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Browsing Tag: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Children,Faith

Salt Dough and Prayer

posted on : June 21, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

Several years ago when my son was in the fourth grade and studying Utah History, he announced to me, as he was getting ready for school, that he needed orange and brown salt doughs for school that morning to make a relief map, and he handed me the recipe.  Since he was my fifth child I was familiar with the project and fortunately the morning had been going smoothly so I had time to make the dough.  The problem was that I didn’t have brown or orange (or even red and yellow) food coloring.  I knew that I could mix cocoa powder into the dough to make brown but I was perplexed about what I could do to make orange salt dough and I frantically looked through my pantry to see if I could find something that would work. Nothing came to mind as I searched among my baking supplies.  I made the brown dough while still thinking about what I could do to come up with orange dough.  I decided to pray about the situation and I told Heavenly Father that I needed to make orange salt dough and didn’t have any orange food coloring and asked that if there was something I had that I could use to make the dough orange that He would inspire me to think of it.  As soon as I finished my prayer I thought of orange Kool-Aid and quickly looked in the container I had of Kool-Aid and found several packages of orange.  I gave a quick prayer of gratitude and about 10 minutes later had orange salt dough that smelled really good ready to go with the brown salt dough, which since it was chocolate, also smelled great.  Prayer is a wonderful gift we have that blesses us in many ways, in some simple ways and in some serious and complex.  Prayer to me is an indication of a Father’s love for His children, that He is concerned about even trivial things in our lives that we need help with.  That morning I felt His love as I made orange salt dough and as my son went to school with the best smelling salt dough in the school.

Children,Faith

She is a Child of God

posted on : May 17, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

When one of my daughters was very young I found her challenging to deal with.  It seemed she wanted to do just the opposite of whatever I wanted her to do and even though she was very young we battled on almost everything.  I knew that I didn’t want that kind of relationship with her but I had not yet learned that most of the things I insisted on were not that important.  I also knew I wanted to have a calm, peaceful atmosphere in my home, not one in which we battled against each other.  Perplexed as to know what to do I remember praying about it one day and asking Heavenly Father to remind me that she was a child of God whenever I was frustrated with her or arguing with her.  The day went as usual and before long we were in another battle but in the midst of it the thought “she is a child of God” came firmly to my mind which actually took me back a little.  I stopped arguing and handled it differently.  Unfortunately it took me many years to learn what was important and what wasn’t, but I did learn that if I prayed for specific guidance and help that Heavenly Father would bless me with it.

Faith,Lessons Learned

House Built on a Rock

posted on : February 19, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

Once when I was reading the account in Matthew 24:24-27 of the wise man who built his house on a rock and the foolish man who built his house on sand I noticed for the first time that the rain fell on both houses.  The wise man’s house was able to withstand the rain while the foolish man’s house was washed away.  Somehow I had always assumed that the foolish man’s house was the one that got rained on even though in plain English it says that the rain fell on both houses.  This realization caused a paradigm shift.  Rain, or troubles, fall on everyone and the difference is the foundation upon which I am built.  Thank goodness for the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives me a firm foundation.

Church,Faith,Life

Tithing

posted on : February 17, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

When I was a young child my mother was a stay-at-home mom, and she was an active member of our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).  She wanted to follow the commandment to pay tithing but my dad was dead set against it.  When they had married she didn’t even know he was actually a member of the church which means he was obviously very inactive.  She had later met the missionaries when they were going door-to-door and was almost instantly converted.  She would have loved for my dad to have become active but he was totally against the church.  In those days men often controlled the money and gave their wives a set amount from which to run the family and household, and in my family’s case this is what happened.  She wanted to be obedient to the commandment and she also wanted the blessings that come from paying tithing so unbeknownst to my dad, she paid it on the household money he gave her. Later, after they were divorced and she was only earning minimum wage to support her kids while going to school (they didn’t have the deadbeat parent laws then and for some reason my dad didn’t feel it was necessary to pay child support), she often said that the only reason we made it was because she paid her tithing.  President Gordon B. Hinckley said “Tithing is a matter of faith, not finance” and my mom believed this was a true principle because on the very little money she earned to support a family of six she still paid her tithing faithfully. In my life I have also seen the blessings that come from paying tithing, especially when I was a very poor student at BYU.  I had very little money but I always had what I needed and I believe it was because I paid my tithing.  Tithing is a matter of faith, not finance!

Friendship,Lessons Learned,Life

Talents

posted on : February 12, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

Several years ago I was pondering the many talents that people have, the vast majority of which I do not have.  I thought of a friend who was very musical and thought I would love to be able to play a musical instrument or sing really well.  I thought of people who were artistic, who were excellent teachers or who were really good listeners, and then there are people who are mechanical and good with technology. There are people who are really good gardeners and people who can fix just about anything.  I can’t draw and I am horrible with mechanical things and I definitely can’t think of anyone who would ever have me fix something for them.  The list of talents that I don’t have goes on and on.  As I sat there feeling slightly sorry for myself and pondering why I couldn’t have any or all of those talents the thought came to me “because then you wouldn’t need anyone else.”  Another eye-opener!  We are taught in the scriptures that talents and spiritual gifts are to be used to bless the lives of others and I have definitely been blessed by other people’s talents.

Children,Parenting

Teaching Correct Principles

posted on : January 29, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

Joseph Smith once said “Teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves.” I had heard this statement many times pondered about it when some of my children were making choices that I didn’t like.  I felt like I had taught them to do good and be good yet they were still making unwise choices and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong.  Maybe I hadn’t set a good enough example or maybe I hadn’t taught clearly enough important principles to guide their lives by or maybe I just hadn’t taught them in the right way or taught them enough.  I prayed and pondered and stewed over it for several years and then one day while I was driving and thinking about it the thought came into my head “Teach them correct principles and then they get to choose.”  I had been interpreting the quote the wrong way.  I had always thought it meant “teach them correct principles and then they will choose to do right.”  What an eye opener and game changer.  Yes, I could probably teach more clearly and be a better example but as I continued to do my best to teach good principles to live their lives by I was doing all I could.  The rest was and is up to them.

Children,Parenting

A Lasting Gift

posted on : January 20, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 2 Comments

Many years ago I taught the Bee Hives in the Young Women’s program, a calling I loved.  I learned to love each of those girls and thoroughly enjoyed being with them.  One Sunday, on Father’s Day, I asked each girl how she knew her father loved her.  There was one response I particularly remember.  She  said “I know my dad loves me because he likes to spend time with me.”  I have thought about this response over the years.  I knew her father and he was a busy man.  He owned his own business, had busy church callings and had 5 other children beside her and yet she knew he loved her because he liked spending time with her.  And interesting to me is that he didn’t spend time with her while he was on his phone, watching TV or being distracted in numerous ways because she knew he LIKED to spend time with her.  He was really present when they were together and he conveyed the message that he really enjoyed being with her.  What a wonderful gift he gave her, and this is something I need to be better at.

Life,Parenting

It Doesn’t Matter

posted on : January 17, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 4 Comments

When I was a young mother I wanted to be a perfect parent, or at least appear to be perfect with perfect kids. I was often exacting and demanding thinking that their lives reflected on me as a parent.  I dressed my kids well and on Sundays at church they had to have on clean, cute shoes with matching socks and of course hair accessories that matched their clothing.  When something didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to my mother-in-law would say “it doesn’t matter” and I would think “IT DOES TOO MATTER!”  As time went on I battled my kids over these and other unimportant, silly things and caused a lot of disharmony and strife in our home, and I eventually learned that my mother-in-law was right, it didn’t matter.  As teens some of my kids would wear mismatched socks and I learned to think “at least they have socks on” and then my youngest got a little older and she won’t wear socks at all.  I learned again to think “well, at least she has shoes on.”  Most of the things I stressed about with my children were unimportant and trivial while I often missed the big picture, that they were caring, good people who loved each other and wanted to make the world a better place.  As an older parent I realize there is no such thing as a perfect parent and if there was, certainly the standard wouldn’t be measured by shoes and socks.

Church

The Sun, The Son

posted on : January 8, 2018 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 0 Comment

Years ago I heard a woman speak of a trip to Alaska.  She said that even though Alaska has a shorter growing season, the fruits and vegetables grow to be very large because of the increased hours of sunlight. So I looked it up and things really do grow bigger in Alaska because that state has as much as 20 hours of sun per day which not only causes vegetables to grow bigger but things like carrots are sweeter too. Of course that brings thoughts to my mind of how people grow bigger too in the light of another Son, Jesus Christ. When we allow His light to shine on us our capacity increases and we become bigger and better than we ever thought possible. Not only do our hearts grow but our knowledge increases and our capacity to serve enlarges.  His love allows us to love ourselves and others. When we realize that He suffered the atonement because He loves us we begin to see our true worth and value and the worth and value of others.  His love beckons me to keep the commandments and follow Him.  His love teaches to me to reach out to others and His love urges me to learn more about Him and His ways.  As I study the scriptures and writings of the prophets my knowledge increases.  When I have a question and study and ponder it, sometimes I am filled with knowledge and light regarding the answer, an answer that could only come from God.  Because of His light I am able to learn not only of spiritual matters but also of things regarding my life in this world. After all, He is the Great Creator of all things and He has all knowledge.  He can give me knowledge on how to best help my children, how to solve financial problems or how to forgive someone. He can help me learn about anything!  As I study His word I am taught to reach out and serve others as He did.  “Come follow me” He taught and He spent His whole life in service to others, in word and in deed.  I remember a time when I was pregnant with my seventh child and I was so, so very tired.  It was Monday night and time for Family Home Evening and my husband was away on a business trip, and it was 6 noisy, energetic children and one very tired mom.  I knew I needed to do Family Home Evening but I didn’t think I had it in me to do it.  Mostly I just wanted to go in the bedroom and cry from sheer exhaustion. Out of pure obedience to what I knew was right to do, I decided we would learn a new song out of the Children’s Hymnbook. I let the kids pick a song and then we put on the CD of the music to learn it.  As we sat in a circle around the music book and sang the song together over and over there came a sweet feeling and light into our home.  My children really enjoyed singing the song and even though it was a very simple Family Home Evening I really felt my capacity to serve and teach my precious children had been enlarged.  His light had increased my abilities and given me strength when I was so very tired and had enabled me to serve. The light of Jesus Christ helps each of us to become more than we ever thought possible!

Parenting

All Singing the Same Song

posted on : December 9, 2017 posted by : Somethingsihavelearned 2 Comments

One Monday evening, when we were doing Family Home Evening, we were singing “I am a Child of God.” My eight children and my husband and myself were singing but each one was singing in a different key, different pace and different style.  Some finished before others singing with great volume and flair while others were singing softly at their own pace, and some were actually singing the song the way it was written to be sung.  It created a great, amazing cacophony.  As I looked around and listened to the sound it occurred to me that this was a perfect analogy for my family.  We were all singing the same song-our family goals are basically the same, but each one is singing the song in his or her own way adding to our very imperfect choir, his or her sound. Each voice is valued and important to the choir just like they are to our family.  We love each one of our children and his or her unique personality and value the contribution they make to our family, even if sometimes one of us is singing off key!