Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This article would be important to read if your husband has a time-consuming calling as Bishop, etc., or if the wife also has a calling such as Relief Society President.  Very helpful and inspiring ideas! Side by Side: How Your Marriage Can Survive Church Service By JeaNette Goates Smith  · June 22, 2017 Sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE Many years ago my husband was called to serve as the bishop of a seriously struggling ward. He spent many hours at the church, late nights visiting troubled members and endless hours on the telephone. It felt our marriage wouldn’t survive. During a time of deep despair I attended a professional seminar with other Marriage and Family Therapists. This was a seminar where they arranged for some small group interaction where we could be therapeutic resources to one another. There was one woman at the seminar who wasn’t even a therapist and I kind of eyed her with suspicion and wo...

This is to follow yesterday's entry about my 2nd great grandmother, and her experiences as a true pioneer.  ----------- (was blog # 72, in January, 2014) I wrote about my 2nd great grandmother, Caroline Farozine Skeen yesterday.  I decided the rest of her story would be good to include now, so you can get a fuller picture of her life.  This entry may be a bit longer than others --  She was born April 15, 1812, in  Tennessee,  the seventh child in a family of ten children.  On February 3, 1831, at the age of 19 she was married to John Lowe Butler.  To them 12 children were born.   Most of their leisure time was spent in reading the Bible, but the religions of the day did not satisfy them.  According to John's diary, he was literally thirsting of a knowledge of his Creator.  He had prayed many times, very earnestly for light, until he became rather discouraged.  (I'll tell more of him later.)  A s an answer to their pray...

I wrote about my 2nd great grandmother, Caroline Farozine Skeen yesterday.  I decided the rest of her story would be good to include now, so you can get a fuller picture of her life.  This entry may be a bit longer than others --  She was born April 15, 1812, in  Tennessee,  the seventh child in a family of ten children.  On February 3, 1831, at the age of 19 she was married to John Lowe Butler.  To them 12 children were born.   Most of their leisure time was spent in reading the Bible, but the religions of the day did not satisfy them.  According to John's diary, he was literally thirsting of a knowledge of his Creator.  He had prayed many times, very earnestly for light, until he became rather discouraged.  (I'll tell more of him later.)  A s an answer to their prayers, o ne evening in 1835, an invitation came to attend a cottage meeting given by two Mormon Elders.  The message filled their hearts with joy and after ...