Parenting

Oh how I'll be able to enjoy the blessings that come from parenting soon- I won't lie, it scares me! I thought that it was interesting that we started out with the whole Supreme Court deal whether marriage should be between a man and wife or if we should allow gay/lebians to be able to have that right to be married to each other.  Everything that we've learned this semester kind of tied in of why birth rates may be lower than it used to be.  People just wait to have children or don't have children because they don't want to bring a child into this society that we live in.  I have contemplated that a few times when we talked about having kids and how scary it is to bring them in because of everything that they will be surrounded in.  The world is a scary/crazy place.  My husband and I knew that is why we were sent to earth and the blessing we can get from being parents.  It won't be easy but it is truely a blessing.  As we learned about the styles of parenting- I definately want to become an active parent who sets boundaries and whatnot but have a warm and accepting context.  I want my children to be able to come to me about anything and have a strong relationship but to know that there are boundaries that they have to follow.  Parents have a huge responsiblity to provide, protect and to prepare their children as they grow up to be adults so that they will be able to survive and to thrive in our society.  I really enjoyed everyone's and Brother Williams comments throughout the class and has given me a broader sense of what parents should be and shouldn't be. I hope that I will be able to be a good parent.

Family Under Stress/ Commuication and Mutual Problem Solving

Communicaton and Mutual Problem Solving-
Communiation is so important, especially in marriage.  I'll admit I'm the worst communicator and my husband gets frustrated with me because I tend not to communicate my feelings or whatever.  I've gotten better over the years but still a struggle.  The reading in the book has helped me how I can become a better communicator and how I can avoid conflict by commicating. 
I thought the way the Presidency and Quorum of 12 Apostles was pretty neat and the story that was shared in the reading was a great example of how it works. I think that its the perfect way of communicating and problem solving in a group like that. We were ask to how we would apply one of these process in our families and how it can help us when counseling with each other. It was interesting reading everyone's post and what they would do.  I think that all of them are needed and would be super helpful. I thought I would post the list- if anyone is interested in having it and this way I can go back to it. 
The process used by the Presidency and Quorum of 12 Apostles. 

• An agenda is organized and distributed at least the evening before the meeting.

• They meet each Thursday in the temple (sacred time, sacred space).

• Begin by expressing sincere love and concern for one another.

• Open discussion with prayer, inviting the Spirit to reveal Heavenly Father's will.

• Discuss in an orderly manner to concensus, seeking to agree upon what God would have done.

• Close with prayer, dedicating selves and efforts to follow through with revealed will.

• Share refreshments.

Homemakers and Finances

This week's lesson was good.  It has opened my eyes a little bit in the fact that I've been wanting to get a bachlors degree and I'm having my first child this summer that I just didn't know what I was gonna do.  I felt horrible just getting a associate degree and thats it.  But having this lesson had made me realized that I don't have to have career or have highest degree, that I still can be intelluctual by learning in the home.  In one of the readings it was say that those mothers who stay home learn more than those who do work outside the home and have that interaction.  I thoughtthat it was interesting and made me feel somewhat better that even though I would have an AA, I still can be successful and still learn at home.

Finances- this is the 3rd lesson that I've had in 3 different classes but it's always a good lesson and a good nudge to get our budget in gear. I thought that it was intersting that Brother Williams shared that this guy who is a multi-millionare thinks the pamphlet that the LDS church provides, "One for the Money," is the best book out there.  I thought that was pretty neat that someone who isn't LDS, mulit-millionare broker thought that was the go to book.

Sexual Intimacy and Family Life

I thought this lesson was great, and it was nice to know that I wasn't the only woman in this world that felt that way about my husband.  It thought that it was interesting that there were couple out there that hadn't had sexual intimacy from their spouse in years and how easy it is not to do it and it can affect your relationship with your spouse. Sexual intimacy is not that important in the marriage but it allows the couple to bond.  I thought that it was intersting that women and men's peaks were very different- men hit their peak at 18, 19 years old and then it decreases as they get older whereas for women thier sexual peak hits at age 30-35 ish.  That's way off but evenutally it meets in the middle.

Brother Williams mentioned that couples who have been married 20 years tend to enjoy it more than when you first get married, because they are more comfortable with each other and knows what they like. The key thing is communicating what you like and then it progresses from there.  I think often people in the church are taught no their whole lives and then when they get married, its okay.  They need that period of education of what's going to happen so that they are more comfortable.

We also talked about how we should give our spouse our attention and not to lust over someone in ways such as pornography, fantatizing, and affiars.  It was discussed that when you spend time with other people besides your spouse, you become more comfortable with each other, then the relationship can progress as you spend more time with each other and telling each other your dreams or you problems and that can can destroy your marriage/family even if you didn't have sexual interaction.  It's insane how satan works really hard to lead us away from those who we love and leads to a lot of heartache. It's amazing how our Father in Heaven gives us this to strengthen our marriages and to bring forth a family.  He wants us to enjoy each other in a way that you can't by being in each other presence- it allows us to become one.