Tag Archives: relationship

How Can You Tell if You Are Really a Christian?

How can you tell if you have really come to know Jesus and entered into a relationship with Him? In our home bible study group we recently started studying the John’s letters and 1 John 2 gives some answers to this question. I John 2:3 says we ‘know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commands.’ Obeying rules and regulations are not our entry ticket to heaven. That comes only through knowing Jesus. But, when we do know Jesus and have come into a relationship with Him, then we will want to please Him by keeping … Continue reading →

Ritual and Rules or Relationship?

Jesus taught that Christianity is about a relationship, not the keeping of rules and rituals. Jesus warned his disciples they would be cast out of the synagogues, for following Him rather than abiding by the rules and laws of the Jewish religion, John 16: 1-4. Jesus’ prayer, for his early disciples and for us, is that we may be one with him and with the Father, John 17:20-23. That’s relationship! If we look back earlier in John’s gospel we see another example of Jesus in relationship with his people. Jesus taught He was ‘the good shepherd.’ He is our shepherd … Continue reading →

Prayers or Not?

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Like many people I have online friends and spend a fair amount of time online. But isn’t it a sad comment on our society to have a site called Dear-God.net, devoted to apparently allowing people to post their prayers on line? I had not heard of it, till last week our local paper ran an article about this online site. The non denominational site is a place where it seems people can post their prayers and an appropriate picture if they like to show how they are feeling. Other people can and do respond to the posts. Other people might … Continue reading →

What Kind of Relationship do You Want to Have with Your Kids in the Long Run?

We can get so caught up in the minutia of every day—those details of feeding, cleaning, discipline and communicating—that we forget to keep at least one eye on the long term. The choices we make today, and the way we parent and interact with our children right now will have a lasting influence on the type of relationship we have with them in the long term. While we really need to parent our children as they are today, it can be helpful to put some thought into what we would like our relationship with our child to look like 5, … Continue reading →

Some Attention Needs to be Undivided

With three kids, one mom, two-plus jobs, and a multitude of other daily realities, there is not a lot of my attention that is clear and focused. While my kids have gotten used to sharing me and dealing with the constant juggling, I have also had to learn that I HAVE to settle down and pay attention to them without the distractions. Sometimes it still hurts their feelings if the phone rings during an impromptu heart-to-heart and they don’t always want to “go along” with me while I run errands in order to talk with me. As single parents, we … Continue reading →

Do Parents of Only Children Play with Their Children More?

My eldest daughter has a couple close friends who are only children—one of the topics that came up in the past was a discussion about whether or not only children got more “play time” with parents. I haven’t found any specific studies on this but thought it might make for an interesting conversation topic—I am wondering if those of us who have to split our time and attention between more than one child actually spend less time playing with our kids, or if the fact that siblings have each other to play with might influence them needing less parent play … Continue reading →

Likening the Scriptures to Ourselves

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As I’ve prepared for my new, upcoming calling as Seminary teacher (of which, I’m sure, you will hear a lot about!), I have seriously pondered Nephi’s method of teaching. You see, as Nephi instructed his brothers, he states, “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23). As he put himself in the scriptures, they began to mean more to him. Similarly, it is my hope as Seminary teacher to help my students realize that all scripture – even from the Old Testament – relates to them in some way. … Continue reading →

Top 10 Ways to Tell Your Marriage Is Bellyup

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We’ve been talking about ways to improve your marriage, and last week we enjoyed a humorous glimpse of how you can tell if you and your spouse should just be translated now and get it over with. (By the way, if most of the items on that list sounded familiar, I may have to send out a hit squad.) Now, let’s take a look at some sure signs that your marriage is at the other end of the spectrum. 1. You fight so much that when he says he is doing fine, you respond by snapping, “You’re wrong!” before you … Continue reading →

Marriage Fights: Communication

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Over the last two weeks, I’ve done a series of articles based on the top four causes of marriage fights and divorce. All four of these disagreements stem from one essential problem in a relationship: lack of communication. When you and your spouse communicate and work together, the relationship runs smoother. But when you choose to work separately, you pull in different directions instead of as a team, and the wagon breaks apart. Let’s quickly review the four causes we touched on. First, money. When the two of you sit down and decide on your financial goals, and devise a … Continue reading →

Marriage Fights: Kids

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One of the last big thing that couples fight about is children. This becomes especially true when one person brings in kids from a previous marriage. Even when both children are “ours”, parents can often find themselves disagreeing about how to raise their kids. The most important thing to realize is that mom and dad are a team. You are both working together. Sit down, just the two of you, and discuss your goals for your children. You might have exact things you want them to accomplish, such as serving a mission and being sealed in the temple. You might … Continue reading →