Strengthening Families by Increasing Spirituality

Do you ever look at a family and just think, “Wow, they have it together!” Do you ever ask yourself, why did all of their kids go on missions, and get married in the temple, or why do they seem so close? I ask myself questions like these all the time. Sometimes, no matter what the parents might do, children will still go astray, however, we have been counseled over and over to strengthen our home and families and we have received promises from our leaders that if we do that, we will be blessed. The visiting teaching message this … Continue reading

Marriage and Spiritual Quests

Are you and your spouse of the same faith? Did you convert to his religion in order to marry, or did she convert to yours? (If you came from different ones.) Or maybe neither of you had one before marriage and adopted one together. Or maybe you didn’t. Right after Wayne and I first got married I’d pass churches and feel guilty I didn’t have a religion. “Maybe we should see about finding a church?” I once ventured. “Maybe we shouldn’t. Why start going now anyway? You never wanted to before.” I couldn’t put my finger on what was happening … Continue reading

3 Things to Work on in Your Marriage

Marriage can be difficult at times. Sometimes it is just the daily toll of activities, stress and other items that cause keeping your marriage healthy to get pushed to the back burner. Other times it is crises that cause your marriage relationship to become strained. It is important to remember to consistently work on your marriage and your family life. It is important to work together in all aspects of your marriage life. There are several different areas that you should work on as a couple. Spirituality is one area that you can focus on as a couple. Praying together … Continue reading

Marriage is Bad for the Community? Really?

Marriage is a sacred institution and it’s about deepening family ties whether you are a European princeling making a power match with an Austrian duchess or an Irish-American dentist marrying an Italian-American schoolteacher and integrating their extended families. We build communities around this sense of nuclear family and by extension the rest of the family on both sides. Marrying broadens your local community, incorporating a whole new support network and more. But according to sociologists Natalia Sarkisian and Nami Gerstel – not so much anymore. In fact, it seems that modern marriage is more about people setting themselves apart. They … Continue reading

The Three F’s Of Marriage

Have you ever heard of the three F’s? Well, that’s okay I’ll tell you about them right now. Recently I had a discussion with my mother that resulted in an epiphany for me. We were discussing something that had to do with my husband and she asked me if he was going to mind something we’d done in the yard and I commented, well if he did, we’d have to fight about it and figure it out. She frowned and looked very concerned and when I asked what was wrong, she said that she didn’t like conflict and she didn’t … Continue reading

The Marriage Blog Week in Review – November 4 –10

It’s been a busy and exciting week here in the Marriage blog. There was a national election on Tuesday that saw 7 states accept constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage, while one state – Arizona said no to that ban. If you don’t read my fitness blog, you may not have known that I also quit smoking this week and today marks Day 4 heading into Day 5 and I’ll be writing about how great my spouse has been in supporting this effort next week. In the meanwhile, if you missed any of our key stories this week, here is … Continue reading

Spirituality in Marriage

Spirituality is more than just a word. It’s more than just a simple definition. We all see spirituality differently. We see spirituality as a form of holiness. For some of us that means we need to have a Rabbi, a Priest, a Minister, an Imam or other who represents the spiritual side of life for us. Spirituality is not about religion, it’s about experience, it’s about faith, and it’s about being true to yourself and to your beliefs. So, to make it clear, I am not talking about religion or religious beliefs. I am not talking about going to Church … Continue reading

LDS Holistic Living Conference

Did you know about the LDS Holisitic Living Conference? I didn’t either until last year when a friend of mine told me about it, and now, it is coming up again this weekend. I’m hoping I get the opportunity to go. If not this year, then definitely next year. What is it all about? Well, it is a one day conference dedicated to teaching members of the church about living healthier lives, both physically and spiritually. While the church does not officially endorse this conference, it is full of good information for any member of the church that wants to … Continue reading

Raising a Family in Utah When You Swore You Never Would

I did not grow up in Utah. In fact, I am very proud of the fact that I am a southern girl from Texas. Although, many Utahns that I run in to these days don’t hear an accent anymore, and don’t even realize I’m not one of their own. I used to say all the time that I would never live in UT. I thought it was full of cookie cutter mormons that all think and act and do the same thing. That was until I moved to UT. My experience has only been living in Salt Lake City. So, … Continue reading

What Do You Want in a Spouse?

I remember back to when I was about eleven, making a list of all the things I wanted in a husband. I’d been taught that if you write your goals down, they were more likely to come true, so why not set a goal about the kind of guy I wanted to marry? Some of the things on my list were practical, and some weren’t. I had a major crush on Pierce Brosnan at the time (still do, if you want to know the truth) and I decided that I was going to marry someone with dark hair and blue … Continue reading