Im back, not sure for how long

Well, I am back! my life was turned upsidle down this year, for reasons that will not be named, but i am back and glad to be able to sit down and just write. I always have so much going through my head but currently today i have a whole lot of nothing which is a really nice break. Lets see how long this lasts.

The Blogging Shall Soon Commence

As the title reads my blogging efforts will soon commence. In becoming a mother of two I have fond less and less time to do the tthings that I enjoy. Oddly enough I am so much more organized than with one child. I was thinking today in the shower that I thought that Ihad like no time with one child. Truth be told you have more time than you know what to do with of course you dont know that until you become the parent of two or more. Oh how sweet life is in teachings.

This is a short blog but one in the right direction of longer more awe provoking insights into the crazy that is my brain. I also want to thank everyone who reads my blog and finds my life humerous! I must agree that I too think it is pretty funny.


Till next time...

How Can I be?

How can I be like my brother Nephi?
and My father Lehi of old?
How can I be like Captain Moroni
In the wars that were told?

How can I see forever
Like the promise to the three Nephites?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinidi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like Alma the Younger,
Strong servant of the Lord?
How can I be like Mighty Ammon,
Whose heart was his sword?

How can I be a stripling warrior,
And learn to fight by faith?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinidi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like my brother Joseph,
When he prayed in the grove of trees?
How can I have the strength that he had
And the love he had for God?

How can I be courageous
And strive to choose the right?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinidi
I wanna be like Jesus Christ
Oh tell me how can I be like Him?
Oh tell me how can I be like Him?

Go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9WL5zyZsHE&playnext_from=TL&videos=jwQ6mykst00 and listen to one of my favorite voices singing this amazing song. So feel good. I love it so much.

What You Didn't know About The Twilight Series....

So everyone knows that The Twilight Series is written by a member of my church, the LDS church. What you most likely didn't know was that the whole series is based on a whole LOT of Mormon beliefs and I guess you could say symbolism as well.

Anwhoo, here are some interesting things about the book. One thing with us as LDS (that is our proper name, Mormon is a nickname) Youth (I am not onsidered a youth anymore even though in my head I am) we are taught that "Modest is Hottest".. even to this day as a wife and mother,I am still extremely modest, and you know what I love it. My husband also loves it, there is a lot to be said about a woman who carries herself in a modest fashion, it definitely makes you more desirable. So ladies, we keep the skrts knee length and the "GIRLS" put away!

If you look at Bella, she is a plain and simple girl. Very modest. Now Bella just like any other girl/woman temptation is real. In the book the two main characters Bella and Edward...they stare into each other’s pining eyes, wanting nothing more than to be with one another in their eternal teen crush and that temptations persist throughout the first 2 books.

Now because Edward is a vampire, Edward has a huge desire to be with his human love Bella but that want verges on the literal words of a brush that is just too close or even a kiss that lingers on too long could override his better judgment and can then trigger his animal instinct, for the unmentionable....

Bella, on the other hand totally bounces between her self-assured maturity and complete helplessness which is all in the hands of one of most amazing boys in literary history. The thing is the stakes for her are much, much higher. I have been reading and a lot of critics have pointed out, that had they had sex it would mean death for the suffering Bella, but not for the stunning and amazing Edward, after all he is already locked into immortality.

The promotion of chastity in this book, was so awesome. As I was reading, I could relate to Bella, I have been where she has been, almost every LDS teen/woman has. Meyers definitely, definitely put this new, and sexy approach to chastity and moral purity, in perspective for a lot of today's youth. Which in my opinion is desperately needed, they are bombarded everyday with nothing but sexual images. Music, clothing, t.v. I could go on and on.

Another topic in here that is a Mormon belief, is our view of the Eternal Family. Bella has a fixation on the Edward’s “eternal family.” Who could blame her? I am so thankful I have my family with me for time and all eternity. For those of us in the church when we are married in the temple, like my husband and I were, here we are bound together for all eternity. It is a sweet blessing a privilege. Eternity is a message that echoes throughout Edward and Bella’s entire relationship. One of the strongest Book of Mormon themes in the novels is "overcoming the natural man." It relates to overcoming sin through redemption.

Adam and Eve became mortal, which was, according to the Book of Mormon, the only way they could have children. It was a giving up of a mere immortality to have eternal relationships with each other, children and God. It would be a struggle to transcend human nature.

In Twilight the issue of our carnal and sinful nature was and is, is embodied and symbolized by Edward. His sole purpose in life or death is to feed off human flesh.Which would be literally carnal and carnivorous.So Edward makes the decision to reject this way of life for something better even though it is extremly difficult.

So naturally when Edward meets Bella, his choice to live a good life is put to the test. How many of us have been there? I know I have. I married to him. :0)

In the Book of Mormon it teaches that the natural person/man stands in opposition to and is in contrast with Christ there is a scripture that reads: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father" in Mosiah 3:19.

So the "natural man" is not just limited to the wicked,but it really does applies to the human condition of alienation from God. It is a description of the absence of relationship.

In the 3rd volume the book Eclipse, Bella muses over how to describe Edward, she says:

“The word boyfriend had me chewing on the inside of my cheek with a familiar tension,” she worried. “It wasn’t the right word at all, not at all,” she searched: “I needed something more expressive of eternal commitment.”

The underscore of Edward and Bella’s relationship is their eventual agreement that if she marries him he will turn her into a vampire.Which would then allow them to live together for tim and all of eternity. Eternal marriage/family repeats as the dominant description of their relationship.In the end Bella tells Edward:

“I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn’t that enough?” To which Edward responds, “Yes, it is enough… Enough for forever.”

When I read that it gave me chills. That's how I feel about my sweet husband. It really and truly is a sweet gift from heavenly father to have an eternal marriage and family. Now...Moving on....

New Moon, it ends with an observation of Edward is Bella’s destiny, walking alongside her. Then in Eclipse the last line from Bella’s perspective records the moment of engagement: “He once again slid my ring into place on the third finger of my left hand. Where it would stay—conceivably for the rest of eternity.”

I LOVE that the entire series ends with the observation that they can practice their mental love for one another “forever and forever and forever” before they then get to move on to the physical intimacy that Bella describes in the last sense of the book as a “small but perfect piece of our forever.” When you become married it is something so sacred. Which is how it should be handled. I love that she incorporated this teaching into the story.

Marriage is key to our faith. It sustains the roots for a great family foundation. In our faith we are in the 1 percentile of divorces in our faith. We rank very well,I think it is because of our awesome teachings and our regard to the family. It is absolutly essential. Same as in the books, marriage is the key for Bella’s eternal life as a vampire to begin. Bella has be married to Edward before he is willing to “change” her....Now there are two reasons, from what I can see maybe more if I looked really hard.The first reason would be because Bella does not want to marry young but she does on the other hand want to be kept eternally young, so that way she can be about the same age as Edward in their immortality.

On the flip side Edward is scared that Bella is more interested in immortality than she actually is in him. So he figures he needs a bargaining tool to convince Bella to marry him, at the same time he refuses to turn Bella into a vampire until after he has turned her into Mrs. Isabella Cullen. :0) Super sweet I think!

Secondly, Bella wants both to experience the physcial intimacy as a human but still become a vampire as soon as possible this girl likes tohave her cake and eat it too, sadly for her, Edward has other plans in mind. Edward who is a self-professed traditionalist, he feels that his own virginity is the one place in his whole exsistence where he has not screwed up and that his own soul (if he still thinks he has one), is not going to be in turmoil and can show his sincere intent to saving himself for marriage. I LOVE that Edward refuses to engage in either premarital sex or premarital vampireness. They agree then that Bella will no longer be human shortly after their honeymoon.

How it all links up is this,Bella becomes immortal therefore that means the couple becomes permanent, through the act of marriage, just as the family becomes eternal through the sealing of that marriage. Same as in our faith. Bella has now become part of the Eternal family, and is now Edwards eternal companion as I am to my husband and he is to me. LOVE IT!

There are also many more themes involved within the covers of these books. There is integrity, commitment, self-sacrifice, joy, suppression of the "natural man" to achieve the "divine" blessings of eternity, loyalty, choice/accountability with those actions.

On the subject of choice and accountablity in dealing with Edward’s choice–and the willingness to choose a different way in general this is also another major theme in her books. She once said “I really think that’s the underlying metaphor of my vampires (the choices),” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you’re stuck in life or what you think you have to do; you can always choose something else. There’s always a different path.” i love that she mentions that. It is just like in life. We have choices and with all of those choices comes accountablity. In Young Womens we would say every Sunday from the time we were 12 to 18 we would say this:

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us,
and we love him. We will "stand as witnesses of God at all
times and in all things, and in all places..." as we strive
to live the Young Women Values, which are:

Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity and
Virtue

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,
we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep
sacred covenants, receive ordinances of the temple, and
enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

I see so much of that throught the series, it was so neat. Mostly unseen to those who are not part of our faith, but totally obvious to those of who are memebers its pretty sweet.

It truly is amazing.I feel like I am semi rambling on now, and I will wrap it up but I know people, myself included have read these books, numerous times, and cant get them out of their head, and are completly drawn to it like a magnet.I know the reasons why, I think many would love to discover that if you take the vampire part of the book, you see the stories of MILLIONS of families over the world. Real life! I think that is what makes these books amazing. I am thankful I have that opportunity, I want that same thing for everyone especially those that I love!

If you want to learn more head here www.mormon.org :0)

What I Believe......

To make a simple declaration. This is what I believe. I have a testimony of these things. The Articles of Faith outline 13 basic points of belief of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . .

Now, for those who asking to know if the things said are true, I ask that before you continue reading, you say a prayer. Ask Heavenly Father if he can reveal to you that the things you are about to read is true, ask for comfort from the Holy Ghost, and ask that your heart be softend so that you can understand, in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.


OK! So now that you have done that (I am trusting that you have) here is what we believe.

1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2 We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3 We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4 We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5 We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6 We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8 We believe the Bible to be the bword of God as far as it is translated ccorrectly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul— We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Written By
Joseph Smith



I know these things to be true. I have seen the blessings of the Gospel in my life. So many many times. I look at my husband, who is an amazing and changed man because of the truthfulness of the Gospel.

Any questions or comments, please feel free to leave, I love to answer any questions.

How to survive being on pregnancy bedrest & STILL have an amazing marriage....

Well today is week number 6 on bed rest. I have learned quite a bit. One thing that I think has made the most impact while being on bed rest is on my marriage. I spoke in my prior note about the effects of being on bed rest as a mom. . . This one is on my marriage.

Chuck and I have always been a couple who shares and talks. Communication is the most important thing in a marriage. We talk to each other about everything, even things that are scary, hurtful and worrisome.

Being on bed rest, has made Chuck not only have to do his duties but mine as well. It has been extremely hard for me to watch him have to pick up all the pieces. Not only household but with Jackson as well. There has also been added stress with the sickness of his father, and also our nephew, and him having a new job, he has so much going on and the only thing I can do is help from a couch...

That being said Chuck and I have made it a point to still have our little dates, we just have them from the couch. We will order our favorite pizza after the young one is in bed, and watch a movie that he had picked up for us, and then he will go and get us our favorite Ice cream treats.

Also from being on bed rest I have not been able to sleep in our bed or bedroom since I was 3 1/2 to 4 months pregnant. YES! A VERY long time. The couches in the living room have become our beds, and our bedroom. We have a sectional couch that is broken up into 2 parts. Chuck sleeps on one side of the room I am on the other, we look at it as being a slumber party every night. It makes it easier to bear, I laugh because the couches have actually become more comfortable then our bed has.

One thing we do, is Chuck will come over to my place (my side of the room) and we will lay next to one another and do crossword puzzles together. Sounds lame, but just being close and working on something together does wonders for us. We also sit there in the dark and just talk and giggle. I cry sometimes because my body is tired, hurts, aching from being in bed all day and just plain tired of being pregnant in general. My sweet husband is super comforting a reassuring.

Being on bed rest and pregnant also makes your mind do such crazy things. One because you don't have anywhere near the same interaction with others that you used to and let me tell you it has an extreme affect on the mind. Insecurities also flare up when you are pregnant. Now I am not a person who has ever been really insecure in who I am, not about who I am or my looks or what I stand for. This pregnancy has been especially hard on me, I have gained so much more weight this pregnancy because of having preeclampsia that my water retention is almost 20-25 pounds of yuck! Plus not being able to be very active, and not really have a reason to do my hair or make up, your self image can really plummet.

Then out of nowhere,I am not a super emotional person, but when I am pregnant look out from he stinkin' flood. All of a sudden there is this high and low roller coaster of emotions that creeps up on you out of nowhere and you can't control it and you cant tell whether your husband thinks that you are fat and gross. I seriously got to the point that I thought my emotion that I feel fat, unattractive and completely not worthy for his eyes to even look at me was absolutely true.

Now after feeling that way, I let myself go to a seriously crazy place, with my insecurities bubbling to the top, my mind started wondering, and I thought for sure in my mind that someone else would catch his eye, and it would be all down hill from there, this played in my mind over and over for almost 2 weeks. Then this past Friday, I could not take it. After having not slept hardly a wink the night before because of my head buzzing and going crazy, I did the only thing I knew and that was pour my heart out to my husband and cry and let out what I was feeling. . . I was greeted with the best response ever. He looked me in face a told me that he loves me so much more today than the day we got married, and that I am the mother of his children and am the only person he is in love with,and that he still thinks I am one cute momma. Those words that he spoke to me I could see the love in his eyes, I could hear it in his voice, he made everything bad completely melt away, and I could NOT thank him enough for that..Now,yes, there was much more said but I think that description will suffice.

Other things that have helped to make my bed rest much more manageable has been to write in my journal, do scripture studies, read, become a coupon queen, think think think and of course movies and music! Most of all, the support of my husband. Who reassures me that I am doing the most important job of all, and that is doing what I am told to relax and to make sure that Grayson and I healthy as can be. the most successful part to bed rest is to have a supportive spouse and to also have wonderful family and friends who love you and check on you, and are willing to serve you. Receiving the service has been the toughest....

I am one who loves, loves to give and help out and to have to have that done for me is a humbling experience. I think that is something that I needed to learn. Its okay to have people help you out. I look at their service now, now as I am burdening them, but as blessings from all of the service that I have done for others, and am also allowing those giving the service to receive all the blessings that the Lord has to pour out on them.

Well I am sure I will be writing again later.

Bed Rest.....

OK, So I have been on bed rest now for the past 5 weeks, I can honestly say this has been my worst nightmare. There have been some great positives I think though. One I have gotten over my irrational fear of always having to have Jackson and that it is okay if he goes to be watched by someone else. Thankfully those people are my Aunt Val and a wonderful family friend Julie H. . . Thanks to them and their love for my son and our family, I have been able to get over my anxiety of not having my sweet precious boy with me all the time. I had no choice in this matter though because it was for the safety of myself and his brother who we are trying to get here safely.

The other things that I have learned is that, my husband really can function without me, I know it has taught him a great deal of patience and in some ways respect for what and all the things that I used to do. To be truthful I cannot wait to get back to those things.

We have some wonderful blessings come our way through all of this, TREMENDOUS blessings, The only thing I can equate it to is that we are constantly striving to what is right and trying to always make righteous decisions and to always put the Lord first in our lives.

I think that is also another reason I have been able to do bed rest here at home, is because every time I would pray before I left the hospital was to be comforted and to know the right things to do. With my prayers always came the peoples names to ask to watch Jackson, their names and hearing them brought me instant comfort, the other thing that would come to my mind was that "Lauren, this is all temporary"....

My dad,my uncle Bob and my Grandpa gave me a fantastic priesthood blessing. My uncle Bob gave it and in his blessing he talked about my journey and for 5 weeks he has been right on. He said that "The time that I have left will be strenuous, and it will be a difficult road to get Grayson here and healthy and would be stressful, that by enduring till the end we will have a glorious reward which is a healthy baby and healthy mother." I cant even begin to tell you how often those words go through my head. "The reward will be glorious".... I am soooo thankful for the Priesthood, and for all of the WONDERFUL men in my family who have its amazing power.

I look forward to seeing the huge circle of men surrounding Grayson for his name blessing. When Jackson had his done their were 14 men from my family standing around him. Truly a moving image. How thankful I am. I am also super thankful for a husband who has the priesthood,we decided and talked about recently doing our scripture study together, each of us picking a topic and finding the scriptures and doing "semi-short-lessons" as our study so we can learn and hear what the other has to say about each topic and learn. I am really excited to do that.

In my time of bed rest I have been able to do a great deal of scripture study and I must say it is amazing. I am writing something on what I have been studying and learning about....It will be posted sometime soon. It is a lot to type. Worth it though. . . It is in regard to the Trinity....and what the true nature of God really is. It is a super fascinating topic. I hope you will enjoy. Until later, I am off. . . Technically meaning tomorrow or later this evening as I don't have a whole lot going on. :0)

Later...

Do Christians Believe In 3 Gods?

This has taken quite a few days to construct and put together, but I am finally done.....A few months back we were in visiting my brother and sister in law in Youngstown, and they asked us to go to Church with them. We said sure since they had been to our church before, so we did not want to see like we were not able to return that request. In their church the children are not in the main part with the parents, they are put into a daycare/nursery type environment, so the parents are all together listening to the Sermon. Well, In a church as big as theirs, we were not comfortable enough to leave Jackson in this care room, we are used to having our child with us.

Anywhoo, Jackson was being a little noisy and people were beginning to stare, so Chuck took him outside to go and walk around the building, cause they have speakers for you to listen even out in the hallways. As he was walking he stopped by a brochure table...This is what he found, and gave it to me after we left the church. It said "Do Christians believe in 3 God's?"..... He told me to read the first page. Once he said that I knew it had to be something interesting for HIM to bring it to me.

The First page reads this: "Muslims, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons say yes. They insist that the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity is non biblical and is a hangover from the polytheism of Greek and Roman mythologies. Is this true? Or is believing in a three-in-one God foundational to biblical faith?"

After reading the beginning, I was already buzzing in my head. I figured I would read the whole pamphlet, and try to get an understanding of what so many Christian people believe, seeing as I have asked numerous people of the "mainstream" Christian faith what the trinity means,and how they think it works, and what not and still I have never been given a satisfactory answer, especially with nothing to back it up. So I kept reading. Now I have read this little booklet, and I am going to address the issues.

The next couple of pages talk about missionaries coming to the door on a Saturday morning and are going to try and talk to you about a spiritual crisis in the world. They refer to those of us who do not believe in the Trinity as members of Anti-Trinity groups. These are some of the questions they ask. Is there evidence of the Trinity's origin in paganism? Is the doctrine of a three-in-one God biblical?

The Trinity to me is a blind belief. I think what bothers me the most about it is that, me as a Christian am told that I am not SIMPLY for the fact that I do not hold a 4th & 5th century view of who the nature of God is, and who Jesus Christ was/is. Yet, I am one who has studied and questioned and have had my own confirmation of what I have been taught, and have had my own personal revelation, that the truths that I have been taught and know are true. No one can do that for you but yourself.

So many wonderful people are being taught a falsehood. They are told that God is mysterious and to complex to be understood by their Pastors and Preachers. Also, if that were the case of him bein so mysterious and complex, that means that I would have to have more faith in the preacher or pastor teaching that, then I would be able to have in the being I should, which would be God and Christ. I have to disagree with that through and through. Our kind and loving Father in Heaven would not want his children to be confused, and I highly doubt he would put us here to just have us flounder and not be able to know what the deal is, and to also not know who he is.

The teaching of the Trinity was not taught by Abraham, Moses, the Apostles, and most importantly NOT by the Savior himself. I know because it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings. I am sure it would it surprise most of you to know that one of the most prominent "doctrines" in Christianity today has no basis in scripture? Really? And yet so many believe....

The "doctrine" of the "Holy Trinity" is considered by many to be essential to one's very salvation, and is not found in Christianity history until at least 300 years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Even more shocking is the fact that the concept of a triune godhead likely comes from the traditions of paganism!

In the year a.d. 325 the Roman emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea to address—among other things—the growing issue of God’s alleged “trinity in unity.” What emerged from the heated contentions of churchmen, philosophers, and ecclesiastical dignitaries came to be known (after another 125 years and three more major councils) as the Nicene Creed, with later reformulations such as the Athanasian Creed.

These various evolutions and iterations of creeds, along with others to come over the centuries, declared the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to be abstract, absolute, transcendent, immanent, consubstantial, coeternal, and unknowable, without body, parts, or passions and dwelling outside space and time.

In these creeds all three members are separate persons, but they are a single being, the often noted as being “mystery of the trinity.” They are three distinct persons, yet not three Gods but one. All three persons are incomprehensible, yet it is one God who is incomprehensible.

I do agree with the critics on at least the point that a formula for divinity is truly incomprehensible. Ont he same note with such a confusing definition of God being imposed upon the church, it is of little wonder that there was a 4th century monk who cried out, “Woe is me! They have taken my God away from me, … and I know not whom to adore or to address."

I often wonder and would love to ask those who believe in the Trinity, and my purpose is absolutely not to demean any person’s belief nor the doctrine of any religion other than mine. I have and always will extend to anyone else the same respect for their faith and doctrine that I ask for mine, but my question would be to the people who say that we (others in my same faith) are not Christians again simply because we do not hold the 4th & 5th century view of the Godhead, then what about the first Christian Saints, so many of which were eyewitnesses of the living Christ, What about them who did not hold such a view either? Are they wrong?

Now some people may think that I am totally off my rocker for saying and believing the things that I believe, and I am sure that some people are tired of hearing me talk about it, but I think knowing and understanding the Nature of the Godhead and their divine roles are extremely important and should be discussed.

In 1 Timothy 2:5 it reads "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"...Something to me that is very interesting, and I would ask anyone to question what they believe of whether it is true or untrue, would be to search your scriptures, ponder and pray about it.

There also seems to be a lack of attention or a disconnect so to speak in peoples teachings about the Savior in the Pre=Existence. If we look at the story of the creation, we can go to Genesis and we know that the Creation is an integral part of Heavenly Father's plan of salvation. It gives each of us the opportunity to come to the earth, where we receive a physical body and exercise our agency. God himself, the Father of all of us every creature and being, established a Plan Of Salvation or also referred to as The Plan Of Happiness, so that all of his spirit children would be able to advance, progress and become like him.

It is the gospel of God, the plan of Elohim our Heavenly Father that the system he created saves and exalts, and it consists of three main things. These three things are the very pillars of eternal life itself. They are the most important events that ever have or will occur in all eternity. They pillars are the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement.Not one of these pillars stands alone, each one of them ties into the other two and without a knowledge of all of them, it is not possible to know the truth about any one of them.

In Genesis 1:26 is when Heavenly Father is speaking to Christ about creating man in their image and their likeness. The context of the verse alone, indicates and shows that there was more than Heavenly Father in this process of creation. We also know that all through were created THROUGH Christ under he direction of our Father in Heaven. The other thing that we can learn from this verse alone is that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bone. . . I would also like to talk Little bit about the Apostle John. In John 3:16, a very well known scripture, it says " For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son." Now I a, going to get technical for a minute, If Christ was begotten some other being must have begat or beget him. In Webster's Dictionary the word "Beget" be·gat; be·got·ten or be·got; be·get·ting. means to spawn, sire, breed, or to father. this being the case, there was a higher power to have created Christ.

In the 8th Chapter of Proverbs, in verses 22-31. In verse 30, This is Christ speaking, you see it reads "Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." Clearly we can see from this verse that Christ was WITH Heavenly Father, but was separate from Him.

For centuries there has been a terrible translation, very poor, of John 1:1, as well a misunderstanding from what I can gather of biblical usage of the word "God" which has caused millions to wrongly believe in the Trinity. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This is the scripture of anyone who believes in the Trinity. It is their cornerstone.

I am going to respond to this, and how it should be interpreted, and I know that I am not alone in this interpretation. I also know that If read with an open mind, this will appeal to ones simple common sense. How could the Word be with God and be God at the same time? The way the whole verse is set up is so clear. The subject of the who in the verse provides strong evidence of misinterpretation. this clearly shows an effort on the trinitarians part to be bias and to try and make their doctrine true.

A scripture that many Trinitarians throw out 1 john 5:7-8. When taken out of context, you could see the point of view on the trinitarian belief, how ever when read in its entity like it should be, continue reading 9-11, it clearly stats two separate beings, not only that but there is also a strong testimony from God our Heavenly Father in regard to his son, Jesus Christ.

Another scripture used is John 10:30...Supporters quote he words often "I and the Father are one." Now the "one" is explained clearly before and after in the verses. It is in purpose, intent, purpose and deed.

In verse 18, Christ says "This commandment I have received from my Father." There is another story that comes to mind as well which is the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17:21-22) he says "Father if it be THY will, please remove this cup from me".. ."Father not my will but thy will be done" .....and then also on the cross Christ says " Father forgive them for they know not what they do"...

JESUS NEVER ONCE CLAIMED TO BE GOD....If Jesus Christ was God, his own father, why didn't he come out and say so? That is an easy answer....because it was not true.Also IF it were true why did he come up with such a confusing doctrine known as the trinity? I will ask and say again....how can you know or trust in something so confusing. Heavenly Father wants us all to be able to return to live with him again. People may wonder why I say again, is because we lived with Heavenly Father and Christ before we got here, it is known as the Pre-Existence.....I will write about that later. Something to ponder....I love when Ihear people say that we didn't live in heaven before we came, yet when loved ones die, they say that they have gone back HOME to a better place. I laugh because, I think to myself now...I have never been to Hawaii, so how can I say I am going back there, if I have never been to begin with? Make sense? Same Idea. . . but back to the subject at hand.

In all cases Jesus Christ speaks of his Father being his superior. Here are just a few scriptures, "As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father." (John 6:57)

"My doctrine is not mine but his who sent me." (John 7:16)

"For the Father judges no one, but committed all judgment to the SON." (John 5:22)

"And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one upon me." (Luke 22:29)

"All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18)

"All things have been delivered to me by my Father" (John 11:27)

"In this love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins." (1st John 4:10)

The Godhead consists of Heavenly Father, His son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a comforter. Although the members of the Godhead are distinct beings with distinct roles, they are one in purpose and doctrine. They are perfectly united in bringing to pass Heavenly Father's divine plan. These tremendously significant and amazing declarations are in complete and total harmony with the words of the Lord in His great intercessory prayer which says:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).....

My view of the Godhead and my belief in the principle of continuing revelation on scriptural cannon is through study,much prayer, and not to say in a way to demean but just simple common sense... I love how simple the Gospel is...In addressing my view of the trinity, One thing I will not do is be an apologist for my faith, but I also do not want to be misunderstood. So with my sincere desire to increase understanding and also show that even though there are those of us who do not believe in the "Holy Trinity" that does not make us UN-christian, nor does my or any of our salvation depend on that belief. I have written these things because I want to declare my Christianity and also to give those who do believe a chance to truly examine what they believe and to then ask with a pure heart, to know if what they have read would be true, I would encourage them to find the right answers.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and also express my views and opinions.

Have a great day!

The Shack- Book Club Discussion Questions.... My Answers

Were you drawn in by the plot of The Shack?

A: Yes, so may quests were coming through my line at target ranting about this book,So I read the back of it and it totally pulled me in.

How did reading this book affect your faith?

A: Personally it made my faith even stronger in what I believe in to be right, but there were certain aspects of the book that made me sad for others who took the book as scriptural, cause it is far from. But as a FICTIONAL book it was a good read.

Does it change, challenge, strengthen your image of God?

A; Absolutely not.It does not change or challenge my view of God. It does however reassure that my view of Heavenly Father is on the right track..... I am not a believer in the Trinity at all, it is a false teaching. I can see how those who do believe in the Trinity are so confused, because the concept is outrageous. God is not complicated. The image and nature of God and who he is, is so simple children can understand it.

Why is God portrayed as a woman, what reasons does God give Mack?

A;Mack had a bad relationship with his father and the way Heavenly Father presented himself was in the form of a woman because he knew that would be a softer approach to get Mack to listen. He would have been very standoff-ish had he shown himself as a man.

What part of the book spoke to you the most, and why?(If you can find it please read it) .....

A: I cant find it specifically in the book, but I like when Mack is behind the waterfall and he gets to see his daughter in the other side. . . To see that she is not in pain, not suffering, but enjoying a beautiful and beyond comprehension a land we cant even imagine, and is the presence of the Savior, and talking with him and Playing with him. I think that is right on target. The passing of someone or a loss stinks so bad, but there is great joy for them, and I think that is a wonderful thing to remember.

Are there any brief quotes in the book that you like?

A;Yes ---- "Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears. They can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak."

"...if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will be the same again."

""Sometimes honesty can be incredibly messy""

Last one....."Each relationship between two persons is absolutely unique. That is why you cannot love two people the same. It simply is not possible. You love each person differently because of who they are and the uniqueness that they draw out of you."

Why do you think Mack's encounter with God took place at the shack?

A: The shack would be the place that would cause you to be vulnerable, and would humble you and bring out any and all emotions which is what is needed in order to heal. It is required that you be completely broken.

If God were to invite you somewhere, where would it be? (In other words, where is the center of your doubt and pain)?

A: It would be anywhere, where I am constantly broken down and rejected for who I am and what I believe and trying to share that with those that I love. It hurts me so bad. It hurts because I want them to know of the happiness that I have in my life and the HUGE blessings that come from believing what I believe. I know that what I believe is true, I see its effects everyday, especially on my husband. He is living proof! My ultimate sadness is that I am constantly rejected or made to feel inadequate about being able to share my beliefs and the thing is is my faith is who I am. Its not just a Sunday thing, its a way of life and and my (our) way of being.......That would be one spot.

Do you think suffering makes people closer to God or causes them to distance themselves from Him?

A:I think it all depends on your beliefs. What your perceptive is. I know from my life and what I have learned and been taught and found for myself is that. Suffering and trials are given to us to help us grown and become something knew. The story of the refiner;s fire. When we suffer it is the purpose to understand that we CANNOT do things alone, we must rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to EASE our burdens, not take them away. If they took them away....What would we learn? Nothing. When we do not learn we do not grow.

What has been the pattern in your life? See above answer....

Were you satisfied with God's answers to Mack about suffering? A: Yes

Do you struggle with believing God is good in light of all the tragedy in the world?

A: Yes, absolutely, the best gift we were given when coming to earth was the ability to have free agenct..the right to choose. When different things happen it is because of others actions, and sometimes good people are in the wrong place, and at he wrong time. . . As far as natural disasters....That is part of the world that was created, our job is to be prepared for whatever may some as we have been taught since day one to do.

Did The Shack change any of your opinions about God or Christianity?
A: No, it confirmed to me that most of the Christian world is mislead by the false teachings of the Trinity.

What were some of the things The Shack teaches about God, faith and life that you disagreed with?

A; The trinity- obviously as I have stated..but also that you do not have to forgive and forget. That is also false. We are told to forgive and forget, Only the Lord ( Jesus Christ) has the option to do one or the other.

Does God answer convincingly the reason for the trinity?

A; No. and it is confusing. Confusing because it was created by man. The Gospel and The Nature Of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and The Holy Ghost are so so so simple. I think because they are so simple it is hard for people to wrap their mind around it, and that's because of the confusing they have been taught. The trinity was never biblically spoken about, the word Trinity is not even in the Bible. Strange why so many by into it. Three will never be One.

Does the idea of God a character in the book, or God's first-person voice, bother you...or does it work within the context of The Shack's story?

A: I think that the way the introduced is perfect to who they are...individuals. One in purpose but seperate beings. As you read in the book, they all have their own duties and conversations with Mack, all witht he same purpose to show him about love ad forgivness and to understand that others choices in no way make Heavenly Father the bad person. The Trinitarian aspect really bothered me.

Why did God let Missy die?

A; Again, others choices, can effect us good or bad. That is a gift from H.F. to us. but again in trials we grown and draw closer to him.

Do you think The Shack answers convincingly the central question of theodicy, the existence of evil—or why, if there is a God, bad things happen to good people?

A;Yes

What does The Shack say about forgiveness—toward the self or toward those who have wronged you.

Young has been criticized for advocating lawlessness (p. 122) ...or universalism (p. 225)? Do you think that is a fair or unfair criticism?

A: Ithink it is a fictional story, It was meant to entertain.

Many readers find the first 4 chapters of The Shack almost too painful to read. Could they have been written in a way that would be less painful—without changing the book's message?

A: No, harshness is real. Sadness and Pain are real. In order to fully understand you had to be brought into Macks sadness, and it felt very very real. Made it that much better to read.

Does the book's ultimate message satisfy you?

A: Yes, I like that the message is about ot being angry with God. but to understand that trials are there for a reason.

Is it possible to let go of control and certainty in life?
A: No. I think that is part of Human nature. What we can do is rely on The Lord to help us in the right direction, to pray and study, that how we can be in control, but not. Make sense?

Is it possible to live only in the present?

A: I find it hard. I am a worrier. I am also a perosn who likes to be 2 steps ahead if anything were to go wrong or change I want to always have a Plan B.

If you think about your soul as a garden, what do you imagine it being like? Is it neat and all in order? Is it a mess? Do you want it in order? Do you want it to be a mess or in order? Does it need weeding?

A; I think of my life as A beautiful yet thorny Garden. Some things are like roses, beautiful outcome in the end, but thorny and tough all the way up to get that reward of the flower. I think everyone;s garden needs weeding. Weeding to me is using the Atonement of the Savior.


Did you have a hard time with the way the author presented God's gender? Why or why not?

A: I did. i do not think God is a woman in anyway shape or form, Scripturally we know that. I do however believe that we have a Heavenly Mother. Who is not spoken of so she can be preserved, and kept for us when we return to live with our Heavenly Father and our Older brother and Savior JEsus Christ again.

Did you find the presentation of the Trinity helpful or totally off balance?

A:Totally off balance. As I said before it is a false teaching.

When you pray to or think about God, what is the mental picture that comes to mind of what God looks like?

A; I picture someone who looks very closely to the savior, just older and with white hair. Sweet and tender with such a warm smile and loving approachable arms, and I picture him to be relativly large in stature.

Mack naturally relates to Jesus the best out of any member of the Trinity? Which do you tend to relate to when you pray?

A: Well when I pray I pray to Heavenly Father, in the name of his Son. So I look at Heavenly Father as a father figure, much like my earthly father. The same kind of comfort and ablity to speak to him freely as if talking to my dad. I think there is not one that I lean towards more that another. I love them both very very much but differently.

Do you think God is too nice in The Shack?

A: No, i think that Heavenly father is even nicer. I think that he is so great and wonderful and compassionate, especailly

What do you think about how Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu relate to one another?

A; They are one in purpose bt Three seperate beings with their own individual jobs.

The Great Sadness goes from being something that is the grief of Mack, to the thing that defines him. How did this happen?

A: Sometimes I think that people let their trials, and grief and sorrows, define them. And they depend on that sadness their whole life. If they could only step back and see the wonderful workings of The Savior in their life......They would have no choice but to let go of everything they thought defined them and they would find that in those hard times and the :" Why this, and why that?" That they had become new creatures, they had been refined.

I think Mack realized that when he was able to see that, Papa had never left his side, he was always there, but it was up to mack to make that change,and make the outreach to him, and to ask him for help, once that happened, Mack became someone knew.
How does this happen in people that you know?

In what ways does the Great Sadness in Mack hurt him in his relationships with other people?

A; It is easy to be consumed with with the burden and hurt and pain. The thing is the Gospel, and our relationship with Heavenly Father and with Jesus Christ and with the Holy Ghost, is this, they will lead us, guide us, and help us. It is our job to listen and heed their council.

Throughout the story we see that Mack, although he can hardly speak it, blames God for taking his daughter away. When do we blame God? Why?

A; I will say again, I think that it is all i how you have been taught, and what you have learned form studying the Scriptures, and understanding our purpose for being here. It makes everything much more clear.

How do we reconcile with God after this?

A: By using his sons Atonement. Asking for forgiveness, and hopefully praying for the answers that you feel you are lacking, and then praying for the direction to be shown to you.

How does Mack's forgiveness of himself, God, and others get him to the point where he can be a better husband, father, and friend?

A: He let go of anger, anger takes a lot more strength. and ALOT of Effort. Once that is put to the side, it is unreal how much time is freed up.

Do you think this is true of all of us?

A: YESSSSSS

The Shack- Book Club Discussion Questions....

These are my questions for our Book Club, I thought I would put them up on for everyone to answer and share their thoughts and feelings on it, as well as those in the book club to write them down and think of what they are going to answer in reguards to the questions, and to what to look for and try to answer as they are reading. I chose this book because, it has a great meaning of not being angry with God. Also seeing loved ones again..The book is a great fictional story.

Here are the questions:

Were you drawn in by the plot of The Shack?

How did reading this book affect your faith?

Does it change, challenge, strengthen your image of God?

Why is God portrayed as a woman, what reasons does God give Mack?

What part of the book spoke to you the most, and why?(If you can find it please read it)

Are there any brief quotes in the book that you like?

Why do you think Mack's encounter with God took place at the shack? If God were to invite you somewhere, where would it be? (In other words, where is the center of your doubt and pain)?

Do you think suffering makes people closer to God or causes them to distance themselves from Him? What has been the pattern in your life?

Were you satisfied with God's answers to Mack about suffering? Do you struggle with believing God is good in light of all the tragedy in the world?

How is Young's description of God different from your concept of God? What parts of his description did you like and what parts didn't you like?

Did The Shack change any of your opinions about God or Christianity?

What were some of the things The Shack teaches about God, faith and life that you disagreed with?

Does God answer convincingly the reason for the trinity?

Does the idea of God a character in the book, or God's first-person voice, bother you...or does it work within the context of The Shack's story?

Why did God let Missy die? Do you think The Shack answers convincingly the central question of theodicy, the existence of evil—or why, if there is a God, bad things happen to good people?

What does The Shack say about forgiveness—toward the self or toward those who have wronged you.

Young has been criticized for advocating lawlessness (p. 122) ...or universalism (p. 225)? Do you think that is a fair or unfair criticism?

Many readers find the first 4 chapters of The Shack almost too painful to read. Could they have been written in a way that would be less painful—without changing the book's message?

Does the book's ultimate message satisfy you? Is it possible to let go of control and certainty in life? Is it possible to live only in the present?

Do you think suffering draws people closer to God or distances them from Him? Which has it done in your life?

If you think about your soul as a garden, what do you imagine it being like? Is it neat and all in order? Is it a mess? Do you want it in order? Do you want it to be a mess or in order? Does it need weeding?

Why do you think Missy was buried in the garden?

How did the author's description of God differ from your understanding of God? What parts of the descriptions of God did you resonate with? What parts did you have a hard time with? Why?

Did you have a hard time with the way the author presented God's gender? Why or why not?

Did you find the presentation of the Trinity helpful or totally off balance? Why or why not?

When you pray to or think about God, what is the mental picture that comes to mind of what God looks like?

Mack naturally relates to Jesus the best out of any member of the Trinity? Which do you tend to relate to when you pray? When you think about what is God is like?

Do you think God is too nice in The Shack?

What do you think about how Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu relate to one another?

The Great Sadness goes from being something that is the grief of Mack, to the thing that defines him. How did this happen? How does this happen in people that you know?

In what ways does the Great Sadness in Mack hurt him in his relationships with other people?

In what ways does Mack blame himself for what happened to Missy? How does this define him?

Throughout the story we see that Mack, although he can hardly speak it, blames God for taking his daughter away. When do we blame God? Why? How do we reconcile with God after this?

What were your thoughts about Mack's reconciliation with his father? In what ways do our relationships with our parents define us? Color our relationship with God? With others?

Why is Mack's forgiveness of the killer important? To Papa? To Mack? For the killer?

How does Mack's forgiveness of himself, God, and others get him to the point where he can be a better husband, father, and friend? Do you think this is true of all of us?

House of Testosterone!!!!

Oh the joys of being in a home of all boys and one more on the way. i am even out numbered by the dog!! I will say that being the only girl in the house, I do get to have certain things my way which makes the rest of the house alot more smoothe....Happy wife and mommy equals happy life for all others involved.... I will talk more later, At least I have updated the blog...Semi.. later....

I will be writing soon....

Sorry ihave not written in a while. You would think I would have written more being on bedrest I assure you I will be writing much more.

Thank so much

Until Later.....

And the IDIOT Said: "THEY MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT FRANCE IS DOING SOCIALISM RIGHT -- WE SHOULD BE MORE LIKE THEM."

I can (and will) give you all sorts of stats and stories to prove that the French have created an unsustainable society, but the best evidence of all comes from an opinion column. Along with what this writer actually says, it's where he says it that's shocking: The New York Times.

"I lived for about a decade, on and off, in France and later moved to the United States. Nobody in their right mind would give up the manifold sensual, aesthetic and gastronomic pleasures offered by French savoir-vivre for the unrelenting battlefield of American ambition were it not for one thing: possibility.

You know possibility when you breathe it. For an immigrant, it lies in the ease of American identity and the boundlessness of American horizons after the narrower confines of European nationhood and the stifling attentions of the European nanny state, which has often made it more attractive not to work than to work."

The key word he used was "possibility" because it really sums up everything that capitalism is about. You stay at work an extra hour because of the possibility that your boss might notice and eventually promote you. You put your home on the line to start your own business because of the possibility that you might become the next Microsoft or Google. You spend your life savings to send your children to college because of the possibility that they will be presented with a life full of endless possibilities.

As the Times columnist said, France has lost that -- and it's not hard to understand why. Archaic laws, senseless social programs, poor (but free) education, enclaves filled with disenfranchised immigrants and unemployed youths, and massive public debt have combined to make France a nice place to visit, but a pretty depressing place to live.

I talk a lot about how our government -- to borrow a term from the great economist Thomas Sowell -- can't think "beyond stage one." They try to solve problems with obvious solutions without thinking about the consequences of those solutions. But we didn't invent that kind of narrow, short-term thinking...France did.

France decided that the best way to keep their citizens working was to create all kinds of laws and regulations for employers to follow. Most of us know about their 35-hour work week and long summer vacations, but that's only the start. The number of rules that French companies have to follow in order to hire or fire someone would put the New York City Teachers' Union to shame.

But what France forgot was that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The consequence of all those laws to prevent unemployment was massive unemployment, especially among the young. It's really just common sense -- if you can hire and fire at will, you are much more likely to take a chance on new employees, especially young ones without much experience. But when "at will" instead turns into ironclad, virtually lifelong commitments, you're much more careful about whom you hire.

The numbers show that this is exactly what's happened as 23 percent of young people in France are unemployed. To fight that trend, France's former prime minister created another set of regulations, called the "first job contract." It gives employers the ability to hire anyone under 26 years old for what is essentially a two-year trial period. During that time the draconian state employment rules are loosened, enabling companies to take more chances.

Now, 64 percent of all French youths aged 15-24 take part in the temporary work program within a year of completing their education -- but many of them hate the idea. Having grown up in a country where a job was always viewed as a right, they believe the "first job contract" program victimizes them and, as they say in their protests, "institutionalizes insecurity."

Maybe one reason why they say that is that -- pardon my French -- they're not that smart. After all, most students in France go to schools that are virtually free and have no restrictions on entry (including no minimum test scores or grade point average). In addition, teachers are government employees, which makes sense, considering that over 25 percent of all jobs in France are in the public sector.

The result of this wonderfully non-discriminatory, sunshine-and-lollipops approach to education is a drop-out rate of 40 percent, lecture halls that are bursting at the seams, universities without any interest in research, and the distinction of not even placing one school in the top 40 of the most recent worldwide rankings. France has only three schools in the top hundred.

Combining terrible educations with a government that acts like a countrywide HR department from hell does not set the French up for economic success. And it shows. While the government takes 44 percent of GDP in taxes every year (the euro-zone average is closer to 40 percent), it's not nearly enough. Someone has to pay for all the free education, health care, and short work weeks -- and, right now, it's France's lenders. A government-commissioned report pointed out that, without drastic action, France's debt load will go from 66 percent of GDP today to 80 percent by 2010 to a catastrophic 100 percent in 2014.

Is America destined for the same fate? If we keep going the way we are, absolutely. For proof, just listen to the way a recent Economist article described the general attitude there:

"[In France] there is a lingering culture of suspicion of profit, and a demonisation of business leaders, encouraged by a mainstream left that still equates efficiency with injustice."

Now ask yourself: Is America moving toward that way of thinking, with all of its laws and feel-good regulations, or away from it?

An Eternal Perspective...

My husband got a phone call the other day form his mom, talking about his dad. The hospice nurse called and said that my father in law is starting to show the "failing signs" ....my mind has been racing. It almost has seemed unreal in a way that my father in law would truly pass someday because he has fought so hard to be alive. He has not once followed a single pattern of anyone else who has had his cancer. In watching my husband today and yesterday, I can see the worry, being scared, sad, and on the verge of tears, almost every time I look at him. he is so strong. I only hope when the time comes I can hold myself together and be there for him. Even thought I know I am going to be a mess. My father in law is a wonderful man.

In thinking of all that has been going on, I was thinking about the word "Grief" or "Grieving". Grief, is the sense of suffering that accompanies loss, is a common part of mortality as we lose loved ones or experience other tragedies. Because Jesus Christ has suffered the pains and afflictions of all mankind, we can be comforted and healed as we pray to the Father in His name and rely upon His Atonement.

"Just as the lame man at the pool of Bethesda needed someone stronger than himself to be healed (see John 5:1–9), so we are dependent on the miracles of Christ's atonement if our souls are to be made whole from grief, sorrow, and sin. If grieving parents and loved ones have faith in the Savior and his plan, death's sting is softened as Jesus bears the believers' grief and comforts them through the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, broken hearts are mended and peace replaces anxiety and sorrow. . . . As Isaiah stated concerning the Savior, 'Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: . . . And with his stripes we are healed' (Isaiah 53:4–5).

"The prophet Alma also spoke of Christ's healing power as he taught the Gideonites. Referring to Christ, Alma stated that he would go forth 'suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. . . . And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, . . . that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people' (Alma 7:11–12). Whatever the source of pain, Jesus understands and can heal the spirit as well as the body"

Faith is what I know is going to help our family out those first few months and will still help us 2-3 years from whenever the time does come.... If I honestly didn’t know the gospel was true or didn't have this Gospel in my life, I think that losing someone would be unbearable. I am NOT saying it is an easy thing whatsoever, but I do know that with having an Eternal perspective, it makes things so much easier. I know that we will meet one another again, I know that his dad will accept the Gospel, and I know that he will be welcomed by His family and friends who have passed already and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will welcome him back home, in their presence. It is a comfort to me to know that we lived with our Heavenly Father and Christ before we came to this earth and are excited to see us return.

I have been reading a book called "Glimpses of Heaven"....it is written by a woman who used to be a hospice nurse and she talked about peoples experience right before they pass. It is an amazing book! I know that we are to“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5–6).

I know that we must have complete trust in our Father’s plan of happiness and our Savior’s part in that plan. Trusting in His plan give us peace. I know that because of the Savior;s part in that plan which was his Atonement that Big Chuck will be able to be forgiven of any sins or mis doings in his life, and be able to accept the fullness of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that I am so grateful for God’s gift of laws and commandments. Peace, hope, and direction are outcomes of striving to live the teachings of Jesus and obeying His laws and commandments.

The scriptures teach, “Great peace have they which love thy law” (Ps. 119:165). They also teach that “he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (D&C 59:23).

To me the commandments and laws of God are like the kite string. They will lead us and guide us upward. Obedience to these laws gives us peace, hope, and direction.

The other thing that i can think of that we can do to receive these blessings of peace, hope, and direction is to learn to respond to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and acknowledge to the Lord our gratitude for this great gift. I know personally that when we have big trials, they are so hard while going through them, but the person that we become after them is remarkable if we stay close and rely on our Loving Heavenly Father and His son. I know it, without a shadow of a doubt. Conveying that to others and having them know it just as strongly is another story.

I know you are thinking...."Lauren why are you writing as if he is dead?" My answer is I'm not, I am however trying to prepare myself in some way so that when the time does come i can be able to know where to turn and be able to give comfort to those that I love who will be suffering right along with me, and be able to help them see blessings even in death. I did find three verses in the Doctrine and Covenants that had caught my eye when I was looking up comfort “And all they who have mourned shall be comforted. And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God” (D&C 101:14–16).

THIS was exactly what I needed to read and find, and it had been there all along in my scriptures. Sometimes, I know I do, but we forget to turn to our scriptures for sweet blessings and personal revelation. I’d always heard that the scriptures would help me in my life, but I never really understood how much, until I had gotten married, and had a child and then was sealed in the temple. Even more so know with family trials we have been dealing with. There is Great solice that comes from reading and studying in my scriptures. Throughout the rest of my life I know that I will have many challenges and obstacles that I have to overcome, and I know that I will always strive to go to my scriptures first. .

I have much more going through my head but as I sit here, at midnight, on a wooden chair, being 7 months pregnant and uncomfortable, my wonderful couch aka "My bed" is calling me to relax and sleep. Until next time....

Being a mother. The best blessing I have in life.

Chuck and I watched a movie last night called "Everybody's Fine" and then a few weeks back we watch "I can do bad all by myself" both of these movies dealt with children and it really got me thinking about how much I love my children, and how much I have learned in my short time of being a parent. I know even when I am a Grandparent one day I will still be learning how to parent. One of my favorite songs is from Primary Called " I am a Child Of God" These are the words:

I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.

I am a child of God,
And so my needs are great;
Help me to understand his words
Before it grows to late.
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.

I am a child of God.
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will
I'll live with him once more.
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.

I am a child of God.
His promises are sure;
Celestial glory shall be mine
If I can but endure.
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.

Children come into this world whole, innocent, and pure (see Moses 6:54). “They cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me” D&C 29:47

We are commanded to become like them, In all that we do. How they learn and view things and here are some scriptures illustrating this.....

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

“Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” Matt. 18:2–4

There are very high requirements of righteousness, purity, holiness, and sinlessness needed to enter the kingdom of God are taught throughout scripture check out-------- 1 Cor. 6:9–10; 1 Ne. 10:21; Alma 7:21; Hel. 8:25; Moses 6:57.

Some things I have learned while being a mother:

Spend time with my child soon to be Children.Pray for them. Help them love the sabbath & obey the sabbath. Teach them to have faith in Heavenly Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ. We know we are to quiet our fears with Faith in the Lord. Make time for Teaching & Learning. Remember what my calling is as a mother.

I want you to know that I truly, truly rejoice in being a woman (even the bad things, of once a moth :0) ).. especially being a Latter-day Saint woman. I am so grateful to live in this time and day, because Heavenly Father has made known what the divine role of women is and his plan for our salvation, this is a day of many opportunities for our personal growth and individual expression. Ive learned this the easy and hard way.

I am GRATEFUL to be the wife of an amazing son of our Heavenly Father, one who loves the Lord, who honors his priesthood, who presides as head of the house & patriarch in our home. I am so thankful to be a mother. I have never been sorry for that choice to become a parent, and to stay home with my son through the day. I am so thankful that my husband does all within his power to make sure that this can be done.

****Marriage ****

I have been thinking this whole week about how much I love my husband and the wonderful man that he is. I would like to think that part of who he has become, has to do with him being married to me, but I know that is not the case. Heavenly Father knew who he would become. In thinking about all that we have been through as a couple because or anniversary is coming up soon I wanted to share about what I think the art of making your marriage successful is. I have only been dating my husband for 5 years :0).... but we have only been married for 4. I think we have learned quite a bit in that time though. Especially after my husband joined the church. It made a world of difference.

I know that our Heavenly Father loves all of us and wants us to be happy. The scriptures talk about how “Men are, that they might have joy.” President Spencer W. Kimball has (who is one of my favorite prophets) has told us that the price of happiness is to keep the commandments. Nowhere else in the world is happiness and success more important than in our marriage.

The foundation for a happy and successful marriage is a marriage in the temple.I was lucky enough to marry my best friend for Eternity on May 10, 2008 in the Columbus Ohio Temple.The blessings available to us by going to the temple and having our family sealed to us for time and all eternity was the most amazing experience. Seeing my son and my husband in all white, with family and friends present was magical. Going to the Temple more is something that we are striving for, because we know that,that is what will make the marriage strong.

When our Heavenly Father put the plan in place for us to come to this earth, He gave us our free agency, allowing us to make our own decisions. He also gave us guidelines to help us live righteously. I am so thankful.

In Heavenly Fathers wisdom He gives us many problems, He knew that by meeting these challenges,finding answers and solutions we will gain knowledge and have skills, we can develop our character, and learn to overcome evil,evil that is very real,but all of this will help us while we are here on earth, as well as in the life after we die.

I think we should look at problems in marriage as opportunities for growth and development. My husband and i have learned to talk through everything even if it hurt to talk about. As we meet the challenges successfully, we will enjoy peace, love, and tranquility in our marriage and in our home because of the communication that we have with one another. Sometimes our communication can be off, but we get right back on track. :0)

One of the first things as couple we did and do is establish and then maintain good relations with each other. We want to be each others sweethearts, and to be each others sweethearts you must work at it. I would challenge everyone to do everything possible to make your companion happy. Be kind and considerate of each other. When problems arise, talk things over calmly and resolve differences as soon as they arise. NOTHING is good if you let it fester and bubble.

Some wonderful advice of some of the Prophets are these: President Hinckley said that quiet speech in the home is the language of peace.President McKay used to say that we should never yell at each other in the home. And then, comically he would add that maybe on one occasion it would be all right and that would be if the house were on fire and you needed to get everyone out and on board at the same time. LOL.

Sometimes it is difficult for me to understand why my husband dosen’t see things the same and come to the same conclusions as I do....But people are different in their thinking and their understanding, and opinions will more often than not vary. Chuck and I have learned that our differences must be taken care of quick,especially if we as husband and wife are to be happy and work together as a team.

I think to achieve a successful marriage it is important to reach an understanding on what is expected of each of us as a married couple. More often than not the husband is the breadwinner, and he should be willing to work hard and to do all in his power to properly take care of the financial needs of his family. When our son Jackson was on the way this is something that my husband and I discussed.From that point the priorities were set for the best welfare of our family. Now that we are expecting a second child, more action has been taken, and my husband has found an even better job opportunity to provide for all of us. I am so grateful for him and what he does.

As the wife I am the homemaker.Granted I do work outside of the home, during the evenings, but it is for when my husband can be home to take care of our child ( children) and gives him the opportunity to have one on one time just as I do. It is my responsibility to see that a clean, and (semi) orderly home is maintained.( I try really hard)....In some sad cases divorces have occurred when the wife becomes sluggish or not caring about her personal appearance, or becomes a careless housekeeper, or even both. I cannot stress enough the importance of personal cleanliness, good appearance, and maintaining a clean, orderly home. No we are not perfect but we can certainly try our best to make sure that we do our part.

Now because I also work outside of the home, my husband should help with the housekeeping chores.Which he absolutely does (except the dishes, but that's alright) I know that because my husband truly loves me as his wife, he does not want or allow me to work more than my health and strength permit, especially being pregnant now and with other stresses that life demands on mothers... So he is always willing and wants to help me in every way. I love him for that, and how he can be understanding. Not always at first but after I explain my feelings he always is there. :0) The important thing is that we work together and help each other.

I hope that by our actions it lets others know how much we love and care for each other. We have made it a goal, separately and at different times, and when told each other our goals we laughed because we each had been trying without the other one knowing and it did us wonders because we were trying to demonstrate consideration at all times to one another.

I will say that it would be nice for him to open the door of the car for me every once in a while, but I cant blame him cause he was never taught how to do those things. To other men I say when you enter or leave a building together, open the door and let her go in first or help her to be seated before you are seated. Ladies really like this. :0)

I will admit that we as ladies sometimes don’t allow enough time to perform the courtesies. I do know that we need to take the extra time to give the chance for this to happen...

Money management is very important. We decided early on in our relationship to combine our finances and Chuck was in charge of them.These are some things that really helped us to make sure money was not a burden on our marriage, and we still have to work on these. These kinds of things are the things as a couple you will always have to work at.

1. First, always pay your tithing.We try to continually keep ourselves eligible for the great blessings the Lord has promised to those of us who obey this commandment. He made this statement in the scriptures:

“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (Mal. 3:10.) I KNOW that this is true. I have seen the blessings of tithing in my life. Even before my husband was a member we paid our tithes and offerings. It truly is a blessing we could not do without.

2. Next, pay yourself something off the top. After tithing we through some money into our savings account. Brigham Young once said: “If you wish to get rich, save what you get. A fool can earn money; but it takes a wise man to save and dispose of it to his own advantage.” No wiser words could have ever been spoken.

3. Next, we avoid using credit cards. We have One for emergencies, and it is never used. We are always being urged to “buy now, pay later.” While it sounds easy and even glamorous sometimes to surround ourselves with luxuries before they are earned. My advice to is to save now and buy later. This not only keeps the high interest away that is evil, but it will also keep you out of financial bondage.

President J. Reuben Clark Jr. advised us: “Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague; where we are now in debt let us get out of debt; if not today, then tomorrow. Let us straightly and strictly live within our incomes, and save a little.”...Nice huh?

4. Budget your income and outgoing money.We do not live beyond our means. If we did that it would be to consistently spend more than you earn and makes it impossible to keep control your “wants” and "needs". We have been there and are not planning on returning. EVER. We learned early one from our own childhood, and then becoming young adults, you make dumb mistakes, but once you have learned ABANDON the debt.

Establish priorities, we remember that our family always comes first and foremost in our life.The next priority is Church responsibilities,then your business affairs meaning the way we earn our living.

The Savior said when He told his disciples, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33.)

Time is one of our most valuable possessions. Use it wisely. Remind yourselves often that things that matter most should not be left to the mercy of things that matter the least. Not sure who said that but it has stuck in my mind.

One thing We should do is constantly evaluate ourselves and strive to live righteous lives and accomplish the purpose of our creation, we must constantly review the past, determine our current status, and set goals for the future. If you ask my husband I am a "Lister" i constantly have some sort of plan. Without that process though there is little chance of reaching our goal As family.

Another thing that I have learned while being married is to associate with good people. The people that I associate with will contribute to somehow or another to my and chucks success or failure, and others actions and ideals will have a profound influence on life and your actions, either for good or evil. I have learned to keep the company of good people and not associate with evil especially by staying out of the devil’s territory and away form others who are not wanting to hold the same values that Have in my life.

I have learned to be honest in all matters. I am so honest with my spouse, with my family, and even with myself which can be very hard... But I know that honesty includes freedom from lying, deceiving, cheating, or stealing, as well as meeting our commitments and not feeling like you are living a double life.

At work I really seek to guard my reputation for honesty and dependability very carefully. I know my husband does as well. It is one of my most valuable possessions.

Since we have become parents, we feel responsible to teach and train our kids. We want to teach them the love we have for our scriptures and we try to make this very clear. Jackson loves to read and hear about the Book of Mormon. We are currently getting ready to but him his first Book of Mormon, for children.

In Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) 68:25 it says this “Inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of … hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.” This is a huge responsibility on our part, and we intend to do all within our power to make sure we teach Jackson and Grayson to love the Gospel.

Our home responsibilities as parents and raising our children is in our minds and shows in our actions as parents hopefully everyday. Especially since we strive everyday to have a successful marriage and want that to be achieved. This is a pretty famous statement made by President McKay and I think it should always be remembered and that is that “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”

I am trying and striving to let love radiate in our home and in every part of our life, not only to Chuck and I, but also to our children, our nephews, in laws, and all our other relatives on top of our friends and the people that we work with. The Lord commanded us to love one another when he said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matt. 22:39.) Quarreling, bickering, and faultfinding should be avoided at all costs. I know I am currently struggling with this, i pray fervently that I can know the right things to say and do and to not hold others in harsh judgement because I would not want the same done to me and I am the only I can be held accountable for. So if I do not do what I have been instructed I am at fault. I cant take the blame for someone Else's attitude.

In 3 Nephi (3 Ne.) 11:29–30 the Lord made this statement:

“He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

“Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”

And also in Mosiah 4:14, we read that parents are particularly responsible for the behavior of their children:

“And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.”

When we say our family prayers we take turns each night whoever is saying the prayers that night and we thank Heavenly Father for the blessings He has given us,we pray for our family and for our home and we ask for the things we need that will be for our good or for the betterment of our family.

I know that our Heavenly Father always answers our prayers. Sometimes His answers are not what we expect or asked for or even want to know the answer to, but I know and promise that His answers are always for our good. After all, He knows better than we know about how our prayers should be answered!

I also try to find a few minutes each day to study my scriptures and then ponder the scriptures. Which is how I end up with my horribly long posts that I do over the course of the day, because either I have been thinking about it for a while and it all just comes out, or I thought about it all night and could not sleep. In the scriptures we find answers to all of life’s problems. It is amazing how many times you can read the scriptures and every time yo read it something new pops out or you see it in a different light.AMAZING!

Finally we strive to ALWAYS attend our meetings, magnify our callings for chuck magnifying his calling in the priesthood. As a wife, I try to always support Chuck in his Church assignments; and as my husband, I know he supports me as my calling requires me through the week. Try to go to the temple often (we are striving to do this as well) because we know then that we can carry the spirit we feel there back into our home. We strive to be diligent in keeping the covenants we made in the house of the Lord.

Again my favorite, President Kimball once said, “Almost all marriages could be beautiful, harmonious, and happy, and eternal ones, if the two people primarily involved would determine that it should be, that it must be, that it will be.” Bottom line....Marriage is Honorable.

I hope and pray that Heavenly Father will bless you and your family as I know he has abundantly and continuously blesses ours whether we feel we deserve it or not. Even more so in your efforts to make your marriage successful for both time and all eternity. As my husband and I are trying to do as well. I hope and pray that as our marriage grows I can add to the list of things that I know now that makes a marriage successful. Even though we are young, we have been taught and we understand to do as the Lord has commanded us. Have a wonderful day.

Until next time.....

Lauren

Mother-In-Law Issues & What to do about them.....

How do you recover after a major blow-up with your Mother-In-Law? Or How can you try and deal with the crazy that she is?

Vent. Talk to you girlfriends, not your husband. Your girlfriends will let you get it off your chest. Dr. Phil says ‘If you haven’t talked to your in-law about what’s bothering you, then you don’t have the right to be complaining about the problem to others.” While we totally intellectually “get” that, we aren’t all strong enough to confront our Mother-In-Law. You have to get it off your chest, so go ahead and vent.If you have sister in laws like I do, talk with them, chances are they are going through the same EXACT thing... I tried to get it off my chest with my mother in law and nothing has changed. If anything, I think that it made things better for a while, then right back down the crap shoot. In all honesty I think she just tolerates me. I have tried and still am trying to do what I ave been taught to do which is to turn the other cheek and to always respond with warmth and kindness.

Stop complaining about your Mother-In-Law to your husband. I know it’s hard. This does’t mean don’t have constructive conversations with hubby about setting boundaries. Just stop complaining. Remember, no man likes to come home to a complaining wife. As a bonus, the less you complain about your Mother-in-Law, the more likely he is to complain about her! But when he does, resist the temptation to join in the fun!!!! Listen to his complaints, but don’t add to them. It can be extremely gratifying to hear him complain about her! This is more than true. Then at some point and time, everything you have been talking about he will come to understand and you can finally, Finally say "I told you so..but you thought I was crazy"... One thing we have as women is to know how to read another woman. It is a GIFT!

Do NOT email your Mother-In-Law! In fact, do not create a written record that you will later regret after you’ve calmed down. Even if you receive an aggravating email from your Mother-In-Law or others, send only the briefest, most courteous reply. You cannot take back the written word. It will only come back to haunt you!

Don’t involve the children. Shield your kids from any arguments with your spouse or in-laws. Even if you can’t stand your Mother-In-Law, you should do everything in your power to preserve a positive relationship between grandchildren and their grandparents. Don’t speak ill of your Mother-in-Law in front of your children—you know it’s the wrong thing to do.

Examine your role in the feud as objectively as you can. Did you act immaturely? Did you say something you know was out of line? Did you break a promise? Do you give her the same amount of time with her grandchildren as you allow your mother? What about your behaviour embarrasses you?

Did you give her a chance? No. Really. Many Daughters-In-Law get themselves worked up and defensive before a Mother-in-Law visit. We play out scenarios in our minds, predicting disaster, and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. She can do no right. If she insists on cooking dinner you view her as controlling and insulting your cooking. If she does’t offer to cook you see her as a lazy, imposing, ungrateful house guest. If you continuously predict negative outcomes, that is what you will get.Trust me. Even If I don't think negatively, something will still happen, Now I have learned how to roll with the punches. Whatever happens....happens.

***Have some empathy for your husband. This grudge match could be causing your husband a great deal of stress that he is not verbalizing– it’s not easy being in the middle of two women he loves. Put yourself in his shoes. Have some sympathy for the fact that he is in a lose-lose situation. If he pleases one of you, the other is certain to be mad at him. Accept the fact that however horrible your Mother-in-Law is, your husband needs to have a positive relationship with his mother.*****

Try to put yourself in your Mother-In-Law’s shoes. Even if you really, really don’t want to. Recognize that your she loves your husband. This may be the only thing you have in common with her! Can you pinpoint the root cause of her behaviour? It must be difficult for her, a seasoned wife and mother, to see you -- an inexperienced wife and mother -- doing things that don’t look right to her. Don’t you think it could be hard not to say anything if you see someone doing things you know to be wrong, be it cooking or child rearing? It is especially hard when the mother in law is selfish, and you have tried many times to help her out and it is continually rejected and pooped on. Try the exercise anyways.

Try this exercise: before speaking to your Mother-In-Law, imagine she is your own mother. Speak and react to her with the same level of respect and consideration that you would give to your own mother. Does it feel artificial? Is it difficult? Perhaps you will realize that you aren’t as nice to her as you could be.OR perhaps she is truly impossible!!!!- I have tried this and it does not work. I still continue to try the only difference is she cant handle what she dishes out, where as my mom can handle it. I admit i do not always have the right tone, but at least I try to communicate. Its something right?

Also, decide if you would rather be right or be happy. Would you rather win every argument, or would you rather have a peaceful home life with your husband and kids? Imagine your future if this feud is unresolved. What will it do to your family? Your holidays? How would you feel if your Mother-In-Law was hit by a bus tomorrow? Would you feel guilty that you didn’t try harder to make it work? I would feel horrible if something ever happened to my mother in law. I would be sad because there was not more time to try and smooth things out, on the flip side religiously speaking I think she would being for a total shock and realize that we weren't crazy, she would be in for a nice surprise. I would then look forward to reuniting with her in that form, cause then I know that I would have my husbands family for eternity too, not just this earth life.

I think that is what makes it so hard, Is that we have the keys and the knowledge to give and to share with them. About the wonderful truth of the Gospel.If they could only accept it here, they would see how much better their lives would be in regards to handling challenges that are CONSTANTLY facing our family, and being able to better deal with situations from their pasts. If only they could get the worldly thoughts out of their head. * This is a whole other topic*-I will write on that more. My head is always going...anyhow back to the subject at hand....

Work with your husband to develop an action plan. Don’t let her be the downfall of your relationship. If you are lucky, your husband is supportive, and on your side, if not see Mama's Boys.It's OK to be a Mama's Boy as long as you can still see her for when she does do something wrong and inappropriate. Either way, sit down and talk with him. Tell him he is your #1 priority -- not the feud with your Mother-in-Law. Men (who are from Mars) like to talk about solving problems rationally.

They don’t like to be emotional and empathize about a problem as women do. He is not going to say, “yes honey, she is a total whack job and you are 100% right, I’m sorry it has been so hard on you.” Ask him to brainstorm with you how to improve the relationship, such as setting new boundaries for his mother. Agree to a concrete action plan and start enacting it. You will both feel better. Good luck!

Mind you all of these things are still even a work in progress for me. We have other issues such as different religious beliefs. She thinks I and my husband are crazy and is mad at me, for HIM choosing to become part of my faith and not hers. On top of other things like..Well I am not going to say because Oh my GOSH! I could go on and on. I won't though. I may at a later date and time. I save everything for my journal writing, but I do not get to write in my journal as much as I would like, so I am going to use my blog as my journal writing, I know I feel so much better when I can write it all down. Well I am glad I could get some of this out.

Until later.....