Blessings of Family

Marriage is ordained of God. I know I’ve mentioned that before, but what a powerful phrase that is! To me, marriage is one of the strongest forms of love and commitment that can be experienced between two individuals. It’s a place of safety, love, and unity. In marriage, we can become so much more than we are capable of becoming on our own. There is power in it. It is in a sense, Godlike. But, in order for it to be Godlike, I believe it must be done the way God intended it to be. Since the beginning of time man and woman, male and female, were created to be together. Look at the world around us. It’s the way of nature! We wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for man and woman being joined together in love.

Many wonderful blessings come from the gift of marriage but to me one of the greatest gifts is family. Nothing is more beautiful than when man and woman can together create a family of their own, brining children into the world. But man and woman are crucial for this to happen. Russell M Nelson, an LDS apostle, said, “Male and female are created for what they can do and become, together. It takes a man and a woman to bring a child into the world. Mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. Men and women are distinct and complementary. Children deserve a chance to grow up with both a mom and a dad.” Growing up in a home with both a mother and father has been a key part of me being who I am today. I have developed certain skills and characteristics from each of my parents that I know I wouldn’t have been able to learn from the other. Like Nelson said, children deserve to be raised like this. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for the influence of both of my parents.

In a Conference held at BYU, Religious Freedom Annual Review, Alexander Dushku talks about the importance of having a voice. He said that if we just sit around, don’t stand up for what we believe in, and give up, then the supreme courts decision on gay marriage will become a disaster of religious liberties. But, if we make sacrifices, stand strong, and have a voice, although it may be difficult at times, “both culture and the law will give respect and the freedom deserved to those that believe in traditional marriage.” That is why I have an opinion. That is why I am raising my voice. Traditional marriage needs to be fought for! There will be no change if there is no voice. Let us all stand up for righteousness despite the difficulties that may come!

Fight For What's Right

We live in a world where people aren't afraid to make it known when they disagree with something. People aren't afraid to push to the limits when they believe something is wrong and want it right. Tradition and the "norms" are becoming less important and more of an "anything goes" attitude is being developed. We live in a world where the concept of family, something so wonderful and valuable, is getting destroyed and isn't fought for like it should be.

Why is it that we fight for gay marriage, but we aren't fighting for the rapid disappearance of traditional marriage? Why is it that media portrays that it is acceptable to cheat on your spouse if it's "love? Why is it that you can get divorced if you all of a sudden decide you don't want to be married anymore? Why is it that careers will at times be put before bringing children into the world? Why is it that if you're not committed enough to get marred you can just live together until it works out or doesn't?

All of these things are commonly found in the world we live in, and it breaks my heart. I think we are so blinded at times that we forget to see the facts. In an article called "State of our Unions" it explains the difference between children raised in cohabiting homes vs. children raised in an intact, married, father and mother household. Studies show that children raised in cohabiting homes are less likely to thrive, they do worse socially, educationally, and psychologically, and they are more likely to be physically, sexually, and emotionally abused. The article also said that 60% of marriages begin with individuals living together, but also that cohabiting couples with a child together are twice a likely to break up before their child turns 12 than married couples.

I was raised in a home with two parents that love each other very much. From them I have been able to see first hand that strength and blessings that come from having both a mother and father figure in my life. I have learned about the importance of commitment and not giving up when times get hard. They have shown me that family, parents and children, are what bring the most joy in life. My family is my support group. They are people that I know I can always rely on and turn to in times of need. My parents have taught me a lot, and I see a lot of what I do imitate that. Studies have shown that many follow the examples of their parents. What example do we want our children following?

I know not everyone has the most ideal family situation, and many with no fault of their own. But, I love that we can be the change that we want in our families. If we were raised in a not so ideal situation, we can choose to not follow in our parents footsteps. Just that one choice can affect generations and generations.

Carlfred Broderick said:

"A transitional character is one who, in a single generation, changes the entire course of a lineage. The changes might be for good or ill, but the most noteworthy examples are those individuals who grow up in an abusive, emotionally destructive environment and who somehow find a way to metabolize the poison and refuse to pass it on to their children. They break the mold. They refute  the observation that abused children become abusive parents, that the children of alcoholics become alcoholic adults, that “the sins of the fathers are visited upon the heads of the children to the third and fourth generation.” Their contribution to humanity is to filter the destructiveness out of their own lineage so that the generations downstream will have a supportive foundation upon which to build productive lives.”

Whether we had good upbringing or not, let us all be the change for good in the world! 


 

Goodbye Summer, HELLO School

8 MONTHS LATER AND I'M BACK!

I cannot believe it's been 8 months since I've written on here! And there I was telling you all that I wasn't going to be that person that just forgets about my blog... well, I guess I lied.

BUT,
I'm back, and I'm staying.

I just started school back up and I am taking a marriage class. I'm super excited about it. We are to make a blog to share facts and our beliefs about the importance of marriage, so why not use this one?! I look forward to all that I'm going to learn this semester and hope that I can make a difference in someone's life through the things that I share. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions if you have any!

One thing I know for sure is that marriage is ordained of God. He didn't send us here to earth to get through it on our own, but to find a companion and work through life's struggles with together. Marriage can help us become so much more than we can be on our own.

Keep tuned for more thoughts on marriage as I go throughout the semester!

Since I've been gone for 8 months, here's 8 updates of my life:

1. I have 100% switched to online classes. That's right! That means trying to figure out time management and learning how to teach myself. It's been a challenge, but it's also been a blessing.
2. My twin brother got married in February and now they are expecting a child in November! I am so excited! It's crazy how time flies! But, they live out in Utah so we don't get to see them often :( . Thank goodness for Skype!
3. ...... I GOT MARRIED!!!! Colton and I (my boyfriend I was telling you about in my last post) got married May 27 of this year. He is the most amazing man and I don't know how I got so blessed with him. It amazes me that the Lord led me to be with someone that is so perfect for me. I sure love that husband of mine!
4. We went to the BAHAMAS for our honeymoon! Talk about paradise! We went kayaking and snorkeling in the ocean, got a tour of the area, walked the streets, chilled on the beach, and ate way too much ice cream!
5. Colton and I are now living in Washington, MO, a small town west of St. Louis. Both of our families live close and we feel so blessed to be here. We love it!
6. We have tried to fill our summer with a bunch of fun things. We went to a few Cardinals games, a Rascal Flatts concert, and a Luke Bryan concert. They were all SO FUN and wish summer didn't have to end.
7. I got a job at Engineered Fire Protection. It's a fire protection company and I'm their front desk lady. I answer the phones, do a bunch of paperwork, send out mail, try to keep the plants alive, and all sorts of other things. It's a good job and I really enjoy the people that I work with. I've learned a ton!
8. I love my life. Although it's not always easy, God is so good and I feel so blessed.

Our Happily Ever After!