Mother’s Day: Timeless Gratitude for Life
As I walked sleepily this morning into the kitchen for Mother’s Day, my ten year old son stretched his arm high into the air and pulled the trigger on his new confetti gun. “Happy Mother’s Day!” A plethora of sparkly colors spun through the air as he handed me a huge box of gourmet cookies. I feel so loved, as my children adorn my cheeks with kisses and handmade cards. At 37 years old, I am a mother to four...
Many happy greetings from the Johnsons
This time will be just a moment, and then, like a flash, it will be gone. 13 years ago Jonny and I were proud new parents to our first baby, Anna. She was just barely over 5 pounds when we brought her home from the hospital. We were so excited about wrapping her gifts, and beginning our own family traditions. As it turns out, she slept through that first Christmas morning, bundled in a blanket on the couch, sucking on her giant green...
Unwanted Pregnancies: Abortion is the Wrong Solution
Did you know that……. at 8 weeks in utero, a fetus’ major functions are all developed, including their heart, brain, lungs and nervous system. I have even recently learned that they already have a finger print! When an in utero procedure needs to be done, even at that young age, fetuses are shown, by ultra-sound, to recoil from needles that collect blood. Why on earth would they not feel pain? We do. They are us. Of...
Love, Daddy
Today my brother and I sat around his kitchen table, scattered about in piles of old papers. As I perused the documents, dating back to the early 1950s, a chalky dust covered my fingers. We sifted through hand written letters, school report cards, government request letters and divorce decrees. We read through condolence messages and funeral programs. The weight of choices rested heavy on my soul. There are always alternating...
Modern Day Slavery
What is the greatest destruction of today’s generation? The tactics used by the adversary are not new. For endless amounts of time Satan, and his minions have used an unknown number of ploys to shackle God’s children to sin. Heavenly Father’s entire plan of happiness revolves around one fundamental key, agency. Satan will use every trick, deception, fear, longing and addiction in his arsenal to stave off the...
Our family adventure into felafel
So tonight I was craving falafel. Weird. It’s been ages since I have had any. I decided to try a new adventure for our family. When I was studying in Israel at the BYU Jerusalem Center we had many opportunities to try new food. Our daily meals went something like this. In the morning I would enjoy yogurt and granola. For lunch, especially if we were on a field trip, we would have a pita bread turkey sandwich. At nearly every...