Happy Birthday Andy!

We got to celebrate Andy this week! He told me he didn’t want a party, but the kids pretty much planned his party for him. We went to one of Andy’s favorite restaurants: Panda Express, then went to the kid’s choice of a movie: DogMan. Andy is truly a selfless person and an amazing Dad. Our kids genuinely thought that he WANTED to see DogMan for his birthday, when really he knew he’d take just as much joy from watching his kids have fun than going to something he’d actually like to see. We did our best to spoil him with presents, cake and all of his favorite food. He spent the day after his birthday working on our bathroom project. I sure am grateful for this man and love that he’s my best friend.

Today we had Stake conference. There were a few good messages, but the one that had the greatest impact on me today, was the one about the covenant relationship. Honestly, we talk about that a lot in our church and I thought I got it, but a layer of deeper meaning fell upon my mind today.

The idea of covenants being about the relationship resonated with me. We make and keep covenants because we WANT a greater relationship with our Savior. We also make and keep covenants with our spouse when we get married. That covenant relationship brings many blessings such as trust (faith), sense of belonging, peace, and more. I get these blessings because I know he keeps and honors his covenants too. It makes differences easier to navigate, gaps are bridged, and there is a deep sense of peace that we are in this together. The eternal nature of our relationship adds a long-ranged perspective that we are both becoming. Becoming what our Heavenly Father knows we can be through our Savior’s empowering atonement. This blessing in manifest in the patience that comes, knowing that we are both striving to be better each and every day. The covenant relationship in marriage focuses on repentance, commitment, forgiveness, and faith. Our world’s view of relationships has become very self-centered. I often hear and see people say, “Well, if it isn’t working for YOU any more, then leave.” The Covenant marriage’s focus is different. If things are hard in your marriage, work harder, look to yourself to improve not to self-satisfy. How can I improve my marriage by serving my spouse? How can improving myself help my marriage? It is such a vastly different approach to managing such an important commitment. The desecration of the family is at an all time high with Satan working in over time trying to destroy, corrupt, and confuse the importance of the family unit. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, as a teacher, I knew that those children who struggled emotionally or even academically would have been doing better if they had a present parent and/or a loving home. Some had loving homes, but their parents weren’t able to be present because it was too hard to make ends meet. Some had physically present parents whose love was focused on their addictions, leaving their kids to fend for themselves. I am all about building independence with my children, but I have also read many Social Science articles about how independence in children manifests when they have a secure attachment at an early age. It is so easy to have the world cloud my judgement and make it seem like my secular achievements or ambitions are more important, but science, and the spirit tell a different story. Parenthood is a selfless service, but it is an essential service- one that’s impact reaches far beyond the borders of your home. Society as a whole suffers when the family unit suffers.

Our week in pictures

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