Usually when I write posts like this I
make an effort to demonstrate that my beliefs are not so different than the beliefs
of others. I think the world would be a better place if we all focused on
unity rather than judgement, individual rights, and fairness. I can
feel a whole post coming out of this, pinch me so I can stay on task!
As I
sometimes do, this time I am going to leave the application up you as a reader
with your own belief system. Please know that I am not trying to exclude
or coerce others to my way of thinking. This is something I figured out
this morning, and I feel I need to record it because my brain is about the size
of a pea and my memory a grain of quinoa...uncooked.
I was watching a video from a training meeting hosted
by the leaders of my church entitled, "Bringing Up Children in Light and
Truth and made some notes about things that stood out to me. As much as
possible I have tried to get the exact quote.
A young mother was talking about an experience she had when she
was frustrated with her son. After relating the experience she said,
"We are the closest thing to Heavenly Father for them (our children) and
we need to love and teach that way."
What a humbling and ennobling idea; as parents, we are walking in
the footsteps of Heavenly Father. That is HUGE! Our children can
learn about and feel the love of Heavenly Father based on how we love and
teach.
Later the group was talking about establishing a house of order, learning and glory and
the same young mother mentioned that if our homes are Christ centered then
everything falls into place perfectly even though daily life is chaotic.
It isn't the chaos that dictates our family life, unless we allow it to,
as long as we keep our focus on the Savior and the atonement.
Another woman said,
"Our houses are next to temples as the most sacred places on Earth."
That gives me motivation to reign in the chaos a bit so that my home can
fee like that sanctuary where peace can be felt and learning can occur.
Finally Ezra Taft Benson was
quoted. He said, "The most important teaching in the home is
spiritual." He listed the most important obligations we have as teachers
to our children. I always love it when I am given a list because there
are so many good things out there and it can be overwhelming to think of all we
need to do.
- Prepare our
children to receive the ordinances of the gospel
- Honor the
Sabbath day and keep it holy
- Instill in them
a desire for eternal life and to strive for that goal above all else
I'm on it (by which I mean I understand and I have goals to do
better than I have. Onward and upward!)
1 comment:
As I was reading your post it reminded me of the conference talk by Elder Scott. My visiting teacher gave me a copy last month for the message and I read it the other night while nursing the baby. He talks about developing a Christ-centered home. Since you like lists, I thought I'd share this quote with you :)
"The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home."
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