my family culture

I really enjoyed the class discussion today about different cultures and our own family culture. As I thought about my own family culture, one word that popped into my mind was competitive. My family is very competitive with each other. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad. For example, when we play a game, everyone always ends up in a fight. Also, everytime we get together, it is a competition of who looks the best or who has lost the most weight since we have seen each other. This is one part of my family culture that I want to change for my future family. I just want everyone to be able to love each other, and to feel comfortable.

I also thought alot today about joining different cultures. I think everyone has to do this when they get married, even if both people are from America. I also think it is a great learning experience for a person, to get out of their shell and adjust to others. It can be a fun experience if you are open to it and have a good attitude.

boundaries..

One of the assignments I really liked this week was where we had to draw out our family boundaries. This forced me to really think about how my family is. Part of me was sad as to how the boundaries turned out when I drew them. It made me think about my relationships. What can I do to improve them?? Sometimes I think it is hard to get out of your comfort zone to improve your relationships. We get so comfortable with the way that things are. We don't want to change. But change is a good thing. That is what I realized this week as we talked about our family boundaries. Maybe it doesn't relate, but it is how I was inspired to be better. I want to be better for my family now, and for my future family. I also thought about how important our family relationships are in the next life. Shouldn't that be the thing we are working hardest at on this earth? Isn't it the most important thing we can do?

The Ripple

There was a comment made in class that all of these trends we learned about the family have a ripple effect on each other. I had never thought about this before. For example, pre-marital sex can lead to pregnancy, which has an effect on birth rates and births to unmarried woman. These can also lead to divorce or cohabitation. Learning about all of these current trends in the family that are going on in the world made me a little sad. I think it is so important to grow up in a loving home. We know that, "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." I think the trend that scares me the most is divorce. That can have a ripple effect on your family forever. How important it is for us to use our agency wisely and to set examples to others in the world. Its not just important, but its critical.

The Challenge

A few of my FAVORITE things I learned this week:

• The Challenge to BECOME- This is one of my favorite talks and always inspires me to do better. I really think that we underestimate the importance of becoming. It is the most important thing we can do in this life! We talked about in class what we would be asked at the final judgement day. How did we treat our spouses? How did we treat our families? How do we treat the people that are most important to us? This really put me back into perspective of what should be my main focus in life. Sometimes I think I treat other associations better than my family. I really want to be better at showing my love for my family.
  

• I was very touched in class when we talked about someone being a "purifying" influence in their family. I have many friends in my life that I thought were like this, and I am sure many of you are those special people in your family. Brother Williams said, " Those individuals because of their willingness to resist going the flow's posterity will be blessed with opportunities they did not have. Those who were willing to do this, the holes in their souls were filled and they became who they needed to be." I shared this with a friend I have from Mexico, who joined the church even though none of his family did. He continues to be a great example to them and still has hope. It was a neat opportunity to talk to him about his experience of being a "purifying" influence.
  

• Heavenly Father has very carefully crafted our relationships. I know this is true. We need to do our best to keep his commandments, so that we can bring His children into righteous homes.