Easter

I love Easter.  Everything is so bright and happy.  The flowers are starting to bloom, the grass is turning green again, the trees are putting out their leaves.  Everything is coming to life again after the dead cold of winter.  The sunshine feels warm on my face and the air is fresh with the smell of spring.  But what I love most about Easter is what it means.  I have such a great love for my Savior.  He gave his life for me so that I may live again.  He suffered my sins so that I may repent and be forgiven.  He suffered my pains and my afflictions.  For someone who lives with chronic pain every day, what Jesus did for me impacts my life so greatly.  To know that the pain I feel everyday, he felt.  To have someone with whom I can turn to for comfort when it gets hard to bear.  And to know that this life is just a brief period on my journey.  One day my aches and pains will be gone.  One day my back will be strong and whole.  One day I will be able to run, skip, and jump the way I used to, and it is my Savior who suffered so much to make this possible for me.  Words cannot begin to describe the emotions I feel on Easter Day.

Paper Dolls

Back when I first had the idea for the Value Girls I looked and looked around on the internet for a good paper doll pattern.  My search brought me to a fantastic website www.makingfriends.com. I've added the link below. I love this website, it has so many different kinds of paper doll clothes to choose from. The girls love it when I print off different clothes. They will spend hours coloring, cutting, and dressing up their paper dolls. I owe them a great thanks for their website to make my value girls possible, thank you making friends.
 www.makingfriends.com.

What I want my daughter to know part 8: Virtue

Virtue

Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)

I will prepare to enter the temple and remain pure and worthy.  My thoughts and actions will be based on high moral standards.

Virtue’s color is Gold, a precious metal that has long been known as a symbol of purity.  When gold is refined, it is pure.  If you are virtuous, you are strong and pure.  It is power and it is strength.  It is all derived by being pure.  Virtue is the power of a pure life.

Virtue is an Olympic Gold Skater.  She wears the Golden Young Women Medallion with the temple.  It is likened unto the Gold Medal the Olympic athletes work and train so hard to obtain.  For it is the best, the prize above all other prizes.  Olympic athletes have to train hard and work hard, they have to focus on their goal of reaching the Gold.  In order to reach the temple, you must remain virtuous.  The Young Womanhood Torch helps to light her way and remind her of the values that will help to keep her on the straight and narrow way. 

My Testimony of Virtue: Virtue is that glorious prize that is sacred and special and that should be saved for that one special man who is worthy to take you to the temple for time and all eternity.  It’s not something to be flaunted about on street corners or in the schools or anyplace else for that matter.  It’s not meant to be degraded and used and thrown out like yesterdays trash.  It’s something to keep very close to you and very guarded until the day when you are sealed for time and all eternity to your eternal companion.  Don’t throw away your virtue on some flashy fashionable fad that leaves very little to the imagination.  Dress modestly, follow the counsel that the prophet has set before you.  Be mindful of what image you are presenting.  Be proud of who you are.  You are a princess of the Most High God.  You are a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves you.  Keep true to your covenants, remain virtuous, and hold fast to the iron rod.  You are priceless.  

What I want my daughter to know part 7: Integrity

Integrity

Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. (Job 27:5)

I will have the moral courage to make my actions consistent with my knowledge of right and wrong.

Integrity’s color is Purple for it is the royal color.  The dye was very hard to come by in past ages and was costly to produce so only people of royal birth (Kings and Queens) could afford to wear the cloth of this color.  It came to represent royalty.  We are of royal birth....daughters of Heavenly Father.  Someday, if we live worthily, we will be princesses and Queens.  We must have integrity to do that.  If we have integrity, we have all the other values as well.

I placed a mirror in her hand so she could see herself for what she truly is, a daughter of God. I placed CTR on the mirror to remind her to choose the right.  By choosing the right, she will always have the integrity to look herself in the mirror and know who she is and that she is following Jesus.

My Testimony of Integrity: Simply put, integrity is CTR, choose the right.  Always choose the right no matter what anyone else is saying or doing.  Stand up for your beliefs and stand tall for who you are.  Remember you are accountable for your actions.  Choose right and you will never go wrong. Integrity is standing up for who you are and what you believe in at all times, and in all things, and in all places. I love this quote, "Our culture has accepted two huge lies.  The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.  The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do.  Both are nonsense.  You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate." -Rick Warren.

What I want my daughter to know Part 6: Good Works

Good Works

Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (3 Nephi 12:16)

I will help others and build the kingdom through righteous service.

Good Works color is Yellow which is the color of sunshine.  When we give service it makes us feel warm all over just as the sun makes us feel warm.  We are always blessed by the service we give.

I dressed her in a hat with a sunflower because as the sun rises and follows its path across the sky, the sunflower follows the sun with it’s blossom across the sky.  We should be as the sunflower following the Jesus Christ, doing as he did.  I have her dressed ready to work with shovel in hand, as we should always be ready to work, to help others, to do service. 

My Testimony of Good Works: Serve your fellow mankind, for you will find that your faith increases when you are in the service of others.  Let go of yourself and immerse your whole being into the service of others.  Give of yourself freely.  I am brought to Mosiah 2:17 When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are in the service of your God.  

What I want my daughter to know part 5: Choice & Accountability

Choice and Accountability

Choose you this day whom ye will serve;.... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

I will choose good over evil and will accept responsibility for my decisions.

Choice and Accountability’s color is Orange, the caution of a stoplight.  We too have choices to make and we need to pray to make the correct choices.  We need to use cation in making choices.

Choice is the angel of these two and accountability is the devil.  I made them separate because I wanted to show that there are two choices we can make, good or evil.  And whatever choice we make we are accountable for that choice whether it is good or bad.

My Testimony of Choice and Accountability: It is a wise thing to think about a choice before you make it.  Think about what the end result of your choice might be.  If it will lead to a good end, then it is a good choice.  But if it leads to a bad end, then it leads to a bad choice.  One of my favorite stories that describes this is, “My Turn On Earth.”  It’s about a girl named Barbara and her turn on Earth. 

"A note came down from Heaven which read, “If anyone desire to be first, the same shall be last of all.”  This one too was signed by Jesus.  Well, Barbara began learning in a hurry.  And there were many, many things to learn.  For one thing, she learned that she could choose the things that she did.  After all, that’s what that awful war had been fought about - her right to choose.  She also learned that when she chose the first step on a path she also chose the end of that path.  She learned that telling a lie puts you on a path that leads to nobody ever believing you ever, even when you tell the truth.  “I don’t like the end of that path,” said Barbara.  And she backed up fast."

One of the beautiful things about the values is that they are all linked together.  You can use your knowledge that you have gained to make the right choices and then you will be accountable for the good things that come your way.  Use your knowledge to avoid making wrong choices,being held accountable for wrong choices is hard. 

What I want my daughter to know part 4: Knowledge

Knowledge

Seek learning, even by study and also by faith. (D&C 88:118)

 I will continually seek opportunities for learning and growth

 Knowledge’s color is Green which reminds us of springtime when things are starting to grow.  We too, should keep growing and learning.

I dressed her in a cap and gown with a diploma in her hand showing how important it is to stay in school.  How important it is to learn and grow.  Graduate from high school, go onto college, and broaden your horizons. 

My Testimony of Knowledge:  On the entrance to BYU it says, “The Glory of God is intelligence.”   Knowledge is power.  Learn all you can.  Absorb everything.  The more you know, the broader your world becomes.  When it comes your time to leave this mortal sphere and return home, you can’t take any earthly thing with you, you take your experiences and the knowledge you have gained.  The knowledge you gain here will help you when you reach the other side.  There is a whole world out there with fascinating subjects to read about, and learn about, all you have to do is pick up a book.  You have the knowledge to know why you are here and what you are doing, and what plan it is that Heavenly Father has laid out for us.  Study and grow. because "beauty fades, dumb is forever."