Is It Naptime Yet

The girls have had runny noses and weren’t fit to interact with kids so we decided to go to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Vegas today. I promised Jon we could go later this month, but today seemed as good as any, plus they won’t miss two Sunday’s this month. We kept them with us the full service, even though they read a children’s story to the kids and congregation before the children were dismissed for their class, but mostly because they were sick and to let them get use to the idea of this new place. (Lilah was very negative at first, but she decided she liked it as we got settled. I think she liked having a name tag.)

Jon says he’s still deciding whether the UUCLV will fulfill the needs he’s looking for, so I guess we’ll kinda be deciding as a family as we continue to go once a month.

I’ve agreed to going once a month thus far even  though he would like to attend 50/50 for each church. They start at 10 and our church is from 9-12, and I’m wanting Lilah to be able to participate  as fully in Primary as possible. Next Year when we go to the 11 o’clock schedule I’m willing to let them go twice a month, and miss sacrament twice a month but still go to Primary each Sunday, I figure 4 hours of church would be too much but I’m wanting to allow Jon a little more time with them if he chooses this to be the community he wants to be a part of.

I’m not ready for 50/50 and I admit I am pulling the ‘you decided this and I didn’t and I want my children to go to my church more’ card in a way. I’m trying to be open minded, but the thought of only attending twice a month to my church, and three times when there is a fifth Sunday, is too much for me to handle. He wants them to have an alternative community so they’re not just choosing to be Mormon because that’s what they’re more fully involved in and know. I want them to be exposed but still mostly apart of my faith, the faith I’ve always planned on teaching them.

Some might wonder why I’m even willing to let my children participate in two faiths. One reason is the UUCLV isn’t really a specific faith dominated religion, but one that explores many faith’s and discusses good values.
Two, is if I expect my husband to support me I need to support him and I don’t want my children to feel that they’re choosing sides, or choosing parents when they decide to become or not become one of our faiths.

You might wonder why I stay in the situation and not just leave.

While talking with a friend about what makes a marriage worth it, we talked about being happy or having the same faith. Some people have the same faith and are not happy at all and then you have those with different beliefs but are happy.

I am happily married.

I admit I am having difficulty with the idea of letting my children have two faith communities, but in reality I don’t feel making them attend my faith will guarantee them to choose it. I know plenty of  faithful Mormon families whose children have chosen a different faith, including within my own. I also know families of parents with different faiths whose children have decided to be Mormon.

I do want my children to choose the LDS faith because they want to and not because it’s all they know.
All I can do is try to be an example and to show love to them throughout their turbulent time of deciding what is true for them.

I say true for them because what is truth for me is not truth to you, though we may have some commonalities.

Today went well and I’m sure Lilah liked it in part for the light food that was served afterwards.

I’m interested in being apart of the community for activities so they can get to know our family and we can get to know them.