Be Persistent

Persistence is one attribute this is needed in life to make things happen. It is all too easy to give up when small roadblocks get in your way. Of course, there are times when major events in our lives (financial crisis, illness or death, loss of a job) can affect the course of our lives, but taking small steps can bring us back to the path we want to go. This past weekend, my wife and I ran the Huntsville Marathon in Utah, and it was a great experience. At times, we can question whether you will make it to the end, but even if you have to take slow, persistent steps in the right direction, you will eventually reach your goal.

The same can be said of raising a family: keep going, don't give up, keep loving your children in spite of what happens in their lives.

You will succeed.

Tending the Garden

Raising a family is very much like tending a garden. You simply can't throw seeds on top of some dirt and hope that beautiful flowers will spring forth on their own. It takes preparing the soil, constantly care in watering and pulling out weeds, and giving the right food to nourish the tender plants.

Earlier this year, we planted some mammoth sunflower seeds that our son had saved from a previous year. They started small, but with lots of sun and some constant care, they grew and grew. The same could be said of raising children. Spending time with them, laughing together, and teaching good moral values of honesty and charity towards others can be some of the keys. As you can see in the pictures below, our sunflowers grew this year, from small seedlings to full-grown plants.

Bloom Where You're Planted

All too often, we allow our jobs and other activities to define who we are. In other words, we are sometimes concerned about what other people think of us, and thus, we spend a great deal of time polishing our image by seeking the prestige of people around us. However, in life, we often don't have the choice of what happens to us: we might be in an unfortunate accident, we might be laid off from our jobs, we might suffer from an unexpected illness, we might not have the resources to pursue the best educational opportunities. However, whatever might come our way, we can at least "bloom where we are planted." In other words, we can make the best of any situation and thrive under those conditions. We can keep our integrity in tact and have a positive influence on others in spite of the circumstances. Don't worry about the world says around us; just do your best and bloom.

Wisdom Comes with Time

If you have been a parent of teenagers than you realize that your advice will only be heeded in hindsight, well after the crisis has passed. If you can't accept this fact, then you will always feel and remain frustrated.

Independence Day

On July 4th, we celebrate and remember the many freedoms we enjoy in our nation, and we try to instill in our children the importance of maintaining such freedoms.

However, the freedom to choose does not mean that there aren't consequences for our bad choices. At times, teenagers may say that they have to freedom to do this or that, and making good choices when everyone around you seems to be following a different path can make the choice even more difficult.

There are many things we can do to guide our children to make good choices, but much of this comes from our making good choices as well. Children tend to watch what we do, and our lives are often under the microscope. If our children see that our actions match our words, we gain greater stature and relevancy in their lives.

At times, we make mistakes, but how we respond to these as well will help our kids steer a course towards the right things.