True Doctrine Understood...

I'm reading Covenant Motherhood: Reflecting the Role of Christ in Our Lives by Stephanie Dibb Sorensen (my friend!) and I love it. Absolutely love it.

I'll give it a proper review when I'm finished. But just do yourself a favor right now and go buy it. Seriously. It's that great!

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My Facebook status from yesterday (amid all the ones about traditional marriage):

Love: My 8 year old son coming home from school, stealing the 1 year old, putting him in the stroller (with my help), and taking him for a walk! Because let's be serious: I'm raising fathers. 

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Just in case people didn't already know:

1. I support marriage as a union between a woman and a man.

2. I believe children are entitled to be raised by a married couple (hopefully their biological parents, but since I believe in adoption to families that HAVE a mom and dad, just a married couple is good.)

3. I believe children should be protected since they can't protect themselves.

4. That means I don't believe in abortion.

5. I believe in education. I believe that : “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." ~President Boyd K. Packer

Therefore, I believe we should teach about the law of chastity, the gospel (in all aspects), the law of consequence, the reality of agency, and the results of disobedience. But on the flip side, we need to teach how responsibility, obedience, love, fidelity, loyalty, charity, and service will result in joy and an immeasurably peaceful life.

6. I know life is not as cut/dry nor as easy as I make it sound. But I believe --with my whole heart --that Jesus Christ makes it right again through His Atonement. Our lives are messy and hard and very, very mortal. We will make mistakes and we will suffer. That is the point. But we can have joy, hope, and peace through our Savior --in fact, He's the only way we truly can. 

Just so you know. 

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My house right now is a mess. There is laundry to be folded and switched, floors to sweep, bathrooms to clean, dinner to plan, a yard to weed, and shelves to dust. 

But in this house, there are two sleeping children, one happy Kindergartner, a lazy cat, piles of books to be read (by me!), the sound of birds outside the kitchen window, the stillness of sunshine and afternoon haze. 

Brandon is out of town for work, the big kids are still in school, I'm anticipating the two soccer games and the Junior High Open House for tonight, and I'm bone tired from staying up way too late and getting up way too early. 

I still eat too much and cry too much and fail too much at the things I desperately want to do. But in my heart, I feel a contentment that this wash, rinse, repeat cycle I find myself in is not only for my good, but for my children's good, too. Each stretching I receive through my own mistakes, each repentant plea I offer brings me closer to my Savior and closer to whom I am meant to be.

So, it's okay. Happy, even. The house will get clean, I'll get sleep, I'll see Brandon again. In the meantime, I will sit here and simply be grateful I have been blessed to have a life such as this one.