Parable Of The Sower - Part 4: Seeds in Thorny Ground

Luke 8: 14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Choked= properly, choke (cut off) – literally, "choked because joined with."

Parable Of The Sower - Part 3: Seeds in Stony Places

I am really learning a lot about the Parable of the Sower with this in-depth study. It is so exciting! Today I studied about the seed that fell into stony ground.

Matthew 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Matthew 13: 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

STONY= Inflexible; cruel; unrelenting; pitiless; obdurate; perverse; cold; morally hard; appearing as if petrified; as, a stony heart; a stony gaze; (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary). Parched, no depth, rocky land which a thin layer of soil is spread.

I also found that Zechariah 7:11-13 added to my understanding: 

Parable Of The Sower - Part 1: Introduction

 

I've decided to do an in-depth study comparing:

1. Parable of the Sower - Matthew 13:1-23 (see also Mark 4:1-9, Luke 8:4-15)
2. Lehi's Vision - Nephi 8, 11
3. Zenos's allegory of the tame and wild olive trees - Jacob 5

Mother's Day Depression

A SPECIAL NOTE to Mother's who find Mother's Day DEPRESSING:

When my children were young, I loved Mother's Day. My kids adored me and they told me often that I was the best Mom ever. But, as my children grew into teenagers, things changed. Mostly I was reminded of how my skills as a mother and even as a person were sorely lacking. Mothers Day became a sad day for me.

On Mother's Day we hear story after story of the 'perfect mom' being praised by their husbands and children. At the same time, our own failings and weaknesses glare back at us. Deep in our heart we know our children are constant reminders of our deficiencies. It has taken me many depressing Mother's Day's to finally get back to enjoying them.

This is what I have learned: Peace comes to me from knowing that I did my best with the knowledge I had. I'm sure you all agree that if you had known then what you know now, you would have done things differently and would not have made the mistakes you made....it is nonsense to judge our past mistakes with our present knowledge...so it's time to stop doing it.

I also gain joy and peace realizing that my successes really do exceed my oopies. This Mother Heart of mine has always been filled with a desire to do Gods will - This Mother Heart of  mine has always loved my children.

Raising my children has brought me closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I understand more fully, but not completely, Christ's Atonement, patience, long suffering, repentance, and forgiveness and unconditional love - the pure love of Christ.These choice experiences have prepared me to be a more humble disciple of HIM.

I AM engaged in HIS work and HIS glory. So if you are still in the middle of hating Mother's Day, I hope you will search deep into your heart, and ask God to help you feel His love for you.

....and a special hug from me to all you Moms.

 With love and gratitude,
  

Each of us lead a life filled with miracles, we just need to pause and see them! What's new and good with you?

What Really Happens To Little Children When They Die?

Many people are confused or even feel lost, anger, and inconsolable grief, when it comes to understanding what happens to little children when they die - especially if they have not been baptized yet.

Stumbled But Not Defeated

Have you ever experienced the miracle of 

watching a toddler learn to walk?

Teaching each of my 11 children to walk was wonderful. Usually I would start them out by walking behind them holding their sweet, chubby, little hands.
Then I would prop them up next to the couch and scoot a few feet away from them. Holding my arms out, I would look into their trusting eyes and encourage them to come to me, all the while saying, "You can do it!"

It amazed me to see how they tirelessly would get back up each time they stumbled and fell. Day after day they would keep trying, never giving up or feeling like it was hopeless. They never felt like a failure either. They just kept getting back up and trying again and again until they got it!

There are times in our own 'grown up' lives when getting back up seems beyond our own ability.

The Return

 My summer break from blogging was a fantastic adventure. Here are a few of the highlights:

• GRANDchild #6 was born - healthy and content. Being a Nana Rocks!
• My son is back from Japan and living in the US again. Wahoo!
• Lots of quality and quantity time with my man and my children. Forever Family!
• Our veggi and fruit gardens are flourishing. We are also enjoying a bounteous harvest from our Fall Gold Raspberries and Gogi Berries. Yum!
• Lance added more shelves to my pitiful pantry and now it is totally organized. Gotta ♥ it!
• Lance and I were called by our church to be the Wolf Cub Scout Den Leaders. Every Wednesday evening you'll find us on a fun-tastic escapade with 4 rambunctious 8 year old boys. Yay Akela!
• Finally (for the first time ever) I watched the Lord of the Ring movies. Not only that, but they were the extended versions...I know I'm kinda slow, but my 25 year old son and I had a great time watching them together. Sam is my hero!

I've also filled my reservoir of inspiring and informative articles for you to enjoy. Currently I plan on posting a new exciting article every Tuesday morning. I hope you come back often...please feel free to share my site with those you love.

 With love and gratitude,

 
Each of us lead a life filled with miracles, we just need to pause and see them! What's new and good with you?

Health Benifits of a Happy Marriage Between a Man and a Woman

We live in a day and age, where happy, lasting marriages are few and far between. When people are healthy, they are automatically happier! Don't you just love being round happy people!

Lance and I have been married for 36+ years and we love being in love with each other.

Has it been easy? 

No!

Has it been worth it? 

Yes!   

My diagram below shows some of the health benefits of a happy marriage.

How Getting Back into the Kitchen with Your Spouse Could Save Your Marriage

Getting back into the kitchen with your spouse can be a fun adventure. It will bring spice to your marriage, compliment each others unique cooking skills or lack of cooking skills, and bring you closer together.

When I married Lance, my cooking skills were extremely pitiful. What made it worse was his mother was an amazing cook. I struggled for years and years (and years) to learn how to cook. I wanted to please my husband, but failed more than succeeded. 

Age Well

Recently I was on the phone with my website tech support. While we were waiting for a glitch to work out, we started visiting and I asked him what his biggest health concern is. (I know, I can't help myself.)

His response was one I hear often - "I'm getting older, and my joints are starting to hurt. I'm worried about getting old and being in a lot of pain."  The main difficulty I hear from people is they want to keep living and eating the way they are but they don't want their bodies to deteriorate....this doesn't work. If a person is noticing sore joints, weight gain, brain fog + , then their body is telling them to make changes and make them soon!

Our body is a fine tuned organism...but just like a fine tuned car, if we don't  keep in maintained, it's going to start sputtering and finally end up in the junk yard.

The good news is - Life expectancy is UP!

Psychology of Eating – Why Diets Don’t Work - How to Successfully and Permanently Lose Weight

Do you know that weight loss is directly affected by your bodies nervous system? Sounds crazy, but it’s true and I’ll explain how…

Top Five Prevention Tips for Optimal Mental And Brain Health

I am a woman who is 54 years old. I feel healthier and more vibrant now than I did when I 30.

At age 28 my health began spirally down and down, until I eventually found myself in a wheelchair and sleeping over 18 hours a day. Brain fog and pain were my constant companions. 

Build a Lasting Relationship

 
Recently I was doing a phone Health History Consultation with a woman in Tennessee.  During the conversation she asked about my relationship with my husband. I truthfully told her that we had been married over 36 years and were more in love than ever before. There was a pause and then she said, "That's what I want."

This has happened to me several times. People want a permanent and happy relationship with their spouse. They want the happiness and security that comes from a deep relationship that is committed. Couples want to know that the person they are giving all their love to is doing the same for them.

But, most people don't know how to make it happen 

and 

don't believe it CAN happen.

Frugal Christmas

Several years ago, CL was laid off at Christmas time.  We were expecting baby #6 and life became more of a challenge. 

Interestingly enough, CL and I had recently attended a 'Get Out Of Debt' seminar at BYU.  One of the suggestions given by the instructor was to make Christmas gifts using materials on hand or just purchasing a few inexpensive materials to help with the handmade gifts.  

With 5 kids it was a challenge, but we did it, and it is a Christmas we will always cherish.  Everyone got their creative minds going (this was before the internet, so we had to rely on our own imaginations). 

Dealing With the Death of a Loved One at Christmas Time.

I know this is not a popular topic to discuss, especially during the holiday season, but none the less, it is a reality that some of us loose loved ones at Christmas time. 

How to Get and Keep the Spirit of Christmas

Most of us have experienced a Christmas season where there was a definite lack of the Christmas Spirit. We just couldn't get into it. The excitement was missing.

So, just what is the Spirit of Christmas, where does it come from, and how can we catch it every year?

Giving Thanks For Our Miraculous 5 Senses

Thanksgiving is a time when we use ALL 5 of our senses to the max! There is so much to see, hear, touch, smell and taste.

The Subtle and Significant Blessing of Giving Thanks

I used to be 'exceptionally' good at basing my happiness on something in the future. At age 13 I just knew that when I got rid of my glasses and got contact lenses I would be happy. I knew that when I turned 16 and could drive and date then I would be really happy. When I could get a job I'd have my own money then I would be happy. When I was old enough and could get married everything will be wonderful and then I'd be happy. When I could get a house of my own then I'd be happy.

Can you relate to this?

Health Benifits of Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is often an overlooked holiday - stuck between Halloween and Christmas.

But, it is one of my most favorite holidays.

Halloween and Christmas are great, don’t get me wrong, but both of these holidays tend to be centered more around ‘what’s in it for me’, - such as candy and gifts.

Thanksgiving on the other hand is centered solely around family and gratitude. Of course, everyone expects a delicious meal but everyone is also a little more thoughtful about their blessings.

I Am Thankful for Life

Dear Readers,

To kick off the month of November - the month of gratitude - I'd like to join with you in the experience of expressing gratitude for life and more especially the breath which gives us life.

As some of you know, I have had the blessing of giving birth to 11 children. It's been an overwhelming journey, but also a fantastic journey.

The other day I was contemplating just what has it meant to me to be the mother of these 11 unique people.

I came to the realization that 11 times, I was witness to the miracle of a new life coming into this world.