMBLE; place where faith seeds planted; pure heart; change in heart =conversion; prayer in heart; understanding heart...

Mind refers to the aspects of intellect and consciousness manifested as combinations of thought, perception, memory, emotion, will and imagination…

Strength is the ability of an animal to exert force on physical objects using muscles. What you DO, ACTIONS, DEEDS

Might (mīt) n. The power, force, or influence held by a person or group.
(This is the missionary power you have, the atmosphere you create in your family, among your friends).

My Treasure

My experiences and struggles can turn into seminary lessons.

I told the students today about my trial on Saturday. How frustrated I was, burdened, upset. I drove down to Slaughter Beach and started putting stones in my pockets.

98 stones.

And how I received an answer to my prayer. How the Holy Ghost reminded me that prayer helps strengthen me. How I am supposed to cast my burdens on the Lord, and not let them weigh down my pockets.

I didn't tell them this, but how beautiful the rocks look when wet. Tears or salt water from the ocean.

I did tell them they are my treasure. How I thought of them as I picked up the rocks, thinking of their uniqueness, beauty, their testimonies, questions, enthusiasm.

And how I didn't want to be a stumbling block to them. I didn't want to fail and fall apart and lose faith because I know they are watching me.

And I know people are watching them. Challenged them to be a stepping stone for others, a way into the Church. A pathway to Christ, through their actions and example and testimony.




Fingernail polish makes the rocks permanently shiny. Permanet marker sealed with a second layer of polish preserves the message: Stepping Stone and Stumbling Block, sometimes shortened to "step" and "stumble" on the other side of the rock.

Dress Down

Me in my modest pink pajammas, seconds before the class walked in.

I used Sister Mueller's idea about dressing down for teaching seminary to point out the ways we communicate with our dress. How we appear matters. It communicates our attitude about the event we are attending. Shows our respect.

We talked about the Amlicites marking themselves. Discussed ways we mark ourselves to look like the world.

Party MONDAY January 4th

And there will be food!

Moses 6:63
"And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath; all things bear record of me."

Alma 30:44
"...the scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

Since we missed having our Christmas celebration due to snow days, tomorrow we will exchange our secret Santa gifts and have a devotional by you. Everyone will pick an object from the basket and tell how it relates to the life of Christ and could be used to testify and teach about our Savior.

Happy 11th day of Christmas tomorrow! Some families celebrate 12th Night and remember the gifts the wise men brought.

Gold
Frankincense
Myrrh

What gifts can we give Him now?