Being of Sound Mind and Body I Spent It All -- Go Get Your Own!

My father was fond of telling us that his will would say the above. I only wish that he had lived long enough to make it come true.

And now that the Republicans, Democrats, Proposition Supporters, and various others have done their duties and the election is over, it is time to be needled by every charitable cause under the sun. Everybody seems to want my money. And I know that this year has been and will continue to be very hard for the shelters and food banks, but just because there is more need does not necessarily mean that I can afford to give more to meet that need.

I have been inundated with requests for donations of late. The Public Safety groups call nightly, the charities send letters daily (which makes me wonder where they are spending the money they do get -- administrative costs or the charitable purpose?), the Young Women are selling calendars to raise money for next year's girls' camp, the Young Men are putting on breakfasts and will soon be taking lawn aerating orders (their camp fundraiser), the ward is collecting food for the local food bank, everyone seems to think that I need to have my house inspected or fumigated or have my gutters cleaned, my nieces and nephews are selling various things (magazines, candy, girls scout cookies), and my clients are now hitting us up for their kids' choir trip to China or some other thing. I'm tired of it all.

Now I must be careful as one of the above is a dear niece that kindly asked me to support her band and get a magazine subscription. Since she was the first to ask and did so nicely, my wife and I decided that we would start getting Reader's Digest again. So I don't want her (or her mother) to think that I am complaining about her because I am not. But the situation started me to thinking about fundraising efforts in general.

Why are we subjected to having to purchase some product so that the kids can go to camp or get new uniforms or build a new wing on the music building? Why can't I just give them the $20 directly and not get a box of candy I shouldn't eat? And don't give me that "you could give it away" stuff -- if I don't think I should eat it, why is it OK to give it to someone I care about as a token of my affection? It isn't OK. It's insincere. "Here, I don't care to eat this crap, but I know how much you like to eat crap and I don't care about you staying healthy or getting diabetes, so enjoy." Nope. It's just a little worse than the feeling I get when I re-gift the wine my clients send me. "I don't drink wine since I believe it is a sin and unhealthy, but I know you like to get hammered, so here's some more for your disgusting habit."

But the kids are told, actually trained by the idiots who put together these "fundraisers", to not accept direct donations. In some cases, they are told that it is illegal to do so. What a racket! The magazine publishers get a bunch of kids to hock their stuff at $20 per subscription and they turn around and give the school or group a few pennies per subscription sold.

I remember selling jackets for the track team and then later for the band. And we sold candles for the band. In fact, entrepreneur that I was, I sold candles during a blackout. Unfortunately, we were only taking orders, so the sales pitch became more of "if you had bought these candles last month, you wouldn't be in the dark now". It would have been better to have a set of candles on hand. But oh well.

My sister and I pooled our sales of candles one year and qualified for a "promotional gift". I still have that tape case. It's still full of the tapes we kept in the old Volvo we drove to school. Ah, music from the 80's. But that's just another piece of the racket -- give aways as incentive to hock as much stuff as possible. And it works for the kids. Obviously, it worked on us.

But here's my point -- why should I feel guilty if I don't support your thing? How is it that you feel justified in giving me a guilt trip? Charity should be done in private. I am a fairly charitable person, both with my time and with my money, but often done anonymously (which I really like best -- it isn't right to gloat because you helped someone -- let them never know). I give to causes where I know that the funds are going directly to the people that need it. This is why most of my charity is done through the fast offerings donations. My father used to quote President Kimball (I think), that in relation to fast offerings we should give more, and in some cases, much more. We give a lot more than just the cost of a couple of meals and since I am the ward financial clerk, I know where those funds are going and who they are helping. They help the ones closest to you -- the ones in your ward and stake first. Excess funds are sent to Salt Lake for world-wide distribution, but much of the funds collected, at least in my ward, are used locally.

I am not blind to the suffering of others. I will give what I can to the food shelters and such. But stop pressuring me. Stop expecting me to be the one to bail you out. Times are tough all over. My own little family had some trials this year and the medical bills were not cheap. I won't be filing for bankruptcy, but the hospitals and doctors and ambulances all came with a stiff cost. Granted, I'd rather pay them than an undertaker (which could have been the option). In fact, I would pay anything to keep my son alive, so there are no complaints. But, cash is a little tighter this year for many reasons.

I guess I'm just griping. And there is little need for it. But sometimes we have to vent. And usually when I vent to people they eventually just tune me out. So here I vent and moan and if you don't want to listen, I'll never know the difference.

Happy Holidays -- because even in these economically challenged times, there are things for which we can give thanks and celebrate. No need to go overboard. No need to spread fear and doom. Just raise a glass of something tasty and pledge to make the next day, the next month, the next year a little better. If you can't give some cash, then give some time. Call someone you love and tell them so. Don't waste the only asset everyone gets the same amount of everyday -- time. But spend it all -- it can't be saved. "Time saving" devices don't save time -- they just make life more busy. We use a lot of time trying to save time and we are more busy now than ever before and yet we don't accomplish very much. Maybe we should just do something with our hands and our hearts and stop trying to be everything until we become nothing. We talk more now than ever before but we say a lot less. Maybe we should say what we mean most and then just shut up and listen.

And lastly, live long and prosper. Because the alternative is die young and destitute. And that just isn't as much fun.

GO VOTE TODAY!

For those of you who did not mail in your ballot already or vote early, TODAY is the LAST day to vote.

So go do it! Lines or not. Rain or not. This may be one of the most historic elections ever and you need to be part of it. If you didn't mail in your absentee ballot, then you MUST take it to a polling place today in order to be counted (Saturday was the last day to mail in a ballot).

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming (heh, like another 12 hours of election coverage and endless political commercials)...

A Political Conversation With My Cousin

My cousin ("J") and I had the following email conversation. It started with a joke and led to the first conversation we have had in years. We used to be very close. I still love him and consider him my close cousin, but our lives have sent us in VERY different directions. That happens sometimes. Here is the conversation:

J:
It could happen!!!
Much is made of McCain's age. Has anyone brought up the fact that Obama smokes and both of his parents died at an early age. Plus Biden has had two brain aneurysms which could have killed him. If they both died while in office; that would leave Nancy Pelosi as president. I can't think of a better reason to vote for McCain & Palin.

AM:
So you are voting for the old guy and the clueless wonder so that Pelosi doesn't become president? That's a weak excuse to vote for anyone.

J:
I will vote for who I feel will be the best President of our country. I agree if the comment below were the only reason to vote for anyone it would be an extremely weak vote. However, I will not vote for anyone as inexperienced and unamerican as Obama. I don't care what you promise to the country in any debate, if you turn your back on the emblem of our country, the emblem that represents the blood lost by countless men and women over the history of our country and refuse to show honor to the emblem for which you will be called to serve as President then you have no business even running for office anywhere i.e. city, state or nation.

You can believe what you want, that is the blessing of living in this country and that blessing was won through the blood and tears of American Heroes. Obama doesn't care one bit about that no matter what he says.

AM:
I applaud your enthusiasm and passion. And of course, everyone should vote for the person they believe will do the best job -- I hope you understand that my comment was in the same jesting vein as your original posting.

But may I make one point against what seems to be sweeping this nation? I had not heard about this "Obama refuses to salute the flag" issue until a friend in church (he is the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric -- we count the tithing together on Sundays) brought this up. So, curious about this heated issue I had not heard about, I went to the Internet to find the news segment about it. I found it. I found the controversy. And I found the explanations, the excuses, the heated words, and the fear mongers spouting lies and truths simultaneously. I also found Senator Obama leading Congress in the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of several Congressional sessions and joining with school children in the same activity. The picture for which much has been said about him refusing to salute the flag and "turn his back on it" is true but also misleading. The flag is behind everyone on the stand (i.e. nearly no one is saluting it, although the other candidates do have their hands on their hearts, and two do turn around to face that flag, unlike the other 6 people on the stand). I also found an amateur video of the same event. The national anthem is being sung (rather poorly in my opinion, but that's not the point) and Senator Obama is singing along while the other candidates are just standing (either enjoying or cringing). I agree he should have put his hand on his heart. No question. But was his inaction to do so out of spite for the flag or refusal or because he doesn't care about the country or the men and women who have died for it? Or was it because he just didn't do it or forgot? I honestly don't know the real reason, but here is the point -- NEITHER DOES ANYBODY ELSE. But that doesn't stop people from ASSUMING and then spreading that he is a flag-hating, scum-sucking, anti-American lying son-of-a-gun.

There is a wave of hatred being spewed during this presidential election. There has been mud slung at the presidential candidates, some justified, some not, ever since George Washington decided to not run for a third term. But it would appear that the hate mongers have taken over the airwaves and are spreading fear and lies against both candidates and parties with such passion that people either buy into it or they don't know what to think anymore.

I had not heard about this "controversy" because I don't listen to any of them -- neither the right or the left. All of them twist the truth into what they want you to believe or what supports their twisted agenda. I can't name anyone of the media or the pundits that I would say is unbiased and so I have said "goodbye" to all of them. My voting decision will be based on what the candidates themselves say. And yes, just like every election I can remember (and that goes back to Ford/Carter -- I was a little young for Nixon, although I do remember him leaving office), the candidates are going to give a lot of promises that they can never keep and have a lot of hope they can never accomplish. The political system is more complex than any of them care to acknowledge and the office of the President has less power than some would like and more responsibility than anyone should want. But I watched both conventions with an open mind. I've listened to the debates and will tune in to the ones coming up. And then I will turn off the TV or radio before the pundits and spinners can spout anything about I just heard. I don't need their "help". And neither does anyone else.

I gather you will vote for McCain given his ties to the military and your affiliation therein. And there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, you have as good a reason to support him as anyone. Personally, I'm not sure who is best for the job of Commander in Chief, and while I will vote my conscience, I'm pretty sure that my state will vote Democrat as it has since Reagan left office. Not that my vote won't count -- it's just a little discouraging to know that if I vote Republican, I will be in the minority. But I will vote. And I will encourage others to do so. And I encourage everyone to make up their own minds and stop being swayed by hate mongers and those with alternative agendas. If you think that Senator Obama will be a bad president or that Senator McCain will be a good president, please vote accordingly. But please don't vote against someone because of what you have heard some pundit spew. If they are to be believed, then no one is fit for the job and anarchy should be established (yes, I know that was oxymoronic).

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Feel free to trash this if you wish -- that is part of the freedom you help defend and that I help fund. Differing opinions and the ability to express them is part of what makes America great and why so many wish to join us. It is also why others fear us and wish us harm. But as long as we continue to debate and let others keep their opinions, right or wrong, we will survive until the One whose right it is to rule returns.

I hope you and your family are well.

J:
I apologize for getting on my soap box. I appreciate your frank reply and learned (again) to take the time to research what I hear and what the media says on TV. I will take the time in the future to try to learn more about an issue, like this one, before I share my opinion. However, I find it increasingly difficult to find credible sources for such information. It is hard to know what to believe. Candidates make promises they can't keep, the media only reports what sells newspapers and airtime and people continue to forward unsubstantiated e-mails around the globe.

Please accept my apology for being too passionate. Thank you for your patience and candor. It is my prayer that our Savior comes soon, so that the world will praise His name and He will rule in righteousness and the secret combinations of the wicked will cease.

May God bless you and yours always.

AM:
No problems. If the people of this world were guilty of only being a "too passionate patriot" like yourself, it would be a much better place than it is today. I hope you know that I am very proud to be able to say that my closest cousin serves in the Air Force and has been to places (most of which the rest of us have very little desire to visit) to help secure our national freedoms. While I was in the MTC and you were in Basic, you wrote to me that you wanted to be like Captain Moroni (I believe you even called him your hero at the time). He had a problem with misinformation once and acted very passionately about it. That is one of my favorite stories from the BofM, and you remind me of him.

Ironically, the freedoms you help protect are taken advantage of to the point that most Americans are confused by the shear volume of information (and misinformation). I too have had a hard time finding credible sources this past couple of years (longest presidential run EVER). I have to keep asking myself "Really?". In the beginning I listened to everyone. That didn't work -- they are all angry, opinionated, self-centered media whores (if you will forgive the term). So I then listened to just the candidates. That didn't work either -- all of them change what they say and promise depending on their audience and whether they need money from that audience, which is most of the time. So then I decided, "I'm a smart guy with a college degree -- let's find the official platforms and compare and contrast." That actually was very enlightening. And the biggest thing I realized was that no one in politics has a clue about the real world, how to fix the problems, or what the ramifications of their ideas could be. This was particularly true when it came to tax "reform" -- a subject I do understand. And I can tell you that nobody running today, and few who were running before, have any clue about tax law. They want to use it as it has always been used -- to reward or discourage certain behaviors. And they don't realize that half of what they want to do is not allowed by the tax code as it now reads -- thus they would need to change the code (literally by an act of Congress) in order to do what they propose. Good luck. This past two weeks we saw how "easy" that is to do. And the mess that they passed for this financial bailout is not even known by the general public. I have read what they passed and it is a major amount of tax provisions that does a whole lot for very few and punishes both the guilty and the innocent. Just wait -- you heard it here first -- this latest tax bill will bite someone you know.

So how do you make an intelligent decision? Well, prayer would be the best answer. If it is truth that we seek, then we must go to the source of truth. But if I am to take the D&C at its word, I should come to some conclusion first, right? So now I just pray to be guided in my search and for inspiration when the time comes to actually vote. I have listened to the candidates, including their various speeches and debates, and maybe in the end what I should look for is the candidate who will help the Savior come faster. Unfortunately, that may mean picking the guy who will bring about a lot of pain and suffering. :) Yes, I do have a warped sense of humor, but you already knew that about me.

Thus, in the end, I've decided to sit back, relax, listen to the various comedians poke fun at the candidates (especially those who do not take sides, but mock everyone equally) and not take anyone too seriously. It has become very apparent that this country is full of a lot of stressed out, fearful, panicky people. We all need to breathe and realize that neither candidate is a terrorist or a savior. We should remember that financial crises have come before. Presidents, Congressmen, and every other type of politician come and go. The end of the world will come, sooner or later. And for some of us, it will come sooner than it will for others (i.e. don't worry about the Second Coming -- focus on when your meeting the Savior might come -- our grandfathers didn't have to wait for the end of the world).

I better get back to work. Thanks for the chance to chat -- I do miss our days of being in closer physical proximity. I guess we finally grew up and had lives. I just wonder sometimes when it was that I grew up. :)

God bless you and yours

Hey Little Sister, What Have You Done

Happy Birthday to Daredevil Mom! Thinking about you today and driving to high school with the music blaring "Today is your birthday (du, du, du, du, du, du). It's my birthday too, yeah. (du...) Happy Birthday to you."

Yeah, I'm old. So what.

Another Tasteless Joke

What do accountants do when they are constipated?

They work it out with a pencil. (ewww)

From the Humor Department

A young man was preparing for a date with a beautiful girl. He had read that he should get his date something to give her at the end of the evening as a token of his appreciation. So he went to a chocolate store and asked the owner for three separate boxes of chocolates -- a one pound box, a two pound box and a three pound box.

The owner was happy to fill the order but asked the young man why he purchased three separate boxes.

"Well, you see," said the young man, "I have this date tonight. How the date progresses determines the size of chocolate I will give my date as a token of appreciation."

"And how does that work?" asked the owner.

"If she only lets me hold her hand and doesn't allow me to kiss her, then I will give her the one pound box. If she allows me to kiss her goodnight, but only a sweet little kiss, then I will give her the two pound box. But if she allows me to make out with her, then I will bring out the three pound box."

"I see," said the owner. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks," said the young man. "I'm really hoping that tonight will be a three pound box kind of night."

Later that evening, the young man came to the girl's home. Her mother opened the door and asked him to come in for just a moment as the girl came down the stairs. Her father also came out to meet the young man and just before they were to go, the young man asked if they could pray before leaving her house. Impressed with his commitment to his religion, but a little taken back, the girl tentatively agreed. Mom and Dad stood quietly as the young man began to pray. And he prayed and prayed and prayed. Finally, and much to the relief of the girl and her parents, he ended his prayer and they left the house.

"I didn't realize you were such a religious person," noted the girl as they got into his car.

"I didn't realize that your father owned a chocolate store."

We Have Sufficient For Our Needs

This week has been one devoted to Temple service. On Tuesday and Thursday I taught the second and third Preparing to Enter the Temple Lessons (I have been the Temple Prep teacher off and on for over 10 years). On Wednesday my wife and I dropped off our son at school and then went directly to the Temple to do an endowment session (it was wonderful -- small group and they asked us to be the witness couple). And tonight I am going up to help the youth do Baptisms for the Dead. With all of this activity you would think that I would be stressed out of my mind. And while I am busy, and have had to stay a little later at work to make up for the time off, I have been at peace and have felt more spiritually fed than I have in some time.

As I told the class last night, it is about rendering service. When we serve others, we are blessed. Period. When we serve those who cannot help themselves, those who are depending on our time and talents, then I find we are blessed in ways that are unpredictable. Granted, I have known that truth for many years (most of my life, in fact). It is odd that we have to be reminded of what we believe so deeply.

The title above is one of my favorite lines in the endowment ceremony. It struck me a few years ago about how funny this line is -- I no longer have to stifle a giggle, but I still smile when this line comes up. Satan asks the speaker if he has any money (and goes on to tempt us with the idea that we can sell those things that are sacred for money). The reason this response is funny to me is that while the line is absolutely true, the speaker has no money at all. He doesn't need any (he has perfect knowledge that the Lord will provide for all of his needs, as he is on the Lord's errand). There are several great lessons here, all of which came back to me as I sat in the Temple on Wednesday morning.

Some time ago, a story was related to me that a knowledgeable church scholar made the statement that everything you need to know in this world is taught in the Temple. The scholar was challenged by one who heard this statement and the scholar replied that this other man had not been paying attention. The story went on as a lesson regarding paying attention while doing work in the Temple and specifically not falling asleep during the endowment session (a problem I think many have been guilty of, but can be repented of).

Whether the story is true or not (and since I can't document it, I have not included the names of those involved as it was related to me), I have since then tried to pay more attention to the Temple ceremonies and I have found that there are many lessons not necessarily obvious at first. One in particular is this line about having sufficient for our needs. Actually, there are several lessons involved in that line. First is the obvious one about not being greedy. Be satisfied with what you have and don't accumulate wealth or possessions for the sake of accumulation. It is not true that the one who dies with the most toys wins. The one who dies with the most toys leaves behind a lot of toys to be sorted through by his heirs!

But that leads me to think, "how can I be satisfied with what I have?" Two answers come to mind quickly -- either you have to need less or you have to earn more. In order to earn more, we have to improve ourselves -- better jobs come with more education and more hard work. I recently read that managerial accountants who have a CPA licence earn approximately 25% more than those who don't. Education takes time and effort and is often not easy. But the rewards are only too obvious.

To need less may be the harder of the two answers, though. It requires a change of attitude and maybe taking inventory of what we NEED. I will not preach that we should look at our spending habits and then cut out all vacations, dating, entertainment, or other forms of non-essential spending (i.e. anything that is not shelter, clothing or food). However, I will preach until I am blue in the face that we need to know how we spend our resources (both time and wealth) and then be aware of what our needs really are. I believe that we do NEED to have some fun, even some semi-frivolous activities. If those activities are done with the time and wealth that we have, then so be it. But the problems come when we spend resources we don't have (i.e. putting the vacation on a credit card that cannot be paid off immediately with existing funds). Money management is taught in the Temple! We must have sufficient for our needs, whatever those needs are, or we need to repent and change so that we do have sufficient for our needs.

Yes, I did say repent. "But if I don't have a good job, why do I need to repent?" I hear you screaming at your computers. Repentance is about changing our lives. It is about changing our lives to be in harmony with the Lord's will. And the Lord wants us to have sufficient for our needs. It takes a great deal of faith in the Lord to be able to do it. Evaluating our lives (recognition), desiring to make changes in our lives (remorse, although we don't need to beat ourselves up about it), and then changing our spending habits or our employment (repentance and restitution, if you will) requires us to have faith in the Lord and rely on His helping us.

By relying on the Lord, we can have sufficient for our needs. The laws of the Gospel have promised blessings of health, wealth, peace and security attached to them. Obey His laws and He will bless you so that you will have sufficient for your needs. Don't get me wrong -- opening the windows of heaven does not translate to having a sack of money dropped on your head (which could cause you more harm than good, come to think of it). Sometimes that blessing from heaven is increased knowledge that allows us to get a better job and earn more sacks of money. Were you blessed or did you do it all on your own? If you think that your job and your talents are self-made, you do need to repent. Maybe that blessing is one of health and thus your medical bills do not overwhelm you. Maybe your garden yields more than you could have imagined. There are various blessings that can come out of those heavenly windows.

Everything comes from the Lord and He has a reason for blessing you the way He does. Maybe you need to learn how to make ends meet, so that you can help others do the same. Maybe you have a great job, earn lots of money so that you have more than you currently need -- your responsibility may be for the welfare of others and the Lord's Kingdom itself. What I do know for sure is that the Lord WANTS to bless His people. We just have to do our part and be able to receive and recognize those blessings.

The Finer Points of Rude Hand Gestures

Home to Energy recently wrote about trying to explain the American Middle Finger Salute to her six-year-old and finding that this conversation only leads to a discussion of "the birds and the bees" (which she was graciously spared by possibly divine intervention). Granted, I laughed until I had tears when I read (and then again shared) this account. But it got me to thinking about rude hand gestures and why they evolve.

I am only guessing here, but I would assume that The Middle Finger is probably anatomical in origin as is the British and Australian V (backwards "peace" sign). The Asian "got your nose" gesture and the South American "OK" sign probably also fit into this category. And all of them are rude sexual references. But the French Thumb Nail Bite and Beard Flip make no sense to me at all (eh, they are French -- what more explanation do you need?).

My office manager mentioned that when she was a child her older sister explained to her that the middle finger gesture was "all of the bad words rolled up into one". And that is as good an explanation as any for a child's understanding. I don't think that children need to know that a middle finger is a rude sexual gesture, per se, but just that it is as bad a gesture as it can be. Truth be told, gestures are not usually literal anyway; although, I was once propositioned by a hooker in Korea with the "got your nose" gesture -- and yes, I am sure that she meant "come on up and see me" and not just "get the heck out of here you stupid American". But that one incident aside, usually the gestures are just meant to be rude. Thus, a vague explanation of "it's a very bad gesture" is not inaccurate.

It is also interesting to me that when people want to be the most mean to each other they suggest that the other person engage in a form of physical intimacy that is usually quite pleasurable (unless, of course, the suggestion is one that is physically impossible, like "go do yourself", which makes no sense at all, or is morally reprehensible, like "go do your [fill in the relative]"). Personally, I don't use such language or hand gestures. They are rude and for the most part I try to be as "non-rude" as I can be.

And then this line of thinking hearkens me back to a conversation I had with HTE and our brother about the meaning of words and the fundamentally moral value of words themselves. My point (and HTE did not fully agree at the time, and I would doubt she has changed her mind since then) was that words in and of themselves are worthless. They are merely sounds to which we have assigned sentiment and meanings, but that to other people, particularly other languages, these words are nothing more than random sounds. For that matter, the glyphs you are reading right now are no more than scratchings to which we have assigned meanings and associated sounds. For example, the sounds of that "evil" middle finger gesture word (yes, the "F" word) are used extensively in Vietnamese (I think it means noodle, and is Anglicized as "Phuk" or something like that). Sounds are neither evil nor good. They are just sounds. That does not give us license to go around spouting sounds that are offensive to those around us, but we should also not take offense at the sounds we hear.

In fact, we shouldn't take offense even when the sounds spouted are intended to offend us. I don't use nor care for the dreaded "F" word, but I don't flinch every time it is heard in my presence. If I were a teacher of children, then maybe I would try to curb such behaviors as a means of teaching social responsibility or manners or just better vocabulary skills. But I am not a teacher and so all I can do is be an example of one who speaks with more useful words. If the time ever presented itself that only the "F" word were appropriate, then I would use it. But I have yet to find such a time (although in an ancient Latin poem where the word was "Latinized" the usage is funny as it both rhymes and turns the phrase into a double entendre -- but that is a rare example).

The lesson for today -- learn all the words you can and use them to the utter disgust of everyone you meet. I have found that having a somewhat broad vocabulary gets me into trouble -- either I will use a word incorrectly or no one will have a clue what I am saying or both. But I think that is better than sounding like a Smurf.

If Worse Comes to Worst, We're Skrewed

Happy Birthday, Dad! It is seventy years ago today that my father was born.

I realize that several of my posts address my father's life and impact on me. I guess that just says how much he means to me.

Silly Pun (my dad liked these too): If your father is from Canada and your mother is from Chile, does that make you a Canachile (pronounced: can-a-chili)?

OK, the groaning can stop now.

The Universe is Expanding; that should ease the traffic

At the end of the week, my wife, son, mother and I leave for Europe. We have been looking forward to this trip for months. And while many say things like "you deserve to go on vacation" I'm still just a pedantic stick in the mud -- I don't DESERVE to go on a vacation. I WANT to go on vacation. I can AFFORD to go on vacation. I may even NEED a vacation. But DESERVE is just such a strange sentiment.

And maybe I'm the only one who thinks about such things. But the only thing anyone DESERVES, outside of life and liberty (which are God-given gifts) is the chance to prove himself. And when we have been proven, can we merit any deserts? Or even any desserts? We cannot truly make claim to the first, and we probably don't need the second (however much we may desire it).

But enough pointless ranting for today. I'm very happy to be going. And I intend to leave cares and worries behind. At least that is what I am trying to do. Unfortunately, in order to go on vacation, one must work extra hard to finish everything needed to be done and then I know that as soon as I get back, there will be a mountain waiting for my attention.

I guess that is the price we must pay in order to play. Work is still a four-letter word.

The title to this post is from Steven Wright. I just like it. I have no intention of expanding on it.

However, there is a topic about which I do wish to rant or muse -- global catastrophic fear. My wife was watching a Discovery program the other day about our "global footprint". It was a program that graphically detailed the amount of goods, etc. that each person consumes, uses, or discards in one's lifetime. It was interesting and informative and the graphics were very well done (it took hours to set up all of the pints of milk they laid out to show the amount consumed by one person over the course of his average life). But while it gave you this guilt trip about how much of a "footprint" the average person makes, it gave no answers.

And that is because there are no answers. Yes, we should be aware of what we consume and we should be conservative, and even change our lives and lifestyles if appropriate, but this overwhelming guilt and fear that man is destroying the Earth has got to stop. The Earth was made for man, not the other way around. And I think we lose track of what is important. "There is enough and to spare." Not that there is enough to waste, and wasting resources is sinful in my opinion, but we shouldn't be working ourselves into a fit about the Earth drying up (or flooding or whatever). We should use the knowledge we have to be the best we can be. But becoming fearful of the future is just as sinful as wasting resources.

I'm tired of the constant bickering on this topic. Maybe they bicker because they do not understand the full picture (and few people do understand it). The bottom line is this -- the world will end, there will be catastrophes, those who are prepared have no need to fear, and the others will die. There will be suffering and joy. There will be acts of selflessness and selfishness. There will be money made and lost. And many people will live through it in one way or another, right or wrong, better or worse. The only real difference is that we can prepare for what is to come and we can know that the endgame will be "great and terrible."

So stop bickering. The polar ice caps are melting. The seasons are more severe. We should do what we can to be more economical and profitable (yes, it all comes down to spending resources in the end). And we should stop hating everyone else who doesn't believe the same as we do. If they refuse to see the light in front of their faces, they will be burned in the end.

What is the worst that could happen? Death? Death isn't so bad -- I've seen a lot of people die (or at least, I've attended their funerals) and I can tell you one thing is for sure -- EVERYBODY is going to die sooner or later. The only question you need to ask is "if I were hit by a truck today, could I face God and not shrink in shame?". The rest of it all -- did I do everything I needed to do, did I love enough, did I prepare enough, did I teach enough, etc. etc. etc. -- is all minor drivel in the end. The only thing that matters is can you face your Maker today and be able to enjoy His loving embrace. He will take care of the families we leave behind. Yes, we can do things to help make that transition easier on the "survivors". And maybe I will write about that process in another post. But we should tune our focus today, feel joy today, put aside fear today, live life today, and be prepared for the only test that really matters. All else will fall into place behind.

Ordination to High Priest

I am not usually the kind of person that feels comfortable writing about accomplishments or milestones in my life, and I am not all that comfortable now. Yes, those who know me would probably scoff and say something about being conceited or some such, but I really do feel a bit of guilt when I mention that I've been ordained to this or called to that. I have no problem telling people that I'm an amazing accountant. That is a little odd, isn't it?

Bottom line (since I have very little time): tonight my Uncle ordained me to the office of High Priest. It was an extremely moving and emotional experience and the blessing pronounced helped in ways that made me know that my Uncle was inspired (there was no way he could know about that which I privately struggle and yet those concerns were addressed in a very personal manner).

Since the Bishop asked me if I was ready to be ordained, I have studied the office of High Priest and I have been impressed by this holy calling and that others consider me worthy of it. The words of my Uncle (or, more appropriately, the words of my Father in Heaven spoken through my Uncle) confirmed to me that the Lord and Our Father consider me worthy of this office. And now I will live up to Their trust and fulfill the duties associated with being a High Priest. It is a little odd, but I actually feel different -- revitalized, more powerful, more holy since being ordained earlier tonight. During my drive back to work I could feel the calm power of the priesthood in me. It reminded me of when I was ordained an Elder and when I was baptized. These are cleansing ordinances for a man -- and they make him a man of God.

There is so much more that I feel, but cannot express in words tonight. I fear that if I don't write something, I will lose this opportunity to express myself. And thus I am sharing this very personal and holy moment with you. I do not write it here to boast, but just to make it known, if only to me, that tonight I felt the changing power of the love of our Father in Heaven and His Son, our Savior.

Tasteless Joke

You've been warned...

Did you hear about the lawyer with diarrhea?

He thought he was melting.

For some reason, I just needed to share that one. There may be others coming. Again, you were warned. And do you know how hard that word is to spell?

Welcome To Tax Season

You can leave your sanity outside -- life is crazy in here.

I've wanted to write for some time. I really wanted to write on Leap Day since it doesn't come around very often. I even started a post and then the computer ate it (no, really, the screen blipped and my writing was gone -- I guess I wasn't meant to say those things).

The other day my sister, wife and I (with others in the room commenting as they could) had a conversation about addictions. She was saying something that I have agreed with since I saw the movie "What The Bleep Do We Know?" My wife didn't like the film, but I found it to be very interesting. One point that was brought up was that addiction is a brain chemical reaction -- certain behaviors trigger a chemical reaction in our brains that after a while our brains crave. Thus, we become addicted to the behavior. This wasn't new to me, but the twist that I liked was that the behavior didn't have to be the usual cadre of addictions (tobacco, alcohol, narcotics, caffeine, chocolate, sex, etc.). Some, in fact many, people become addicted to certain attitudes, be they good or bad, because the same chemical reaction occurs.

I'm sure you have met that person who is never happy unless she is complaining (forgive me if that sounded sexist by making the person female -- very unintentional). In fact, she is never happy, period. And you wonder why she is always complaining. It is because she is addicted to a negative behavior. And while she isn't happy when she is complaining, her brain is getting that chemical stimulus that it craves. Thus, she HAS to complain or she will go through withdrawal symptoms.

I find this fascinating. And my sister did, too (as far as I could tell). She mentioned that she didn't think that she had ever been addicted to anything. I referenced a time in her life when she was very depressed and was complaining often, even seeking sympathy from any and all, and made the point that she could have been addicted to being depressed at that time. I don't think that she liked my thought and I hope I didn't offend her. But I do wonder if when we are in deep depression, which she was (and we should all give her a break due to the circumstances of those months -- she lost a father and a husband in rapid succession), if our brains don't start to feed on that depression and begin to crave it more, or at least crave the chemical reaction that is stimulated by the depressive thoughts flooding in.

Could this be why the best cure for depression seems to be to do something for someone else? If we starve the brain of its chemical fix, we have to literally replace that "high" with something else. Service to others and the love we receive from the recipient and from the Spirit is a powerful alternative drug to depression (or any other addictive attitude). As I watched my sister go from depressed lump to vibrant single working mother, I noticed that she helped to overcome her depression through service to others, including her sons, her extended family, her church callings, and her work. She works in early childhood education and while that is a place not reserved for this Accounting Man, she seems to thrive there (and more power to her).

Whether she agrees with me or not, I think my sister overcame her depression and her addiction to it through service and hard work. "Forget Yourself" is good advice to any and all, but especially I think to those who can do nothing but feel down. If we can turn towards others, and in a very real way, turn towards our Savior, depression will have no place in our world. And our brains will stop craving it and start to crave the high of serving others and feeling good about them and us.

What a marvelous thing this body is! It may take an eternity to get it to a state of perfection because it is such a complicated thing. But the interesting point is that when we subject the physical to the spiritual, the physical follows along very nicely and both are exalted.

The Faith of the Few

Daredevil Mom posted a quick note to ask for the prayers of her readers in behalf of her friend. No details were shared, but this friend has need of divine help (I happen to know the situation and I will be adding my prayers). What touched me was that within moments, one of her readers responded that she would pray for this person, even though the reader had no idea what was needed nor even the person's name.

I've written before that we are all part of the family of God -- He is our Father and we are all brothers and sisters in a very real way. Of course, we would pray for our sister, and do anything else in our power to help her, since we love her as a brother or sister would. By the same token, our hearts are grieved by the actions taken against our sister by a man who has been cruel and devilish. This man is also our brother. And while his actions have been those of a monster, we should pray for him too. We should pray that he will find repentance and forgiveness, even if we know that his actions are dark and sinister.

I have always said that I am glad that I am not the ultimate judge. Part of me would like to see justice pronounced upon this man -- and by justice I mean pain equal to what he has caused to others. But I realize even as I write such thoughts here, that to demand justice for him would be to deny him the mercy Christ freely gives to all of us. I am in no position to condemn this man and probably have need to repent of such an evil thought. For since I am not God, it is not my place to take away from one of His children the gift of life and agency He has given us all.

Lucifer's plan was to usurp God's domain. God the Father alone has the authority to judge His children. He gives that authority to Christ, who sits upon the judgement seat and offers to us the opportunity to repent. If we accept Christ's atonement, His mercy, then He pleads for us when we stand before the Father, humbly asking to return to Their presence. To take upon myself the role of judge and deny another what I myself need in so much abundance would be a grievous error indeed. Thus, I am glad that the judgement is not my responsibility -- by myself, without divine intervention, I would probably be a poor judge.

But back to my original thoughts (the blog is titled "musings" -- I tend to ramble in my musings). DM's friends love her enough to pray for someone they do not know, but only know that this is a person that DM loves. My friend's friends are my friends and my sister's sister is my sister, too. Well, of course she is our friend and sister, if not by blood, then by spirit. And if all of DM's blog readers pray for "DM's friend" what miracles could occur? If mountains can be moved by the faith of one, could whole worlds be shaken by the combined faith of a few? If all of the church members prayed for the same thing, with faith that their prayers would be answered, would that thing come to pass?

I'm inclined to think that it would, for better or for worse. Like any parent, when all of your children ask fervently for the same thing, are you not inclined to grant them their desires? And especially if their desires are the same as your desires? But that must be the key -- do we ask amiss? We won't if we follow the promptings of the Spirit and ask only for that which needs to come to pass. Why then do we need to ask at all if we are only asking for that which our Father already intends to provide? The answer I think lies in the truth that this life is for OUR perfection. We must learn the lessons and one of those lessons is how to listen to the Spirit. The power that comes from aligning our lives with the will of the Father is greatly untapped, in my opinion.

And what if so many, while only a few, were to listen to the Spirit and then pray for their brothers and sisters? Could the world be improved and peace finally reign? If we turn our hearts to each other, will our hearts be increased in love? Will we finally see one another as we truly are? Maybe I am asking for the promised utopia of Christ's Millennial Reign. But could we find some peace, if not worldwide, then in pockets here and there, by just praying for each other, even when we only know that our unknown brother or sister is in need? If we find ourselves praying for even those we don't know have we attained a new level of love and spirituality? Wouldn't we be closer to being ready for Christ's coming?

And thus it is that I pray tonight for DM's friend. And I pray in thankfulness for DM's readers who love DM enough to add their prayers to hers and mine. And if you don't mind, I pray for you, dear reader. You too are my sibling and if for nothing else, I'm grateful for your attention. Maybe you can join me in prayer for DM's friend. I don't care if you are a member of my church or another or don't belong to any church. God is still our Father and He listens to our prayers.