Signs of the Times

So I just turned on Oprah, something I do at least once a week, and I don't know if I'm going to ever want to do it again. I have always enjoyed watching her show and feeling like I'm learning something worthwhile during the day- sometimes it has literally saved me from bad days with the kids. However, I've been noticing that she is getting more and more open about her views on things, most of which I competely oppose. I don't know why she all of a sudden feels she can discuss such things as gay marriage, sex, and politics with such gusto on her show, but it is making me sick. So many many people watch her show and get counsel from her that it is really appalling to think about the negative influence she is having and how much she is really helping the adversary to bring about his purposes in changing life as we know it. With the election of a new president (that is all too liberal), and the increasing rallies outside of Mormon temples in opposition to Proposition 8 passing (opposing gay marriage), I find it quite obvious that we are living among some very blatant signs of the times.

We had a discussion in church this last week in which I was reminded of how a frog is boiled: you can't just place it in boiling water, or it will jump out. However, if you put it in cool water and then gradually increase the temperature, the frog will increase in tolerance to the water and be cooking before it knows to get out. If someone were to take us out of the world today and then place us back in it with no former knowledge of how it is, we'd be very aware of how many of the signs of the times that have already passed and that we are living in. I am doing my best to prepare for the changes that are forthcoming. I have been really anxious lately to get our year's supply of food, as the prophets have counseled for years, and to have every needful thing ready for whenever it is necessary. If we are prepared we shall not fear, even if we are a little worried and anxious about how and what will happen. I'm not exactly as prepared as I want to be and have a great desire to get to that peace of mind that I am longing for. I have been reading in the new conference edition of the Ensign and it seems that the theme this time has been finding joy in the journey and blessings amidst our trials, while preparing for and accepting changes in our lives. I think that our leaders know that there are great changes, mostly bad, waiting this country and world. They are trying to motivate us to be prepared and I want to follow!

Living in such turmoil and challenging times can be burdensome on parents as we contemplate raising our children in such uncertainty. However, I was reading something a few weeks ago that has given me hope in raising my children. It said that our children were most likely better than us in the premortal existence and that the Lord had saved His finest for these last days. It can be hard to raise stubborn and opinionated kids, but it is a blessing. I'm glad that my children have such personalities that will lend them to be leaders and not followers in these last days. At times it is extremely hard to put up with their attitudes and behavior, but when I contemplate that they were and are "better than me" it puts things in better perspective and helps me to learn from my "challenges" and to become better. The scriptures teach us to be like little children and my own children are teaching me how. How I love and cherish them!