Do you envision Christmas as a magical time with excitement and joy and love flowing through the air or do you think of Christmas as stressful, tiring, and hectic?  

How can we make Christmas be more magical, where we actually experience the spirit of Christmas and not the stress and bustle of the holiday season with the present buying, and the party planning, and the house decorating?

In todays episode Tiffany Hinkson shares with us her ideas of how to bring back the magic of Christmas by simplifying our holiday season.

Download her FREE Simplified Christmas Planner here.

There is a line in a primary song that says  - God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be—

Why would having a family help us become what God wants us to be?  I truly believe that having a family is a gift from God and that it is within the family unit that we practice the many things we need to learn to become like God.  Pes Nelson once said, "The home is the great laboratory of love. There the raw chemicals of selfishness and greed are melded in the crucible of cooperation to yield compassionate concern and love one for another." 1

Spending time with our loved ones is a great way to strengthen and reinforce that love for each other.  During the holiday season it is a great time to reconnect with our extended family and draw on the power of family.  In today’s episode, I share with you our family's plan for trying to create a Thanksgiving that is not only enjoyable, but meaningful as well.

1  “Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” CR April 1999, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/04/our-sacred-duty-to-honor-women?lang=eng, see also “The Canker of Contention,” CR April 1989, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/the-canker-of-contention?lang=eng and “Salvation and Exaltation,” CR April 2008, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/salvation-and-exaltation?lang=eng

It's not enough just to teach our children the gospel, we also need to teach them how to teach others the gospel.  As a novice mother I made the mistake of thinking that just because my children had grown up going to church every week, having family scripture study every day and Family Home Evening every week, they would automatically know how to give a coherent ,well thought out lesson.  Oh how wrong I was.  

Knowing how to be an effective teacher takes practice.  Allowing our kids to practice at home where the stakes are low is so important for preparing them to teach outside of the home.  Whether its a talk in sacrament meeting or a young men's/young women's lesson,  you can help your youth give the perfect lesson by teaching them to follow these four simple steps when preparing their lesson. 

You can find the perfect lesson plan template at myteachingmatters.com/tools

What is driving you crazy in your family right now?  Is it that the kids are fighting all the time?

Is it 6 year old Abi   who is afraid to try anything new and constantly needs your help to do simple tasks?

Or Maybe it’s eight year old Max who loves to tease and harass the younger kids until they are crying and whining - causing constant contention.

Or  possibly the fact that Alex has a propensity to embellish the truth to the point you can’t trust a thing she says.

What is a parent to do ? Being a parent is hard.  It seems like there is always something or someone who is driving you crazy.

What if I were to tell you there was a systematic way to overcome these sources of frustration and irritation?

Today we share with you our system for dealing with unwanted issues that come up in every family.  A five step system that when used consistently, can create positive and sustainable change for your family.

A few years back I was visiting with a non member friend of mine.  We had just finished conference weekend and I was showing her pictures of the apostles and prophet who had spoken.  In sincere curiosity, she asked me, “Why are they all so old?”  I laughed not quite knowing how to answer that question. 

I have thought about that question over the years, and I would be better prepared to answer that question now.   I have come to understand that the wonderful wisdom and insights these men have is due in part to their many years of life experience.  There is something to be said about the wisdom that is shared from those who have gone through the refining fires of life.

In today’s episode, I share with you my personal journey of coming to understand 3 critically important things when it comes to teaching.  Things I have learned by trial and error, Things I have learned through years of experimenting and things I have been guided to understand from the Heavens above.

“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”(Alma 37:6)

Our guest today is living proof of what the Lord can do with small and simple things.

Angie Killian didn’t grow up thinking she would be a famous songwriter.  Her plans were to become a math teacher!

But somewhere along the line, she listened as God presented another plan.  A plan that took her in a totally different direction.  A plan that allowed Him to take her Widow’s mite and make it something amazing.

Angie’s music has now gone on to touch thousands of hearts all over the world.  A feat she attributes to a promise she made to God in a moment of despair.

Join us today as Angie shares her miraculous journey of learning to partner with God to co-create music that inspires so many.  We also talk about how we can use a small thing like music to help teach the gospel to our families.

To access some of the resources Angie talks about, visit her website at https://www.angiekillian.com/

Henry B. Eyring stated, “To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching” (“The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest” [evening with a General Authority, Feb. 6, 1998], 5–6; emphasis added).

What does it mean that asking and answering questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching.   Well, this last week we hosted a council call with our “Teaching as a Fearless Mother of Faith” group, and we witnessed first hand how great learning and great teaching can be achieved by asking and answering questions.

Join Linsey and me today as we share some amazing insights we had about the importance of asking the right questions to help personalize the scriptures to ourselves and to our families.

Pres Nelson once said this about women….

“To help another human being reach one’s celestial potential is part of the divine mission of woman. As mother, teacher, or nurturing Saint, she molds living clay to the shape of her hopes. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting.” Russell M. Nelson, “Woman—Of Infinite Worth,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 22.

In our sacred responsibility of teaching our children, I love the fact that it is a partnership with God.  He does not expect us to do it alone.  He wants to help,  He yearns to help, He wants to be our partner and yet so often we feel overwhelmed, under qualified and totally inadequate for the task, because we have to do it alone.

In today’s episode we talk about how we can partner with God more often and access His power when teaching the gospel to our children.  Join us today with Patti Rokus and Melia Rios-Lazo as we explore how we can Partner with God in this most important work.

To learn more about Patti and Melia check out their websites at: www.RockArtCamp.com and www.tinytrunktales.com

Have you ever noticed how most of the scripture stories we tell are all about men?  Finding those femine role models within the scriptures is not easy.

Today I’ve invited my friend Amber Corkin to share with us all about her new book ,”Dear Divine Daughter:  Inspiring Stories of Bible Women".  She and her twin sister Aubrey scoured the bible for stories of women.  They found so many they had to narrow it down to the best 34 inspirational stories they found.  Who knew there were that many stories about women?

In today’s episode, Amber shares her amazing journey of this inspired book.  Nearly four years in the making, several rejection from publishers and finally a break that has placed her book on the shelves of some very prominent retail stores.

Conference weekend is a time for revelation and inspiration.  As we prepare for conference this year, I want to replay our most popular episode of this program.  "How to Recognize the Holy Ghost" with Julie Ferguson.  Julie walks us through her experience of really learning all the different ways the Holy Ghost speaks to her.  You will be amazed at how many different ways she has been directed and taught by the Holy Ghost.

As we prepare to receive direction and inspiration during General Conference this weekend, or any time for that matter, consider some of the ideas that Julie shares with us of ways we might not realize that the Holy Ghost can speak to us.