Tag Archives: peace

Fighting for Peace

As my family was remembering 9/11 this week, I have been pondering peace and what it means to me in my life, both as an American, and as a mother. I think that for me, peace is freedom from fear. If I had absolute peace of mind, I wouldn’t have to worry about my children going to school and being potential targets of assassins or terrorists. I wouldn’t have to agonize over their health and wonder how disease might negatively affect their lives. I’d never worry that people could bully or take advantage of them. And I’d be free from … Continue reading →

Visualize Your Way to a Peaceful Family

The other day I wrote about how single parent families do not have to fall into the myth of constant chaos. It dawned on me that wanting to find more peace and tranquility in our family situations and actually being able to make it happen are two different things! But, I do believe that the first step is to actually get a clear mental picture or image of what you would like your single parent family to be like… We can get so caught up in the stress and tensions of reality that we cannot see beyond that. As single … Continue reading →

No Counterfeit for Peace

The other night, I sat working with my daughter on her Faith in God requirements, one of which is to read several scriptures pertaining to the Holy Ghost and then discuss the role of the Holy Ghost in our lives. She underlined the passages, and then next to one of them wrote in the margin, “The Holy Ghost never lies.” I’ve been thinking about that perceptive comment ever since. The Holy Ghost works hand in hand with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. As the third member of the Godhead, He is one with them in unity and purpose, all … Continue reading →

How Important is it to Keep the Peace?

There have been periods in my parenting life when I felt like I was doing little more than just working to keep the peace–providing a mediator between my kids, my kids and their father, my kids and the school–you name it, I was the designated peacekeeper. But, I can’t help but wonder how important it is that I actually work so hard in an attempt to keep the peace? I guess it is obvious that living in a peaceful, harmonious home is far more important to me than it is to anyone else in my family. It took me years … Continue reading →

Personal Prayer

Prayer is truly a blessing in my life. I pray every day, but there are specific experiences when I can remember the prayers and answers clearly. These times strengthen me, because they demonstrated to me that Heavenly Father really does hear and answer my prayers. The answers were not immediate, but came shortly after the prayer, and I felt strengthened by the answers. At times you may be in situations for which you can find no solution. You may be looking for a job, trying to solve a conflict with a family member or planning for the future. As you … Continue reading →

Standing Out

A few years ago I moved to a new area, and there was a family that lived in the apartment above me. We would exchange hellos, but nothing really went beyond that. However, there was something familiar about them. I was almost certain that they were members of the church. One day I sat outside reading “The Ensign” while my daughter played on the lawn. As the mother walked by she noticed my magazine and then asked if I was LDS. I answered yes. She went on to explain that they were only in this apartment for a few months, … Continue reading →

Three Thieves of Joy

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God wants His children to have joy and peace in their lives. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “…for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” In God we find an inner strength and peace that surpasses anything we could ever find elsewhere. The joy that the world gives is fleshly, superficial and fleeting at best. Only the joy that comes from God can sustain and inspire the believer to be more and do more for God. It is this same joy which flows from the heart that shows those around you that you have something they need: A relationship with Jesus … Continue reading →

Your Home: Peace and Quiet

Our homes can be noisy places. The noise level has a lot to do with the amount of activity, but even when your family members aren’t particularly active, there are still many sounds. The TV, the stereo, people talking, children laughing, water running, the furnace or air conditioner blowing, and perhaps the washing machine or dryer going, can make for a lot of noise. These and other noises, or the combination of many, may not even be loud, but all that noise together can take its toll on us. Sometimes, we just need to turn off as many items as … Continue reading →

Is Your Sleep Sweet?

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Recently my husband went to our local jail to hold a Bible study with several of the inmates. In the course of the conversation someone asked, “How many of you are able to sleep through the night?” The men each looked at each other and shrugged. Not one of them was able to raise their hand and attest to receiving a good night’s sleep. The reason? Each man had his own burden he was carrying. Whether it was the weight of his crime, thoughts of his family, feelings of loneliness or anger, they had one thing in common other than … Continue reading →

It is Well With My Soul

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I love hymns. I find the message and scripture incorporated into them strengthens my faith, convicts me of sin, and encourages my spirit. Many of the greatest hymns of all time were born out of very difficult circumstances in the lives of the authors. The song “It is Well With My Soul” has a story behind it that touches my heart. Horatio Spafford was a well-known Christian lawyer in Chicago in the mid to late 1800s. He owned much real estate in the city and had dedicated his wealth and heart completely to the Lord. In the great fire that … Continue reading →