Watch Matt as he dances his way around the world. Makes me want to go with him!
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Category Archives: Relationships
Do you think you can tell where a person is from by their accent? If so take THIS little quiz. I expected to better than 20 measly points!
My sweet daughter cooked up this cute video. I predict it will really take off!
Uncle Jay’s word for this week is HUBRIS.
YOU COULD WIN A FREE COPY. READ THE ARTICLE TOO DISCOVER HOW.
I don’t often review books. I make exceptions only when the book is exceptional. Drawing Heaven Into Your Marriage by H. Wallace Goddard, PhD, is exceptional!
Casting off conventional “wisdom,” Dr. Wally gets right to the root of successful, happy marriages and for that matter, successful, happy lives. His approach is based entirely on the Atonement, Merits, and Mercy of Jesus Christ. No more tricks and techniques, no more fooling around with each other’s behavior or feelings, Wally teaches us the true nature of love and change. The book is refreshing, motivating, readable and hits close to home. Without being preachy, Wally teaches fundamental principles that are full of warmth, compassion and believability. I wish every married couple had and studied this wonderful, bright work of love and testimony.
So pleased, am I with Drawing Heaven Into Your Marriage that I’m going to give away a copy on the 15th of March. If you’d like to have your name entered into the drawing please indicate in the comments of this article.
Booklogged and I enjoy and warm and joyful marriage. We’ve learned many of the things Dr. Wally teaches, in the marriage school of hard knocks. We affirm that the principles are true. Oh, how I wish I’d had this book in the earlier moments of our marriage, where I could possibly have avoided inflicting so much pain on her. I did have Wally in those days, though, (he’s a personal and very dear friend) and he was, even then, catalyst for much of the progress I was able to make. Why? Because even 20 years ago, Wally understood better than I, the goodness, kindness and love of Jesus Christ and the impact my Savior could have on every facet of my enormously imperfect life.
Before Stephen E. Robinson and Believing Christ, before James L. Ferrell’s, The Peacegiver, before serving at the county jail and later, at the juvenile detention center, before learning to engage, rather than merely reading, The Book of Mormon, before addiciton recovery and my connection with LDS ARP, all of which have taught me about the love and atonement and mercy of Jesus Christ; before all of that, was Wally Goddard. I had grown up with lots of mistaken, mythical and nonsensical notions about God and my relationship with him. Wally was the first to help remove the scales from my eyes. This was long before he was famous. He had not published; he had no PhD. In those days the only thing I ever placed before his name was brother.
It is interesting though, that as I read his writings today, there is little that doesn’t echo from the days we pondered life together in our youth. I rue that I wasn’t prepared to better understand what he was trying to teach me back then. While it is clear I didn’t get much of what Wally had for me; it is also clear that he busted the first cracks in the crust of false notions that had me encased in fear, frustration and darkness. Back then, Wally was to me, a solitary voice in a culture of tradition, self sufficiency, anxiety and threat. I, for example, subconsciously thought that God was holding me by the scruff of the neck, out over hell, just waiting for an excuse to drop me. Had I ever articulated those words, I hope I would have recognized how foolish they are. I never actually put it in those terms, though. Instead, it was more like script silently written into the software of my thought processes. Script, which I may have and often did disagree with, but script which still controlled my response to the circumstances of my life. Wally initiated for me, the long laborious process of rewriting that script.
Wally is now more renown and has written several wonderful volumes that are as fresh and cutting edge as things get in Mormondom. There is no heretical fringe type thinking, just honest, faithfilled truth that so many of us have missed in our lives. You can read his Myth of the Month columns at Meridian Magazine or explore a collection of wonderful articles at his blog, Dr. Wally.
“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.” Marjorie Peay Hinckley
Read more about why this matters in Dr. Wally’s article on Personality and Perfection.
Democracy must be something more than two
wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for
dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian
What I am about to say may be shocking. If it startles or offends you please read on. For I am not a heretic but a believer and have a faith filled observation to make:
During my life I have always felt a bit squeamish when Thomas S. Monson comes to the pulpit. He seems to have a tendency to “toot his own horn,” which has always put me off. Had it been up to me, he might not have come to the position that is about to be placed upon him.
That said, I am presently prepared to sustain him as the new President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with all my heart. Let me explain why.
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I am more fully aware of President Monson’s life, teachings, service and history (largely because of his tooting) than I have been with regard to any of his predecessors as they approached the office. His life has been truly exemplary from a very early age. He was called to be Bishop at the age of 22.
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He is not the first of the presidents of the church, with whom I had personality conflict that put me off in some way. Yet my experience has been that the conflict seemed to evaporate as I observed them accept the mantle of prophet leader of the church. I don’t pretend to fully understand why this has happened in the past, but it has occurred often enough that I fully expect it to occur again this time.
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When I filter out the horn tooting, there is nothing in the teachings of this great man that are not inspiring, uplifting, beneficial, plain, simple and true. In all these years, he as taught only correct principles of life and living and the gospel of Jesus Christ. His loyalty to the truth is unmistakable.
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His reputation for kind, thoughtfulness is irrefutable. He clearly walks the walk, not merely talking the talk.
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His life is characterized by doing what God wishes, rather than what Thomas wishes. I take that back, it is clear that Thomas only wishes what God wishes. I just meant that he is careful to consider the wishes of God and then to do them. He is clearly, long practiced in hearing and heeding the promptings of the Spirit. And….it occurs to me that the Spirit has quite likely required him to “toot his own horn” on many occasions.
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If God had not wanted Thomas S. Monson to be in the position he is presently in, that of soon being called to serve as Prophet and President of the church, he simply would not be here. The system of succession in the church is flawless, entirely in the hands of God, consistent and confidence building. None of these men have sought the positions in which they serve. They simply lived worthy lives and answered the call.
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I have no expectation that any of the prophets are, or will be, during their tenure, perfect human beings. They are good, fine, loyal, righteous people, to be sure, but I do not expect them to be flawless and neither does God. All that is expected is that they do their best and that they humbly rely upon God to compensate for their weakness. Perhaps that is the chief characteristic that qualifies them to serve in such positions - they have learned humility, through which God is able to strengthen them sufficiently to make magnificent use of them.
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Finally, and under-girding and overarching all the rest, I have prayed and asked God for a personal affirmation that this man, Thomas S. Monson, is truly Heavenly Father’s choice to lead His church through the coming years. I have received that affirmation. An undeniable witness in my heart that God continues to direct the affairs of His church. That personal revelation is the rock upon which His church is founded. In the present and coming days millions upon millions of Latter-day Saints (and any others who would) will quietly plead with their Father in Heaven to confirm in their hearts the witness that President Monson is His prophet, their prophet, and He will answer.
There is a fine biographical sketch of President Monson in the Salt Lake Tribune.
| What’s Your Best Quality?
Your Result: Personality
Your best quality is your personality! People like you because you are an all around good person. You have good manners and values. You also like to express your personal style and interests. |
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| Intelligence |
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| Loving |
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| Sense of Humor |
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| Out-Going |
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| Ambitious |
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| What’s Your Best Quality? Take More Quizzes |
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Go here to find out.
I just returned from across the street. It is a bitter sweet moment. My friend Raymond is headed for the local Care Center. Ray has Alzheimer’s. Mary has cared from him wonderfully for the past two years, during which he has gradually become more and more debilitated. I wrote more in detail about this in a post on a personal blog called Candleman. For now, suffice it to say, she is at once, broken hearted and relieved. His care has become a huge burden. She had Home Health come in each morning to help get him up and bathed. Still she called me most days and sometimes twice to help her get him off the floor after he’d slid out of his chair, or for some other problem. I loved doing it. She loved caring for him too. Inevitably though, it became more than she could do.
I am 57 this year. Not all that old, but I live in an older neighborhood full of wonderful folks from the generation previous to mine. I see this kind of thing a lot. Down the street lived a couple I visited frequently. She had diabetes which resulted in the amputation of both of her feet. He was strong and able and determined to keep her home and care for her. Whether it was the stress or not, who knows, but suddenly he became very ill and could no longer care for her. They found a space in a rest home for her after an arduous search, but it was 90 miles from here and became an added hardship.
One more story; there are dozens. A younger friend I visit is bed-fast with MS. His dear wife has cared for him for years. Recently though, he has developed a bed sore that won’t heal. It has been determined that the sore has to be surgically removed. Recovery will require him to spend some time in a Care Center as well. Fortunately he will be able to be near home during his recovery.
These things happen and have me a bit concerned. I’ve done a little research into this and found an excellent web site focused on caring for friends and family in these difficult circumstances. I have discovered discovered a resource for finding care homes. Bettercaring has information on methods and equipment and resources for assistance in the care of your loved one. There is advice on money issues. They will help you find services and facilities near you. My favorite part is their forum, where you can communicate with other care givers. You’ll discover you’re not alone, learn ways to give better care, and learn to care for yourself along the way.
Clearly there are burdens and challenges associated with care giving. But there is joy, love, companionship, satisfaction and peace in it too. I have not been a primary care giver, but watching so many who are or have been, my sympathy and concern is often greater for them. Bettercaring has masterfully addressed care of the care giver as well.
My brother has long begged me to watch this movie. It was filmed in 1921. The movie follows Nanook and his family as they live their lives in one of the harshest places on earth. To me, the most remarkable thing is their obvious heartfelt joy!
This is just a bit of the movie. I found it in its entirety, at our local library. It is interesting, compelling, startling and at a fundamental level, inspiring.
Here’s some wonderful food for reflection!
This past summer, my sweetheart and I went ancestor hunting in Michigan, Ontario and Quebec where I found graves of many of my progenitors. I just located some of those sites on Google Earth. Here is a photo of the Scoville Family Cemetery on Scugog Island, near Port Perry, Ontario. Google Earth Placemark ~GE1568.kmz
