My heroes!

This Father's day, I thought a lot about the men in my life who are a light for me to follow. They are worthy priesthood holders who not only talk the talk, but walk the walk as well. When they are called upon to give someone a priesthood blessing, they are worthy and ready to minister in Christ's name, to provide blessings, comfort, guidance, and counsel. These men are my heroes. They give everything to their families and to the Lord. They are men of God. I can see it and I can feel it.
They are imperfect, however they shine with the light of Christ. They are self-less and are aware of the needs of those around them. They sacrifice their time and energy for other people. They know the importance of families, and give their all to their wives and children. They are self-sufficient and provide not only for their families, but assist those in need.
They are willing to stay up late to work on your car, when they have work early the next morning and to help you with homework when they have homework themselves. They have very difficult challenges, yet they push through them. They never let a trial break them. They are trustworthy and respectful. You can sense they care about you, and they have your back. They never raise their voice, and they are always in control of their emotions and actions.
They are always there for you, even when they are exhausted and have no energy left. Whenever you are down or struggling, they do everything they can to make you laugh and to put a smile on your face, no matter how long it takes. They find great amusement in teasing you, and bring joy into your life. Their sense of calm and peace gives you reassurance that everything is going to be alright and you can get through anything.
Their firm foundations protect you, and provides safety and relief from the storms of life. They are humble in their service, and also when they need assistance. They know what is truly important and are always willing to share their wisdom and experiences. They uplift those around them and their sense of humors lightens your burdens. They are always there when you just need someone to talk to, and they give the best advice!
Most importantly, they exemplify the Savior Jesus Christ. Our earthly fathers provided the way for us to receive bodies, however our Heavenly Father gave us life. My Father in heaven is everything to me. He is my light, my hope, my faith, my strength, my courage, my foundation, my pillar, and my comfort. He is my everything!

Marriage is not natural, it's divine!

Marriage is not natural, it is divine. The divine means to put off the natural man, and to step beyond what is natural. The average couples marriage’s satisfaction decreases when they begin having children. Below are suggestions of what couples can do to increase, their level of satisfaction in their marriage, when their children begin arriving.

Wise young parents anticipate the additional work-load and decreased time alone. They plan and implement means of sharing the work and pleasure of early parenting:

-It’s important that the father is involved in the pre-natal checkups.

- Engage the father in the kicks and other pre-natal bonding events.

-Assure that the father takes precedence over others during the birth.

- Involve the husband in what the wife is experiencing.

- Share tender moments with your child together.

- Be very careful to validate your partner, expressing love and appreciation for what she/he is experiencing.

- Look for opportunities to lighten the other’s load.

- Though the baby’s needs and deserves constant care, don’t forget that your partner helped to bring him/her into the world.

-Get proper nutrition, rest and other needs met as well.

- Take turns wherever possible, so each is cared for.

- Watch for indications of medical needs.

- Develop and utilize a process for asking for help from one another.

- Express love/appreciation frequently

- Plan carefully for the changes for each of you.

- Don’t forget about your spouse’s needs.

-Look for opportunities to boost each other.

-Take turns with both the fun and not so fun tasks.

The husband and wife’s relationship is most important. The degree of success of parenthood depends on the success of the marriage.

Love is a commitment to the well-being and happiness of another person. 

Oh the joys of dating!

This week in my family relations class, the topic was dating. Being at BYUI, it is discussed a lot, and sometimes feels monotonous. However, my teacher discussed things that were inspirational and very thought provoking. I would like to share some insights of my own with you, and hopefully you will be enlightened on the subject.

In Elder Oaks talk about dating, he gave three P’s regarding dating- planned, paired off, and paid for.  In the Family Proclamation to the World, it explains that the man’s responsibilities are to preside, protect, and provide. My teacher taught us how they correlate with each other:  

·         Planned-Preside

·         Paired Off-Protect

·         Paid for-Provide

I really love this concept, because it showed me how much dating really does prepare young men for marriage. In the Family Proclamation to the world, it teaches that women are to be nurturers in the home. Dating is also a place where young women can be nurturing in preparation for marriage.

In the book, “How to avoid falling in love with a jerk”, by John Van Epp, he describes the five steps to attachment:

1.      Know

2.      Trust

3.      Rely

4.      Commit

5.      Touch

In my experiences, relationships fail when the first three steps are missed, and couples go straight to the fourth and fifth step, without really taking the time to get to know, trust, and rely on each other.

The “know-quo” includes the 3 T’s during the dating process:

1.      Talk- Mutual self-disclosure

2.      Time-It takes a minimum of 3 months to begin to know someone

3.      Togetherness- Engage in wide range of activities

I have seen too many couples jump into engagement, without taking the time in getting to know the other person. There’s nothing wrong in knowing the person you will be with for the rest of your life, for at least one year, before you commit your whole self to them. Finding someone to marry is a process, and it takes time. I have personally set a goal of the timing I desire to have in my dating:

·         Friendship- 3 months

·         Date- 3 months

·         Courtship- 6 months

·         Engagement- 2 months

Grand Total=14 months