This video speaks for itself--to all of us. Laugh? Cry? Admire? Smile. You'll do it all. I did. It was worth the wait.
It IS worth the wait.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
It's going to be OK
When I was a young man, a boy really, my family moved from the city to fulfill the dream of my mother to live in the country. There were many challenges.
We experienced miracles regularly in my home when I was growing up. Surprised? No. Grateful? Absolutely. And this continued in earnest when we moved to the country.
There were many chores we did regularly in Castle Valley, depending on the time of year. Many tasks were performed in earnest regardless of the season. For example, watering and feeding the animals, milking, and caring for livestock were tasks done every day. Chopping wood, breaking the ice on the animal watering troughs, and shoveling snow were reserved for the winter time. And then of course summer months included gardening, planting, and harvesting the fruits of our labors.
And so it was during the summertime that I found myself working the soil in a field just in front of the cabin. It was a hot day, and Mom had asked me to till a portion of the garden. I complied. Before long, however, the tiller ran out of gas and I still had some to do to be finished. So I pushed the machine out of the field and down the road to the corner of the house. It was hot, and I was impatient to fill the tank with gas and get back to completing my job. The cans had been sitting in the hot sun at the edge of the tree line. I grabbed a five-gallon can full of gas and began removing the gas cap. As I did so, the pressure in the can began to escape. This was common. But remember, I was in a hurry and didn't really want to wait so I just continued removing the cap before all the pressure was released. Because the can was hot and the gasoline had expanded, the lid came off with force, and it was followed by a stream of gasoline which shot into my face and high into the air. It caught me by surprise and sprayed into my open eyes. The gas had so much pressure it continued onto the cabin and roof beside where I was standing. At first I thought the gas might blind me. So I quickly looked for some way to wash my eyes and hair. Fortunately, there was a water spout on that side of the cabin, so I tried to wash the gas from my eyes. There was no hose, so it was difficult to wash and get cleaned up.
I don't remember if my younger brother, Jeff, saw what happened, but he was soon encouraging me to come around the back of the cabin and use the water hydrant there. He was adamant about having me come behind the house to wash up. I had gas in my eyes and hair and all over my clothes, and the nozzle without a hose wasn't working too well, so I consented and walked behind the house to wash up with the hose. Dad and Gregg were coming down the road now in the truck, when suddenly the gasoline exploded. The house logs and roof were on fire now as was the tiller and the fumes from the open gas can. Gregg and Dad jumped from the truck and dragged hoses to the scene to extinguish the flames. The deafening explosion rocked the home. I was confused and surprised and unsure what to do. Fortunately, the others put out the fire before much damage was done to the house, tiller, or surroundings.
Then I realized that if Jeff hadn't convinced me to come behind the house to wash the gasoline from my hair, skin, and clothes, I would have ignited right along with the explosion. This was another of many situations where the Lord was watching out for and sustaining our family.
We are not so much unique. But we like you notice and give thanks for the miracles that regularly bless our lives, even amid hardship.
And when called to pass through challenges, we must remember, this is not forever. This is not the end. This is not the final product.
It has taken a lifetime to realize the blessings that have come from our experience in the country, and we are just now grasping its impact on our lives and futures.
But for those that wait on the Lord, the greatest miracle of all, Eternal Life, is still coming.
Tender mercies (text)
We experienced miracles regularly in my home when I was growing up. Surprised? No. Grateful? Absolutely. And this continued in earnest when we moved to the country.
There were many chores we did regularly in Castle Valley, depending on the time of year. Many tasks were performed in earnest regardless of the season. For example, watering and feeding the animals, milking, and caring for livestock were tasks done every day. Chopping wood, breaking the ice on the animal watering troughs, and shoveling snow were reserved for the winter time. And then of course summer months included gardening, planting, and harvesting the fruits of our labors.
And so it was during the summertime that I found myself working the soil in a field just in front of the cabin. It was a hot day, and Mom had asked me to till a portion of the garden. I complied. Before long, however, the tiller ran out of gas and I still had some to do to be finished. So I pushed the machine out of the field and down the road to the corner of the house. It was hot, and I was impatient to fill the tank with gas and get back to completing my job. The cans had been sitting in the hot sun at the edge of the tree line. I grabbed a five-gallon can full of gas and began removing the gas cap. As I did so, the pressure in the can began to escape. This was common. But remember, I was in a hurry and didn't really want to wait so I just continued removing the cap before all the pressure was released. Because the can was hot and the gasoline had expanded, the lid came off with force, and it was followed by a stream of gasoline which shot into my face and high into the air. It caught me by surprise and sprayed into my open eyes. The gas had so much pressure it continued onto the cabin and roof beside where I was standing. At first I thought the gas might blind me. So I quickly looked for some way to wash my eyes and hair. Fortunately, there was a water spout on that side of the cabin, so I tried to wash the gas from my eyes. There was no hose, so it was difficult to wash and get cleaned up.
I don't remember if my younger brother, Jeff, saw what happened, but he was soon encouraging me to come around the back of the cabin and use the water hydrant there. He was adamant about having me come behind the house to wash up. I had gas in my eyes and hair and all over my clothes, and the nozzle without a hose wasn't working too well, so I consented and walked behind the house to wash up with the hose. Dad and Gregg were coming down the road now in the truck, when suddenly the gasoline exploded. The house logs and roof were on fire now as was the tiller and the fumes from the open gas can. Gregg and Dad jumped from the truck and dragged hoses to the scene to extinguish the flames. The deafening explosion rocked the home. I was confused and surprised and unsure what to do. Fortunately, the others put out the fire before much damage was done to the house, tiller, or surroundings.
Then I realized that if Jeff hadn't convinced me to come behind the house to wash the gasoline from my hair, skin, and clothes, I would have ignited right along with the explosion. This was another of many situations where the Lord was watching out for and sustaining our family.
We are not so much unique. But we like you notice and give thanks for the miracles that regularly bless our lives, even amid hardship.
And when called to pass through challenges, we must remember, this is not forever. This is not the end. This is not the final product.
It has taken a lifetime to realize the blessings that have come from our experience in the country, and we are just now grasping its impact on our lives and futures.
But for those that wait on the Lord, the greatest miracle of all, Eternal Life, is still coming.
Tender mercies (text)
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Invincible
I loved the movie Meet the Mormons. If you haven’t seen the flick, I am not going to spoil it for you. But knowing how much I enjoyed it, you probably think I want to tell you all about it. I don’t. You can see it for yourself and decide how you feel. What I loved most about the movie wasn’t even part of it. For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, let me explain. Meet the Mormons is a feature length movie produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the intent to dispel some of the misconceptions around the world about the religion. So why did I like it so much? You might think it was because it celebrated the influence that we can have on the world or painted the Church in a good light or finally portrayed the effect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on our lives. True. It did all those things, but that’s not why I adore this movie.
I love Meet the Mormons because its plot was taken from a cross section of everyday members of the Church and highlighted their lives. These were not just accounts of one-of-a-kind individuals, with unique stories. The genius of this movie is that incredible people live all around us in our own homes and neighborhoods with lives and experiences worthy of celebration. The producer could have taken the well-known Steve Young or Donny Osmond or Mitt Romney or [insert a famous Mormon name here], but he didn’t. Instead the focus was on six pretty much run-of-the-mill members of the Church and highlighted their incredible decisions amid mostly common lives. He could have taken any six members of the Church from anywhere and celebrated the good that they do in classrooms, with challenges, on canvas, or among the downtrodden. We have 15+ million stories that could be told.
That’s why I love this movie.
Here is just one more that has a tie to my life:
You know that I love to write. I have elaborated on the merits of good prose many times. In fact, it was one year ago almost to the day that I posted an article I read on Facebook that in a way changed my life. The quality of this piece was manifest as it was shared thousands of times over the Internet.
Seth Adam Smith’s article depicted what was good and right, and I believed and was inspired by his words. But he, too, experienced challenges in his life, not unlike the obstacles we face in our own lives.
Do you see the glass half empty or half-full? The glass doesn’t change. It’s our perspective that determines what we see and how that choice benefits and strengthens us and those we hold most dear.
Sadness and disappointment are temporary. Happiness is eternal.
Share your burdens with someone you love.
Keep your antenna up. Lift a brother.
Together, we are invincible.
I love Meet the Mormons because its plot was taken from a cross section of everyday members of the Church and highlighted their lives. These were not just accounts of one-of-a-kind individuals, with unique stories. The genius of this movie is that incredible people live all around us in our own homes and neighborhoods with lives and experiences worthy of celebration. The producer could have taken the well-known Steve Young or Donny Osmond or Mitt Romney or [insert a famous Mormon name here], but he didn’t. Instead the focus was on six pretty much run-of-the-mill members of the Church and highlighted their incredible decisions amid mostly common lives. He could have taken any six members of the Church from anywhere and celebrated the good that they do in classrooms, with challenges, on canvas, or among the downtrodden. We have 15+ million stories that could be told.
That’s why I love this movie.
Here is just one more that has a tie to my life:
You know that I love to write. I have elaborated on the merits of good prose many times. In fact, it was one year ago almost to the day that I posted an article I read on Facebook that in a way changed my life. The quality of this piece was manifest as it was shared thousands of times over the Internet.
Seth Adam Smith’s article depicted what was good and right, and I believed and was inspired by his words. But he, too, experienced challenges in his life, not unlike the obstacles we face in our own lives.
Do you see the glass half empty or half-full? The glass doesn’t change. It’s our perspective that determines what we see and how that choice benefits and strengthens us and those we hold most dear.
Sadness and disappointment are temporary. Happiness is eternal.
Share your burdens with someone you love.
Keep your antenna up. Lift a brother.
Together, we are invincible.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Strength beyond my own
Like many of you, we attended the Ogden Temple rededication last week in our stake center. The original dedication of Ogden Temple occurred 42 years ago. I was just eight-years-old at the time and living then in Salt Lake City in the suburb of Holladay .
Much was shared at this special occasion. Just a couple highlights follow:
The temple dedication is really an opportunity for the saints to rededicate themselves to the work of the Lord and service in the temple.
A story of John Rowe Moyle, a Mormon pioneer famous for walking the 22 miles from Alpine to Salt Lake City every week to help build the Salt Lake Temple. Now, a group of his descendants gather at Moyle Park in Alpine every week to share his legacy.
Story of the Castle Valley experience and the lessons learned there
Experiences that are written about your lives that will help, strengthen, and bless your posterities for ions to come. Is that hard to believe?
That is the very reason temples are erected and countless serve within their walls to unite families on earth and in heaven for eternity.
It is the Great Plan of Happiness instigated by the Savior himself fulfill his work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.
President Monson shared three steps regarding taking full advantage of the blessings of the temple:
- Love the temple and commune with God to receive instruction and come to know Him better
- Appreciate the blessings that come to us and our families through the temple and feel its joy
- Attend the temple to partake of these blessings and unite our families for eternity
When I need a lift to confront obstacles in my path, I often find the balm of gilead in the temple.
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