What can the LDS (Mormon) church do for you today?

I don't know where you're at in your life spiritually, but that really doesn't matter. If you want to feel loved and get reassurance you're not alone, there are many things you can do to get help.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I grew up experiencing that God has orchestrated help in every aspect of our lives to be as filled with joy as possible. He wants us to seek an education, have a healthy home life and happy social life with good people.

How do Sunday meetings work?
Our Sunday meetings total 3 hours.
FIRST MEETING
Sacrament meeting where we take the bread and water (the sacrament), sing hymns and listen to a few speakers (this could be anyone ranging from a leader in the ward, a 12 year old boy or any ol' member of the ward).The first Sacrament meeting of each month is like an "open mic night" but not at night and with the focus on individuals who feel inclined to bear their testimony.
MIDDLE MEETING
The next hour is Sunday School where we learn about the gospel as all adults for an hour. Sometimes there are alternative classes for members to have the option such as, temple preparation, family history or gospel principles (covering more basic fundamentals of the gospel).
FINAL MEETING
We separate and men go to priesthood and women go to Relief Society. We learn about the gospel with a chosen topic/lesson as the basis with emphasis on how it applies to us as women or men. If you want to be around women who GET you, this is the place.
WHERE DO THE KIDS GO? 18month-18 years old, they spend time with their age group for those 2 hours also. For the final hour, young men and young women are separated also starting at age 12. The Young Women & Young Men's programs also meet outside of church once a week for an activity! If younger than 12, those children are in primary and spend time learning lessons and singing primary songs. You're welcome to go in and sit with them any time! We believe God's entire plan for our happiness has families at the center, so every member of your family is welcome to Sacrament meeting. Sometimes those babies are noisy, but usually it's their smiling glance your way that steals your heart.

Just need a friend?
Besides church, ladies in relief society are assigned sisters to visit each month. This is called visiting teaching. We spend 20 minutes just chatting with each other then giving a 5 minute lesson on the gospel. You do have to be an active member of the church to have visiting teachers. Is it like having friends assigned to you? Yep, but it's for everyone... it encourages us to break out of our comfort zone, meet new people and be sure we get that social interaction at least once a month. It may sound weird, but actually being able to talk of Christ, blessings, struggles, diapers and stress in one sitting is really therapeutic! If you aren't comfortable with your visiting teachers after a couple visits, just tell the relief society president your concerns.

Need spiritual guidance or comfort?
The benefits of the Priesthood are available to all ages and both genders. Not only do we have the visiting teaching program, we have "home teaching" as well. This is where two priesthood members of the ward are assigned to visit you each month. They will visit with you, share a short message and also be willing to help you. They are a great source to ask for a blessing. Priesthood blessings are a connection to God. I have personally experienced a blessing from a stranger who said something personal he couldn't possibly knew. I knew it was Heavenly Father giving me a hug the only way he can (while on Earth anyway). You must have faith in the priesthood power. If you aren't sure you do, pray and ask Heavenly Father for some. In the bible, we learned of a Father that asked for the faith and that was enough to have his son healed.

What are you waiting for? Search to find a meeetinghouse near you... from there, you can call the Bishop and ask for help. Type in your city, state and zip here https://www.lds.org/maps/?lang=eng&cid=HP14FAM#ll=40.871,-111.831&z=13&m=google.road&tools=help

Taping toddlers to a wall is your best bet

Without angels/the Holy Ghost, I'm sure I would only have one or two children alive at this point. 

I was doing chores downstairs with the boys and asked Stephen to go check to see if Erica (4 mos) was still sleeping and what Julia (2 yrs) was up to... The boys move way faster than me, so it's much quicker that way.
A few minutes later, he brought Erica to me with a story to tell.
Julia was just holding Erica upside down at the waist with her head touching the floor, right by my bed (where Erica was left sleeping). 
(um... holy crap!!!)
But Stephen brought her to me happy, I was so confused by that. Then he explained how he laid with her on the bed and sang the ABC's.
Lessons learned: 
*the timing for me feeling the need to check on her probably prevented a tiny Julia from attempting to carry her chunky sister away (probably dragging her head or dropping her in the process).
*Stephen is so kind to have rescued and calmed Erica so sweetly.
*Julia's butt would be pretty red if it was ME that made the discovery. (Believe what you will about spanking, when they put themselves or a sibling in danger - they earn a spanking.)

Erica is smiling, happy and healthy. Julia is safe in jail...er, crib.

I don't do...I love. That's why I homeschool.

Every homeschooling mother has heard these words in response to this way of schooling, "I could never do that." I was one of those people too... 

My heart is practically beating out of my chest as I share this with you...this is why I stopped my midnight cleaning to BLOG, even at the possibility nobody will read it. It must be said.

I had frustrations with some social-educational developments over the last few years, but it was never something big enough to homeschool my children. If you know me, you have most likely heard our straw that broke the camel's back. My sweet son came home from school acting the most strange he ever has. He wouldn't make one full sentence. He just wanted to sleep, he wasn't making sense and seemed very ill. It was April Fool's day, so I was seriously frightened he had unknowingly eaten something poisonous somehow. My attempts at getting answers from him weren't solving the mystery to his strange behavior...then it dawned on me, and I asked him, "did you hit your head at school today?" His answer, "yes." I took my 7 year-old boy to the doctor. He not only had a concussion, but it caused a chain reaction for a few different infections also. We don't know all the pieces to the puzzle, what we do know is this:

He fell and hit is head on a metal bar of the playground, after the bus dropped children off, but before school started. 

An adult witnessed it, took him to see a nurse, but there wasn't a nurse there. There wasn't any office staff there yet. 

This adult did not call home, he didn't pass this on to his teacher, he sent him straight to class. 

His teacher could tell he wasn't feeling well, but some other kids were ill at home, so she assumed he caught the same illness. She allowed him to nap at his desk.

There are obviously many things wrong with that day. He could have very well died. I could try blaming a variety of people, but it all comes back to ME. His Mother. I'm the one that trusted strangers to care for him. God entrusted me with these precious spirits to raise on Earth, protect, teach and love. I feel like I failed Him that day.

When we first think of "homeschooling," we think of education, curriculum, tests, grades, college... we don't really consider the rest. At school, children are sent off to a handful of adults (strangers, really, do you know who watches your children on the playground?) that will interact with them, teach them, discipline them, observe them. We are allowing those adults to influence them for good or bad. We are asking them to care for our children and protect them. I am very outspoken about many aspects of my life, I feel I have nothing to hide, I love who I am and I love my family. When it comes to homeschooling, I'm not so outspoken. This is because I know everyone then will question the quality of my children's schooling - even I do! 

In school, children learn about a variety of topics - some intentional and planned, some not so much. I don't want you to think that I think I'm better than a teacher. I'm not! Believe me, I'm not... 

What do we lose when we homeschool? Money, time alone, flexibility (try getting a babysitter for 6 kids at 10am for a doctor's appointment), free babysitters... I guarantee you that nobody chooses to homeschool for the perks. If there are any tangible perks, please let me know.

Take the SCHOOL out of homeschool. We say it's where the heart is, right? So why so much negativity about it? I will revisit the idea and pray about the possibility of my children going back to school each year, even each semester. So far, I get a bad feeling. Call it inspiration, call it a gut feeling, whatever it is - it's real. I may be judged for being a homeschooler... but gaps in my children's knowledge will be filled in time, should there be any. I have learned a LOT as an adult, it's painless. One thing that could never be recovered is a serious injury (this includes physical/emotional/spiritual) or death. Can you argue with that?  It's true, accidents and injuries happen aplenty at home... but if they do happen, I will be there in a heartbeat. Not everyone responds to a situation as a parent would. If you ever had the question in your mind (even for an instant) about homeschooling your own children, and your response is, "I could never do that..." Ask yourself what "that" is... is it sacrifice your free time from those needy balls of energy? Is it taking on the responsibility for their educational development?

This is what I have to ask you in return. Wouldn't you do anything for your children when needed? What about ignoring this strong desire of keeping my children spiritually & physically safe for the sake of satisfying society's ideal schooling methods? I could never do that.

I love my children enough to homeschool them. 

**This does not say you don't love your children if you don't homeschool. I respect your journey, this is mine. Thank you.**