Essential Ideas

Eric and I have been trying to go see the movie Young Washington for a while now. We all have busy schedules, but we're still trying to figure it out. But Mom and I enjoyed the flick a lot when we saw it a couple of weeks ago. At least that's our take.

Did you like the movie? You didn't see it? Well, I know you haven’t seen it yet, but I was just wondering about your thoughts. Did you like it?

You mean that you can't rate it until you have seen it?

Is it too early to ask?

Investing is challenging, especially in a chaotic market. There are so many factors that play into a good outcome. But I think you can fairly evaluate the value of the investment once you have posted the profit and determined its ROI. 

Would you agree?

It has been said not to judge a book by its cover. That, too, makes sense since a fair evaluation usually can’t happen until the work has been consumed. 

That sounds right, too.

So if it makes sense for movies, investments, and literature—could it similarly apply to life? I think so. 

What are the aged saying?

Life's Final Evaluation

There is a proverb about a man that one moment seems to have lost everything and the next moment the tide has turned and good fortune shines upon him again.

 

Well, I don’t need anyone to tell me the value of my choices. With hindsight, I recognize when they were spot on and when they could have been a lot better. Is that the way it is for you? I can see my choices clearly now for what they are—good or bad. 

My family is my greatest accomplishment. I think it always will be. And that’s fine with me.

Valentines

Sometimes, things happening around us are difficult to write down at the time. We are all busy or embarrassed to do so immediately or the activities are unresolved, concerning, or at least incomplete, so writing them down a little later on is a lot easier to do. 

Here is an example…

It’s Sunday afternoon on a cold, snowy winter day here in Provo, 16 December 1984. Last week was finals at BYU, and I concluded my tests just last night. Because of school, work, and many other things which seem to take all of my time, I have procrastinated writing down many of the feelings of my heart during this very special time that Linda and I are spending together. I would like to capture as many of the things about our engagement and relationship as I can remember.

During spring semester at BYU, I took a second-year social dance class, PED 280. I often attended dances during the weekends to practice moves that I had learned, meet new people, and have a good time. It was the second weekend in June and, like usual, there was a dance at school planned. This one was in the Garden Court. Typical of most dances, it started slowly but was soon under full sway. I danced with several girls, then seeing Linda, I asked her if she would like to dance with me. She consented. As we made our way onto the dance floor, I introduced myself and asked about her as well. She told me her name and her major briefly, and we began tearing up the floorboards (figuratively speaking). In talking with her, I found she too had taken a second year social dance class, so we began boogying to some of the dances we both knew. After a few minutes of dancing, we thanked one another and went our separate ways. I took a turn with several other girls in the space of about 20 minutes and then sat on the back of an empty chair to take a quick breather.

I hadn’t been there for two minutes when Linda walked by. Remembering her name, which was unusual being that I just danced with other girls and didn’t remember their names, I motioned to Linda, called her by name, and asked if she would like to rest a minute. She sat beside me, and we talked. Immediately, I recognized how comfortable and relaxed I felt being with her, and soon we began dancing again. We had a really good time together that evening. It’s not often that I found someone who could dance all the dances that I had learned in my class. After we had tried all the steps we both knew from the classes we had taken, we taught each other a few more moves one of us knew: swing, two-step, whatever. I remember having a wonderful time, and much sooner than I wanted, the dance ended. We had spent nearly the whole evening together, save the first few dances. I walked with her to her car, and she offered to drive me to mine, which was on the other side of campus. All the while we talked and laughed, and I had a great time. As I climbed out of her car, I told her that I would call her during the coming week. She said “You better!” And we said goodnight.

As she drove away, I got in my car and drove straight back to the ELWC. I went to the information center and began looking through the student directory, which at that time were big loose-leaf binders of papers listing students' names alphabetically. I found Linda’s name and wrote down her address and phone number from the student directory. Having done that, I went home happy and satisfied.

During the coming week, I thought about her a lot. I wanted to ask her out, but I didn’t know what we would do. I found that my ward had planned an activity the coming Saturday—a trip to Sundance for the summer theater. I knew that was just perfect, so I called Linda and asked her if she would like to go out. To my delight, she consented. I told her we would have a picnic lunch and asked her to bring the sandwiches, and that I would provide the rest. When I hung up the phone I remember feeling so good. I was on top of the world.

There are a couple other things I want to mention regarding this story.

First, when I called Linda initially, I asked for “Elaine.” That was because when I looked up her information, I wrote down her full name—Linda Elaine Mann—and as I spoke, I was nervous and mixed up the names. The girl I was speaking to said “You must have the wrong number. There isn’t an Elaine who lives here.” My heart dropped. Flustered, I stopped…thought…wondered…then realized my mistake and said “Oh! Oops I meant Linda! Is Linda there?” To which the girl responded “Yes. Just a moment.” Embarrassed, I explained to her what happened. Whoo! That was a close one.

Second, a week or two earlier a few young men had been invited to a nice Sunday dinner by some of the girls in our student ward. It was a delightful time, and everyone raved about the delicious meal our host had made. It was great. Toward the end of the dinner, she said there was pie and went into the kitchen to get it. The other girls in the room raved about what a great cook she was and that she really out did herself when making pie. “She actually whipped the cream from scratch!”

At the time, I kept to myself the fact that not only had I whipped cream from scratch, but I milked the cow and skimmed the cream before whipping it all on my own. Of course, I said nothing at the time, but when I got home to Robyn’s, I recounted this experience to her and mentioned in passing, “If I ever find a girl who makes my sandwiches on whole wheat bread, I am going to marry her.”

Back to the story. The week dragged by. I was supposed to be focusing on school, but all I could think about was Linda and our upcoming date. I wanted it to be perfect. I bought a large bags of chips, grapes, cut up some carrots and celery sticks, and baked a chocolate cake in a dripper pan. I frosted the cake with homemade chocolate icing and put it all in a cooler that I borrowed from Robyn. When I finally went to pick up Linda on Friday, she was as sweet as cream and carried a brown paper bag with her. We had a delightful visit as we drove to Sundance and began the trek up the mountain with our goodies for our picnic dinner before the play began. When we arrived at the outdoor theater, we found a place on the hill and laid out a quilt on the grass for our supper. I pulled out the drinks, chips, grapes, carrot slices, celery sticks, and gigantic chocolate cake I had made. She probably had to cover her rolling eyes “This guy is nuts!” I was proud as a peacock and thought this was the beginning of something really special.

We were both right.

Linda opened the brown paper bag with the sandwiches she had brought. They were on whole wheat bread. The rest is history.

What you might not remember is that after our first date, Linda was leaving for Ventura two weeks later to enjoy the summer with her mother. We spent pretty much the entire time together. I convinced her to store her minimal school belongings in Robyn's garage, rather than paying for a small rental unit like she usually did while she was changing apartments—good move on my part.

We were engaged in September, though we were not married until the next May. Not really typical, but well worth the wait.

Valentine's Day is a really special day when we get to honor our families, cherish our wives, and stand proud and happy to acknowledge our sweet children--sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. It really does get better every day!

And for that, I am grateful for the best thing that ever happened to me--your mother.

I love you all,
dad

Reminiscing in spades

This post is really being written just for me.

I had a couple experiences today that were really amazing when they produced feelings of my childhood and reasons I am glad to have recollections of the good times of former days. It all started when I saw a YouTube video of some horses.

This conjured up memories of great times in Castle Valley riding horses bareback with my brother Gregg. We were just young pups at the time, and the wild horses in the valley were beautiful and enormous, just like these. Great times and wonderful memories.



Then I experienced another memory with a classic music video from Josh Groban. When I watched it play, I was reminded of working on the homestead with my dad to situate our home in Castle Valley and position farm equipment all around the property.



These videos and tunes bring back a few of the cherished memories that mean so much to me today. Castle Valley was the pivotal experience of my youth, and I have shared stories of that ocassion many times with all of you.

Now we are making our own family memories like baseball and soccer and bike riding and hiking and camping and going on trips together. I am so glad I get to do that with all of you! Yes. This post is really a way for me to express my appreciation and recognize the bounteous blessings I have been so fortunate to enjoy.



I have a lot more memories of you and our family together. That means the world to me now. I'm so glad we get to do it again this Thanksgiving.

It's my way of saying thank you for sharing your wonderful lives with me--little 'ole me.

I love you

Over-the-hill pickle ballers blog

This is the over-the-hill pickle ballers blog postings

No regrets

Hard times. They seem to be prolific now-a-days.

Frustration, mistakes, failed second chances; this applies towards the challenges in life and eternity, too…or does it?

Some may typically think that the Atonement is limited to helping those that have broken the commandments and need forgiveness, and indeed it does that. But the Atonement also empowers us when we fall short in other ways as well. For example, when we face obstacles that divert our course and our best is not enough, we needn't give up and submit to failure. We are not alone. The ability and confidence initiated by the Atonement of Jesus Christ empowers us to try again with the confidence and knowledge that we will ultimately achieve success. The challenges in life have not yet molded us to become the people that we can eventually become, so we try again and again. Let me illustrate this with a story. 

Years ago I was walking between campus and home when a friend passed by in a vehicle with his family. He smiled and waved. And wanting to return this courtesy, I too showed I was happy to see him, so I waved my hand in response. Admittedly, I was a little taken back at how excited this family was to see me, so I kept waving and walking. I noticed how animated and joyful these folks were, even the children were waving their hands now. Some of them were holding both hands up in surprise. With my attention turned to this friend, I walked directly into a stop sign. They had been trying to alert me to my pending collision. My intentions were good, my efforts sincere, but the outcome wasn't pleasant.  Well it was long after the embarrassment subsided and the bump on my head disappeared that I finally learned a lesson from this experience. Sometimes our intentions are the only control we have over a situation and despite our best efforts, they alone are not enough. But add to our good intentions the Atonement of Jesus Christ and even our shortcomings are more than sufficient because His infinite gift restores all things to their proper form. How is that done? I have no idea, but I know Who does. And that is really all that matters.

I follow a blog about a particular family that adopted children from Ethiopia and the miracle these children have been in their lives. I was first introduced to this experience through a beautiful video that touched me deeply when I watched it. I admired the man and woman and their family, but I got busy and soon lost track of the event and turned my attention to other things.

Life has been busy, and I failed to keep current reading new blog posts...until today. When I visited the page, I was horrified to hear that one of these beautiful children was taken in a car accident. Dozens of well-wishers extended sympathy and words of comfort to heal a broken family and particularly the mother. Their faith carries them through each day.

We all experience loss. But because of Jesus Christ, our sadness need not linger. The great plan of happiness extends the renewing power of God's love and the miracle of his grace into your life.

And when times are tough and hope is all we have, we derive comfort through our confidence in Him.

Rising above Trials

“Is there not wisdom in [Heavenly Father] giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?

 “If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.”

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985), Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (2006), 15.

Another miracle

Miracle on ice

A few years ago, there was an instance where a young bunch of amateur hockey athletes beat the top rated hockey professional team from Russia. It was a noteworthy victory and became a well known movie. 

I love grand parenting for many reasons, but the foremost includes welcoming the great little grand children into our home and sharing a few exquisite moments together. 

We recently had an incident occur in my home that was similar to the miracle on ice in many ways and also very different. This paper is an attempt to capture this experience now for generations to come. 

Just yesterday, Camie brought a couple of her boys down with her, so Emily could do her hair. It was great. Fitz and Enzo played in the backyard and jumped on the trampoline while Cam got her hair done in the upstairs salon. I asked Enzo to help me a few minutes. We went down stairs and got a parcel of toilet paper wrapped in plastic. Enzo worked hard to carry this massive package (compared to him) up the stairs. He filled the holders in each of the bathrooms. I then had to run an errand, so I stepped out for a minute. 

When I returned, the 6-foot glass mirror that had been leaning against the wall on the stairway landing was resting at the bottom of the stairs, glass up. I thought that Mom must be trying to rearrange the room and left the mirror at the bottom of the stairs to get my help positioning it elsewhere. 

It turns out that Enzo had been playing on the stairs and somehow this massive mirror toppled over on him while I was out of the house. When I asked Emily to share with me details and what she knows, this is what she he said “We didn’t see it so I don’t know exactly what happened, but here is what I think happened. I think he was leaning against the mirror his back towards the mirror just hitting it with his bum (cause he was doing that to the mirror in my salon) and he hit it hard enough for the mirror to stand straight up and topple over him so he was pushed to the ground on his belly and then the mirror slid down the stairs.” She mentioned that the mirror was at the bottom of the stairs glass facing down when they found it. 

Just as I mentioned to Camilla, I told Emily that Enzo was protected from serious harm. I have no doubt.

There seems to be a theme of protection here in our family. I had an experience as a small boy where my dad told me not to fiddle with a door that had been removed from its hinges in Leslie’s room. I fiddled, and it ended up falling on me, but that’s not all. Robyn recounts a time my mother narrowly escaped harm, when a sheet of glass fell on her in our SLC home. 

“A large sheet of glass in the garage... don't recall what it was for... probably for some construction project. It was very large, like patio door size. Maybe Mom tripped and the sheet of glass fell on top of her. I have this memory in my mind of seeing her lying on her back... maybe on some stacked lumber (and maybe why she tripped?) she was covered in little pieces of glass. It was terrifying! I don't remember anything else... if Dad was home or what happened afterwards. I'm not certain if I saw what I described (I think I did) or if it was a picture created in my mind from hearing about it.”

Many of us have been protected from harm when things could have turned out much differently. 

Today the miracle was Enzo, and for that I am most grateful. 

Amazing Grace

Some think when bad things that happen, God is not part of the equation or not listening or doesn’t care. Others may feel this way when God allows hardship to occur. Their contention is that he doesn’t or couldn’t exist while allowing such injustices. 

“A loving God would never allow that kind of thing to happen to innocent people,” they contort.

The misfortunes and inequalities of life sometimes shake their faith. That’s not a new attitude or philosophy. Perceptions of this kind have existed for centuries. People have resorted to these kinds of explanations and still do. Maybe you are among them.

If so, why not try a different philosophy for a moment?

In my humble opinion, when we have difficult obstacles to face in life, that's when God shows increased love and concern in extreme measure. It is then that his power is most evident. With God's help in our lives, we can accomplish anything we set out to do, despite our own fallacies or weaknesses.

At these times is when God is closest to us. He always wants to lift and strengthen us.

Perhaps this is one reason we can withstand our difficulties. We are never alone, and our strength increases with him. 

Miracles happen all about us.

There are a lot of challenges in life. It is no surprise that we struggle when pelted with maliciously intended messages to separate, divide and pull us apart. We must be vigilant as we connect, unite, and celebrate the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we can take just a moment to see God’s hand in our lives, it changes everything! 

Part of that is connecting with our friends, family, and acquaintances. We help each other see clearly now and especially when we are overwhelmed with challenges. Together, we can face and overcome the obstacles that confront us in life. Uniting means working with each other to discover and craft solutions to life’s obstacles. Then, overcoming our challenges is not so bad, and we can truly celebrate life now.

“But that is a lot easier said than done,” you might be thinking.. 

It has been said that some people carry their religions, but others allow their religion to carry them. I am among the latter. .

“Why?” you may ask. That is the topic I am addressing today.

Sometimes life throws curve balls your way. Everyone knows that. We have all experienced these occasions.

The gospel of Jesus Christ helps one through these hard times of course. But it also helps us get through our regular days and gives us hope and confidence when times are good. 

And there are plenty of those occasions as well. 

The point is that whatever state you find yourself and despite the myriad of challenges in your life .. or not, the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ can help. 

That’s the simplicity of the situation.

The gospel of Jesus Christ improves us all.

And that is just the beginning of the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.

http://www.wivios.com/ventura-fire

Every day

I feel today that I would like to write a few words about my mom and the things I learned from her over a lifetime. 

This may not be the image that you remember when you think of my mom. I understand. It has been a lot of years since she looked like this. But this is the way I do and always have remembered her being. Her Stucki smile is legendary. I see it in my grand children today. She is the reason we smiled. She made sure of it in all our activities. And my dad was wise enough to know it was because of my mom.

Castle Valley is a term we use to describe the unlikely experience of achieving great things in the midst of very challenging circumstances.

You probably all tire of hearing that term repeated constantly, because on the forefront, Castle Valley is a life and a location for our farm in southern Utah. And today for many of us, it is simply a memory. But truth be told, it was a lot more than that.

This is important today because our experience in Castle Valley became a preparation for dealing with the hardships we encounter in life and overcoming them with faith and hard work. Our ancestors showed this kind of resilience in the face of their challenges. That simple truth helps us know that we are not alone in our trek today, and we can ride that wave victorious despite incredible odds.

Abraham Lincoln simply and briefly forever captured with few words in the Gettysburg Address the essence of the challenge facing this nation that once nearly tore it apart. He asked then whether a nation so conceived in liberty could long endure. The same question can be asked of the hearts of men amid the challenges facing folks today. 

My parents showed emotional resilience in the southern Utah community called Castle Valley. On that farm, they built a life and a legacy that has perpetuated time and the typical understanding of men. It eclipsed my comprehension when I was a young man as well, but I see what they did clearly now.

Emotional resilience is the ability to move forward despite setbacks. Overcoming obstacles placed in our way builds strength, character, and resilience.

Does a child show great emotional resilience because he doesn’t know any better? No. Children show great emotional resilience because they have hope. It is more than maturity or strength. It is integrity and faith .. two qualities we control. That’s how pioneers overcame their challenges. They believed in a dream and stuck it out until they and their posterity achieved it. That is how our ancestors made it through the challenges of their lives, and we achieve our goals the same way. Persistence and hard work cannot be overrated, but they too are not enough without faith. Integrity and faith are how we did Castle Valley. And those are the very same principles that get us through our lives of ease or hardship today.

What did I learn from my mom? She carved out a little piece of heaven despite facing overwhelming challenges. She stuck to it in the face of formidable obstacles. And she did it all with a smile on her face, and a dream in her heart, which gratefully spilled over onto us. We miss her terribly but enjoy her memory and anticipate every day our upcoming reunion soon.

Facing difficult challenges then has enabled me to confront similar obstacles without being overcome today. My point is not to belabor my challenges or claim my road has been harder than others, but the qualities I developed from performing these tasks like digging out the basement one bucket at a time have helped me endure the obstacles that confronted me and my family more recently.

When I am faced with raking the leaves that fall in our yard prior to each winter and feeling overwhelmed, I think of the 2-3 acre fields where we used to rake by hand the alfalfa for our animals. It was a humongous job looking back, but it was the only option at the time. And my parents insisted on it, probably because it taught us how to work and endure through challenges. It needed to be done, just like planting the 300 trees around the property. It was back-breaking work, but the benefits are still flowing.  Gregg and I dug dozens of fence post holes. It seemed like hundreds. Would I have done it differently then? Yes. Absolutely then, but looking back now, I wouldn't change a thing. It taught me lessons I needed to learn and built strength I needed to develop.

As I reminisce now, I wouldn’t do it any differently. Why? Because it was easy? No. It definitely wasn’t the easiest way. Because it was smart? No. Some thought at the time we had lost our minds. And on a few occasions when difficultly was staring us in the face, so did we. Because it was cool? No. There was nothing ‘cool’ about farm life at the time. 

I wouldn’t do it differently now because it was hard and taught me lessons I couldn’t learn any other way. Why would I ever consider losing the wisdom gained through the lessons of hard knocks?

Climbing Timp…it took me several attempts to summit the peak. For one reason or another, I tried to scale the mountain but was unable to complete the task. But I kept trying and eventually summited the 11,752-foot peak. Persistence paid off in the long run. It did then, and it will now.

And I know it from experience, and that is something I learned from Mom.

Healed Wounds

I was reading in the Book of Mormon today when I noticed something different than I had previously understood. It was an epiphany really and opened my eyes to another great message available to all of us upon examination of its text.

The part that stood out to me was from the story of Helaman’s stripling warriors. We have all read those passages and are inspired by these young mens' courage, success, and commitment. But what I noticed today jumped out when I read an excerpt I had considered previously many times—certainly you have too—but today it meant something different to me. This insight can be found in the following verse:

And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was ^anot one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds. 

None of the 2000 stripling warriors had perished we all know that but it also explicitly mentions that there was not one among them that had not received many wounds. And there were two hundred of them that had fainted because of the loss of blood. 

Then I realized this verse and story is analogous to our lives here on earth. We are struggling through a challenging battle against the adversary. There have been casualties among the brothers and sisters in our midst, but because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, none of our little band is lost. 

Though wounded and seemingly fallen, each of these children of God is revived and administered to so the purpose of this great battle is not lost. Instead, the adversarial forces are leveled and the victory has already been secured. 

We are in this war together. While men are free to choose the direction of their lives, none of us is alone. Our faithful brothers and sisters who are comrades in arms will not leave the wounded to be lost and forgotten. Together we lift and recover them, and they inspire and help us. All of us are broken and need succor from the Lord and His Atonement. And as we and our colleagues bear this message abroad and afar, we work together to bring in the wounded that we and they might be made better, stronger, and restored to health.

Whatever your wounds, the Savior has already fought and won the war to redeem you. The plan is a perfect solution to our shortcomings, failures, and weakness. Through Jesus Christ we are made successful, strong, and victorious. That is the plan.  

And the outcome is sure if we are willing to allow the Savior to do what he does best, and that is to save us as families—lifting and building those that need strength—especially our brothers and sisters that don't have families here on earth.

We all have a thriving family in heaven. All of us.

Alma 57  

Audacious

Inclined Toward Melancholy is an interesting phrase  .. what does it even mean? Naturally, I Googled it to learn more. I found "a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause."

Not that one can rely on Google as an always reliable source for information, but at least I was willing to ask for guidance.

Responding to a sincere question about his beliefs, emeritus chief Judge Wallace answered sincerely in a way that could have been me. “I’m a Mormon,” he said, “a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” He paused for a moment and then continued: “And I’m a believing and faithful member of my church. I really believe it. I don’t just believe part of it or believe it some of the time. I believe all of it all of the time. It teaches me that we are all created in the image of God and that we are all His children. It teaches me that I have to love and show respect to everyone.”

This description is exactly how I feel. It put into words the feelings I have in my heart and is in agreement with the sum total of the lessons learned in my life. I appreciate these words because they simply and succinctly articulate in my mind how I would try to explain my beliefs.

Similarly, when Brett Scharffs addressed the students at BYU, he also reflects my sentiments spot on.

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brett-g-scharffs/audacious-faith-appreciating-unique-power-singular-appeal-lds-doctrine/

I told myself that when I shared this piece, I was going to be brief and succinct. As such I have not included the answer to the problem with evil, the appeal of religious freedom for all or gone on to explain further the audacious faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shared by the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have already said too much.

No. You will have to explore this on your own if you want to learn more about these things beginning with listening to the above video.

If you like, however, I am happy to help. Just ask.

The Sweet Spot

by Walter Penning | Dec 5, 2018 reprint | Walter Penning: Arise and Be Men

One of my most exhilarating experiences is familiar and comfortable. Though not common, it is regular. I know you have experienced this as well. What you call it, however, may vary some.

 

Let me explain with an example. I love the thesaurus. That statement may not surprise you, since it was made by the author of this article. As a writer, I have come to love the thesaurus. Weird.

 

Well, maybe. A thesaurus is an essential tool for me, at least. I use it every time I write. For example, let’s say I want to discuss the euphoria I feel when I begin composing prose. Euphoria? You might ask how anyone can feel that kind of emotion when writing is involved. I get it. Your memory of composition may include the final history test in which you were asked to draft a position on the significance of the year 1861 to the Civil War and clarify the multitude of idle rights then that nearly pulled this nation apart.

 

My point? I used the thesaurus at least a half-dozen times to compose that last paragraph, and it made my task of writing easier, better, and more delightful for both the writer (me) and the reader (you).

 

You may ask, “What does that have to do with anything?” My answer: Absolutely everything is influenced by our attitude when it comes to effectively handling situations. But what makes composition a life-changing experience is what occurs outside of one’s control. And this is not exclusive to the publication industry. It happens everywhere—all the time, rhetorically speaking—and yet I don’t think it can be forced.

 

Mathematicians feverishly try to find the answer that is right at their fingertips, and the brush of the artist flows like a hot knife through butter. Every touch, every stroke improves the outcome and the completed painting is providential. The batter that hits a home run with every swing may be another manifestation of this sweet spot. Some call it tender mercies, divine guidance, or pure knowledge. Others refer to it as in the mode or in the groove or perhaps luck…there are many ways to refer to this unlikely situation when everything just clicks.

 

During that moment, you can’t make a mistake. Every move is perfect. Every note is better than the last. You never want it to end. You are at the top of your game…then suddenly, it’s over. You try to get it back. You follow what you were doing all along, but despite your desire, motivation, and intensity, you are on your own and the fleeting ecstasy of that perfect harmony and rhythm is now gone.

 

I remember this happening once on the golf course. Now, I am an amateur golfer at best. My colleagues are all much better than me, and I am ok with that. But there was a time my son invited me to join him and his friends for a round of golf. My boy and I had never golfed together up to this point. I approached the green and tried to look like I knew exactly what I was doing. I didn’t. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass my son in front of all his friends, and since we had never golfed together, he had no idea what to expect. I put the ball on the tee and prepared by taking a couple practice swings. Okay, I’m ready. I step up to the tee to give it a go. My first drive was 400 yards. Nobody was more surprised than me, but I tried to look unimpressed.

 

“Dad! I had no idea you had that in you.” The euphoria lasted for maybe the first nine holes, but I wasn’t as extraordinary on the back nine. Still, for a moment, I was riding high and on Cloud 9.

 

Does that sound familiar? When this kind of thing happens to you, is it startling? As I said, one cannot force this to occur, but for me it happens regularly when I write. I first experienced this when I was in college. The instance was after an all-nighter trying to get a paper done. It was an “all-nighter” because the words were not coming together. I struggled to get my thoughts down on paper. Honestly, I struggled to collect my thoughts at all, and then it happened. I guess I had finally demonstrated enough effort because in the final moments before I had to get my paper completed and turned in, the light broke wide open and the paper came together seemingly on its own.

 

To me it is pure knowledge coming from above. Instead of composing verbiage by combining nouns, verbs, adjectives and the like, complete sentences fill my mind in succession and my task is to capture them as quickly as I can before they are gone. It may last ten minutes or an hour, but it is typically fleeting and comes and goes on its own terms. I don’t understand it completely yet, but my personal opinion is that at times, for reasons not entirely clear to us, we have heavenly help that increases our ability and makes us better than we could be on our own.

 

I have seen this happen for my son when he is composing music. From somewhere, he combines notes, tempo, and harmony in such a way that it thrills the heart and mind. The task is therapeutic for him as well. But when he performs in front of an audience, he is at his best. With a band and vocals, he is in his element. I will always remember the times we went to the Velour to watch him perform. I was probably the oldest person in the theater, but that was okay because he wanted me there, and that is exactly where my wife and I wanted to be.

 

For a period of time, we had the privilege of supporting my son on his music journey, and we still enjoy today the albums he produced at the time. But the ride is not over. It continues even now and is still happening in earnest. The stage and the music have changed, however. Now his performance is in his home with a family. His band includes two incredible little boys and a beautiful, loving wife. But the music they make together is better than anything he has ever produced before, which is really saying something. Even he doesn’t realize the amazing feat he is accomplishing. Realization and appreciation take time, perspective, and patience.

And those are some things one has in abundance at my age. For me, it is easy to see the paybacks of authenticity, esteem, discipline, and endurance. You see, I have the benefit of hindsight and experience, something dearly acquired yet easily overlooked. But you and I both will eventually have it in spades. We all will, because a kind and loving Heavenly Father prepared a plan that ensures success for every one of us that is willing to follow His lead and accept the reward He has already won for us and all those that humble themselves and endure to the end—all of us.

 

Like the rod of iron, our loved ones give us something worthwhile to hold onto every time we consider the beautiful family we have now and the importance of eternal families in the world to come. My grandsons do that for me every time I admire them.

 

To read more of Walter’s articles, click here.

And if your family circumstances are not perfect and far beneath what you were hoping for now, realize that too is temporary and sometimes fleeting in this life—but exhilarating, comfortable, and familiar is what waits for you in the world to come. You are already headed in the right direction. Hope, repentance, faith, and success all start with desire. In this crazy world of ours, that is what we control.

 

Righteous desires put us on the path that leads to the happiness we are all seeking. Meanwhile, we can work toward an eternally happy family that seems to have it all together— and because of Jesus Christ, we can hope for the day when there are no more troubles and everything just clicks.

 

“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.” – Joseph Smith

Unbelievable

Can it really be a year since I wrote in my last blog? Well, it may not seem like it, but when I check the stats, it has been more than a year since I published anything here. Unbelievable.

I have been writing elsewhere, but this venue has taken a hit since I have been busy with many other things. When I realized this, the hope is to rectify the problem before it continues too much longer.

A lot has changed over the last year for both good and bad. The pandemic continues to impact our activities. It's mostly a nuisance now and does not prevent most functions. Just have to be masked up!

The boys and I are planning a Monster truck rally next weekend. Everybody appears to be in. We just need to decide on the actual date. It turned out to be an evening none of us will ever forget. Ever!

This is one of my favorite pics, but I have a ton more And the memory warms my heart every day.

Let's itemize the learnings with this update:

1. Documented histories are invaluable
2. Way back machine makes backup copies .. https://archive.org/web/ 
3. Wivios, FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, and many other vehicles
4. Benefits of wivios
1. living folks too
2. all media types supported
3. accessibility
4. hover tips
5. link to specific passages
6. immediate value
7. integrates with other genealogical websites
8. free
5. Connect with suppliers already providing personal histories and genealogical resources effectively

Living a Miracle

I love messages of hope. Our hardships give us empathy for others and opportunities to show gratitude. Perhaps the greatest miracle of all is the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego worship the golden image he set up as a god, threatening, “If ye worship not, ye shall be cast … in to the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” Then he taunted them with “Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” These three devout disciples said: “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. … But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.” They possessed the full confidence in God that he could save them, “but if not” they had complete faith in His plan. We have the opportunity to show that kind of faith today as well. Though our circumstances may be vastly different, our response and faith can be identical.

This year and those preceding we have faced various challenges due to the pandemic, but our hope in Jesus Christ is much bigger than the obstacles and hardships of life—much bigger.
 

My father had a similar experience—in a way—where he was spared as a young man. I have always loved this story, which I asked him to tell me often when I was a boy. And he did. Dad was a master story-teller. I have many memories of experiences he shared which have helped guide my life. This miraculous experience comes from his journal and to me is further evidence of God’s love for us and the protection granted my father, so he could play a vital role of bringing to earth his children and teaching his posterity, who I believe will usher in the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks Dad for always being an example I can strive for:

There was an experience I had with Mother when I was seventeen. It was when she was working and would go to the merchandise markets in California, Chicago, or New York. The first time I went with her was when I was still in high school. I was out of school, so she invited me to go with her. She made a reservation for us at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. A check was sent and she got back a confirmation. She always had to make reservations early because so many people attended the markets that the hotels would fill up. We flew to Chicago and drove to the hotel by taxi. We went to the front desk, Mother gave her name and told them we had a reservation and wanted to check in. They told us they couldn’t find it. Mother told them, “That can’t be, because I sent my check and you sent me back a confirmation for a room with two beds.” They looked again but couldn’t find her reservation. In all the years, that never happened to her before or after. This time it was lost. Mother felt like they just had to make a place for us. But they told us they were completely filled up and didn’t have one room left. The sympathetic desk clerk told us she had a friend who owned some furnished apartments, and that she would probably have an empty one. She called her friend and made arrangements for us to stay there, so we did. In the middle of the night, we were awakened by lots of fire engines. They came across a bridge over a river and headed down the same street as we were on. We marveled at how many fire engines came one after the other. We wondered where the fire was. The next morning, the bold newspaper headlines told about how the LaSalle Hotel, where we were supposed to have stayed, had burned. Fifty-two people had died and two hundred were injured. This was one of quite a few times in my life, when the Lord spared me, and I am most grateful.

I have many memories of my father, which I have come to cherish. He was spared so he could share the love and hope in the Savior Jesus Christ with his family. And that he did. The hope and optimism that he frequently exhibited will always be a cherished memory. He passed more than ten years ago, and because of Jesus Christ, I know we will share experiences, happiness, and miracles with each other again. And that perhaps is the greatest miracle of all.

Like me

What? Celebrate Christmas during the pandemic? Hasn’t the coronavirus impacted enough of us already? That is the question.

On Friday December 4, the LightTheWorld calendar showed the following encouragement:

THE CHRIST CHILD
Jesus’s birth brought hope. Watch
The Christ Child, screenshot a
moment that gives you hope, and
share why on social media.

Now this was not an easy choice. There are so many wonderful possible selections one could make: Kneeling at the feet of the small boy. Three wise men offering their gifts. Kingdoms to come, Mankind to save, Worlds without number. How can one picture represent all of that?

So I thought carefully about this exhortation and came up with the following favorite pic. It appears right at the beginning of the video and is not probably the selection you chose. There are so many others: The star in the night. Mary riding the donkey for miles. No room in the inn. The birth of the Child. The shepherds visited by angels in the field. Kneeling before the Christ Child. With all this to choose from, how could I select a picture of a man beginning his work day in a field? It seems simple and unimportant, maybe even sacrilegious when compared to these other choices.

Well, I don’t see it that way, but that is a fair question and deserves a proper explanation. I speak for myself and in no way intend to diminish or look down on the wonderful images of that transcendent night and life-changing experience. In fact, that’s exactly why I love this picture so much. You see, I grew up on a farm and the things we often take for granted today have more meaning because I know what it’s like to do without them. And despite His enormous influence for good and providential mission in behalf of all mankind, He chose to come as a small infant in dire circumstances and live a humble, simple life on the land and work with his hands.

And He suffered challenges on earth so that he could understand my perspective and have empathy and compassion on me. ME!

The Son of the God of heaven and earth and everything that is in them came to earth as a helpless babe in a manger, and though angels testified of Him and stars shone brightly to witness of the birth, He became like me to lift and raise me in my miserable and wretched state. And He did all this for me.

My daughters are in that phase of their lives giving birth to their beautiful children. It is hard. It’s difficult. It is physically and emotionally painful, even to the point that they walk near the shadow of death, but they do it anyway. And my sons love and support their wives and are faithful fathers to their children despite many challenges of our day. And they all do this nonetheless with smiles on their faces and courage in their hearts despite the tremendous challenges.

Joseph cared for Mary and the baby Jesus without the foreknowledge of how it would all work out in the end. His faith carried him through insurmountable challenges.

The gospel of Jesus Christ provides peace and comfort, even joy right now.

What? Celebrate Christmas during the pandemic? Absolutely! We can celebrate the Son of God every day. Maybe that choice is hard, lonely, and has its challenges, but we can do it for Him, because He did all this for us.

There is no question that I will happily and grateful recognize this gift. It is my privilege and yours.

No question at all.

#painofchildbirth
#cryofthebabyjesus
#lighttheworld
#happinessnow
#josephlovedmary
#peaceonearth

The most memorable Christmas on record

It is funny what things are cataloged as memorable in our minds. Most times, the occasions are not what you would expect all along, I suppose. But the unforgettable experiences rise to the top of our recollection. And so it is when I call to mind my most memorable Christmas.

We had big, extended family Christmas parties on my dad’s side of the family when I was a boy. He had three sisters and their families were large just like ours. That’s where I came to know and love my cousins. For the most part, I have great memories of the Christmas dinners and Santa Claus visits. We would get all dressed up for these activities. There were literally dozens of us at these family get-togethers. Though most of my cousins were considerably older than me, they were accepting and friendly and made me feel important and loved. I was a pretty small kid back then, but I always felt included and valued. Most my memories of these parties occurred at Margaret and Lynn’s (aunt and uncle on dad’s side). But I remember that one year we held the event out at the distribution center in south Salt Lake. That year, Kim, Jeff, and I dressed up like Alvin and the chipmunks and performed. These get-togethers have continued off-and-on throughout the years and still happen even today with an annual Stucki Cousins Family Reunion and family website. Santa Claus would make his appearance and distribute gifts to each of us children. I was young enough at the time it was all magical and mysterious. Somehow, I think I knew my Grandma Stucki was behind all of it. One year we did it at our house, and I was the ten-year-old jolly old man.

Mom and dad used to dress me up like Santa when I was a child to deliver the family Christmas gifts to our friends, as well. I’m not sure I really liked doing that, but my family was persuasive and our friends complimentary, so I couldn’t refuse.

Life had been hard for several years and the abundance we were accustomed to diminished some. But though some might say we were in dire straits, we never wanted for the essentials. I think mother and father handled the pressures so it didn’t trickle down to the younger children. Certainly, the other children knew the challenges we were facing, and I’m certain I was not oblivious to the need, but perhaps I did not comprehend the magnitude of our predicament. Castle Valley for us was a fresh start, and it happened to fulfill a life-long dream for my mother and what she and dad wanted for our family. So rather than a rash decision, the move was an answer to countless prayers and one of the great blessings in my life.

We had worked through the summer, and for a good part of that time lived in a tent, but after a while we built and moved into the bunkhouse. That was a lot better. It was down below where it was much cooler during the hot summer. We built a truck top kitchen and started a bathroom facility, so we were moving up in the world. I never thought of it as destitution. It was an amazing adventure and our choice. But when I think about it now, it’s nothing short of amazing that Mom and Dad and all the kids went for it. When school started we found ourselves still living in the bunkhouse. The fall brought cooler nights and eventually freezing temperatures. The cabin home was coming along, but it wasn’t going to be finished by Christmas. Yet as it was completed, the roof was installed, and we had our own shower for the first time in six months (which was wonderful), once we moved into the partially finished home.

We had always had so much for Christmas in years past, but this year was going to be different. Mom and Dad had been giving up everything to secure the farm, build a home, and pay for improvements. It left precious little for gifts. We knew that and had accepted the fact that there would be no Christmas presents this year. We already had so much anyway–perhaps not in worldly measures–but in love, family, good land, food, and the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mom and Dad sincerely appreciated the bounty the Lord had given us and taught us to recognize and thank the Lord for all our blessings.

One evening early in December we were sitting in the single heated section of the house, and there was a loud knock at the door. Before we could get up to answer it, a vehicle sped up the snow packed driveway and off into the night. When we did open the door, a large cardboard box sat on the porch. We pulled it inside and opened it. To our surprise, there were presents, and food, and canned hams, and much, much more. That year for Christmas we were the recipients of a sub-for-Santa project and because of others, we ate delicious foods, opened gifts, and thanked an unknown giver for presents we could not have purchased ourselves that year.

I remember that occasion with a good deal of emotion and still don’t know the benefactor. But that is not so unlike all of us that are recipients of gifts we don’t deserve and don’t really warrant on our own.

Everything we have been through, the memories bring back you.