Mom Advice

This week I received some motherhood advice from a well-meaning friend that really got me thinking...a little bit about what she said, but mainly about my opinions regarding such advice.

It seems when a woman becomes a mother she joins the largest women's organization on earth--the Mom's Club. Suddenly there are millions of caring hands there to catch her child just before she falls backward off a chair. Moms exchange knowing looks when one of their children is throwing a tantrum at the library. There are ladies in the store willing to entertain another mother's baby in the grocery cart while she digs through the diaper bag for a tissue or toy. Members of the Mom's Club don't have to know each other. They don't even have to speak the same language. They all understand that they're in this thing together, and they jump to one another's aide whenever one is in distress.

However, one ground rule was never laid when the Mom's Club was founded thousands of years ago. Perhaps it is the single crack in the foundation of this incredible organization. That rule is that no mother will ever give another mother advice on how to discipline her children unless she is asked. If all members of the Mom's Club could only adopt this fundamental rule, mothers everywhere could live in continual peace and harmony.

Now, don't get me wrong. I myself have never lived by this rule, and have undoubtedly offended several amazing mothers with my lame ideas on how to discipline. But, let's face it, every child is different. Every mother-child relationship is unique, and no form of discipline is absolutely failsafe. Furthermore no one knows a child better than his mother.

I found some counsel given by Elder James E. Faust in 1990 while he was serving in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He said the following:
"I do not know who is wise enough to say what discipline is too harsh or what is too lenient except the parents of the children themselves, who love them most. It is a matter of prayer-ful discernment for the parents. Certainly the overarching and undergirding principle is that the discipline of children must be motivated more by love than by punishment."

Isn't that great counsel! I guess the main thing to remember as mothers and as members of the Mom's Club is that we are all trying to do our best to fulfill the important responsibility with which God has entrusted us. As long as we are motivated by love, and guided by the spirit, we can all be GREAT mothers. We can all pray for guidance when we are unsure how to discipline our kids, and we will be given answers. With that in mind let's all take the approach that we will always be there to support another mother. Let's allow her the space to listen to guidance from her Heavenly Father, and stop trying to give her advice that may not be as helpful as we think.

And as for the advice other mothers give us: we can all take that advice with a grain of salt, judge whether it applies to our child, and move forward with confidence that our children are ours, and we will do what is best for them.

Eden...Camera...Floor...Oh, Oh.

Kids are really hard on things. Eden accidentally pulled my camera from the counter onto the floor. Looks like I won't be taking any pictures until some $$ rolls in. (Big sigh)

Pizza Rolls

Eden has decided she really likes Pizza Rolls...But with only four teeth, she has a little trouble eating them.

Four Generations

Four generations of powerful women: Grandma Barbie, Linda, Eden, and Charlotte.

Edie and Liz

Edie loves her Aunt Liz. This picture was taken
at Grandma and Grandpa's house over Christmas. She's such a ham!

Re-Seeking My Faith

I sit here with a few moments to myself. The baby is taking her afternoon nap, despite the clammour being made by some construction workers outside. The house is a bit chilly, and more than a little messy, yet I find myself wanting to do more than clean or cook or even surf Craigslist for new treasures. Instead, today I want to focus this little bit of time on something more important. It is crucial not because it will change me...at least not anytime soon. It is not vital to my physical health or my social stature. Today I need to focus on something infinitely more important to me: my faith.

I can recall many experiences in my life that have shaped my belief in God. I have had many prayers answered. I have had moments where I could have sworn I felt His embrace. On more than one occasion I have sat while righteous men, who held God's priesthood authority laid their hands on my head, and I knew without a doubt the words they spoke were coming straight from my Heavenly Father. It was as if He was standing in the room speaking to me from his own holy lips.

Yet after all these experiences, I find myself still searching to know if it is real. I have been taught there is only one path, only one gate, and only one way back to God's presence. I have entered in and have tried to live a life worthy of that one true way. Christ taught, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me." For this reason I feel a desperate yearning for my Savior. I recognize my need to be close to Him: to know Him better. I have felt, in the past, the despair of sin, and the joy of redemption. If only I could feel it more vividly now, amongst the day to day routine, and thus shout in gratitude, "Hallelujah, to the most High God!" If only I truly sought peace on earth or truly desired to find the lost sheep wandering in the mists of temptation! What an instrument I could be, if I were only more truly converted.

I write this entry for no one other than myself. I need to revive the testimony I have. I need to feel a desire to share it every day of my life. In order to do that I must find my faith all over again. I must start with the simple and dig to the depths. I know God lives. I know He loves me, and answers my prayers, and from there I must renew the rest, line upon line, precept upon precept until finally I am the powerful witness of Christ and His church that I am destined to be.

Funky Bus

My senior project at BYU, starring Jon Heder and Corina Thompson.