Application Project - Family

After all this studying I realized the area I wanted most to be grounded in at this time was in my family.  I felt that we specifically needed to reemphasize the roles and responsibilities in our family.  In addition to starting college courses through the pathways program I also went to work part time for the first time since before having my children.  This was necessary to pay off an increase in medical bills due to my husband’s chronic kidney disorder. When we decided that I would do this we had a couple of conditions: First, that is would be temporary, and second, that I would be home when the kids were home. I was hired at a job that was only 9 months long. It worked perfectly.  I finished in May and since then our family has been trying to reconnect and reconstruct.

While I was working we shared many of the responsibilities I was accustom to doing.  This was good for all of us and also hard.  When my job was winding down we sat down as a family and decided after all the changes we must refocus on what is most important and how we wanted to move forward. Especially since I will be continuing in my schooling.

We have met weekly for our family councils, this was a habit that saved us through my working.  We recommitted to better prepared, family home evenings.  We went over our household responsibilities, and we decided on projects that we could do to beautify and maintain our aging home. I as a mother have been more aware of the unspoken needs in our home and been trying to be more sensitive to making time to focus on the individuals in our home so they can find safety and security here.  It has paid bid dividends in this short refocus time already.

So far we have continued to hold our weekly family councils.  We have been studying an apostle weekly for since October’s conference and we have held onto this habit. I am thankful for my husband’s leadership in this area of our Sabbath day.  Our family home evenings have been better focused. Since I have made more time to make official desserts it seems like the whole thing goes better. J We made a family plan for some home projects and I am so proud of the responsibility of my children in holding themselves to the plan we made.  I have seen self-motivation I have not previously seen, and we now have a newly tiled bathroom, as well as our family room is redesigned and more inviting for our family, as well as our yard is being much better attended to without nagging. 

I know that as I, myself have refocused on my role as wife and mother.  I have felt the influence of the Lord in my life directing me.  I made a goal to pray morning and night specifically for direction in this role as well as to record promptings that come in my journal so I can keep up on my action toward them. I know that focusing my action toward my family, and each of our specific roles has helped the chaos we were feeling to subside.  As a team we are stronger, and with the Lord’s help and the invitation of the spirit into our home by obedience we have found great peace and much love return.  Family is the most important thing to me, together we support and strengthen one another no matter the stage we are in.  It is a beautiful thing.