YOUTH LESSON ACTIVITY. Cup Full of Cheerful Thoughts – Grateful Giver. Youth can enjoy this treat (lemon-head candies you can purchase to place in the cup) with a label and word strips. The objective is to develop a Christlike love they themselves need to be cheerful (start with these cheerful thoughts).
USE FOR: COME FOLLOW ME, Primary and Home lessons, Family Home Evening, Young Women, Activity Days, Sunday School, Bible Study
Am I a Cheerful Giver?
2 Corinthians 9:7-8
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
A Cup Full of Cheerful Thoughts
OBJECTIVE: Tell the youth that in order to develop Christlike love toward others and themselves they need to be cheerful. Give them this cup filled with cheerful thoughts.
Step 1: Talk about the storms in life, the things we face, and how we can change our attitude to create sunny days. Share the following quote: “Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.” – President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 1986 Ensign (First Presidency Message)
Step 2: Help the youth memorize the poem by Emily Dickinson found on the cup label. Talk about the difference in someone’s attitude and how it affects their lives in all areas. Read the lemon sign on the cup label: “Don’t wear a sour face—smile, smile, smile!” Tell youth not to be a lemon head and smile. Option: Instead of lemon heads (or before you put lemon heads) in the cup, fill it half full of LEMONADE. Say, “An optimist says the cup is half full whereas a pessimist says the cup is half empty.” While the youth drink their lemonade ask them, which will you be?
TO MAKE print activity in color or black and white. Glue the label on a paper cup and fill it with Lemon Head candies (see other option LEMONADE above in Step 2).
THOUGHT TREAT Lemon Treat(s). Serve lemonade with a fresh lemon inside the cup. Talk about changing your attitude to go along with the saying: “When life gives you lemons . . . make lemonade.” You could also serve meringue pie, lemon bars, lemon yogurt pie, and lemon drop candies (Lemonheads). See the recipe for Lemonhead Cookies (online).
MUTUAL NIGHT OR FAMILY NIGHT ACTIVITIES
POSITIVE THOUGHT SCRIPTURE SCRAMBLE: Have youth compete in two teams to race through the Topical Guide and Index of the scriptures to find ideas on how they can be more positive. Time youth giving them thirty minutes to come up with motivational scriptures. Have them take turns reading a scripture showing to be positive. Keep score on the chalkboard of the two teams. If the other team has the same scripture give both teams the point. The teams with the most “get positive” scriptures, wins!
Subject Ideas: Abstain, abound, abundance, abundant life, abundantly, accept, acceptable, accountability, affection, agency, etc. For example in the Topical Guide, you will find the word alive and the scripture reference “even so in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:2). The youth don’t need to look up the scripture, just write the reference from the description.
Summary: After they have shared their ideas, say, “The scriptures have so many positive thoughts to encourage us each day. The more we search for them, the more we will have a cheerful optimistic attitude and the happier we will be.”
Source YW2.41
THIS ACTIVITY CAN BE USED FOR Come Follow Me
• OCTOBER Lesson 2 How can I develop Christlike love?
• NOVEMBER Lesson 7 How can I find solutions to my challenges and problems?
