Sunday Thoughts

Our new Relief Society President gave a fantastic talk last Sunday and shared a story about her sister's struggle to teach her 2 year old son to stay in his big-boy bed rather than come to sleep in his parents' bed. She and her husband had such a hard time that they finally sought help from a psychologist who told them to put a lock on the outside of the boy's door. The psychologist asked them, "Do you want to make this child feel good for a night or strengthen him for a lifetime?"


Of course they wanted to strengthen him for a lifetime, so they installed the lock on his door, then talked about it all day long to prepare him. Inevitably he woke up in the night and tried to open the door, but found it locked. He began to scream, so his mother came to the other side of the door and talked to him. She had him put his fingers under the door where she could touch them and she soothed him by saying "I'm right here." She spent that night and the next night asleep on the floor outside his door like that, but then never had a problem with him getting out of his bed again!


I was so touched by this story and by the metaphor of our Heavenly Father sending us to earth to teach us lessons that will strengthen us for an eternity. He is our father, He loves us, and He knows what is best for us even though it means suffering on our parts. He is right there if we go to Him; we can be soothed and know that we can make it through the struggles that feel so insurmountable.

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: We have 2:00 church, yet are in a hurry today (good thing I'm blogging) what in the world?

Sunday Thoughts

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it
seems that the birds don't sing and bells don't ring.
Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity,
those who are happiest seem to have a way of
learning from difficult times, becoming
stronger, wiser, and happier as a result."
--Joseph B. Wirthlin

Sunday Thoughts

There was a baby blessing today in church for a sweet, new baby girl who was born in December. Her father gave her a nice blessing and at one point said something to the affect of "We bless you with a good self-esteem so that you won't fall into the trap of wanting what other people have and are."


I have never heard that in a blessing before and thought it was such a wonderful gift to be given. I also thought it was interesting that he used the metaphor of a trap because that's exactly what it feels like when I find myself struggling to be happy for someone else's good fortune, supposedly "easy" life, wealth, marriage, thinness, and so on. It's one of Satan's traps for me and I know this, but still fall into it and have to try so hard to talk myself out of it and remind myself that those things have nothing to do with me and my eternal purpose. It's just very hard not to automatically feel that way at first. Ahh maturity, when will I ever find you??

**Have you ever heard a blessing say this before?
Do you ever fall into this trap?
Has maturity found you?**

Sunday Thoughts

"There are so many reasons why today's mothers struggle. Sheer exhaustion often tops the list. A lack of recognition for our efforts may also be included. But somewhere else on that list is this: many of us don't remember often enough that we are daughters of God, doing his work. An astute seven year old--a true princess in training told her mom the other day, "Snow White is still pretty in rages." Indeed, we are all still daughters of God, no matter what we do, no matter where we labor. And when we place one woman ahead of another because of her calling or title, when riches are equated with business success and rags are equated with the "everydayness" of mothering, we are not only devaluing motherhood but belittling a daughter of God." --page 45 of I Am A Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson



Fortunately, I don't feel like I struggle with my decision to stay home with my kids and be a full-time mother because that was ALWAYS my plan. It has been a blessing that I have been able to do that for the past 10.8 years (I quit my last job while I was pregnant with Landon). My struggles with motherhood have lessened somewhat as the kids have gotten older. I think the early years were harder for me because of the endless demands, diapers, weariness and constant companionship with them.


Now they are so self-sufficient, I have to make sure I am there for them in other ways. We seem to have crossed over into a phase where more subtle vigilance, teaching, and watching them is in place. They spend lots of time with friends now and are subject to influences from school, television, friends and their own maturing thoughts. So my job as a mother keeps changing and has to be individualized to their specific personalities, talents and needs. This is a tricky business for sure.

**What do you think?**

Sunday Thoughts

"You are here on Earth for a diving purpose.
It is not to be endlessly entertained or
to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure.
You are here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you
can receive the additional blessings God has for you.
The Lord is intent on your personal growth and development."
--Richard G. Scott

I had our Activity Day activity at my house last Tuesday afternoon and had originally planned on doing some Back-To-School goals with the girls, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to talk to them about being the kind of girl the Lord would have them be. It seemed like a great thing to recommit to at the start of a new school year.


We talked about how destructive gossip is, recognizing the importance of being different, celebrating all the things we're good at, and realizing how boring the world would be if we were all the same. I really hope they got something from this activity because my heart hurts when I think of them going to school and struggling to fit in or becoming someone who leaves others out.

{Their lists of things they're good at.}

It is a constant struggle for me to keep myself in check so that I don't feel jealous or critical of others. I know that's not who I want to be, but often the first thought that pops into my head isn't a good one (damn that Satan!). I feel like I'm constantly talking myself back to a loving state of mind, and sometimes I don't do a very good job. But I have a strong desire to be a good person, to be Christ-like, and to fight those feelings, so I try over and over again.

**What do you think??**