Building Confidence

"The one thing that you have that nobody else has is YOU. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only YOU can."

In Acts 27, there’s a great story about the apostle Paul. He was traveling by ship with some people when “a violent wind…came bursting down from the island” For days they were caught in the storm, and at one point it was so fierce, they were “dangerously tossed about by the violence of the storm” and had to throw the ship’s equipment overboard. They ended up without any food, hungry, stranded – seemingly without much hope.

In that moment, Paul stood in the midst of the survivors and said to them, “I beg you to be in good spirits and take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you…” He then shared that an angel of God told him this, and said in verse 25, “So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me.”

How could Paul, in the middle of a horrible storm, ask the people to “be in good spirits” and have a good attitude? Because he believed in his heart—without a doubt—“that it will be exactly as it was told me.” I love that! It’s a great picture of the power of faith in God when all hope seems lost. And we can have the very same faith that Paul had if we will overcome doubt.

We all face storms in life. Some are more difficult than others, but we all go through trials and tribulation. That’s why we have the gift of faith. Ephesians 6:16 (NIV) calls it “the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Doubt is a type of “flaming arrow” that the enemy uses to attack our faith.

We usually experience doubt after we’ve made a decision. In James 1:6, the Bible says having doubt is like being tossed about like the wind, which feels like you’re trying to go in two different directions at the same time. And it’s miserable to be torn between two places, not able to decide what you really believe. It’s in those moments we have to choose whether we are going to believe God or the enemy…God or our feelings…God or what people tell us…God or our circumstances…

When doubt comes against us, we have to lift up the shield of faith. We do this when we open our mouth and say what God’s Word says, rather than grumbling and complaining about the problem. Our faith is released as we say, pray and do the Word. So in those times, open your mouth and say, “I believe that everything God has told me will come to pass!”

Maybe you’re doubting whether you can hear God’s voice or not. This happens because we usually doubt ourselves more than we doubt God. Now I’m not talking about actually hearing a voice; I’m talking about that knowing we have inside our hearts about what is right or wrong. That’s the still, small voice of God. Believers in Jesus Christ all have it, but many don’t have the confidence to trust it.

The Bible says in James 1:5 that when we need wisdom, we can go to God, ask Him for it, and He will give it to us “liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding” (AMP). What this means is that even with our imperfections, God will be faithful to us and give us what we need if we will ask Him for help. He loves us, blesses us and uses us in spite of us, because He is faithful! And we never have to doubt that.

I’ve learned through my own relationship with God that He’s not expecting me to be perfect; He wants me to do my best to be in His will and take steps of faith as He leads me, through His Word and the promptings He speaks to my heart. Remember, He wants us to put our confidence in Him. God really does want to speak to you personally and lead you in His great plan for your life. So don’t be afraid to step out and do what’s in your heart. If you make a mistake, you’ll learn from it and go on. That’s how we “step out and find out.” And we all have to do it.

I want to encourage you to begin making confessions every day that will help you grow in your faith and confidence in God. We need to make declarations like, “God loves me. He wants to speak to my heart. I can hear from God. He is faithful to me and will lead me in His will for my life. And I believe it will be exactly as God has told me!” By God’s grace, we can be bold in faith and overcome every attack of doubt during the storms of life.

I Am a Mormon Monday

About me:

I am a thirty-something wife and mother of four little ones. I have degrees in Marketing and Finance from Texas Tech University. I enjoy spending time with my family, being outdoors (as long as it's not in 100 degree heat), and blogging over at The Mrs. & The Momma about my personal style, my babies, and our crazy happenstances with a family of six.

What is hope and what do you hope for?

Hope to me is intertwined with faith, which is hoping for things unseen.  Hope is seeing the glass half full.  Hope keeps me going when part of me wants to be a pessimist.  I hope for all the dreams I have to come true...for my children to be righteous individuals, to be a blessing in others' lives, for my family to be healthy, and that my family and I can and will be blessed for keeping the commandments.   

I hope for an eternal family.

How do I live my faith?

I live my faith both in the home and at church. At home, I fulfill my responsibilities of teaching my children the ways of the Lord, and being a faithful wife and supporter to my husband. We say family prayers together each and every day. We read our scriptures as often as we can. We designate Monday nights as "Family Night," where my husband and I lead our family in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ....this involves singing, games, story-telling, scripture reading, and usually a yummy treat! At church I work with the children in primary.  I enjoy serving the children in this capacity and feel grateful for the opportunity to aid in bringing up our little ones in faith.

Thank you so much for having me Kimberly!!

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Interested in being apart of this fun series? Email me and I will add you to the list! 

Email: bostonksox@gmail.com

Sunday Inspiration

I testify that God’s grace is sufficient. Jesus’ grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is all we need. Don’t quit. Keep trying. Don’t look for escapes and excuses. Look for the Lord and His perfect strength. Don’t search for someone to blame. Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ, and, as you do, I promise you will feel the enabling power we call His amazing grace. It is wonderful. It is powerful, and it is constant.

FINDING JOY IN THE JOURNEY LINK UP.

Losing a loved one is hard. Real hard. When it happens, you feel as if a piece of you is missing. Losing my Dad I thought would be one of the hardest things that I would have to go through. Don't get me wrong, its been very difficult and its been an emotional roller coaster for the past two weeks..but at the same time I have experienced a deeper joy that I could have ever imagined. I feel good...I feel strong....I feel peace....I feel content....I feel happy. Most of the time our joy seems to depend on our circumstances. When life is going well, and things are easy, we of course feel happy. But when life unravels and the days sometimes seem unbearable, God’s presence is unmistakable. I have felt this time and time again in my life...especially during this difficult time. If some days my only major accomplishment for the day is making it through without a breakdown, there has been something so extraordinary about my time with God during these times. I realize that I desperately need Him every hour. To give me strength. To revive me. To help me hang on. To comfort me. To guide me. Through some of my excruciating days since my Dad passed away, days where I would tell God "Today is a really hard day for me...I need your help. I need your strength."... He would speak to me. He comforted me through His Word. He used others. He would send angels to assist me and comfort me at those exact times when I needed it the most. He whispered to me in the darkness, as I lay awake on my tear-stained pillow. He sang songs over me of His love. His hand is over everything and I have seen His hand so much through all of this. On the worst days, I just kept asking for Him to take the pain away. I felt like just sitting in my Dad's room crying all day. I didn't want to rejoice in the moment. I didn't want to rejoice at all. But then I clung to God and His promises knowing He would bring me through. I can tell you that the joy I feel now did not come easy. I had glimpses of delight here and there, but mostly my joy was slow and incremental. As the days continue to pass, I realize I now have  a joy that I can't explain. It is completely independent of circumstances. It seemed like the harder things got, the more joy God continued to pour into me. The joy I have is in knowing that God can be trusted and in seeing and feeling His faithfulness through unimaginable pain. Though I’m referring to a time of great suffering in my life, what I’m writing about isn't limited to earthshaking pain. Small  trials that I have faced have forged my faith, but I live, as we all do, in the mundane suffering. Feeling misunderstood or rejected by a friend or family member. Feeling lonely or depressed. Dealing with the same parenting issues over and over again. Being overwhelmed by responsibilities. Having everything in the house break down at once. Feeling physically ill- with a cold, a backache, a headache. Those things are universal. We all face them. But just like the monumental struggles, we wish they were different. That they’d go away or get resolved so that we can get on with our days- the real things we’re called to. We fantasize that if they were different, we could be happier, more joyful, more faithful. But what if we looked at those trials as the very things that God has ordained for our joy. To mold our character. To teach us to trust. To give us Himself. When we run to God with our pain, instead of running away, our perspective changes. We find a joy that can never be taken away. If we could only see all our disappointments through this lens, we would discover that suffering is often the gateway to joy. The joy that we get from enduring suffering gets richer over time. Our circumstances cannot diminish it. It produces lasting fruit like endurance, character and hope. It draws us to God in breathtaking ways. It achieves a weight of glory that is beyond all comparison. I am convinced that our capacity for God, and for true joy, is carved out of our suffering. Suffering chisels deep into our soul, often making us feel empty, misunderstood, and alone. And yet it is out of that suffering, that emptiness, that God alone can fill us. With Himself. With His joy.

An InLinkz Link-up

When Waiting on God Is Hard

Waiting. As I continue to get older and grow closer to God, I have realized that the fabric of life involves waiting, and sometimes lots of it. We wait for so many things. We wait for marriage. We wait for career moves. We wait for children. We wait for healing. We wait for answers to our prayers. We wait for change.
 We simply wait throughout different circumstances in our lives, and the longer we wait the more the wait itself can become a type of suffering that can weigh us down and slowly we can begin to doubt, become discouraged and lose our sanity without having the right perspective. Waiting on God can seem arbitrary and unnecessary at times, but an all-knowing all-loving God teaches His children that within our wait there is a purpose and an opportunity for our faith to grown in Him and in ways that we could have never imagined! God does have a purpose in our wait, but the question is will we make ourselves fall into misery and keep asking God "Why?" or will we step out in faith trusting in Him with a smile on our face knowing that He has a purpose and a plan for whatever we may be facing?
"Come and see what God has done: He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of men. For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried..you laid a crushing burden on our backs..we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance." -Psalm 66
This scripture should strengthen our confidence both in His power and His goodness. God's good deeds towards His children do involve trials. Being tried as silver, having crushing burdens laid on our backs and going through fire. We grow. We are strengthened. We are being perfected. God not only brings His people to trials, but He brings them through them.

Passive or Expectant?

We either wait passively, or we wait expectantly. A passive person hopes something good will happen and is willing to sit around waiting to see if it does. After a short time, he gives up, saying, "That’s it! I'm done! I've waited and waited and nothing is happening."
The expectant person, on the other hand, is hopeful, believing the answer is just around the corner, due to arrive any minute. His belief is not a passive thing. His heart is full of hope, trust and  expecting his problem to be solved at any moment. He wakes up every morning expecting to find his answer. He may wait and wait, but suddenly what he’s been waiting for has happened and God comes through (as ALWAYS)


Expect It to Happen....Because It Will

It’s just like when a woman is pregnant; it's said that she is expecting a baby. She carries inside her the promise of a baby, and even though she can’t see it, she knows it's there. She can feel it. The moment she learns of her pregnancy, she begins to plan for her baby's arrival. She starts collecting items she will need and busily gets the nursery ready. She actively prepares for the arrival of the baby because she knows the promise will be fulfilled—it's just a matter of time. She is expectant and she'll wait as long as it takes.

Waiting means "to expect" or "to look for." But remember, it also means "to serve"
Our act of waiting isn’t supposed to be spent sitting around passively hoping that something will happen sometime soon. We must get up....get out...help others....and WAIT.
Waiting also gives us the opportunity to grow, learn and wait on God's perfect timing.

I have tried the waiting on God period both ways when I have been waiting for an answer from Him. At one time or another, I have sat back passively doing nothing just waiting, wondering why and when my answer will come. I can tell you that that is no way to wait on God. I have found that being active while waiting is by far the best solution. Lift others up, offer charity and service to those around you daily, meditate on His words and promises, pray, simply focus on someone else and their needs instead of just your own. 

 

FAITH

When we ask God to answer a question or solve a problem, we need to be eagerly awaiting His answer. We need to be serving actively, aggressively and expectantly. When our hearts are eager to hear from God, He loves to rush in suddenly with His solution. In many cases this waiting period actually serves as a time of preparation for the answer. If God answered right away, many of us would be ill-prepared to handle His solution. How great is our God that He is watching over us and preparing us for the perfect time! Sometimes...maybe a lot of times.... we will find ourselves in such horrible messes that it's hard to imagine waiting even one more second. But we need to keep waiting on God and trusting Him with a sweet and simple faith. When we wait patiently and expectantly on God in the midst of our horrible circumstances, suddenly God breaks through and all of the weight is lifted off of our shoulders! So don't you ever give up! Don’t you ever stop believing and trusting! Stay full of hope, trust and expectation. God's power is limitless, and He'll break through for YOU. ALWAYS. Our wait is sometimes painful, but it will be pale in

 comparison to the glory we will one day see in eternity.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a great day!!

We Are Stewards, Not Owners

God never intended for us to struggle financially our entire lives. There are seasons of struggle, however, that we all go through. Whether we’re just young and naive, or we’re a bit older and perhaps undisciplined with our finances, it’s not uncommon for people to find themselves in financial distress.

EVERYTHING that we have is a gift from God. That’s the very first and overriding principle we have to recognize. We have a tendency to act like we “earned” things, but that’s not the truth. Without the time, talents and providence of God, we wouldn't have anything! Everything belongs to God. He simply allows us the great privilege of caring for it. One of the best ways we can do that is to be thankful and not be wasteful.

Jesus taught in Matthew 25 that God will put us through “tests” to see if we can handle greater blessings.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.’" (Matthew 25:21)

God isn’t going to release new blessings into our lives until we first learn to manage the ones He’s already provided us.

Aswe learn to be better stewards with what we have, God will, little by little, give us more. When we start using the resources we have to bless others and bring glory and honor to Him, he’ll bless you with more so that His glory can multiply!

Here are 4 principles that we have followed.  I promise that you will see your financial borders begin to expand:

1.     Work for it.

It’s not likely that God is going to drop a huge financial windfall in your lap while you’re sitting on the couch watching TV. Neither are you going to become financially successful if you live carelessly and pray for God to “clean up” your financial mistakes. Being financially successful takes hard work!

A lot of people want today what it took their parents years to get. They’re just not patient or diligent enough to put in the same kind of effort over time that their parents did. They end up making poor investments, trying to get rich quick, or go into debt to get things they can’t afford.

God wants us to live with excellence and integrity. Meaning that we give a good day’s work for a good day’s pay, and that we try as best we can to live within our means.

Work is good for us and it's a gift from God to be able to have jobs to allow us to afford the things we need for our families.  It also gives us a sense of purpose and accomplishment, and is a form of service to others. If we’re obedient and work with integrity, God will bless our work. (Deuteronomy 28:8)

2.     Give Generously

The BEST way to be happy in this life is to be a blessing towards other people. Serving others brings true happiness. (Mosiah 2:17)

That’s true of how we spend our time and certainly true of how we spend our money. 

It’s definitely something I've experienced over and over again: the more you give away, the more you’ll be blessed. When God asks us to give our money away in the form of tithing or other contributions, He’s not trying to take something away from us. He is just simply giving us the opportunity to be a part of what He’s doing to meet the needs of others. 

Whatever we give up now will come back to us one-hundred-fold in this lifetime (Mark 10:29-30). I often ask God to help me to live more generously and to put people in my path that I can help..and He does just that. Every single time

3.     Save

It’s extremely important that we are prepared for unexpected expenses, like flat tires, house repairs or medical bills. When we have savings set aside for these emergencies, it will help us avoid going into debt and getting stressed out.

About a year ago, Josh and I started a year supply and little by little, we have been adding to our stock pile. We now have a year or more worth of food in our pantry just in case we need it. My sister-in-law had a huge stock pile and her husband unexpectedly got laid off. With her, her husband and five kiddos, what do you think they lived off of for 3 months? Their year supply of food.

I have also trained myself to coupon and it's amazing the amount you save when you put a little time and effort into it. I follow a few couponing websites that post what is on sale or for FREE, watch for whats on sale and then go and buy it. 

I have prayed time and time again for God to help us be more wise and responsible with our money and to help us find ways to save. It's so amazing the answers and the direction that He has given me! He is so good!

God’s promises he will send blessings on your storehouse (Deuteronomy 28:8). God wants us to trust and expect Him to fulfill His promises our lives.

4.     Spend

Here’s the awesome part! Yes, we need to spend some of our money.  

Here are a few simple tips for spending money:

·         Know what you have. Make sure that you’re balancing your account and have a budget prepared so that you know what is coming in and what’s going out.

·         Don’t buy what you don’t need. The quickest way to debt is convincing ourselves that “wants” are “needs.” If you obviously don’t need something and it’s not in your budget to afford it, then be bold enough not to buy it. I know this one is hard, but you can do it!

·         Don’t buy with what you don’t have. Credit cards aren't a bad thing, but if you can’t control what you spend with them, then using them is a bad idea. A general rule for using credit cards is to only spend what you can pay off at the end of the month. The interest on consumer debt can quickly get out of control.

·         Pay debts off immediately. Living debt-free gives us the flexibility to live more generously and more abundantly. I have always been taught to start with the smallest debt and work your way to the biggest ones.

Money doesn't have to be a source of stress in our lives. If we start managing our financial resources in godly ways, they can be sources of tremendous blessings, both for us and for others.

Courage.

.

”Being brave does not mean I am not afraid.  Being brave means acting in faith.”  I know that many of you out there are struggling, including myself, having a really hard time dealing with all the trials and burdens that are placed upon your back.  I pray that you will each find the bravery you need to have the faith in the Lord to sustain you.

I repeatedly have been comforted and directed by many scriptures,  but there is one section of the Book of Mormon that absolutely has been my joy to refer to in time of need and to share with others who are hurting, weeping, distraught, bewildered, and weary. It is found in Mosiah 24 when the children of God cried out because their afflictions were so great and Amulon put guards over the people to watch them so that anyone found calling upon God to help them would be put to death. The account tells us that the people didn't raise their voices to the Lord their God. Instead they poured out their hearts to God, and he knew the thoughts of their hearts.

“And the voice of the Lord came to them in their terrible times, and they heard his voice, telling them to be of good comfort and to lift up their heads for he was mindful of them."

‘And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And…the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.’ (Mosiah 24:14-15)

Adversity? Who needs it? Everyone, because adversity well handled is really blessings in disguise

Read the book of Esther

Imperfect...a Poem Written by Me

I have flaws

I make mistakes

I struggle

I'm imperfect

I am chaotic at times

I get emotional 

I have doubts

I am imperfect

I have regrets

I have hit breaking points

I experience heartache

I am imperfect

I have cried myself to sleep

I have fallen to my knees

I have felt like giving up 

I am imperfect

But...

I am enough just as I am. I 

can embrace all of my 

imperfections

and be made complete in Him.

I am a beautifully broken,

perfectly imperfect person

who is loved by a perfect God!!

We ALL go through through struggles, trials, obstacles, we 

cry, we doubt, we have regrets, we hit breaking points where

we feel like we just aren't enough or we can't go on any longer.

My message to you today is...

YOU are enough 

YOU do matter

YOU are perfect in His eyes...

and that IS enough

I hope that you all have a blessed Wednesday.

Psalm 65:8

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty

of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator"

God's beauty is ALL around us!! I believe things like sunsets witness of His love.  I love partaking in the beauty of His wonderful creation that only He, the source of all light can offer. Seeing the sun rise or the sun set has become one of my favorite parts of the day. I love reading or sitting outside on our patio to share quiet moments with my Heavenly Father as He sends a harvest of happiness into my soul. 

Happy Friday friends! Make it a GREAT one!

Inspiration For Today

I Dare You to Move

Wherever we are in our journey with the Lord, I know that He is right there with us. I know that He is leading us, guiding us, walking beside us and helping us to find the way. We are not perfect, but God sees us as perfect because of His perfect Son...and because of this, we can go forward with boldness, joy, and the divine confidence we need to fulfill our desires. God is just waiting for us to boldly step out and ask Him for things that go beyond our mind or what we think is possible. Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that we will be able to know that love. Then we can be filled with everything God has for us. With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. Glory to God, who works within us to accomplish more than we could ever possibly imagine. So let’s boldly step out in faith and let God blow our minds!!

Have a GREAT Tuesday!

-KIMBERLY-

HOUSE HUNTING

Back in December 2012 we moved into this house. At the time we were living in a two bedroom apartment and wanted to find something a little bigger to rent. The house we are in right now just happened to pop up last minute out of the blue (God's will). We had just signed a new lease for another year to stay in our apartment.We told the office our situation and they agreed to void our lease and we didn't have to pay a cent. The house that we are living in right now is just perfect for Josh and I and we have been so blessed.

We knew from the beginning that we could only rent our house for two years because our landlord (Josh's boss's friend) is wanting to sell the house and not rent it out. So come this December, we have to be move again. The timing for all of this is actually so perfect because my Dad is moving down here (jumping for joy) and will be staying with us for a few months, maybe permanently, we are looking to purchase not rent, and we want/need something bigger for the foster children and eventually some of our our kiddos!!!!! We are hoping to find something in our area where we are living right now and we would really hate to have to move out of our ward because we love it so much and have met so many amazing friends.

The next few months are going to get really crazy around here!!!!! There are so many things that have to fall into place, but we are trusting in God and we know with all our hearts that He has everything under control.

I have such a vision in my mind for how the next few months are going to turn out and I am so excited to see what God has up His sleeve. I am so anxious for another journey with new adventures, trials and blessings. 

-KIMBERLY-

IS IT OKAY FOR MARRIED PEOPLE TO HAVE FRIENDS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?

My relationship with my wonderful husband began at my previous job. I moved to Arizona from Oregon in August 2009. I spent the majority of my time searching and applying for jobs. I had an interview at a custom web design company in Scottsdale for an office manager position. As I was waiting in the conference room, in walked a tall (6'6") handsome guy with a gorgeous smile. At that point I could feel my palms start to sweat and my stomach turn. I left the interview hoping and praying that if it was God's will I would get that job. Just a few days later, I got a call and I got the job! Guess who I would be working with and trained by?!??! Yup! You guessed it! Oh yeah! Dream come true baby! We spent all day every day working and training together....which then lead to hanging out as friends outside of work...which then lead to dating.....which then lead to falling head over heels in love with other.....which then lead to marriage!! We have now been married for 3 blissful years and I am loving every bit of it! Josh is everything I prayed about and so much more!

So lets talk about friends of the opposite sex. I know all throughout high school and in college, I had a ton of guy friends..sometimes even more guy friends that I did girlfriends.

But what about now that I am married? Is that still considered to be okay? 

It's a very tricky question. Friends of the opposite sex can sometimes cause issues in relationships—from small bouts of jealousy to devastating cases of infidelity—but does that mean that once you’re in a committed relationship, you have to swear off all other friendships with those whose gender competes with that of your significant other?

When Josh and I started dating, we both agreed it was okay still talking to people who had been our closest friends for years. But to be honest, as our relationship got more serious, eventually engaged and then married, those friendships diminished somewhat. Not because we consciously chose to dial down the friendship in favor of the other person but because we now had a new best friend and closest confidant in each other instead. 

Some people have rules to never be alone with anyone of the opposite sex who is not your spouse...ever. Shortly after Josh and I got married, we both agreed that we wanted to have a joint Facebook account and share an email address. It has nothing to do with not trusting one another, but has everything to do with temptation. 

What happens when a female coworker wants to treat you to lunch as a thank you for some work you did on a big project at the last minute? What if a guy you know on Facebook messages you for some advice about a situation because he knows you've had a similar experience to what he's struggling with? Or a high school crush ("we liked each other when we were 15, 20 years ago—how could that be a threat?!?") looks you up and wants to reconnect? 

No one of course goes out looking for an affair, but if you open yourself up to precarious situations, you can end up like the frog in a cold pot of water that ends up getting cooked because the temperature is raised just one degree each hour—such a slight progression that you might never see it coming.

It is painfully obvious that marriage today is being greatly devalued and the divorce rate is higher than it's even been. Satan knows that God created marriage.. and designed both marriage and the family for our benefit. Satan knows the value of the family, how it is the fabric of a good solid society, the foundation of vibrant growing assemblies, and the future of God’s work on earth. If Satan can be successful in tearing down the structure and substance of the family unit, then he will be successful in damaging what is near and dear to God’s heart. We need to do everything we can to strengthen, protect and center our marriages and families on Christ to withstand the fiery darts from the adversary.


So what works for you and your spouse? What precautions and boundaries have you set in place? How much guarding is necessary, and how much is just getting paranoid? I would love to hear from you! Please comment below!

-KIMBERLY-

 I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will  not boast of myself, but I will  of my God, for in his strength I can do all things.
-Alma 26-11:12

THESE HANDS

These hands are shaped like my Heavenly Father's.

Divine hands, made

To work and build,

To serve and bless.

Clean hands, free

Of mark or stain

From wrong doing.

These hands are shaped like my Heavenly Father's.

Let them never do

The things a child of God

Should never do;

Or touch the things

A child of God 

Should never touch.

These hands are shaped like my Heavenly Father's.

Thou in whose image I was made,

Help me to discern

That which is right

In thy sight.

Give me strength.

And the will.

Heavenly Father, help me to control these hands.

-KIMBERLY-

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
-Helaman 5:12