Autumn Cramer Kia Kaha

  In my home my dad is often heard saying, “happy wife, happy life.” That is the kind of husband my dad it is. I often wish they had one for my dad too, because he deserves to be happy too. We tend to not give fathers the credit they deserve for all that they do. Before I go into a more personal perspective let me discuss a few points talked about in an article “The Involved Father” by Glenn T Staton. The author focuses solely on the impact that fathers have on their children, because a father can not be replaced or replicated by anyone else. The article addresses 7 main points: Father’s Parent Different: There is a reason why a baby can tell the difference between mom and dad, it’s because as parents they have differences. This helps the children learn how to interact with different people & personalities from the start. Seeing the different parenting techniques will allow the children to deal with life with a broader perspective. Father’s Play Different: We have all seen a f...

  Whenever you ask someone what is the key to a successful relationship they always say, “COMMUNICATION” and they would not be wrong. However, to simply say that it is just communication would be a stretch. What does communication even mean? I communicate with people all the time and don't have a strong relationship with everyone I have ever talked to. That is why just communicating is not enough to have a successful relationship with those around us and especially our family members. If we dig a bit deeper we will actually find that the KEY to communication does not involve any words at all, rather it all begins by being a good listener. Let me share a few quotes that I feel illustrate this concept better than my own words can: “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.”-Unknown “If you think communication is all talk, you haven’t been listening.” -Ashley Brilliant “Be as passionate about listening as you are about being heard.”-Brene...

  We have all heard the saying “what doesn't kill you makes you stronger” yet I don’t think we really sit back and separate the two. It is important to take time to think about those things that could have “killed you” and then also how they have made you “stronger.” As a family unit we all go through so many experiences that sometimes we forget to stop and analyze a little bit deeper as to how our family’s ups and downs have affected us individually and as a whole. Let us first address these things that could “kill” our family. These are the crises that happen that act as stressors in the family. A crisis can be big or small, here is a list of common ones: death of child or spouse, getting a divorce, physical or sexual abuse, handicapped family member, chronic illness, a spouse has an affair, drug or alcohol abuse, and so many others. All of these crises can arise at any time in a family. At one point or the other a family will have to go through one or multiple crises. Persona...

            I would like to take this opportunity to discuss a topic that can be a bit controversial and also very sensitive to some people. I usually try to make my blogs relatable to all people, but today I want to discuss how sex is often seen as a taboo topic from the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Letter-day Saints. Before I start let me make this VERY clear, the doctrine and teachings of the prophets and apostles has always been presented correctly. However, as individual members we have created a culture that makes talking freely about things like sex, pornography , or masturbation almost impossible.  Many people have complained to me that there is not enough proper teachings in the church about these topics, however, I would like to argue that there is endless information given by the leaders of the church. It is us who choose not to seek the right information and teach it properly. Why would this be an issue? It is importa...

  I am not a blogger. I have never been good and writing down how I feel. Nor do I think being vulnerable to strangers. I keep a personal journal from time to time, but I usually don’t broadcast my thoughts and experiences in a super public setting. I know what I have to say does have value and can help people, but I am not one to take time out of my life to share my story with others. I tend to be one of those people that has a very close, tight knit circle of people in my life and don’t care too much about what other people outside of that circle may think of me. Now, I am setting myself up to sound like a total jerk right? Well I promise you that I am not. I love serving people, making conversation with strangers, and having deep discussions with people. I love connecting with people and seeing others succeed. However, I know that I sometimes care too much. I can give 110%, while the other person is only giving me 50%, and yet I still feel like there’s more I could be doing. Tha...

          When it comes to dating in today’s society, it can be so hard to know if you're doing it “right”. This post will be dedicated to those who want to know how to date successfully. Dr. John Van Epp developed a dating model called the Relationship Attachment Model (RAM), which goes over five key elements that need to be present in order to date successfully. These five components are know, trust, rely, commit, and touch in that order. In order to date successfully it is important to follow this model.  This may sound like common sense, but let me give you a few scenarios and see if you can relate. Scenario one, you have been dating someone for a few months and most of your dates include sitting on the couch watching tv having make-out sessions. Scenario two, you are individually very insecure and unhappy with your life, but then when you’re with your significant other you are so happy that your happiness actually relies on you being in a relation...

  Is there really a big difference between men and women? I mean we all kind of look the same physically with eyes, legs, fingers, etc. Obviously guys tend to have a deeper voice and I mean women can give birth, so we definitely aren’t the same, but what about our characteristics. Are there certain things men tend to do more than women? Does being a guy mean you are born with certain personality traits that women don’t have? Maybe by just being born a girl you are automatically smarter than if you were born male? Again these are a lot of what ifs and maybes, however, for today’s post I would like to share with you something that is very near and dear to my heart. It is called “ The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and was written by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This statement was given as a declaration to the world as to what God states a family is and what individuals responsibilities are in the family unit. First let us dive into the individual ...