I really like the message of this bit of prose.
I AM THANKFUL
Author Unknown
FOR THE WIFE
WHO SAYS ITS HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,
AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
FOR THE HUSBAND
WHO IS ON THE SOFA
BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME
AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.
FOR THE TEENAGER
WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,
NOT ON THE STREETS.
FOR THE TAXES I PAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM EMPLOYED.
FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE
BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS
FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.
FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE
FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.
FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING
I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS
WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
FOR THE PARKING SPOT
I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.
FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I AM WARM.
FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH
WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I CAN HEAR.
FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS
I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.
FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES
AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BE EN
CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.
FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
An Interview With Rick Warren
A friend gave us all a copy of this interview at Book Club last night. I love how Rick Warren puts his thoughts into words about life and The Savior. Good people exist in every religion and Christian denomination! You can access it by the link, or just read the text below. It is just too good not to read and share.
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/17175.htm
AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK WARREN (AUTHOR OF "A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE")
Interview with Rick Warren , author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."
But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal my wife or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ...
God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/17175.htm
AN INTERVIEW WITH RICK WARREN (AUTHOR OF "A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE")
Interview with Rick Warren , author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."
But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal my wife or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ...
God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD
Monday, January 19, 2009
Powers Equal to Our Tasks
Please do not pray – I plead with you – for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.
– Thomas S. Monson, BYU Commencement, April 25, 1991; Church News , May 4, 1991
– Thomas S. Monson, BYU Commencement, April 25, 1991; Church News , May 4, 1991
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas in Heaven
My dad talked to my brother on Christmas morning after he finished being on call as a pediatric resident. C.J. told my dad that he had an infant patient die. I began to quietly sob as I let this information sink in. As a fairly new mother, I can only imagine how the parents must have felt as they let their first child pass from this Earth on Christmas Eve. I talked to C.J. later that day after he had slept for awhile, and he said that the parents were given this poem. I found it on the internet at http://www.crossroad.to/Victory/poems/Christmas-3.htm and thought I would post it.
Christmas in Heaven
by Wanda Bencke
I see the countless Christmas trees
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like heaven's stars
Reflecting in the snow.
The sight is so spectacular
please wipe away that tear
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
but the sound of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you
of the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.
I can't tell you of the splendor
or the peace here in this place
Can you just imagine Christmas
with our Savior face to face
I'll ask him to lift your spirit
as I tell him of your love
so then pray for one another
as you lift your eyes above.
Please let your hearts be joyful
and let your spirit sing
for I am spending Christmas in Heaven
and I’m walking with the King.
Christmas in Heaven
by Wanda Bencke
I see the countless Christmas trees
Around the world below,
With tiny lights like heaven's stars
Reflecting in the snow.
The sight is so spectacular
please wipe away that tear
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
but the sound of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you
of the joy their voices bring
for it is beyond description
to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart
for I am spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.
I can't tell you of the splendor
or the peace here in this place
Can you just imagine Christmas
with our Savior face to face
I'll ask him to lift your spirit
as I tell him of your love
so then pray for one another
as you lift your eyes above.
Please let your hearts be joyful
and let your spirit sing
for I am spending Christmas in Heaven
and I’m walking with the King.
Families Can Be Together Forever
Last Monday, I saw on the local news about a fatal car accident in Provo Canyon. Two teenage boys were killed. One of the boys was from Mapleton and his name was Neal Harlan. I didn't know him but the last name, thought not common, was familiar to me and I immediately wondered if he was the son of Dave Harlan. Dave at one time was the Technology Specialist in the Nebo School District when I worked there. I remember going to a workshop taught by him, and I recall that he was a nice man. He is now an administrator at Spanish Fork Junior High School. I found this out today by doing some searching on the Nebo website.
I checked all week, and Neal's obituary came out on Christmas Day. I was very moved by the faith Neal's family expressed in his obituary. They bore their testimony of eternal life and eternal families, a testimony that I personally share. I only go to the obituary section of local news websites after someone I know has died, but this was the first obituary I have ever read that expressed so eloquently a faith filled testimony of eternal life. I thought I would share it. I hope his family will be comforted by the Holy Ghost during these days after his funeral and throughout the rest of their mortal lives.
Neal Douglas Harlan
September 23,1990 -December 22, 2008
Our beloved, tender-hearted son, brother, nephew, grandson, and friend passed away in a tragic car accident on December 22, 2008. He was traveling up Provo Canyon to Snowboard with his buddies. Neal was born September 23, 1990; the third child of David and Katrina Harlan and only boy surrounded by five girls. Neal recently earned his Eagle Scout award and was looking forward to graduating from SHS in 2009. Although Neal is no longer with us in this life, his family takes comfort in the knowledge that his spirit lives on and he is in a better place. Neal loved snowboarding, hunting, X-box, and being with his friends and family. Neal enjoyed traveling, abalone diving, water sports and his dog Gimli. Neal recently got his first buck and dropped his first engine with the help of his Grandpa. He loved to tease and scare his mom and sisters and was quite successful. He liked good food and was a hard worker. Neal liked to go golfing with his Dad and Douger and when he was young being read to every night. His sense of humor, and loving heart will be dearly missed. Neal is survived by his parents, five sisters; Briana, Camille, Hailey, Chloe, and Emma, Grandparents; Neal and Nita Thomsen and Doug Harlan, and many loving extended family members. His family mourns his absence but they are comforted by the knowledge of knowing they will see him again. Friends and family may call from 12-1:30 pm at the Mapleton Stake Center (970 N 400 E. Mapleton) on Friday December 26, 2008. Funeral services will be held at the same center at 2 pm. "Harlan's are a Forever Family!!!" We love you Nealster Buddy!
I checked all week, and Neal's obituary came out on Christmas Day. I was very moved by the faith Neal's family expressed in his obituary. They bore their testimony of eternal life and eternal families, a testimony that I personally share. I only go to the obituary section of local news websites after someone I know has died, but this was the first obituary I have ever read that expressed so eloquently a faith filled testimony of eternal life. I thought I would share it. I hope his family will be comforted by the Holy Ghost during these days after his funeral and throughout the rest of their mortal lives.
Neal Douglas Harlan
September 23,1990 -December 22, 2008
Our beloved, tender-hearted son, brother, nephew, grandson, and friend passed away in a tragic car accident on December 22, 2008. He was traveling up Provo Canyon to Snowboard with his buddies. Neal was born September 23, 1990; the third child of David and Katrina Harlan and only boy surrounded by five girls. Neal recently earned his Eagle Scout award and was looking forward to graduating from SHS in 2009. Although Neal is no longer with us in this life, his family takes comfort in the knowledge that his spirit lives on and he is in a better place. Neal loved snowboarding, hunting, X-box, and being with his friends and family. Neal enjoyed traveling, abalone diving, water sports and his dog Gimli. Neal recently got his first buck and dropped his first engine with the help of his Grandpa. He loved to tease and scare his mom and sisters and was quite successful. He liked good food and was a hard worker. Neal liked to go golfing with his Dad and Douger and when he was young being read to every night. His sense of humor, and loving heart will be dearly missed. Neal is survived by his parents, five sisters; Briana, Camille, Hailey, Chloe, and Emma, Grandparents; Neal and Nita Thomsen and Doug Harlan, and many loving extended family members. His family mourns his absence but they are comforted by the knowledge of knowing they will see him again. Friends and family may call from 12-1:30 pm at the Mapleton Stake Center (970 N 400 E. Mapleton) on Friday December 26, 2008. Funeral services will be held at the same center at 2 pm. "Harlan's are a Forever Family!!!" We love you Nealster Buddy!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Letter from the President
I really loved the counsel in this Christmas letter from my mission president. It applies to all Latter-day Saints.
Christmas, 2008
Dear Elders & Sisters –
We know this is a rather impersonal way to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a delightful New Year, but perhaps it’s better than not doing it at all. Sister Hill and I talk about you a lot and miss the wonderful days we spent with you in the sunny (snowy!) climes of Las Vegas. Those were challenging times for all of us, and yet as we have watched you in the ensuing years, we are aware that the Lord does keep His great promise that if you are obedient to the commandments, He will prosper you in the land. As we receive pictures and notes of your engagements, marriages and growing families, we thrill that we were a small part of your lives. Even as Helaman of old, we delight in calling you our sons and daughters!
Sister Hill and I are doing wonderfully well in all respects. The Lord, in His infinite goodness, has blessed us with good health and strength, both in body and mind. We are living in the cabin on Placid Lake and thoroughly enjoying the glorious handiwork of the Lord. I am still doing research (vicariously) at the University of Montana, where my lab now consists of four, soon to be five, people. We are having lots of fun pursuing the mysteries of the ribosome. Sister Hill is very involved in crafts of all kinds, knitting, crocheting hats and afghans, candy making projects and teaching craft classes at JoAnn’s. She is still working with the Primary in our little branch (twig) here in Seeley Lake. I am still wandering around the region training wards and stakes in welfare services. By the way, all of you should take the time to take a short course found in the Provident Living site on the Church Web Site entitled “Peace in Your Hearts.” It can be found at http://providentliving.org/media/training/peaceheart/main.html. It will help all of us to use our resources wisely!
We hope and pray that all of you are doing well. We are made aware, from time to time. of some of the difficulties and challenges that you are facing. There is little doubt that all of us must pass through such trials to refine us, for that is the purpose of this life. Our only counsel is to be steadfast and obedient to the commandments of God. Follow the counsel of our leaders and pursue the course of eternal life. This includes daily prayers, both as individuals and as families, daily study of the scriptures, faithful attendance at your meetings, magnifying the callings to which you are called, and being Temple worthy at all times. Fast and pray often, for your own needs (including your flocks and herds), and for the needs of others. Be conscious of the poor and the needy and do all you can to lift their burdens, especially during this hallowed season.
We love you and are grateful for all that you are. Please write from time to time, and keep us posted of your situations. And do come and visit us if it is ever possible. We love to have guests here at the lake. Our reunion will be October 2nd, 2009 in Provo.
May the Lord bless and keep you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Love
President & Sister Hill
Christmas, 2008
Dear Elders & Sisters –
We know this is a rather impersonal way to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a delightful New Year, but perhaps it’s better than not doing it at all. Sister Hill and I talk about you a lot and miss the wonderful days we spent with you in the sunny (snowy!) climes of Las Vegas. Those were challenging times for all of us, and yet as we have watched you in the ensuing years, we are aware that the Lord does keep His great promise that if you are obedient to the commandments, He will prosper you in the land. As we receive pictures and notes of your engagements, marriages and growing families, we thrill that we were a small part of your lives. Even as Helaman of old, we delight in calling you our sons and daughters!
Sister Hill and I are doing wonderfully well in all respects. The Lord, in His infinite goodness, has blessed us with good health and strength, both in body and mind. We are living in the cabin on Placid Lake and thoroughly enjoying the glorious handiwork of the Lord. I am still doing research (vicariously) at the University of Montana, where my lab now consists of four, soon to be five, people. We are having lots of fun pursuing the mysteries of the ribosome. Sister Hill is very involved in crafts of all kinds, knitting, crocheting hats and afghans, candy making projects and teaching craft classes at JoAnn’s. She is still working with the Primary in our little branch (twig) here in Seeley Lake. I am still wandering around the region training wards and stakes in welfare services. By the way, all of you should take the time to take a short course found in the Provident Living site on the Church Web Site entitled “Peace in Your Hearts.” It can be found at http://providentliving.org/media/training/peaceheart/main.html. It will help all of us to use our resources wisely!
We hope and pray that all of you are doing well. We are made aware, from time to time. of some of the difficulties and challenges that you are facing. There is little doubt that all of us must pass through such trials to refine us, for that is the purpose of this life. Our only counsel is to be steadfast and obedient to the commandments of God. Follow the counsel of our leaders and pursue the course of eternal life. This includes daily prayers, both as individuals and as families, daily study of the scriptures, faithful attendance at your meetings, magnifying the callings to which you are called, and being Temple worthy at all times. Fast and pray often, for your own needs (including your flocks and herds), and for the needs of others. Be conscious of the poor and the needy and do all you can to lift their burdens, especially during this hallowed season.
We love you and are grateful for all that you are. Please write from time to time, and keep us posted of your situations. And do come and visit us if it is ever possible. We love to have guests here at the lake. Our reunion will be October 2nd, 2009 in Provo.
May the Lord bless and keep you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Love
President & Sister Hill
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The 7 Ups
My cousin sent this to me awhile back, and I really like it. The Bible verses have been paraphrased (I am not used to reading them that way) but I thought the whole thing gave 7 great messages.
1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!! . . . for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up!! . . . to the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up!! . . . for something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up!! . . . your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6
A POSITIVE THOUGHT
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
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