Marriage is Precious.

Well, this week we talked of what happens with a family after a divorce. I have never experienced this for myself neither through the perspective of a child nor as a person getting divorced. In my life, I have had very little experience with it. And so, I know that I cannot give a very accurate perspective of divorce and how it effects the lives of the family. But I know that it should not be dealt with so lightly like people do now.

There are situations in which divorce is probably favorable to staying in a marriage, such as abuse. There are no-fault divorces now, the only reason that people divorce is because they no longer feel "in love." (That is probably over simplifying what happens in these situations, but I really do not have much experience.) Any person that has been married, will say that "love" does not just come without work and effort. Marriage is the most sacred and perfect place to develop Christ-like characteristics. It is a place for one to forget about their own desires, learn how to work together, and make decisions with another person. God planned it out like this. He knew that we would need an institution like this to help us become better people. The other day, I saw something on Facebook which said that the couple was very happy to have divorced, but are still raising their kids together. What does that say to the child? 

In the situations in which a marriage has to be discontinued, it is important that as the divorcee looks at new relationships in a different light and how they can go about things in a different way, so that the love can last. 

Real Men Are Dads.

I love my dad. He is the best. He has made such big influence on me and he is very supportive of most of my hair-brained ideas. I look up to him and am so grateful to have him in my life. I know that it has made a lot of difference to have my dad and mom raise me. A few weeks ago, I was able to read a few articles about the importance of why we still need fathers in our society and how they fulfill many of their children's needs. The more that I see of life and the problems that surround us, I can see that a lot of what is happening (at least when talking about our societal problems) is caused by a lack of fathers in the home. It reminds of something that one of the leaders of the LDS Church had said when talking about the home; “The greatest work we will ever do will be within the walls of our home.” (David O. McKay)
In today's world, it is advocated that it should not matter if a child comes from a family with two mothers or two fathers. Many people say that men and women are and should be the same, so therefore can provide the same care that every child needs. Now, I am not saying that there cannot be those rare cases in which a mother can provide for what her child needs, but in most cases the children are likely to act out due to the absence of a father. There is just something about a dad that makes him irreplaceable. But not just a dad, but an actively involved dad. One that is present in the child's life.
That is why I feel so blessed to have my dad. I remember times where I was so incredibly embarrassed by him, but I am so grateful for those times. And it hasn't stopped either, but it just shows that he cares. I am so grateful for all the wonderful fathers in my life, They make such a difference. Real men are dads.