Melva Gifford

This is the final blog on the subject of the usefulness of having a child’s program in church. This topic is touching upon the value of music in training children and in performing music in a program during church. I hope these comments can be of use to youth programs, family devotionals, youth ministries and family home evenings.

–        The nice thing about having songs in the program, in addition to personal stories, Scriptures and a child’s thoughts is that songs provide variety in a program.

–        This is the first time I saw the words of the songs printed in the program. I really liked seeing this as many of the songs are different than the ones I learned when I was young. It’s also just nice to read the words, in conjunction with hearing children sing them.

–        Another virtue of songs in the program is. It gives a child, the experience to memorize the words of the song.

–        Here are some of the lyrics that I particularly enjoyed in the program today and it’s a great illustration of teaching the child about God, Christ and his gospel:

Families can be together forever.

I can be forgiven then improve myself each day.

I can be like Noah. Yes, I can be prepared.

If the Savior stood beside me, would I say the things I say?

He gave me my eyes, that I may see the color of the butterfly wings.

Pray he is there; speak, he is listening.

I am a child of God, and he has sent me here.

–        Having children perform gives them their first experience in being a part of choir. It lets them, saying in parts (by class) and gives them the opportunity to see how a program may intermix speech and song to provide a variety for the audience as well the children. This variety of tasks can help of child combat temptations of wiggles and inattention.

–        As I mentioned in a previous post hearing children, saying in a program can be of comic experience. Multiple times throughout the program, I heard quiet little chuckles from adults and saw knowing smiles shared amongst the audience members that were amused by the antics and singing of the children. I think of this kind of exchange to be a little like warm fuzzes of experience between the child and the audience. Such childish actions as the words of songs being sung at an unusually high pitch, or of a little boy singing a note of a song a little longer than the rest.

–        At some point, I hope to do a blog specifically on how I’ve seen adults teach songs to children. The observation I have seen that seems to work well is that an adult will put a whole bunch of pictures up on the poster that represent different phrases of the song. The pictures will be visual cues for the different phrases. I believe in Christ may have a picture of Christ. Then as the children practice the song, week by week different pitchers start being taken away from the poster as the children learn the song. Eventually all the pictures are removed and the song is memorized. This is a delightful process of memorization for the child, and it makes it entertaining. Sometime I hope to get some examples of those to post at some future blog.

If you have some ideas to share about what has worked well for music and children. Please share them in the comment section this blog. Thanks

This week I learned some things about a satellite dish. Here are some notes.

–        It points toward the equator to receive its signal from satellite.

–        It has three nodes type things called  LMBs in the bowl section of the dish.

–        One LMB is assigned to high definition channels

–        A second LMB is assigned to local stations

–        A third LMB is assigned to scheduling or guide

–        The dish is made of a similar type of Teflon used in certain fry pans so snow and debies will slide off.

–        If snow sticks to the dish, people will use Pam pan spray to lubricate the dish so snow will fall off more easily.

–        When a signal is transferred from a satellite to a dish, the signal will circulate in a figure eight pattern inside the dish.

–        If people have a hard time with a dish it is usually because of a mistake made during the install. Some installers may try to only use two screw when they should be using four.

–        If a person has a lot of trees around their house, that could interfere with a signal. A solution is to put it on a pole for clear access.

–        Made of Teflon the same thing used on cooking pans.

Have more to add, please do so in the comment section of the blog.

bad: achers and acers

good: acres

This might help me remember this word. aCREs of harvested plants CREates plenty of food.

If you have any ideas that can help with this one, please feel free to share it.

I recently attended a body language class and I want to share some of my notes. This is a topic that has always fascinated me and I hope it will be of interest.

First of all, I have an assignment for you. Get a blank piece of paper and a pencil and then go ahead and slap the palm of your hand against the blank paper and freeze it against. Do not move the hand once it has made contact with the paper. Now start tracing a pencil along the exterior shape of the hand along the fingers into the fingers so that you get every finger and dip of the hand. It should look like a funny illustration of a turkey when you’re done.

Now, from the notes I took my class. I’ll share with you the interpretation I got from the presentation of what the pencil drawing will tell about yourself.

First is the spot where the hand connected to the wrist.  This would be the start/front of a turkey illustration. Second is the thumb. Third, is the space or valley between the thumb and pointer finger. This could be called a valley. Forth represents the pointer finger. Fifth is the valley or space between the pointer finger and middle finger. Sixth is the middle finger. Seventh that is the valley between the middle finger and the ring finger. Next is the ring finger. Ninth is valley between ring finger and the pinky. Finally comes the pinky finger. Now, as you look at your hand drawing. This is my understanding of what the following things means. The distance of space between your fingers can tell a little about our character.

–        The juncture between the hand and the wrist represents flexibility. If I understand the interpretation correctly, when one holds their wrist is to support possible floundering commitment.

–        The thumb represents your power of will, or your lineage. If someone holds their thumb that could be either they are trying to protect their will or someone they care about.

–        The valley between the thumb and the pointing finger represents your willingness to commit to something. The wider the valley between the thumb and the pointer finger indicates the stronger the level of commitment to decision. A way to note a person’s commitment or willpower is to ask someone to raise their hand if they agreed to something. when they raise their hand if the thumb is extended away from the rest of the fingers, that indicates they are highly motivated in the commitment. If the thumb is next to the fingers they’re not really committed.

–        The pointing finger represents how you feel about yourself or how you respond to authority or people in position.

–        The valley between the pointing finger and middle finger represents your tendency to lead in a situation.

–        For the middle finger, it represents your willingness to accept responsibility on your goals. Biting a finger nail of the middle finger can indicate your lack of commitment or trouble with a current level of responsibility.

–        The valley between the middle finger and the index finger represent your creativity level. Depending upon if there is a little space between those two fingers or a wide area indicates your creativity level. If the ring finger and the middle finger are lined up next to each other, that is a strong indication that you’re committed to a responsibility.

–        The ring finger represents your level of commitment to relationships. One way to determine if a marriage partner is having difficulty in their relationship or if the relationship is stressed is by how they treat their ring finger. If they caress it, that can  indication of tenderness. If he or she jabs at the ring finger or displays irritation toward it. That could indicate that there is a trouble.

–        The valley between the index finger and the pinky indicates if you are more an independent spirit or more a group person. The wider the space, the more indication that you are more independent thinker.

–        The pinky finger represents your physical state, or rather your health. You might have health issues is if you have a tendency to bite a lot on your pinky fingernail or to bit the skin of that finger or some other irritation toward the pinky finger then your health is an issue.

Body language has always fascinated me, and I hope I can learn more about it. I hope my interpretation of these notes as accurate. If you’re into body language and want to go ahead and share some of your knowledge. Please feel free to do so in the comment section of this blog. Thank you.

This is a follow-up of the two previous blog posts of teaching embellishments. Two weeks ago I talked about how youth program in church can help teach the child organization. One week ago I talked about how youth program can help in a child’s training and put them together experience. Today, I like to talk about how a youth program can help strengthen the bond between child and the audience.

I hope these comments can be of use to youth ministries, family devotionals, family home evenings, and child development students.

As a single woman, I have not had extensive experience with children, except when I was the primary presidency a decade or two ago and in recent years with my children’s fiction and storytelling experiences. Having a bunch of children preforming in before an audience can be quite an entertaining adventure. And that is the purpose of this blog today. I’m following up on advantages, I see in having such a program. I hope these ideas will be of interest.

–        I can appreciate how parents and grandparents can enjoy seeing their children reform in church. It provides a great bond opportunity for the family unit. Something that I like about the program is that each one had a procedure on picture of a child in the front colored in crayon. I think this is useful in that it helps personalize this child illustration with any team or adult attending the service.

–        A bond can be strengthened between child and parent when the parent sees their child till of an experience that they’ve had a home that helped strengthen their testimony of God. It kind of validates the parent’s efforts to teach their children Christian principles. When a child repeats those concepts to others.

–        Having a child preforming a program requires a lot of practice. A lot of that must take place at home as a parent helps the child to either memorize the song or to give a speech. The nice thing about this is that while the parent and child together, and the practicing under talk, that might provide an opportunity for a child to ask additional questions for the parent to have an opportunity to do for the teaching. The same exchange can take place between a teacher and a child while at church.

–        Multiple times throughout the program, I heard quiet little chuckles from adults and saw knowing smiles shared amongst the audience members that were amused by the antics and singing of the children. I think of this kind of exchange to be a little like warm fuzzes of experience between the child and the audience. Such childish actions as the words of songs being sung at an unusually high pitch, or of a little boy singing a note of a song a little longer than the rest.

–        As an adult or teen, we may have had years of instruction on religious concepts. Getting instruction of faith in God, love of God, trust in God and the innocence and face of a child can remind us of the simplicity of God’s gospel, and perhaps how effortless it can be to follow God’s gospel. If we had the obedience and trust of the child. Children express concepts in the simplest terms, and it can be refreshing to just hear the basics from a child’s perspective.

–        One good example of having the gospel expressed simply was when a child compared repentance to taking a test. He said that when you spell a word wrong, you use the eraser to fix it.

I have to admit that one of the reasons I like the Sunbeam song in primary, is because every time I seeing about being a Sun beam, I have a strong urge to sing it in high soprano. I then mentally compliment myself for resisting such a temptation, and not doing so in public. But it does create a fond memory. As I was probably the child who may have taken great delight in causing a chuckle or two by an adult.

I watched a seminar about foreclosure and here are some of my notes:

–        Foreclosure is takings away someone’s rights to their property

–        Every party with a financial interest in the property must be sent a foreclosure notice. By certified mail to the last recorded address.

–        If the address is wrong than they may never get notified of the pending foreclosure.

–        Every notice has a deadline. If not responded to by date then foreclosure is executed.

–        Mortgage means you have more than one owner i.e. owner/loaner of money for house

–        1/50 homes being foreclosed don’t have mortgage because those that do, then the lender becomes involved to get property so their loan to the property owner isn’t lost.

–        Homes with mortgages are often taken over by the bank and they pay taxes taxes to keep possession of the property

–        Time of possible foreclosure ranges from 30-90 days to pay taxes to a county

–        Quiet title action: a legal proceeding to establish an individual’s right to ownership of real property against one or more adverse claimants.

–        Warranty deed: is a type of deed that has a warrant that protects it from any liens.

–        When purchase a home need to get title insurance. Make sure that the property is free and clear from other financial obligations, but if something is wrong the insurance will pay for it.

–        If buy a tax deed you can resell it but can’t sell it to someone who wants to use it as collateral for a loan. You will want to go through a quiet title process to obtain an insurance title or a warranty deed.

–        Zillow.com can give you a satellite view of a property when you provide the address.

I hope I took notes properly. I’m new at this and tried to take notes as quickly as possible. Any you see any need of corrections or want to add info, please feel free to do so in the comment section of this blog.

Bad: Oders

Good: Odors.

OdOrs smells that are really really offensive. thus two Os.

Or any odor can be OR not be offensive to someone. Thus odORs

Third suggestion. Emphasize the pronunciation of the O of Odors because I have a tendency to add an R in there i.e.: ordors.

Also don’t get it mixed up with orders. Which means instruction from someone to do something.

Let’s see if I can spell this better now.

Do you have a better recommendation? Please share in the comment section of this blog.

A number of months ago I listened to an online lecture that talked about what can help in creativity. It was a wonderful presentation. Here are some of my notes.

–        Innovators combine elements of various ideas and practices that other people don’t put together.

–        They draw connections that cross boundaries, linking concepts from one discipline or culture with those from another.

–        Albert Einstein called this process “combinatorial play” and saw it as foundational for when you are observing, closely watch how people perform a task to see if you could improve the process.

–        Any job has “a functional, a social and an emotional dimension,” but the role of each aspect varies from job to job.

–        Notice how different people do the same job in different contexts.

–        Try to spot individuals who have developed creative “workarounds” to solve problems.

–        A workaround is often an innovative way to resolve a particular frustration. Also, pay close attention to the way people buy your product.

–        Note what frustrates your customers about purchasing or using a product.

–        Notice the areas where they need help and what makes them abandon it in favor of a competing product.

–        Heighten your powers of observation by changing your environment.

–        Shift your focus: Watch workers, then customers, then entire organizations.

–        Enhance your observational skills by documenting the how and why of failed innovations.

–        Make a point of meeting people whose lives and training provide new and different perspectives.

–        This is one way to “build a bridge into a different area of knowledge.”

–        Innovators look at different disciplines that solved similar problems and borrow from their ideas.

–        Attend a conference outside your field, or join a networking group for innovation.

–        Eat lunch with new people, or invite outsiders to join your group to add new perspectives.

–        They can seek new experiences, like taking a class on an unfamiliar topic; product.

–        To improve experimentation, cross the usual borders, both literally – through travel – and metaphorically – by exploring a new discipline or topic.

–        Learn new skills. Build models and try simulations.

–        Blend experimentation with observation by trying to spot new trends. This led Land to wonder if developing photographs instantly was possible. This question that led to the invention of the Polaroid camera.

–        Innovators ask hypothetical questions: What if X were true? Or they impose hypothetical constraints: –

–        What if we could not do Y? Such constraints drive creative solutions.

–        Encourage team members to embark on a round of open-ended “QuestionStorming,”.

–        Ask what-if questions such as, is “T-shaped” – deep in one area and extending across a broad range

Do you have any ideas of what can help in creatively or invention? Please share it in the comment section of this blog.