Happy Birthday Juliet! I hope you have a Wonderful day today.I thought you might enjoy these pictures From a few years ago I found on the computer. I love you!Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Happy Birthday Juliet!
Happy Birthday Juliet! I hope you have a Wonderful day today.I thought you might enjoy these pictures From a few years ago I found on the computer. I love you!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas! It was a white Christmas for us this year! :-) We had a wonderful visit with Lisa and family and a yummy ham dinner. We were also able to talk to Michael and Juliet on the telephone. On this day when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, let us all remember Him.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve Adventure
We have been stuck here on the Hill for a couple of weeks because of our unseasonably cold snowy weather. So today we decided since it was warmer we would venture out to do a little last minute Christmas shopping. We knew it was going to be bad at the stores. Well let me just tell you about one lady. There was not one parking space available in the entire lot, let alone, any handicapped spaces. So we just dropped mom off at the door and dad and I drove around in the van looking for somewhere to park. After circling the lot about four times, we noticed one handicapped spot available. But there was already another car waiting to take it. Well from out of nowhere this lady came zooming in 100 miles an hour and took the spot. As we were circling around again we noticed her getting out of the car, cigarette and cup of coffee in hand. There was nothing handicapped about her except her lack of Christmas spirit and selfish disregard for others who actually needed a handicapped spot. You would think on Christmas eve of all days people might be a little more Christlike and giving.
Once we got home to our access road that we share with the neighbor we started slipping and sliding all over the place. We made it to our gate but that's as far as we could get. So dad walked up the hill to get the tractor to pull us up the hill. As mom and I were waiting in the car the neighbors zoomed past us and got stuck. I thought for sure they would slide back down the hill and crash into us. But luckily they were able to maneuver back down slowly past us and didn't crash into us (their car is still on the access road unable to maneuver up the hill). So dad put the tow chain on the van and towed us up the hill with the tractor. Thankfully, the tractor was able to tow us up the hill to the house. If the tractor was not able to tow the van the next step would have been to put me on a pallet and take me up the hill with the tractor and forklift attachment :-) that would have been a sight. Anyway that's our Christmas Eve Adventure.
Once we got home to our access road that we share with the neighbor we started slipping and sliding all over the place. We made it to our gate but that's as far as we could get. So dad walked up the hill to get the tractor to pull us up the hill. As mom and I were waiting in the car the neighbors zoomed past us and got stuck. I thought for sure they would slide back down the hill and crash into us. But luckily they were able to maneuver back down slowly past us and didn't crash into us (their car is still on the access road unable to maneuver up the hill). So dad put the tow chain on the van and towed us up the hill with the tractor. Thankfully, the tractor was able to tow us up the hill to the house. If the tractor was not able to tow the van the next step would have been to put me on a pallet and take me up the hill with the tractor and forklift attachment :-) that would have been a sight. Anyway that's our Christmas Eve Adventure.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Happy Birthday Joseph Smith
On this day, 203 years ago (December 23, 1805) the Prophet Joseph Smith was born. I would like to express my gratitude to him for his role in restoring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth.
President John Taylor, the third President of the Church, wrote, "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it" (D&C 135:3).
President Thomas S. Monson gave a talk about the Prophet Joseph Smith in the October 2005 General conference. Click on the title (Happy Birthday Joseph Smith) to read it.
President John Taylor, the third President of the Church, wrote, "Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it" (D&C 135:3).
President Thomas S. Monson gave a talk about the Prophet Joseph Smith in the October 2005 General conference. Click on the title (Happy Birthday Joseph Smith) to read it.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas Picture
This is a self-portrait I took in my apartment in Downey, Christmas 2001. I liked it, so I thought I would post it. :-)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Strange Analogy?
I thought of, what you might consider to be, a strange analogy the other day. So I thought I would share it with you. There are two time periods in my life where I feel I’ve been the closest to God or felt the presence of the Holy Ghost the most in my life. The first is rather obvious, it is while I was on my mission. And the second is now. As I was thinking about these two very different time periods, and experiences, I began to see many similarities.
On a mission, of course, your life is dedicated to serving the Lord. There are many stringent rules you must follow. Some of these include: no movies, no television, no newspaper, no music (except in my case, Mormon Tabernacle choir, Janice Kapp Perry, and music composed prayer to 1800) but, only on preparation day., study the Scriptures an hour a day, companionship study one hour a day, be within sight and sound of your companion at all times, etc.
Strangely enough, I am once again following a lot of these rules. Somebody is always within sight or sound of me, I listen to the book of Mormon every morning for at least an hour, with my mom, while I’m getting ready. I guess that counts as companionship study and personal study. :-) I don’t really enjoy listening to music anymore except uplifting music like the Mormon Tabernacle choir or Christmas music. I can probably count on one hand the number of Cds I have purchased over the past six years. Whereas, I probably owned over 400 Cds prior to that. I’ve never really been someone who enjoys movies, to me they always seemed like a waste of time. But when I do watch movies now, I try to watch uplifting or at least somewhat clean movies. I do however, watch quite a bit TV, but not because I really like it, it just keeps me occupied. I am generally in bed by around 5:00 p.m. and there’s really not much else to do. I used to really enjoy reading the newspaper every day. Ask any of my classmates in podiatry school, and they will tell you that I always brought a newspaper to school to read during breaks. But this is something I cannot do now, and actually, I rather miss it.
I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that these are the two time periods in my life where I have felt the closest to my Heavenly Father. The formula is rather simple, if we do those things to stay focused on the Gospel, we will feel an increase in the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. We can’t all live like missionaries, but we can change certain things in our lives, such as reading our scriptures, saying our prayers, having family home evening, avoiding music, television, movies, magazines, etc. that are not uplifting. By making even small efforts to do these things, you will notice a big change.
That’s my two cents.
On a mission, of course, your life is dedicated to serving the Lord. There are many stringent rules you must follow. Some of these include: no movies, no television, no newspaper, no music (except in my case, Mormon Tabernacle choir, Janice Kapp Perry, and music composed prayer to 1800) but, only on preparation day., study the Scriptures an hour a day, companionship study one hour a day, be within sight and sound of your companion at all times, etc.
Strangely enough, I am once again following a lot of these rules. Somebody is always within sight or sound of me, I listen to the book of Mormon every morning for at least an hour, with my mom, while I’m getting ready. I guess that counts as companionship study and personal study. :-) I don’t really enjoy listening to music anymore except uplifting music like the Mormon Tabernacle choir or Christmas music. I can probably count on one hand the number of Cds I have purchased over the past six years. Whereas, I probably owned over 400 Cds prior to that. I’ve never really been someone who enjoys movies, to me they always seemed like a waste of time. But when I do watch movies now, I try to watch uplifting or at least somewhat clean movies. I do however, watch quite a bit TV, but not because I really like it, it just keeps me occupied. I am generally in bed by around 5:00 p.m. and there’s really not much else to do. I used to really enjoy reading the newspaper every day. Ask any of my classmates in podiatry school, and they will tell you that I always brought a newspaper to school to read during breaks. But this is something I cannot do now, and actually, I rather miss it.
I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that these are the two time periods in my life where I have felt the closest to my Heavenly Father. The formula is rather simple, if we do those things to stay focused on the Gospel, we will feel an increase in the presence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. We can’t all live like missionaries, but we can change certain things in our lives, such as reading our scriptures, saying our prayers, having family home evening, avoiding music, television, movies, magazines, etc. that are not uplifting. By making even small efforts to do these things, you will notice a big change.
That’s my two cents.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Cancer Stick
Since I mentioned it in my last blog, I thought my topic today would be cigarette smoking. I have never understood why anybody with half a brain would start smoking cigarettes. There is mountains of scientific evidence that shows the detrimental effects of smoking, not only on the body, but also on the economy. I find it quite interesting that the Word of Wisdom was revealed in 1833, before there was any scientific evidence or common understanding of the deleterious effects of smoking.
It is common knowledge that smoking causes cancer and emphysema. And it is highly addictive. Let me just tell you some of the things I remember that I was taught in school. First let me discuss smoking's effect on the cardiovascular system. Smoking causes vasoconstriction, which is to say, causes blood vessels to constrict and become smaller, allowing less blood flow, and therefore less oxygen to permeate tissues. This causes problems to the extremities such as the hands and feet and can lead to amputation. Also, the coronary arteries are affected which causes less blood flow to the heart and can lead to heart attacks (myocardial infarction). Not to mention restricted blood flow to other organ systems such as the brain. Another effect on the cardiovascular system that smoking has is it damages the inner lining of blood vessels. This damage leads to plaque deposits, atherosclerosis which also leads to heart attacks. And let's not forget the damage maternal smoking causes to a developing fetus. The restricted blood flow leads to restricted growth, i.e. low birth weight. When these babies are born they are often more irritable and can suffer from learning disabilities. How could any mother do this to her unborn child?
These are just a few examples of the detrimental effects of smoking. When I was in podiatry school one of my biochemistry lectures was devoted to the harmful effects of smoking on the body. I had several classmates who were smokers. During the 10 minute break between lectures they would often go outside to smoke. Well, during this particular lecture I thought nobody would be outside smoking. But to my surprise, nothing changed. So I approached one of my classmates and asked him why he was smoking after just hearing that lecture about how bad it was. His reply was that it helped him relax or relieve stress. Well, I can think of a lot better ways to relieve stress than to smoke. That just goes to show me how unintelligent, and illogical smokers are. And not only that, but how disrespectful it is to their own body.
1 Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. "
In my opinion, cigarette smokers are selfish, disrespectful, unintelligent, and inconsiderate people. I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule but most people who I've met who are smokers fit this description. A lot of times I see smokers blatantly disrespecting and disobeying rules to not smoke in certain areas in public places. As you may recall from my litterbug post, cigarette butts make up a large portion of litter on the sides of roads.
And let's not forget about secondhand smoke. Which is just as harmful to innocent bystanders as first-hand smoke is to those who choose to smoke. Smokers don't seem to have any consideration for those around them who breathe in the noxious smoke, unwillingly. This is especially bad for parents who smoke and expose their children to secondhand smoke constantly.
Now I would like to talk about an aspect of cigarette smoking that we might not think about. And that is the economical effects on society. Anybody who pays taxes in this great country of ours, pays a lot of money to provide medical attention to cigarette smokers. I don't know any of the numbers but I know that cigarette smoking costs an astronomical amount in healthcare. Which is 100% preventable. And the majority are people on Medicare, which we all, as taxpayers, support. This is not right! Why should I have to pay to provide health care for somebody who is stupid enough to smoke? It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that smoking is bad for you, and will eventually kill you. That is common knowledge in this day and age. Not only will smoking kill you, but it's a very unpleasant and slow way to die. I have seen people at the hospital, dragging around an oxygen bottle, going outside to smoke in their hospital gown. Or people with half their face cut off, smoking through a tracheostomy hole in their neck. These are not uncommon scenarios either. So why would anybody start smoking? Knowing they are slowly killing themselves, and will end up suffering a terrible death. You would think they would avoid it like the plague. This is something that has always baffled me. And still does.
That's my two cents.
It is common knowledge that smoking causes cancer and emphysema. And it is highly addictive. Let me just tell you some of the things I remember that I was taught in school. First let me discuss smoking's effect on the cardiovascular system. Smoking causes vasoconstriction, which is to say, causes blood vessels to constrict and become smaller, allowing less blood flow, and therefore less oxygen to permeate tissues. This causes problems to the extremities such as the hands and feet and can lead to amputation. Also, the coronary arteries are affected which causes less blood flow to the heart and can lead to heart attacks (myocardial infarction). Not to mention restricted blood flow to other organ systems such as the brain. Another effect on the cardiovascular system that smoking has is it damages the inner lining of blood vessels. This damage leads to plaque deposits, atherosclerosis which also leads to heart attacks. And let's not forget the damage maternal smoking causes to a developing fetus. The restricted blood flow leads to restricted growth, i.e. low birth weight. When these babies are born they are often more irritable and can suffer from learning disabilities. How could any mother do this to her unborn child?
These are just a few examples of the detrimental effects of smoking. When I was in podiatry school one of my biochemistry lectures was devoted to the harmful effects of smoking on the body. I had several classmates who were smokers. During the 10 minute break between lectures they would often go outside to smoke. Well, during this particular lecture I thought nobody would be outside smoking. But to my surprise, nothing changed. So I approached one of my classmates and asked him why he was smoking after just hearing that lecture about how bad it was. His reply was that it helped him relax or relieve stress. Well, I can think of a lot better ways to relieve stress than to smoke. That just goes to show me how unintelligent, and illogical smokers are. And not only that, but how disrespectful it is to their own body.
1 Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. "
In my opinion, cigarette smokers are selfish, disrespectful, unintelligent, and inconsiderate people. I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule but most people who I've met who are smokers fit this description. A lot of times I see smokers blatantly disrespecting and disobeying rules to not smoke in certain areas in public places. As you may recall from my litterbug post, cigarette butts make up a large portion of litter on the sides of roads.
And let's not forget about secondhand smoke. Which is just as harmful to innocent bystanders as first-hand smoke is to those who choose to smoke. Smokers don't seem to have any consideration for those around them who breathe in the noxious smoke, unwillingly. This is especially bad for parents who smoke and expose their children to secondhand smoke constantly.
Now I would like to talk about an aspect of cigarette smoking that we might not think about. And that is the economical effects on society. Anybody who pays taxes in this great country of ours, pays a lot of money to provide medical attention to cigarette smokers. I don't know any of the numbers but I know that cigarette smoking costs an astronomical amount in healthcare. Which is 100% preventable. And the majority are people on Medicare, which we all, as taxpayers, support. This is not right! Why should I have to pay to provide health care for somebody who is stupid enough to smoke? It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that smoking is bad for you, and will eventually kill you. That is common knowledge in this day and age. Not only will smoking kill you, but it's a very unpleasant and slow way to die. I have seen people at the hospital, dragging around an oxygen bottle, going outside to smoke in their hospital gown. Or people with half their face cut off, smoking through a tracheostomy hole in their neck. These are not uncommon scenarios either. So why would anybody start smoking? Knowing they are slowly killing themselves, and will end up suffering a terrible death. You would think they would avoid it like the plague. This is something that has always baffled me. And still does.
That's my two cents.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Korihor
While I was getting ready this morning we were listening to the book of Mormon as we usually do in the mornings. The chapter that we happened to start with this morning was Alma chapter 30. This chapter tells the story of a man named Korihor. Korihor was an antichrist. For anybody interested in reading this, here is a link. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/30
The reason I bring this up today is because of my last blog. You see, I see very many similarities between Korihor and our new president elect, Barack Hussein Obama. First of all, how does somebody with a name like that get elected president of the United States of America? He sounds more like the president of OPEC or Saudi Arabia. I don't think, in fact I know, he would never have been elected had it not been for the liberal media and people like Oprah Winfrey who endorsed him. On a side note, why do people put such clout in celebrities and their opinions? I mean really, who is Oprah Winfrey, except an immoral, terrible role model who happens to have a lot of power and influence over millions of people, through television?
Anyway, I happened to be watching the news last night and there was a piece on Obama being Time magazines Man of the year. And right after that they showed a picture of him smoking, which looked like to me a joint but what do I know. And later I found out that he is a cigarette smoker. Cigarette smoking is another blog because I have much to say about that alone, but suffice it to say, is someone who's not smart enough, in this day and age, to understand the perils of smoking, really somebody we want running this country? and is that the kind of role model we should have as president of the United States?
Now you might be wondering, where's the correlation between Obama and Korihor? Well, just like Korihor was able to lead away thousands of people through his speech, and convinced many that there was no God. 0bama is also very well spoken and able to convince many to follow him.
Alma 30:42 "Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God. "
Anyone who would say the first thing they're going to do as president of the United States is sign into law the freedom of choice act (see previous post), is amoral, and not somebody we should have running this country. The majority of citizens of this country are still God-fearing Christians, with morals. Who, apparently, were blinded by the craftiness of men.
Let me just leave you with this: Alma 30:60 "And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell. "
That's my two cents.
The reason I bring this up today is because of my last blog. You see, I see very many similarities between Korihor and our new president elect, Barack Hussein Obama. First of all, how does somebody with a name like that get elected president of the United States of America? He sounds more like the president of OPEC or Saudi Arabia. I don't think, in fact I know, he would never have been elected had it not been for the liberal media and people like Oprah Winfrey who endorsed him. On a side note, why do people put such clout in celebrities and their opinions? I mean really, who is Oprah Winfrey, except an immoral, terrible role model who happens to have a lot of power and influence over millions of people, through television?
Anyway, I happened to be watching the news last night and there was a piece on Obama being Time magazines Man of the year. And right after that they showed a picture of him smoking, which looked like to me a joint but what do I know. And later I found out that he is a cigarette smoker. Cigarette smoking is another blog because I have much to say about that alone, but suffice it to say, is someone who's not smart enough, in this day and age, to understand the perils of smoking, really somebody we want running this country? and is that the kind of role model we should have as president of the United States?
Now you might be wondering, where's the correlation between Obama and Korihor? Well, just like Korihor was able to lead away thousands of people through his speech, and convinced many that there was no God. 0bama is also very well spoken and able to convince many to follow him.
Alma 30:42 "Behold, I know that thou believest, but thou art possessed with a lying spirit, and ye have put off the Spirit of God that it may have no place in you; but the devil has power over you, and he doth carry you about, working devices that he may destroy the children of God. "
Anyone who would say the first thing they're going to do as president of the United States is sign into law the freedom of choice act (see previous post), is amoral, and not somebody we should have running this country. The majority of citizens of this country are still God-fearing Christians, with morals. Who, apparently, were blinded by the craftiness of men.
Let me just leave you with this: Alma 30:60 "And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell. "
That's my two cents.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Fight Freedom of Choice Act
I just received an e-mail from my sister in law, Derrinda. In this e-mail was a link to a website where you can sign your name on a petition to fight the freedom of choice act. I am actually not familiar with this act but apparently, our new President-elect, 0bama, has vowed to sign this act into law when he becomes president in January. From what I understand, the freedom of choice act would repeal all state laws against abortions, partial-birth abortions, parental notification, etc. I don't know if it will do any good but it wouldn't hurt, for any of you who are interested in signing your name on the petition here is the link: http://www.fightfoca.com/
Movie Recommendation
As you can probably guess,
from my posting a few days ago, I rarely recommend movies. However, there is one movie I would like to recommend. The Ultimate Gift. This is a well-written, well acted movie with a good moral to it. Two of the actors you might recognize are James Garner and Abigail Breslin. This is not an LDS made movie, it is made by Fox home entertainment. Although I did purchase it from Deseret book.com. So anybody out there who would like to see a good movie, I would recommend The Ultimate Gift.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
My Most Memorable Christmas
As we all think back on Christmases past, I would venture to guess that your most memorable Christmases have nothing to do with presents received, glittery lights, Santa Claus, etc.. Your most memorable Christmas is probably one which focuses on the real meaning of Christmas.
For me, my most memorable Christmas is the Christmas of 2002. This was a year when I didn't buy one gift for anyone. I'm sure I received a few gifts but I don't remember any of them. What I do remember about that Christmas is being able to go home and be with my family.
You see, this was the year I was in my accident. And I had been hospitalized for three months. Anyone who has spent any time in the hospital as a patient will understand how much it meant to me to be able to go home and spend Christmas with my family.
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to go home for Christmas. I spent Thanksgiving in the hospital. Although it was lovely, my family making and bringing Thanksgiving dinner to me at the hospital, everybody eating their turkey dinner in yellow gowns. It wasn't the same as being home. I think my doctor understood how much I wanted to go home for Christmas. So she gave me a day pass. I was still pretty sick and required hospitalization but I was able to spend a few hours at home.
It was no small endeavor to get to me home for Christmas. My parents had recently moved to the area and were renting a home. This home did not have a wheelchair ramp. So, my dad and brother and brother-in-law worked diligently for several nights to build one. I believe they completed it late at night on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas morning I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the cabulance. I woke up early so I would be ready to be picked up in the morning. I can't remember for sure but I think mom or Lisa came to help get me ready that morning. As I recall, the cabulance was late. The time spent waiting for the cabulance to arrive seemed like an eternity.
The paramedics arrived and transferred me on to the stretcher. (Their transfer methods were rather scary, using a sheet) I remember as we drove down Tacoma Road I could see out the windows in the back of the ambulance. And what did I see? Juliet and Michael chasing after the ambulance smiling and waving at me. To this day that still brings a smile to my face. I was then transferred to a wheelchair from the stretcher and wheeled up the newly minted ramp into the house.
I was so happy to be out of the hospital, if only for a few hours, and celebrate Christmas with my family. We had a nice Christmas dinner, played games, and just enjoyed everybody's company. This was a home that I had never been to before, but that didn't matter, it still felt like home. The Christmas tree was beautiful. But most of all, I was happy to be surrounded by a loving family.
Five o'clock came way too soon and the cabulance was back to pick me up and take me back to the hospital. I really didn't want to go back. I was having such an enjoyable time. But I had to go back. As I recall, we moved the party to the hospital and everybody came and visited me for the remainder of the evening.
This was my most memorable and cherished Christmas. It had nothing to do with commercialism. It was about being with family and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
For me, my most memorable Christmas is the Christmas of 2002. This was a year when I didn't buy one gift for anyone. I'm sure I received a few gifts but I don't remember any of them. What I do remember about that Christmas is being able to go home and be with my family.
You see, this was the year I was in my accident. And I had been hospitalized for three months. Anyone who has spent any time in the hospital as a patient will understand how much it meant to me to be able to go home and spend Christmas with my family.
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to go home for Christmas. I spent Thanksgiving in the hospital. Although it was lovely, my family making and bringing Thanksgiving dinner to me at the hospital, everybody eating their turkey dinner in yellow gowns. It wasn't the same as being home. I think my doctor understood how much I wanted to go home for Christmas. So she gave me a day pass. I was still pretty sick and required hospitalization but I was able to spend a few hours at home.
It was no small endeavor to get to me home for Christmas. My parents had recently moved to the area and were renting a home. This home did not have a wheelchair ramp. So, my dad and brother and brother-in-law worked diligently for several nights to build one. I believe they completed it late at night on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas morning I eagerly anticipated the arrival of the cabulance. I woke up early so I would be ready to be picked up in the morning. I can't remember for sure but I think mom or Lisa came to help get me ready that morning. As I recall, the cabulance was late. The time spent waiting for the cabulance to arrive seemed like an eternity.
The paramedics arrived and transferred me on to the stretcher. (Their transfer methods were rather scary, using a sheet) I remember as we drove down Tacoma Road I could see out the windows in the back of the ambulance. And what did I see? Juliet and Michael chasing after the ambulance smiling and waving at me. To this day that still brings a smile to my face. I was then transferred to a wheelchair from the stretcher and wheeled up the newly minted ramp into the house.
I was so happy to be out of the hospital, if only for a few hours, and celebrate Christmas with my family. We had a nice Christmas dinner, played games, and just enjoyed everybody's company. This was a home that I had never been to before, but that didn't matter, it still felt like home. The Christmas tree was beautiful. But most of all, I was happy to be surrounded by a loving family.
Five o'clock came way too soon and the cabulance was back to pick me up and take me back to the hospital. I really didn't want to go back. I was having such an enjoyable time. But I had to go back. As I recall, we moved the party to the hospital and everybody came and visited me for the remainder of the evening.
This was my most memorable and cherished Christmas. It had nothing to do with commercialism. It was about being with family and celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Where's Waldo?
If you want to play the game, go back and look at picture number two, under my post entitled Snow, very closely. Samson is in that picture. Can anybody spot him? Hint: if you can't see him, click on the picture to make it bigger and you will see him. :-)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Homemade Oreo Cookies
A few weeks ago my dad came across a piece of paper with my handwriting on it. It was notepaper from a printing company in Brooksville Florida. Therefore I know I must have acquired it while on my mission. Written on this piece of paper was a recipe for homemade Oreo cookies. I have been wanting to try this recipe since my dad found it. I finally talked him into making them today. It is the first time that he has ever made cookies. Of course I coached him along the way :-) anyway they turned out pretty good as you can see. My dad did a great job, especially being his first attempt at making cookies.
Homemade Oreo cookies
Cookie:
1 devil’s food cake mix
½ cup shortening
1 egg
Mix together and roll into balls. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cream filling:
1 -eight ounce package cream cheese
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream together and put between two cookies.
(We used a stick of butter as the shortening. We didn't have a devil's food cake mix so we used triple chocolate cake mix instead)
Homemade Oreo cookies
Cookie:
1 devil’s food cake mix
½ cup shortening
1 egg
Mix together and roll into balls. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cream filling:
1 -eight ounce package cream cheese
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream together and put between two cookies.
(We used a stick of butter as the shortening. We didn't have a devil's food cake mix so we used triple chocolate cake mix instead)
Snow
Snow is somewhat of a novelty here in Washington. It only snows about two to three times each year. We had our first snow yesterday, but it didn't stick. So I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I looked out the window and saw snow on the ground. I love to see the deciduous trees with snow-covered branches and without leaves. I also love to see the evergreen trees dappled with snow. I asked my dad to take some pictures this morning. Enjoy.
Samson blends in well with the snow. Could you spot him in some of the pictures?
Samson blends in well with the snow. Could you spot him in some of the pictures?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Good, except for...
When people see a movie, they are inevitably asked how they liked it. The majority of the time the response I hear is, "it was good except for... (profanity, nudity, violence, sex, etc.). My response is, if it has all of those bad things in it how could it possibly be good? For some reason, people think that they are somehow immune to the bad parts of movies. They don't think it really affects them. I beg to differ. I've heard it said that if you don't see movies because of just a few bad parts, then you are really missing out on some good movies. Once again I disagree. I believe that if those movies contain any offensive material at all, then they are not good movies. Any offensive material in a movie does affect your spirit, nobody is immune. This is one of Satan's greatest ploys. A few years ago I subscribed to clean flicks where movies were edited to remove offensive material such as swearing, bedroom scenes, some violence, and other things the editors thought might be offensive. I appreciated not having to listen to profanity etc. but even then, a lot of those movies were not even worth watching. [Sidenote: Hollywood lawyers put clean flicks out of business. They want to make sure you get all the bad offensive material when you watch a movie. After all, this is probably why most movies are made.]
An analogy I have heard several times is this. Let's say somebody made brownies and used nothing but the finest ingredients. And just before baking added a couple tablespoons full of dog poop. Would you like to eat those brownies? You would hardly notice the dog poop. I would say most people would not eat them. If they knew what they contained. Well I thought of a little better example along the same lines. Let's say we made the same brownies with the finest ingredients and just before baking added a little bit of arsenic or strychnine. Just like the first example, you wouldn't notice the poison when you ate the brownies. But they certainly would affect your body. And nobody in their right mind would knowingly eat those brownies.
Well just like those brownies would poison your body. Movies and television with offensive material poison your spirit. And just like poison you ingest, the effect is cumulative. The more poison that you put in your body the sicker and sicker you get until it kills you. Likewise, the more bad things you put into your mind via watching movies, television, reading magazines etc. the sicker you become spiritually.
There is a short story I want to relate and I hope I don't butcher it too much, it's been a while since I've read it, but I believe it is from The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball. It goes something like this. There was a man traveling in the desert with his camel. They decided to camp for the night and the man pitched a tent. The camel of course was left outside the tent. Well the desert winds became very strong and the sand was blowing strongly hitting the camel. The camel and asked his master if he could just put his head in a tent so the sand would not get in his eyes. So the man agreed. Well, slowly but surely the camel kept asking if he could come in the tent just little bit more to avoid the sand blowing against his body. And each time the master agreed and let the camel inch his way in to the tent a little bit more. Eventually, the entire camel was in the tent and the man had no space to sleep.
This is an example on how Satan works against us. He starts out with little things like maybe a movie with just a couple of swear words. Then, eventually more swearwords. And eventually those swearwords are not offensive like they once were. And so on and so forth. Just like the man in the story became tolerant and allowed his camel to creep in until it overtook his entire tent, the same is true with becoming tolerant to offensive material in movies. Until eventually our spirits are so desensitized to offensive material, we become spiritually dead. Just like the poison will kill our bodies, the offensive material and movies will kill our spirits. To me, spiritual death is much worse than physical death.
Let me give you an example of something that happened to me several years ago. While attending podiatry school in San Francisco, one of my classmates asked me if I would attend his birthday party. I told him no, but eventually he was so persistent that I reluctantly agreed. There are several stories to be told here but I will focus on one. As part of the birthday celebration, everybody was to go to the theater to watch, "Rocky horror picture show". I had no idea what this was. And I still don't really. Here's what happened. There was a group of about I would say 10 to 15 people, we all paid our way in. As we were waiting for the movie to start, we were informed that the film, or projector was broken. But what they were going to do was have a live performance, or reenactment of that movie. So, as it started, I felt very uncomfortable. But what should I do? I was with a group of people and I didn't want to ruin the party for them. But I really didn't want to be there. So I finally decided I would tell my classmate i was going to wait in the lobby while everybody finished watching the movie/live performance. (I didn't have my own car there as we all walked over to the theater together so I didn't really have a way of going home. ) Anyway, I got up the courage and leaned over to my friend and told him I wasn't comfortable and I was going to wait in the lobby. Much to my surprise, everybody in the party got up and left and we all got a refund. So, by me standing up for what I believed in, I was a good example to 10 to 15 other people, who for that instance all avoided a bad influence.
Moral of the story-stand up for what you believe in and What Is Right , and don't worry what others will think of you.
While I'm on the subject let me just mention something about the motion picture Association's rating system. I'm sure we are all aware that we've been counseled to avoid R- rated movies. I don't think we can trust the rating system the same as we could several years ago. Even some PG movies contain much offensive material. I have even seen a couple of G-rated films that are crude and contain one or two swearwords. I believe that if a movie shouldn't be seen by 13-year-old or 17-year-old then why is it okay for an adult to watch it? Does morality change as you age? If it is not suitable for a child to watch, then it is not suitable for an adult either.
That's my two cents.
An analogy I have heard several times is this. Let's say somebody made brownies and used nothing but the finest ingredients. And just before baking added a couple tablespoons full of dog poop. Would you like to eat those brownies? You would hardly notice the dog poop. I would say most people would not eat them. If they knew what they contained. Well I thought of a little better example along the same lines. Let's say we made the same brownies with the finest ingredients and just before baking added a little bit of arsenic or strychnine. Just like the first example, you wouldn't notice the poison when you ate the brownies. But they certainly would affect your body. And nobody in their right mind would knowingly eat those brownies.
Well just like those brownies would poison your body. Movies and television with offensive material poison your spirit. And just like poison you ingest, the effect is cumulative. The more poison that you put in your body the sicker and sicker you get until it kills you. Likewise, the more bad things you put into your mind via watching movies, television, reading magazines etc. the sicker you become spiritually.
There is a short story I want to relate and I hope I don't butcher it too much, it's been a while since I've read it, but I believe it is from The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball. It goes something like this. There was a man traveling in the desert with his camel. They decided to camp for the night and the man pitched a tent. The camel of course was left outside the tent. Well the desert winds became very strong and the sand was blowing strongly hitting the camel. The camel and asked his master if he could just put his head in a tent so the sand would not get in his eyes. So the man agreed. Well, slowly but surely the camel kept asking if he could come in the tent just little bit more to avoid the sand blowing against his body. And each time the master agreed and let the camel inch his way in to the tent a little bit more. Eventually, the entire camel was in the tent and the man had no space to sleep.
This is an example on how Satan works against us. He starts out with little things like maybe a movie with just a couple of swear words. Then, eventually more swearwords. And eventually those swearwords are not offensive like they once were. And so on and so forth. Just like the man in the story became tolerant and allowed his camel to creep in until it overtook his entire tent, the same is true with becoming tolerant to offensive material in movies. Until eventually our spirits are so desensitized to offensive material, we become spiritually dead. Just like the poison will kill our bodies, the offensive material and movies will kill our spirits. To me, spiritual death is much worse than physical death.
Let me give you an example of something that happened to me several years ago. While attending podiatry school in San Francisco, one of my classmates asked me if I would attend his birthday party. I told him no, but eventually he was so persistent that I reluctantly agreed. There are several stories to be told here but I will focus on one. As part of the birthday celebration, everybody was to go to the theater to watch, "Rocky horror picture show". I had no idea what this was. And I still don't really. Here's what happened. There was a group of about I would say 10 to 15 people, we all paid our way in. As we were waiting for the movie to start, we were informed that the film, or projector was broken. But what they were going to do was have a live performance, or reenactment of that movie. So, as it started, I felt very uncomfortable. But what should I do? I was with a group of people and I didn't want to ruin the party for them. But I really didn't want to be there. So I finally decided I would tell my classmate i was going to wait in the lobby while everybody finished watching the movie/live performance. (I didn't have my own car there as we all walked over to the theater together so I didn't really have a way of going home. ) Anyway, I got up the courage and leaned over to my friend and told him I wasn't comfortable and I was going to wait in the lobby. Much to my surprise, everybody in the party got up and left and we all got a refund. So, by me standing up for what I believed in, I was a good example to 10 to 15 other people, who for that instance all avoided a bad influence.
Moral of the story-stand up for what you believe in and What Is Right , and don't worry what others will think of you.
While I'm on the subject let me just mention something about the motion picture Association's rating system. I'm sure we are all aware that we've been counseled to avoid R- rated movies. I don't think we can trust the rating system the same as we could several years ago. Even some PG movies contain much offensive material. I have even seen a couple of G-rated films that are crude and contain one or two swearwords. I believe that if a movie shouldn't be seen by 13-year-old or 17-year-old then why is it okay for an adult to watch it? Does morality change as you age? If it is not suitable for a child to watch, then it is not suitable for an adult either.
That's my two cents.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mount Rainier
These are some pictures that my dad took the other day from our backyard. Mount Rainier always has a crazy cloud over the top of it like a hat. This cloud was rather unusual looking.
News?
I was planning to do a different post today but something I saw on the news yesterday prompted this post. Yesterday morning while I was watching good morning America one of their biggest stories was about Oprah Winfrey gaining 40 pounds. They didn't just mention it once. They mentioned it about every five minutes that they were going to have Oprah's best friend on during one segment to talk about her weight gain. Are people really that interested in Oprah Winfrey gaining weight? I certainly am not. And then, on the evening news last night it was mentioned again. Is this really news? I'm sure there are a lot of more deserving stories that ended up on the cutting room floor in order to make room for this so-called news.
That's my two cents.
That's my two cents.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A Thousand Words
Some of you may be wondering (all three of you that read this blog :-)) why I posted an almost 7-year-old picture on my profile. The quick answer to that is, it was easy to find. Since I have so many self-portraits :-). But the real reason that I posted an old picture is because that is how I see myself. I see myself as a pretty, vibrant, young women with cool shoes :-) at least I thought they were cool. I don't see myself as the scarred, crippled, not very pleasant to look at, handicapped girl in the wheelchair that I am now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not delusional, I am very well aware of my present condition. But, I know that although the scars and injuries are permanent until the resurrection, I still feel like the person I was before the accident. Although I'm constantly reminded of my present condition, in terms of not being able to do anything for myself, peoples comments and stares when I'm out in public, etc. I still feel like I don't have much in common with other people in wheelchairs, and with my injuries. I credit a wonderful family, who treats me the same as they always have. And who does everything they can to help me in whatever I need. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Also, having the Gospel gives me an eternal perspective, and helps me realize the temporary nature of my condition. And it also helps not to be able to look in mirrors very often :-) let me give you an example of something that happened about a year ago. An acquaintance called me up and asked me to give a lecture at the school in which she works about how to treat handicapped children. In my mind I was thinking, why is she asking me? I felt like I have no knowledge or expertise in how to treat handicapped children. I was not handicapped when I was a child, and even now I don't feel like I have much in common with other people in wheelchairs. So call me crazy, but I still feel like the same person I was a little over six years ago. And I still see myself as the girl in the picture on my profile.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Tammy, happy birthday to me :-)
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Word of Wisdom
There is an article in this month's (December 2008) Ensign entitled, The Energy Drink Epidemic. I tried to insert a link so I hope it works. Anyway, it is written by a medical doctor who also is LDS. Basically, the article is about the use of caffeine. This is a subject that has always bothered me. From the time I understood what caffeinated beverages were, I tried to avoid them. First of all, in case my link doesn't work let me quote from part of the article.
"Not all caffeinated drinks are created equal; the quantity of caffeine varies greatly from product to product. To put this into perspective, consider that most cola soft drinks have from 22 to 55 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, compared to a common cup of tea that varies from 26 to 47 mg. Coffee may have from 57 mg for a cup of instant to 180 mg for a cup of brewed. By comparison, energy drinks may have from 80 to 500 mg of caffeine in one can."
During my undergraduate course of human physiology, I had a professor (who, by the way, was not LDS) who explained the origins of Coca-Cola and the effects of caffeine on the body. It was interesting to find out that Coca-Cola originally had cocaine in it, thus the name. He also explained that the addition of caffeine to soft drinks, serves no purpose, other than the drug effects. It has no taste, or smell. As probably most of you know, caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Other well-known CNS stimulants include: cocaine, methamphetamine, speed etc. Granted caffeine doesn't have quite the same effects as these illicit drugs, but it is in the same drug class and has a similar effect on the body, albeit perhaps not as intense. I'm not going to take the time to discuss the effects of caffeine on the body but if you would like to learn more, the article in Ensign explains it. One thing that stood out to me in my physiology class was the professor telling us that there are mountains of white powdered caffeine at the soft drink bottling plants, such as Coca-Cola, which they add to the cola syrup. During the manufacturing process. I'm sure this is not how it happens but I imagined a farm tractor driving up to a mountain of caffeine filling its bucket and dumping it in a vat of cola syrup.
I understand why soft drink companies add caffeine to their beverages. Caffeine is highly addictive, and they want to sell drinks. And I understand why people purchase them, because they enjoy the effects of the drug. And for some reason, people don't think twice about caffeine intake. Yet, I would venture to say that most people, especially members of the church, wouldn't touch cocaine or methamphetamines with a 10 foot pole. What I find baffling is, these drugs are closely related. So why don't we treat caffeine the same?
What's even more disturbing to me is parents who let their children drink caffeinated beverages. And not just teenagers but young toddlers as soon as they can drink out of a sippy cup. Would any parents give their child a cocaine lollipop? I think not. I know this is an extreme example but even a weaker central nervous system stimulant such as caffeine cannot be good for a developing brain and body.
While I’m on the subject of The Word of Wisdom I would like to mention another aspect of that commandment. We all know what The Word of Wisdom tells us not to do. No alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, coffee and tea. And let me just say that in the spirit of the law I would include all drugs that are medically unnecessary, such as caffeine. And let’s not forget prescription drugs and so-called herbal medications which can be just as devastating when not used properly as illegal drugs.
Now I want to talk about is What the Word of Wisdom tells us we should do.
Doctrine and Covenants section 89
" 10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with aprudence and bthanksgiving.
12 Yea, aflesh also of bbeasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used csparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be aused, only in times of winter, or of cold, or bfamine.
14 All agrain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And athese hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the afood of man; as also the bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ashall receive bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19 And shall afind bwisdom and great ctreasures of dknowledge, even hidden treasures;
20 And shall arun and not be bweary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the adestroying angel shall bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen. "
Just ignore the footnotes. I don't feel like erasing them all :-) anyway, as you can see we are told that grains are good for us and we should use meat sparingly. And I also included the promise if we obey the Word of wisdom. So what I wanted to t talk about was fad diets. Diets such as the Atkins diet where you cut out most or all carbohydrates and eat mostly proteins and fats. Not only does this sound unhealthy from a dietary standpoint but I believe it is against the Word of wisdom. If you follow the FDA’s food pyramid carbohydrates as I recall should make up the majority of your diet. I believe it was something like 60 to 70% carbohydrates 20% to 30% protein and 10% fat. In my interpretation word of wisdom advocates moderation. And eating a balanced diet. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy, so it doesn’t make sense to cut those out of your diet. And I also believe that meat should be used sparingly as part of a balanced diet.. Likewise, I don’t think non-fat diets are good either. Not only does fat increase satiety, it makes you feel full faster so you don’t eat as much, but also takes longer to digest so you don’t get as hungry as soon.. I have seen people on non-fat diets who eat twice as much food because they don’t feel satisfied.. This really defeats the purpose of a non-fat diet doesn’t it? The healthiest way to live is to eat a balanced diet of all foods. If you want to lose weight, don’t eat as many calories, but stick to a balanced diet and moderation.
That’s my two cents.
"Not all caffeinated drinks are created equal; the quantity of caffeine varies greatly from product to product. To put this into perspective, consider that most cola soft drinks have from 22 to 55 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, compared to a common cup of tea that varies from 26 to 47 mg. Coffee may have from 57 mg for a cup of instant to 180 mg for a cup of brewed. By comparison, energy drinks may have from 80 to 500 mg of caffeine in one can."
During my undergraduate course of human physiology, I had a professor (who, by the way, was not LDS) who explained the origins of Coca-Cola and the effects of caffeine on the body. It was interesting to find out that Coca-Cola originally had cocaine in it, thus the name. He also explained that the addition of caffeine to soft drinks, serves no purpose, other than the drug effects. It has no taste, or smell. As probably most of you know, caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Other well-known CNS stimulants include: cocaine, methamphetamine, speed etc. Granted caffeine doesn't have quite the same effects as these illicit drugs, but it is in the same drug class and has a similar effect on the body, albeit perhaps not as intense. I'm not going to take the time to discuss the effects of caffeine on the body but if you would like to learn more, the article in Ensign explains it. One thing that stood out to me in my physiology class was the professor telling us that there are mountains of white powdered caffeine at the soft drink bottling plants, such as Coca-Cola, which they add to the cola syrup. During the manufacturing process. I'm sure this is not how it happens but I imagined a farm tractor driving up to a mountain of caffeine filling its bucket and dumping it in a vat of cola syrup.
I understand why soft drink companies add caffeine to their beverages. Caffeine is highly addictive, and they want to sell drinks. And I understand why people purchase them, because they enjoy the effects of the drug. And for some reason, people don't think twice about caffeine intake. Yet, I would venture to say that most people, especially members of the church, wouldn't touch cocaine or methamphetamines with a 10 foot pole. What I find baffling is, these drugs are closely related. So why don't we treat caffeine the same?
What's even more disturbing to me is parents who let their children drink caffeinated beverages. And not just teenagers but young toddlers as soon as they can drink out of a sippy cup. Would any parents give their child a cocaine lollipop? I think not. I know this is an extreme example but even a weaker central nervous system stimulant such as caffeine cannot be good for a developing brain and body.
While I’m on the subject of The Word of Wisdom I would like to mention another aspect of that commandment. We all know what The Word of Wisdom tells us not to do. No alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, coffee and tea. And let me just say that in the spirit of the law I would include all drugs that are medically unnecessary, such as caffeine. And let’s not forget prescription drugs and so-called herbal medications which can be just as devastating when not used properly as illegal drugs.
Now I want to talk about is What the Word of Wisdom tells us we should do.
Doctrine and Covenants section 89
" 10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome aherbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with aprudence and bthanksgiving.
12 Yea, aflesh also of bbeasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used csparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be aused, only in times of winter, or of cold, or bfamine.
14 All agrain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And athese hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the afood of man; as also the bfruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—
17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, ashall receive bhealth in their navel and marrow to their bones;
19 And shall afind bwisdom and great ctreasures of dknowledge, even hidden treasures;
20 And shall arun and not be bweary, and shall walk and not faint.
21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise, that the adestroying angel shall bpass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen. "
Just ignore the footnotes. I don't feel like erasing them all :-) anyway, as you can see we are told that grains are good for us and we should use meat sparingly. And I also included the promise if we obey the Word of wisdom. So what I wanted to t talk about was fad diets. Diets such as the Atkins diet where you cut out most or all carbohydrates and eat mostly proteins and fats. Not only does this sound unhealthy from a dietary standpoint but I believe it is against the Word of wisdom. If you follow the FDA’s food pyramid carbohydrates as I recall should make up the majority of your diet. I believe it was something like 60 to 70% carbohydrates 20% to 30% protein and 10% fat. In my interpretation word of wisdom advocates moderation. And eating a balanced diet. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy, so it doesn’t make sense to cut those out of your diet. And I also believe that meat should be used sparingly as part of a balanced diet.. Likewise, I don’t think non-fat diets are good either. Not only does fat increase satiety, it makes you feel full faster so you don’t eat as much, but also takes longer to digest so you don’t get as hungry as soon.. I have seen people on non-fat diets who eat twice as much food because they don’t feel satisfied.. This really defeats the purpose of a non-fat diet doesn’t it? The healthiest way to live is to eat a balanced diet of all foods. If you want to lose weight, don’t eat as many calories, but stick to a balanced diet and moderation.
That’s my two cents.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Christmas Irony
As we were driving home from church today, we saw several people outside putting Christmas lights up on their houses, and decorating their yards for Christmas. My dad made the comment about how ironic it was that they were decorating for Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ, yet they were breaking the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. Oh the irony.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Bailout Schmailout
With all of the talk on the news about government bailouts, I thought I would comment. I don't think it's fair or right that companies should be bailed out by the government. Especially when the reason they are in trouble is because of greed. Take for instance, the big three automakers in Detroit. Their corporate leaders are flying on private Lear jets to go address Congress in Washington, DC asking for billions of dollars from the taxpayers. Yet, they don't have any trouble spending $40000-$50000 on flying their Lear jets, to go cry poverty. When it would have only cost several hundred dollars to fly commercial, even first-class. And why should workers who get laid off from Detroit get special privileges such as health insurance, severance pay, unemployment and retirement benefits etc. when other people who get laid off from work don't get the same government benefits paid by the taxpayers? Is someone who works for GM any better than someone who works for Circuit City? I've heard several stories on the news about the corrupt corporate officers and how much money they're making and taking from the companies that are going belly up, yet they are crying for taxpayers to bail them out. Why? So they can go to Jamaica on a private jet? And spend money that isn't theirs? People should have to pay the consequences of their choices. If people make a bad choice, and buy a house that is too expensive for them, I don't believe the bank or the homeowner should be bailed out by taxpayers. If the bank is too greedy and gives a loan to somebody who they know can't afford it, why should somebody else have to pay for their mistake? If everybody were honest, I don't think we'd be in this pickle. That's my two cents.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Genie in a Bottle
If I happened upon a genie in a bottle and was granted a wish, do you know what that wish would be? My wish would be for exaltation for myself and my family. This is my greatest hope and desire in life. Is that more than one wish?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Scumbag Television
I haven't seen a television sitcom or drama in seven years. I can't stand them. There is so much junk in them that they aren't even enjoyable. The television shows that I do watch include: Dr. G. Medical examiner, mystery diagnosis, Jeopardy!, house hunters, news, etc. oh and let's not forget college football :-)
What bothers me is, for example, while I'm watching Jeopardy I am subjected to commercials for desperate housewives, Grey's anatomy etc. and other scumbag shows. I have not seen these programs at all but, just from the commercials that I see, I know they are not good viewing, and are detrimental to the spirit.
It rather annoys me, the commercials they put on television, especially when I'm watching a supposedly clean, and/or educational program. When I watch the learning Channel, I see commercials for programs such as LA ink (a tattoo parlor program), what not to wear (apparently a program where mean people tell unsuspecting people that their clothes are ugly) what is educational about that? And this is the programming they put on the learning Channel.
Why is it that the people on the home and Garden channel, can't express their feelings about seeing new renovations etc., without taking the name of the Lord in vain? I enjoy watching the home and Garden channel to see the new ideas for home decorating and renovations, but the cussing really offends and annoys me. It is so unnecessary. Why can't they say, "wow, that looks great" or something to that effect? They must not have an adequate vocabulary.
If I'm watching a TV G program, I don't think they should be able to put what I would consider R -rated commercials on during my program. Actually, regardless of the program you're watching, I don't think they should be able to put R-rated commercials on at all.
Not only that but I don't think alcohol should be able to be advertised on television at all. There is a big enough problem with alcohol, drinking and driving, underage drinking, etc. in this country. We don't need more advertising to encourage more alcohol abuse. Every time I watch a sporting event on television, i.e. college football, I am subjected to numerous alcohol commercials.
Something else that is ridiculous, that is usually shown during sporting events, are commercials for ED, and male enhancement. These also should not be able to be shown on television.
It's no wonder that society has gone to H. in a handbasket. I believe that television, and its negative influence on, specifically, children, and the family is the major cause of moral decline in our society.
I remember after my mission, I couldn't believe how much worse television was than before I left. And this was just 18 months later. They were allowing swearwords, and other things that would have been edited out, I was actually in shock. And this was about 15 years ago. It is much worse now. People are so desensitized to the horrible things that are on television, that they don't even think twice about it.
The worst part of it all, is that children are being exposed to profanity, sex, violence, etc. on a daily basis, and probably for several hours a day. Even the children's programming is not immune. What happened to the days of Fred Flintstone and Tom and Jerry? The little bit of children's programming I have seen recently is laced with profanity, innuendo, and crudity.
Anytime a new technology is invented, such as television or the computer, Satan puts his grasp on it, and uses it for evil.
That's my two cents.
What bothers me is, for example, while I'm watching Jeopardy I am subjected to commercials for desperate housewives, Grey's anatomy etc. and other scumbag shows. I have not seen these programs at all but, just from the commercials that I see, I know they are not good viewing, and are detrimental to the spirit.
It rather annoys me, the commercials they put on television, especially when I'm watching a supposedly clean, and/or educational program. When I watch the learning Channel, I see commercials for programs such as LA ink (a tattoo parlor program), what not to wear (apparently a program where mean people tell unsuspecting people that their clothes are ugly) what is educational about that? And this is the programming they put on the learning Channel.
Why is it that the people on the home and Garden channel, can't express their feelings about seeing new renovations etc., without taking the name of the Lord in vain? I enjoy watching the home and Garden channel to see the new ideas for home decorating and renovations, but the cussing really offends and annoys me. It is so unnecessary. Why can't they say, "wow, that looks great" or something to that effect? They must not have an adequate vocabulary.
If I'm watching a TV G program, I don't think they should be able to put what I would consider R -rated commercials on during my program. Actually, regardless of the program you're watching, I don't think they should be able to put R-rated commercials on at all.
Not only that but I don't think alcohol should be able to be advertised on television at all. There is a big enough problem with alcohol, drinking and driving, underage drinking, etc. in this country. We don't need more advertising to encourage more alcohol abuse. Every time I watch a sporting event on television, i.e. college football, I am subjected to numerous alcohol commercials.
Something else that is ridiculous, that is usually shown during sporting events, are commercials for ED, and male enhancement. These also should not be able to be shown on television.
It's no wonder that society has gone to H. in a handbasket. I believe that television, and its negative influence on, specifically, children, and the family is the major cause of moral decline in our society.
I remember after my mission, I couldn't believe how much worse television was than before I left. And this was just 18 months later. They were allowing swearwords, and other things that would have been edited out, I was actually in shock. And this was about 15 years ago. It is much worse now. People are so desensitized to the horrible things that are on television, that they don't even think twice about it.
The worst part of it all, is that children are being exposed to profanity, sex, violence, etc. on a daily basis, and probably for several hours a day. Even the children's programming is not immune. What happened to the days of Fred Flintstone and Tom and Jerry? The little bit of children's programming I have seen recently is laced with profanity, innuendo, and crudity.
Anytime a new technology is invented, such as television or the computer, Satan puts his grasp on it, and uses it for evil.
That's my two cents.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Thanksgiving Weekend
Kingston's blessingIt's been a busy week. Lots of fun with family. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. It was nice to have all of my siblings and nieces and nephews here. We had a special day on Saturday. It was Chanelle's baptism. And Sunday was Kingston's blessing. Hopefully I will get back into writing more post to my blog this week. Just wanted to give a quick update.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving
On this Thanksgiving day I would like to express my gratitude for two things, without which, I wouldn't be here today.
The first, is my family. It is because of their love, prayers, and efforts that I'm alive. When I was given only hours to live, my family rushed to my side from three different states, and stayed with me in the hospital for several months, while I recovered. We are a very close family, and I know I can count on them for any help that I might need.
The second, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my knowledge of the plan of salvation, and my membership in the true Church of Jesus Christ that buoys me up and helps me make it through rough times.
For these two things, I am most thankful.
Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
The first, is my family. It is because of their love, prayers, and efforts that I'm alive. When I was given only hours to live, my family rushed to my side from three different states, and stayed with me in the hospital for several months, while I recovered. We are a very close family, and I know I can count on them for any help that I might need.
The second, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is my knowledge of the plan of salvation, and my membership in the true Church of Jesus Christ that buoys me up and helps me make it through rough times.
For these two things, I am most thankful.
Psalm 100:4 "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name."
Count Your Many Blessings
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Count Your Blessings
no. 241
1. When upon lifes billows you are tempest-tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings; name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
[Chorus]Count your blessings;Name them one by one.Count your blessings;See what God hath done.Count your blessings;Name them one by one.Count your many blessings;See what God hath done.
2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings; every doubt will fly,And you will be singing as the days go by.
3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.Count your many blessings; money cannot buyYour reward in heaven nor your home on high.
4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,Do not be discouraged; God is over all.Count your many blessings; angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to your journeys end.
Text: Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1856-1922
Music: Edwin O. Excell, 1851-1921
Count Your Blessings
no. 241
1. When upon lifes billows you are tempest-tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings; name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
[Chorus]Count your blessings;Name them one by one.Count your blessings;See what God hath done.Count your blessings;Name them one by one.Count your many blessings;See what God hath done.
2. Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings; every doubt will fly,And you will be singing as the days go by.
3. When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.Count your many blessings; money cannot buyYour reward in heaven nor your home on high.
4. So amid the conflict, whether great or small,Do not be discouraged; God is over all.Count your many blessings; angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to your journeys end.
Text: Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1856-1922
Music: Edwin O. Excell, 1851-1921
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Cuss Tooth
Cuss Tooth is what I call people who use profanity, vulgarity, foul language, who swear, curse, or cuss. This is something that has always bothered me. I took a day trip once with a couple of my classmates from podiatry school, this was several years ago of course, and I got into a conversation/discussion/debate about this very topic. I don't remember exactly how the subject came up but, we were driving back to the city after spending the day together. I mentioned that I thought it was very disrespectful, and offensive, for, specifically, men to swear in the presence of women. This happened to be a male classmate I was having the debate with, and it was me with another female friend in the car with him. Just for the record, I feel it's disrespectful and offensive for anybody to swear in anybody's presence regardless of gender.
My classmate's position was that swearing was necessary to be able to fully express yourself. My position was, if you are an intelligent person with even an average vocabulary, you should be able to express yourself and get your point across without using profanity. He and I had quite the discussion (it was a long ride back to the city). Neither of us budged on our position, but hopefully I gave him something to think about.
Something that he brought up, which I believe is a valid point, is the issue of euphemisms. Is it any better to use a euphemism? It might not be better but, to me, it is not as offensive. Some of the euphemisms that we use sound very similar to the actual swearword. And, in fact, it is sometimes hard to decipher whether someone was actually using profanity or a euphemism. This is something that I have been trying to work on. I have substituted one phrase for many of the euphemisms I used to use. And as most of you know, that phrase is, good thunder. And you might ask, where did you come up with this? Well it all started with my brother's mission to Minnesota. There is a city in Minnesota called, good thunder, Minnesota. And that's where that comes from. I also like to use GT for short. So anyone who wants to wants to work on changing the euphemisms or swear words you use, good thunder is a great substitute :-).
One of the arguments I presented to my classmate was, swearwords pose no purpose to a sentence. You can completely remove all profanity from a sentence, and the meaning of the sentence will not change. I was going to give you some examples by inserting [blank] in place of the euphemism or swearword but, I decided I didn't even want to do that. I'm sure you can figure out what I mean.
The most offensive use of profanity to me, is probably the most common, and that is taking the Lord's name in vain. I read a statistic that 86% of the population of the United States is Christian. And if you include the Jews that number probably goes to over 90%. As far as I know, most Jews and Christians profess to believe the 10 Commandments. The third Commandment states:
Exodus 20:7 " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
Yet, taking the name of the Lord in vain, is extremely common. I can't even watch a benign television show like "House Hunters" without hearing it several times. This is quite disturbing to me. This is another topic I will talk about on a different post. That is, television shows and swearing.
So why is it that profanity is so rampant? Even amongst members of the Church. I have several hypotheses about this, one of which is, perhaps it is a sign of macho-ism. Which to me, is totally absurd. When I hear people using profanity, they go way down on my respect- o-meter. There is nothing cool or macho about it. Like I told my colleague, to me, it is a sign of lack of intelligence. [He didn't like that one too much] :-)
Another hypothesis I have is that profanity is so rampant because people don't consider it as offensive, and wrong, and disrespectful as they once did. There are some people I know, who don't even realize it, when they are swearing. If you tell them about it, and ask them not to use profanity, they might say they didn't realize they said anything profane. This is a sad sign of how desensitized we have become as a society. This again is another topic for later discussion. For now, that's my two cents.
My classmate's position was that swearing was necessary to be able to fully express yourself. My position was, if you are an intelligent person with even an average vocabulary, you should be able to express yourself and get your point across without using profanity. He and I had quite the discussion (it was a long ride back to the city). Neither of us budged on our position, but hopefully I gave him something to think about.
Something that he brought up, which I believe is a valid point, is the issue of euphemisms. Is it any better to use a euphemism? It might not be better but, to me, it is not as offensive. Some of the euphemisms that we use sound very similar to the actual swearword. And, in fact, it is sometimes hard to decipher whether someone was actually using profanity or a euphemism. This is something that I have been trying to work on. I have substituted one phrase for many of the euphemisms I used to use. And as most of you know, that phrase is, good thunder. And you might ask, where did you come up with this? Well it all started with my brother's mission to Minnesota. There is a city in Minnesota called, good thunder, Minnesota. And that's where that comes from. I also like to use GT for short. So anyone who wants to wants to work on changing the euphemisms or swear words you use, good thunder is a great substitute :-).
One of the arguments I presented to my classmate was, swearwords pose no purpose to a sentence. You can completely remove all profanity from a sentence, and the meaning of the sentence will not change. I was going to give you some examples by inserting [blank] in place of the euphemism or swearword but, I decided I didn't even want to do that. I'm sure you can figure out what I mean.
The most offensive use of profanity to me, is probably the most common, and that is taking the Lord's name in vain. I read a statistic that 86% of the population of the United States is Christian. And if you include the Jews that number probably goes to over 90%. As far as I know, most Jews and Christians profess to believe the 10 Commandments. The third Commandment states:
Exodus 20:7 " Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
Yet, taking the name of the Lord in vain, is extremely common. I can't even watch a benign television show like "House Hunters" without hearing it several times. This is quite disturbing to me. This is another topic I will talk about on a different post. That is, television shows and swearing.
So why is it that profanity is so rampant? Even amongst members of the Church. I have several hypotheses about this, one of which is, perhaps it is a sign of macho-ism. Which to me, is totally absurd. When I hear people using profanity, they go way down on my respect- o-meter. There is nothing cool or macho about it. Like I told my colleague, to me, it is a sign of lack of intelligence. [He didn't like that one too much] :-)
Another hypothesis I have is that profanity is so rampant because people don't consider it as offensive, and wrong, and disrespectful as they once did. There are some people I know, who don't even realize it, when they are swearing. If you tell them about it, and ask them not to use profanity, they might say they didn't realize they said anything profane. This is a sad sign of how desensitized we have become as a society. This again is another topic for later discussion. For now, that's my two cents.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Litterbug
Another pet peeve of mine it is people who litter. When I was on my mission, as part of our community service, we picked up litter off the side of the road. It was interesting to see the kind of litter that people throw out. I would say that probably 80% of the litter we picked up was beer cans or bottles, and cigarette butts and packages. The other 20% consisted of mostly fast food packaging, wrappers, sacks, cups and straws. This tells me something about the type of people who litter. I think it would be interesting to do a scientific study about the type of people who litter. It is my hypothesis that these people have a lower intelligence quotient than the general population. I have never understood why anyone would want to litter. It is not difficult to wait to throw your garbage away until you get home or to a garbage can. People who litter show blatant disrespect and disregard for others, and the planet Earth. That's my two cents.
Adoption
I get daily updates in my e-mail from LDS news. This is one that I received today and I felt it was worth posting. As probably most of you know, my sister Juliet recently adopted a baby boy. My nephew, Kingston, is such a sweet, happy, smiley baby. I am so happy he is part of our family. I would like to commend Juliet and Aaron for choosing to adopt. "In honor of National Adoption Month, the Church's First Presidency has released the following statement:The President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, has proclaimed the month of November as National Adoption Month. We endorse this proclamation and express our support of unwed parents who place their children for adoption in stable homes with a mother and a father. We also express our support of the married mothers and fathers who adopt these children.Children are entitled to the blessing of being reared in a stable family environment where father and mother honor marital vows. Having a secure, nurturing, and consistent relationship with both a father and a mother is essential to a child's well-being. When choosing adoption, unwed parents grant their children this most important blessing. Adoption is an unselfish, loving decision that blesses the child, birth parents, and adoptive parents in this life and throughout the eternities. We commend all those who strengthen children and families by promoting adoption."
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Real Celebrity
It's not everyday that you get to be in the presence of one of the 12 apostles. I had this privilege yesterday at our stake conference. Elder Russell M. Nelson was in attendance and spoke to us. We got there almost an hour early, but still had to sit about four to five rows back in the cultural hall. But, nonetheless, it was an awesome experience. Elder Nelson has always been my favorite apostle. I like him because he is a heart surgeon and likes to use medical references when he speaks. So, needless to say, he didn't disappoint. He explained to us the word origin of religion. Re meaning and again and ligion being derived from ligate meaning to tie or bind. He made a reference that all the surgeons in the room would know that ligate means for example to tie a blood vessel off. So I thought that was cool. He mostly talked about temples and Temple work. We were also lucky enough to have Elder Brinckerhoff speak to us. He is a member of the quorum of the seventy. Lisa did a much better job in her blog of explaining what was said, so if you would like to read her blog you may get more information. But what I do want to mention is that I find it quite interesting, for lack of a better word, that to most people in the world Elder Nelson is just another man. There was no fanfare, no paparazzi, no huge multitudes thronging to see him. There was no mention on the local news, of his visit. Yet, he is one of the Lord's 12 apostles. It was just a regular stake conference. If Brad Pitt, or Britney Spears, or any so-called celebrity, would have come to the Seattle area to visit it would have been all over the news, there would have been much fanfare and paparazzi and so forth. And who are they? People who act in movies and sing, who don't appear to have very good moral values, and are not good examples for people to emulate. I mean really, how messed up is that? That's my two cents.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Lessons in compassion
When I lived in Los Angeles do in my fourth year externship, I had a one-month rotation in infectious diseases. One day a week the ID clinic was dedicated to AIDS patients. This was always an interesting day and one I looked forward to. We saw many rare diseases that you don't see in immunocompetent people. And even regular diseases that aren't very harmful to an immunocompetent person can be devastating and much more severe in someone who is immunocompromised. One day as the resident and I were walking into the treatment room to see our next patient, I had an experience that taught me a lesson in compassion. Sitting on the exam table was a man dressed in what I would call Sunday best. He was wearing a woman's dress, complete with pantyhose, high heel shoes, fingernail polish, full makeup including lipstick eyeliner and mascara. It was obvious that he was trying his best to look pretty. But, what I saw was anything but pretty. He was afflicted with numerous unsightly skin lesions over his entire body. If I remember correctly it was psoriasis, but much more prominent and severe than anything you would expect. He had a very sad countenance and after speaking with him it was obvious he was very unhappy. It was also apparent, that he had made a series of bad choices in his life. Which were the cause of his unhappiness. Alma 41:10 "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." At that moment, I began to feel compassion towards this man. I felt very sorrowful for his unhappiness. I felt like I understood him, that the reason he was making such poor choices was because he was seeking to find happiness in his life. But, because he didn't have the Gospel to guide him, he was going about it the wrong way, making poor choices, and therefore, he couldn't find happiness. In fact, he just kept digging himself a deeper hole with each poor choice. He wanted to be accepted and loved, but couldn't find it. That day, I saw him as a child of God. And I learned a great lesson in compassion.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Handicapped parking
One thing that has bothered me since I was a teenager or maybe before, is people who park in handicapped parking spots who aren't handicapped. Whether they have a permit or not, it doesn't matter. I remember one time when I went shopping at the mall when I lived in Los Angeles. I saw a person park in a handicapped space, jump out, and run into the mall. I checked the license plates and the rearview mirror for a placard, but saw none. I don't know how long this person was in the mall, but I do know that they took the only handicapped spot available. This disturbed me very much and I couldn't enjoy my shopping experience because of it. Not only is it inconsiderate and selfish, but it creates a hardship for those for whom the space was intended. I mean really, how hard is it for an able-bodied person to walk perhaps 100 extra feet? There have been many times when I have gone to the store or somewhere out in the public and there were no handicapped parking spaces available and we have to end up parking in the North 40. If there are not two parking spaces next to each other we have to block traffic to unload. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've gone to the store and have seen another wheelchair in the store. Yet, most of the time the handicapped parking spaces are full. Granted, there are people whose handicaps do not require wheelchairs. But, I don't believe these people should park in the same van accessible handicapped spaces as people in wheelchairs. I believe there should be a color-coded system where people who are confined to wheelchairs have priority in handicapped parking spaces available, namely van accessible parking spaces where wheelchairs can load and unload. And people with other handicaps such as emphysema, asthma, trouble walking etc. should have different color-coded parking spaces. For example, perhaps blue for wheelchairs with van accessibility, and maybe green for people with other handicaps. And maybe even a third color such as yellow to further distinguish the severity of the handicap. Many times as I'm unloading or loading I see young people jumping out of cars and going into the store after parking in handicapped spot. I think many of these are people illegally using someone else's placard. In the meantime, people with real handicaps have to park in the most distant parking spaces where there is room to load and unload a wheelchair. This has been a pet peeve of mine since long before I was in a wheelchair. That's my two cents.
Choice
There is a song by George Jones entitled "Choices". This topic is what I want to blog about today. First of all I want to quote part of the song. "I've had choices since the day I was born, there were voices that told me right from wrong, if I had listened then I wouldn't be here today, living and dying by the choices I made". To me, this is a very profound statement in simple terms. Here is my interpretation. From the day we are born we are faced with many choices on a daily basis. We are taught by parents, teachers, and the Holy Ghost what is right and what is wrong. If we listen to what we've been taught, and to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we will make right choices. If we don't hearken and obey we will most likely make the wrong choice. Once a choice is made, there are consequences to that choice. Whether good or bad. If we make a good choice, the consequence is good. For example, if I choose to read my scriptures in the morning, I will be blessed throughout the day. The Holy Ghost will be with me to help me make right decisions throughout the day. Likewise, if I make bad choices, I must also reap the consequences. For example, if I choose to steal from somebody, I will most likely go to jail. These are simple examples but you get the idea. We were sent down to earth to prove ourselves, through our choices, that we are willing to follow the commandments. Abraham 3:25 " And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them". In the war in Heaven it was Satan's plan to force us to do what is right so that everybody would return to Heavenly Father 's presence and he would receive all the glory. It was Jesus's plan that we would be given agency, or choice, and because nobody is perfect, we would all fall short, and sin, He would provide an atonement, where He would take upon Him all of our sins, and suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross, that we may once again return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. And He would give the glory to the Father. Two thirds of the hosts of heaven chose Jesus's plan. The one third that chose Satan's plan, will never be given physical bodies. Everybody who has ever lived on earth and received a physical body chose Jesus's plan. What I find so ironic about this, is Satan, in his cunning way, who wants all of us to be miserable like unto himself, has used choice as one of his greatest tools to drag us down to misery and endless wo. The term, pro-choice is used by the abortion rights people. This is a great misnomer. The term should be pro-abortion. When a woman chooses to commit the act necessary for procreation, her choice has been made. The consequence of that choice, is possible pregnancy. And yet, she still has a choice of whether to keep the baby, or give it up for adoption to be raised by a mother and a father who can provide a stable family life, and the necessities of life. So, I don't see where any choice is being taken away. Abortion is not a right, it is murder. Our choices don't just affect us. If someone decides to drink and drive, they are not only putting their own life at stake, but the lives of innocent people who they might kill. When a husband decides to commit adultery, his wife and children must also suffer the consequences. If we make good choices we also affect people in a positive way. For now, that's my two cents.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Persecutions May Rage
Over the past few months I have been following the saga of proposition eight in California. For anyone unfamiliar with this proposition, it states that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Or something to that effect. Anyway, as most of you who are reading this probably know, about 10 years ago when I was living in San Francisco I campaigned for proposition 22, which basically said the same thing. Now, as you might imagine, campaigning for such an issue in San Francisco, wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done. As a matter of fact, it was quite challenging. But luckily, I wasn't assigned to canvass the Castro district :-). If I remember the numbers correctly, proposition 22 passed with a 67% margin. Unfortunately, this was recently overturned in the courts by a 4-3 count by the California Supreme Court. Therefore, proposition eight was born. After much effort by many people campaigning for proposition eight, it was passed by the people of California with a 52% margin. There has been much upheaval since the election by the gay and lesbian community, and those who are sympathetic towards them. For some reason, there has been violence and mobs protesting outside of LDS temples in Los Angeles and throughout the country. If I remember correctly, members of the church in California make up less than 2% of the population. So for these mobs to single out the church as the reason for proposition eight passing, is not accurate. There were many other people of all different faiths who voted yes on proposition eight. But, the church is being singled out and persecuted for voicing their opinion on something they believe in. The members of the church have been persecuted since before the church was even organized in 1830. And apparently, not much has changed since then. To me, this is a sign truthfulness of the church. Why else would Satan want to keep attacking it? As I think about these mobs assembling outside of our temples and persecuting the members, it reminds me of something that I had to memorize on my mission. It is called the standard of truth, and it was written by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." The only thing proposition eight does is protect the sanctity of marriage. It does not take any civil rights away from those who choose to live a homosexual lifestyle. The gospel teaches us that everybody is a child of God. And we are to "love thy neighbor as thyself" but we do not condone nor tolerate sin. I recently read an article online about members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who are homosexuals or sympathetic towards them, who are now requesting that their names be removed from the records of the Church. Because of the church's position on homosexuality and the recent comments from the First Presidency asking members of the church in California to do all they can to protect the sanctity of marriage. The church's position on this matter has never changed. Let me just give you a couple of the examples that I read about. One was a young man who is a returned missionary and a self-proclaimed homosexual. He says he still loves the church but he is requesting that his name be removed now because he doesn't agree with what the prophets are saying. Another was a woman who is a physician and also a member of the church. The article stated that she donated $1000 to the no on eight campaign. She also says she still loves and believes in the church, but she doesn't agree with the church on this matter. To me, this is absurd. You cannot pick and choose which doctrines you are going to believe in. Second Nephi 9:28 "O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish."
If the Prophet or apostles happen to state something that you don't agree with, or doesn't fit in with your lifestyle, you can't just dismiss it and say you still believe the church is true you just happen to disagree on this point of doctrine. It doesn't work that way. When the prophets and apostles speak it is as if we are listening to our Savior, speaking to us.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 " What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
This will not be the end of my discussion on this topic but for now that's my two cents.
If the Prophet or apostles happen to state something that you don't agree with, or doesn't fit in with your lifestyle, you can't just dismiss it and say you still believe the church is true you just happen to disagree on this point of doctrine. It doesn't work that way. When the prophets and apostles speak it is as if we are listening to our Savior, speaking to us.
Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 " What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."
This will not be the end of my discussion on this topic but for now that's my two cents.
The Eye of the Beholder
When I'm out in public I notice people staring at me, and occasionally making comments under their breath. I'm sure they are thinking, I am glad I am not her. Or, possibly feeling sorry for me, because of a very visible trial I have been given. The funny thing about that is, I am looking at them and thinking, I am glad I am not them. Because I have the Gospel, I understand that my physical handicaps are temporary. One day, I will be resurrected in perfect form. Alma 11:44 "Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil." So, the people that I see staring at me, who don't have the Gospel, or who don't live the gospel, have it much worse than I do.
Death and Taxes
I've heard it said that there are two things in life that are certain. Death and taxes. I would like to add one more to that list, and that is that life is not fair. I think, no matter who you are, there will be times in your life where you will feel that life is not fair. This is just part of life. The reason we are upon this earth is to be tested. We are given trials to make us stronger. A lot of people look at the trials in their lives, and think, life is not fair. When I look at trials in my life, I think, Heavenly Father must really think I'm special because He only gives us what we can handle. So, the more difficult the trial we are given, the stronger person we must be. Granted, trials are never easy, but this is how we grow, learn, and become stronger. So, as crazy as this may sound, I am thankful for the trials in my life. For I know that this is how Heavenly Father is shaping me to become the type of person I'm capable of being. So, life certainly isn't fair but, if it was, this life wouldn't be much of a test for us to prove ourselves, and progress towards exaltation. Doctrine And Covenants 122: 7 "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."
Blogging
I have been thinking about starting a blog for several months now. There were several times during this past election season when I wanted to speak my mind. And I almost started a blog several times but I always talked myself out of it, until now. :-) After Lisa and Derrinda started their blogs, I guess I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon. I don't know who's going to be reading this, if anyone, but I hope nobody is offended by my opinions. This is not my intent. I have lots of stuff to say so let's get blogging!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
One-word elaborated
I said in my last post I was going to elaborate on my one-word description so here goes...
mom-selfless. Mom has always put her family before herself. If there was only one piece of pie or cake left, suddenly she wasn't hungry. And it is especially evident now since she has dedicated her life to taking care of me. Thanks mom!
Dad-love. Dad always says I love you several times a day. He has done that as long as I can remember. Also, everybody seems to love my dad, especially little children. They seem to be drawn to him. All of his grandchildren go through a grandpa stage. Where they always want to be with grandpa. I love you dad.
Lisa-caring. Lisa always thinks of others. She always puts a lot of thought into the gifts that she gives. She's always willing to help in whatever anybody needs. Even though right now she has her own needs, she is still very caring and willing to help others.
Juliet-smiles. Juliet has always been a smiley person. She brightens up any room she goes into. She has the happy personality that draws people to her. I think this is probably why she was so successful at her job. Her smile is infectious. She even has a very smiley baby and I'm sure it's because Juliet is always smiling.
Michael-laughter. Michael is the one person in this world who can make me laugh when no one else can. I have always thought he was and is the funniest person in the world. And things become twice as funny when my plastic brother Jason is around. Even when Michael is not in a jovial mood he still manages to be the life of the party and make everybody laugh and have a good time.
mom-selfless. Mom has always put her family before herself. If there was only one piece of pie or cake left, suddenly she wasn't hungry. And it is especially evident now since she has dedicated her life to taking care of me. Thanks mom!
Dad-love. Dad always says I love you several times a day. He has done that as long as I can remember. Also, everybody seems to love my dad, especially little children. They seem to be drawn to him. All of his grandchildren go through a grandpa stage. Where they always want to be with grandpa. I love you dad.
Lisa-caring. Lisa always thinks of others. She always puts a lot of thought into the gifts that she gives. She's always willing to help in whatever anybody needs. Even though right now she has her own needs, she is still very caring and willing to help others.
Juliet-smiles. Juliet has always been a smiley person. She brightens up any room she goes into. She has the happy personality that draws people to her. I think this is probably why she was so successful at her job. Her smile is infectious. She even has a very smiley baby and I'm sure it's because Juliet is always smiling.
Michael-laughter. Michael is the one person in this world who can make me laugh when no one else can. I have always thought he was and is the funniest person in the world. And things become twice as funny when my plastic brother Jason is around. Even when Michael is not in a jovial mood he still manages to be the life of the party and make everybody laugh and have a good time.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
In One Word
I received an e-mail asking me to describe someone in one word. So I thought that was a good idea and here's what I've come up with to describe by family.
Mom-Selfless
Dad-Love
Lisa-Caring
Juliet-Smiles
Michael-Laughter
In My Next Blog I Will Elaborate on Each One.
Mom-Selfless
Dad-Love
Lisa-Caring
Juliet-Smiles
Michael-Laughter
In My Next Blog I Will Elaborate on Each One.
Blogging bandwagon
I guess I'm going to jump on the blogging bandwagon :-) let me just forewarn anybody who might be reading this that it is probably going to be mostly my opinions. So if you don't want my opinion, don't read this blog!
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