my thoughts: on family

What a great training-ground, right?  I mean, for real... what better way to pass on important knowledge, both spiritual and temporal?  Can you think of one?  Most of the institutions established for much the same purpose really do a barely adequate job.

I believe that the family has been ordained and organized by God.  Among his innumerable purposes for families, I believe we are meant to learn all the important lessons about God and his plan... the purpose for our lives.  He wants us to have folks we care about with whom to practice the most important functions of a society.

Hopefully we learn about honesty being the best policy without lying and having to rebuild lost trust.  We learn about consequences, both natural and imposed by parents who are our very first authority figures.  We learn about leaders and how to lead and how important our example may be.  We learn about love, like, joy, happiness, faith, hope, and so many other positives and their opposite.

As a tale from Tori... when I was about 24, I thought I had improved dramatically in patience.  I just really didn't get angry much or easily.  By the time I'd been married for a year or two, I realized how impatient I yet was.  Another couple years, and our first child, proved to me in wholly new and amazing ways how far I had to go to become truly patient.  Each additional child has revealed to me how sorely lacking in patience I really have been all along!  So... as an example that is also true of many other things, family provides growth opportunities.  Family enables us, when we are willing, to see into ourselves more fully... as if shining a light into the corners we didn't pay attention to before.  It is revealing and ripe with potential for transformation.

Our family of origin as well as the family we form when we marry, potentially provide us with more opportunities of this sort than any other single relationship.  Trial and blessing all in one... as must needs be since opposition is necessary to true and deep understanding.

my thoughts: on the purpose of life

The ultimate purpose of life is to so live here that we may eternally live in the presence of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  This life is a time of learning.  Most importantly, learning to hear Him when we are surrounded by innumerable distractions, and then choosing to obey Him even when there may be other things we would rather do.

Among the things I believe He would have us learn:

To love selflessly and unconditionally.  I struggle.  I mean... I really struggle with this.  Perhaps not so much with new babies and young children, but generally I struggle.  How are you doing in learning to love unconditionally and selflessly?

To learn to enjoy working and do what must be done with a good attitude.  I'm doing so much better at this than I did when I was younger.  I've realized that choosing to find the good in, like, and maybe love what I'm doing, even if there's something I'd rather do, is a huge benefit to enjoying my work.  What has made working with a good attitude easier for you?

To give thanks in all things.  I had an experience years ago in which I prayed a thanksgiving prayer for something I really wasn't grateful for.  Immediately, I felt a dramatic and irrefutable lifting of the burden of that thing.  It was miraculous.  Giving thanks, even for that which we do not prefer, enables us to feel God's Peace and love.  His peace and love are always lifting!  I have so much room for improvement... I need to remember to do this.  I know it works.  I just don't always remember to do it!  Do you remember to give thanks in ALL things?

To serve joyfully and lovingly.  I guess this one is really tightly tied to the unconditional and selfless love.  Interestingly, though, I often do pretty okay with giving the right kind of service... you know, with my heart in the right place.  I'm nowhere near 100%, but I'm definitely not near 0%.  Do you enjoy performing service?

To marry and have a family (often including children).  God gave two commandments in the Garden of Eden.  One was broken.  The other never rescinded... so, we are commanded to procreate and replenish the earth.  We are also meant to be good stewards of our planet.  This planet is an amazing self-healing body, much like our own in some ways.  We are meant to be symbiots with her.  Currently, many humans are not.  But we still can be.  Even with six children, I'm pretty sure my little family currently leaves a smaller footprint than most in the western world.  We have not always been so.  Thus, I know all of us are able to change and become, at least, less harmful to our mother earth.

I'd love to know what other BIG purposes you've considered!