Within the Walls of our Home

Yesterday's Family Home Evening (FHE)was about the importance of Children in a family. In preparation for the lesson I read this below, for myself:

President Gordon B. Hinckley said these inspiring words in a talk called,” Four Simple Things to Help Our Families and Our Nations”

“Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former United States president George Bush, spoke wisely when in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1990 


she addressed the Wellesley College graduating class and said, “Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.”

Religion can help and will do wonders. Religion is the great conservator of values and teacher of standards. Its message on values has been consistent through the ages. From the days of Sinai to the present, the voice of the Lord has been an imperative voice concerning right and wrong. In modern revelation, that voice has declared, “I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (D&C 93:40).

What, you may ask, can be done? The observance of four simple things on the part of parents would in a generation or two turn our societies around in terms of their moral values. They are simply these: Let parents and children (1) teach and learn goodness together, (2) work together, (3) read good books together, and (4) pray together.” “Chapter 37: Family Responsibilities,” Gospel Principles, 236

I love that it talks about how important it is to provide a standard by which to live. That whatever may happen in our world, what matters most is what happens in the walls of our home.

Our daughters are both incredibly intelligent, quick to reason, quick to notice inconsistencies... they are also very strong-willed. I feel extra pressure with the challenges that will surround them, to make sure they are equipped with the confidence to choose truth and right, over the voices that preach selfishness, and anything goes. I think as parents, with the strong spirits we are raising... we have a heavy responsibility on our shoulders. I don't remember having very much by the way of FHE growing up. I suppose that's why I get so excited that for the last few months we've been consistent in our little FHEs... it's one of my goals this year. I think now, more than ever the promises of having FHE consistently will aide us as we try our darndest to raise our children.

After our simple lesson, singing and giggling, we made SNICKERDOODLES. The girls love helping me bake. They like to take turns adding ingredients, and had a lot of fun rolling the cookies in the cinnamon and sugar. It is so cute to see them have ownership in the process.


Then, it was on to the iphoto booth.








We are now reading The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis - I asked the girls if they wanted to continue in Narnia or start up Little House on the Prarie... Aslan won out.