Category: Faith

When I got married, my head was full of dreams and wishes! I was blissfully in love and ready to take on the world with my husband. I was not naive in thinking life would never be hard— it knew it would be — but I felt we were strong enough to handle whatever came our way. I imagined us …

In ancient times, the heart was considered the center of knowledge and thoughts.  There are 1,475 references to the heart in the scriptures, and 66 specifically mentioning a change of heart.   I personally see proof of the importance of the heart in the simple fact that the adversary is so interested in it! Shortly after Christ was born, the Nephites …

Life is interesting and full of unexpected changes. Regardless of our location along the path, I have learned experience increases my faith and improves my understanding of life. The power of the Holy Ghost and the love God has for each one of us is undeniable. Children have an incredible way of reminding us how to see and experience the …

I’ve been told I see life through roses colored glasses, meaning I have an optimistic perspective, often seeing challenging situations to be better than they are. It’s probably more accurate to say I choose to look at things a little differently. Even when faced with a crisis, rather than panic, my brain seems to automatically problem-solve from a positive perspective. …

In the novel, Les Miserables, the bishop of Digne is faced with the decision of how to treat men who were despised in the community because of their past behavior.  Those of you familiar with the story will likely remember the mercy and empathy he demonstrated to the main character and former convict, Jean Valjean, even after he has betrayed the …

Wouldn’t it be great if we could see into the future and live today with the added benefit of our experience a few years down the line?  
It would be so much easier to teach our families if we had the foresight to know what would work. It’s hard not to get bogged down by the daily “stuff.” Wondering if this …

Life was good in March of 2003.  We finally got to bring our preemie baby girl home from the hospital to meet her brother and two sisters.  I was ready to leave the hospital behind and more than ready to get back to the normalcy of a stay at home mom with “littles.”  My baby was going to be OK, …

On an unusually warm February morning, I walked hand in hand with my husband, Chris, toward our 20-week ultrasound appointment for our third child. As we entered the doctor’s office, I had a startling impression everything would not be okay. I immediately wished we had prayed together before leaving the house, and offered a silent prayer for strength to handle …

Two years ago I had this sweet boy, and this photo was taken just a moment after his birth. I cherish this picture and have never felt like sharing it because it’s almost a sacred photo for me. I remember exactly what I was thinking and feeling when it was taken. Now as I look at it two years later, …

“Faith means that we trust not only in God’s wisdom but that we trust also in His love."

We spent the first five years of our marriage in the typical transient state of many young couples — moving from one rental to the next for a little more space, graduate school, an internship. I eagerly looked forward to the day we could “put down roots” so to speak.  Everything from building lasting relationships to buying the perfect laundry …

Some years ago, my in-laws generously took their entire family to the island of Oahu for a family vacation.  We enjoyed an incredible week of snorkeling, parasailing, hiking, sea kayaking, and making amazing memories together.  On the final day of our trip, we spent the morning packing our things. We were busy cleaning up the massive home that we had all …