Social media inept

I’m not a betting man, yet I vowed I would never become illiterate in high tech. Of course, that oath was made when the most technologically-advanced mechanisms were 8-track tapes and electric typewriters. Yeah, it was said long after B&W televisions became obsolete, so I thought I was on safe ground. Thinking back, perhaps that wasn’t the smartest wager.

Still, I wondered why my technically illiterate parents would throw their hands up at each new breakthrough…VHS tapes, the Internet, and computers. Come on. It can’t be that hard. I must say that I felt a measure of delight when my mother would ask me to see if I could figure out what went wrong with the video player. I was at the top of my game then. Usually, a cord had come unplugged or the tape was jammed. In really technical situations, I would have to use the reset button. But in all fairness, I must admit that the early computers prior to Windows were less than user-friendly: DOS prompt, command-line, and formatting disks…if I asked my children to explain what those things meant, they would look up from their smart phones, smile at me, think briefly, and respond LOL my dad is so awkward #uncomfortable #soweird J BRB… I had to get help from my 12-year-old daughter to compose that last line. haha (sic)

So like it or not, social media is changing our lives at home, in business, community, government, and church. Yes. Every single interaction we have is impacted by technology and more specifically social media.

My wife and I took a little Wyoming getaway one winter for some extracurricular snow activities. It was sweet. In between snowmobiling and window-shopping, we had a little time to check out the less-frequented, small shops around town. Because of our love for the classic, I remember walking into an antique store and seeing a lot of familiar things. Looking back, that should have been a dead give-away. But no, soon I was shaking my head and thinking “We used to have manual egg beaters just like these. That’s funny. Why do they have all this stuff here in an antique shop of all places?” It looked like my old bedroom: compass, cassette tapes, cotton backpack, and a sled with wooden slats and metal runners. Totally oblivious, I thought how funny it was that this little antique store didn’t really have old stuff, so they must use what they can. That was nearly 20 years ago. I have since realized that my life is depicted in antique stores, vintage books, and photo albums. Just ask my kids.

I have to admit things have changed. For comparison, what covers my children’s bedrooms? Well start with ipod, ipad, iphone, siri, laptop, dvd, gps, apps, pinterest, instagram, google, twitter, tumblr, ebay, smileyface, flickr, instant messaging, youtube, emoji, skype, snapchat, facetime, trending, itunes, going viral, and hashtag #hehasnoideawhatheistalkingabout. I could go on. You get the idea.

Terms like myspace, email, and wordperfect are already antiquated, obsolete, and relics—depending on who you ask. Would you believe it if I told you the largest age group using social networking sites is 35-44 years, accounting for a full 25% of social media users. I can only wish that was still my age group, and I am fumbling to stay up with the times. Nevertheless, I feel like I am keeping my head above water, so to speak. I have both Facebook and Twitter accounts. I blog and occasionally tweet. And I even have a smartphone and use it semi-intelligently. Most the time, I can get the dvr to work when I want it to, even though I still depend on my children to get me out of really tight technical situations. 

And though I don’t know all the social networking jargon, I would wager that I can still get myself around in today’s digital world. But then remember, I’m not a betting man. LOL

Small means

By small means great things come to pass.

The most important choices may not be obviously preeminent or difficult, but they will be significant. In fact, I venture to guess that the choices you make every day for the most part will turn out to be those that will be life changing.

James taught this principle with a metaphor. And just as great ships are steered about by a very small helm, our lives are the result of the many small choices that we make everyday.

 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. James 3:4

Take for instance, the decision you make to fall to your knees each morning when you get out of bed, so you can thank Heavenly Father for your abundance and ask for his blessings and guidance thoughout the day. It may be that the small, repetitive acts like this will do more to help you become the person to which aspire.

 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. Alma 37:6

Today in sacrament meeting, a returning missionary couple spoke about their experience serving in Austrailia as public affairs representatives for the Church. They shared the importance of making this choice and how it has come to bless their lives. They learned far more than they ever dreamed and at times felt unable to carry out the many tasks required to fill this role. Yet miracles all about them enabled them to be successful.

We have been promised the same guidance as we make the most-important decision of our lives...

to follow the Savior Jesus Christ

Half baked

I am fortunate to be surrounded by talented and loving family members. We have great cooks in our family. Gratefully, I benefit from this everyday. But it would be ludicrous for me to make my evaluation prior to the completion of the recipe..."Well, honey this cake needs some work," followed by "What are you talking about? I just combined the flour and eggs. It's not done yet!" That's ridiculous, I know. Nobody would do that...right?

At some point, we have all been guilty of making judgements hastily. "She isn't nice enough," or "He could be more patient." Nobody's perfect. We are all in the process of turning out to be better people. Who we become and what we will eventually attain is beyond our wildest dreams. But the point is that we are in the process of reaching our potential--we're not there yet.

So give yourself a break. We can't judge ourselves or one another too harshly anymore than we can critique a book that is only half written or a piece of art that has just been started or as mentioned above, a recipe that is only half baked.

Gratefully, we are all still in progress...so chill.

Greatest Lesson

Of course, Grandpa taught us all many things in word and in deed. I want to tell you about one particular strategy he shared with me. Yes. This, in my opinion, could be the greatest lesson he ever taught:

When I was just a little boy, I idolized my father. He was the best. We went on vacations together, enjoyed swimming, camped out, visited the ice cream parlor, and did many things together that little boys loved. He made me feel like I was his most important child. I think he did that for all of us. Yet during a particular conversation, I remember him saying that he loved the Savior Jesus Christ more than anything else, and I couldn't understand. "You mean you love him more than me...more than mom?" I knew I shouldn't try to put myself before the Savior, but somehow it just didn't feel right being second.

Then I became a father, and perhaps for the first time I began to realize that he is responsible for everything really important to me. Because of the Savior's grace and love, I am sealed to your mother for eternity and bound to each one of you forevermore. Because of our Lord we can be together forever as a family and enjoy one another's company eternally. And because of the Savior Jesus Christ, we will be reunited with our loved ones that have been lost or taken from us, and this blessing will continue on into the eternities.

Because of Jesus Christ everything that is most important to me will be mine perpetually. How can I not love and appreciate him above all else? Everything that is good and wholesome and worthwhile and important comes to me because of him, including my family. 

And he taught us to come to him when laden with burdens, so he can give us rest and peace and solace amid trial Matthew 11:28,29,30

Grandpa taught me that loving the Savior above all else gives us power to overcome challenges... if we can't make the right decision for the right reason, we can do it for Christ.

If we love and follow Jesus Christ, we can do all things through him.

That, my little brood, may be the greatest lesson of all time.  Mosiah 2:41

The Chosen

Today was fast Sunday, of course. Pairs of Aaronic priesthood deacons canvassed the ward in cold temperatures. That's a lot of ties, shirts, coats, and shoes to complete a task that could be easy as filling in just one more line on the tithing receipt. 

But all the homes were reached today, including inactive or alias members, and before church even started. 

Efficient? I think not. Productive? Very much so.

How often do you think about your rain-gutters or those of your neighbors? Hopefully, not too often. They consistently do their job after it rains and when snow melts without us even thinking about it. But when was the last time you had a discussion with a neighbor or read in the paper about the benefits of the many rain-gutters on the roofs of homes throughout the city, state, and nation? I am not trying to be trite. Efficient? Yes. Productive? Not really.

On the farm one year, I needed a way to earn some money for youth conference. I coordinated a pizza delivery in Castle Valley of all places. Residents thought it was unique because there had never been anything like it in those parts, so I made more money than I even needed. But it was anything but easy. First I had to visit every home and sell my idea. Then I took orders from the menu selections I had prepared and arranged a time for delivery. The night of the pizza deliveries, I was driving up-and-down the valley in our old truck with hot pizzas, but I couldn't do it alone because I needed someone to hold the pizzas while I was driving. Meanwhile back at the house, Granny and her team were making bread dough, cooking sauce, grating cheese, cutting vegetables, and meats to make and arrange pizzas according to delivery times, so I could come and get them for distribution and drive back up the valley to deliver them...we only had one oven! You get the idea. I am laughing as I type this remembering that evening. Efficient? No way. Productive? Not really. It would have been less trouble, time, and cost if Granny and Grandpa had simply paid the dues. But they weren't so much paying for youth conference as they were rearing a boy.

So why do we do the things we do? Goals. If you don't have a goal, you can neither measure productivity, efficiency, or effectiveness. You're kind of just tossing in the sea like a boat without a rudder. 

Setting goals builds confidence, provides direction, and results in progress--for that's what progress really is, right? Movement towards a goal. 

Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause and do much of their own free will and choice D&C 58:27 

An everlating dominion without compulsion D&C 121:45,46

Set a goal. Achieve and surpass it. Then repeat.

And start today.

Fear Not

I am intrigued with opposites: 

• hot/cold
• dark/light
• black/white

Those are pretty easy terms and obvious complements for the most part. But what is the opposite of fear? If you look that term up in Websters dictionary or thesaurus.com, you may find the counterparts bravery, courage, heroism and other like terms.

But I propose another antonym to fear might be faith. Gratefully, we are not alone. 2 Ne 28:31 

"I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands or trust in his commandments." 1

"My life is but a weaving between my God and me.

I do not choose the colors; He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent, and shuttles cease to fly,

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why

The dark threads are as needful in the skillful Weaver's hand

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned." 2

I will order all things for your good as fast as you are able to receive them. D&C 111:11

"Come Unto Me"

"Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence"

Be still and know that I am God... Psalms 46:10

http://youtu.be/GlgR_6e2-FI

A Living House by CS Lewis

 1 - "Come Unto Me," in a speech by Jeffrey Holland, 1997. 

 2 - "The Weaver" in Book of Poetry, ed. Al Bryant.