One Minute More

If you know me at all, you're aware that I like to kick off each new year with a special lesson that has elements of discovery, discussion, meditation, and expression. I love to try to inspire myself and my family to stand a little taller and try a little harder. I also love to understand my children's reflections of the past year and their hopes for the new year.

This year I used a song, "One Minute More," that has been on my mind a lot for well over a year. I listen to it almost every day as I exercise (it's great for moving to!) and I really like it for the music. More than the music, though, it has come to mean a lot to me. I've actually worked up an entire application for missionaries, complete with scriptures, as well as gospel applications for every day life and people. But I didn't want to just hand all that to my children, I wanted them to find it for themselves. So, I printed off the lyrics, we listened to the song together, and then we talked and I asked them what gospel applications they saw and heard and asked them to find scriptures to back it up. 

Here are just a couple of the scriptures that were shared and discussed:

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

"Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

"For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

(D&C 58:26-28)

"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."  (Alma 34:32)

After this I handed everyone a manila file folder to use as a base for their 2015/2016 project. The assignment was to somehow express

                                           2 great memories from 2015
                                           0 accomplishment, meaning a 2015 goal not reached, and why
                                           1 scripture that had personal meaning in 2015
                                           5 lessons learned in 2015

They were to create a list of 16 hopes/dreams/goals for 2016 that they could personally effect, then choose a line from "One Minute More" that stood out to them and write how it can influence them this year.

Below is a video link to the song and the lyrics. Personally, I don't usually like watching music videos because they often ruin a song for me. This video is the lyric video version, but it's really here so that you can listen to the song. The lyrics are written out below in a less distracting way.

"One Minute More"

Performed by Capital Cities

Don't wait for an invitation

No need for reservation

This life is an exploration

And you gotta see what I see in you

I can't wait one minute more

The sun will shine

The sun does shine

We can't wait one minute more

The sun does shine

The sun does shine

Just think of the destination

I'll be your transportation

We'll find there's a kind of place

That can only be seen with a naked mind

I can't wait one minute more

The sun will shine

The sun does shine

We can't wait one minute more

The sun does shine

The sun does shine

There's a key that opens a door

Will you find it and turn it?

Take your time, don't take too long

There's a map that's washed ashore

Will you find it and burn it?

Unleash your imagination

Two stars, one constellation

Bright lights just to guide the way

Can you see what I see in you?

I can't wait one minute more

The sun does shine

The sun does shine

Songwriters: SIMONIAN, SEBU / MERCHANT, RYAN