Being an accepting pioneer.

Being an accepting pioneer.

July 24^th 2016

Yes, as this weekend comes and goes, there are many outside of the state I reside in and most of those in the state that in some fashion or another celebrate the history of a pioneering people. Some in the world have no idea what this is all about, but let me dip into it just the same. First you must ask the question: what is a pioneer? Simply, it is someone that goes forth in a quest to travel, explore, or discover the unknowing and new. I think of the masses of people that ventured from far places, crossing oceans and land to find a new life. I remember a few years back going with a group of others, mostly youth, to do a trek reenactment. Before going, I read a book, Fire and the Covenant, about a group from the 1800’s that suffered a great fate while traveling across the territory we know now as Wyoming with handcarts. I might add that since then I have read a lot of other books that include pioneers of one sort or another. I’m kind of a history nut. I kind of have a family connection to the handcart group, so it grabbed me a bit. Not every group that traveled across the world had ill-fated circumstances but they all had some forms of challenges, whether that was: missing animals needed to survive, broken wagons/handcarts and other equipment, sickness and death of some, or lack of needed food. Many left their lives of wealth, and others not so much. They went with only the things they could carry, push, pull, or pack in a space no bigger than a backpack. Now days, many of us find it hard to find a way to up root and move with multiple big trucks and a few cars. Whatever the reason that stirred in these people to do this, it had to be strong. I stand in awe of what they did. They were welcomed in by some accepting pioneers who had little to give but a warm hand shake and a seat by the fire. These people crossed every culture and station of life, and young and old alike.

So let me jump a bit to a group of pioneers I call “rock solid type”. A few years back, I spent some time in an area by Escalante Utah. Those of you that know this area know the “Hole in the rock road”. You can Google this to get an idea as to the pure rough nature of the area. At the time that these pioneers ventured out to this area, it was untouched by the wheels of a wagon. These people had settled in different places in the territory, after crossing plains, mountains, and rivers, only to up root and venture out some more. Now day the road leaves many a person seat-sore, to put it nicely. Some of the descriptions from those that traveled it called it a road that would have put the fear of God in the Devil himself. I have walked down some of the steep cuts in the canyons and edges. And yes, they are just that rough. The pioneers had to have some “rock solid stuff” to go out on another adventure after maybe just getting rested up from the last one. There had to be even more driving them than a new land to live in. The road/trail they carved took a few years, and it is miraculous that not more than a few ill-fated events happened to them.

There are people in our day and time that have a lot of “rock solid stuff.” We have friends, family, and people we meet in this adventure called life. After a spell of years in one part of the state, we pulled up roots about a year ago and moved on north, leaving behind memories made with a bunch of “rock solid” peeps. We have crossed the trail with many good peeps here and have had some welcoming pioneers accept us for the peeps we are. We hopped between a few different church groups in the past year. In one of those groups, there was an accepting clergyman and his helpers that, in spite of the raw and rough look of myself, were and have been great (more rock solid peeps). Those helpers at the door of a new congregation with a friendly smile, a hand shake and a welcoming word. This brings to mind the story of our nick name. At a church gathering we met many peeps, but we happen to sit with a younger couple and a lady who was slightly older than us. We introduced ourselves and they joked about us being “Bonnie and Clyde”. The name kind of took. We were new and they were trying to be more active in the church. We all became new accepting pioneer friends. We have come across many others as we hopped around the area. Some are accepting of the rough-looking, old feller next door or across the street. The old, crazy soul willing to help a youth program get up off the ground. Whatever it may be, we need to be accepting pioneers in our life; whether that is the person that sits by us in the dentist waiting room, the store checkout line, or the bench in church. Maybe even being the new person on the block is a pioneering adventure of teaching others to also be accepting of change.

May we remember the past and work harder to be as some “Rock solid” accepting pioneers of history and be ever more accepting of each other. 

What’s up with that?!

What’s up with that?!

In the years that social media has been around there are some things that I have seen, found, agree with, and feel to be needed with it. So here it goes peeps. By all means keep in mind I’m a dabbler with this too. With this I add up front that I had some helpful thoughts and ideas with this rant of sorts from some friends and family. Here it goes……..

Posting items and comments: Something’s are not worth the re-share. I mean really! Look at the content of the message is it surrounded by things that are not very noteworthy. Does it have derogatory, vulgar, obscene, or hateful terms? If so maybe your friends would like it better if you didn’t add it to cross their news feed. You could at best fix it up some when possible. I admit there are items that with some fixing can put the intended message a crossed but leave the ugh out of the share. Keep in mind I have seen many a post in the years I have been on the net. Ya’ll might note that some of the items are not obvious on the page. The comments add to a post or about a post can add to or seriously subtract the point of the post also. More about comments to come on this rant of mine. I would add to this the hash tag drop too. Two may be tree are not seen as far out there but adding more than five may very well put peeps to sleep. Pictures are great but if you want your friends out there to see the pics as you intended it add some explanation to it or for all the others in the world your dear aunt Martha is just some elderly lady you have a pic of. I say that laughing because on many occasion someone has shared a profile pic of me with no descriptive explaining and so others are left to wonder if one of us fell down and bumped our heads.

Sharing filters: Not everyone has this figured out yet but it is a common thing. There are different settings to specifically target the people we want to see the items we present on our pages (Each media page and linking is different in set up). Some if not most have settings like public, friends, restricted, group geared, close friends, and just me. So let me try to use as few of crayons as possible to explain this. If something is “public” at the start and you share it everyone on your friends will see it if you share it with the “public” share option. There is usually a drop down menu for the option either at the top or bottom of the item as you go to share it. Now if the item is marked as “friends” before sharing it will be friends of the person you are friends with only when shared via the “friends” share option. Mind you the only way this can be changed from “friends” to “public” is for the person that posted the originating post to change it. If you share an item that is originally “friends” only and put it as “public” it remains “friends” only. Why would this be a big deal to know any of this? Well there are postings that peeps try to share with a group and if the setting is not “public” the posting has “Attachment Unavailable” a crossed the posting. As for the other settings I will just briefly hit them. Group geared means those in a group will see your posting as long as you set the filter to public share and the item is public or you have complete rain of it. Restricted and close friends are groups of friends you set up on your friends list. Of course the just me is a no brainer.

Selfies and look I don’t know how to dress: I could see a selfie now and then with some kind of super cool things around you and no help to run the camera. Group combo selfies are kind of a given but don’t over bore your friends because then they may see you in a whole now look as somewhat narcissistic. Now about the dress thing some pics go without saying you should may be add a few clothes. Just say’n!

Comments and replying: as much as some peeps could use a bit of schooling on some things giving a piece of your mind may very well be an expression of your social skill level. I saw the other day a thrashing on a post by a few peeps over an idea that I’m pretty sure they all took the wrong way. Now mind you I did my best as I could not to side jump the situation but had it been a group or page that I mediate or administer I would had nipped it in the bud. By jumping up and down on some ones post you can very well come a crossed as mean, and rude. Plus, I would add if names get flying you can come across as narcasistical also. I would say comments and reply posting are pretty much the same items. If someone is asking for help and fishing for information to better view something adding comments with links is a good thing to add illustrations to the item but do not add to shove a point it drops your level on the field. I heard it put once in a kid’s movie “If you can’t say something nice don’t say nothing at all”.

Liking and adding Emoji’s: I would say if it is a good thing let someone know you’re ok with it. There are many more ways of expressing things now that we didn’t have a number of years ago to express like, dislike, love it, and so on. You can express a lot just in the one click that it makes words kind of useless. Be careful as to the kinds of things also because by adding a face sticking out the tongue it can get the wrong expression in some countries of the world. Now there is a thought here also considering there is a few variations for narcissism. Unless your posting is super unique in some way my kids have told me it is not good to like all of your own postings. Some peeps may be on their small screen and not be paying attention to the listing as it comes up on a news feed. If so you are forgiven for that.

Friend requests: Yes, this is an interesting linking for us all. I see a dozen or so requests each week for people all over the world. I don’t mind having friends everywhere and it adds perspective to the news feed. However, unless we have meet in person in order for me personally to feel ok with adding someone I kind of like to know more than the name of the person. Send a message with enough information to allow someone to know it is not a hacker or troll. Keep in mind that not all settings on your page lets someone see your time line etc.

Messaging: I see often peeps post that they have a new phone and number. Then they add the number in the post for the world to see. Keep in mind where your share settings are for the post. If it is public the world has your number and anything else your sharing. Best to put somethings in a message.

Final thoughts: I would say be cautious in what and how things appear on you pages due to the difficulty to back up once you have gone with something. The digital foot print that we drop as bread crumbs can show up in places we would not care to have them. I read a while ago about someone that decided to change things on their social media pages but thy were viewed already as someone fully vested in a rut to the point they could not just change things over night. They suggested that you have three options in this, one was to gradually curve the posts you share back some, second was to drop all social media for an extended period of time, and third was to drop off the grid until any one that knows you at all has passed on. It can be a great thing peeps to share with your family, friends, and the people out there that you have connected with in some way. Use it to better the world, raise awareness, change the way we see things, open our minds and hearts to the good. 

Put it to the test!

Put it to the test!

Whether you’re of LDS understanding or not the quest for knowledge and wisdom is often the same. That quest whether for learning and understanding is for spiritual or secular they can be keyed to the same path of study. When in all things study and prayer are used hand in hand wisdom and knowledge are truly found. I put to that a string of questioning a crossed the pages of main stream and social media. We seek right and wrong light and dark and wish to know what is what. The battle of right and wrong started long before this world and will continue until the son of God comes again. Each time the people of this world start a quest for knowledge the clash between light and dark comes toe to toe. Whether you are that prophet and his family leaving all you have to cross the ocean, the fourteen-year-old boy seeking an answer to prayer, or someone questioning the direction for you in your life. We have been given a pattern for study by Moroni in the pages of Chapter ten of the Book of Mormon. I will submit that there is knowledge and wisdom that does not find its way in to books of print simply because there are things that can and are only explained by the thoughts and influence of the holy Ghost. Given this statement I further submit that not everyone will see all of the knowledge, wisdom, and power that exists in the universe. With that I add that many have disputed things of right and light for centuries. There are many that see a great thing happen and discount it as of Light or right because they do not fully understand from whence it came about. When the Savior raised Lazarus from the bed of death many spoke of it as from the Devil for they understood not as to the power that it came. Many would put off the things of prophets of our day because they do not understand the power and wisdom behind it. I would submit that there is power, knowledge and wisdom that we still do not understand and may never fully understand until we see Christ. I would be safe in stating that there are for each of good an equal and opposite side for light as dark. If someone show something that is good, then yes there is something that is reflective of it that is not. That is why studying it out is the key to knowing if it is of light or dark. Be ever cautious but willing to seek with spirit and soul not just body and mind. I Add that many prophets and apostles have had and do have a very extensive knowledge of the world and science but added to that the knowledge of God and spiritual matters. There is a key to spiritual knowledge and science meshing in the creation of heaven and earth. Christ did not just blindly command the elements in the organization of them. He knew how and what fit together to make it happen. We to must have some understanding of it to make things come together for us as well. I would say that when the powers of God through the Priesthood work it is because of the knowledge we have that God will direct things his way. Now I put this as to the point as stated many times in scripter that all things have a spirt so in order to add that nothing can be fully commanded it need not be living. It has been said that we can feel the energy of all things including the earth. I submit that there is more again that we do not fully see or understand. Judge carefully that that is before you. We are offered at times a path to find more wisdom and knowledge and to see examples of power and we turn it down. Why do we turn it down? Because we are afraid of the unknown and what we may find. There have been many times in my life I was only open to things because I had nothing left. Always be open to what could be because it may be the answer of the great creator for us to see. When we close the door quickly without looking in to the darkness and before we see in to the next room that opportunity is taken from us. It may well be the biggest answer to our prayers that we seek. I often wonder where I would be had I closed the door too quickly when my health was in a spiral. The answers came in the form of a priesthood blessing and a book from a good friend of some alternative medical practices. Some who say it is far from right but others that know my plight would strongly say no. But I can only say as to those that differ on this they may never understand my blessing of health. I know for certain that God shows us things if we are seeking earnestly for answers but we to must be willing to look and confirm them as we see them. I do not doubt for a minute that there are things of darkness that do cross our lives and try to show us as light but if we discount everything then we are left with nothing. We may have a fair knowledge of life but we do not have all the answers. Best to give other people’s ideas a look and not ridicule them and judge harshly that which we do not see, know, or understand.

Flags that wave!

Flags that wave!

Flags are flown in many ways. The most common is atop a pole most often at the top. Many years ago Frances Key penned a notable statement as to the flag he could see still waving with life. I point to one of the times we see flags at half of the posted value. Why? Let’s look at the events that happen time and again to our lives. What this tells me is there is something that has happened that will most assuredly change the lives of many. Whether it is in times of peace or war this tells us that some where there is someone’s Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, Grandparent, Friend, Spouse, or Mentor that will not be returning to them alive. As much as we value freedom, we must also value life. All life is important to God. I would be safe to say that he is sadden when we as his children do not value each other and take that which he has given to us from others. I would hope and pray that we do everything in our power to teach others a love and value of life. God has and always will want for us to be happy and allow others to be happy as well.