Parenting

This week we have been discussing parenting. I have really enjoyed the discussions and I wish that I could some how retain and remember all the information so that I can use it in the future when I actually have children! I'm terrified I'll forget all that I learned and be a terrible parent! One thing that has stuck out to me the most was a line shared by someone that I have heard in the past:

The test for Godhood is parenthood.

I really love this. It is very true. God is the ultimate father. He guide's His children through life with love. I think one of the best parenting programs we can follow is God's example and how He has parented. I don't know how He does it. I can't imagine watching my children struggle and lose their way. I am excited to be a parent but also so afraid! I can't imagine the ache that is felt when a child strays. But on the other side there is also the joy in watching your children succeed.

Obviously I don't know a whole lot about parenting since I've never been a parent. But I do feel lucky to have had the opportunity to take these classes and learn things that I may not have learned otherwise. I have also been greatly blessed to have a mom and dad who strive to be good parents and have taught me so much! I am very lucky!!!! Thanks Mom and Dad for being great parents!

Relationships

I wanted to post something that I learned at my Stake Conference this past weekend. It really struck me and it applies to the family so I thought that I would share it.

Elder Chambers of the seventy presided over my stake conference and he gave a talk about strengthening 3 types of relationships

Our relationship as a son or daughter of God

The husband and wife relationship

Father and Mother relationship

All three of these relationships are outlined in the Proclamation to the World. What stood out to me the most was that he mentioned three gathering places; Home, Church, and the Temple. He then said that it is in the Home that relationships are created, at Church where relationships are perfected, and in the Temple that relationships are exalted. I thought that was so cool. It all begins in the home but attending church and the temple are also so important to the building and strengthening of relationships.

Submitting to God's Will

Today we talked about submitting our will to God's. Easier said than done sometimes. We so often want to make our own choices and we think we know what is best. But when we fight against the Lord we are just making it harder for ourselves. When we submit our will to God's that is when we can begin to feel peace. As we fight against Him there is no peace or comfort. But once we finally make the decision to turn the matter over to God then we feel the overwhelming peace and love. After we have made that transition we can also receive help from our Heavenly Father. The help can come from people in our lives or it can be added strength to press on. If we don't humble ourselves before the Lord and submit our will to His in all things then sometimes He compels us to be humble. The Lord sometimes must bend our knees for us. Let's not be like that. Don't wait for the Lord to compel you to be humble. Fall to your knees NOW and seek to know His will in your life. Heavenly Father is eager to help us and to give us the blessings we deserve when we are righteous. Don't miss out on opportunities for growth and learning by stubbornly fighting against the Lord's will. And like I said in the beginning submitting our will to God's is often easier said than done. But then again, who said life would be easy or fair? No one. If it were we wouldn't grow. So we must press forward with faith in Christ, knowing that if we are doing what is right everything will work out.

Keep the Big Picture in Front of You

Challenges, trials, and hardships will come to every family. We can't always prevent them from happening. What we can do is decide how we will respond to the crisis. The Chinese symbol for danger placed next to the Chinese symbol for opportunity equals crisis. A crisis is an opportunity for growth and learning. And it is up to us as individuals and families to make the decision of whether we will grow or digress.

So how do we deal with crises when they cross our path? Be positive. Don't dwell on the negative. Have an eternal perspective. This is hard when we are living in the moment. It's difficult to see past the problem and realize that there is a solution, there is an ending, peace will come either in this life or the next. Decide what can be learned from the situation. The Lord will never give us a hardship that we cannot handle. And we have the agency and ability to decide how we will respond. So try and see the Lord's view. Take a step back and look at the whole picture.