NieNie Dialogues: A Mother Heart, Day 2

Nur.ture
1. to help (something or someone) to grow, develop, or succeed.
2. encourage somebody or something to flourish.

"Mothers Who Know Are Nurturers To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow.

Another word for nurturing is homemaking.

Homemaking includes cooking, washing clothes and dishes, and keeping an orderly home.

Home is where women have the most power and influence;

therefore Nurturing mothers are knowledgeable,

but all the education women attain will avail them nothing if they do

not have the skill to make a home that creates a climate for spiritual growth.

Growth happens best in a "house of order,

"Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work.

Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful

and influential role bestowed on women".

in·flu·ence n

1. the effect of something on a person, thing, or event

2. somebody or something able to affect the

course of events or somebody’s thinking or action.
"Mothers Who Know Are Leaders Mothers who know are leaders

in equal partnership with their husbands.

They plan for missions, temple marriages, and education.

They plan for prayer, scripture study, and family home evening.

Mothers who know build children into future leaders and are the primary

examples of what leaders look like. They do not abandon their plan

by succumbing to social pressure and worldly models of parenting.

These wise mothers who know are selective about their own activities

and involvement to conserve their limited strength in order to

maximize their influence where it matters most."

pre·pare v

1. vti to make something ready for use or action,

or for a particular event or purpose

2. vti to get ready or make somebody ready for something
3. vt to plan something in advance
"Mothers Who Know Do Less They allow less media in their homes,

less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home.

Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world's

goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together,

more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking,

laughing, singing, and exemplifying.

These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all.

Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children

who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world.

Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be

builders of the Lord's kingdom for the next 50 years.

That is influence; that is power. Mother’s Who Know Do Less."

I asked my own sister, Page to write her thoughts on this subject.

I love her wisdom!

(all EIGHT of Page's children's hands)

At this time in my life, doing less is impossible when you are talking about time.

Every minute of every day is so very precious to me.

I can clearly see the sand draining out of the hourglass when

I look at my Sophomore in high school.

At the same time, I look at my 1-year-old and think of all the fun years ahead.

It goes by fast. So I use each day to focus on the most

important things in my life and do less unimportant things.

I try to stay focused. I do less of micromanaging and more of teaching

independence to my children. I do more planning and organizing

and thinking ahead and less scrambling and fumbling.

I stay focused through daily prayer and scripture study and less chatting with friends.

I make sure that whatever I do personally, whatever we do as a couple and whatever

we do as a family has a purpose-a purpose that brings us closer to

God and to being balanced and strong.

We don’t have time for mindless activities, we don’t want to have

to rebuild after being torn down. We aim for constant uplifting and building.

The key to all this is being home and being focused on what goes on there.

I like being home.

I work hard at home, constantly. But that is what is so rewarding about my life.

It is constant work that builds and brings me and my family closer to God.
I am eternally grateful for a husband who supports me and allows me
to be the kind of mother I want to be.

cov·e·nant n

1. a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties

to promise something in a covenant.
"Mothers Who Know Honor God They bring daughters in clean

and ironed dresses with hair brushed to perfection;

their sons wear white shirts and ties and have missionary haircuts.

These mothers know they are going to sacrament meeting,

where covenants are renewed. These mothers have made and honor temple covenants.

They know that if they are not pointing their children

to the temple, they are not pointing them toward desired eternal goals.

These mothers have influence and power."