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Thursday, August 4, 2011

Box of Crayons...

Each night up at camp, before the girls and leaders all go to bed, we have a little night devotional that we like to call a Night Light. The nightlights are usually centered on the day's theme (which is usually a sub theme for the whole camp theme). This year our camp theme was on unity and I was assigned the first night, which was Unity in our Ward. For my night light I used the talk that Sister Mary Cook gave in this years General YW Broadcast (found HERE) and used the part where she talks about the counselor and a box of crayons he saw while sitting on the stand. 

I wont go into the whole story, I just wanted to let you in on where I got the idea from...anyway moving on. I started by saying this:

 If we build up those around us instead of demeaning them and ourselves, we will be much happier in this life.
Ardeth Kapp told of a time she went to Washington, D.C. to participate in a national leadership task force. There was a great diversity in the women in attendance (age, culture, faith, language) yet they were all united in a cause to help protect the family and society. One of the women made an observation and said "One woman is helpful; ten women are influential; one hundred are powerful; one thousand are invincible." Unity brings strength. That is why it is so important that we build others up instead of tearing them down. A good woman can feed those - including themselves - who hunger at times for a feeling of acceptance.
We are not good judges of ourselves as we reach for goals that may belong to another season of our lives.
A word of sincere commendation is like a ray of sunshine that brings a smile to the face and a warm feeling to the heart.
Ardeth Kapp mentioned that when she was the General President of the LDS Young Women's Organization, she felt that she was not adequate for her position until a dear friend said to her "You Are Better than you think you are."
Sometimes we set unrealistic goals for ourselves and become discouraged when we cannot reach them. We do not have to be so hard on ourselves. Just keep going.
Writing notes of appreciation for small acts of kindness, a great presentation, or to someone who followed through on something they promised, can be all they need to make their day. Our husbands, children, family members, friends all need a little encouragement from time to time. The effort it takes to write a little note or whisper a kind word can go a long way in cheering someone up. (found HERE)
I then had the girls go around the circle and tell each girl some of the positive things they liked about her (This was neat...I was only requiring 2-3 simple words or phrases and the girls just went on and on...night lights take usually about 15 mins...this took at least an hour and a half).
Everyone was in tears by then. So then I mentioned the story about the box of crayons and handed out my hand out.


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