I was in the car with all my kids on the way to their school when one of my sons said he didn’t have his backpack. If we turned back, we would be late so I told him he would just have to take a reusable grocery bag. He started bawling. I said a quick … More “God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.”
Sorry it’s been a bit quiet over here—I had a sweet baby boy last week! It has been a sacred time for me. It’s also a time when I’m highly sensitive and have to remember to be gentle on myself and give myself time to heal. I was inspired as I read the story of … More As we seek light, we will feel light
A woman named Jen Hatmaker made an observation that I love, “In the wild, when a mama elephant is giving birth, all the other female elephants in the herd back around her in formation. They close ranks so that the delivering mama can not be seen in the middle. […] They send a clear signal … More “We are here to help, lift, and rejoice with each other as we try to become our very best selves.”
A couple years ago we didn’t have a bath at our house, so I would just throw on a swimsuit and shower with my kids. One day, I was in the shower with one child and the other child just. wasn’t. coming. I was having to get in and out of the shower, getting the … More Your child’s agency is not your job – loving and teaching is.
Adam and Eve left the garden. They had children (Moses 5:2) They listened to God and made animal sacrifices, although they didn’t know why. And after many days, and angel comes to them, explains why they do animal sacrifices, and said— “Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, … More “The goal of parenting isn’t to create perfect kids. It’s to point them towards a perfect God.”
I was scrolling on instagram when a caption stopped me—with permission, I wanted to share it here “We were driving down a highway in Alaska alongside some of the most massive, beautiful mountains when my cousin pointed to some of the grooves winding down the mountain and said ‘it’s like nature’s stretch marks.’ I haven’t … More “All the beauty in the earth bears the fingerprint of the master creator.”
The last two days of Christmas break felt really long this year. We had a wonderful Christmas, but getting back from a trip, plus Christmas clean up, plus hormones, plus piles of laundry, plus all the kids in the house (plus guilt) definitely felt like a lot. There were moments in the day when things … More “Our quest for light will be enhanced by our own willingness to recognize when it shines in our lives.”
It was a cold and stormy day when Mary Ann Young and her seven children—suffering from malaria—ran out of food. This was two months after Brigham left to serve a mission in England. She wrapped up her baby in an old worn blanket and paddled across the Mississippi River in the storm. A friend wrote, … More “Worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying.”
Many have heard the story of President Kimball helping a struggling young mother carry her child through the airport. But there is more to the story that I learned from “Priesthood Power of Woman” by Barbara Gardner. The woman in that airport was Barbara’s mom. Her mother had a daughter and then four consecutive miscarriages … More “The same priesthood power that created worlds, galaxies, and the universe can and should be part of our lives to succor, strengthen, and bless our families, our friends, and our neighbors.”
I was up early and studying D&C 109 for an impressive ten minutes before my one-year-old daughter woke up. I got up a bit disappointed to be leaving my study without any new insights. As I sat on the couch nursing my daughter, she unlatched and looked up. Then latched. Then unlatched and looked up … More “There is not one of us that he has not given his angels charge concerning.”
Guest post by Sarah Keenan: Toddlers and sacrament meetings don’t mix to begin with. Does anyone else feel like sacrament reverence has gotten so much harder post-pandemic shutdown? My 18-month-old was born a week before the shutdown and didn’t go to church in person for most of his life and now that we are finally … More “Take one simple step forward in faith – and then another.”
Our garage is small and it takes a miracle to back in just enough to both close the garage AND open the trunk to get the groceries out. I had no such luck yesterday. So, in the 107 degree heat and humidity after grocery shopping with my littles, I was squatting in my half closed … More “Home is the laboratory of love.”
Yesterday, we were at a creek. My son wanted to catch a tadpole really bad. He had been trying for a half hour. I suddenly heard a shriek of delight followed by “God answered my prayer! I prayed and I knew just where to go!” This son prays over many things. If something is lost, … More “The first, the middle, and the last thing to do is pray.”
Amanda Smith was camping with her family at Hans Mill when a mob attacked. Her husband and one of her sons was killed. Another son, Alma, got shot in the hip. Desperately needing help, Amanda went to the Lord. She received inspiration on how to create and apply a poultice for the wound. Her son … More “It is our faith that unlocks the power of God in our lives.”
My sister and I were learning how to do a backflip on the trampoline when I was about seven years old. My dad was spotting us. Every time my sister did a backflip with my dad, she would yell “keeeeyaaaa!” (Yes, this is the same one who hook-kicked a kid at the ward party). She … More “When we turn our lives over to the Lord, the power behind us is always greater than the obstacles before us.”
My brother and dad came to visit me during my freshman year at BYU. My brother, Luke, was seven at the time. I took them to the Carl Bloch paintings of Christ exhibit. My dad and I were looking at a piece of art and realized that Luke was gone. Panicked, we started looking everywhere … More “I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be.”
There was a young child who was melting down. He was intentionally trying to cause hurt with his words. His mom said, “I am in charge of how I feel, and I feel peace. But the way you are acting doesn’t seem to make you feel good. Choose to let light in.” The kid continued … More “Spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness and wait for someone to turn on the switch.”
There was a sweet, pregnant dog who got her legs stuck in a riding lawn mower. The family was devastated. She couldn’t use those legs again, but miraculously she was able to deliver all of her babies safely. The mama pup learned to use her front paws to scooch wherever she needed to go. And, … More “Our most impactful parental teaching is our example.”
I have been a bit MIA recently because we moved last week and now my husband is out of town for a couple of days. Life can sometimes feel like survival mode—especially at bed time. Bath. Brush teeth. Prayers. Kids to bed. Then I can get everything done!! Kids to bed. Kids to bed. Kids … More “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”
I started giving my young son allowance and he didn’t quite understand the worth of money. He thought the quarters were fun to play with, but he didn’t understand their value and inevitably they ended up disregarded. Until one day—we were at a koi pond that had a fish food dispenser next to it. You … More Our worth does not change just because we don’t see it. But WE will change as we start to see it.
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