Being that I am responsible to raise six daughters in my “Pink Moss” home, I am constantly trying to figure out how to help them be strong, confident, happy, hard working, caring, and grateful girls, even to hold the world in their hands! It is my responsibility to help them be all they can be because someday soon, they will be the wives and mothers of my grandchildren and grandmothers to my great grandchildren. (NO PRESSURE) A mother to daughter legacy has long reaching effects on generations without number. The power of a woman is in my opinion one of the most powerful influences on this planet. The force that a caring mother brings to a family is almost overwhelming. I guess because I take my position so seriously, I also try to make each decision in how to deal with them seriously and *sometimes* (insert sarcasm) feel insignificant in comparison to my task.

During conference this last weekend the theme that stood out to me throughout was how to keep the family firm in the midst of all that fills up everyday. I wanted to share some of the thoughtsI had as I listened to the talks.

Reading the scriptures and praying every day was brought up (as always) but I loved how it was related to receiving revelation to aid in raising your children. Staying worthy throughout the day opens up communication with Heavenly Father and makes it possible for us to hear what he is trying to tell us. Some ways to do this are to diminish distractions (easier said than done) and be prepared to write down the answers that come. Keeping priorities straight was also brought up. Most of us aren’t doing bad things on purpose, but choosing something less important to spend our time on is always a battle for me.

As women, we need to refine ourselves and be seen by the world as different. Standing up for families IS different when you compare the calling to so many paths that are available. The world wants to make woman look mindless and powerless, and of course is not true. Women have been repressed from the beginning of time because Satan knows they are so powerful. Of course he is going to attack the center of the home. If the home is weak, so are the decisions we make.

It is quite fascinating to watch how girls act like their mothers. Mothers are the first line of defence. Have you ever heard the saying,

“What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you are saying.”?

It is so true, it hurts! It is always humbling to realize that my kids have been horrible because I have been in a bad mood. I can’t stand it when my kids say something that I don’t like and then figure out they sounded just like me when I was mad the day before!

It is so easy to get frustrated when the same things bring us down every day! The laundry, dishes, spills, fights, playing taxi, being ignored, last minute homework, meals and on and on. When someone asks me what I do everyday, I don’t even know how to answer them because everything I spend my time doing is undone within the hour. These things are all very normal and not even thereally hardthings that moms deal with every day. When all is said and done, I want my girls to know that I enjoyed my calling even though it was hard. I don’t them to look back at their childhood and remember me being miserable. That’s why I try so hard to grin and bare it! I know it is worth my time and effort. Besides, it IS much more fun when my attitude tells me it is.

“Attitude is EVERYTHING, PICK a good one!”

There are so many things that bring women down in this world, I think it is so important that we don’t do it to each other! Why do I hear so many women talk about the lady down the street? I think a lot of times it comes from wanting to help, but more often than not someone is hurt because the story is mixed up or travels to ears that have no business hearing in the first place. It isn’t our place to judge anyway, so why not give them the benefit of the doubt? Women need to be a positive force for women, not the other way around. The tongue is as powerful thing and we have to be so careful how we use it. Using our tongue to speak kind words that build up our kids (and husband) is also imperative. Sometimes I am in a
“get it done” zone and forget how I actuallysoundto my kids. I like to keep this in check by imagining I am in a room full of people. It cracks me up when I am at a big store like Target and I hear a mom quietly YELLING at their kids. You know if they were at home they wouldn’t be quite so nice 🙂 I am lumping myself in with this crowd, because I have done it before!

In the end I know my kids will come out alive. Every parent messes up and life goes on. Besides, what would we have to learn if our parents were perfect right?
Counseling is a great tool that I think every person (I have met anyway) needs!
I guess it’s just important to give it everything we have and not take it lightly.
It is the most important calling and I feel blessed to imperfectly try my best every day.