Turn It Off and Connect with Others!

Howdy!  Recently, I heard Elder Soares, of the Quorum of the Seventy, speak at a Stake Conference.  He talked about looking into the eyes of his children when he sealed them in the temple, and about wanting to give a hug to the Bishop who helped his wife when she had a miscarriage, right after they moved to America.

The words, "look into the eyes of" and "hug" stood-out in my mind.
These days, those activities are either prohibited by law in the workplace or abandoned, in place of texting or e-mailing.

I encourage you to think about how much "face-to-face" time you are having with your friends and loved ones.  As I think about it, I can't think of many times that I get to have that kind of experience.

It's sad.

Go to your friends' houses.  At the very least, talk with them on the phone, or via a video connection on the internet.

HUG your friends and family.  Look them in the eyes and smile at them.

Invite friends and neighbors over for a little party.  Have everyone bring something to eat.  Have fun!

When possible, travel to see your family.  Go to important activities in their lives.

I believe it will increase the quality of life for those who hug and make eye contact with others in a positive way on a regular basis.

Something is taken away when we are all by ourselves.  In prisons, solitary confinement drives people batty!  We need to have contact with others.

I like the following video about taking the time to connect.

Click on the link below:

Look at and Notice Those Around You

Pay a Generous Fast Offering and Receive Blessings

I believe in paying a full tithe (10% of Gross Earnings), and in giving a generous fast offering each month (the monetary equivalent of what it would cost to buy two delicious meals for myself and my family).  I believe we are blessed when we do this.

I found the following quote on lds.org:

It's from the First Presidency's Message in the July 1982 Ensign magazine.  It's by Marion G. Romney, who was the Second Counselor in the First Presidency at that time:

"Be liberal in your giving, that you yourselves may grow. Don’t give just for the benefit of the poor, but give for your own welfare. Give enough so that you can give yourself into the kingdom of God through consecrating of your means and your time. Pay an honest tithing and a generous fast offering if you want the blessings of heaven. I promise every one of you who will do it that you will increase your own prosperity, both spiritually and temporally. The Lord will reward you according to your deeds."

"I remember that a long time ago, over sixty years in fact, when Elder Melvin J. Ballard laid his hands on my head and set me apart to go on a mission, he said in the blessing he gave me that a person could not give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return. And that has been my experience."

Cool, eh?!

Teach your children the importance of paying tithing, fasting and paying a generous fast offering.  I believe that if you tell them what President Romney said about paying a fast offering, that they will be excited about doing it!

Click on the link below to read his full message:

Blessings of the Fast

Family Search Dot Org

At FamilySearch.org, you can do family history work.  You can also do Indexing, which is entering information from censuses (etc.) from the 1800s (etc.).  I've only done indexing there, which I enjoy doing.

I'm sure there are a lot of other things you can do on the web site.

Check it out and see!  It's free!

Click on the link below:

Family History and Indexing

Helping Family Members Overcome Addictions

In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, "...With men, this is impossible; but with God, ALL things are possible.".

He didn't say, "...with God, a few things are possible...".  He said, "...with God, ALL things are possible.".  ALL things.  Every thing.  ANY thing.   : )

In our families, sometimes, our loved ones become addicted to something.  It could be anything, and we want to help them to become happy again.

I found two links to two videos about a 12-step program offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for those who are suffering the effects of any type of behavior that is negatively affecting their life and the lives of others.

I liked the videos.

Click on the links below:

This one is 9 min. 14 sec. long. It walks you through one man's experience of attending a meeting.


This video is 3 min. 59 sec. long. It explains a little bit about the program.

Quote:

Bishop T. D. Jakes said:

"No woman wants to be in submission to a man who is not in submission to God."

I bought this statue at the Goodwill store.  : )

I had been "on the look-out" for a husband/wife statue that (to me) represented love and trust.

When I saw this one, I felt it fit those specifications.  : )

It reminds me of my husband, who treats me with love and respect in and out of the bedroom.

Family History

(Disclaimer:  There's one part in the video below where they zoom past the words on the paper.  It goes WAY too quickly for my eyes to keep up.  I don't like that part.)

Otherwise, I like the video.

When we search for information about our ancestors, we will often find some very interesting things.

Enjoy!

Click on the link below, then click on the video there:

Family History

Teach Your Children Wilderness Survival Techniques

Learning how to survive out in the wilderness is valuable information to know!

I think it's fun and interesting to learn how to make fire, cook on a campfire, tie a knot, make shelter, etc...

I believe it builds self-confidence.  If you know that you could survive in the woods, then you won't be afraid, if it ever does become necessary for either you or you and your family.

The video here shows how to make fire with a bow drill.  I never knew how it was done until I saw this video.  I watched another video which said you can use a shoe string for the "string" for the bow.

Enjoy!

Click on the link below:

Making Fire

Counsel Together Often

In a family, we need to communicate about everything -- what we want to do, what we want to buy, where we want to go, what we are frustrated about, what we'd like changed, etc......

Meet regularly to discuss these and other issues that arise in your family.

Here is a really good article about doing that sort of thing.

Click on the link below:

TALK to each other

Teach Your Children About God's Love & Mercy

Your children will make mistakes.  You will make mistakes.

Teach your children that Heavenly Father wants all of us to live back with Him again, and that Jesus Christ's Atonement provides the way for us to return to live with Him again.

I like this video.

Click on the link below:

Forgiveness for Our Sins is Possible

Teach Your Children About Money Management

At some point in time, either your children will want to leave your home and live on their own, or else you will want them to leave and live on their own.

If they are financially prepared, then they will know what to do with the money they earn.  They will be able to live on their own because they know how to manage their money.

They might not always make wise choices with their money, but at least they will have had the guidance they need, and they will know what is the right thing to do.

Here is a "pamphlet" that gives some great suggestions.

Click on the link below:

Money

HAPPY Marriages

Every six months (the first Saturday and Sunday in April and the first Saturday and Sunday in October), members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, worldwide, meet to hear or watch the General Conference meeting, broadcast from the conference center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Various Church leaders speak to them, and to anyone else who tunes-in or attends, giving them counsel and encouragement as they strive to keep the commandments of God.

The video/transcript below is from the April 2013 Sunday morning session of General Conference.

It is a talk given by Elder L. Whitney Clayton.  He lists five things that exist in a happy marriage.  : )

Enjoy!

Click on the link below:

HAPPY Marriages

NOT "Til Death Do You Part"...

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that they can get married for time AND all eternity when they get married by one who has been given the proper authority to do so, in one of the many temples which are on the earth.

"All eternity" is a pretty long time, and we can't even imagine what that will be like, but we believe that we will be be glad that we were able to be "sealed" forever, and that our families can be with us forever too.

This takes a lot of faith, to believe that we can be married forever, but it also takes a lot of faith to believe in God, and that we will be resurrected and be able to live with Him again.  That is something that we just hope for and believe in, and we try to live in such a way that it will become a reality after Jesus comes again.

Being married in the temple takes a lot of preparation.  There are "prerequisites" in order to enter the temple to get married forever.  The requirements involve being worthy to be in the temple.  Our bodies are temples (see 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 -- "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.").

Perhaps there is some symbolism in relation to being allowed to go inside of the temple and being allowed to get married forever.  We must be ready to commit our whole selves and our lives to God's will for us, and to treat the other person (and their body) with respect.

Below is a link to a section in a book about gospel principles.
The section is about eternal marriage.

Click on the link below:

Eternal Marriage

Sometimes Everything Goes Wrong.....

Sometimes in family life, we initially plan a fun activity or vacation, and no matter what we do, everything goes wrong. 

Sometimes, that's just the way it goes.  When that sort of thing happens, we need to just stay calm, re-group, brush ourselves off, and try another day.

I like the following video.

Click on the link below:

I'll Get The Ice Creams

Husbands and Wives

In a marriage, sometimes we get busy doing so many things, that we forget to spend time with each other, and to keep the flame of love alive.

Get into the habit of going on weekly dates, telling each other thank you and saying, "You look GOOD!", etc.....

Smile at each other.  Speak kindly to each other whenever you want to let the other person know that they have done something that you didn't like.

Give your husband or wife a card that you either made or bought, which just tells them something nice, or which makes them laugh.

Keep the flame alive.

Click on the link below.  It's a video of Kenny Loggins singing, "For The First Time".

For The First Time

The Family -- A Proclamation to the World

In 1995, the Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, presented this proclamation to the world at a General Relief Society meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It outlines what God wants His children to know about themselves and His plan, and what husbands and wives need to do.

Click on the link below:

The Family