Peanutterrier2009

@ Windseeker; Thank you! It is a very difficult issue to navigate the blended family road. We are doing our best and are so very greatful to our Bishop. He has become our dear friend, a consentant guide and advisor. It amazes me how he seems so mature and wise. He is the same age as I am and I feel 20 years his junior. David is not quite ready to wish his Ex all the best. He doesn't wish her ill, he just wants her out of his life now. His son is still suffering a great deal and David just wants it all to stop now. His EX has bipolar and she won't stay on medication. It is so difficult to deal with all this and having the boy trapped in the middle is even more heart rending. We want the boy to come and stay with us but, his mom wants the child support. The boy has told us his mom doesn't really want him there, she just wants the money. The Bishop has reported the abuse to CPS but, they are moving slowly. Thanks for your comments.

Thanks Gwen. I think I get it now. It's all about our choices and obedience to our covenants.:-)

@WINDSEEKER; Wow, I don't think I understand... Sounds like you're almost acussing me of being sort of vindictive in my thinking. As I understand it, she can't break the seal. Only David can do this. I'm a new member so, I don't quite understand how all this works as yet. I'm not trying to be hurtful in anyway. I would, that all of us would be Temple worthy and happy. Bec won't even go to church anymore because, she feels so far out of line now. She's not a friend but, she's not my enemy either. I just wanted to help her, if possible. The boy is being exposed to , verbal and emotional abuse at the step dads hands. They are both drinking and doing all sorts of things right now because, they are not really in the Church. I understand this. David was envolved in the wrong things too. I know it was very difficult for my husband, when he could not go to the Temple and he felt outside the mainstream fellowship. He started drinking, lost faith and was bearly a member. A very very good Bishop brought me into the Church and has seen to our growth and David's repentance and restoration over the past year. David is so happy now! He is a full member with priesthood duties and we are a happy family. We want to do the right thing, that's all.

So I have a Question??? My husband is sealed to another women. She has remarried and concieved a child out of wed lock. She now appears to be unhappy in her current marriage as well. I suspect she is somehow counting on the seal between my husband and her, in some twisted sort of way. To me, this is unexceptable and I feel she needs to move on in this area of her life too. She can not get right with the Church and return to the Temple, as I understand, until the seal is broken with my husband. She and my husband have a son, but that's all they have together. My husband dislikes this woman intensely!!! He is inclined to keep her from ever sealing to her current husband because, he's still a bit bitter about the cheating and pain she caused him. On the other hand, my husband and I are making plans to seal in the Temple in June. We have been married for a year, we dated for four years and were engaged for a year before that. I was not a member when we married, but was baptized in April of this year. I will be going to the Temple this coming April or May. He has been divorced for 8 years now and his Ex has been remarried for more than 2 and a half years and has a 2 year old daughter with her current husband. They married shortly after they found out she was with child. David has a 14year old son that is sealed to his Ex and him. Can my hubby break his seal with his EX without her consent? Would this allow her to get right with her current husband, if she ever choose to do so? I am encouraging him to break the seal and give his Ex the opportunity to repent, get her life staightened out and return to the Temple with her current husband. How will all this effect my step son? Who will the son be sealed to? If she is unworthy, does she have to consent to anything regarding the boy? What does my husband have to do to break his previous seal? Dave is a good man. I know he really does not want to punish his Ex in anyway. He just talks and I think he'd rather see everyone right.

Thank you for your advice. As always, wonderful, warm and insightful. There's a depth of compassion and wisdom that is easily detected in your writing. You've been doing this for awhile my friend. I have aready blocked my nephew. I know I can't help him right now. Things have calmed down for now. I will let the kids back on my site when they can play nice.

Yeah, I'm a little slow but, I firgured out what's going on. Satan is using my none believing family memebers to get to me. It's not them but, satan working through them. This only makes things slightly better. It gives me a compassion for them. They don't know what they are doing. Yet, my true advisary is much more crafty and hateful than they ever could be. I had the missionaries in the house today. It changed the entier feel of our home. Things feel happy and warm here again, for the time being. I will see the Bishop this Sunday and I'm sure he will be able to offer some solid support to help check satan's attack. I know this can be stemned, I know who I serve and I know He is far more powerful than any of this nonesense. I don't like the feelings I get when satan's influence is at work. It's a new feeling for me. This has been a real learning experience. I know what the Holy Spirit's influence feels like, now I know what satan's influence feels like too. YUK!!!! Everything inside feels troubled and dark. The confusion, hostility and unrest is almost unbearable. Satan doesn't want us going to the Temple at all, does he. The Temple must be incrediable and an awesome sorce of strength and enlightenment.

PS. Thanks everyone. Nice to know I have support. My husband has been wonderful in all this. Yes, he has been slient(on the net) but, at my side through the whole thing. I have an appointment with our Bishop on Sunday. I realize, I might need a little help fighting the underlying advisary right now.

Couldn't agree more. I have had enough....

Hi Iggy, already at your place. Last night, yet another country was heard from. My Ex-Brother-in-Law(their dad) piped up and accussed me of being childish because, I blocked the "kids"(now almost 30 years old). I just didn't respond. I hope not giving him audiance will let it die. They got the last word, hope it just goes away now. I told my Sis and Dad, when the kids can play nice and not throw sand and push others around, they will be allowed to play in my sand box again. I also asked them to not get involved and further incite the issue. I can deal withthis on my own. If they want to think poorly of me, I can handle it. It won't be the first time I've been held in low esteem. It's not worth ripping the family a part over this. NO ONE is listening. Not even me because, I've been in defense mode since they began the personel attacks. Some time and distance is my choice in this situation.

Thank you, I know this scriptue well. That's why I eluded to the sword. I just don't have the ability to stand up to what has now become four people on one issue and continues as we speak. Now I am being condemned because, I blocked the other parties to stop the attack and force a break or cool down time. I have said over and over that, I want to let it go and that we all just need to agree to disagree. That's not the aganda. Even if I were to completly submitt and suddenly accept all responsibility for the ordel and ask for forgiveness, the attacks on me personally would continue. The agenda is an open attack on God, and me for believing. Add to that the idea, I should not say anything when nasty antireligious stuff is posted on my wall and you get a picture of what is really going on. Include the fact that, my nephew has enlisted three other indiviuals to help him in his attack and the idea of why I could use a broad sword to back things down a bit may come into focus. I have never been a beat them up sort of person but, I do tend to bite off more than I can chew.

My dad always told me never take a knife to a gun fight. But, I, the ever ready, tender hearted crusader, am always rushing in where angels fear to tred and demons dwell. I got my tail handed to me over the past four days. I became envolved in a discussion about an off color bit posted on my fb wall by my nephew. It showed the former G. Carlin just ripping a part the ten comandments. I let my nephew know I did not find the belittling of one beliefs funny. He and his wife are atheist and responding only brought me heart ache. I and Christianity sufferd a four day long gang beat down. In utter exhaustion, frustration and submission, I finally had to give it up. Nothing I said was heard. I made a statement regarding the decline of any foundational beliefs in our country today and all they did was attack religion. I was called more degrading names in four days than in the past five years. I just am not the spiritual warrior I'd like to be. I needed somebody who could wield a full on four foot broar sword, in a spiritual nature. That's not me. I got hurt pretty bad. I've been getting beat up by life since I got baptized in April. I'm happier than ever but, my life is falling a part. I feel aweful. It's really confusing and I don't understand. I have delt with depression and know how to fight that, no problem. This isn't the same! This is more oppressive and it's hard to figure out. I feel self doubt, insecure, unworthy and I lack self confidence. Everything is going wrong and I am getting tired. I cried and prayed throughout the early morning hours. I have never felt this sort of agony in the center of my being. I felt like I was being ripped a part inside and all I could do was cry out to God. I asked Him if things could be like they were the week after I was baptized again. I know I'm being attacked but, I don't know what to do, who to tell or why this is happening... I should be getting stronger, I'm going to the Temple for the first time in just a couple of weeks. Not for endowment but, for baptizems for the dead. Everytime I turn, something else is messed up. The husbands ex-wife, the boy, my health, this diesaster with my nephew launching all sort of hate filled junk to the point of having to block him, my niece and his wife from my fb site. I feel like I'm a mess right now. Please pray for me!!!!

@LittleWyvern: Thanks so much... My desire to do better is stronge. That's a good way to look at things. I am doing better and continue to move forward and learn more.

@Sachi001. It's not back to the Temple. I've never been there. Sorry, I'm a convert... I'm just an old Catholic that relized something was missing along time ago. From there, I spent time in almost every Christian denomination. I was baptized in April of this year and met the Holy Spirirt in a very real way for the first time in my life. I now know it is about a feeling!!!

6, July 2011 Worthy??? I had some thoughts on the idea of worthiness. What does it mean to be worthy? To be competent, reliable, above reproach or meet the minimum requirements set forth. What is it to be worthy in God's eyes? Jesus summed this up for us. To be perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect. In the latter case, none of us are worthy. Can anyone honestly say they are worthy to stand before God? Not I... Thus, a few questions I must ask of myself; Am I doing the best I can? -Honestly, not likely ... Am I doing as well as any other? -I really can't say... Am I following the teachings of the church and meeting my obligations, as I understand them at this time? -That, I am doing. Am I trying to grow, am I seeking, reading and studying? -For the most part, yes!... Do I want to do better and do I know, I'm falling short of where I could be? -YES! Am I doing better than I was? -YES! So what is it to be worthy? I'm not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am open to being perfected. I fail and could likely do better at any given time. But, I'm doing better than I was. Will I ever really be worthy? Not by God's or my standards, as long as I live on this earth. The question then becomes, "Am I worthy enough?" I suppose, if I'm doing all those things I was instructed to do and not doing those things I was warned against doing; I meet the minimum qualifaction for a 'degree' of worthiness. So then, it comes down to a question of how worthy must one be? Far be it from me to even suppose that I have the insight to make such a determination. This then becomes a matter for one with far greater wisdom and insight than one such as I.... In summation, it's not really up to me. The answer to the question, as to whether I am worthy or not, ultimatly lies firmly and safely, out of my hands. I don't know why I'm so nervous about this Temple recommend interview. I know kids get through this process all the time, without too much difficulty. It's not even a full recommend. I am going down to baptizems for the dead. I can't go for my endowment for at least 10 more months. Never-the-less, I'm a bit nervous about the whole matter.

I really like the quote. Can I post it on facebook?

This is my biggest struggle. I grew-up Catholic, the daughter of a randy foul mouthed sailor and was in the Army myself. That having been said, I likely do not have to say that, I've heard it all a million times or two. I try so hard not to use bad language but, it just slips out and the harder I try not to use it, the more I notice myself slipping up. I gave up alcohol, coffee, tabacco and tea with no small amount of effort but, changing the way I talk is tougher than I thought it would be. I didn't consider my use of language to be a big problem until, I joined the church. As for the Lords name in vain. I really didn't think the, "g.d.'s" I dropped from time to time fit the bill. I never gave much thought to what taking the Lord's name in vain really meant. The day after I was baptized I was so overwhealmed. I realized I only had to change one thing in my life... That one thing was EVERYTHING!!! Maybe I'm just not stout hearted enough to be a Mormon. I sure feel like a bigger failure as a member of this church. Everyone is so kind and loving and supportive. I seem to have so far to go to catch up with others in the ward. Catholics are not, "suppose" to use bad language but, it's not as much of an issue. Gosh, I even overhead the priests using some colorful language for time to time, when I was a girl. I must admit, I've gotten a little better over the past two months. I'm not the quite the mouthy little drill sergeant I was...

I suspect you're right sister. It is all part of that, "The tree is known by it's fruit." stuff for me. This is the real testimony in my opinion. I would have never even looked at the BofM if it hadn't been for the people and the incredible witness of their lives, not their words. I am still learning and some of the new doctrin is a little different for me. For 42 years I've learned most things as being one way to varing degrees. I grew up Catholic and bounced from one Christain church to another. I never ventured beyond the confinds of Christianity. Though, I was curious about Jewdaism due to it being the oldest faith didicated to the one true God. But, I could never find the nerve to actually enter a syngogue or ask too many questions out of respect. I know the Jews are the choosen people of God. I'm afaird I'm not among these folks. Though, as I understand it, I have similuare blessing by adoption through Christ Jesus. What an awesome thing and incrdiable blessing it must be to have the whole package. A Christian of Jewish decent. You really can't do any better than that...

Thank you so much for your prayers and advice. I love this church! People are really concerned for each other. It's like having a wonderful big family. Like any family, it has it's nuts and knot heads but, the level of support and love I find, I have never experienced in any other faith. And, I've been around the block a time or two.

Yeah, I'm fimiluare with addiction matters. I'm working on a degree in chemical dependancy counseling. By the very nature of this career choice, it would suggest that, I too have had my own struggles with addictive substances. The red flags are deffinantly up. The need to sneek off and getting drunk at such an unappropriate time. While not absolute indications of a drinking problem, it's enough to raise an eyebrow or two for me. I'll have to see if this continues to be an issue. I've delt with many people who are addicted so, if it comes to that, I do know how to handle it. It's a little different when it comes to family memebers. My feelings are wrapped up in the issue as well. When at work, we try to remain unattached and impartial emotionally. This isn't possible when it's my husband. If push comes to shove, I will enlist the aid of the Bishop to get him the help he needs. He respects our Bishop like a wiser older brother. I can only do so much and I am praying for him. And, anyone who reads this is invited to for him too. He's a good man!!!

My husband and I were married by our Bishop at the church. I was not a memeber at the time. I was baptized in April and it has caused a dynamics change in our relationship. He is struggling with the Word of Wisdom. We used to drink together when I was not a memeber. He was raised in the church but, hasn't been real active for sometime(on and off/half hearted). We've been very active since my Baptizem. He wants to be sealed in the Temple and wants all the blessings but, he misses having a drink now and again. Yesterday, he snuck off and got drunk. It was aweful, the Bishop and several memebers were coming over for the 4th. I had to sober him up before our guests arrived. I have never told him he can't drink. I told him I won't drink with him any longer. I was upset that he felt a need to hide the drinking and took a risk driving after he had been drinking. I wanted to say something to the Bishop but, decided not to say anything. What happens if we can not be sealed because of his drinking? He is still sealed to a previous spouse. Do I end up loosing out completely because of his drinking? If I'd have known this was going to cause him so much discomfort for him??? Awe gosh, I don't know what I'd have done... It's sort of a mess right now. He's happy for me and excited about doing the right thing but, he just misses having a cold one now and again. I don't really know what to do. I wish he'd go to the Bishop and start working this stuff out. I don't think it's my place to say anything. He and the Bishop are very close. I know the Bishop could help him if my husband would level with him.

We're sort of beating this old horse to death. I guess it comes down to what you consider beautiful. As I see it, the things that make us unattractive are defects in our bodies. The body is beautiful in it's perfect form. Malformed joints, crooked teeth, scars, acne, wieght, etc... All these affect function as well as appearence. If everything was as it should be, in my opinion, we would all be beautiful, though remain quite distinct. Long legs, short legs, skin color, hair color, eye color. These things do not add nor detract from beauty or function, as I see it... My understanding of what makes one beautiful is far more simple than what our cultural norms suggests. I'm simply suggesting that, when our defects are corrected, we will look outstanding or at least, a far cry better than we may look now.

Thanks so much. Feb. 2010 Hmmm, That means you've made it to the Temple by this time. I still have 10 months before I can do that. I'm anxious to add this to my life. Our Bishop is all about tempering my, "new memeber" zeal at this time. He's a great guy but, I'd like to move a bit faster. I don't like being new. Not at almost 48 years old, any way,,lol:lol:

You bring up some vaild points. I too, believe that our inner beauty far out wieghs the outer. That having been said, I think God does have an eye for beauty. Just look around. I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. When the sun shines here, in weatern Washington, it is nothing less than glorious. I have never been a, "beautiful" person, niether inside nor out. In fact, I'm quite frumppy by current standards. I and God have been working on this but, I have a long way to go. Just as some are more beautiful on the outside, so too are some more beautiful on the inside. I think most of us, however, fall somewhere in the middle. Just as our inner flaws must be perfected, so too, will those outer flaws. When we think about our Lord, directly after His resurrection, people failed recognize Him at first. I don't think this is because, He greatly chaged but, His body was in it's perfected form. As for surgically ultering our exterior. It's a very personal matter. I suspect, it is much like anything else; as long as it is within reason and doesn't lead to some idea that, all our flaws can be fixed with a litlle aid from a surgeon.

Thanks so much for your feed back. Your reply confuses me, however. :huh:Please, show me an example of how evolution can consistantly, repeatedly and without deviation be quantified by math. As I understand it, this is the very reason it remains a theory and has yet to become law. I would submit that, it can not repeatedly be tested, quantified or substantiated by math. Now it's been some time since I took biology, chem. and zoology in college. But, as I recall, this is the gold standard for something to be scientifically elevated fom theory to law. Gravity and thermal dynamics have become laws because, they can be tested in a lab and repeatedly proven and substaniated by math... Evolution, can no more be scientifically (absolutly) proven than can the existance of God. This is where the Bible and the Book of Mormon come into play, as I understand. It gives us a bit more to go on than the theory of a man. Just as I can twist the facts of the Bible to make it say, what I want it to say, when taken out of context; so too, can modern science twist the record to support a position which would seek to denie the importance of man and so, the existance of his creator. The concept that we evolved from pond scum is more than "iky" It's nonesense...

Wow! I have never had difficulty accepting that God is the ultimate mathmatician and scientist. I do not hold to strick evolution however. I agree, some of your information seems sound. However, evolution fails to follow basic math. All science is quantified by math. 1x+1y does not equal 2xy combining and seperating unlike terms can not be done. This is, of course, over simplified for expedience sake. Thus, one thing does not give rise to another. The idea that we are all, at our base form, unevolved pond scum monkies is repulsive. The idea that progeny recapitulates philogeny is a stretch at best. It should not come as any great surprise to us that, living things share common features. God used the same DNA building blocks but, he created each thing independently. We know that things change in response to enviormentle sterss. In this manner, I agree with evolution. However, consider dogs. This species has been,theoretically, companioned with man for millions of years. More and more stess has been placed on the animal to perform greater tasks. Yet, the animal remains remarkably unchanged. It has not evolved greater intellect nor has it achieved self awareness. It would follow that, all creatures would continue to evolve and eventually reach higher levels of ability and become self aware. We know that creatures sharing a similaur brain structure and size as that of man have not reached self awareness. They are of a higher social order but, are not, as yet, self aware. Creatures that were on this planet long before man, still posess no more than a basic reptile brain. The pressure for these animals to evolve has been intense. Yet, they have remained unchaged for billions of years. It's obvious that you have a keen intellect. I respect the amount of time you have spent in considering and supporting your position in this matter. I would submit however, that all this is far less complicated than our atheist brothers and sisters would want us to believe. God said He did it and that He has always been. Too many facts does away with any need for faith and we know this is a key factor for all Christian doctrins. God and science do go hand in hand. But, I would exercise a degree of caution when attempting to reconcile man's wisdom with that of God's...