You Are Loved

"You are loved. You are dear to your Heavenly Parents. The infinite and eternal Creator of life and light knows you. He is mindful of you. God loves you this very day and always. He's not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles.

He is aware that you reach up to Him in hopeful and heartfelt prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed, even in the midst of growing darkness.  He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse at times when you have failed or fallen short, and still, he loves you.

And God knows of your successes though they may seem small to you. He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens, even when you are struggling with your own.

He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly. He knows who you as you really are. And he loves you--today and always."

~Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Women's Conference, October 2014.

Where your attention is, there will your heart be also...

This morning I came across this article about the importance of not allowing technology to distract us from being mentally present in our children's lives. I could not agree more with the author's thoughts. If we are constantly on our devices, aren't we teaching our children that we prefer socializing online to spending time with them? When we are with our children, we need to give them our whole selves--all of our attention.

On the other hand, it is much easier to talk about putting our smart phones and tablets down than it is to actually do it. I found myself struggling with this problem just a few weeks after Lincoln was born. I started using my phone to keep myself awake on those long nights of rocking and feeding. But I soon found myself using it much more often than I wanted to let myself. Basically, I had become addicted to being on my phone. I decided that I needed to do something about it before things got worse.

My motivations for making the change were the following:

• I didn't want Lincoln to think he was less important to me than my cell phone.
• I didn't want him to think it was okay for people to be constantly attached to their devices.
• I didn't want to miss those sweet, intimate moments with my son that can only be experienced when I am giving him my full attention.
• I didn't want him inadvertently getting screen time when he caught glimpses of my phone.

So how did I make the switch from distracted mom to fully-present mom? I gave my phone a home--somewhere in my house that it stays as long as Lincoln is awake. I keep my phone on the windowsill in our bedroom. It is far enough away that I would have to consciously leave Lincoln's side to use it (which I rarely ever do). Leaving my cell phone in a place that's out of reach has made all the difference. I no longer feel the need to scroll through the constant feed of mostly useless information on Pinterest or Facebook; Instead I feel the joys of playing with my son and seeing his eyes light up when he knows that my attention is on him. And that's the way it should be.

No Limit

"There is no limit to what a mother can accomplish."

~Julie B. Beck, "A 'Mother Heart'," (2004.)

It is Worth it

"The work of a mother is hard, often unheralded work. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever."

~Jeffery R. Holland, "Because She is a Mother," (1978.)

Why "Cradles & Kitchens?"

I have only been a mom for five months, but even in that brief amount of time I have had some of the most joyful experiences of my life and some of the most difficult. It was in one of these agonizing moments that I turned to the words of prophets and apostles for comfort. I began searching through General Conference talks and jotting down powerful and uplifting quotes about motherhood. It was after I taped these words of wisdom above my kitchen sink that I felt inspired to share these messages with other women who could also use a bit of encouragement. And thus this blog was born.

Its title comes from a talk by Neal A. Maxwell from 1978 called "The Women of God." Here, he states:

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happens in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this."

The title "Cradles & Kitchens" was used to remind me of the important role I have as a mother, even though others may look down on it or consider it inferior to a career outside the home. I know that I am doing the Lord's work.