I realized the other day that I hadn’t really introduced myself super well before I wrote my first Sunday post. This post will be a bit short, and sweet. But I hope to explain a bit of my beliefs to you as best I can. Please note, that I am not very eloquent in speaking, obviously But I hope to share some of the sweet truths I believe. {You can check out this video for a short introduction to what We Believe}

First, I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and has a purpose for me, and sent me here to become like Him. I know that He knows I will make mistakes, so He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be a Savior and Redeemer for me and anyone who will follow Him. He wants me to become like my Savior, and also sent His son to be an ultimate example of what I could be.

I know that prayer is real. I know that our Heavenly Father still talks to us and inspires us on what we should be doing.

I know that my marriage to my amazing husband is eternal, and forever, and I treat it that way. We were married in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple, and sealed for Time and Eternity. I made promises to not only my husband when we married but also to my Heavenly Father and Savior. I know that I also get to be with my sweet children forever, and that they are sealed to us as a family. I know that families are soo incredibly important, and the relationships we have with our families is something I hope to work on and become better at. So that we can become better together, and lift each other up! I know that families can be together forever…{You can watch an introductory video about temples, here!}

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church. That being a member, has helped me draw nearer to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ- Who know and help me become the best that I can be. {You can learn more about how our church is organized in this video here}

I know that our loving Heavenly Father, has called a Prophet for us, to guide us and direct us and keep us from danger. That just as there used to be prophets of old, we now, too, have a prophet called of God. Not called by men, or voted on by a group of people, but a prophet called by our Heavenly Father. Our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, is truly inspired by our Heavenly Father. President Monson is such a joy to learn from, and just radiates goodness and love. I know that he is inspired to lead the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I know that Christ lives, and loves us, and knows us better than we realize, and is constantly trying to help us, if we will let Him. I know that he has comforted me through many things, and will continue to be my center, and the person I rely on most in life. The only person you should put your entire faith and dependence on, He will never let you down. I know that He died for me, and each of us personally. I love my Savior SO Much, and hope to do my best to get to know Him better, and draw closer to Him, so when the day comes, I will recognize Him, and rejoice

I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book, and supplement to the bible. And as I read it daily, it strengthens me and gives me the courage and understanding and sweet spirit I need to be the best wife, mother, daughter, friend… etc. that I can be. The Book of Mormon teaches me about Christ, and every day I read it, I learn something new, something that I need to understand right now with my current joys and struggles. Markell has this awesome deal where if you want a Book of Mormon, she will send you one, for free, no strings attached. You just email her with your info, and she will send you a free Book of Mormon, as well as the testimonies of 30 other bloggers who belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.You can check that out here…

I hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday, and hope you got to know me a little bit better through my beliefs. You can learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints {or Mormons} Here.

Happy Sunday!

Traci

A few other bloggers are sharing their faith today. Check out their posts:

Babes In Hairland

Brassy Apple

Girl Loves Glam

Mormon Mom Of Six

Dreaming About Someday

Morrell Fairytale

The post These Things I Know appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

My son just turned three, and is WAY into superheroes. It’s a lot of fun, and I love zooming around the room with him saving the world. But at the same time, I really want him to have real heroes to look up to in his life, you know what I mean? I am so lucky to have married a wonderful man who I know is my Son’s ultimate hero and man he looks up to and strives to be. I am so grateful to have the Bible and Book of Mormon, to teach my son about heroes that lived long ago, and have their life stories to share with us. They don’t have super powers as far as super heroes go, but their power is something even better, I think.

My son’s favorite from the scriptures is a man named Nephi. He lived around 600 B.C. and is one of my absolute favorite people from the scriptures. If you don’t know what I am talking about, Markell and I are memeber’s of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You can learn more about us here… Markell has also gotten with a bunch of other members {and bloggers!} of our church {mormons!} Who would LOVE to send you a Book of Mormon if you are interested. You can check out that here! We believe in the Bible, and we also believe in a book also written to supplement and go along with the bible, an extra and wonderful book called The Book of Mormon. We learn about Nephi a lot in the Book or Mormon and the type of person he is.

My little boy LOVES Nephi. I am so grateful for his example, and would like to share a few reasons why I hope that my little boy grows up to be just like Nephi {or develop similar traits}. I love that he loves superheroes, but really hope he has real life people with real life problems to be able to look to as an example as he is growing up and facing real problems.

1. Nephi is Humble.  Several times he is harassed by his older brothers. Never once does he yell at them or try to fight back, even when they are trying to kill him. He takes it humbly, and always forgives them when they ask for forgiveness.  I don’t know many people that could do that, including myself. Humility is a trait I feel that in our society we misunderstand as weakness. I feel that as a whole as a society we think if you are humble, that means you just don’t have the guts to fight back,  or that we should hold grudges and get our revenge {watched any movies lately? This is the plot, revenge} I want my son to grow up understanding and learning from a humble example like Nephi, who never let pride enter his heart, but tried his best to be humble in ever circumstance.

My son is only three, and has already been bullied {I know, really?} As a mother this was really hard to watch and handle. I just wanted to go punch the other kid in the face {Yes, I admit it}. It was really helpful to realize that Nephi had also been bullied multiple times, and to be able to teach my son how to handle the situation as Nephi did, and to help my son be able to relate and learn from a real hero that lived long ago and handled bullying better than anyone I know.

2. Nephi was Faithful. He had faith in his Heavenly Father, and Savior Jesus Christ. He was asked by his Heavenly Father to go and get the scriptures from an evil king, and he says “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do”. He was asked by his Heavenly Father to do something, and he just went to do it, knowing that God would let him know what he should do the entire time. I am so grateful for such an example of unwavering faith. I hope that my son can also have this trait as he grows older. That he trusts in his Heavenly Father and Christ, with all of his heart, even with others including me, his mother, may not handle things always as I should. Or if something should happen to me, or my husband. I want him to learn that he always can follow and lean on his Heavenly Father and Savior, no.matter.what. I also appreciate the trait of being faithful for all relationships in life.

I hope that he learns to be faithful to his wife, his children, all of his family, to his work, and most importantly to his Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.

3. Nephi was Patient. Nephi travels with his family in the wilderness and their mains source of obtaining food, a bow, breaks. The family is devastated. They all complain and get angry {I would too, I don’t like missing a meal!} But Nephi doesn’t ever complain, he just keeps on praying and asking for help to get food. He has faith in every circumstance, and is patient even when he is hungry Patience is a very hard thing for a three year old, but something I hope I can learn right along with him. {Even when I am hungry

4. Nephi is a Go-Getter. He doesn’t just sit on his bum playing video games all day {no offense to anyone who loves video games}. But he goes- and he does. Heavenly Father asks him to build a boat, and instead of procrastinating, complaining or just wasting time, he gets right on it and works hard to build the ship. Even when his brothers make fun of him, and are being lazy themselves. He is also willing to work when he is experiencing a hard time in his life, or a trial. He is bound and tied to the ship {he built} by these same older brothers, and he prays to Heavenly Father to “give me the strength to burst my bands”. Woah! He not only prays for help, he prays for strength to do be able to have help to get out of this bad situation. He doesn’t pray that Heavenly Father will fix everything, he asks for help to be freed. He isn’t a bum. He gets things done. I hope that my son does the same. That he serves his Heavenly Father and Savior with all his might, and that he works hard for his someday family and his current family with his Mom, Dad and little sister. That he serves others willingly and is always spending his time doing something good.

5. Nephi is Smart, he is educated. He was constantly learning, and praying for help to understand the scriptures, and to understand different skills he was learning. I hope that my son as he learns and grows learning from the scriptures and learning in school. That he prays for understanding, and help to retain and learn and understand all the principles he is being taught. That he can glean and take the good and remember, and be able to get a good education, and become the best version of himself.

I love that my son is into superheroes, but I am most grateful for Real Heroes in the scriptures, like Nephi, who teach my son real life solutions for real life problems, and teach him to follow his Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he will face similar challenges, and already has. And I hope that he can always look to the heroes from the scriptures. I know that the Book of Mormon is a  true book, and teaches us to follow Christ. And if you want to learn more about Nephi, and some other amazing men, we can look to as our heroes, we would love to send you a copy, no charge. Check it out the info here.

Traci

Check out some of the other Mormon bloggers that are talking about what they believe today:

Sugar Bee Crafts

Babes In Hairland

Dreaming About Someday

Mormon Mom Of Six

The post Nephi {What it means to be a real hero} appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

I wrote this post on marriage a little while ago, and I was hesitant to post it because of some things going on in my extended family. I wrote it before any of those “things” happened, but I just didn’t know if I should post it or not. I decided I should. One of the main reasons I thought I should is because my little brother just announced that he is getting married. I am so excited for him and his fiance. I am ecstatic to have her as a new sister. I’ve only met her once, but I know that the two of them will be great together. That being said, I thought I’d post this in their honor  

You wanna hear my thoughts on marriage? Here’s my thought: Marriage is hard. I have a brother in law (who I know sometimes reads this blog. Thanks for letting me use you as an example in my post without knowing it. Love ya!) who used to think that if he got married, all of his problems would be gone. I remember him specifically saying if he only had a wife, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Guess what. He got married. While I know him and his wife are happy, he found out pretty quickly that marriage. is. hard. You know where I think he got this idea that marriage would be all bliss and amazingness? Disney. 

Think about it. In all the fairy tales, the princess gets married and lives happily ever after. Heather over at My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream just wrote a post about this. The movies never show what happens after the marriage. The honeymoon phase only lasts so long and then real life starts. There are bills, decisions to make, food to cook, a house to clean, socks to pick up off the ground, the list is endless. While some days seem like a fairy tale, and I often wake up thinking “how did I get so lucky to be married to this guy,” it’s not all happily every aftery. 

Being a Mormon, I don’t believe that it’s good to live with someone before marriage. Because of that, when I got married, it was a head first into this thing kind of deal. My husband and I had been living 200 miles apart before we got married, then one day we were living together, in the same house, in the same room even. It was a steep learning curve, for sure. 

I don’t want to go about airing our dirty laundry, but we do have plenty of it. We have hard times, just like every other marriage. Whenever I see a couple that seems perfect, I immediately get suspicious. Most of the time, when you get to know the couple well enough, you see that they have the same dirty laundry you do, they just hide it in different places. 

I heard a quote awhile ago that has really helped me get through some rough marriage spots. I’m not sure the exact quote or who said it but it goes like this: “Maybe marriage isn’t meant to make us happy. Maybe marriage was designed to make us holy.” 

Let that sink in a minute. 

I’m going to say it again, bolded this time.

 Maybe marriage isn’t meant to make us happy. Maybe marriage was designed to make us holy

So, with that in mind,  lets stop pretending that marriages are supposed to be perfect. Because they aren’t. Let’s stop getting divorced whenever things get rough. Relationships are hard. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Relationships are hard! It’s the hard times that allow us to appreciate the sweet times. It’s the problems we struggle through that give us the sweet satisfaction that comes when those problems are solved. Instead of getting divorced or separating when problems arise, work through them! Come out victorious on the other end, together. 

Here’s another quote: “Marriage is choosing to fall in love with the same person, everyday.” Some days, you will fail. Some days, you won’t be in love with your spouse. I’m not saying you won’t love him (or her), but what I’m saying is that being in love with someone takes work. It takes getting over little flaws (sometimes big flaws) and loving anyway. 

I believe that this life is setup to be a test as well as a practice for us. I believe that one of our main purposes in this life is to become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I can think of no better way to achieve this goal than to commit to being with another person for the rest of forever, no matter what. Sickness, health, poorness, wealth, even if he never picks up his underwear off the bathroom floor. You commit to serve another person for your entire life, and that person makes the same commitment to you. You accept them, flaws and all. You work through problems and build a life together. What an amazing way to become more like our Heavenly Father. 

I’ve only been married a little less than four years. I got married when I was 19 years old. Many people say that’s way too young, but I disagree. I’ve been able to learn and grow with my husband. We have come so far together and are stronger now then I ever imagined we’d be. I can’t wait to see where we are twenty, thirty, forty years from now. 

If you’d like to read another churchyish post, head on over to Dreaming About Someday. 

Do you have any awesome marriage advice? I’d love to hear it. 

The post My Thoughts On Marriage appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

I have a confession to make. I have never read the Bible. Not the whole thing anyway. I have always focused my scripture study on the Book of Mormon. I decided to make that reading the Bible my goal. My husband and I are reading the Old Testament and I am reading the New Testament.

Since I just started the New Testament, I just got through Mathew this week. While I was reading, there were a few scriptures that really stood out at me. I’m going to share them with you and  talk a little about why they stood out to me.

I just have to say that I really do love reading the scriptures. I love how each time I read, different things stick out to me. It’s like the book was written with me in mind, in every situation I happen to be in at the time. When I need encouragement, I find it. When I need to feel loved, I feel it. When I need answers, they are there. Isn’t that amazing?

Scripture One: Mathew 6:25 & 28 & 30-31

25: Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

28: And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. 

30: Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 

31: Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed. 

This set of scriptures has been one of my favorites for a long time. It has helped me through a lot of things, and I know that the promise that is laid out in them is true. Christ says in these scriptures that our needs will be taken care of. We don’t need to worry about what we’re going to eat or what we’re going to wear. That will be taken care of if we just have faith. We have gone through some fairly poor times. I don’t shop for clothes unless I absolutely need them, and when I do, I pray before I go. I know that seems weird, but this scripture tells me that God cares about what I wear, and that He will take care of those needs for me. When I pray before I go shopping, I almost always find good deals. Granted, I only shop places like Goodwill, so it’s hard not to find a good deal.

Scripture Two: Mathew 15:11

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out the mouth, this defileth a man. 

When I read this my mind went to some things that I had said earlier that day. I realized that it must be important to not gossip if Christ felt the need to mention it. I feel like this would be a good scripture to have memorized and bring to mind each time I want to say some not so nice things.

Scripture Three: Mathew 16:25

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

This scripture has had a new meaning for me since having kids. Growing up I thought it had something to do with if you were killed defending God that you would be saved or something like that. I realize now that there are many ways to lose your life without ever coming close to death. You lose your” life” when you choose to be a stay at home mom. You lose your “life” when you volunteer your time to help others. You lose your “life” when you make unselfish choices that will better your family instead of making “me” choices. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mom, and I love that I am able to stay home, but I realize that I had to give things up to do this. I had always planned on going to film school or medical school or something awesome like that. Some days I feel like I “lost” that life. But when I read this scripture, I remember. I remember that raising kids is what I believe this life is about. I realize that spending time helping others and building God’s kingdom is what is going to give me the most happiness in the long run. By choosing to “lose” my life, I find more happiness and joy then I would ever find leading a life centered on myself.

Scripture Four: Mathew 18:1-5

1. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2. And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 

3. And said, verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

4. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

5. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 

This one really calls to my motherhood genes. It makes me think about how amazing it is that I have this opportunity to raise children. Jesus said we need to be like little children. What a better way to become like children than to be with children, to watch children, to be taught by children. My kids are little, the oldest is just starting to really talk, but I have already learned so much from them. I have learned patience, selflessness, tolerance, self-discipline, and I have learned how to love more than I ever thought was possible. I am learning so much from my children, this scripture helps me realize that what I now need to do is learn to become like them. I need to be humble, faithful, teachable, and I need to learn to love without exception, like my children do.

This scripture also gives me great encouragement. I love the last verse. Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. It helps me remember that being a mother is such a great and noble calling. 

Scripture Five: Mathew 21:22

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive 

I don’t think I even need to say why I love this scripture. Everything that we ask for, if we ask in faith, and believe that the prayer will be answered, we will receive. I don’t believe that means all our prayer are answered in the way that we would like, but that we will receive whatever thing we need.

I hope you all enjoyed these few scriptures that are meaningful to me right now. I’d love to hear about your favorite scriptures. When commenting, please keep in mind that it can be hard to share believes online for all to see.

If you’d like to learn more about my beliefs, please visit www.lds.org or see this post about how you can receive a free Book of Mormon (including shipping), no questions asked.

Check out some other faith based posts from some other LDS bloggers:

The post Scriptures in Mathew that inspire me to be a better mother (and person) appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.

Have you noticed a trend with a lot of bloggers? A lot of them seem to be LDS. That could be due to the fact that many LDS mothers choose to skip the full-time-career path and stay at home, inevitable leading to a little free time when kiddos are at school or taking naps. Or, (and this is more likely) it could be because the LDS church (LDS is short for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), also known as the Mormon church, is awesome (just like all the bloggers!)

My husband and I when we were sealed in the temple

 Just like lots of other awesome bloggers, I am also Mormon. I have been my whole life. I know it’s true, and I know that it is a HUGE reason for my happiness. I really don’t know what I would do without the church. It gives me perspective, guidance, purpose, and direction in my life.

 The Mormon church has become quite popular lately. I’m sure that one way or another, you’ve heard of it. Because of all the added interest, and out of a desire to share what we believe with our readers, a bunch of bloggers have gotten together to make this happen.

Me and my husband and our two kids, Archimedes and Aika

Here’s how it works

What other bloggers are involved? 

The post Why are your favorite bloggers Mormon?? appeared first on A Mouse In My Kitchen.