The Gift of Giving Life

I am so excited to share with you a sort of review of one of my absolutely favorite books: The Gift of Giving Life; written by five incredible and faithful women. I have been given the opportunity to be the first stop on their Virtual Book Tour! For those of you who may be new to Mother {at} Heart, welcome! Do enjoy your visit! 

When I was not much younger than I am today, I had the naïve belief that having a baby takes basic physical preparation, and everything else just comes. Now that I am a wife, I am coming to understand that preparing to bring a new life into this world takes much more that eating right, exercising, and accumulating baby clothes. Life will grow inside me; a moving, breathing child that will eat, cry, speak, laugh, hurt, love, learn, grow. Changes will take place in my body, heart, and mind that I have never experienced before. My Husband and I will be participating in an act with God Himself, the act of giving life.
That is where this book comes in. I was not a wife when I first read it, and, at the time, marriage and babies seemed to be a long way off. I was a struggling, single young adult, with crushed dreams, but a surprisingly open heart. I purchased the book at a time when I didn't have much money, one for myself and one for my Mother. For some reason, I just knew that I needed that book, even though I really did not know much about it. It came sometime in May, and I picked it up a few days later. As I read the very first essay, by Heather, I was filled with immense joy. I cannot really describe it. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my parents' twelve-seat van, my feet propped up on the dashboard, reading about my Mother Eve and gaining a greater understanding for her than I had ever had before, trying to keep the tears from flowing. "Eve saw. She wasn't deceived - she made a conscious choice. Her choice is even more powerful when we remember that Eve wouldn't have known about the Atonement or about the Savior until after she had eaten the fruit. In what was one of the bravest acts ever done, Eve ate - thinking that she was going to die but willing to suffer those consequences if it meant being able to bring children into the world."
"As daughters of Eve, modern women must make similar choices. We each get to decide whether we will 'partake of the fruit' by choosing to welcome children into our homes or whether we will remain in a figurative Eden. The choice today is no less difficult than Eve's because Satan is still trying his hardest to beguile Eve's daughters and confuse them about their divine missions."
"As modern women, we, like Eve, need to ponder, pray, and meditate about the decisions we make concerning childbearing, pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. There is no decision too small with which to concern the Lord when it comes to creating and nurturing His precious spirit children" ("We Are Each Eve", Heather Farrell, 2-4).  Hours later my heart was full. I was merely eighteen years old, and though I had a passion for children and birth, though I had read numerous talks by women of my Faith on being a mother and raising families, I had never been so touched by the beauty and pain of birth, of motherhood, of life. Off and on through the spring, I picked up the book and read a few entries at a time. Summer came, and my life was torn apart by terrors that I could not have previously imagined. As my heart broke over and over, as my hopes faded, I would find myself reading the exact essay or story that I needed to hear at that time. The book was one of my special comforts during that time of of pain and fear. Through it, I became acquainted with one of the authors, my friend Lani, and as we were both going through great struggles in our lives - though at entirely different stages in our lives - I connected to her strongly.  "No words could describe the intense light, joy, peace, and love that this baby has brought into my family's life. She has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. Her sweet spirit was more than worth every moment of suffering I endured. And I would do it all over again for her" ("Antepartum Depression", Lani Axman, p. 334-337). From her entries, I learned a greater patience and faith. Reading her and others' stories helped my heart to become soft again, and to open once more to the idea and hope of marrying a righteous man and raising a family together. Fast-forward a few months, to November 2012, and my life was about to change entirely. My Darling proposed to me - a wonderful man whom I had known for a mere three months - and we were to be married the day after Christmas. On one of the more difficult days of our engagement, we read together "The Spirit of Elijah" (p. 48-54), another favorite from Lani. 

"Just as Christ walked willingly into His loving sacrifice, He calls us to follow Him. We follow in His footsteps as we become saviors for our waiting spirit children by creating bodies for, raising, nurturing, and teaching them."  

There was that power again, stronger than ever before. 

"We can follow the Savior's and Eve's examples and choose to give life, despite the darkness and difficulty around us. It may not be easy, but we will reap the immeasurable joy that children bring and the blessings that come from following the Lord's commandments.

We talked, dreamed, planned, cried, and held each other in anticipation of our own family. 

"Procreation is crucial. Pregnancy, birth, and motherhood are holy. Children are life's greatest blessings."

We were sealed in the Temple of God, under sacred Covenants, and our family began. As I became accustomed to married life, I continued to read The Gift of Giving Life, and being a Wife now, my heart had softened even more than before, and most entries that I read brought tears of joy. About a month into our marriage, I finally finished it. 
A year ago, this book was merely 'inspiring'. Now, it is who I am becoming as a wife, and potential mother. It is my preparation for my babies. It is literally a gift from God, through His love and mercy, to this young, crazy, dedicated child-wife.
Now I am reading it a second time, with the hope that by the end of this second reading, the life of my own child will be developing inside of me, close to his or her departure from the Premortal Realm. As I read, my testimony and faith are strengthened repeatedly. This is a blessing to Latter-day Saint women in the 21st century, the first book of its kind. I believe that it was inspired by the Lord, for women today to draw strength from. The words written by these women seem to come straight from the mind of God; and as they fill my mind and heart, the Spirit of the Lord surrounds me with peace and hope. I do not know how to describe what this book is to me, exactly, but I will tell you that it is special, and that it has changed my life very much for the better. It has led me to friends, to knowledge, to enlightenment, and to understanding. 
"For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you" (Leviticus 26:9).
I am reminded of the four special people who have given me the gift of life. First of all, my Creator and Father. He created me and endowed me with the power to give life myself someday. I am grateful to Him every day for the life that I have lived, and for all of the lives that have come into mine through His grace. Second and third, my earthly Mother and Father. They gave me life in an act of faith, and have blessed me by their examples of love and respect. Through them, I have learned to appreciate every little blessing, and to give my life to the Lord. Fourth, my dear, dear Husband. He has brought me into a new life, much different than my first. This new life is ours, and is more joyous, holy, and beautiful than anything I could ever have dreamed of or asked. As I continue to learn from this book, and to study the resources cited by these great women of God,.my heart is being prepared to one day give the gift of life.    Below is a chance for you to win a $15.00 giftcard to Amazon.com, as well as a couple of other fabulous gifts. Enter below, and share this opportunity with your friends!

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Thank you, immensely, for this opportunity, Sheridan and all! Thank you for your sacrifices and love. Thank you for this blessing.