Sin No More

 John 8 begins with a familiar story of Jesus' ministry:

"8 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Have you ever wondered what this woman did with the rest of her life? How does a person touched so personally by the Savior live the rest of their life? Did she devote herself to the ministry of Christ? Did she share her experience, or did she "treasure these things up in her heart" privately?

I have been changed by the Savior's infinite grace. Yes, I struggle with the "sin no more" part. But I am trying, and I pray to God that I can help somebody else come closer to Him through my words, my actions, my life.

How have you been changed?

Blessed Are The Peacemakers

 One of the most famous verses of scripture says this: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." As I was reading from the Gospels this morning, I was struck by how applicable this is to parenting. As a mother, all I do is make peace! I make peace by negotiating conflicts between my daughter and other people/objects, keeping my home, and teaching my family the gospel.

Amelia lives in a state of constant turbulence. Sometimes the opponent is a stray toy (ask me about her toy shopping cart accident that almost ended in an emergency room trip. Sometimes the problem is our very reactive rat terrier. Other times, I find myself making peace between her and Joseph as she dumps water on the floor for the sixth time that hour. Most times, it's frustrating. But I've had to learn to put that aside and learn how to communicate with people/animals who are under stress. 

I've also noticed that my and my husband's efforts to keep our home tidy and our lives organized increase the feeling of peace in our home. A few weeks ago we started holding Family Home Evenings centered on how to finally get our home tidy. We've been making (imperfect) progress since, and I feel like my mental health and ability to relate peacefully to my family have increased. I even see the impact on our toddler, as she generally seems less prone to tantrums. It's amazing the difference being able to walk through the living room without tripping makes. I'm delighted every time I eat and can actually find a clean plate! The time I spend teaching Amelia to clean is so worth it. The time Joseph and I spend cleaning up after after she's asleep is time spent promoting peace in our home.

The most important way I make peace in the home is teaching my family. Joseph and I try to read scriptures as a family during breakfast every morning. We hold family home evenings together. We sing hymns throughout the day, and Amelia kindly reminds us to pray several times a day. A typical meal involves at least three prayers initiated by our very eager 18-month-old. My mom got us a set of beautiful board books to help us teach scripture stories to our little ones as well. The gospel is the ultimate source of peace, and it's crucial to me that we have an immersive home culture. The world will never stop pushing our children the wrong way; it's up to us to keep pushing forward in Christ. 

I feel like I've been more reflective of Heavenly Father as I have pursue peacemaking in the home. My divine heritage shines more brightly as I try to cultivate the peace of the Holy Spirit in the place that matter most. What experiences have you had with peacemaking recently?