by Peggy Sturgill We were very good at keeping the family secret when I was growing up. To the outside world, we looked like a normal, happy family, much like the Cleaver family in “Leave It to Beaver.” No one suspected there was a monster living...
by Erin Weist Once again a non-legislative bill introduced by the UN has worked its way into a country, not by the voice of the people but through unelected, unaffiliated bureaucrats with no sense of ownership or investment in the outcome. Panama, however, is showing them...
by Mekelle Tenney We’ve all heard the cliché “the family that plays together stays together”. Normally I don’t buy into cliché’s. But I make an exception for this one, because it’s true. I believe that families have specific needs in order to create life long bonds....
by Cinthia Jahnson “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey” Missy Franklin, three-time medalist Olympian. In 1992, at the Barcelona Olympic games Derek Redmond tore his hamstring during the 400m race in the Olympics. He was a promising athlete and many thought he would medal in this...
by Diane Robertson I was once asked that since there are many kinds of birth defects then wouldn’t it be reasonable that a person could be born with the outward sexual organs of one gender and the brain of another thereby making them a true transgender?...
by Laura Friend Family Life Educators, Claudia and David Arp, describe blended families as “patchwork” families. The analogy is apropos. My husband’s grandmother, Anna Laura Tuttle Friend, lived to be 101 years old. Amidst the challenges of raising a large family during the depression and subsequent World...
by Erin Weist Abortion and the rights of the unborn children have been under debate in Ireland recently. The 8th amendment of their constitution ratified in 1983 provides legal protection for a child in the womb. Thousands attended a rally recently to celebrate the 8th amendment...
by Tashica Jacobson The past 5 months has given us additional stressors, anxiety, sweet moments, and tons of excitement. While these could be the emotions of any typical month, ours are amplified because we are expecting a baby, and have started to share the exciting news...
By Candice LeSueur According to a Columbia University survey, 85 percent of American parents feel it is important to tell their kids they are smart. It seems honorable, but is praising your children for their intelligence really the smart thing to do in the long run? Research has...
by Diane Robertson Years ago while living in Toronto, Canada, I found out that I was pregnant. But things were not going right. It was obvious the pregnancy would end as an early miscarriage. I went to a doctor. The doctor, upon finding out that I...
by Jennifer Johnson On a field trip bus ride I overheard some friends debate the controversial topic of abortion. One friend’s personal comment made the topic real for me. This friend is gifted, smart, one of the most capable people I have ever met. Yet before...
by Erin Weist From some of our earliest records of mankind we learn that people began to “call upon the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 4:26) Whether through fair times or famine, battle or prosperity, the history of calling upon God in supplication or gratitude is...
By Lizzy Sabin When we’re young we’re encouraged to find our niche in life. Our personal form of self-expression to help us process hard moments and emotions, which everyone faces. When my teenage mind could no longer handle the things I was experiencing I chose to write...
By Candice LeSueur A few months ago, I was informed a family had moved from Haiti into our area and needed help learning English. They were not living in the most ideal of circumstances and, therefore, fled their native country and arrived here via asylum. It wasn’t...
by Diane Robertson We all know the phrase “separation of church and state”. It was taught us in school and atheists use it all of the time to reprimand people for holding prayer at public events. Of course the intended meaning wasn’t the absence of religion...
By Cinthia Jahnsen Have you ever thought of homeschooling as an option for your child’s education? My kids go to public school right now and I have loved their teachers. However, I do not love how much teachers seem to be losing their authority on how...
by Erin Weist The month of July is an important one for the United States in remembering freedom from tyranny: Independence Day remembers our separation from the monarchy of Great Britain. But people in my state also celebrate a similar date in July. Utah celebrates July...
By Shanci Christensen The door slammed shut as if it were shouting, “Goodbye old house!” I locked the door behind him and then stood in the kitchen with my hands shaking and my heart pounding. “Did I do the right thing?” I heard a noise behind...
Photo: vhines200/Creative Commons By Candice LeSueur I excitedly was able to check another thing off my bucket list this last weekend as I flew out to see my friend in San Francisco, a city I have been dying to visit. As she and I were strolling down...
By: Diane Robertson Parents who do you think is best qualified to listen to, advise, and help your children? Would you name a doctor, a teacher, or a social worker, or do you believe that listening to, advising, and helping your children is your primary responsibility?...
Food waste in America By Cinthia Jahnsen Ok. Here’s the deal. I think we all love going to an all you can eat buffet. What can be better than endless amounts of delicious food with as many helpings as you wish, plus amazing mountains of dessert at...
By Erin Weist Recently, the state of Indiana has made headlines regarding changes to their abortion law. Governor Mike Pence, newly announced running mate for GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump, signed into law restrictive measures that would prevent a woman seeking an abortion based on the...
By Mekelle Solomon Late last week the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, approved an anti-terrorist law. The law was a complete package of restrictions designed to “protect” against radical terrorist attacks. An anti-terrorist law sounds like a great idea right? Something that the whole country could...
By Candice LeSueur GET UP, GET OUT, AND EXPLORE! This is the message the new Pokémon GO app is promoting, emphasizing that you “get on your feet and step outside to...
Diane Robertson The Founding Fathers of the United States were keenly aware of the right to property and its connection to freedom. Before the Revolutionary war, the British would send troops over to the colonies and quarter them in the homes of the people. The people...