Families on the Frontline

I have always dreamed of getting married and sealed in a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This has been my dream and I used to pray for it every day as a child. A sealing is when a man and a woman are bound together in marriage but not just until death but forever. It is a promise you make with your spouse and with God. It is not just a light thing to take to heart but it is an important decision that will influence the rest of your life eternally. These days we see many people falling away from the church. This is due to several different reasons but I think a big one is just the draw of the world. People see it as something fun and exciting. However, as a member of the church I have been taught that God's way is greater. This can be hard to comprehend with some aspects of the world but overall God's plan will bring us the greatest happiness. Part of that plan is finding someone to settle down with and get married for time and all eternity. As you are...

Today, I will be writing about parenting. The topic is something that is very important to me and I have a great desire to nurture and teach my children in the best way possible. As I am sure every other parent desires too. The thing about parenting is that there are so many ways to go about doing it. They try to classify parenting into these four categories, authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. As we dive into these categories none of them can really cover all that goes into parenting. I actually find it quite interesting to watch how people parent their children. I guess you could also say that I enjoy people-watching.  I come from a family with seven kids and four of them are married with multiple kids each. In a way, each of my siblings chooses to parent their children differently. As I continue, in no way do I mean to throw any of them under the bus but more of analyzing what I have seen happen over the years. My oldest brother and his wife chose a more au...

  Fatherhood, what a noble calling in life. If I were a Dad I would find it to be such a privilege. Fathers make such a huge impact on their children from childhood to the adult years. As I have done some research I am amazed at just how many people are affected by their fathers or how they are negatively affected by the lack of a dad in their life. Studies have shown "...that children who grow up with absent-fathers can suffer lasting damage. They are more likely to end up in poverty or drop out of school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of wedlock, or end up in prison" (Source 1). Therefore we see that children without dads can live a harder life. Think of something you care greatly about. Whether it's a friend, a car, or a child. Now, think of what your life would be like without that. If you picked something that you cared a lot about, and it was to be gone from your life, there would be a hole in your heart. If that didn't quite do the trick for your i...

  How much does communication matter to you? Could you live without any communication with another individual? This would include no social media, no talking, no verbal language, and essentially sitting in a room by yourself all day. The rare person would say, yes they could to this statement. However, I certainly could not Communication is part of our everyday life and is essential to living. Not only is it vital to everyday living but it is vital to relationships. The best couples have the best communication. As I think about my future spouse and family I hope that we can develop Christ-like communication. C ommunication that is open and loving. No degrading, petty comments, or criticism. I want to be able to build a strong relationship of trust and appreciation. I was recently inspired by a great system for communication. There are 5 steps: The Disarming Technique: finding something true about what the other person is saying, even if it seems crazy. Empathy: Though Empathy: pa...

  Does anyone else have the problem where their brain turns and turns with overthinking the most ridiculous things?? Well if not consider yourself blessed! In today's world, people are becoming more aware of mental thoughts and the effects they can have on our health. This is a good thing but like everything in this world... all things in moderation. The biggest thing to remember when it comes to things mentally is to remember that we have control over our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Some people find this very hard to believe. They think their life is bad because of other people and the way they have been treated. News Flash! Life isn't rainbows and unicorns! We are going to deal with people who hurt us and cause pain. However, we do not need to dwell on the pain. We need to work through it and then remember what is in the past is in the past. There is no going back to try and fix it or change the outcome. We can learn from the past and choose to live our lives in a higher...

  One of the greatest heartaches known to man... falling away from someone you love. Infidelity is a big problem in today's society. So much so that people don't even marry as much. Why make that commitment to one day end up in heartache?? They choose to then still get as attached though so in the long run are they really avoiding that heartache ... nope! Whether you are married or not, it hurts when you lose someone to another person. Infidelity/cheating is a real thing that is devastating. It is interesting how there are several different forms of infidelity as well. Emotional, sexual, financial, and fantasy. Each one has its own aspect but in some way leads to the act of choosing someone or something else other than your partner. As I have had some time to learn more about infidelity one thing that really stood out to me was how much friends play an impact on it all! When a man and a woman get married they have created a bond. Essentially a united circle. They are to be as o...

  Have you ever met those couples who are engaged after 3 months? And before they are even engaged they have already planned their entire wedding? In society that would be absolutely INSANE!! For some reason that is a normal phenomenon for the church. I do not find this an intelligent way to approach eternity. For Pete's sake, you can wait a few extra months to make sure you are making a good decision! Marriage is a big step that takes commitment and loyalty. It's hard to tell how committed someone will stay throughout a lifetime. They may seem committed for the period that you are dating, but how is someone supposed to know how you will react to change? What about how you react to a change in weather? In my own family, I have seen this take place. In the engagement process, they seemed to be such a good fit and they had similar hobbies, similar hopes, and dreams. However, over time I have slowly seen these things change. Usually, it was nothing drastic but we came to find out ...