The Love of A Father Goes A Long Way

I'm a little bit behind, but I couldn't let the subject of father's get skipped. As we talked about the importance of a father's role in class I felt so grateful for my own Dad. He has always been there for me. He has been my provider and my protector. He is my example-- my role model. I know that I would not be who I am today if it weren't for my dad. He has inspired me in the best of ways. I love him, and I am thankful for the multiple roles he plays in my family. He is our leader. He is our comic relief. He is our voice of reason. He is our presider, our provider, and our protector. He is our supporter, and he really is 
my hero. 

With an Eternal Perspective, All Will Be Well

Two weeks ago I wrote about family crises and how my testimony of the gospel helps me to handle them. Today I came across this clip, and it perfectly conveys everything I was trying to say. 

I just had to share. 

Like Elder Nelson, I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the strength it offers me in these tumultuous times.

Family Council

I really liked last weeks discussion. We have never had formal "family councils" in my family, but after talking about it in class, it is definitely something that I want to implement for my future family. I know that these meeting can be greatly beneficial for all family members. It helps everyone to be on the same page, and gives everyone a chance to effectively communicate any concerns, problems, or news with the rest of the family.

In addition, I believe that these meetings can be a great opportunity to feel the spirit. When a family is united and in harmony with each other, the spirit is present and able to speak to those who are listening. What a blessing it is to have family council. It brings organization, family unity, and spiritual growth.

Family Crisis

Last week we talked about different crises that can take place in a family and how to deal with them. I really enjoyed this topic because it is very applicable. No matter how perfect a family is, crisis is something that will inevitably come at some point. Death, financial struggles, illness, etc. All of these things have major effects on a family, and I enjoyed discussing how to handle them.


Talking about these issues caused me to take a closer look at my own life, which, seems to be quite charmed. I found myself asking question like, "why doesn't anything bad ever happen to my family?" or "how are we so blessed when others seem to constantly struggle?" These questions filled my mind until I took another step back and realized that, yes, even my family has faced a lot of crises. In fact, we have faced 5 out of the ten things I listed.


Why then, have none of them had negative long-term effects on myself, or my family. The only answer that seemed to fit was the fact that my family seems to keep an eternal perspective. We remember Heavenly Father, and the Atonement. We live righteously so we can be at peace with our well being and the well being of our family members. The gospel is very much a part of our lives-- a part of our decisions, emotions, and behavior.  


When my mom got cancer, it was very hard for me and my family. I had never seen my dad so sad, and I hope I never have to see him that way again. However, as sad and scary as the situation was, it brought so many blessings. Most of all it strengthened testimonies. As my mom went in for surgery she reminded me and my family that we have nothing to fear. She had been faithful, and she knew that through the whole process, whatever that entailed, she, and we, would never be left alone. We had Christ on our side, and we could be at peace. 


After the cancer was gone and as she recovered, I noticed several blessings that came to my family because of her illness. We came together and it made me realize that, should anything like this ever happen again, I am surrounded by people who support and love me. I also gained a stronger testimony of the realness of the Atonement. Christ knows what each of his children are going through, and he will not leave you alone. Ever. In a way, I believe that my family was prepared for this simply because we each had a testimony of the Jesus Christ. We each understood his gospel, and we all knew that the teachings within it were true. The gospel of Jesus Christ is our foundation, and through Him, we can conquer anything.


Thinking about this also made me think about my mom's family of origin. She and her siblings have faced many major trials in their lives. However, they have each handled them with strength as they have stayed deeply rooted in the gospel and relied heavily on the Atonement. I believe that growing up in the gospel prepared them, starting at a young age, to face these problems with dignity. My mom's family always saved Monday nights for  Family Night. On these nights they would learn about the gospel, play games, and gain strong relationships with one another. Just last week, my mom sent an email to me concerning some of these issues that her siblings are facing. In it, she said, 

"I have such a strong testimony of Family Home Evening. You all know about my own family and the terrible things that happened in it. In spite of it all, we had great, meaningful Family Nights every Monday without fail where we learned the gospel and had lots of fun. I really believe that it is the reason we all came out as well as we did. Some of us had every reason to go off the deep end, but we didn't." 

If we stay rooted in the gospel and remember the eternal perspective, I believe that we can come out of anything with our heads up. It will not be easy. Most family crises are extremely difficult, and at times it may seem much easier to drop everything and bail. We simply cannot think of that as an option. As we rely on Christ, and our family members to strengthen us, problems can be solved, issues can be minimized, and our love for one another can grow more than we imagined possible.


Everything is possible with Christ. 

Communication

This past week in Family Relations we talked about boundaries in a relationship and staying as far away as possible from "the line." I think this is an extremely important topic to discuss and understand because it seems like the line is getting between a lot of couples these days, Especially with technologies, such as texting and facebook.

I think these things are very dangerous to do when you are married. I agree that married couples should combine facebook accounts, not because of a lack of trust, but because it's a good way to distance yourself from the line, and any temptations that could come up, even if it wasn't your intention. Texting is also a thing that should stop once you are married or in a serious relationship. It's important to realize that just because you may have a strong marriage, or you feel like nothing could ever go wrong between you and your significant other, they can. However, by communicating and respecting each other's concerns issues like these can be prevented.