This is part 5 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life” “It is common to think of our time as standing at the apex of civilization, from which the deficiencies of preceding ages may patronizingly be viewed in the light of what is assumed to be “progress”. The reality is that in the…
This is part 3 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life.” In one of my favorite books “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn, the author asks his reader to imagine what would happen if a man haphazardly built an aircraft, based on his own preferences and completely ignored the principles of gravity and aerodynamics. He…
Friday and Saturday I performed with the modern dance group I dance with. Everything went really well and it was so much fun to be on stage with my little boy. He did great. One of the pieces that the adult company performed (we are all mothers) was entitled “Milk” . It was a beautiful…
So I have happy news to share today! Farrell baby #5, who has been given the womb name of “Baby Otto”, will be joining our family around the end of December! I’ll freely admit that there are days when I think I must be crazy for having another baby, but I can’t…
Has anyone else been a bit ga-ga over the new royal baby? I am a bit embarrassed to say that I have been gobbling up every tidbit I’ve been able to read about William and Kate’s new baby boy. I’m not usually one to fall for celebrity stories or drama but there is just somethings…
“Mary and Baby” by Liz Lemon Swindle Please understand this is my story. It comes from my heart. It isn’t meant to make anyone feel bad or to influence anyone’s decisions. It is just my story, my experience, and how the Lord has softened and changed my heart. I am only sharing this because I…
A few weeks ago I finished writing the family planning section for the book I am working on. In preparation for it I did a lot of research on the LDS church’s teachings on birth control and family planning. I rounded up dozens and dozens of quotes from church leaders throughout the years. It was…
Fourteen was a hard age for me, my parents relationship was rocky, my mom was sick, and I constantly struggled with feelings of low self-esteem. There were times when I felt completely alone. Yet, it was in the midst of those trials that I had a great spiritual awakening. It was then I received a…
This is part 4 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life”. A version of this post was first posted on The Gift of Giving Life “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons” Acts 10:34 Before my youngest son was born my…
This is part 6 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life”
This is part 7 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life” “When has marriage ever been about having children?” These words, spoken over the radio, stopped me mid-stir. I was making dinner for my family and listening to the news on NPR. The news coverage was about the legal battles that had…
This is part 2 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life” The story of Moses is one of my favorites, mostly because his story is filled with incredible women. We are introduced to many of these women at the start of Moses’s life and are shown several wonderful examples of women…
This is part 1 of my series “Cultivating a Heart Open to Life.” The Ancient Egyptians believed that after you died you would be taken before the God Anubis (pictured above with the jackal head) and your heart would be weighed against the feather of truth. If your heart was found to be lighter than…