Answers

Life can be SOOOOO challenging! Some times dang near impossible. But that is not really anything new for anybody. Which begs the question, what gives me the right to whine and complain? What makes my life different from anybody elses? I am not special, and my problems are not unique, Right????

WRONG!!!!!

Everyone has their own personal concoction of problems happening everyday. AND everyone deals with each problem differently. For example.........

Lately I have come to a cross road in my own life. I am faced with deciding what I am going to do in order to help my husband and I build up our "family expansions fund." It's just a job right??? We don't plan on having me work forever. It is not a career. Not really a big deal just a little bump in the road to get over. Not even really a cross road.
But for some reason it feels more like a 44 way stop and I am smack dab in the middle trying to direct traffic. All the problems are honking at me demanding my attention and expert decision making skills. And I am just standing there shaking so hard I could start the earthquake that ends the world in flames. It is just too much for me. I just want someone to decided what to do for me. But then what if I do just let the cars do what they want and then everything goes up in flames anyway?!?!?! And then I am just squashed like the insignificant little bug that I am in a heap of twisted metal and glass!

I can not be the only one that has felt this way, I know. But even the 'eloquent"and "elaborate" story  above can not truly describe the mess of thoughts and feelings I am having. Because they are unique to me. And that is exactly why no one else can avoid this atomic bomb like I can. I am the only one that can handle this specific train wreck of a life and that is why God gave it to me.

And in a twisted way isn't that a comforting though?

You are the one that God trusted all of these wonderful and awful things with. He knew that you would  attend to each car with care and caution.

And even though I am shaking I am getting through it.

Change

Hi there! It has been a while. I haven't written for a while and its because of some changes. Reading back through some one my posts I was thinking about all of the wonderful learning opportunities I have been given. I have learned a lot about family and have had some very inspirational moments because of the courses I have taken, but my life has taken a turn. All of the sudden I feel like I don't know anything again, and I am sure it is not the last time that I will feel this way.

This last May I got married. It was beautiful, amazing, and everything I ever wanted. I didn't marry the man that I always dreamed of.... I married the man that God knew I needed and he is so much more than I ever could have asked for. He is so patience with me and so understanding; and the Lord knew that he had to be. I have been going under this amazing, but challenging transformation since I got married. All the things that I have learned about family could never prepare me completely for starting one of my own.

Somehow I lost myself. I don't know if it was before the wedding or sometime soon after, but I did. I was taking on so many new roles that I became a little numb. I wasn't sure what I liked any more or what I wanted to do with my time. I didn't like work, school, crafts, being out doors, and the list go's on and on. Just all of the sudden I found myself not finding joy in any of the little things that use to give me such happiness. But why?? I should have been so happy! I just got married!

Well this is what I have discovered.....

In life we take on many roles; son, daughter, husband, wife, aunt, uncle, niece, etc. those are things that don't change a lot, once you are a daughter you will always be a daughter, even after your parents are gone. Then you have roles that do change and that you become on and off(moms will really understand this); student, worker, friend,  therapist, comforter, nurse, maid service, chef, interior decorator, detective, jailer, and I could go on and on. But somewhere in there we have to realize that no matter what role we play we have to find joy in it. This is where I got lost.

I started to just fulfill my roles instead of letting my roles be fulfilling.

I stopped taking the time to just let my surrounding bring me joy. I stopped letting the people around me bring me joy, and that has hurt my relationship with some of them. Whether they see it or not, I have. And I am really sorry for that.

So, I guess my point is that only you can make your situation a bright one. You have to choose everyday to be happy, to love those that love you, and to enjoy what you have been blessed with.

Choose right now to be happy :D 

Just a little side note for everyone, this is going to be the way I blog now. I will still share things That I have learned in classes but I what to make it more personal. The major reason for this is because this is going to be my last semester in school and so real life learning is what I am going to be majoring in. Hope that's okay!

!!!!!!!!Thank You For Reading!!!!!!!

The Proclamation Series: Protect the Family

This post focuses on the eight and ninth paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

"WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

This is the last of the Proclamation posts. And to wrap up I just want to invite you guys to think about what you can do to protect your family today. I invite you to pick a project that will help strengthen your family or someone else family. It can be as easy as giving your spouse a hug and letting them know how much you love and appreciate them. It can be spending more time with your kids. It can be posting to a blog. ;) What ever you choose to do take it seriously and try to really make a difference.


And just as a side note:
These Proclamation post had a lot of principles from the LDS church. I am a Mormon and I do believe. You can see my testimony of the church HERE or by clicking on the tab above called "I'm A Mormon."

Thank you guys for reading. I have a lot of fun writing and I hope that someone is getting something from my mess of words and thoughts.

Thanks again!

The Proclamation Series: Happiness in Family Life

This post focuses on the sixth and seventh paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

"HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed."

I have already covered some of what is spoken about about in previous posts.  So, for this post I want to talk about something, that I believe, every parents struggles with at least a little.  And that is, one, or more, of your children making bad choices and going down wrong paths. This can be a very sensitive subject and I would never tell you what you could do for your kids or how to parent. I think each kid needs a different parenting style because no two kids are the same. But I do believe there is a universal law of parenting and I highlighted it above. That's right Love! And not just any kind of love, Unconditional Love! 

I can not stress how important this is to not only children but every single one of your family members. A brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, spouse, daughter, brother; ALL of them need unconditional love and they need it from YOU. It doesn't mater what a person has done they need your love and help every step of the way. This doesn't mean that you have to accept their behavior that you don't agree with, but you have to love them. I can love a baby who pukes on me when I am burping it. Does that me I love that it puked on me? No! but I love that baby no matter what. I think that we lose that unconditional love as that baby gets older and does even more things we don't love. 

My parents have been a great example of unconditional love in my life. I have watched them struggle over and over with the decisions of my brothers and myself over the years.  And let me tell you there have been some tough times with all three of us. But never once did I feel like they didn't love every single one of their children. They never spoke wrongly about any of us and never made us feel like we were any less their children.  I remember My mother telling me a few years back that no matter what we have done we are still her babies. 

But the thing that I really admire about my parents is that never once did they let their standards and beliefs slip. They never bent the rules for us. We knew where Mom and Dad stood on everything, and knew when they didn't agree with our actions. Parenting is a fine line between structure and love. 

Thanks for reading! Comment below if you have anything to add or if you have questions for me! 

The Proclamation Series: Law of Chastity and Sancity of Life

This post focuses on the forth and fifth paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

"THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan."

There is a lot that I could say about chastity, fidelity, and the sanctity of life. I could talk about teen pregnancy, abortion, cheating, and the list goes on and on.  But I have decided to share a video of a speech that I gave for a class. I don't like speaking publicly but I loved my topic and it goes really well with this section of the proclamation. 

So with out further a due click HERE and enjoy. 

In the video I mention two different site for you to go to to learn more. Here are links to those cites!

Overcomingpornography.org 

                      And

fightthenewdrug.org

You can also view this SPEECH given by a classmate about fidelity. 

Thanks for reading and viewing!

The Proclamation Series: Covenants and Ordinances

This post focuses on the third paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

"IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

While studying this part of the proclamation one thing really stuck out in my head, marriage is ordained of God. I am only beginning to understand how amazing marriage is. I have been engaged now for about 6 months and have another month until the wedding. In that time I have learned so much about myself, my fiance, being a couple, and how my beliefs fit into it all. I could never write down everything that I have learned because there is just to much and it has only just begun. But what I can share is that God's hand is in our lives. He leads us where we need to go if we just let him in. From the way I met my fiance, to the decisions that we have made about school, it has all been directed by God. Things just worked out too perfectly to be explained any other way. Out of all the decisions that have been made and how many ways our lives could have been, we ended up exactly where we need to be. 

The dynamics of being so close to another human being are amazing. I have had the opportunity, through class assignments to pick apart my relationship with my fiance, and every time I learn something new. I can see just another reason why he is the man that I am suppose to marry. I can see now how the thought of being together "until death do us part" is just not enough. I really know now why I have been waiting to go to the temple to be sealed to my spouse not just married to him. 

It is amazing how as you go about life and gain knowledge and make connection how much clear everything seems. I am still so young and I am so excited to learn everything I don't yet understand. There are so many facets to the family and relationships and how that all fits into everything else. 

Take some time to really sit down and think about it. Write it out! Talk to someone! It is amazing the connection you can make! And, it is amazing the peace that it can bring to your life.


Thank you for reading.
If you have question please don't hesitate to ask,or if you have thoughts or something to add please do!

Also if you would like to know more or have questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that need answered, I would encourage you to visit MORMON.org you can also visit the frequently asked questions page at  http://www.mormon.org/faq

The Proclamation Series: Gender and Eternal Identity

This post focuses on the second paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.

"ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."


So, I am realizing that these posts about the proclamation are very heavy in a lot of very core values and beliefs of the LDS church. This can be hard to convey to those who have never heard of some of this stuff before. I don't really know who all reads this, so, I want to make it clear that I never intend to offend anyone. I just want to share what I have been learning and some of my beliefs. Please know I am open to questions and want to help increase understanding and knowledge, nothing more. I also want to thank everyone who does read and I hope that someone out there is gaining something from what I share. 

I know and believe that we are spirit sons and daughters of God. I believe that we had our genders and personalities before this life and that it will continue to be a part of who we are after this life. I really think that our gender is a part of what makes us who we are. I know that there are lot of studies that have been conducted on whether or not gender is a product of nature or a product of nurture, or in other words our environment or social influence. 

I really believe that gender is in born. It is not just about the equipment that  comes with each kind of gender that makes us a boy or a girl. It really think at each gender has roles. I am not trying to be sexist here at all either. There are really differences between men and women but each is so essential in life. There are the stereotypes of how men bring home the bacon and women stay at home to be house wives, but what were those stereotypes based off of? Answer? Talents and skill sets. Women are better nurtures most of the time, women pay attention to details, and enjoy things that take place in the home. Men are stronger and think more logical most of the time, they are able to put aside emotions at time when they need to. Now I know all of that sounds sexist but just because there may be some talents that women are better at then men it doesn't mean that men can't have those talents. and the same goes for women. 

People today focus so much on equality that we have let go of the idea that difference are not a bad thing. My fiance and I have tons of differences as well as similarities and they both make us a stronger couple, and I know that our differences will one day make us stronger parents. He is better at setting down the law and will make sure that our kids get punishments they deserve to teach them. I am a lot softer and want to make sure that the kid understands the situation and know that there loved. If we mesh our talents/ perspectives, and come before our kids as a united front then they will get the best of both worlds. Our similarities are strengths as well because we agree on principles that should be taught to children. And I could give many more example just like that where both similarities and differences create a positive out come.

Women especially are fighting their roles today. What is done in the home is looked down on as wasting potential and not being gratifying.  WHY!?!?! How is it not gratifying to raise a child? To be the one who raised such an amazing person. To touch someones life? Is that not something that brings satisfaction? Don't you feel good when you help someone in need or teach someone a new skill? Why can't a mother feel good about helping, teaching, and raising a child then? there are people that devote their lives to helping those in need. Who is a child but someone who is in need. They need guidance, knowledge, and love. And if you raise them right they will go out and touch more peoples lives. Being a mother is the most satisfying job that a person can have in my opinion. It is a way to leave a lasting impression on the world that influences so much of how people live and function. The way a mother teaches and what she teaches is what gives so much influences on people. For good or bad. 

Well thanks for reading my rant and I hope there was some insight in there. 
Here are a few extra readings to continue your search for knowledge. 

-The Moral Force of Women By Elder D. Todd Christofferson
-Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Brethren We Have A Work To Do"
-Elder D. Todd Christofferson,"Let Us Be Men”


Thanks for reading!!!!
If you have question please don't hesitate to ask,or if you have thoughts or something to add please do!

Also if you would like to know more or have questions that need answered, I would encourage you to visit MORMON.org you can also visit the frequently asked questions page http://www.mormon.org/faq

The Proclamation Series: Eternal Truths

This post is based on the first Paragraph of The Family: AProclamation to the World.

"WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

I know that the topic of marriage now a days can cause a lot of up roar. I don't wish to argue about human rights or any other of the hot topics that come with it. If you do not agree with what I have to say and what I believe, that is your opinion. And like any of my other posts I ask that we be respectful of each other and one another views. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinion. 

That being said I can continue. 

I do believe that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. I firmly believe that this is the way that God appointed it to be. He intended for families to be created and set up in a certain way for the benefit of all. Children need both a mother and a father to love and care for them. This topic, among others I will state shortly, will be discussed in upcoming posts. I believe that the family is essential to Gods eternal plan. Families provide support, unconditional love, and help us reach our full potential.  

I said God eternal plan; the word eternity is not one that is often used or spoken of. Then when it is used it can have different meaning. When I speak of the word eternity I mean that life does not simple stop after death. We have an unlimited amount of time ahead of us. This concept honestly blows my mind. I don't have the capacity to understand what an eternity is. I have this unlimited amount of existence ahead of me to continue to learn and progress. Honestly, I can't grasp how truly amazing that is. But I am not even doing it alone, in fact I can't do it alone. I will have my family that I have thankfully been blessed to be sealed to for eternity. I also, have an eternal companion who I get to take this whole journey with. That just puts so much more meaning into the sealing and the covenants that I am to make in a few short months. My fiance is the man that I, with God, have chosen to enter into a divine and everlasting covenant with. That is just.... wow!

Now I understand that this post was very packed full of information and vernacular used in the LDS religion. I know that some may not know what I am speaking of. If you would like to know more or have questions answered, I would encourage you to visit MORMON.org you can also visit the frequently asked questions page http://www.mormon.org/faq

You are also welcome to ask me any questions that you may have and I will do my best to answer them. 

As always, thank you for reading!

New Class New Insight

Hey everyone!

It has been ages! Thats my fault though. Who knew that in the hustle and bustle of life you would forget to post on a blog. ;)

Any way I took a Family Foundations course this semester and have project to do something that protects or helps the family. I thought to myself, Self, I think it is time to get back on the blog and try to make a difference in someones life." I like that thought that someone out there is benefiting from something I write.  So, in the next two weeks I will be posting about what I learned this semester in 6 or 7 different posts. Each will be based off of The Family, A Proclamation to the World. This is a  Document put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that lays out our beliefs about the family, its order, and its function.

Although this is used as a base for the lessons, I want to use it as a tool to bring out basic principles and truths that are at the base of my beliefs. I do not understand everything and wont try to tell you that I do, but I do want to share what makes sense to me. I have done my best to really question my beliefs and not follow blindly. I just want to share the answers I have found in my personal life.


If you would like I have attached a link HERE that will take you to a copy of The Family, A Proclamation to the World if you would like to read it. I will attach this link on all of the  6 posts as well as paste the section we are focusing on in that post.

As always feel free to ask questions and thanks for taking the time to read!