Today was the first day of the Provident Living #4 - Media Management. I set a goal to not look at Facebook for 2 weeks. It has been about 24 hours since I set that goal and it has been harder than expected. In the last 24 hours I have realized how many times I look at Facebook on my phone. This is quite often BTW. I have decided to delete the app from my phone because every time there is a comment or post related to our Facebook I get a notice on my phone and I am tempted to check it out. Several years ago my husband taught a Dale Carnegie class. One of the human relations principles taught was Don't Criticize, Condemn or Complain. This left a lot of time on your hands so you were suppose to replace it with something good. So now I have more time on my hands by not looking at Facebook so what shall I replace it with? What if I read the scriptures on my phone instead? How far would I get? What if I read general conference talks instead? How uplifted would I be? What if I didn't pick up my phone at all and carried on a conversation with a co-worker? How much missionary work could be accomplished? What if I called one of my children to tell them of my love? How much joy would that bring to both of us? What if I wrote a letter of thanks or called a friend in need? What a novel idea! What if I sent a text to my young women to let them know I was thinking of them? How much closer could we become! All of these will be great replacements and bring much good to me but the greatest blessing that will come from not looking at Facebook will be peace and happiness. Why? Because I will not be reading angry comments, anti-Mormon posts from old friends, or scary news reports. I will not be wasting time on game invites or silly surveys. I will be less frustrated with politics and more in tune with the spirit. All in all I have to say this may be the hardest but most rewarding 2 weeks in a long time. I will keep you posted on how it goes!
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Family!
There is nothing that brings more joy than family! I am blessed with a wonderful family. It seems that this family started out with just the two of us a few years ago and has grown to 18 in no time flat. These are 7 of the 8 incredible blessings in my life. You can tell by the looks of things that they were done with having pictures taken. The oldest will be baptized next summer. I am grateful for their parents that are raising them in the gospel. That are teaching them correct principles and preparing them to make and keep sacred covenants that they will someday make in the Temple. I am grateful that their parents made those sacred covenants with each other and strive daily to keep them. When I look at this picture I am reminded of my Heavenly Father's plan and His love for me. I can't wait to be with these guys forever!
Covenants
This week in class we studied Gospel Ordinances and Covenants. I was reminded of the importance of these in my life. I am grateful for the Temple and the covenants I have made with the Lord. I was especially grateful for the covenant of marriage and that Chad and I can be married for not only time but for eternity.
Friday as I was driving to work I was listening to my favorite radio station. It was a couple of days before Valentine's and they had put together a "No-Budget" wedding. It was 7:30 in the morning and a couple was getting married at the radio station. Their family was there to enjoy the morning. They had only learned a week before that they had won this prize. As I listened to this wedding being performed on the radio it was fun to hear the mothers cry, the groomsmen joke, the bridesmaids cheer, and the couple make vows with one another. I was grateful that in our crazy world that people still felt it necessary to make these vows with one another. It made my heart happy. The radio DJ mentioned that she is getting married again and her mother is upset that it is not in the Catholic church. She explained that in order to do that she would need to get her first marriage annulled. She was not willing to do that. She did not want to say that her first marriage never happened. Her first marriage was a big part of her life and she had wonderful children because of it. I was saddened that her first marriage ended in divorce but grateful that is was a good memory.
These two stories made me contemplate the things I had learned in class this week. Marriage is ordained of God. It is between a man and a women. The covenant that we make with one another is for eternity. We can be together forever if we live up to that covenant. I will be eternally grateful for this wonderful blessing in my life. I am grateful for four children that have chosen to enter into this covenant of marriage. Here is a picture of our last one - in the Gilbert AZ Temple - where there were no empty seats!
Friday as I was driving to work I was listening to my favorite radio station. It was a couple of days before Valentine's and they had put together a "No-Budget" wedding. It was 7:30 in the morning and a couple was getting married at the radio station. Their family was there to enjoy the morning. They had only learned a week before that they had won this prize. As I listened to this wedding being performed on the radio it was fun to hear the mothers cry, the groomsmen joke, the bridesmaids cheer, and the couple make vows with one another. I was grateful that in our crazy world that people still felt it necessary to make these vows with one another. It made my heart happy. The radio DJ mentioned that she is getting married again and her mother is upset that it is not in the Catholic church. She explained that in order to do that she would need to get her first marriage annulled. She was not willing to do that. She did not want to say that her first marriage never happened. Her first marriage was a big part of her life and she had wonderful children because of it. I was saddened that her first marriage ended in divorce but grateful that is was a good memory.
These two stories made me contemplate the things I had learned in class this week. Marriage is ordained of God. It is between a man and a women. The covenant that we make with one another is for eternity. We can be together forever if we live up to that covenant. I will be eternally grateful for this wonderful blessing in my life. I am grateful for four children that have chosen to enter into this covenant of marriage. Here is a picture of our last one - in the Gilbert AZ Temple - where there were no empty seats!
Saturday, February 6, 2016
The Family: A Proclamation to the World
This semester I am taking an online class entitled The Eternal Family. The purpose of this course is to help deepen our understanding of the plan of salvation and the doctrines and principles found in the Family proclamation. Another purpose is to help our desire to strengthen our marriages, nurture our children and create a healthy, supportive and righteous family environment. And lastly, to work on provident living skills that will help our marriage and family.
The first provident living skill we worked on was scripture study. I made a goal to read the scriptures for the Sunday School lesson daily, with my husband. This has been a great blessing. Although we are not as consistent as we should be at the daily part, we have been successful in reading the assignment. It has been very helpful when we go to class to understand and participate. I have enjoyed the discussion I have had with Chad about what we are reading and how we can apply them to become better people.
As we have read the first book of Nephi I have been amazed the lessons taught about the eternal family. We see the desire of Lehi for his family to partake of the fruit and have the ability to be together forever. How hard must it have been for Nephi to see the future, to see his brother's posterity fighting with his posterity and the devastation to come. He knew that the possibility of eternal family was gone because of the choices his brothers would make. But he continued on, being a great example, and worked hard for the promise of his own family being eternal.
As we read, study, ponder and apply the scriptures in our lives we can be uplifted, edified, and taught by the spirit the things that we need to do to ensure that our families are eternal.
The first provident living skill we worked on was scripture study. I made a goal to read the scriptures for the Sunday School lesson daily, with my husband. This has been a great blessing. Although we are not as consistent as we should be at the daily part, we have been successful in reading the assignment. It has been very helpful when we go to class to understand and participate. I have enjoyed the discussion I have had with Chad about what we are reading and how we can apply them to become better people.
As we have read the first book of Nephi I have been amazed the lessons taught about the eternal family. We see the desire of Lehi for his family to partake of the fruit and have the ability to be together forever. How hard must it have been for Nephi to see the future, to see his brother's posterity fighting with his posterity and the devastation to come. He knew that the possibility of eternal family was gone because of the choices his brothers would make. But he continued on, being a great example, and worked hard for the promise of his own family being eternal.
As we read, study, ponder and apply the scriptures in our lives we can be uplifted, edified, and taught by the spirit the things that we need to do to ensure that our families are eternal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)