Preparing for Marriage

Preparing for marriage is a huge deal. It isn't just something that you can do overnight; no matter what anyone says. Marriage is a huge step in life and it should not, nor is it intended to be taken lightly. In order to prepare yourself for marriage your need to put yourself out there and date! By dating I don't mean group dates, I mean dates that follow the three P rule. Paired off, Paid for, and Planned. We need to remember that we marry who we date, so be sure that you are only dating people that you are actually interested in and could potentially see yourself in the future with.

We need to prepare ourselves personally while dating as well. We need to develop habits and skills that will benefit not only ourselves but our future families and spouses as well. If your are not dating anyone currently, take advantage of that time to work on yourself; work on becoming a better person and work on developing your gifts and talents. Somehow in the right due time, a man or women will come into your life and notice and be attracted to those specific gifts and talents.

Getting married and having a family is extremely important to our Heavenly Father. He wants to send his sons and daughters to parents with healthy marriages and to parents who will raise those children to be strong and righteous people. It is our obligation and duty to raise a strong generation, a generation that can be brave and stand up to the future and things that are to come. This is all starts with a happy and healthy marriage.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Gender Roles

Gender roles amongst this generation are becoming unclear and it just may very well be causing problems within families. You are either born male or female; there is no in between. Children grow up depending on their parents to teach them male and female roles. Down below there is a YouTube video that talks about how children at a young ages know that women are supposed to be nurturers, and that men are supposed to be protectors, providers, and presiders. They know the difference between man and woman, and they know for themselves whether they are boys or girls. The environment plays a great role in influencing someone to choose to be gay or lesbian; it is clear that you are not born gay or lesbian; it is a choice you make later on after being born.

The second video talks about how we live in a generation of dissolving gender roles in the family. Men are acting as providers and nurturers as well as women acting as providing and nurturers. When this happens children grow up not learning or understanding what their roles are in future families and marriages. Families were intended to be set up so that the father takes care of the family, while the mother stays home and takes care of her children. Heavenly Father blesses parents with his children; children are supposed to be the greatest gift of all, and woman are repaying him by going to work and having strangers raise their children instead. What the point of having kids? That's not fair to the child or Heavenly Father. If you aren't going to take the time to raise your children that you have been blessed with, then take it upon yourself to not have them.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

Gender rolls-Interview with kids
Generation of Dissolving Gender Roles

The Way We're Raised

Each and every family has it's own unique culture. I grew up very differently than my best friend, and she grew up differently than her next door neighbor; we're all different. There are many different cultures all around the world, cultures with different beliefs and religions; depending on that type of culture you grow up in will influence the kind of person you will turn out to be.

There are definitely cultures that are not morally right, which would automatically make the people who are raised in those families and cultures to be morally wrong as well. However, if you think about it, those people who are born into families and cultures have no choice of how they are raised. In some ways it isn't their fault. It is however, once a certain age is reached, their obligation to break free from morally unjust things.

It is our obligation as sons and daughter of a loving Heavenly Father to be a good influence to those who are needing the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. We are all sent here on this earth for a specific reason and purpose. We need to be kind-hearted towards others no matter what and treat them the way our Father in Heaven would treat them. We have no right to judge. We are all brought up a certain way according to our families and previous generations. Once we reach a certain age we need to decide for ourselves what truly is right or wrong.

~Don't Forget to Smile!

A Properly Structured Family

A proper family consist of a mother and a father. They should be the leaders of their family and direct their children. You see it more often now that in families the children tend to control their parents lives rather than the other way around. There's just something not right about that picture. When a parents focus is mainly driven to their child rather than their spouse, that is when lines begin to blur. I've also seen that mother's try to be their daughter or son's best-friend. I don't think that's very appropriate. You want you child to be comfortable with coming to your for help, however, being their 'best-friend' ruins that mother-child relationship.

The parents should be running the household. I know that you want you child to be able to have everything and every opportunity possible, however, if their crazy schedule and life is causing tension in your home and family then maybe you should cut back a little on the extra curricular activities. I'm not saying that they shouldn't play soccer or take violin lessons, but maybe cut down to one or maybe two extra curricular programs, especially if you have more than one child. This will help a lot with stress and the child running the parents lives.

I know that if you lay down rules in the family and have a good structure and schedule, life will be easier. There will also be less contention among the individual members of the family as well. The bottom line is that parents need to communicate with each other and decide things together as a 'couple' as to what to do with their children. Children are extremely important, but having an eternal and happy marriage between you and your spouse is more important. Remember that the family is only as happy as the parents.

~Don't forget to smile!