Week Nine.

I'm so excited to use the council method in my life. I really do think that it will be such a blessing. I'm excited to be able to have family councils and even spouse council in my life. I honestly know that it will help my family in so many ways. I think it is so important that family councils start with a prayer. What a great opportunity to invite the spirit to be with you. I also love that within the council method that every person gets a say in the matter. I think it's so important for each family member to be able to have a voice and an opinion on the matter. Each person needs the opportunity to speak. I also love that after everyone discusses the matter that another prayers should be given. So that we can now speak with our Heavenly Father and ask for his approval. I know that the council method is from God and that this is how he would want things done within our families and the church.

Week Eight.

Crisis will always occur. There will be moments in our lives when tragic moments will happen. It is what we do with these events that makes the difference. In a family setting, the family can either rely on each other or be pulled apart. I would hope that in my family when sometimes tragic happens, that my family will be able to pull together and become closer. I hope that we will be able to show our love for one another in troubling times. I hope that we will be able to call upon God for his help, assistance, and patience in our trials. I know that it is through our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that we will be able to get through anything. We will not be handed anything we can't handle. I think a lot of our situations depends on our attitudes. Sometimes we just need to see things as a blessing instead of a curse.

Week Seven.

Infidelity is such a huge problem these days. I've seen it occur in my family, my fiance's family, friends' parents, people in my ward. It's become a problem within and out of the church. Because my finance' and I have both witnessed infidelity within our families, we have talked a lot about loyalty to one another. We have talked about facebook and texting other people. We have made a promise that we will never say anything ill about one another to friends or family. We will confide in each other, and not family or best friends. We both have made promises to be faithful forever. We have promised to never cross any boundaries. I especially feel that facebook can be a huge hang up for couples. Rob and I have talked about facebook and what type of influence it will have on our relationship. We have set guidelines and rules to follow. I've heard and seen so many families be town apart because of facebook. What a silly little thing to get hung up on. Because Rob and I have set these rules, I know it will bless our relationship.

Week Six.

I really enjoyed class this week. We talked about the adjustments that marriage entail. I am engaged now, and I will be getting married April 7th. Marriage is going to be a HUGE adjustment. In class we talked about what those adjustments might be. Some of those were: going grocery shopping for two, waking up to someone next to you, dealing with in laws, being with someone all the time. But something that I realized is, if I prepare now for those adjustments, it won't be as big as a shocker hopefully. Right now, my fiance' and myself go grocery shopping together,we make and eat lunch and dinner together everyday, we read our scriptures together daily. We're really trying to transfer into marriage as easy as possible by developing habits now, instead of later. Of course there are so many new things I will be exposed to when I get married and I can't even imagine what all of those things will be and I won't be able to prepare for all of them, but by doing little things now that will prepare me for marriage, I can be ahead of the game. I'm so grateful for a a fiance' who wants to practice principles that will pass over into marriage.

Week Five.

This weeks topic was  "hanging out." In this generation, no one is going on dates. Everyone just "hangs out." In class we talked about what a date really is. A date should involve the three p's: paired off, planed, and paid for. Paired off means, two people, male and female, going on a date together. Instead of going on individual dates, everyone is going on group dates. This is not what we have been asked to do. Yes, group dates are really fun but we need to be going on single dates to find the qualities we like in others, what we don't like, and maybe even finding the person we're going to marry. Planned is the next p in the sequence of dating. The date needs to be planned. The boy needs to figure out what the two of you are going to do, then inform the girl what the plans for the evening are, and let her know how to dress. One of the things I hated when I was going on dates was when a guy would ask me out and then ask me what I wanted to do. He should have been prepared and should have planned something in advance. The last p is paid for. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a guy expects you to pay. Hello! It's a date. You pay sir, you asked me.

Week Four.

This week in class we talked about gender roles and same-sex attraction. A typical male role is to be protective, physically strong, task oriented, a problem solver, aggressive, and spacial oriented. Female gender roles can be described as sensitive, emotional, relationship oriented, having verbal skills, and being detail oriented. These roles are just  a "typical" definition for a woman or man.We were asked to watch this video prior to class. It was all about the differences between men and women and their sex differences. Throughout the video, the subject of women being able to be just like men kept being brought up. I do not think that one sex is better than another. I believe that we were all created equal and that God made us into men and women for a reason. I believe that we have divine callings. I believe that a man is to be provide, preside, and protect. He is to be a worthy priesthood holder and care for his family. I believe that a woman is called to be a mother. She is to bare and raise children in truth, righteousness, faith, and love. I believe that a woman has a divine nature and that she has the ability to care for children above a man. We were born with these talents. We were born to be the way we are. Heavenly Father made us for a reason. Male and female differences have ALWAYS existed and should continue to ALWAYS exist.

Week Three.

This week in class we talked about social classes. We watched the video above. It's called Tammy's Story. This video really touched me. If we are talking in social class lingo, it's about a "below average" family. Tammy is a mother who is just trying to make a life for her children. She walks ten miles to work. She is doing the best she can. But one of her children in particular doesn't appreciate his mothers efforts at all. He thinks he is better than his family. In my life I have always tried to appreciate my parents. They do so much for me and I know it has to be hard to be a parent. It's not an easy job. My parents were not perfect, but they tried their best and that is all I could ever ask for. They tried their best to support me and to provide for me. Best of all; they loved me. They loved me with an undying love and for that, I can't express how much gratitude I have for them. Although we all live in different so called "social classes" it really doesn't matter what family you come from, love can be an amazing power for all.