Monday, January 31, 2011

Simple

If you do the dame thing then you get the same result.
Simple
Changing
Not simple
Solution 
Either be happy getting the same result or change
It's simple
Okay so not so simple, but really a simple principle. I have found that I am comfortable with getting certain results in life with comments of, "That's just the way it is, " or, "Oh well, you win some you lose some."
If I would just change a few small thing then I could get different results. They are not always better, and that is the problem with me. If I am going to make changes then i want positive results. I just need to learn some by trial and error and more by faith, but the hard part is that faith requires doing and that usually requires changing, because if you keep doing the same thing then you keep getting the same result. 
I am going to have to think this over some more.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Scriptures

A simple enough subject but I can never get enough. I think a lot of times that we focus on the facts and not the feeling. Today's sacrament meeting was awesome. They talked about the scriptures and bore testimony of what the scriptures meant to them and how it plays a part in conversion. It was phenomenal!
It got me thinking though...Why am I always looking for the new and exciting? Why is the regular not enough?
I talk with lots of people that use a comprehensive software suite and they usually say something to the effect of, "I just don't feel that I am using it to it's fullest potential."
I feel that way with the scriptures. I think that there is so much more that I can be doing to get even more out of study than I already get. I think that it is much better to use what you have than to seek for something else. I am going to start revamping my scripture study and look for new ways to study and learn and understand. 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Where the Other Things Are

Why do we let our lives be ruined by outside forces?
I see lots of people unhappy because it rained, snowed, is sunny, is cloudy. They are upset unhappy if they fail a test or if they didn't do as good as they hoped. They are upset if someone lies to them or if they are cut off on the road. 
I just don't see the point.
At the point in time that you are upset, there is nothing that you can do that will prevent the thing that happened from happening in the past. There are simply too many things outside of our control. Control is an illusion. Self control is the key. If you are unhappy that someone cut you off did you do something that made the person think that you were going to let them over? Did you not study for that test that you should have done better on?
The point is that worrying about the past is counter productive. Learning from the past to make adjustments to the future and present is what successful people do.
Super successful people do that while in council with the Lord. 
You have a performance review and ask what could have gone better, what can I do in the future to prepare better, what was I supposed to learn from that? etc. This is a strategy that I have seen many successful people use in life to get the best results from crappy past/present situations. 
I just need to get better at doing it.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Why do all good things come to an end?

After listening to this song and thinking more on the subject, the only reason good things come to an end is to be replaced by better things.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say

Today we talked abou blessings in Institute and how they can come and come unexpectedly. We may need a blessing right now, but not get it until much later. Why?
One possible explanation is that we need a blessing before the blessing that we want in order to appreciate the blessing that we want. It may seem like God is snubbing us but in reality He is answering our prayer, by answering the prayers that we didn't have the foresight to ask for. That is pretty epic in my book.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Fun?

Now that we have number 76 posted, onto 77.
I guess that you could say that I can have a pretty morbid sense of fun. I enjoy going to a crowded busy store that is hectic and chaotic to buy a candy bar or a tin of mints, and then the cashier looks at me like you came into this mess for this? And I be extra pleasant and polite. I like to go into busy places when I have nothing to do and watch people run around being busy. It gives me lots to consider about my own life. I have normal fun too, but I like my different kind of fun just as much. It makes other people think I am leaning a tad toward lunacy which has its definite advantages and that is just gravy. 
I think that the more that I watch others the more that I come to learn about myself. There are things that I don't realize that I do until I see someone do them. I enjoy the time to ponder. 

Monday, January 24, 2011

Ping Pong

So I got on to write today and it said 76 blog posts, but the last one I posted was labeled 75. I thought and realized that my wonderful laptop did not finish posting this yesterday for some reason.


I love Ping Pong. I think that many of life's greatest lessons have their basis in Ping Pong. Dating (if you don't believe me ask Brother Hugh), the gospel, It's a wonderful game. There is so much to take into consideration. I think that if I paid more attention to life like I do ping pong I would probably become better at both. The way the ball hits the table and then spins out of control. Then moving to catch it. The problem that I face is that after a while I get lazy and I see it going and I know that I could grab it, but I just don't want to. I am going to need to fix that.

75

This has nothing to do with the number 75 other than the fact that this is my 75th post. 
Why are people always in such a confounded hurry these days? Slow down and relax and give do your heart a favor.

You Want It?

A good question, but incomplete and insubstantial. 
Most of know what we want, and have an idea of what it takes to get it, the problem arises thus;
We know that we want it, but we don't want it bad enough to do anything about it. I think that can make us unhappy. That is why people blame misery on outside sources. They say things like, "If I had or If I could just, then I'd be happy and life would be good."
The truth is that you would be miserable with _____(whatever it took to make you "happy").
Learning to be happy with what we have while staying motivated to make it count for something more. That is happiness and success. So instead of asking God for something to make me happy I am going to be asking for how to use what I already have to be happier. I think this has a higher probability of working out for me.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Gotta Love It

Is there anything better than sharing what we with with those that we love? I highly doubt it. 
Today I went to the Carl Bloch exhibit with one of my great friends. We got to just go around and see everything, but then we got to go to the American West art exhibit and there were a lot less people and it was better. Not that I don't love Carl Bloch because I do and his work is superb. It was just nice though because we could talk and laugh and do things that you couldn't have done in the Carl Bloch exhibit. It was a fantastic day!
Then we got some ice cream and talked some more. It was really simple, but I find that the most rewarding things in life are.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Me

I guess I can leak a little bit of information about me. I got to see a shadow from my past at the Institute the other day and it made me happy. We exchanged pleasantries and he asked if I was going to do EFY. I was sad to say that i actually found an actual job. He asked if I was considering Disneyland again this year. Highly. 
Oh EFC (Especially for Councilors) is when the EFY councilors get together after the last session of EFY for three days of Disneyland before school starts again. Oh EFC, how my heart yearns for thee. I got to go last minute and so I began a trip with 70-80ish EFYer's to Disneyland. I got to go because of a good friend who kept me posted and it was a great trip. I guess I kinda got appointed a kind of "leader of the band" of those that wanted to have fun! We did so much. Some of my favorite memories are Resort Hotel Rooftop fireworks. Monorailing into TLT Dance club afterwards. Going on pretty much every single ride. Being the last group in and the first person out. World of Color. Getting extra fast passes for those in our group who needed them. Aladdin broadwayish show. The whole trip was fantastic. I love Disneyland!
Some background; I love Disneyland!
I can navigate that park better than most communities in Spanish Fork after living here for 20+ years. I can walk through in my mind's eye and can see every vendor cart, what they sell, the fastest route to where you need to get, how to avoid the smoking areas, what time the shows are, and how to save your feet and save time. 

I love that the sidewalk is textured/painted and that you always have music escorting you everywhere. It rejuvenates me in so many ways. 
Am I going again this year? We will see what the year brings, but my best answer for right now is yes!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Trust

It's one of those things that we are instinctively taught to not to. If you want something done right then you need to do it yourself personality is absolutely prevalent in our society. There may be some merit to that in the general populous but not in the Church. I remember long ago an institute activity were they gathered the leaders and gave us various tasks to accomplish. The truth of the matter is that the effects of that activity are still enlisting upon my mind. There was always a very dubious task that we were to complete and there was a large in your face task. The small side task usually escaped us, while we managed to complete the other perfectly or near enough to it. 
The real task was to reach out to one person. That is the task in life. We sometimes wish that we could right every wrong, that we could dry every tear, that we could dry our own so that we could reach out, but often we are worried about the grand scheme of things. The more I think about it the more that I realize that the grand scheme of things is already taken care of. There is no test that I can fail, there is no book that I don't read, there is no degree that goes unearned that can alter the things that God has for me to do in my life. However, there is a person that I need to touch, there is a hand that hangs down, there is a brother to love and a sister in need and these are my task. 
I never realized what the Savior meant when He said, "Wist ye not that I am about my Father's business." 
He was reaching out to the one. God will take care of the little things. The thin things that we get caught in the thick of. The only thing that really matters is that we reached out and made someone happier today, that we made someone smile, that we extend, in a small way, what the Savior has already offered others. That is the greatest use of our time, talents and blessings. If we can make one person feel like they are a son/daughter of God then we have done something that matters. The difference between a bachelors and masters degree is minimal. The true question is that can we put everything into perspective and trust God to take care of us so that we can take care of His children. Oh consider the lilies of the fields, they toil not neither do they spin, but is there such an one arrayed as these even in the courts of Solomon?

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Differences that don't exist

Do we see things that aren't really there? We were talking about different religions and how they take what they understand and they do such a great job at it that they are masters at it. The only bad thing is that everything falls by the wayside. 
Are we really any different though?
If we hear a new truth taught by the Apostles do we embrace it or do we shun it "until we can understand it?" The truth is that there are supposed to be things that we don't understand. If we knew everything then we would make life miserable for everyone else. But the only difference between us really is that there was a cross roads. God is in all things and through all things and of all things. 
Truth
God has a body of flesh and bone
Truth
Mind Blown
Which one is easier to see and experience?
Well since I don't know many people personally who see God on a regular basis, but I know tons of people that feel His presence and feel Him in the world around and can see His footprint in all the world around.
So which "conflicting truth" is erased?
That God has a body of flesh and bone same as man's but glorified.
You can do this with all fundamental truths that I find in every world religion. If it is true then we have the fullness. If it has truth in it then we can find it.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Chameleons of a different color

Opposed to popular belief chameleons are not evolved camouflagers. Their name doesn't even have anything to to with that, it simply means ground lion. The actual belief is that they change to colors to find mates, not unlike many humans except we usually only turn red ^^;;;. I am going somewhere with this.
Who are we?
Paul said, "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Is there a double standard? 
NO
There is not a double standard. We are who we are and we have standards that are not to be discarded. Where is the context? Before it, it reads, " But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."


Paul is teaching true love. He is teaching that if we are with sinners we speak in the way that the sinner understands and if we are with Jews we teach in the way that the Jews understand. The problem comes when we use our knowledge and not our love. Listening and feeling are the crux of the Gospel. Do we sin against Christ because we get preachy and on our high horse and neglect the weightier matters. Or do we with love take a brother up and do the things which Christ would have us?
If we treat a person with love will we offend them? No it is impossible for as Paul later teaches us, "Charity never faileth." "The love that we as Christians," as C.S. Lewis said, " extend to one another is not charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. It is His love that we must share, not our love if we are to reach out in Charity." We must realize that we cannot feel but what Christ feels if we want to be perceived as true disciples of Christ and not Chameleons.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Dead End, now what?

So if you haven't picked up the book or seen the movie "Life Lessons From Fathers of Faith: Inspiring True Stories About Latter-day Dads" it is fantastic. I liked one story recounted in the movie by President Matthew Holland of his father, Elder Jeffery R. Holland. 
They were going on a family trip to St. George and he and his father went to go see the Colorado River and exploring. It was getting late and they were hurrying home and Elder Holland couldn't remember the way back very well and when they came to a fork in the road they prayed. Both felt inspired to turn left. They did and ten minutes later they came to a dead end. 
I was like what a dumb story to put in with these inspirational ones.
He goes on that as he turned the truck around and went down the other fork they drove for 30 or 40 minutes before Matt asked his father why? We felt inspired and it was a dead end. Elder Holland insightfully taught both his son and I an important lesson. He said that as they have been driving it looked unfamiliar and he feels that he would have driven for maybe 20-25 minutes and would have turned around sure that they were lost only to discover that the other way was a dead end and would have wasted valuable daylight they needed to make the journey safely. He felt that they were inspired to go down the wrong road first as to affirm their knowledge that even though the second was as unfamiliar as the first that it was indeed the correct road.
All of my questions about why were answered in that brief story about how the Lord works.
How many times have I felt that a path has been right and sought the Lord's will so that I would do what He wanted and ended up at a dead end. It is nigh unto defeat of the worst kind. So why? It is to assure me that I am going to be moving in the right direction. I may need to spend time in a detour so that I can be at the right place at the right time. I may need it to know that I can now go forward with faith that I am moving in the right direction. I feel that the Lord's tender mercies do not always lead us where we think they will at first, but they will lead us where we need to be in the end. There are no dead ends as long as we would turn around and turn ourselves to Him. He will not lead us astray.

Fasting

So we talked about fasting today and I realized one of the great blessings that I often take for granted. 
Remembering
I didn't really think of it at first and then I realized that in a state of suffering we usually choose to repress the present and it allows us to view the future and past with a much clearer perspective. It allows us to view past the overwhelming problems of the present and see that which was missed in the moments of mercy that they were extended. I also conclude that when unrecognized and unrestrained they produce log journals, because the spirit brings those things to their minds so they share, neglecting to share the actual point of the experience or what part of their testimony it strengthened. It made sense to me.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Institute

I love institute and I am sometimes asked why and the answer really depends on the day. Today this is the answer that I have chosen.
President Henry B. Eyring said, "For me, reading the scriptures regularly... probably... has more to do with bringing the Holy Ghost into my life than almost anything else I do."
How often do you actually get to go to a class that teaches from the scriptures with teachers that radiate a love of God and His son Jesus Christ. I love institute. If I ever have free time there are probably only a few places that you will find me and that is one of them. It truly does bring the spirit into my life more the more that I can go to the Institute and read from the scriptures and have my understanding enlightened. It is the place to be. So if you are not taking a class you should. Period.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Investments

I have had some time to think about where my time is invested and recently I have diversified and am really happy with the overall results. I think that there is little better than seeing investments grow, however, Thursday I got to see my Mission President and Mom in the temple. It was extreme. I realized then how much I am thankful now for that investment then. It was so good to catch up. I think about other things and I wonder to myself what am I investing in today that I will collect on later? I think of the servants of the Master who parted out talents to each according to their several abilities. Do I hide what the Lord has parted out to me? Does it even have the chance to increase? Because really that investment of "mine" wasn't mine. It was the Lord's investment. He gave me that talent and asked me to take care of it. So it is with everything in life. The Lord will give, allow us to receive, or not stop us from receiving certain talents. These may be actual talents, these may be friends, these may be trials, these may be spiritual gifts, life circumstance, weakness, sickness, strength, power, money, position, etc. The list only grows. some of us may look at the list and mistakenly think that it is a mail order form. They are given "to every man according to his several ability." And we are promised likewise that if we increase our talents that we sill be made "ruler over many things [and] enter into the joy of the Lord."

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Just desert, desserts, I don't know

Okay I really do know how to spell and it is desert. I got thinking about that after one of my institute classes and how too much sun makes a desert. But then I realized that we think about sun and rain completely different from how they are. The sun is scorching, drying, killing the rain is soothing, nourishing, life giving.
Too much water makes a swamp
Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing.
The truth is that we need opposition in our lives and I thought how does this affect me being the happiest person I can be? Best conclusion of the day; experiencing opposition doesn't mean suffering. It means pain. Pain can be put into perspective. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Happiness is not ignoring pain. It is simply putting it in perspective. Does it hurt? Yes. Does it ever go away? Yes. Is that harder to believe some days more than others? Yes. You have to realize that we are immortal beings having a mortal experience and that it is allowing us to experience pain in new ways. When pain is unbridled it turns to suffering. Bridle all of your passions. 
One of the greatest gifts that we are given in this life is pain. For after we bridle it and can put it in perspective then we can mourn with those that mourn and relieve the suffering of the oppressed. It is the only way to do in a small way for others what the Savior did for us. If we just try to kill pain instead of bridle it and control it then it will never serve us and it will destroy us just as with every other passion.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Highlight reel

So best part of my day today...getting to talk with the angriest person yet to date. The receptionist calls me and I pick up and I say something a kin to, "What's going on?" cause I saw her name on my phone screen. She proceeded to tell me that she had a really angry customer on the phone and that the last tech and messed up something really bad...long story short, really angry customer. She asked if I was a senior tech and I informed her that I was the least senior person in the building. She asked if I wanted her to find someone else. I said no I'll give it a shot, what's the worst that can happen? I pick up and of coarse the office manager is a bit upset and so I ask how the weather is and we talk about good ole Cali for a bit while she logs me onto her computer. I get a quick assessment and it is bad. We start running things and I keep telling them that everything will be fine and I am working as fast as I can and after an hour and a half, boom it is fixed and they are super happy and we are best buds. 
What I learned:
1. Things aren't always as bad as they seem
2. If you understand what is happening you are less likely to get angry
3. Once it is over you are happy.
Conclusion:
Assume that things are better than they seem and don't make happiness contingent on understanding, because once everything works out you will be happy anyway so you should just be happy to begin with.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Confession is good for the soul

No I am not going to confess on a blog. Well okay I am and I do almost every post in a different way than you may be used to.
Time is an interesting thing for not existing. It's passage apparently heals all wounds, it can make you great or it can destroy you, it will destroy what thousands could not. But I still believe that something that can be measured but never quantified in a present state is fishy business. 
Over time I have made some great friends, and I am going to lose another one on Thursday, I hope. 
Yeah you may wonder what?!?!? But she is going on a mission and she is going to do great things. I will greatly miss her. She is one of those people that you talk to to make sure that you are not going crazy. That is the majority of questions that I ask her, especially about girls. She is one of the most kind and spiritually sensitive people that I know. She already possesses all of the gifts that a good missionary needs and now it is up to her to hone those gifts in her time of service. I am looking forward to missing you. Thank you for everything that you have given me. The European continent is never going to be the same.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Habitual Habits

I am your constant companion.

I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.

I am completely at your command.

Half of the things you do you might as well turn over to me and

I will do them - quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed - you must be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done

and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically.

I am the servant of great people,

and alas, of all failures as well.

Those who are great, I have made great.

Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine though

I work with the precision of a machine

plus the intelligence of a person.

You may run me for profit or run me for ruin -

it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and

I will place the world at your feet.

Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I? 

I am Habit.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

What is it?

Elder Christofferson spoke tonight about manna. He mentioned how the Israelites had to gather only enough manna for the day and how it was representative of their walk with Christ daily. That as they relied on Him for the sustaining life giving bread that they had to remember Him daily. He said that we too need to find what it is that we rely on the Lord for daily and give thanks for that. He also mentioned a few times how they could only gather enough for one day except sabbath. I got to thinking that maybe in relation to us it is because our chances to obtain daily bread have a chort shelf life. When someone needs our help either we go or the Lord will send someone else. We have lost the opportunity to be instruments in the Lord's Hands. He mentioned that it was also to provide them with the opportunity to have more trust in the Lord, realizing that if the food was not there in the morning that they would die. I suppose that our situation is no less drastic really. If we do not receive our daily manna then we will die as well. We need to trust God and not need these grand experiences that make us feel like that will hold us over for a little while. We need daily experiences in the scirputres, and feeling the spirit to realize that what we have is of far greater worth than manna in the wilderness it is like the Lord said, "The bread of life. And that whosever eateth of the bread that I shall give him shall never hunger." We need to share Him with others so that they might share in the joy that we have through Him.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

So much to worry about

I was in a meeting today and the visiting General Authority asked what are you worried about? I thought for a long time and decided that I was worried about me. How do I get out of bed on those really hard days? How do I know that everything will be worth it when I want to give up? I was thinking that everyone would have similar questions. We got a question about finding someone to marry and when will I know, but the rest of the questions irked me severely. They were about things that you can't control. What if the job market crashes, and what if we get taken over and lose all of our freedoms, what about if someone close to me leaves the church and never comes back, what about pornography and it's sweeping plague. 
While I admit some of these are more worthwhile questions than others I was irked for two main reasons. One the important questions have already been addressed, and two the other things are then, of necessity, unimportant. What if the economy crashes and we all lose our jobs and get kicked out of our houses? What is worrying about it going to proffer you? What if, what if, what if ourselves to death, but the point is what are you going to do about it. 
Are you worried about the government? Get involved and do everything that you can do and after that then it is not your problem. I can only control me. Period. That is all that I am supposed to be able to control. If I do then I pass, if not then I fail. 
I suppose now I understand why so many people are unhappy with life, they worry about things that they can't control. They don't focus on what they can control. I have a degree and there are no jobs. Can I control that? No . What can I control? Me going out and finding a job and asking for the help of the Lord and doing everything that I can to be ready to find one and then when one comes along humble enough to realize that even though i could be making more that things are great. I know that when I worry about things I can't control (ESPECIALLY GIRLS) life can be downright miserable. Why sign up for it? I try my hardest to avoid it.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Oh the joy

I've been thinking a lot about happiness and joy. It is interesting to think that we are that we might have joy. Sometimes I meet people and it seems that their sole purpose in life is to make themselves and others unhappy. I also think that the way we find this out is placed in an interesting spot in the scriptures. As we are finding out about opposition and the fall, we learn that we are that we might have joy. Something that I am sure most people could quote per batum but not really understand. Because right after we learn what brings happiness and joy.
If it wasn't for the Atonement then we would be and are lost.
The Atonement is a more complex principle than I believe that we realize. It covers things that we cannot begin to wrap our minds around and I feel that the least of which is sin. Sin is serious, but if you think about it much more easily cured than other things. The Savior himself said (granted it was Him, but still), "Wherefore is it easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee or arise and walk?" I used to think that if I was judged for having a bad thought about someone I might as well say it. True that the actual sin itself is the same. The effects, however, are not.
If I think something hurtful it is easily repaired between God and me. If I say it and it hurts the person, on a deeply spiritual level or not, there is more to be considered than previous. That is the Atonement. It covers that vast expanse that we cannot begin to imagine. It heals the hurt and the sorrow, the bitterness of Hell and the pain of Eternity. 
I think that part of true joy is realizing that there is no lasting sorrow.
That is why we can be taught about the Atonement right after we are taught about oppostion, the fall, agency, all of the things that bring temporary sorrow into the world, Then we are taught the true eternal nature of our test in mortality. To have Joy. To exercise enough faith in the Power of the Atonement that even though things are hard there is no lasting sorrow. I find very few things that are in life to be sad about and the main reason is that it doesn't last. It is worse than putting money in a bank with a bottomless pit. 
It will never last. If you build up a life around feeling sorry for yourself and being miserable you will have nothing left at the end, because there is no sorrow in the Realms of Eternal Glory. Everything is paid for by the Savior. There is no sorrow that we can feel that He has not felt, no pain that He has not endured in the the fullness of it, and at the lowest point of His life. He owns those things. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me..." Are we keeping things that don't belong to us?

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Happiness Is...

One of my favorite songs from  Vince Guaraldi is titled "Happiness Is." I think that it is the perfect name for a song. It is happy and care free and I love listening to it. I think about that often though. How to finish the sentence Happiness is __________. Some days it is sitting by myself in a restaurant for a few hours thinking by myself at my favorite table. Some days it is listening to books in the car or reading for hours and hours. It usually involves people for the most part. I love to be around people and to make others happy. I feel that in a large, like 37.429% kind of, way that is what happiness is. 
I love to be around others. I feel that it is my forte. I love to be around other people and see how they interact with their surroundings and the other people that they are with. It is interesting to realize that the way that things are often has very little to do with the way that things are. We see reality in the way that we can comprehend it. That is unfortunately often very far from the truth. When we see things as god see them and realize that we are immortal beings having a mortal experience it seems to change things for me. Happiness is derived from the things that make God happy. The kind of happiness that God has is not the kind of happiness that needs checking in the mirror to make sure the smile is on happy, it is the confident that things are going as planned. Sometimes I feel like a person on a secret mission on a need to know basis because sometimes I get to know a lot and sometimes I never get to know anything. When I figure out what the other 62.571% of happiness is I will let you know but at least you have a good start. Being willing to mourn with someone that is mourning. I found that what President Eyring said was true. He tells of a story where President Kimball comes to visit his father in the hospital. He comes in and they exchange greeting and then President Kimball sits for several minutes without saying anything and then gets up and says good bye and leaves. President Eyring wasn't quite sure what had happened. More so after his father said that it had been the visit that he had enjoyed the most out of all the people who had come to see him.
I think that part of it has to do with the power of silence. I have felt that myself recently. Being with someone and doing nothing more than coming exchanging a few words, but nothing more. I had thought oh I could say this and she might need to hear this, but sometimes what they need to have someone there who cares for them. It is reflective of the love that the Savior has for us. He cares simply because we care. He loves us because we need it. He lets us love others so that we have an idea of His love for us. 
Okay so that number might be slightly higher. It is what everything is about. 

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

I know when I am baptized my sins are washed away

I realized today more again what my baptism really means Alma teaches us, "And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a ccovenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"
I think that being able to mourn with those that mourn is especially interesting. To be able to find a place to let someone else store a part of their sorrow in you is in a infinitely small way what the Savior did for us and does for us on an infinitely grander scale. He is a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief, but it is our grief and sorrow that he knows. If we are to be like Him then it behooves us to become acquainted with others grief and sorrow as well and try our best to relieve the suffering in the world.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Winter all year long...

If you remember from the Chronicles of Narnia there is a point in the story where winter lasts all year long, but Christmas never comes. Tonight our Bishop taught an amazing principle that struck me, he said, "Winter may seem like it will never give, but spring and summer always come." 
I absolutely loved that. 
I know lots of people who hate the winter, I personally love it and love cold and then getting warm, but I digress. The point is that winter is usually associated with the world dying and going dormant. Bishop pointed out that we may have times in our lives that feel like that, but I began to think about what really happens during those months. Those are the months where you get to use everything that you have gained all throughout the rest of the year. What good are skills that we never need?
Why would God teach us and train us only to say okay that's a wrap before we ever begin?
The winters of our lives are the times that we take what we became in the spring and summer and make it worth something. We show that we are not going to just lay down and die without a fight. We show God that His time and effort on us was not wasted. Anyone can grow and flourish in the spring and summer of life. Anyone can produce fruit when it is easy to bear.
But those who can grow when others will die, those that can bear fruit when others say that it is impossible. Those are the people that lead the kingdom of God. In villages in Africa, were people thought that the gospel would never grow they lead the kingdom of God. In homes around the world people who fight and will to live when others die lead the kingdom of God. So the question comes, "Will you die and go dormant in the winters of your life?" Will you do what most other people do? 

Or will you lead the kingdom of God? I know that the more I see the more I need to do to flourish and grow, especially in the winters of my life. That is when we can grow and prepare for the things that are yet to be.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Year?

In meeting today we were talking about goals and I realized that I really like goals. I hated goals at certain points from certain people in my life because they were a stick that those people used to measure the amount of love that I received (P.S. Bad Idea). But the more that I got to learn the more that I like them. I posted back in December about goals and have thought a lot since about working my hardest.  I thought about all the times that I can rationalize to myself that I am trying my hardest. I love my Dad for always being able to let me know when I am not. He loves me enough to see that when I plateau it is out of laziness or selfishness or a cleverly mixed combination, and he will let me know that I am capable of more. I realize that my friends do that for me without realizing it or they are too nice to point it out in obvious ways. They say things that I feel are truly inspired and are a check point for me that make me ask, "Am I giving my all?" Today our Elder's Quorum President was teaching about our all too and drew a heart and asked what percent we wanted to give the Lord? I thought of three levels that I give to the Lord and everything else in life. 
1. Give nothing
2. Give everything that is asked
3. Give everything without being asked
I think these represent the level of commitment to a school assignment, church assignment, or any other thing we do in life. Do we simply put forth no effort? Do we give a minimum and pretend like it is our max only giving what is needed for the assignment? Or do we give everything? I don't often find myself in the last category, but striving is what I am doing. But I think this applies to our goals. Am I going to only do what I need to meet the bottom line goal? Do I think it's to hard and just give up? Or do I give everything, not thinking about the goal, and work with the Lord to achieve a greater end than I could have on my own?
The times I do get to number three the results always blow me away. The Lord can make so much out of efforts that matter so little in the scheme of things, but He is trying to teach us. I am so thankful for goals that help me to reach out into number 3 and give everything and rely on the Lord. From experience when I hold something back from Him I don't have much confidence that He won't do the same. Also if I give nothing, what do I expect Him to give. Finally, if I give everything then I know what He will give. In our goals and promises to live better lives this year, may we strive to give Him all. That we may receive all, because as Elder Maxwell reminds us, "He has promised us all that He has and brothers and sisters, there is no more."

1-1-11 New year. It's still all about Disney

The first day of the new year and I am posting on the second day of the new year. Meh. I decided to post in response to the blog of a friend. I happen to love all things Disney and thought I would post some thoughts as well. I will give you a good case that the the princes in the early movies, Adam, Phillip, Prince Charming, etc. were get the girl, heroine development. They have started doing better though. Lion King, Aladdin, Little Mermaid less so, but even recently Princess and the Frog and Tangled. In these later movies the characters grow and develop together. It is not just a DID as Phil would say and the Hercules coming to save the day. I think that is what I appreciate most about these later movies though is it is both of their stories and how they interconnect. It is not hi, my name is snow white and there is this guy who shows up and sings at my window and then disappears. until the very end of the movie where I die and he awakens me with a kiss. Most people cannot even tell you the names of these princes as they are never mentioned outside of Disney folklore. I prefer the two sided story as it is closer to real life. There are two people who have their own lives and meet up one day and BAM...okay not really but they meet up and then their story begins. It has ups and downs, but in the end everything ends up working out for the best. The good guy always wins.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

This is for the last day of last year.

So yes, already getting off to a great start this year, but technically it is from last year. Had a truly great reason. I felt like I was being followed for a really long time and finally shook my pursuers after doubling back on I-15 it was a great escapade and the snow and ice conditions made it all the better. I'll just wish you a happy new year and thank you for reading. It has been a lot of fun to go through and examine my day to day life and find new ways that things are enhanced in my understanding, or just neat things that I have never noticed before or just random insights into my life. Make this year spectacular.