thursday thoughts and homemade valentines.

hi.
today is quite a day so i'm going to be fast.
seriously-- you would just laugh if you saw what my days are like...

here are a few thoughts that i've loved lately.
 buddha taught me to not get stressed thinking that everything depends on me.
rather, he suggests, thinking of ourselves as a part of a greater whole.
like the mitochondria in a cell.
we're all working together for the greater good.
instead of a cell, i like to think of my part in the kingdom of God...
i'm just a part of a great work.
this is the "it takes a village to raise a child" concept and it brings me peace and perspective.

This is one of my FAVORITE quotes ever....

Martin Luther, the inspired Reformer, once wrote:

"The kingdom of God is like a besieged city surrounded on all sides by death. Each man (and woman) has his place on the wall to defend, and no one can stand where another stands, but nothing prevents us from calling encouragement to one another."

i also have thought about this quote a lot lately... especially as i feel the pain of some of my friends who have children who wander.
From “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus”, April 2010 General Conference, Elder Neil L. Anderson said,
“Although there may be times when a child does not listen with a believing heart, your testimony of Jesus will remain in his or her mind and soul. If a child is not listening, don’t despair. Time and truth are on your side. At the right moment, your words will return as if from heaven itself. Your testimony will never leave your children.”
and, that's all i got for you.

i'm doing a preschool at a nursing home this morning-- it's my first time.

wish me luck.
and, jakob is having his 13 birthday party tonight-- we invited 20 kiddos.
wish me luck.
and, todd is taking drew salmon fishing-- for the first time.
wish him luck.
and, i think lily has a bladder infection-- she was up all night saying "i'm still hurting, i think i'm going to die."

wish her luck.

and, my sweet baby is into EVERYTHING.  she is one of those lovely destructo children who empties every shelf, throws every toy, unrolls every toilet paper roll, splashes in the toilet (did i tell you leah is afraid to flush?  yeah, not a good combo)... and that's just during the day!
at night she is still a BEASTLY baby.
i am certain she has never slept 3 hours straight in her life...
wish her luck.
tomorrow the boys are going igloo camping
and i'm having ellie's half birthday with a house full of nine year olds...
on saturday--
i'm taking a NAP.
today i could use a cup of coffee.  :)

ps.  i'm making homemade valentines this year...
here are a couple--
on anna's i bought gummie hamburgers at the dollar store that i'm stapling to them.

on jakob's i bought little swedish fish packs.

i'll show you the rest when we finish them up!
these were easy to do on picnik and i can print out 20 for $3.00 at rite aid.

cheap, fun, and easy-- (i'm returning to my days of a craft slut.)
have a great day!

embrace the experience!

as i was washing dishes last night i was prompted to call my husband's aunt jill.
she's darling.
a very dedicated first grade teacher who has never had children of her own.
this year she has struggled much with her health, she's currently battling a cold that has her on her third round of antibiotics and kept her coughing and wheezing into the phone while we talked.
jill is a bubbly, happy, hard-working woman.
she has a mother's soul.
she is an example to me.

last night, i'm not sure she knew that she said exactly what i needed to hear.
she told me of a talk she heard, i think is was elder samuelson, who was cheerful even on his way to get his kidney replaced.
elder clark's motto was "embrace the experience."
embrace-- not just endure.

as i talked to jill i imagined all that she is "embracing" this season.
and it sounded hard.
way harder than my "i have a lot of kids to put to bed at night."
in fact, i imagined that jill would gladly trade me experiences this week.
i saw my life through new eyes.
again.

i realized that i have a tendency to think that if i were doing things right life wouldn't be hard.
that is false.
even people much better than me have trials.
life is designed to test us-- and so some stretching is necessary.
in order to experience a fullness of JOY, our lives will require a fullness of effort.
my life is FULL of good things.
overflowingly full of goodness.
i am so blessed.

as we delivered secret santa gifts last night and my kids were squabbling over who would deliver to which house... i took a step backwards.
i thought of sweet aunt jill, recovering in her bed.
great grandma moss throwing up all night with the flu.
the family in their town who was in a car accident and now both the mom and the dad are in wheelchairs recovering from their injuries.
elder samuelson and his kidney transplant.
and i was grateful for my experience.
i embraced the JOY in my car along with the squabbling.
and i found it.
the JOY.
it was there-- even while my kids were still arguing...
there were Christmas carols playing in the background.
there were great plans of subterfuge as the gifts were dropped off.
there was offers of piggy back rides and "Mom, i did a great job, didn't I?"
there were so many houses blinking with Christmas cheer.
there was todd at home hanging my family collage on the wall- because i can't have a party without re-decorating can i?
there was santa and mrs. clause sitting in the front of a pick-up and a manger scene out back in somebody's barn.
and as i felt JOY, my children stopped quarreling.
i heard them being kind, "you can do this house today and i'll do it tomorrow."
they started to sing bellowing renditions of Feliz Navidad and Little Drummer Boy.
they asked, "Mom, what can i do when we get home to help you get ready for our party?"
and, "Can I do my hair in curlers?"
By the end of our little jaunt through town I couldn't remember what I was so stressed about in the first place.

thanks jill.
thanks for the perspective.

i'm off to embrace my day!!

am i ready? for tonight and tomorrow?

um.  nope.  :)

but, i am readily embracing!!

come what may and love it!

and, i just had to laugh as i read this quote from my husband's uncle this morning...

Hospitality is making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were. 

hah!

Merry Christmas!

giving the BEST gifts!

i listened to this talk tonight as i worked on one of my gifts of love.
it was perfect.
perfect.
i love giving gifts.
i am grateful for all i have been given.
i am thankful for a Savior who gives me much.

want to listen while you work?
try this link...
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=821&tid=7
i'm having issues making the link work-- try clicking this link, then scroll till you see MP3 and click download.  Click on the big blue box that says MP3.
It will give you audio to listen to while you work.  hopefully.  :)

want to READ an AMAZING talk on gift giving...
try this link...
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6756&x=56&y=3

be kind.

this morning i read the first part of this talk to my kids.
The Savior is Counting on You, by Joe J. Christensen.
it was so good.
thought i'd pass it on.
today, i hope they are a little more kind to each other.

The scriptures teach us that whenever we are abusive, thoughtless, or unkind to others, “the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice” (3 Ne. 9:2); also, that “the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen [or the end] to the priesthood or the authority of that man” (D&C 121:37).
Maybe you have thought that doing these little kindnesses doesn’t make much difference, but as Alma said, “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6). We also read: “Be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. [You are a great work in progress.] And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33).

order.

found this here.
love it.

moments.

love this.
know this.
hope to remember it more.
today.
"lift up our eyes and truly see the things that matter most.
strength comes not from frantic activity... but from paying attention to the divine things that matter most.
diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world."

eyebrows up!

This is me... today.
Just minutes ago.
(todd wanted me to crop the junk out... but, honestly, the junk around me is my FAVORITE part!)
Anna was to my right- whining about socks.
I have spent 9 years reassuring Anna that she can wear socks that don't feel perfect and she won't die.
It is my job.  "sock soother".
that child...

My little-er girls were cold-- i hugged them tightly and asked, "who am i going to cuddle with when you girls go to school?"
leah answered, "mom, you'll just have to have some more little kids."
"how many?" i asked.
"ten" she said matter-of-factly.
yup, that is just what i'm afraid of.

My biscuits and gravy are on the floor next to me on my left.
With my glass from my oj smoothie-- i have to drink with a straw.
And, the lid from the jam-- ellie couldn't open it by herself.
Can you see a biscuit piece by my right foot?  If you look closely on the floor you can see the little pieces of biscuit where eve was sitting just before todd got the camera and leah ran to grab eve.
I have to remember to vacuum that up before I get bread ground into my carpet.
mmm.
i love the pictures waiting to be hung, the pile of papers waiting to be sorted, and leah's preschool shoebox aquarium above my head.
i'm still debating preschool in January... what i really want to do is take the money i'm spending and do my own preschool with a few friends and lots of field trips.
see thar big canvas on my left?
that was my great FHE plan for last night.
it didn't happen-- but it will.
i want to paint it yellow and trace the word blessed on the bottom.
i want it to be a place where the kids write things they are grateful for-- blessing graffiti.
i think it would be fun for friends to write on it and for every inch to be filled with things we're grateful for.
oh me and my big ideas.

i needed to print a whole bunch of things off at vistaprint yesterday.
my total came out to $9.95 plus $15 shipping.
if i spent $25 i got free shipping.
so-- amidst my crazy afternoon of getting a crown at the dentist, going to the dmv to change my license and take my test, stopping at michaels to buy a canvas (with my 40%off coupon), picking the kids up, going back to the dmv with my social security card, making homemade wheat bread (i added sunflower seeds and it turned out so good) and making dinner for sick friends--
i thought i would throw some clothes together and con someone into taking our family picture so i could order my christmas cards.
we did it.
only, it was dark when we went to get our picture taken (it gets pitch black here at 5:30pm).
so, my picture is fine-- but all last night i kept thinking how bad the lighting is and how it really makes me sad to send out such a poor quality picture.
oh well.
and, the funny thing is, when I went back on vistaprint, my total came to $24.20.
I still didn't qualify for free shipping (and actually customer service explained to me that the free shipping wouldn't work with another promotion i was using).
So i ended up spending $34.  Which still was a great deal with everything i got. 
But, I did sigh when i saw $24.20 after all that work.
oh well.

and, i forgot to tell my favorite part-- i was still VERY numb in my drivers license picture.
seriously.
my smile is VERY retarded.
someone said, at least when your drunk your picture will match.
NICE.
for the next 20 years I'll look at that and LAUGH.
oh well.

EVERY DAY i tell myself-- Jen, Just write your blog and record the things that you are learning and the things you are doing that are GOOD.  Shut your mouth about the boring, everyday grumbles of life.
And, yet... I continue to post pictures of me in all my morning glory and write long dialogs of my wrestle with shipping and handling.
it's my decompression therapy.
thanks for listening.
(at least someday, when people read my family history, they will be laughing!)

What i REALLY wanted to tell you about today was my FAVORITE NEW MOTHERING MOTTO!!
I have a sweet friend, Katie, who has a boy, Ean, who is 10 years old and has down syndrome.

He is DARLING.

As in, I would adopt him in a second because i really love that kid.

I wish you could hear his cute, gruff voice and see how he loves his younger sister Maggie (who is Anna's new sweetest friend).

He said the prayer in primary this week and when I went up to help him he put his arm up to stop me.

He mumbles... "k sista moss i pray k i do it prayer."

He said the sweetest, mumbley prayer ending with a loud, triumphant AMEN!

i love him.

he's quite silly sometimes. 
as in, he pretends to fall on the floor and likes the attention of people helping him up.
or going in between the glass entry way doors and not letting his teacher inside.
i talked to katie after primary on sunday and told her how ian makes me laugh.

how he's silly, but if i ask him to sit in his chair, he will always listen.

she said, "Ean will always listen if you say things with your EYEBROWS UP."

I LOVE THAT.
We should write a book-- "EYEBROWS UP PARENTING."
it works.

the minute you get strict with Ian.

"Ean, you sit in your chair or else..."

He will NEVER obey.

He's a stubborn little fella.

Aren't most kids that way?
Eyebrows up REALLY, REALLY works.
I LOVE IT.

This is my "so sorry about your sock wrinkles-- too bad you're going to be late for morning choir practice-- i love having this conversation with you every morning" face.

but, i do believe my eyebrows are up!! 

have a great day!

and, don't you think eyebrows up, beats chin up, any day?

it's a great mothering motto.

stand up straight, elbows back, choose to smile and before you speak--

Eyebrows Up Mothers!!

i love it.

now, where did my little girls disappear to? 
time to clean up this MESS!!! {said with raised eyebrows}
oh, life is good!

creation cleaning.

i have spent many, many years trying to learn to be a better homemaker. 
for me, homemaking is not something that came naturally... it is something that i really, really, really had to try hard to learn.
when i was younger i was creative, and lazy, and i rebelled against spending time cleaning.
as i got older, i had many young children and couldn't figure out HOW to keep everything orderly.
i prayed a lot asking God to help me learn to be a better homemaker.
i read many books.  i talked to many women who i could see were great homemakers and i would ask them how they did it... again, and again.
these women, are the ones that should write blogs on how to clean your house.
today, i am pretty consistent in my homemaking.
(in younger years i was VERY cyclical-- messy, clean, messy, clean)
my house is never perfect, and i am still learning new things every day.
i'm sharing this tidbit with you, because it changed my life when i was really searching...

i went to the temple one evening pondering strongly WHAT i could do to be a better homemaker.
my thoughts were directed to the creation.
As I was thinking about God organizing the worlds, the Spirit said to me very clearly...
Jen, it is important to organize/plan first.
Then I was thinking about God, separating the waters from the land.
The Spirit said, after you organize, cleanse.
By this time I was quite interested and I was thinking, organize, cleanse... i wonder what comes next.
And, next I almost laughed out loud.
The Spirit whispered to me, Organize, Cleanse, Then separate the LIGHT from the DARK... ahhh laundry!!
(That was my favorite creation/cleaning comparison.)
Fourth came plants/trees/bushes... food.
Fifth came BEASTS in all their variety...  friends/kids.
and Sixth came MEN... a day focused on my husband.
and of course, seventh was a day of rest.

For many, many years I ordered my week around this creation cleaning schedule.
I also have friends who used this idea and created a home that was much, much more ordered than mine ever became.
I don't believe there is ever ONE perfect way to order your home.
{I do know the KEY to a clean house is PURGING... not having too much stuff.
That is a continual battle.}
I also believe cleaning a little at a time is better than doing major overhauls.
And finally, I think creating your own set cleaning schedule is great because it takes away the overwhelming questions "What should I do today?"  You already know, because you do the same thing every Tuesday.

Because my cleaning schedule reminded me of God creating the world, I was able to find NOBILITY in HOMEMAKING.  As I cleaned I would think about the world I was CREATING here on Earth, with God's help. 

I also have spent many hours thinking of what Christ did when He was here on the Earth.  He cleansed the lepers, He healed the sick, He calmed the waters, He preached, He endured, He created, He fed...  I have found nobility in many of my everyday mundane homemaking tasks as I thought how similar they were to what the creator of all mankind did when He was on the earth.

I don't think it's as important WHAT you do, or HOW you do it... but, having a really great WHY can get you through many repetitive tasks.

I have a dear, dear friend who completely mastered creation cleaning, even with 6 young children.
We would talk on the phone every Tuesday while we both scoured our toilets and floors.
I have many sacred memories of the spiritual things we would discuss as we cleaned together.
Tuesdays became a sacred day for me... a day that I would magically cleanse my home while I was on the phone cleansing my spirit. 
Life gets busier as our children get older and our Tuesday conversations are more sporadic... but we still laugh because anytime we have a minute to chat, our floors just magically are cleaned and our toilets sparkle.  It's instinct for me to clean while I'm talking. 

So, one more time... here was the schedule we used--
Monday- Organize your home (Just do a quick run through and put things away.  I liked to vacuum on Monday.)
Tuesday- Cleanse (Bathrooms and floors and windows.)  I always picture the ocean waves as I'm cleansing my home... :)
Wednesday- Laundry (Yup, all in one day... it is possible.  You may have to do a load or two on another day, but it's nice to plan the bulk of a day for laundry once a week.  If you gather and sort on Tuesday night, you can wash and fold on Wednesday and have the kids put their laundry away after school on Wednesday night.)
Thursday- Shopping (I still plan my grocery shopping trips on Thursday... this was always a long, fun day.  I always tried to plan a menu, shop, put it all away and cook some good things on Thursday.)
Friday- The Beasts.  (We love to invite people over on Friday... usually play dates or families over for dinner.  Friday is the best day-- Saturday just made me tired on Sunday, and Sunday made Sundays hard work NOT restful at all.  Oh how I LOVED my many, many Friday night friends... in all their variety.  I tried to do fun things with my little girls during the day.  And, have friends over after school or for dinner.  On days when we didn't have friends over, we ALWAYS have pizza and a movie night on Friday.  love those beasts...)
Saturday- the MAN.  (I am happier when I focus my Saturday on loving my husband.  When I try to make a great, productive plan for Saturday we clash heads.  When I say that Saturday is time we spend with Dad, life is good.  Sometimes we would plan our date nights on Saturday night.  i love Saturday date nights.  These days, Saturday is sports and i suppose that is pretty much a man thing, right?)
Sunday- a Holy Sabbath day. 

Today, I hope you enjoy your work of CREATION!!

made me smile.

1. this morning drew could only find one cleat for his after school football practice.  the professor was a bit stressed out.  drew said, "dad, it's ok.  mom will find it before she picks me up."  the professor, teaching an important lesson, "drew, you can't leave everything for mom to find."  the kids in the car are all anxious to get to school...  i come out of the bathroom into the heat of the professor explaining, "DREW CAN'T FIND HIS CLEAT... I FOUND ONE IN HIS SHOE BASKET, BUT I CAN'T FIND THE OTHER ONE."  i smile and tell him, while i'm looking in the shoe closet, "Just take the kids to school and I'll find it and bring it up when I meet drew after school."  He huffs and explains to me, "Drew needs to find his own things."  I explain to him, "I'd rather have him go to school feeling peaceful than get him all stressed out over a silly cleat."  Then I hand him the cleat that was just behind drew's shoe box... not far from exactly where it should have been.  As they drove out the driveway i just smiled... children need two parents.  And this is exactly why!! 

2.  we had a busy day yesterday.  i was in charge of a 2 hour practice for the children's program at church, then i had a presidency meeting, then my husband was gone for 2 hours while i prepared for company to come over for dinner, then we had a family with 6 older boys over-- that was 17 people total for dinner.  We played the thimble game and Mafia/Werewolves.  Then, I was EXHAUSTED.  I took care of the baby, and the professor put ALL the kids to bed and did ALL the dishes with the boys.   He sent me to bed while he finished up.  Nice huh?!!!

3.  i'm studying "Preach My Gospel" for my personal scripture time and i LOVE it.  LOVE. LOVE. LOVE it.  I've started a composition notebook of THINGS TO TEACH MY KIDS.  Thinking about ways I teach principles gives PURPOSE to my scripture study.  I write a different lesson on top of each page and when i read a good scripture or hear a good quote or get a great idea, i jot it down.  I'm surprised at how many things i've already used in teaching my kids.  i'm a full-time teacher by the way.   actually, preacher... that's what i would say my job is.  Mother/Preacher.  :)

4.  anna took this picture of me...  my kids think it's so funny to make my face funny.  Ellie said, "Mom, you should put that picture on your blog and then write... I'm getting old!"  Nice...

I'm getting old...

5.  we were out at the soccer fields the other day (don't you know we live on the soccer fields)?  I told the girls that I would race them to the car.  And, i won.  Anna said, "mom, i didn't even know you knew how to run?"  hah!  nice...

6.Want to do one great thing today?  Just one thing that WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE??  watch this... It's a talk from an apostle of God about 5 things that we shouldn't forget.  it's so good. Here's a snipet...

 

7.  Want to do one more great thing?  Watch this... my sister showed it to me.  It's darling.  And, we all need a little dark side!

ps.  i think i have pink eye?! and... need some make-up.

Have a GREAT Monday!!

enjoy!

today life is better.

i woke up an hour earlier and my home was not a mess when my kiddos ran out the door.

i'm always happier when my home is clean.

don't you love that quote by President Hinckley?

it sits on a mantle behind my friend's wood stove.

(yes, i took my camera when i went to dinner at their home.  is that rude or what?)

you should see their whole house-- someday, when i have more time, i'll post pictures.

today, let us all enjoy life more!

want another quote from my friend's house?

ok...

 see, you'd love her too?!!

grace, again.

Yesterday, for my scripture time, I was reminded that the Atonement not only covers my SINS, but my WEAKNESS.  I felt the peace of the Lord reminding me that He is helping me each day.  That He would help me today.

It is through the Grace of God that I am loving enough, organized enough, wise enough, energetic enough to get through my days.

My life is full of good things.  And, I will tell you being a mother of many is the hardest thing I have ever done.  I am sore from returning to my school year schedule and routine.

It is humbling when you try your best and still fall short.  But, humble is just where I need to be so I can notice the Grace.  Yesterday, I felt grace-- in the little things. 

“It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts (emphasis added)."  {see Grace in Bible Dictionary.}

"The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own. Sometimes I wonder if in our latter-day world of ease—in our world of microwave ovens and cell phones and air conditioned cars and comfortable homes—I wonder if we ever learn to acknowledge our daily dependence upon the enabling power of the Atonement.

The greatest lessons I have learned about the enabling power have come from the quiet example of my wife in our own home. ... In today’s world a righteous woman and mother in Zion will need both priesthood support and the enabling power of the Atonement."  Elder David A. Bednar, "In the Strength of the Lord."  2001 BYU Devotional.

Not that my life is so horrible... it's wonderful.

It's just that even when I try my best, I still forget things.  I still have to be in 3 places at once, often.  My heart is much bigger than my capacity.  I love this.  "through faith in the atonement... I can receive strength and assistance to do good works that I otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to my own means."

Oh, thank God for grace!!

{the applesauce... 1)campfire blackberry and 2)pear spice.}

{ugh.  can you guess why i picked the name campfire blackberry?}

{ps.  isn't my husband the BEST?  love that guy more than campfire blackberry applesauce...}

uphill.

i read a great quote last night, that reminded me of our search for waterfalls.

"If you are on the right path it will always be up hill!!"

Elder Eyring's mother

{you can read Elder Eyring's talk, "Raise the Bar" here} 

we have been hiking a lot lately.

we realized that if we are looking for a waterfall, we will need to climb a mountain.

isn't that just like life?

today, our school starts.

today, i am climbing a bit of a hill...  we are busy and life is full.

it is just as it should be.

have a great day!!

behold.

i was reading this morning and i was reminded...

The prophet, Lehi had a dream, in his dream he said that "after I traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.  And it came to pass that after I had prayed unto the Lord I BEHELD a large and spacious field.  And it came to pass that I BEHELD a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy." (1 Ne. 8:8-11)

When Lehi's son Nephi, prayed to know the interpretation of his fathers dream, an angel of the Lord came to him.  Over and over this scene is repeated, (1 Nephi 11 and 12)

"And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look!  And I looked and BEHELD..."
"And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God.  And I looked and BEHELD." 

"And it came to pass that the angel said unto me:  Look, and behold thy seed."

"And the angel said unto me:  BEHOLD thy seed."

This reminded me of one of my favorite scripture passages.  When Christ visits America and blesses the children there...

"... and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.  And when he had done this he wept again;  And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: BEHOLD your little ones."  (3 Ne. 17:21-23)

I love this article, BEHOLD Your Little Ones!  It's a beautiful reminder!

Sometimes, like Lehi, my life seems dark.

When I pray, my life doesn't change... my VISION changes.

I feel the the Lord helps me to BEHOLD my little ones.
To see the good in the midst of daily life.

BEHOLD-

a. To perceive by the visual faculty; see.

b. To perceive through use of the mental faculty; comprehend.

I love that definition-- to SEE (physically) and to COMPREHEND (mentally).

today, i want to BEHOLD my children.

to see them the way God sees them.

i know He will help me to comprehend all that they are and all that they can be.
he will help me to behold their needs.
to behold ways I can love them better and teach them more. 
in the midst of darkness, prayer and the Holy Spirit can give us vision and capacity to BEHOLD our little ones.

i LOVE this.  i NEED this.

 today, may i BEHOLD.

a prayer for families.

my heart was touched this morning.
i have been full lately with a desire to love my family, to teach them, to create a home of love and spirituality.
at times, i feel that i am marching up hill, carrying many.

as a family, we read these words together.
words, spoken from a living prophet of God, to me...

Bringing Heaven Closer
"May our families and homes be filled with love: love of each other, love of the gospel, love of our fellowman, and love of our Savior.  As a result, heaven will be a little closer here on earth.
"May we make our homes sanctuaries to which our family members will ever want to return"

I was SO grateful, and comforted, to read this prophetic prayer...

A Prayer for Families
"Inasmuch as the family unit is under attack in the world today, and many things long held sacred are ridiculed, we ask Thee, our Father, to make us equal to the challenges we face, that we may stand strong for truth and righteousness.  May our homes be havens of peace, of love, and of spirituality."

somehow, this morning i am filled with HOPE. 
together, the Lord and todd and i, we can make our home a heavenly haven of peace, love and spirituality.
i just know it.