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.

Fences, Barbwire, and hung up.

Fences, barbwire, and hung up. Some summer in Provo.

They say great fences have good posts, good field mesh, and yes barbwire. Summer time fun was always a trip or two to the pond. You can bet we didn't walk the road like most people would have. Over the fences and through the woods to the play ground with the rope swing. We went there often and things where a blast. You never expect things to go wrong when you're about to have a good time. The first fence is never a problem but everything changes with the last one. Half way over the top my foot made the choice to leave the cross post and drop me on the top wire. By now I’m thinking going under the fence like I had done many times before may have had better results. Some of you country folks could probably relate to a few ingenious predicaments of your own. Yes as you could guess headed to the pond I was adorned in swim’n get up too. So I’m yelling for help and hearing the laughs of the others as I hang there. At this point I know I have those mean barbs grabbing my shorts and shirt but at least once had my upper leg. Doing my best not to let the others know I’m not a wimp and start the crying thing. All the while doing the desperate wriggle to find that cross post with my unwilling stupid foot. After more wriggling than a snake racing for a hole to hide in my foot makes contacted with the post. I look down at the wire and my leg, UGH! I grabbed the fence tight as my head started to spin out of crazy. Carefully I worked to get the mean prong out of my leg and the thought came to me what are you doing. Then it hit me people bleed to death in the middle of nowhere land. The others attempted to help me free the shirt and shorts all the while telling me you don’t looks so good. After sitting down for a good spell I considered the situation and that the pond was not a great idea for this day. Patting Lucky on the back those mean thorns grazed a few other spots but didn’t impel but once and missing some serious spots by a few hundredths of an inch. Made my way back to the house thinking how lucky that was.

Some after notes for sure for the fence adventure. Don’t get distracted when you’re about to hop the fences of life.  It’s that time of distraction that things happen and things reach out and grab us. Even good fences have some meanness to them and need to be treated with an element of caution. Not every step we use to get over the hurdles in life is good and put us in the best place. Some of those steps we use or take leave us hung out to dry. Barbwire is great for encouraging livestock to stay in place but not human body friendly. That we often are used as accidental entertainment by others that don’t realize the extent of our pain at the time. Scars are reminders for the next time that not all bad situations are deadly. Always keep control of your emotions in the heat of the situation but when you get free of it let it go. Always hope those with you are capable of helping get un-hung or out of trouble and back on good ground. When things go wrong and they will, breathe and roll with it because things do happen. Changing direction or ways over the fence do come with new challenges and they will always change us. Prayer is a key element of change and God kind of likes to help us when things aren't going well and we are caught on the barbwire in life.

Battles of within.

Battles of within!

The story of the wolf.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

“One is Evil – It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

“The other is Good – It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

We fight many battles inside of our souls that are what makes or breaks us. Many of those battles have a way of making us either soft hearted or bitter. But we have that choice to decide what side we will live on. How do you best make that choice how you live? Do we fight that wolf or dragon that will possibly destroy our soul of the goodness that makes us human? Many times we throw things away in our lives because we are not willing to fight at all. Many battles are of faith and fear. As much as we do not like to admit it fear is a very strong motivator. It may cause us to change for good or to shrink and hide.

 Some of the battles are of what we think others think of us or don't think of us. I have yet to fully understand this myself and like many things that have need for a bit of improvement I battle it each day to some degree or another. I question people that try to tell me there are no battles that they fight because it may not be a  big one but a battle just the same. Sometimes we can change how big the fight is that we must wage by the choices we make each moment of our lives. What kinds of choices do we have each day? Reminded of someone in the news choosing to fight a bear by putting his arm down the bear’s throat to save himself. Admittedly a risk but yet a payoff of a battle. When to battle only one person can choose for themselves. Fight or flight only you can decide but remember there can be a price to pay either way.

White washing the world

White washing the fence.

Back in the day, paint and painting had some real “stick to ya stuff.” Similar to the old story of Tom Sawyer, with the picket fence, is a story of my brother (the one just younger than me) and me doing a painting job. It was a wooden three board rail fence and my parents thought that we could handle the painting of it. Yeppers. We had good intentions, but were very poorly skilled workers. It was a hot cooker of a day, so having long pants and a shirt were not happening. I was about seven and my sidekick was about six. Back in the day, paint was not as user-friendly as it is today with the easy wash-up with water variety. With the area we needed to cover, we had been issued large brushes to speed the job up some. In the country setting, the bugs, flies, and gnat's were out in full force and buzzing around our heads. Seriously, what can ya possibly do to rid yourselves of the small pests? Yeppers. As you can fully guess, that large brush was as handy as a horse’s tail. Ya can't really blame someone when those little critters, especially the biting ones, were mean, to say the least. It was turning into quite the show, so much so that even the karate kid would have been jealous. The fence was done and we were also. But what about clean up? This is where it got crazy and wild. Generally, you would have something around called paint thinner or mineral spirits. Nope. We had to improvise. Gasoline it was. Not a good idea of fun, but a gas bath was in order. Thus was the story of the white washing of the fence.