Mormon Bloggers

I really enjoyed this blog post: http://www.thebettermom.com/2011/08/books-and-your-familys-spiritual-health/ Update: We read Mormon 1:19 this morning during scripture study. It made me think of this blog post and others like it.  Read More →

I’m currently reading a book about Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley. The more I read, the more I realize that she is someone I would like to emulate. Her attitude about accepting yourself for who you are and using your unique strengths and abilities to do the work of the Lord is inspiring to me. Once time, after giving a presentation to the women of the church and then receiving a standing ovation, she expressed amazement at the response. Her husband said, “Marge, they loved you because you were so relaxed and just yourself.” She quickly responded with “I couldn’t think of anyone else to be!” With that story in mind, you’ll notice that a large part of this post will be on how we each can and should use our own unique talents and abilities to help further the work of the Lord in these Last Days. Sister Hinckley shared a powerful experience that happened to her when she was a young mother. She said: When I was a mother with young children, we had a monthly leadership meeting... Read the rest of this entry »

This quote is applicable to both the teacher at church and the parent at home. It is a powerful reminder that we each have our own God-given agency: “God’s chief way of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He always acts with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we possess. He wants to help us and pleads for the chance to assist us, but he will not do so in violation of our agency. He loves us too much to do that.” ~ President Howard W. Hunter  Read More →

I loved this blog post on relationships and priorities: http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/hi-im-a-foot/  Read More →

I found this blog post over at mormonmommyblogs.com. It is a powerful reminder of how I should be handling my trials. http://www.mormonmommyblogs.com/2011/05/how-our-family-is-overcoming-addiction.html How Our Family Is Overcoming Addiction Source As I was watching the last session of General Conference it seemed that every story shared about trials and pain were so different than mine. I have not yet known the anguish of having lost a spouse. Or the tragedy that natural disasters leave in their wake. I am blessed to have not yet had to deal with the questions and pain and what ifs of the death a child, or a life robbing illness. But I have had to deal with the common denominator to all of these things. I have been pulled down into the darkest place that can exist on this earth. The thick black that will suffocate any light. The darkness of having no hope. My husband is an addict. His drug of choice is prescription pain killers. I am a co-dependent which means that... Read the rest of this entry »

For information on homemaking skills, click on links below:  Read More →

Photo Credit I borrowed a book at the library entitled Radical Hospitality by Father Daniel Homan. (I was surprised to see a large number of Christian Hospitality books at the library. They are all on my To-Read List.) The book is full of little gems. Here are a few from the first 20 pages or so: “Guests are crucial to the making of any heart. If you want to be a person of great spirit, you can’t do life alone. If spirituality matters to you, you can’t do spirituality alone. To really grow as a human being you need other people.” “Hospitality is a lively, courageous, and convivial (friendly, agreeable) way of living that challenges our compulsion either to turn away or to turn inward and disconnect ourselves from others.” “Hospitality is both the answer to modern alienation and injustice and a path to a deeper spirituality.” “As a culture, we are frightened people living behind locked doors, fashioning our homes as reclusive retreats... Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit I was touched by this blog post on spending time with our children: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/05/learning-to-enjoy-your-children.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PassionateHomemaking+%28Passionate+Homemaking%29 In what ways do you spend quality time with your children? I’d love to hear your ideas!  Read More →

Photo Credit One afternoon as I was preparing to carry the wheat grinder to the back patio, I heard some commotion coming from the backyard where my kids were playing. It sounded as if something of monumental proportions was happening outside. Sure enough, the kids hurried indoors all abuzz. There was a bumblebee in their swimming pool, they said, and they refused to go outside until it was gone. I peered out the window and there it was—a large bumblebee, buzzing loudly, and furiously flapping its wings in an attempt to run up the side of the 4-in high, large, rectangular tupperware container that my children use as a makeshift swimming pool. I cautiously carried the wheat grinder out to the patio and began the 10-minute process of grinding wheat. As I observed the bee I quickly realized that the kids had nothing to be afraid of. The bee was positioned in the corner of the container and was intent on climbing up the side to freedom. It was wearing itself out by doing the same thing... Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit I’ve been reading much information lately that has turned my thoughts toward the home. What is the purpose of the home? What is the significance of the home? What kind of place did God design it to be like? 1. The home as a place of rest. Can my family find rest in my home? Or is there constant tension or turmoil? Is there too much clutter that the body cannot rest? Do I welcome my hubby home with a shout and joyful excitement? Does he eagerly look forward to coming home? 2. The home as a place to cultivate learning. Is truth being taught and cultivated daily in my home? Am I seeking to train and teach my children in everything we do? What kind of lessons can I teach while we clean together, prepare meals, and cultivate the home? 3. The home as a holy place. Are there any destructive influences coming into my home through books, technology, internet, or television? 4. The home as a place where thankfulness dwells. Does an atmosphere of thankfulness pervade... Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit The Relief Society is the oldest and largest women’s organization in the world. Relief Society was established in 1842 for women 18 years of age and older. Its purpose is to build faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need. To learn more about Relief Society, click here. To watch video clips about Relief Society, click here.  Read More →

Greeting, Gentle Readers, Thanksgiving Day is often referred to as “turkey day”, now. I had never heard it called that until somewhere in the 1980s. Now I hear it all the time. When my husband heard it called that, he told me how much it hurt him. He was one of those who spent World War II in Europe. He was only a small child when the war started, but he lived in Amsterdam, Holland, and the Germans roared into that city on May 5, 1940. He says he was awakened in the wee hours of that day by the roar of German tanks, as they took over Holland. That war was a horrifying experience for a young child. He was completely dependent on his mother, since the Dutch men began to be taken captive right away. Any man who fought back was shot, immediately. If anyone took part in any resistance, all the men left in that block of houses were brought downstairs at gun point, lined up against the wall of the building, and machine-gunned down. That tactic worked most successfully to keep the populace... Read the rest of this entry »