Ann Barrow Bradley shared a link.
Day 28: Children. That word brings so much emotion to me. I don't even know where to start...
Christ loved children. There are several accounts where he took time just for them. He blessed them. He flat out told us to be like them.
Children are interesting creatures. I've been in the study of children now for 8.5 years. So far I have four main subjects. They can bring me my biggest smiles, and have also brought me my hardest tears. Mostly we're just learning from each other day in and day out.
There are times when I look at my husband and wonder what we would be doing if we weren't raising our children. By now we would probably both have really successful careers and have the money for a garage, better grass (we'd probably be paying someone to keep up the grass), nicer clothes, cleaner clothes, I'd probably have gone to France and the rest of Europe a couple of times by now, oh and a cruise, we would have done that a few times too. The list could go on.
I wouldn't trade it though.
We are taught that there is "great joy and rejoicing in our posterity." I repeat that to myself (and out loud sometimes) at especially difficult times.
Close my eyes, breath, Joy and Rejoicing, breath, Joy and rejoicing, joy and rejoicing...it's kind of like a chant for me.
Right now we're stuck in the "pb&j, sandbox-dumped-out-of-the-shoes, buggers-on-my-clothes, you-don't-hate-your-sister, smudge-prints-on- e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g." stage. Soon it'll be the "I-need-money-for-gas/clothes/sports/date/etc" stage. Then I suppose we'll be busy getting them through missions and some sort of higher education. All of a sudden they'll be gone. But, not really. They'll always be my children. They'll always be my reason for joy and rejoicing.
Do you know what they're really good at? What Christ was probably asking us to do most when he asked us to be like the little children? They're loving, trusting, humble, patient, and above all else, forgiving. I can not tell you the number of times I have mothered too hard or accused too quickly and before I have even started to forgive myself, they have moved on and are ready to love me again. It amazes me everytime.
That is what I love most about them.
That is what couples who don't have children are missing the most.
My heart goes out to those husbands and wives who desire so much to have children but are unable to. I don't understand why that is. It seems silly that someone like me could probably have had twice as many children by now and others are denied any. I'm sure there is a purpose in it.
It takes faith to bring these innocent beings to this world, where so much is wrong and satan is fighting a hard fight. It takes faith to know that in all the demands, you can find a way to teach them and rear them up to be God-fearing, active members of society. It takes faith in countless ways. But children will bless you in ways that you can not even understand now. I don't even understand it fully, but I have had glimpses. It is good.
Ann #40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
http://youtu.be/UNahtS4XJ8E
Christ loved children. There are several accounts where he took time just for them. He blessed them. He flat out told us to be like them.
Children are interesting creatures. I've been in the study of children now for 8.5 years. So far I have four main subjects. They can bring me my biggest smiles, and have also brought me my hardest tears. Mostly we're just learning from each other day in and day out.
There are times when I look at my husband and wonder what we would be doing if we weren't raising our children. By now we would probably both have really successful careers and have the money for a garage, better grass (we'd probably be paying someone to keep up the grass), nicer clothes, cleaner clothes, I'd probably have gone to France and the rest of Europe a couple of times by now, oh and a cruise, we would have done that a few times too. The list could go on.
I wouldn't trade it though.
We are taught that there is "great joy and rejoicing in our posterity." I repeat that to myself (and out loud sometimes) at especially difficult times.
Close my eyes, breath, Joy and Rejoicing, breath, Joy and rejoicing, joy and rejoicing...it's kind of like a chant for me.
Right now we're stuck in the "pb&j, sandbox-dumped-out-of-the-shoes, buggers-on-my-clothes, you-don't-hate-your-sister, smudge-prints-on- e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g." stage. Soon it'll be the "I-need-money-for-gas/clothes/sports/date/etc" stage. Then I suppose we'll be busy getting them through missions and some sort of higher education. All of a sudden they'll be gone. But, not really. They'll always be my children. They'll always be my reason for joy and rejoicing.
Do you know what they're really good at? What Christ was probably asking us to do most when he asked us to be like the little children? They're loving, trusting, humble, patient, and above all else, forgiving. I can not tell you the number of times I have mothered too hard or accused too quickly and before I have even started to forgive myself, they have moved on and are ready to love me again. It amazes me everytime.
That is what I love most about them.
That is what couples who don't have children are missing the most.
My heart goes out to those husbands and wives who desire so much to have children but are unable to. I don't understand why that is. It seems silly that someone like me could probably have had twice as many children by now and others are denied any. I'm sure there is a purpose in it.
It takes faith to bring these innocent beings to this world, where so much is wrong and satan is fighting a hard fight. It takes faith to know that in all the demands, you can find a way to teach them and rear them up to be God-fearing, active members of society. It takes faith in countless ways. But children will bless you in ways that you can not even understand now. I don't even understand it fully, but I have had glimpses. It is good.
Ann #40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
http://youtu.be/UNahtS4XJ8E
Day 28: God wants us to have our loving families forever.
A loving family is a source of great joy and happiness. God wants all of his children to have an opportunity to have a loving family.
In the temple a husband and a wife can make covenants, learn principles, and receive heavenly power to help them form a loving marriage and family.
A temple marriage does not guarantee happiness and joy in the marriage and family. But the covenants and principles, if honored and followed, will give a strong foundation for having a joyful marriage and family.
A happy and joyful marriage and family is not exclusive to a temple marriage. There are millions of happy families in the world that never set foot in a temple of God. But all of these families will face separation at death.
On earth man only has the power and authority to unite spouses and families "Till death do you part."
In the temple God has granted the authority through His Holy Priesthood for families to be formed for "Time and all eternity."
Within the temple, husbands and wives are sealed together forever through a marriage covenant. Death does not separate their union, nor the children born from that union. Within the temple, spouses are taught principles that will help them form homes full of joy, so the idea of living together forever is greatly desired.
Joy is most easily found within your family. God wants his children to have joy. He uses the temples to teach us how to have joyful families and to seal us to our families forever. God uses the temple to give us joy.
#40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
A loving family is a source of great joy and happiness. God wants all of his children to have an opportunity to have a loving family.
In the temple a husband and a wife can make covenants, learn principles, and receive heavenly power to help them form a loving marriage and family.
A temple marriage does not guarantee happiness and joy in the marriage and family. But the covenants and principles, if honored and followed, will give a strong foundation for having a joyful marriage and family.
A happy and joyful marriage and family is not exclusive to a temple marriage. There are millions of happy families in the world that never set foot in a temple of God. But all of these families will face separation at death.
On earth man only has the power and authority to unite spouses and families "Till death do you part."
In the temple God has granted the authority through His Holy Priesthood for families to be formed for "Time and all eternity."
Within the temple, husbands and wives are sealed together forever through a marriage covenant. Death does not separate their union, nor the children born from that union. Within the temple, spouses are taught principles that will help them form homes full of joy, so the idea of living together forever is greatly desired.
Joy is most easily found within your family. God wants his children to have joy. He uses the temples to teach us how to have joyful families and to seal us to our families forever. God uses the temple to give us joy.
#40daysoftruth #LentChallenge2014
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