Aug 31, 2011

Love At Home: Counsel from our Prophet

If you haven't had the chance to read the first presidency's message for the month of August, I encourage you to do so. Great message! Check it out here.

“Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important.”

Part-time Nanny Wanted!


Barbara Brown is looking for a part-time nanny for her two children, ages 5 and 9. She needs someone to come to her home on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The pay is $8/hr. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please email Barbara at bjonesbrown@gmail.com.

Aug 14, 2011

The Power of Early Preparation

Hello, sisters!  


I recently read a great talk by Elder Bartholomew and I wanted to share it with you all. Find the link here


I think it really hit home to me as a new mother, and trying to keep my focus on gospel truths. He talks about how we can loose focus of gospel truths by being distracted by things that may be true, but are not important. This can lead to a multitude of problems - frustration with oneself, family, friends, and even the gospel. He uses the example of the doctrinal truth about having babies. How its simple and joyful - babies are Heavenly Father’s spirit children who need to come to the earth and receive bodies as part of His eternal plan of bringing to pass their immortality and eternal life. We get to participate in this wondrous plan as parents, advisors, friends, and teachers. Yet, there are some things about having babies that people deem as not always so pleasant. These ideas can even distract us from the heavenly plan. He uses examples that, babies are cute, but inconvenient, adorable but expensive. Babies often smell bad and keep one awake in the night. The more babies you have, the more stretched your financial and physical resources may become. Babies can cause stretch marks and weight gain. Having babies may disrupt a woman’s long-term career aspirations. He goes on to explain that each of these observations about babies is true—and the emotional distress such issues can cause are certainly real. However, none of them encourages us to embrace the saving truth about babies and their role in the plan of salvation. He says if we place too much of our focus on these true facts about having babies, we may find ourselves at odds with Heavenly Father’s plan for us as individuals and as members of a family. As we raise a family, we learn to be unselfish, to love others more than ourselves, to serve, to sacrifice, and to teach. Learning these traits helps us to become more like our Heavenly Father, who has said that His work is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of His children (Moses 1:39). 
(http://lds.org/ensign/2011/02/the-power-of-early-preparation?lang=eng)


I think we all get caught up in how hard it may be (inconvenient at times) to raise our little ones. I know from experience that my twins have definitely thrown me a curve ball, but I wouldn't change it for the world and I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to raise these special spirits. It's in the moments that I look at their precious faces with all their light and realize how I'm the one actually gaining from this whole experience. Its a miracle that they grew and developed in my body and then came to this earth with their perfect little bodies and spirits. I'm the lucky one. God entrusted me with these special little spirits... and I need to remember to thank him everyday for the blessing of motherhood. Even in the hard and stressful times. 


I'm so grateful that I can be a mother. I'm going to try and focus on their Eternal objective and try to never complain about it. Even when my boys refuse to sleep and my energy is drained ;). I encourage all of us as Relief Society sisters to remember our divine role as mothers (in every form) and to keep our focus on the essential gospel truths. 


Love, 


Abby