You know those moments where you just feel inspired? Well...Jax and I are making it a morning tradition to watch the General Conference Talks, so hopefully I will keep having those amazing moments! This morning we watched a couple and this one (below) was one of the great ones (they all are), but it really made me think.
One of the things I love about our Gospel is the simplicity of it. I have found that many times when I am disgouraged, unhappy or confused are times when I am doubting, making things complicated or over-thinking. I love this talk. I love how Elder Cook's message was centered around President Monson's simple advice to "look up." If we always look towards God and rely on Christ to carry our burdens, they will be much easier to carry.
As I was holding my sleeping boy and listening to this message, I kept thinking how much I want to protect him from everything bad in the world. I have slowly gotten past the depressing thought of him growing up, but I will never stop worrying about what trials he may face as he grows. Since we just moved into our new home with a new baby, I feel like we have entered a new chapter- new challenges, new joys and new goals. As I've been getting our home in order, I've thought a lot about what kind of home I want it to be for my children as they grow. There is one word that always comes to my mind when I imagine how I hope our home will be: refuge.
Of course I know my children will go through challenges and make mistakes, BUT when they come home with a hard decision to make, I hope that that decision between right and wrong becomes a little easier when they walk through the doors and feel the spirit that (I hope!) is there.
I always wondered why my dad made us get up even earlier than we already had to for seminary so that we could eat breakfast as a family and have family prayer in the morning and I always wondered why my mom would come down to my room over and over to talk to me about decisions I was making in my life. Those kinds of things made decisions between right and wrong so much easier and I am so happy today because of it. So thanks mom and dad. I want to be like you!
So now is the time for reevaluation...what can I do better as a mom? What can McKay and I do better with as parents and as husband and wife? What do you do to make sure that your home is a refuge? Advice is welcomed :)
Such a great topic to consider Ali. The specifics will change as your family changes, but the basics are the same. Make church a priority, pray and read scriptures together, speak kindly to and about each other, etc. Because it is a righteous desire, your Heavenly Father will help you establish the kind of home you want to have. xoxo
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