Baby Fever?

The subject that we discussed in class today was one that I have been nervous about for a long time.  We discussed how having a baby can affect marital happiness and satisfaction, usually for the negative.  Sometimes I get "baby fever," and I think about how much fun it would be to start a family.  Soon after I begin, a lot of fear and worries seem to take over.
I worry because I have observed so many families in which the feeling in the home drastically changes when children are born, and not in a good way.  I see visions of screaming babies, nagging wives, and emotionally distant husbands.  I really want to believe that that won't happen to my husband and I, but I am not there yet.

"I just met my soulmate, and he's perfect!"

This week I learned that if you attracted to someone, you project positive attributes onto them.  So if you look across the classroom on spot a hottie, you might immediately start thinking about what a kind, interesting, and spiritual person they are, even though you really have no idea what they are like!
It is so important to get to know your dates in a variety of different situations.  What are they like in a stressful situation?  can they work hard?  Can they share?  Are they productive with their time?  All these and more are questions to consider as you get to know someone and decide if you want to progress from dating to courtship.

Gender- It's what's for dinner.

Gender, gender, gender.  If there is one thing that most people have opinions on, it is gender roles and sexual orientation.  I confess, I am no different; however, most of my life I have always kept my vocalized opinions about controversial subject neutral, keeping my true thoughts to myself or simply wondering without ever really coming to a conclusion.  My mind is the most politically correct part of my body, loathe to label the fierce convictions of others as wrong.  

Who am I to say how they should live their life?  Who am I to say whether or not someone is "born the way that they are?"  I am just responsible for myself, and I need to be respectful of others and let them choose what they choose.  I have no idea what it is like to be in their shoes, so I can't really say one way or another.

And so it has gone on for most of my life.  Taking this family relations class has forced me to re-examine some of my neutral positions and question some things that I have previously accepted as "proof."  
I still maintain that I have no right to judge others, and I cannot know the feeling that they feel or the challenges and injustices that they face, but I can bear my testimony that I know that God is our creator.  I know that He is the marvelous Creator of all  the creatures on the face of this planet, including His sons and His daughters.  I know that men and women have divine roles in this life and in the eternities.  I testify that each of us has certain traits, tendencies, and natural abilities that suit us to God's purposes and to our potential.

Dare to be Different

I have been thinking a lot about reactions lately.  In one of my classes, we are studying the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and we have been focusing on Habit One, which is:  be proactive.  This principle basically refers to our ability to choose how we respond to or in any situation.  I have really been trying to focus on how I can choose my mood regardless of what happens around me.  I think that that is so important with regards to how relationships work in a family.  This week in our family relations class we talked about different cultures and how we view them, we also talked about why some cultures seem to have the same repetitive patterns over and over again.  Making a connection between this observation and Habit One, it has occurred to me that there are many things in our "culture," that we maybe need to step out and become the first person to change.  Instead of just accepting the way that things have always been, we can choose to think and reflect about what we really want and respond accordingly in a proactive manner.