Make the Lord #1 in Your Life

It is only when we make our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the number one priority in our lives, that everything else works out. Including our relationship with spouse and other family member.

Matthew 10:37

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

I know that as I have put the Lord first, including reading the scriptures and praying daily, I have had the spirit with me to know what I can do to make my family relationships strong.

I know as YOU follow that Lord and put Him first in your life, he will bless you and help you have joy and happiness in your life and relationships.

Valentine's Day Wisdom

I just came across this article that was printed on Valentines Day.

It's written by Steven Kalas, a behavioral health consultant and counselor here in Las Vegas. I've read a couple of his columns before and have been pretty impressed.

Let us remember the importance of loving and being loved, and thank our Father in Heaven for that love.

Happy Valentine's Day

Marriage and Money

Tonight I was thinking about money and marriage.

Did you know that one of the number one reasons for Divorce has to do with money?

Isn't that sad? So how do we avoid money being a problem in our own marriage?

I would suggest that you make sure you are on the same page from the beginning.

This means that if you aren't married, to make it something that is important to you as you look for a spouse. (See: Nice Extras, Highly Desirable, Must Haves)

Talk to your significant other about scenarios such as:

What types of things are okay to go into debt for?

How do you feel about savings accounts?

How much do you think is a good amount to save?

What are your thoughts on credit cards?

When my husband and I got married and I thought we were exactly on the same page about finances. For the most part we are, but after we got married we found out we didn't see everything the same as the other.

My husband is VERY good at getting a deal with almost anything he buys. He always looks around and makes sure that its what he wants, but at the least expensive price available.

I, however, grew up with a very frugal mother whose financial philosophies rubbed off on me a bit. If you looked up "Saver" in the dictionary you would see:

Saver: One who saves money.

and then there would be a picture of my mother.

That's how I grew up. Save, save, save, and save some more. When you buy something, do your best to get an ultra awesome deal, and don't spend more than you need to.

Even though we don't always see things exactly the same, we have learned to compromise.

I remember a friend telling me about her uncle who was extremely frugal also. He was so frugal, he would drive miles just to save a few pennies. Needless to say, his marriage ended in divorce with money being a factor in the failed marriage.

Likewise, someone who spends too much money can destroy their marriage as well. Obviously if we have bad habits of spending more than we have, or gambling our money away, this can also cause strain in a marriage.

(Understand: I'm not saying frugality is a negative thing. I endorse frugality, as long as it doesn't come between you and your spouse. Your marriage IS more important than money. Over spending, on the other hand, is never good for anyone.)

Bottom line:

Don't let money destroy your marriage. Find a compromise, work together, and decide as a couple how you best want to use your money.

One Flesh

As I was talking with a friend the other day she told me a story about her younger sister who is currently having marriage problems. The cause of these marital problems rooted from an unhealthy relationship with a childhood friend. They are currently working on repairing their marriage but at one point it seemed bleak. This was so sad to me that one person could be the cause of a marriage falling apart. It made me think about this scripture:

Gen. 2: 24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

This scripture is not implying that we never talk to our father and mother again. But it DOES mean that when we marry we now work out our problems TOGETHER, we share our joys (and pains for that matter) TOGETHER, and most importantly we don't let anything or anyone come between us.

In some marriages one spouse is still being mommy and daddy's child which causes a rift in the marriage. In this case it was a friend. But it could be a plethora of other things: a game, a sport, a hobby, a show, another person, a job...and the list goes on and on.

“Marriage is a partnership of equals with neither exercising dominion over the other, but rather with each encouraging and assisting the other in whatever responsibilities and aspirations he or she might have.” -Gordon B. Hinckley

Marriage is about supporting and loving each other and above all,

becoming one.

New Year's Resolution

Not too long ago I saw the following New Years Resolution on this blog:

At our last stake conference (a large gathering of several LDS congregations in our area) our stake president shared (with a twinkle in his eye) one of his & his wife's goals for 2010:

Kiss each other at least 3 times a day. 1 kiss has to be at least 12 seconds long.

What a GREAT new years Resolution.

I recommend we ALL try it!

The Gospel is True and I Love You

I saw this story not too long ago posted by one of my sister's very best friends.

I received permission from her to post it here.

It's titled:

The Gospel is True and I Love You

It is such a beautiful example of how marriage should be.

May we all strive a little harder to find the good in our spouse and only speak words of praise.