RIDING BIKES AND GRANDPA

Faith does free writing every week about different things. This was the first week that she wrote. The topic was "What I like about myself." I love that she mentioned her friends and also her Grandpa Kelly!!! I have kept punctuation and spelling the same as what she has.

What I like most about myself is that Im a good bike rider. My bike is blue yellow and black. I'm saving up for a helmet and knee and elbow pads, and also riders gloves. I like riding because its helps me exersize and in the proces it is fun. My little sister also helps me, she is 3. We do races together. She runs on our rock bed and I ride my bike. She wins a few and I win a few and then we take a brake with a glass of water and then we do it all over again. My little brother is 7 and lots of fun. We ride our bikes together. My brothers bike is red and yellow. He has a helmet and knee and elbow pads. It helps me and him. We do races too. Its a race to ride in circles until we get disy who ever goes around in circles the most wins. I go aroud the block 2 times before I need water. The block that I go around is Ponderosa, its usally just 9 houses. My insparation came from my grandpa. Hes riden many races on his bike so I want to be like him. But wait there is more insparation. A fourth grader and 2nd grader started insparation to me. John* and Jake* are great bike riders. .... We all know that rideing a bike is fun but it can be funer with frends. I have 6 frends that ride their bike with me.

* Names have been changed to protect identity (and because Faith told me that I could NOT put their real names in there.)

For her birthday, Faith got a new bike. This is close to what it looks like. I will post a picture with her on it when I get to her birthday!

"I KNOW THAT MY SAVIOR LIVES"

Primary is such a wonderful place to be. Our stake has started our primary programs and is about half way through. My testimony is strengthened each time I go to a ward and listen to their testimonies and songs about the Savior. How neat it is! This year, the Primary theme is "I Know that My Savior Lives!"



Today, I had the opportunity to go to 2 programs that really stood out to me, so I thought that I would share them with you.

One had a really neat spirit there. It was a rather large primary, so they had a few group recitations of articles of faith and scriptures. There was a piano duet with a violin and a piano solo all by the primary children. They also did a fun, neat duet of "The Holy Ghost" and a President Monson verse of Follow the Prophet. At the end, what really stood out to me is that they were closing talking about testimonies. One child shared their personal testimony. Then another girl said the scripture, "And now, this is the testimony last of all, which we give of him ..." And then together as a primary, the said very loud and clear "I know that my savior lives" and sang the chorus of "I Know that My Savior Loves Me." (They sang the whole song at the very beginning of the program as well.) I definitely felt the spirit and those children bearing testimony to me that he lives and loves us!

The other program was just brilliantly written. First, as the kids came up, they were humming the song, "I Know that My Savior Loves Me." This meant that they couldn't talk to each other because their mouths were busy. (Brilliant idea.) Sister Gugelman started the program and said something like this, "Every year, we have a program. Each program is broken up to monthly themes with weekly principles. Some principles are easy to explain and other are harder. Our leaders and teachers try to make it as understandable as possible, as easy as abc's."

Then, the kids did their program with the abc's. Here's the alphabet:
A - Articles of Faith
B - Baptism
C - Children of our Heavenly Father
D - Doctrine of Covenants
E - Eternity
F - Families
G - Goodly Parents
H - Holy Ghost
I - Invite (member missionaries)
J - Jesus
K - Knowledge
L - Love (reasons why I love Jesus)
M - Miracles
N - New Testament
O - Ordinances
P - Prophet
Q - Quiet (to hear answers to our prayers)
R - Redeemer
S - Service
T - Temple
U - Understanding
V - Virtue
W - Wisdom
X - Example
Y - You (You can be a good example and do good)
Z - Zion

They put in songs with it, testimonies, personal experiences, etc. Then, at the end, they shared the same testimony from the scriptures. The final child said something like this, "And so we say thank you to our leaders, teachers, and parents for teaching us the gospel and strengthening our testimonies. And if we ever forget, just bring us back to the basics, the abc's."

How sweet and strong the testimonies of children really are. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church on earth today. I, too, know that my Savior lives, loves us, and knows us by name. President Monson is a true prophet who leads and guides the church. The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith and is true scripture. I know our prayers and heard and answered by a loving Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.