Mom Blogging?!

This is the first time I have visited my blog since setting it up in November when I was at Christina's. I feel like a stranger in foreign territory--but I guess you have to start somewhere!

We have had stake conference this weekend, and I feel just like I did after general conference. I wish each of my children could have been there to hear the messages! They were all about fortifying our families for the storms ahead. There surely will be storms ahead--there are plenty of storms right this moment that all of us are dealing with in some way or another. But there are more ahead--some potentially as devastating spiritually as the earthquake in Haiti was physically! The Lord is preparing us, but we must listen to the counsel coming from His servants!

I cannot say this loud enough or convincingly enough! I'm a few years ahead of you and I know what is coming for you. Your time with your children is sooooooooo short! Today nearly every person talked about how we spend our time and effort:

"Don't spend your life chasing something not worth a dime when you've caught it."

"Fathers, have you prepared your children for life?"

"Arm your family morning and night with family prayer."

Speaking of teaching and memorizing a family scripture: "The hosts of evil will tremble as sacred words come from the mouths of your children."

Defining "vain things" as those things without eternal value, i.e., entertainments such as movies, sports, computer games, facebook, blogging,: "Vain things will not protect our families or fortify them from evil. Fathers, don't let the vain things of the world fill up your time."

"Mothers, time spent on facebook, twitter, or blogging, keeping in touch with hundreds of others who don't really matter, can rob you of sacred time with your family."

"Don't be moderately committed members."

"Weak individuals make good dominoes."

"Don't waste your time in trivial pursuits at the expense of that which really matters most."

"Give your best time, your best efforts to your children and spouse."

"Fathers, you are the Captain Moroni of your family. You are the one who is responsible to protect and fortify you children and marriage from the worldly influences that would destroy them." (See the Proclamation on the Family; Alma 48:7-10)

The best thing I can counsel you to do is to do what we learn every Sunday of our lives: pray, study the scriptures and words of our modern prophets, attend your meetings on Sunday, and worship in the temple regularly. I promise you that if you will do these things faithfully, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, the Holy Ghost will teach you what you need to do each day in your families.

P.S. This rule helps me: The first thing I read every day is a chapter from the Book of Mormon. The second thing I read every day is a talk from the latest General Conference. And I make sure I read at least two things every day!