A Mother's Prayer for her Children

Even though these words were spoken by Alma, (Alma 13:27-29) they are exactly the things I hope and pray for my children. What I am learning, is that the Lord is able to bring us under his wing, and let us "rest" from our cares even as a storm rages around us. There is nothing more sure to bring happiness to my children's lives than this.

27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

Purpose for all Things

After I had my fifth baby it was a hard time of feeling far from the Lord and rather emotionally weak and sad. I wondered what had happened because I used to be so strong and never sad. It was like Moses, when he said "I found out without the Lord I was nothing, which thing I never had supposed." So finally when I received the inspiration on how to fix the problem through more regular temple attendance and was feeling better I wondered why it had taken so long for me to get that inspiration. The thought came to me that it was so that I would truly understand where our power comes from...that then I might be able to testify to others where true power comes from. It's amazing. There is a purpose for all things even though we may not understand.

Our Sacred Trust

“As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will.” Sheri L. Dew, “Are We Not All Mothers?,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 96

Patience, Faith and Chastening

Hebrews 12:6
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth


Mosiah 23:21-22
21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.


Mosiah 24:14-16
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.


Patience and Faith. Patience, Faith and Trust in the Lord.

Expect a Miracle

You, as a mother, are entitled to miracles. The miracle is the Lord’s hand reaching down, through the power of grace and by the agent of the Holy Ghost, to help. You won’t suddenly receive a miraculous change in your circumstance…and he won’t make you perfect…but He will make up the difference. When you sacrifice your will through faith and obedience, you can expect a miraculous change inside of you…spiritually. You will receive more strength, more power, and intelligence that is not your own that will help you with your trials, duties, and responsibilities.

Try it. Reach up and take the Lord’s hand that is reaching down. Reach up and claim the miracle that is yours.

The Lord knows who I’ll become.

He knows what I’m capable of, truly. I have only my earthly experience to give me a sense of what I’m made of. He has memories of me that stretch far back into the eternities before this life. He can show me who He sees. Somewhere in that immense love I feel from Him are glimpses of all I was before my life on earth, and who I will become.

Lilies

I love to photograph flowers in Natural light. Sometimes, they just seem to glow. Enjoy!

You are Holy

“Motherhood …is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”(In James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (1965–75), 6:178.

Master

Mosiah 5:13

For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?

Keeping the thoughts and intents of my heart close to the Savior is the secret of my happiness.

We are now an award winning site!

The Motherhood Support Center has given The Peaceable Walk its "Outstanding Motherhood Site Award" - which we think is very exciting. Also, we convinced the creator of The Motherhood Support Center, Kersten Campbell, to be an author on The Peaceable Walk, so we will be hearing more from her!

Valentine's Day Flowers

My family sent these tulips and iris by mail - the most wonderful surprise and a timely gift of love. I can't help myself - I must photograph or preserve flowers in some way. I'd love to paint them someday. I'm sure that I will.

The Purpose

I am taking care of myself in a funny way. I’m being very careful about what I expect from myself. I do what I absolutely have to, and let things go that aren’t essential to life. I recognize how important scripture study and prayer are, and always have been in my life. It is amazing to me, however, the distinct flow of the Spirit that I feel when I read the scriptures. Yesterday was a particularly trying day on an emotional level. Amazingly Unbelievably Difficult. At the end of the day, I pulled the Book of Mormon up on my web browser and began reading Mosiah 2. Granted, this is King Benjamin’s discourse, and it is powerful. I literally felt the flow, like cool running water into my parched soul, the precious reserves of the Spirit that I needed.
If I am careful about the “necessary for life” things, spiritual as well as physical, I know I will come through this deepening trial unharmed, with deeper faith and a more abiding love and appreciation for my Savior. Aren’t we told that is the purpose of our trials?

"It is well with my soul"

Life has been a real struggle for me lately. Once again, without realizing it, I've piled on way more than I can handle. When my world and peace began to unravel, I figured there was something wrong with me. Life stopped being fun, I was running and running. I started feeling more and more desperate. I would go to sleep dreading the morning, and wake up feeling the same way. Last week was the worst. I was in the middle of an impossibly busy day, grocery shopping. I only got through half of my list, when I knew I needed to go home. I just couldn't start crying in the middle of the store! That day, I began a total and complete flake-out. No mutual, no song practice, no karate the next day. You know what? The world didn't end- it felt soooo good! Then my husband went out of town and came back just in time to start another grueling week. I had a house guest the entire time he was gone. When life got hard, I felt so alone. I felt embarrassed really confiding in anyone. I hated the thought that anyone would judge me, and wonder why I couldn't handle life. I really wanted to be able to just smile, and get everything done that I thought I should. I kept asking the Lord to bless me with that. It makes me smile now, to realize I was asking the Lord to let me run faster than I had strength. He needed to let me buckle under the weight I'd put on myself before I'd be willing to put anything down. I'm there now, I'm plenty willing! An amazing thing happened to me this morning: my visiting teacher (who is moving out of the country today) called and told me she was bringing me dinner. She woke up at three this morning, and knew what she needed to do for me. She didn't know I'd been falling apart. I came upon this song on someone's blog today, and it's just wrapped me in the peace that Heavenly Father had to wait to give me. With this beautiful song, and a loving gesture, I feel so warm, safe, and loved. Like the song says, "It is well with my soul."

From Today's Reading:

Jacob 4:10

. . . Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy over all his works.

Enough said.

Follow Me.

There's a popular saying that I have a little trouble with. It's very simple. "Follow your Bliss." I would change it just a little bit. For me, it would be, "Follow your Peace." Lately, my world has been churning with decision and change. Those kinds of times naturally lend themselves to feeling lost and uncertain. I have been so grateful to have the Holy Ghost with me, to help me in each footstep. From time to time, I start feeling nervous. I worry a little bit. At those times, I have turned to the Lord and I understand now more than ever why He is called the "Prince of Peace." When I remember to "Follow my Peace" there is a road stretching out in front of me and a firm hand guiding me, and no matter how dark it seems around me I know that I will be okay. I think that is the essence of Faith. Like a child walking in the dark holding the hand of a parent who knows the road and is able to navigate - the child doesn’t need to know where he is going and will still arrive where he needs to be. I am that child, and I have peace as long as I hold tightly to the One who has it to give away.

Roses for You

Everyone needs something beautiful to look at once in a while. These came to me a week ago. I took about 125 photos of them at their peak. They were stunning. I wanted to remember them forever.

Great Parenting Advice

I was at a parenting class one time that I found very useful. I found the notes last week when I was going through some old papers. I was happy to see that I have implemented many of the things into my parenting - while there are still many that I need to work on. Most everything I have posted here came from the teacher, a few things are from me and I have added an asterisk.

Have dozens of positive interactions with my children.
(Zero negative interactions) 20 or more per hour that I am with my kids.
A positive interaction is a hug, kiss, smile, saying something nice such as “I’m glad you are my daughter/son, good job, good thinking, thank you, etc.”
I say “Thank You” a lot.
Praise and acknowledge:
intermittently and randomly
be brief, matter of fact & specific
Praise a specific behavior of one child, even it it is just a little better than the others.

Ignore the things that my kids are doing that drive me crazy.
95% of these things are just age typical behaviors. It’s part of the territory. Remember that behavior that does not get attention weakens and dies. When a behavior can’t be ignored, stop and redirect. Recognize misbehavior as a need to teach appropriate behavior.
You create the environment where your child can behave appropriately. Eliminate, as much as possible, the opportunities for a young child to “get into trouble”.
When it can’t be ignored, state simply, “That is not acceptable in our home.” Remove child to a place where they can’t interact with the family.
Use teaching time to cover “bugging” issues, swearing, etc. Don’t get upset about these things as they are happening. Let the child teach about an issue that is a concern for them.

Give positive attention to the appropriate behaviors I want to continue.
Remember that behavior that does not get attention weakens and dies. I don’t want appropriate behaviors to die.
*So often we spend all of our time correcting rather than engaging our kids positively. How do we feel when others approach us that way. How much do we want to be around them? On the other hand, how much do we long to be with those that love us despite our weaknesses, and constantly help us to see the good in ourselves?

Make it a point to have appropriate physical interaction with my kids.
Hugs are great.
*The world is so concerned with what is inappropriate, that we forget how positive and uplifting appropriate interaction is. Sometimes, a hug or an arm around your shoulders is all that you need to break down barriers and get to the heart of the problem.

Stay in Control.
When my kids misbehave I will not react in kind. I am not in control if I have lost my temper. An ounce of don’t say is worth a pound of I didn’t mean it. I will be proactive, not reactive.
Stay cool and calm: “That is an option, but not the one I’d want to choose.”

Let consequences (not treats) manage the behavior.
Clearly state the expectations, have child tell you what is expected, walk away. Follow through and be consistent.
*Make it easy on yourself. Please.

Remember that today is not forever.
I will not fear the worst.
*Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? Help them to see the good in themselves and recognize their own divine potential. Don’t let them fear the worst, either. Help them to understand repentance and their own need for the Savior. Help them to recognize that their life is longer than today and tomorrow, and that the mistakes of today don’t have to be carried forever.

Be of good cheer.
I will maintain a Christlike countenance.
Be a parent like Heavenly Father. The Spirit reinforces good & truth.
*Express your faith to your children. Be real with them, and allow them to see how much you need the Lord in your life to help you each day.
*Always make amends when you fail to maintain control. Allow them to recognize that you, too have expectations of yourself and your own behavior. There are consequences in your life as well for poor behavior. Hold yourself to the same rules that you expect them to live by.

Read the Scriptures.

Pray.

Be Still

I was pleading with the Lord this morning, begging for his help and protection for my family. This was the answer. "Be Still." It reminds me of all the times I'm trying to help my children, while at the same time they are fidgeting and squirming for whatever reason. Isn't that what we always say? "Be Still." I was very grateful to have been in a quiet enough moment that I could hear the answer - and that I was able to relax and let it go. I am always amazed at how the Lord is able to make more of me, my time and my life than I can on my own. I will do what I can, and then be still and wait to see His hand in my life.

Two or Three Witnesses

January 8th began with me in difficulty on an emotional level. I needed to talk to friends. I prayed for someone to call. I called L C - a friend of mine from college. She didn’t answer, but called me back. No sooner had I hung up the phone with her, but D Y called. Both of them had the same advice for me. They said that I should look into teaching design courses online for a community college or online college. The fact that they both gave me that advice, on a day when I had been contemplating what I should do with myself professionally, I found to be much more than coincidence.

In December, my Dad gave me a blessing. This is what it said:
Pour your heart out to the Lord.
Life will be challenging, but you will have the ability to do what needs to be done.
Surround yourself with good people, some of your friends will be able to help you with your challenges.
Seek help when you need it.
You will have the ability to soothe and comfort your children. Love and listen to them.
Encourage the children to maintain and strengthen their relationship with their father.
Seek the Lord’s guidance and He will show you the way.

I feel that so many parts of that the blessing were fulfilled in my experience today, it is awe inspiring to me. It gave me great comfort, helped me to see the Lord’s hand and showed me that He is still very aware of, and listening to me. I was so grateful for that. There hasn’t been a day in a long time that I needed that reassurance more than I did today.

In the evening, T (my 12 year old) was very upset. He’s been having more trouble in school. He’s been missing assignments or not completing things. He is suffering a great deal as well. He was bothering the little ones at bed time, which is something that I find very difficult to manage. In the end, he simply needed my ear, my encouragement, my confidence and my love in much the same way that I had needed my Heavenly Father. Until today, I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way, but that’s what it was. I was able to soothe and comfort him, as Dad’s blessing said that I would be. He needs to have some experiences with the Spirit to strengthen him and buoy him up. I need to pray for that, and trust the Lord to provide for this child that we both love so much.

Someone Watching Over Me

About 1 1/2 years ago, I started a very trying but necessary part of my life. About August of that year, I started to have this persistent feeling that the year ahead of me was going to be "a very hard year." I would think to myself - "What's going to happen? Is someone going to die?" I was really worried about a loved one passing away. Eventually, I stopped worrying about that because I knew why it was going to be hard. And it WAS hard. That year was the most painful and gut wrenching I've ever known. It made all my past life lessons look like a walk in the park on the most beautiful summer day ever! (And I truly mean that.) The decisions that had to be made and the strength I had to find within myself just to keep moving . . . impossible to describe. It really makes no difference what the struggles were - just that they were painfully real and enough to overpower just about anyone. The other reason that the details make no difference is because, I believe, our trials in life are tailored to us. My biggest trial in life (so far) is not much different than anyone else dealing with THEIR biggest trial. When we are pushed to the absolute breaking point of our souls, and we know it, we are there no matter what brought us there. I had to check out of life for a while. I had to let go of some lesser responsibilities to care for myself and my children. It was a very sad, lonely and painful place, but it was the right thing to do.

For me, around the end of that long long year, there was this night that I was just sobbing, heartbroken and afraid of what my life was going to bring next. Suddenly, a peace washed over me and the FEAR was gone. In my mind and heart I heard, "You don't need to worry about the future because you are mine." I felt powerfully the love of God, and the stormy seas were calmed. I grew a lot during that year. (Understatement.) I was supported by the most incredible friends and family a girl could ask for. They were loving and gentle guides, true and faithful. What came next proved to me, once again, how much the Lord was watching over me. I have been led to tools that have helped me to figure out WHAT I WANT from life. Ever heard the expression "If you don't know where you are going, you'll never get there?" Well, on top of a deep and abiding love and trust in God, I can now say that I know what makes me happy as an individual, & what I want for my family.

Some things have improved in the situation causing my pain. Most of the pain and frustration I experience as normal parts of life are still directly related to that situation. The changes in and of themselves don't begin to explain the happiness I feel. I have taken responsibility for it. I found an quote recently that describes this:
"If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem." --Richard Bach
My happiness doesn't depend on the decisions and choices that others make anymore. I know where I'm headed, in the long run. I'm making small, very workable goals for myself daily, weekly, & monthly. (Details at this link.) I have begun to see with my eyes things that I had only imagined. I have begun to taste the fruit of my efforts and it is sweet. If I had to go so low to be so high, I Thank the Lord for that low point. Today, it's like someone has shot me out of a Cannon. I'm in outer space somewhere orbiting earth with that gorgeous view and incredible perspective.
I think Isaiah says it best, however.
Isaiah 40: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.