So I have chronic illnesses that cause my nerves to over fire and create a lot of pain. I don't want to be on pain medication, so we went to see an amazing pain management specialist. And what she did was awesome!
So, I have a spinal cord stimulator in my back made by the company Medtronic. We had to have a surgery trial in the office to see if the stimulator would help with the over firing of the nerves before they put a permanent one in.
On our way for the trial surgery. I'm very nervous, and sad to have to transition a foster child.
I had back surgery while I was awake. And it was awful. They put 2 leads up the side of my spine, and tried to get to the right nerve bundle to target my trunk/belly area where a lot of the pain is from due to endometriosis and pelvic venous congestion syndrome etc. This test surgery took 2 hours, way longer that it should have.
So, I told my husband when we left I would never do that again, I didn't want the permanent stimulator, and I cried. A lot. It hurt wicked bad. And because they had to poke around so much more than normal my body tried to protect itself by sending lots of fluid to the site, so the left side lead didn't even end up working. I'm sure you can imagine how many prayers we said and how hard we tried. That day was also difficult because we had to transition one of our foster children, which feels like having your child die. It's awful and so heartbreaking.
Crying more that we had to transition a child than from the pain of the awful surgery.
But, after the first 24 hours, I noticed a significant change. My left side didn't work due to the fluid build up, but the right side did, I had 90% relief in my right side, and the swelling in my legs went down, as well as my belly! It was a miracle. For the trial they have you keep the lead out to change the settings, so I had a tail, as you can see in the picture.
Then, about 5 days later they pulled the leads out and booked the real surgery. I wouldn't be awake this time and it was at the hospital. They stitched the leads into the myofascial tissue around m spinal cord, and I have a battery in my back. I have to recharge it, and it lasts for 9 years. I shouldn't ever need the leads taken out, just every 9 years the battery in my body will need to be removed and replaced.
Happy with the trial, that's what the tail connected to, it allowed me to change the settings. Also I have multiple pairs of this shirt so don't think I kept wearing the same shirt over and over, I just really like this one so I bought multiples of the same one :)
So we got the permanent surgery, and I have this thing where I put the receptor over the battery and change the setting of the stimulator. It's like a gentle tingling sensation and helps my joints and whole body function amazingly better! It's a miracle! Then I have another receptor that goes over the batter that I recharge the battery with. So the battery in my back serves 2 purposes, it allows me to change the settings of the stimulator and it allows me to recharge the battery.
Cool stitches huh? The vertical tape covers where the leads went in, and the horizontal one is where the battery is. After they took off the tape we took a picture and the scar at first made it look like I had a huge plumber bum, so I didn't include that picture. Sweet bruises right on the first day! My Doctor is amazing, but rather rough. The bruises got way worse before they got better. But I would do it all over again.
The left black think goes over the battery, and the screen turns on allowing me to change the settings.
This is what re-charges the battery in my back. It's getting good reception and fastest charge when all those little black boxes are full!
My scars are healing nicely, and I had to be very careful to not twist, bend or lift anything, otherwise the leads could have moved at the top of my spine and it would have all been for nothing. The leads are only stitched into the base of the spine, not the top, because that requires a bunch of surgery specialists, so the best way is to just be careful and let your body scar in the top of the leads.
Here I am, a bit swollen and tired after surgery but excited about the potential for what might come!
Sometimes I turn it down where it's still on but I can't feel it. Other times when my endometriosis is causing a lot of pain I will turn the stimulator up and it helps block the pain signals and I feel the gentle tingle. The swelling in my legs has gone down, and I'm feeling great!
We did have some complications after the surgery, so thank you to everyone for your love, support and prayers. The hospital didn't follow my doctors protocols so I developed a fluid pocket around the battery which made changing the levels and charging very difficult, and for the first little while the stimulator didn't work correctly because of the fluid build up, just like in the test. So my amazing hero Ken went and bought this therapeutic girdle thingy that's this elastic thing you wear that puts pressure over the area, so we are now in the clear, and the fluid pocket is gone.
If my leads shift slightly it's ok, because the company can change the settings by putting their machine over my battery and they can change where it stimulates and so we had it adjusted last week and now that the fluid pocket is gone it's working amazingly well! We are so happy to not have to need pain medicine and have a wonderful treatment plan that I have control of that really is helping make a huge difference.
We have been so blessed by the Lord to live in a wonderful new area with amazing Latter Day Saints (Mormons) who love the gospel of Jesus Christ and have been so welcoming and making us feel so loved. We have had miracle after miracle to get my stimulator to work, to move to this new home, to be able to have Ken's business start to grow, and so many other special and sacred things I can't mention there are just too many!
I know Jesus is our Savior, and if we turn to Him and pray for help and guidance, we can overcome the obstacles in our way, like fluid packs that cause complications. I know that if you are struggling and in need of comfort, all you need to do is pray. I'm so grateful for modern medicine to help me live a healthy and fulfilling life. And I'm grateful that soon we will be able to begin with a new agency and adopt a family of our own.
Yay! We are in our new home!! It's amazing! We love it here. We are getting our old house ready to sell, so if anyone is looking for a lovely house, we have one ready!
Our new home is big enough for however many children the Lord wants us to adopt! We are so thrilled! We have to wait for our license renewal then get this home inspected and switch to an agency up here that has contracts with 5 different tribes up here!
We are so thrilled and pray that we will be able to adopt soon! Please donate to our adoption fund, and share our story! We want to have everything the children and our family may need. We have the space now, which was the most important step to get going, now we just have to be patient.
So, here are some lovely pictures of our new house! it's painted a tan and green in EVERY room, so eventually we will repaint, but for now, we don't mind ;) We love our new ward and our new stake. The people in our church up here are so excited to learn and to try and do better. We had Elder Pina from the 70 come and speak to us on what the Prophet assigned him. The topic is about returning the Sabbath day to the Lord. Ken and I are very careful about keeping the Sabbath day holy, but we have some new ideas and traditions that we are putting into place to help us grow closer to the Lord and for our children to feel of the Lord's love.
Here are some things we are going to do after church each Sunday, whether we have children or not. Go over the Gospel Doctrine lesson for that week, listen to a conference talk, if we have children go over the lesson they learned at church that day, sing a few songs from the hymn book, pray to know who may need our help or prayers that week. Those are just a few things. I am so blessed to have a husband who has been sensitive to the Spirit and we have already set the Sabbath day as a holy day, and now we have added ideas to make the day a Holy and special one. What are some ways you keep the Sabbath day holy?
We know that Sunday is a day set apart that is special and for the Lord. If we take the time to rest and serve the Lord and grow closer to Him that our faith will be strengthened, and we will be ready for all the trials that come. And they do come. But having this sacred day to help us prepare for the coming week is a huge blessing, and we are so grateful to have been taught by many wonderful people, and on this topic assigned by our beloved Prophet.
So, here is our magical home where we are learning and growing, and can't wait for what lies ahead!
First Batch of Cookies in the New House
lookout window upstairs in the loft room back porch
Our First Day!!!
So HAPPY!!!! and we have a sweet Spiral staircase! And a cool loft that's open waiting for me to find some sweet fancy sitting chairs!
See that cool little knob on the door above the handle? It Rings this bell. Coolest Doorbell Ever!!!
Yes, in a storage closet is this little beauty. Because everyone needs to sharpen pencils in the closet.....
We are so happy here. It feels like home already, even though we aren't really that unpacked, as you can see in some pictures. But it feels like we were meant to be here. We are so blessed!!!
In Maine I learned many skills from the leaders and women around me. I just want to highlight these amazing women and show how years later the things we learn in our youth really do matter.
My senior Pictures
Some of my most favorite experiences were with Sister Quinn. She taught me how to pipe a fantastic huge gingerbread house made from scratch, how to cook, and how to throw large parties. She taught me the importance of enjoying the food you make, and being selfless and fostering and adopting! She would come to my school and pick me up so I could have free cooking and baking lessons from her, and now I'm an excellent cook. I know how to make homemade spaghetti sauce, how to organize a kitchen, how to make candy and caramels, and how to make delicious and healthy meals. She taught me how to be a homemaker and how important the kitchen was as a place for not only learning such things as cooking, but also the truths of the Lord and why the Gospel is so important. I make the chocolates she taught me to make, I make the meals she carefully showed me how to prepare, and I always think so fondly of my time learning with her. She was and is an amazing woman and I loved learning from her.
My senior Pictures
Next: Sister Call. She was my young women's leader and helped me achieve the equivalent of the Eagle Scout award for young women in our ward. She taught me the importance of making a home a welcoming and sacred place where people would feel comfortable discussing problems and have a friend to help find the solutions. She also taught me piano lessons, and believed in me and my dreams. She was so supportive of my dreams, and taught me so many valuable lessons about forgiving others, serving where there is a need and helping others with their callings in church. She taught me to be selfless and to look out for the needs of others first. She taught me that the most important thing I could do and be in life is a good and loving mother and wife, and stay strong in my belief in the Savior. I'm so grateful to her for her spiritual nurturing and helping me grow my testimony of the Savior. She was there in times of family crises and was there in times of joy.
I absolutely love these women and what they have done for me and taught me. I try to continue to emulate their amazing and loving qualities, especially their selfless service. I'm so grateful for the things they taught me and the support they gave me. Who in your life has made a huge difference on the person you are today?
Due to the legal nature of fostering, we are not allowed to disclose some things we wish we could with friends or family to get the support we need. We aren't even allowed to talk to other foster parents about it, because each foster child has rights.
Which makes sense, if you were a foster child would you want someone talking all about you all over the internet and posting some frustrating things that happened that may embarrass you now, or even hurt you now as an adult and get in the way of your journey in life? I know I would hate that. But I also understand the need for support and to share the discussion to share the weight of the burden.
I honestly don't know how single foster mom's do it. Can anyone say Super Hero?!
So, to the point. The worst part of fostering is when they leave. And today one of our children left. Went to a new, wonderful home that will help that specific child grow and learn tools that are needed. And that's all I'm allowed to say.
I'm so thankful that the Lord has given me such an amazing and supportive husband, and that we can share the burdens and stresses and sadness together. Other people don't quite understand. It's not the same as a child dying, but it feels and though the child has died.
We may never see the child that we love and have put so much work into in a long time, if ever. So it does feel like death. It also feel, I would imagine, as a mother sending a son or daughter off on deployment for our Amazing Nation. You wonder will they be ok, will I hear for them, and you grieve and think of all the what if's.
Well I'm deciding to let go of all the what if's and put all my trust in the Lord. And perhaps the next child to come will come and be ready to adopt. The lord has a plan for us. No matter how hard or sad or scary, we need to trust him. And make His will our will.
In our church we give talks, the Bishop does not get up and preach like a pastor would. We all get the opportunity to teach and grow our own testimonies of the Gospel. I was prompted to write this talk based on the talk Stay by the Tree by Elder Pearson from our worldwide church broadcast in April 2015. I was afraid to give this talk, but I was brave with the help of my husband and my faith in the Lord that when He gives a prompting to do or say something, I always do it.
And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
In the Personal Progress Manual under Faith, requirement #3 it says Faith in the Savior Jesus Christ leads to action.
In Preach my Gospel on page 62 it says “ We can also develop faith in a particular principle by first believing in Jesus Christ strongly enough to obey His commandments.
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Elder Kevin Pearson of the 70 gave the talk “Stay by the Tree” In the April 2015 General Conference. I was given the opportunity to speak about the section “Press Forward with Faith”. You know when you or maybe someone you know are struggling with something, and people don’t know what to say so they just tell you to hang in there? Well In the beginning of his talk, Elder Pearson says “Hang in there” is not a principle of the Gospel.
Instead, he says “Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life is a powerful parable on enduring to the end.” He says “there is a path that leads to the Tree of Life, to Christ. It is straight and narrow, strict and exact. God’s commandments are strict, but not restrictive. They protect us from spiritual and physical danger and prevent us from getting lost. Please prayerfully study Lehi’s dream; then liken it unto yourselves.”
I love how he asks us to pray and study to liken the dream to ourselves. It can sometimes be difficult to see why certain things are in the scriptures and how they help us, but by having the faith to pray and study,we will get answers. Faith. That’s the key we are going to be polishing today.
He is saying that we can reach the tree in this life, that we can hold firm to the rod and press forward, and make it! And when we make it we will feel the Lord’s love and partake of the gift of the atonement. What a blessing this symbolic tree is. The goal in our lives is to get to the tree to gain eternal life. Eternal life was only made possible through the Savior performing the infinite and perfect atonement for us, therefore, if we reach the tree which represents Christ and His love, then partake of the fruit which is His atonement and symbolizes gaining eternal life, we will strengthen our relationship with the Savior, apply the atonement in our lives, and have eternal life.And when we are there, it is so important to Press forward with faith, but another way of looking at it is working diligently with Faith to stay by the tree.
If we make it there, does that mean we stop trying? Does that mean we are perfect? No, if you remember in Lehi’s dream some people partake of the fruit, and then succumb to the mockings of the people in the great and spacious building and give up the fruit, the Love of the Lord, and go to the great and awful building. So Elder Pearson’s talk is so important to help us figure out where we currently stand, how to get to the tree, and how to stay there.
Elder Pearson says, “ Obedience builds faith in Christ. Faith is a principle of action and power (As mentioned earlier from the personal progress manual in Faith Value requirement #3). Consistently following the Savior’s example produces spiritual power and capacity. Without the strengthening and enabling power of the Atonement, it is impossible to stay on the path and endure. Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ”. We need to be obedient to the principles and ordinances of the Gospel to strengthen our Faith, and our relationship with the Savior. We don’t need to get to the tree to earn his help or love, He is needed to help us get there and gain eternal life. We always need our Savior.
So in order to make it to the tree, we need to believe there is a Savior, cling to the rod, press forward without straying from the path and endure all trials and difficulties that may come our way. We stay by the Tree of Life in Lehi’s vision and cling to the Iron rod because we are converted unto the Lord. Alma 5:7 reads “ Behold, He changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep and they awoke unto God.”
Doing simple things like personal and family prayer, fasting, paying tithing, doing our home and visiting teaching and serving others helps us change our hearts and grow closer to the Lord. Part of being obedient and staying by the Tree is to make and keep sacred covenants, such as getting baptized at the age of 8, receiving your endowment, and being sealed in the temple.
Making and keeping our covenants as well as the small daily things the Lord and Prophets have asked us to do are what help us press on toward the tree. And we may arrive there in this lifetime through obedience to the small and simple things, and the great and wonderful covenants. This pattern established in our families will help us cling to the Tree so we aren’t enticed away by the temptations in the mist or the great building. Elder Pearson says “ We struggle when we are caught between competing parties.” Think about the competing parties in your life that are symbolized as I continue.
Elder Pearson establishes that the Tree is Christ, who manifests as the Love of God, and that the Fruit is His infinite Atonement, a gift. The gift of the atonement allows us to return to live with our Father in Heaven again and have everlasting life. Elder Pearson says that we are to stay by the tree, which means we can be close and reach the tree and partake of the fruit. But to get there we must press forward, ignoring the enticing mists of darkness that promise our greatest desires, or the great and spacious building which promises popularity, joy and pleasure in sin, and tells us that sin is not actually wrong, but a joyful thing.
Or maybe what’s keeping us from clinging to the tree is not so obvious. Say we decide that it’s okay to gossip about the people serving a calling and we don’t like how they are doing it, then we continue to think we are better than others at this or that and start criticizing others in our heads and out loud. Maybe about their clothes or how they raise their children. Soon this type of behavior lands you as a popular figure in the great and spacious building. Or maybe we decide that the Sabbath Day doesn't have to be a whole day of being Holy.
Or perhaps you play games and are on your phones and constantly commenting on everyone’s posts on facebook, or you can’t live without social media, and you begin to put media time ahead of family time or spiritual time. If this is you or you feel like maybe you are starting to sound like this, you are wandering dangerously close to fountain Lehi talks about, and because you are watching a screen, not where you are going, you are likely to fall in.
As I was writing these examples I could see how small things at church can have a huge impact on the lives of our fellow ward members. An unkind word, talking to a friend while someone is giving a lesson, checking your phone, gossiping about someone in your circle of helpers, being so busy you forget to check in on the people you visit teach or home teach each month, or think your ideas are better so why won’t this person just stop trying to help: these things not only keep you from pressing forward, but perhaps your unkindness is being noticed, and your example is keeping others from feeling welcome to try and stay close to the Tree. And hearing that, if your first thought is, well it’s their Faith not mine, then you definitely need to check where you are standing.
This ward has been a very Faith trying experience for me as I do my best to come each week, but it shouldn’t have had to be. We’ve been here almost 3 years, and they have been the most trying of our entire lives. Of course we all make mistakes, that’s the beauty of the Gospel, we can fix it, we can change, we can forgive, but it’s not ok as members of a ward to treat others as less. It’s not ok to be cruel, to be unkind, to gossip, to not tell the truth when asked what did I do wrong? To not be there when you knew someone needed help. Or when someone who’s heart just broke from learning of a lifelong loss, was finally able to return to church after a 4 month health absence dealing with grief was greeted with, “oh I thought you were in trouble with the bishop, or inactive” , and then they laughed.
No one should be laughing, no one should be unkind. It happens, we make mistakes, and we come to church to learn how to be better. But as I leave this ward, I challenge you to be nice. Be good to people, so that as a ward family you may all help one another stay close to the tree.
We can always find our way back by following the simple guidelines of the church with obedience: read our scriptures, pray, come to church meetings, ask for blessings, learn and understand the principles of the gospel, and understand the repentance process and how healing it is. But we need faith to stay firmly rooted next to the Tree, settling into it’s network of roots. And we need Faith and a helping hand to pull us from our few wandering steps away from the tree.. Of course if you have loved ones strong in their Faith, they will reach out and grab you and lead you back, but what if you only have this ward family?
Or what if the woman you visit teach only has you, and you never go. What if your home teaching family needs to see examples of faith to help them, but they never see you, how are they going to get back? Only the Savior can forgive us and help us to forgive, but as imperfect people, there are so many opportunities to help Heavenly Fathers sons and daughters come back, stay by the tree, and be helped and taught how to be steadfast. In this parable you need to partake of the fruit, to be forgiven and to forgive, to be able to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The atonement is not just for our sins, it is for our sorrows, our suffering, our anger, our pain. We go to the Tree to be healed, and we stay by it to be able to face the challenges of life with the Savior at our side. Please do not be the reason someone needs the atonement to take their sorrow.
Maybe you’ve been given a calling that seems very difficult for you, or maybe a new child has come into your home and you realize you need to pray and gain more spiritual gifts? What if you’ve sinned, you have long term illness? Well, you need to get back to the tree, weather you’ve wandered in the mist, toward the building, or are just stagnant holding the iron rod but too afraid to move forward because then you have to face the trial, this is a great chance to strengthen and test out your faith! Let’s build it up!
Let’s build one another up! I know I’m not perfect, and Im sorry if I have ever hurt any of your feelings. That has never been my intention, and if I have, I’m sorry and I wish you would have told me so I could grow and make it right. And you could have a sure friend. As we leave this ward family, it’s your turn to look around, pray for how to help your family and others grow faith and press forward toward the tree, so we may all rejoice in heaven when we have eternal life, and can enjoy the blessings the Lord has in store for the faithful.
Elder Pearson said this in the beginning but I’m repeating it ”Obedience builds Faith in Christ. Faith is a principle of action and power.” Have faith, cling to the rod and press forward, take that trial head on, and get to the tree. Get there to eat of the fruit to be with the Savior and use the atonement.
Faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow. I sure hope my path toward eternal life is lined with the flower bushes I planted from seeds and I can look back and see the beautiful plants of faith sprouted and that helped me grow. Then at the end of my days, what a great example I would hope to be, and despite being a worn out traveler, my faith will be ever strong as the Lord helps me endure right to the end..
I wish the same for all of you. That we may all meet again in Heaven, having eternal life and loving and supporting one another as we continue to grow. Look around, there are so many people who need love, support, and kindness. Help them build up their faith, and yours will grow too as we all press forward, trying to gain eternal life. The Savior will never leave you, the Lord loves you, the power of repentance is real, and the healing power of the atonement is real.
I know this Church is True, That Jesus is the Christ, that the Prophet is a prophet of God, and it is never too late to try and make things right. It is never too late to head to the tree. The scriptures are true. The Ordinances performed in the temple are miraculous and amazing. Obedience down to the smallest thing brings the greatest blessings. Be good to one another. Be kind. Stay by the tree.
And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
With everything going on this past week with the Supreme Court ruling that gay marriage should be allowed, I would like to share my beliefs. I know that Jesus Christ is our true Savior, that He has felt our pain and suffering, and walks with us in all our trials.
“There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, ‘No one knows what it is like. No one understands.’ But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens.”
I have several friends who are gay. I love them very much. Just because I do not believe in gay marriage does not mean I do not love these people. It does not mean I wish the any unhappiness, it just means I believe differently than they do. And this is why: The Lord has created a Plan of Happiness so that we may all return to live with our Father in Heaven again, and as eternal families. In order for this amazing plan of happiness to work, we must rely on the Savior and His atonement, and understand how critical the family is in that plan.
I am an advocate for fair housing, jobs, medical care, living conditions for those who believe differently than I do. But marriage is an institution established by God, and no one can change what the Lord has set as His Gospel and truth by making a new law. Our Prophet and the 12 Apostles issues this Proclamation to the World back in 1995. I believe it wholeheartedly, and know that the Lord's Plan of Salvation or Plan of Happiness is for our benefit and for us to return to live with Him again. Dear friends who are gay, I love you, I will always love you, and please know that I will always try and be a good friend to you and a support system for you, but that marriage is sacred and an eternal principle to me and a fundamental principle of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ that I will not change my mind about, because it is not what I think, it is what I believe.
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children. All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally. The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan. Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations. The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed. We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
I believe and stand behind each and every word in this Proclamation to the World. No one is perfect, but through repentance and utilizing the atonement to not only repent but walk through our trials and sorrows with the Savior we can have a happy and glorious life. As many of you know I cannot have children, and so my husband and I will adopt children, then go to the Temple and our child will be sealed to us for Time and All Eternity and we will live as a forever family with our Father in Heaven one day if we keep the commandments and continually repent and strive to be our best selves.
I believe these words are true. I believe Jesus is the Christ. I believe that we have a living Prophet on the Earth today who is the Lord's mouthpiece and gives us commandments and revelation to help us return to live with our Father in Heaven again. I believe in marriage between a husband and wife. I believe in the scriptures, the Bible, The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true Church of Christ. And I love all my friends, no matter their beliefs or religion. But I think it is important to know that I believe in the family designed by the Lord. I love you all. Love, Rachel
Foster mom. Fighting chronic illness. Small business owner. Opera singer. Baker. Artist. Wife. Teacher. Rocker of the mini van. Seamstress. Huge children's party host. Horrible Gardner. Emergency Prep Expert. Awful bed head in the morning. Insomniac. Really bad at sports. Love to do rehabilitation with children with special needs. And I'm a Mormon.
This is my handsome husband Ken.
" Mormons" is a nickname given to people who belong to my faith. We belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are often called "Mormons" because we read The Book Of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is a scriptural account of the people here on the American Continent, and adds to what the Bible teaches.
Yes, we believe in and read the Bible.
Our Church is the same Church the Savior established while on the earth. We have a living Prophet named Thomas S Monson, and 12 apostles. We hear from the prophet and apostles 2 times a year in a world wide broadcast. We also get to read talks and revelation from the Lord in a monthly magazine that is available online or in print called the Ensign.
Most importantly, we believe that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. Because of Him and through the atonement, we can return to live with our Father in Heaven again. This means we must repent for our sins, say sorry to those we have hurt, and try not to repeat the sin. We take the sacrament each week. This is bread and water that symbolizes the Savior and renews our covenants we made with the Lord at baptism. We believe children under 8 do not need to be baptized, children under 8 are not accountable for sin. When they turn 8, and choose to be baptized they are baptized the same way Jesus was by John the Baptist.
By being baptized, we covenant with the Lord to do our best, help those in need of help, comforting those in need of comfort, and trying our best to be like the Savior.
We also believe in temples, just as in ancient times. Many people get frustrated or angry that they cannot come inside and see someone they know get married in our temples. Our temples are sacred and special. We learn of the Savior, do baptisms for our dead ancestors by proxy, and get sealed. Being sealed means not just being married here on earth, but being bound together for all eternity in Heaven. When a new temple is built, we have open houses so that anyone can go in and see how beautiful the temples are, and where we learn and what the beautiful rooms look like. Once a temple is dedicated, only members who live worthy of the highest standards set in the scriptures can enter.
Here is a compilation of the basic things we believe in, called the 13 Articles of Faith.
We all serve in our Sunday worship and youth programs without getting paid. We are given callings, or jobs to do in our congregation. Mine is to teach songs about the Savior to the children. I love my calling. I get to hear the beautiful voices of the children bearing testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ, and I absolutely love it. I love being able to serve.
We pay 10% tithing just like in the Bible. This money is used to build church buildings, buy teaching supplies and materials, and to build temples. All around the world each Sunday, Mormons are taught the same lesson. So no matter where you go, you will lean the same truths.
We believe in being kind to all people. Not everyone is perfect, not everyone is always at their best. But we try. And we believe that the atonement of Jesus Christ allows us to do more than repent. We believe in personal prayer and receiving personal revelation through the Holy Ghost. We know from the Bible that the Savior took all of our sorrows, pains, trials and sins and suffered so that He could know how to succor us. We believe in developing a strong personal relationship with our Savior.
We believe in the power of prayer, miracles, and that God has not stopped talking to us. He speaks to us through our prophet and apostles. He speaks to us as we pray individually, and we can receive many blessings and miracles and we strive to keep the commandments and do what is right.
We believe that a young boy named Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and the Lord used him to restore the fullness of Christ's original church on the earth. Joseph Smith was a true and living prophet who brought about the restoration of the Gospel. We do not worship him or pray to him, we love him and are grateful for what he did.
We believe in the Plan of Happiness. We lived in Heaven before we came to earth, we came to earth to gain a body and be tested and tried. And when we die we will live with our families and our Father in Heaven once more because the Savior broke the bands of death. We are Christians. We love the Savior, and we love our Father in Heaven.
We do not have multiple wives. We do not do weird or secretive things in our temples. We do not worship idols or rocks or alters or shapes or signs. We do not pray to anyone other than our Father in Heaven.
I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that He is our Savior and Redeemer. That he knows what we are going through, that we can turn to Him to have our burdens made light. I believe in the Bible. I believe in the Book of Mormon. I believe Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. I believe that we have a true prophet of God who leads and guides us today. I believe that families can be together forever, and am so grateful to be sealed to my amazing husband Ken. I believe that the power of the Priesthood has been restored, and that this is the Savior's true church. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers and loves all of us, no matter what our religion.
If you want to know more, ask a Mormon you may know! or check out Mormon.org Also the movie
"Meet the Mormons" is now available on Netflix if you want to see what some other Mormons are like.
It's big news people, Ken and I finally went on a date! It's been like FOREVER! It was sooooo fun! We went to the movies and saw Pitch Perfect 2. We love fat Amy, she's hilarious. I like the first movie better, but this was still super fun!!!
I know, I felt like a weirdo tourist asking a stranger to take our photo at a movie theater, but yep I did it. Awesome.
Then we met my parents and my aunt and uncle who I haven't seen in ages for fish and chips and prime rib and a live band! I seriously felt like a newlywed again, it was so fun to get out on the town!
Look at that handsome man! We had so much fun going out to dinner without little kids clamoring for attention. It is really important to do fun things with our kids, but its super important to go out together and not talk about kids!
Also our good friends gave us Miss Penelope! She is our sulcata tortoise. She is a baby. They sell them so if you want a baby turtle I can get you in contact! Penelope is very tiny, likes her heat lamp, does not smell ( which I really like) and can book it outside like you wouldn't believe!!
See how tiny she is!? So cute!!
Here we are on our first night with Penelope at our house!
she also loves her lettuce
And totally unrelated, but fun! I made a sing or dare game for music time and it was so fun! I asked the children a question about the songs, and someone would pick a song, but in the song pile there were a few DARE cards! The dares were fun and reverent though, like standing on one foot for 20 seconds or singing the ABC's. Then if they picked a song, another child would come and pick out the actions we would do during that song. It was so fun! And the children are so fun and great at the songs, I love to hear them sing!!!
So it's been a super fun weekend!
And remember, go on dates and have a great time!! and turtles are wicked fun!
