Kids, Cars, and Busted!

Kids, Cars, and Busted.

A bit of an explanation as to the cast in the post.

Thing 1 is the oldest son

Thing 2 is oldest the Daughter

Thing 3 is a Daughter

Thing 4 is a Daughter

Thing 5 is a Son

Thing 6 is a Son

Every kid dreams about the day they get to sixteen and take that driver test. Every parent has mixed emotions each and every time it happens. When it happened for me I thought I was free but that is another story for another time. You sweat bricks with the first one and think it will kill you yet. Then you realize it is going to be that way with pretty much all of them.  You always hope that everything you teach them will keep the car up right and as few of dents in it as can be expected. So ya teach them driving on dirt, ice, snow, etc the whole time grabbing the seat and clawing the dash board. Ya pray that if things aren’t the best that they call you to bring it home on a trailer in at least one or as few of pieces as possible. Well at least there is hope!

Well we can start with Kid/thing 1. Thing 1 spends the afternoon working on the car, changing the oil, lube job etc. Snap decision to warm it up to check the Trans fluid and out on the road it goes. A mile or so to warm it up and he should be good. The quicker you can get it to the warm side the better. Right? Yeppers when you’re warmed up and pulling in the yard ya bring a visitor with ya. Yeppers a car with added disco lighting. Ya find things going from bad to worse when Mama comes out of the house. She tells the visitor that when he is done with the formalities that the permit is now hers. She tells thing 1 as she is returning “you’re so busted mister!” Not the greatest situations for thing 1 considering me and the local judge have been on a good first name basis for years. I told my judge friend not to throw the book at him but give him the book case full all at the same time and he smiled. Thing 1 had some other driving experiences and encounters with the law over the next couple of years. Once in a ditch but he called his uncle Wheel’n Roland to help him dig out that time. A few years past and we were sitting in church and he happens to see the visitor of years previous and says that is the cop that gave me the reminder once. Yeppers I tell him that’s our church home teacher and friend. The look on his face was priceless!

Well jumping ahead about six to seven years by now. We come to an occurrence with Thing 5. We had thins going on that day and Thing 4 had to go to the swimming pool after school. So after an appointment in town with Thing 5 we drop of the Beast (suburban) at the school. Thing 5 is to give the keys for the Beast to Thing 4 at lunch break. So we (my great wife and I) go home thinking all is well and I can get some rest before work that night. About an hour or so passes and there are calls coming in to our home phone and cell phones from the school. On the way to the school we are thinking of what will happen to this situation. We get to the office and are kindly escorted in to a conference room by the principal and the resource officer. There sits Thing 5 looking as worried as cat about to fall out of a tree into a pond. Thing 4 shows up at about that time with stress written on her face like she had been watching a bad movie and eating burnt potato chips. Thing 4 has the keys to the Beast at this point and hands them over to me and goes back to class. Well it seems Thing 5 had gone wild in a parking lot close to the school with some others in the Beast with him. He had gone fast enough in turns to slip the tires hard enough that one had removed it’s self from the rim. Then driving a crossed some lawn. After the ride Thing 5 gave the keys to Thing 4 telling her "there seems to be a flat tire". Finish the stuff with the school and officer. Thing 5 suspended for a few days and a ticket to boot. We look at the Beast and sure enough there is a flat tire. Thing 5 gets a crash course in tire care and changing. Off to the tire shop to see what kind of damage repair we were into now. So the friend at the shop looks at the tire and the rim and pulls me aside. He tells me the tire and rim are ok and we should be good but if I want to play it on the kid he’s game. About this time Thing 5 is sweating a semi-load of bricks and thinking he will be working the rest of his life to get out of this one. A few weeks pass and we go with him to see the Juvie PO about the next steps with the ticket. His mama is on this one and she expects him to pay up big with this. Lesson learned so far!

We skip back to Thing 4 and parking a car in to a bumper of her own small ride. Thing 4 kept me hopping with dead batteries, flat tires, and a missing key once.

Thing 3 had a scrap with the trash can and the back of the house. Had a car back in to the car while it was parked. But for the most part if it would run she fixed it (I didn’t help much). She did get pulled over once because she didn’t look old enough to be driving. The officer asked why she was driving and not Thing 2 that looked a bit older. She just told him she had been driving longer.

Thing 6 had some things happen with low oil and then a quart or five too many. Telling me the car is too hot. And well half cow tip’n Thing 3’s car in to a fence post and ditch on a gravel road. Leaving a good mark on the car, flat tire, and broken rear axle. Just glad it wasn’t with me in it. I can only imagine what it could have been. It must have been an interesting conversation with Thing 6 and Thing 3.

Thing 2 still has the ultimate clean driving record. Still has yet to scratch, dent, or ding a car or truck owned by me. She is an insurance agent’s worst client as they would not make any fee.

There have been some other stories also but they will need to be embellished more by themselves. So if you have kids and cars you know many stories. If you have little kids i recommend life insurance and lots of Rolaids.

Closing Doors and Windows in Life.

Closing doors and windows in life.

 We often close doors in our life because something happens and we think that by closing off others from us we free us from pain. We close doors on one person but unintended we close windows on many others at the same time. It is in frustration, anger, jealousy, puffed up pride, and among others. We think that it is only the doors that we close that will just hurt or effect one or two. That in some cases could very well be but there are always windows involved. Do we think of the windows when we close the doors? Not very often. I write about doors and windows because it seems to fit the situation. Doors are those people that shut others out because they may feel the situation they are in has left them no choice. So they close the door on the people in their lives that that probably need to keep closer than ever in their lives. Really this is about the windows that get closed and sometimes cracked and broken. Why is that and who are these windows? These are the spouses, children, close friends, grandparents, siblings, parents, and many others.

 How does this happen? Think if two siblings have a friction occurrences and the door between them gets closed. They are the doors in this picture. The windows that close because of the two doors can change how they feel about those directly connected to the doors. This can pit in-laws vs. in-laws, cousins vs. cousins, and spread from generation to generation. This thing has created canyons between nations and wars. I have seen situations with families that they become so divided that they can’t recall why they are separated in the first place. Think of it two cousins that are close friends and their parents that are siblings at odds. Think how far it can and does spread. I see people close doors and windows in situations in work environments, social media, church, political partisan and more. And over the things that mean really nothing when you look at the years they may have known each other.

 I heard it put once “If you’re going to burn a bridge look at the size of the river should you choose to cross back and need that bridge again.” Not that we should close doors and burn bridges each and every day. But consider what it may take to rebuild that bridge or forge that river at some point. Consider also when you burn a bridge the sparks may often find their way to the trees around them. Those trees are what we may need to rebuild the bridges. So to say the windows and the trees are some in the same. So say you drop a group of people from a list on social media in a rage of anger and or frustration.  Or someone lashes out in comments at someone that the things they post are wrong because it shows people doing something that they feel strongly are against them. When in reality maybe they where wronged by one person in their life and they choose to generalize that all the people that look like them are a problem also. Thus also pushing others out of the windows in their life and closing them out. You may very well get a few added back in there without a lot of hassle but many of them will be much harder to coax back. Some may never come back. Some of those persons may never open it up for us to be back on their list because we have darkened their trust of us.

 So you look at the doors in our lives and are we closing them hastily or do we think about the windows that we may crack and shatter as we close them. Do we honestly really know the windows we have closed and changed? If you have closed those doors do you simply just open them and go on as if nothing has happened?  Not very likely. But changing the course of things can be done. Two words can start it “I’m Sorry!” Maybe the hardest of any problem is to admit that we made a mistake. Swallowing pride is rather tough when there is some fowl to eat in doing so. I would suggest some catsup to maybe make it easier. By catsup I mean prayer. Asking Gods help in rebuilding things is a great way to start. Otherwise you will need a lot more than some special sauce to eat that Crow. Doors and windows should only be closed to keep the hot or cold weather out. Placing forgiveness on the table of life for those that are needing it in our lives without conditions can free us to move forward. Even if we feel that they may not fully deserve it either. Whether that forgiveness is accepted doesn’t matter. What matters is that we do it.

Raising Awareness

Raising awareness

What is raising awareness? What should it entail? Can it be done without guile? Without tearing down others? I came across this over the past few weeks. I ask the question of some one of the things they consistently share to social media sites. Most of the posts entail showing the wrongs surrounding us in the world. This commenter addressed it as raising awareness. I don't know about others but I don't need some extra pointing out of the wrongs but of the goodness still out there. Another comment was made your just hiding your eyes and saying all is well in Zion. I think of the many good causes out there that have days set aside for awareness of them. Do they tear down those around them to show that their cause is just? No. Take for example cancer awareness. We may see many presentations that show the not so good of it but for the most part we see many who beat the beast. Drug awareness or red ribbon week we see some bad but mostly good of those that beat the Dragons they face. I find many to be trapped by the negative sharing that they do. Many can't see the light of good around where others can see it but changing their stance puts them in a conflicting situation with those around them. No not all is well in Zion or the world but we add to the mess when we share things that are not positive. Think about those doing wrong many don't fully realize that Satan is behind them in it. We do better to show the good and humanity in the world rather than give the devil more spot lighting for things his hands are in. The only way for evil to exist in the world is for good men to do nothing. We can stand together against wrong by supporting good and showing humanity to others. Stand with God and with good you cannot be wrong.

Patience and a Sense of Humor

Patience and a sense of humor

When you sit back and look at people in the world and the crazy things they do and say, it hits ya that God for sure has some serious patience and a sense of humor. I mean I'm a bone head and do some things and have done things that would for sure be classed as pure stupidity at the least. So you may see where one could look at some one doing something and say Yeppers there's another one. Take for example some crazy young feller's riding a bicycle created from broken parts from the trash dump and jumping off a ramp build with scrap lumber taller than most of them and hoping for favorable results. While this crazy is happening the big man upstairs is sending a few extra guardians too ensure there is nothing serious but maybe so bumps, bruises, and a little road rash. He probably shakes his head and wondering how much until they get it but knowing some peeps are just real hard headed. But young and hard headed is great if it doesn't stay in to the later years of life.

 I use the example on a neighbor I had in the past that I'm sure is a member of the 1000 chances club. I don't think in any way God would give up on any one but some peeps I think if he wanted to would be one of the first in line for the spank'n machine. When you get hit by something and ya go back for more and God doesn't call you out on it with that whooping he could dish out then you can bet he is very patient. When you continue to use substances with liver damage and cancer while telling everyone you can't quit. I would be thinking Yeppers God is patient with him but I think God is holding out on him letting him live because maybe the All Powerful One is not ready to deal with him yet. I remember one day I hear a cement mixing unit clanking along next door. I just happen to be in the tool shed close enough to see and hear well. The neighbor was drinking down a few and leaning on a shovel. I hear him yelling at the mixer using a long string of verbal expressions and referencing the heaven and everything else on the earth too. I hear the mixer jam and drive belt squeal. He beats at it with the shovel yelling more color. It doesn’t move and he shoves the digger in the mixers mouth. Instantly the mixer moves with the shovel caught at this point and spinning it wildly. He makes an attempt at retrieval of the tool missing and have’n it boldly clock him aside the head. He sprawls out on the ground face sputtering in the dirt.

 You honestly couldn’t tell that God was thinking the humor in quieting the old heathen. Honestly he has to have a sense of humor or some peeps would be struck down. He has to be patient for sure. It makes me wonder if he sits up there with a large drink, popcorn, and candy and get a laugh watching the show many of the world put on as they show how much they just don’t get. I hope I have been able to taper some of my stupidity to a smaller amount of a show. I fall down a few stairs now and then and bite my tongue from saying any thing bad. But now I too get to see the show with my kids and grand kids. Hopefully they all shorten their show having a lot to learn from the generations of the past.

 This reminds me of the out of the blue head smack by Gibbs on the show NCIS. Many a person has gotten the smack but mostly Tony. A bit of a shock at first for most of the people it happens too but mostly it happens when someone does or says a bone head thing. It’s kind of like that with us I think too.

Agency and Choices

Agency and Choices

We are all given a gift called agency. What we do with our gift is what defines us. We can choose to follow laws whether they are of nature, God, man, or governments. Some laws if not adhered to bring with them painful if not fatal consequences. Some of these consequences are not so easily seen for a fair part of our lives. We sometimes pass the consequences down for others to deal with for some generations to come. There is another part of us as humans. We are natural in our actions, desires, passions, and thoughts. It has been reference many times as the natural man (Mosiah 3:19). We very often use this natural man part of us in our use of agency and carry out actions that trap us. Too often when we get trapped we want to justify our actions to displace our thinking and conscience to change how we feel. For example if we run for a few miles knowing we are out of physical condition and nearly pass out. Then we say we will never do that again ever because we almost died. Then tell ourselves we didn't die so we should do it again but the same time remembering how stupid we may have been the first time. We try to justify our actions but question ourselves at the exact same time. Consider the actions we may justify for any given reason. Addictions, thievery, murder, lasciviousness, and riotous living to name a few. We can justify ourselves to hell and back from our actions but it doesn't make them right or correct. 

Having had a very personal connection with addictions I know justifying the actions that come with them. We try to say it is OK and hurts no one else but seeing the picture from inside the frame we don't get it. I have pondered much about the challenges we each have in this life. Granted we all think ours is the worst and maybe the hardest. Think about any and all that we could have to face it is what we do in life with those challenges and how we use our agency that defines the type of person we are. I add to this the challenge for some of same gender attraction. Some would say wait a minute but I was born that way. Good point and I was born with the challenge of being a substance addict. Some may also voice I can't help it, it is what I am. Yes that maybe true, once an addict always an addict. I ask can we be better as a person. Or must we give in to the natural man and be something less than what we can be. Are those that give in to the natural man horrible persons? No. The definer is if we act upon it. We are all children of a loving God that must learn to except that we are not in any way close to perfect. But we can and should not look past the fact that we can still be so much more than we are. For me to just give in to the over thinking of things and say I'm an addict and cannot be anything greater than that. Thinking also that all I can be is a mere junkie is selling me short of the top of the mountain. Those who say we don't have a choice are selling a short load on truck bigger than they want to load by themselves. The path of life is hard and when traveled alone has darkness, fear, uncertainty, and challenges that look so ominous we couldn't possibly get past them. I have walked on the dark side of the fence. I have felt darkness of soul, depression, fear, shame, feelings of uselessness, and those feelings of giving up life. Having been there and knowing what I know now and the hope that fills me rather than fear. I much prefer to hold to the rod of iron that follows the path to the tree of life and yes liberty. Holding to the rod will not be easy and not popular but safe in knowing what God wants of me. We are all given a choice but cannot always choose the consequences and extent of those consequences whether good or bad. We are also given multiple opportunities to change. The power of the atonement extends far beyond repentance.

 Don't ever think that making a choice is final and you have no way to choose differently because nothing is final. And I know that everything will be in some way made right in the next phase of our existence. The imperfections I have now will be made whole and perfect. My pains and character flaws will be taken. But some of that may in part depend on me and the choices I make to overcome them as best I can in this life. Yes life is not fair nor should it be. We are here to test our agency and to choose. When we act with our agency in a correct manor we find blessings. When we act with our agency against correctness we find pain and disappointment. It is easy to see that picture when you have stood on both sides of the fence. Siding with modern day Prophets and Apostles will always leave little room for doubt.

Deep spiritual enlightenment.

I'm reminded of a truth that I faced some years ago. We each must find our faith over fear. Find ourselves in deep spiritual enlightenment. Some may come to that point by small and simple fashion but many of us traveled through some deep canyons of hell and rock bottom to fully understand. Stumbling and falling is not fun but the lessons learned are very much priceless indeed. Finding the solid foundation in a loving Savior and know him personally to know where we ultimately choose to be in our life. Rarely do we find other people that except us the way the Savior does. God is great and loves us! It took me a long time to learn this and I can honestly say that I have so much more to learn and understand of how the power of God can and does work in our lives. I admit that it is very difficult and fear filled to turn our lives and our will over to the trust and care of God. But that willingness can change us by helping us to change our flaws of character and makes us in to something more than we could do on our own. Have a blessed day. Many fight the Devil/Dragon in fights for their souls. Much of these battles are not seen but others yet are real just the same. I pray daily for those that battle with the dragon in their lives to win. Put on that armor and yield a sword. And Fight! Have a great day friends!

In spite of evil.

In spite of evil.

I’m not a big fan of politicians and party crap whether it’s the right or the left is of uselessness. If there is a group of people in the world doing this or that is of little argument to me. Yes the world has some people who act by themselves in wrong doings. As a whole there remains to still be so much good being done by people who don’t ask for the rest of the world to see what random acts of good and kindness that they do. By spreading the negative of the negative a person adds to the wishes of the Dragon himself. We were asked some time ago by a wise thinking man to spread the earth with a flood (Elder Bednar). Whether you choose to spread good or not so good is a personal choice but for the most part I will choose the good. It makes no different if it is just a good email or postings on as many of the social media circle that are available to the world. Consider the effect of the drops of awesomeness we can add to the flood of very good if we share only one positive each day. If you share one message each day and you share with six hundred friends and maybe they share the message with six hundred of their friends. I’m not a math person but in two shares there is a possible reach of three hundred sixty thousand. So in a world where the old Dragon is at hand good people must act to ensure that he does not win a battle with the hearts of men. Spread good even just a drop or two combined with drops from other peoples good will be this flood. If you are not of my organized faith affiliation do not feel that you are left out by any means. Most of you have Christian and family values that can and should be added to the flood for the Light of Christ is given to all men to Light the world and displace darkness and evil. Share all my Friends all the good that you can and fight the Dragon. We can and should inspire the world to rise up and be better.