Strengthen Your Home
"No success can compensate for failure in the home."
- David O. McKay
Career
This particular aspect of our home is a touchy one. Wives and especially mothers at some point in their life must decide whether they should work outside the home. Some have to work to keep up financially. Others don't. Some feel that if they don't work, their home life will drive them over the brink.
These are all personal questions that must be answered on our own. Just so we prayerfully consider what is best for our families. Having a job outside the home drains our energy. It is hard to keep up with both home life and work time.
Business Opportunity: Have you ever wanted to own your own business? Have you ever wanted to be your own boss? Do you realize that in the working world 95% of the people are working to earn 5% of the world's wealth while 95% of the wealth is being earned by 5% of the people? To really get your portion of today's income, you have to either own your own business or invest money.
Many people are inspired by an interest they have to work towards owning your own business. It's tough to start, especially in these times but with some persistence and the right people, a business can be yours. Has this been nagging you in the back of your mind? If it has, this might be the inspiration you need to set you on your way.
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
Education is a big part of family life. Whether you send your children to public school, private school or home school them yourself, you are involved with your child's education.
There is much to share on education. Even though I mostly discuss education from the home school point of view, parents with public school children can use the information for their own situations and help their children learn what is necessary for them to be good citizens and competent workers.
- http://www.funbrain.com/
- http://www.nheri.org/
- http://www.teachinghome.com/
- http://www.ldfr.com/home/index.lasso
- http://www.standup.org then click on "I want to know more" A great sight to find the rating and test scores for Math and English in your schools in all states from Kindergarten to 12th grade.
- http://www.greatschools.com - another sight to find your school's test scores and parent reviews on your school.
- www.oklahomahomeschool.com Cindy Downs' website on everything you need to know about homeschool but were afraid to ask.
Fame lost its appeal for me when I went into a public restroom and an autograph seeker handed me a pen and paper under the stall door.
- Marlo Thomas
The entertainment world is the most distracting of all the aspects of life for families. If we don't consciously keep track of what we are watching, it will overtake us. Letting young children watch "R" rated movies is a crime in my book. Parents need to be more careful of what goes in their children's head from television to video games. Here are some links to help you to know what is appropriate and what is not.
www.parentstv.org
This has articles and information on what is good and bad on TV. Very informative
www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/
This website has information on what you will see in movies. Want to know why it's rated "R"? Click on this link and find the movie.
www.todays-woman.net/
This website posts poetry and articles of interest for today's women.
Family History
Family History: Learning from the Past
Learning
about where our families are from and what they experienced helps to connect
the past with the present. Our personal identity is defined by who has come
before us. In New Zealand, the Maori people, the natives of that country, must
learn their family history to discover who they really are. We can do the same
as we read and listen to the stories of our forefathers. When introduced to
others, Navajo people tell their family history in their native language.
Many who think about their own family history are overwhelmed with
the idea of endless hours of searching online records only to not find a single
soul in their family line. But the family search experience is much
better than that.
From
family records and family pictures to online census records there are billions and
billions of records and documentation of those who lived before us. There
is an immensely, huge, positive feeling, which money cannot buy, from searching
and finding those who came before us in this present time.
Born
from Jewish ancestry and doing research for my family, I have found over 200 of
my family members and recorded their lives. It is amazing and if I can
find family, then anyone else can too.
The
process in recording and starting the research for your family history is
simple. Begin with these instructions:
1. Find a piece of paper and pencil or pen.
2. Write down your name, birth date and birth place. (If you are
married, include your spouse’s information and marriage date.)
3. Write down the same information your parents and, if they are
deceased, include death date and place, and burial date and place.
4. Write down your siblings’ information with spouses and their
children.
5. Write down your grandparents’ information, including their
marriage date and place.
By now you will notice that there is a lot of writing involved
and not much research yet unless you do not know the above information or it is
not close at hand. After this information is collected find another piece of
paper. This is where it starts to get really interesting.
6. Write down your parent’s siblings’ information with spouses
and children. With all of this information, you will have a start in the right
direction of where to go to find the next level of ancestry. Finding where your
great-grandparents are from and who they are, what they did, and if from
another county, what it was like to live there. There are fascinating ways to
get to know your family. Even if your great-grandparents were born and raised
in the United States; just learning how life was back during their time is
interesting.
The
is your base of information for who you will be searching for during the time
you look online for records or ask family members to contribute. This
base of information gives you the power and motivation to keep searching for
the next level of grandparents.
The personal family history of our ancestors can be of great
worth to us if we put forth the effort to find it. Everyone has a story to tell
and through family reunions and researching our family history, we can learn
what makes us the way we are. We can learn the stories which molded their
lives to ours. We can learn what was important in their life. We can become
whole from what we know about our ancestors. We can become better people.
Click Here to Start your Family History (It's free)
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
- John F. Kennedy
You might be wondering why I chose government as one of the topic choices of the home but government has alot of influence over families. Lawmakers decide what they think is the best and it is not always what the people want so we have to watch very closely. Grassfire.org is a grassroots sort of organization that watches very closely what our government does and then writes about it. This is a good way of keeping track of what goes on behind closed doors.
The health of our bodies has a great bearing on the performance at work and play. We can't function if we are sick or not feeling well. Health is a big factor in the home. Are we overdosed with prescription drugs? Can we concentrate on our work without distraction? Do we wake up at night when we stop breathing? It is truly sad that our country is the richest and most technologically advanced and yet we are always sick.
I am a big supporter of keeping to natural medicine as much as possible. The following links might be helpful in helping yourself heal.
There is also a place for reading and posting clean jokes. I still feel that laughter is the best medicine.
This is an all around health page which lists certain conditions and how to help them.
http://www.theherbshop.com/
http://www.herballegacy.com/
This lists conditions and how to help them with herbs.
http://www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/
This is a page for ADHD sufferers
http://www.aprendelo.com/rec/pregnancy-health.html
This page is for healthy pregnancies
www.learnaboutbipolar.com Sean Aston's website on the bipolar affliction and how his mother (Patty Duke) affected the family.
Laughter is the Best Medicine =Funny Stuff
Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.
- Thomas Moore
There are many religious affiliations which encourage family strength and unity. My choice of religion is greatly misunderstood and has wonderful insights on how we can keep our family together far into the 21st Century. Read what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints say about how families should stay together and then click on the link for Family Home Evening Ideas.
The Family:
A Proclamation to the World
The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.
We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.
Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.
This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For more information, visit
http://www.lds.org/hf/welcome/0,16744,5-1,00.html
In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.
- Alex Haley
The family is the heart of the home. Our happiest and saddest times come from within our families. The following links are websites that help the family:
afa.net (American Family Association)
No matter what you do in your life, there are always trials and tribulations that make life challenging. Whether it's losing a close friend or family member in death, dealing with a disability, or loneliness during holiday time, we all have to face our challenges. This area includes links for those who are grieving, for those with disabilities and for those who are lonely.
The world is a cruel enough place without some peace of mind. Any time we can help ourselves to a contented life even with all of our challenges, is worth the trouble.
Psalms 29:11-- The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.
Keep on the sunny side of life.
Here are the links so far:
www.griefnet.org A web site that offers email grief support groups of all kinds. There even includes a site for children and their parents.
www.rainbows.org : is an international, not-for-profit organization that fosters emotional healing among children grieving a loss from a life-altering crisis.
www.hospicenet.org : For patients and families facing life-threatening illnesses.
http://parentswithoutpartners.org : An excellent site for single parents. The problems are many in bringing up our children alone, contending with the emotional conflicts of divorce, never-married, separation or widowhood.
www.aarp.org/griefprograms : Excellent resource for those who have lost a family member.
www.pomc.com : The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, Inc.
www.mend.org : Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death--This is an excellent site for families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death.
www.nationalshareoffice.com : Another site for families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death.
www.sidsalliance.org :Website for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
www.suicidology.org :Website dedicated to the understanding and prevention of suicide.
http://www.disability.org.sg/learningdisability/index.asp : This is quite an extensive website on all kinds of disabilities. Visual, hearing, physical, intellectual, or learning disabilities are all covered with other links to follow.
www.ncd.gov : National Council on Disability
www.disabilityresources.org : Website which gives resources for disabled people
http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com/resources_lonliness.html : Links and resources for coping with loneliness.
Community Service:
Many times when I am lonely or feeling the world isn't fair, I seek community service for a day and it really helps me feel good about myself. When I searched for good websites to add to this list, there were so many websites for community service specific to certain areas I couldn't list them all. So I would suggest typing community service in a search engine on the internet and find something you can do for your own area.
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