College Football Picks 2018 Week Five

1. Rex  -10   TB 44
2. Michael -16 tie breaker 43
3. Tammy  -16  TB  57
4. Dad   -17   TB  36
5. Lisa   -18  TB  34
6. Mom  -21  TB  52

Actual tiebreaker 42

Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness

The Lord does not take lightly bearing false witness.  In fact, it is one of the 10 Commandments.

Exodus 20:16

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

Proverbs is full of scriptures warning of bearing false witness and lying.  Here are a few:

Proverbs 19:5

"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape."

Proverbs 12:13-20

13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

16 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

17 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit.

18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy. 

Proverbs 14:5-10

5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. 

The Lord doesn't mince words when it comes to bearing false witness. Moses explains in Deuteronomy the punishments affixed for those who bear false witness.

Deuteronomy 19:16-21

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. 

And finally in Scripture other than the Old Testament we turn to The Book of Mormon.  The prophet Nephi, the son of Helaman, explains why people commit such iniquities as bearing false witness etc.

Helaman 7:20-21

20 O, how could you have forgotten your God in the very day that he has delivered you?

21 But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

Even though that scripture was written shortly before Christ was born (23-21 B.C.) it exactly describes what is going on today.

People bear false witness (and commit all manner of iniquity) to get gain.  Riches, fame, political gain.  Sound familiar to what's going on right now?

It's disgusting what people will do to others -- ruining their lives, families, careers -- by bearing false witness for political gain, fame, and/or riches.

All I have to say is, "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape." (Proverbs 19:5)

That's my two cents.

Mama Cow and Baby Cow

Yesterday  was a beautiful day here.  Dad and I went down to the garden to harvest our apples.  Many of the apples had fallen to the ground already.  :-(  But that was good news for the neighbor's cows.

Our neighbor, Charlie, has two cows.  We don't know their names so we call them Mama cow and Baby cow.  They are easy to distinguish because Mama cow has a white face.  

They are often times laying down chewing their cud or eating grass next to the fence.  So I talk to them whenever I see them.  Dad has given them apples before.

We saw them laying in their field chewing their cud 

Baby cow and Mama cow

We told them we had some apples for them.  We told them to come get them.  They just kept looking at us.

Then Dad showed them the bucket and Mama cow stood up.  Then Baby cow stood up.

Then Dad took an apple out and showed them.  Then Mama cow came over followed by Baby cow.

Mama cow came right to the fence.  She would bug her eyes out every time Dad put an apple in her mouth.  She kept wanting more.  She couldn't get enough of those tasty honeycrisp apples! 

This is my favorite picture of Mama cow. 

Begging for more apples. 

Mama cow looking over the fence hoping for more apples.

Mama cow looking through the fence at us hoping there are more apples in the bucket.

Baby cow isn't much of a baby anymore.  Baby cow is actually bigger than Mama cow now.

Baby cow hoping for more apples.

Mama cow and Baby cow kept waiting for more apples.  I said goodbye and started heading up the hill.  They followed alongside the fence all the way to the dog tree.  :-)  Then they turned into the forest to get some water from the pond.

They are sweethearts.  Mama cow is quite the character.  Baby cow just seems to follow Mama cow wherever she goes.  Even though Baby cow is two or three years old now.  Charlie says that Mama cow is mean.  I think she's just assertive and knows what she wants.  Both of them are sweet babies!

College Football Picks 2018 Week Four

1. Lisa  -18    TB  54
2. Tammy -18  TB 53
3. Rex  -19  TB 42
4. Dad -20  TB 42
5. Mom -29  TB 49

Actual Tiebreaker:  74

Wo unto Him

I want to share with you the very last words written by the prophet Nephi, the son of Nephi, the son of Helaman. As a frame of reference, this was written shortly after the resurrected Savior himself appeared to the Nephites here on the American continent about 34 to 35 A..D.

3 Nephi 29:5-9

5 Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works! 

6 Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!

7 Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!

8 Yea, and ye need not any longer hiss, nor spurn, nor make game of the Jews, nor any of the remnant of the house of Israel; for behold, the Lord remembereth his covenant unto them, and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn.

9 Therefore ye need not suppose that ye can turn the right hand of the Lord unto the left, that he may not execute judgment unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel.

3 Nephi 30:1-2

1 Hearken, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he hath commanded me that I should speak concerning you, for, behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying:

2 Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel.

It appears to me that in chapter 29 the prophet Nephi is mostly speaking to members of the Church.  Those who have made covenants and have fallen away -- apostates.  His warnings are very stern and straightforward.  Like a parent talking to a child who should know better.  Look at the end of verses seven and eight. "... for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!"  "... and he will do unto them according to that which he hath sworn".

Then in chapter 30, Nephi seems to be addressing non-members, those who've not yet covenanted with the Lord through baptism.  He still boldly calls them to repentance and tells them to turn from their wicked ways.  Then he invites them to come unto Christ, be baptized in His name, and be numbered with His people in His Church. 

What a way to sum up the book of Third Nephi which documents the resurrected Christ's visit to the Americas and His teachings to them.

To those who have covenant with the Lord and have fallen away, I have three words for you -- wo unto you. 

Come back to the truth before it's too late.

And to those who have not yet covenanted with the Lord by entering the waters of baptism and are not yet numbered with His people, I invite you to come unto Christ.  Come enjoy all the fruits of the Gospel available to those who have chosen to come unto Christ through baptism into His Church.  For it is only through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ that true joy and happiness is found.

That's my two cents.

Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself

You may wonder why I post so many religious warnings.  Why do I bother looking up quotes and posting them to my blog?  It actually is a lot of work.  I'll tell you why.  Because I want everybody to enjoy the happiness and eternal joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have been blessed beyond measure to have the gospel in my life throughout my mortal existence.  I want everyone else to have that blessing.  That is why I chose to serve a full-time mission.  That is why spent 18 months in the prime of my life teaching the Gospel to people full-time.  That's why I now put forth the effort to look up quotes and scriptures that touch me and post them to my blog.

I listen to the Book of Mormon every morning.  It makes my day go better.  And I still learn things even though I've heard them multiple times.  President Nelson, the living prophet of God, just told us last Saturday that if we will read and study the Book of Mormon on a daily basis that we will be immunized from the evils that would make us fall away from the gospel.

The Book of Mormon exposes Satan's tactics.  The Book of Mormon is chock-full of examples of people falling from the truth of the Gospel and the tactics Satan uses to get them to fall.  Interestingly, Satan's tactics haven't changed in millennia.  It's uncanny how similar the Book of Mormon stories are to our day. 

The Book of Mormon was actually written for our day.  Therefore people would be wise to heed the Prophet's counsel to read and study the Book of Mormon daily.  The Book of Mormon teaches the Doctrine of Christ in simplicity.  The Book of Mormon warns of consequences if we do not heed the counsel contained therein and follow the Doctrine of Christ. The Book of Mormon exposes Satan's tactics so we will see his true colors and not fall for his lies and temptations.

Anyway my point in writing this blog post was to explain why I continue to post religious warnings despite the effort it takes and the apparent lack of heeding.

The Lord has explained very clearly to us that "it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor."

Doctrine and Covenants 88:81-82

81 Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.

82 Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.

I have been blessed to "have been warned" since my childhood.  I have been taught the gospel and have studied it my entire life.  Therefore I consider it my duty to "warn my neighbor". 

I understand the consequences of those who don't heed the warning.  I don't wish that upon my worst enemy.  It breaks my heart to see people reject the Savior and His teachings and miss out on the happiness His gospel brings.  Therefore I will continue to "warn my neighbor".

Life is too short to not heed the warning.  We are in the closing minutes of the 11th hour before the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Satan is burning the candle at both ends and so must we.

So when you see yet another religious post on my blog, know that I am just trying to be a good neighbor.  Know that my efforts are intended to benefit you!

That's my two cents.

"Behold the Man!"

On Sundays I like to re-watch the latest General Conference.  This week I happened to re-watch Elder Uchtdorf's conference address from April 2018.  It is titled, "Behold the Man!".  Since the talk was given on Easter Sunday, fittingly it is about the most important day in the history of mankind - The Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is an exceptional talk and well worth reading or watching again.

I want to share with you just a few of my favorite quotes from Elder Uchtdorf's address:

"He did this for all who believe in Him. 

"He did this for all who do not believe in Him. 

"He did this even for those who mock, revile, and curse His name."

I love this!  Christ didn't just atone for those who believe in Him and love Him.  Our Savior suffered, bled, and died also for those who don't believe in Him and even those who despise, hate, mock, revile, and curse Him.  That is pure love.

Continuing with Elder Uchtdorf's talk:

"Those who find a way to truly behold the Man find the doorway to life’s greatest joys and the balm to life’s most demanding despairs.

"So, when you are encompassed by sorrows and grief, behold the Man. 

"When you feel lost or forgotten, behold the Man. 

"When you are despairing, deserted, doubting, damaged, or defeated, behold the Man. 

"He will comfort you. 

"He will heal you and give meaning to your journey. He will pour out His Spirit and fill your heart with exceeding joy. 

"He gives “power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

"When we truly behold the Man, we learn of Him and seek to align our lives with Him. We repent and strive to refine our natures and daily grow a little closer to Him. We trust Him. We show our love for Him by keeping His commandments and by living up to our sacred covenants. 

"In other words, we become His disciples.

"His refining light saturates our souls. His grace uplifts us. Our burdens are lightened, our peace deepened. When we truly behold the Man, we have the promise of a blessed future that inspires and upholds us through the bends and bumps in life’s journey. Looking back, we will recognize that there is a divine pattern, that the dots really connect.

"As you accept His sacrifice, become His disciple, and finally reach the end of your earthly journey, what will become of the sorrows you have endured in this life? 

"They will be gone.

"The disappointments, betrayals, persecutions you have faced? 

"Gone.

"The suffering, heartache, guilt, shame, and anguish you have passed through?

"Gone.

"Forgotten.

"Is it any wonder that “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ … that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins”?

"Is it any wonder that we strive with all our hearts to truly behold the Man?

"My beloved brothers and sisters, I testify that the most important day in the history of mankind was the day when Jesus Christ, the living Son of God, won the victory over death and sin for all of God’s children. And the most important day in your life and mine is the day when we learn to “behold the man”; when we see Him for who He truly is; when we partake with all our heart and mind of His atoning power; when with renewed enthusiasm and strength, we commit to follow Him. May that be a day that recurs over and over again throughout our lives.

"I leave you my testimony and blessing that as we “behold the man,” we will find meaning, joy, and peace in this earthly life and eternal life in the world to come.  In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen." -- Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Behold the Man!",  April 2018 General Conference

College Football Picks 2018 Week Three

1. Rex   -15     TB  44
2. Dad  -18     TB  49
3. Lisa  -19     TB  47
4. Tammy  -20  TB  47
5. Mom  -25   TB  52

Actual tiebreaker 28

Follow the Prophet

Yesterday we were privileged to have the opportunity to listen to the Prophet, his wife, and an apostle.  President Russell M. Nelson, our dear prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, His wife Wendy Watson Nelson, and President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency came and spoke to us at a special devotional in Seattle.

Tickets were free but were distributed in each ward.  There were even special tickets for priests and laurels (16-18-year-olds) to be able to sit on the floor right in front of the speakers.

I didn't think I was going to be able to make it due to the physical hardship and how late it was.  But then a member of our stake presidency told us we should make every effort to attend despite hardships.  He told us there were 7 1/2 billion people on earth and only 15 prophets, seers, and revelators.  And two off them will be coming to speak to us.  And only one of those 15 is the Lord's chosen prophet who can exercise all of the keys of the priesthood.  And we have the opportunity to see him and listened too him in person.  So I decide I would make every effort to attend.

Since he was called as an apostle in 1984, President Nelson has always been my favorite apostle.  Now he is the Prophet.  President Eyring is Dad's favorite apostle.  So it was even more special that President Eyring accompanied President Nelson on this historic trip.

Needless to say we were all very much looking forward to this devotional.

We left home at 1:30 PM.  Had to pick up Nancy and fill up the car.  We had a full car.  Six people.  I had to ride sideways. Rex and Dad in the front, Mom, Lisa, and Nancy on the back seat.

We made it to Seattle around 3:15 PM.  Took us about 45 minutes and three or four circles around Safeco Field to find the parking garage for which we had a free ticket.  Once we found it we didn't have to find wheelchair accessible parking.  Finally got parked and there was a huge line we had to wait in.  By the time we got to the front of the line after about an hour 15 minutes it was 5:30 PM.

By then most of the wheelchair seating was occupied.  We were sent on wild goose chases up and down elevators and around Safeco Field.  Finally about 10 minutes before the devotional will start we found a spot way behind the speakers.  But at least we were there before it started and found a place to sit.

Then, some extremely rude people came behind us (which was just an aisle not intended for people to stop) and were extremely noisy.  There was a man, a woman in a wheelchair and a toddler.  These people acted like they were at a baseball game instead of in the presence of the Lord's Prophet and Apostle.  The toddler kept running around screaming and talking.  But what's even worse is the mother directly behind me kept talking to the toddler in a loud voice.  All the while I'm trying to listen to President Eyring speak.  "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie do you want bananas?"  "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie do you want nuts?"  "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, Ellie don't go over there you might fall, come back here..." and on and on and on. At least three times I said, "quiet!".  To no avail.  And she was not talking quiet like she would (or should) if she was a Stake Center for church building. She acted like she was at a ballgame instead of a devotional where the prophet was presiding.

I felt especially bad for Dad because he was so looking forward to listening to President Eyring especially, and he couldn't hear what he said.

I'm extremely disappointed in my fellow Saints and their lack of respect for others and especially for the lack of respect for an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and the prophet!  It was a big hardship for us to attend that devotional, just to have it ruined by rude people who are supposed to be followers of Jesus Christ.  Why did she even go if she wasn't going to listen?  Just to ruin it for others I suppose.

So that put a damper on our experience.  But it was still awesome to be in the presence of the Lord's Prophet on the earth today.  And one of his chosen apostles.

What little I did hear from President Eyring was that President Nelson receives revelation from the Lord.  He testified of that.  He also talked about different times he was in the presence of prophets as a child and when he was older.  President Eyring has now been a counselor to three prophets, President Hinckley, President Monson, and President Nelson.

President Eyring is a very humble man, as are all 15 of those who are called and set apart as prophets, seers, and revelators.  President Eyring is a wonderful example of dedicated Christlike service. As Dad said the other day, "President Eyring always has the Holy Ghost with him."

Then Sister Wendy W. Nelson spoke.  I love her.  She joked about craving a hot dog and hearing the song, "Take Me out to the Ballgame" in her mind.  She said that usually doesn't happen at devotionals.  This is the first time they have spoken at a devotional at a baseball field.

Sister Nelson told us she received confirmation of her husband being the Prophet but said the experience was too sacred to share over the pulpit.  She said that, as an apostle, President Nelson would often times receive revelation but that those revelations have increased exponentially since he became Prophet. She shared that President Nelson often receives revelation during the night or in the early morning hours.  She said he keeps a yellow legal pad by the bed to record the revelations he receives.

She told of one incident when she was sleeping and it was early morning and she wasn't ready to get out of bed yet. But she kept having the prompting that she needed to leave the room.  So she got up and left the room.  She said President Nelson emerged about two hours later after having received revelation.  She said her ancestors are happy when this happens because she usually does family history work during those times.

She testified that President Nelson is the Lord's Prophet. She said, "This is indeed the Lord’s church. Everything in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints belongs to Jesus Christ; the covenants are his, the ordinances are his, the priesthood power is his. And the prophet is his.” (Quote taken from the Deseret News)

Then we got to hear from President Nelson.  He told several stories.  Some I had heard before.  One store had not heard before was when his children were teenagers they took a rafting trip down the Colorado River.  At one point the rapids were getting fierce and he instinctively grabbed onto his wife and child.  But let's not holding onto the boat.  He was catapulted out into the river and found himself underneath the raft trying to reach the surface.  Just when he was out of breath he reached inside of the raft and was pulled back in.  He used that experience as an analogy to hold on tight to the Gospel.

Another story he told was when one of the nurses he worked with (President Nelson is a world renowned cardiothoracic surgeon) asked him why he was different than the other surgeons. His answer was that if he was different in was because he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  He then gave his only copy of the Book of Mormon (I think he was traveling or something and only had one copy with him) to her and her surgeon husband to read.  A while later her husband brought the book back to him, tossing it to him saying "Thanks a lot".  President Nelson thought, "Thanks a lot?"  that's not a proper response.  He said, "You didn't read it did you?".  His fellow surgeon admitted that he did not read it.  President Nelson told him to take it back and return it after he'd read it.  The surgeon returned it later in reverence telling President Nelson that he knew it was true.  Then President Nelson knew that he actually read it.

President Nelson gave us a prophetic promise that if we would read The Book of Mormon everyday, we will be immunized from the temptations of the adversary and we will not fall.  I thought that was the most profound statement of the night.  That's a pretty powerful promise coming from the prophet of God.

Another quote I found in the Deseret News:

“Have you ever wondered why the institution of the church is necessary?” said the global religious leader. “Why aren’t good deeds alone adequate in the eyes of the Lord? Why was the church restored in these latter days?” 

President Nelson emphasized the importance of helping God’s children hear “the message of the gospel” and of finding joy in families being “sealed for all eternity in holy temples.”

“We are living in the most crucial era in the history of the world,” said President Nelson. “Since the beginning of time, prophets have foreseen our day and prophesied about what would take place during this winding-up period before the Savior comes again.”

As a church, “we need to be doing what the Savior wishes us to do. And as a people we need to be looking and acting like true followers of Jesus Christ.”

The church, he added, has a “simple and sincere” message for the world: “We invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, to receive the blessings of the holy temple and qualify for eternal life, so that they can have enduring joy now and forever.”

That's what it all boils down to.  Bringing people to Christ so they may have eternal life and experience enduring joy.  That's what the gospel of Jesus Christ is about.  That's why we have the church, prophets, missionaries etc.  It's all to bring people to Christ.

After the devotional as President Nelson, Sister Nelson, and President Eyring were leaving, the entire congregation at Safeco Field sang, "We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet".  The Spirit was strong and testified that we were in the midst of the prophet of God and one of his apostles.  I felt the confirmation also when Sister Nelson spoke.

The devotional ended around 7:15 PM.  After maneuvering through the crowd to exit Safeco Field in fighting our way to the car, we had to wait in the car for over an hour before we could exit the parking garage.  It was ridiculous.  We sat in Safeco Field parking garage for approximately 3 hours yesterday.  The devotional was only an hour 15 minutes.

We didn't make it home until after 10:00 PM.  Needless to say I was physically spent.  I'm still feeling it today.  But despite all of the hardships and everything we endured, It was worth it to listen to a prophet's voice.

Of 7.5 billion people on planet earth right now, yesterday I was one of the lucky few who got to sit at the feet of the prophet of the Lord and be taught.

President Nelson announced at the end of the devotional that there were 49,089 people in attendance.  The newspaper reported that it was the largest nonsports crowd ever at Safeco Field.  And the second largest event ever at Safeco Field.   Including sporting events.

Despite living in one of the least religious states, there were still plenty of saints who made the effort to hear the word of the Lord through his prophet, President Russell M.Nelson.

I'm extremely grateful I had that rare opportunity.

That's my two cents.

Fools Mock, but They Shall Mourn

The past few days I've been thinking about peer pressure and the tragedy of people fearing men more than God.

People naturally want to fit in and be accepted.  That's just human nature.  Nobody wants to feel different or be mocked because of what they say or do.   This is why peer pressure is so powerful.  Peer pressure can be good or bad.  People can be pressured into doing something good or doing something bad.  Unfortunately most peer pressure fits into the negative category.  Not too often does peer pressure work for good.

The world has rules if you want to fit in.  Society has rules if you want to fit in.  Cultures have rules if you want to fit in.  Communities and neighborhoods have rules if you want to fit in.  Friends have rules if you want to fit in.  Families have rules if you want too fit in.  The smaller and closer the group gets the more powerful is the peer pressure to fit in.

To feel like you fit in the world or society does not exert nearly as much pressure as feeling the need to fit in with friends and family.

Everybody's ability to withstand the pressure exerted on them to fit in is individualized.  We all came to Earth with qualities and characteristics we developed in our pre-Earth life.  Some people feel the need to conform and fit in much more than others do.  I, for one, consider myself blessed to not feel the need to conform or fit in like most people do.   I don't fall to peer pressure as easily as most.  Although we've all felt it and know what it's like.

God's rules to fit in haven't changed.  They remain constant.  The world's and society's rules, on the other hand, have changed quite drastically.  Even in the nearly 5 decades I've been on this earth.  And they've certainly changed dramatically over the past century or two.  Therefore it's becoming increasingly difficult to fit in with God and fit in with the world. We must now choose.  If we choose to fit in with God, we don't fit in with the world and vice versa.

Just a few decades ago nobody would have dreamed -- not even homosexuals -- that homosexual marriage would not only be legal but celebrated and embraced in society.  But that's what's happened.  Homosexuality which used to be considered deviant and shameful behavior and was  hidden in closets is now flaunted and celebrated.

A century or so ago adultery was actually illegal and punishable by law.  Breaking the law of chastity was considered shameful and immoral.  An unmarried woman who became pregnant was at the very least looked down upon by society.  Remember "The Scarlet Letter"? Now, adultery is merely frowned upon by some.  Fornication is not only accepted but expected in society.  Fornication is considered normal behavior now.  And those who choose to live a chaste lifestyle are considered weird or different and actually looked down upon and even mocked.

My how times have changed!  It brings to mind the scripture in Isaiah, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"  -- Isaiah 5:20.  This is the world we live in today.  Evil is called good and good is called evil.  What was once considered immoral is now celebrated.   What was once considered moral and right is now considered old-fashioned at the very least, out of vogue, and wrong.

As the world and society deviate further and further from God's laws, it is increasingly difficult to follow God's laws without being mocked, scorned, looked down upon, and rejected.

Sadly, many of those doing the mocking and scorning are those from within our own tightknit circles.  Our family and friends.  Especially those who have let go of the iron rod and fallen off the straight and narrow path and are now in the great and spacious building.

The saddest case of peer pressure is when parents mock their own children. Your parents are supposed to be your lifeline security.  They are always supposed to have your back more than anyone.  It's absolutely tragic when a parent teaches their children to reject God's laws and mocks them if they continue to choose to follow God's laws.  Unfortunately the bond between parent and child is so strong that often times the child will choose to follow their evil parent over God.  To avoid the mocking and rejection of a parent.  Kids want their parents to like them and accept them at all costs.  Even if it means losing their own souls.

Children of divorce are particularly vulnerable.  They've already been rejected by a parent who chooses a floozy/floozer and/or different lifestyle over their children.  And they continually face rejection as the walkout parent selfishly puts their new lifestyle ahead of their children.  These children want nothing more than the basic love and security that every child deserves and every parent should give them. Every child craves the love and respect of their parents.  And will do anything to try to get it.

It's hard enough to make it in this world when your parents are teaching you truth and guiding you on the correct path. It's much more difficult and nearly impossible when your parent/s mock you for doing what's right.  Any parent who deliberately drags their children down to hell and the gulf of endless misery, will face the wrath of God.

"... Fools mock, but they shall mourn..." -- Ether 12:26

That's my two cents.

Ungraceful Losers

Rush Limbaugh made a great point the other day.  I will just summarize quickly.  I don't feel like wasting time looking up a bunch of quotes.  I'm not really in a mood today to blog.

Rush compared Serena Williams temper tantrum incident at the U.S. Open last week to Democrats.  Specifically the 2016 election.

Serena Williams represents the establishment candidate -- Hillary Clinton -- as she was expected to win.  She is going to make history by winning more grand slam titles than any other woman or something like that.  Just like Hillary was going to make history by being the first woman president.

Naomi Osaka represents the outsider or newcomer.  She represents Donald Trump.  No one gave her a chance to beat the all mighty Serena Williams.   Yet Naomi schooled Serena.  It was even close.  See the parallel?

So what happens?  Entitled bawl baby chicken gut Serena Williams pulls a temper tantrum and yells at the referee for doing his job.  Because she thinks she ought to win and the match is not going the way she expected. How dare this young new unknown opponent beat her?  That's not supposed to happen.  So Serena melts down.  Like a little snowflake.  She throws her racket, demands an apology from the ref and cries sexism.  Hillary did the same thing when she lost.  Sans the racket and ref.  They always have to have someone else to blame.  Because heaven forbid they actually lost fair and square.

The referee was doing his job.  And doing a good job.  He followed the rules to a tee.  Yet according to Serena he was being sexist and picking on her.  Okay first of all her opponent was female. So where does sexism play into this?  And yes plenty of referees penalize men as well.  Does John McEnroe come to mind?  Serena's opponent is also a woman of color/minority being part Japanese part black. So she can't cry racism. Someone else must be responsible for Serena's poor performance. Blame it on the referee.

Hillary cried foul when she lost. She found all kinds of scapegoats to blame.  Sexism, Russian collusion, voter fraud, etc.  Hillary was supposed to win and so was Serena.  Liberal leftist elitists can't face reality when things don't go their way.  They pull tantrums and blame others.

The US Tennis Association -- or whoever gave the awards out -- represents the Washington DC swamp establishment.  They expected Serena to win.  They expected Hillary to win.  The person handing out the awards to Naomi and Serena actually said something to the effect of, "this didn't turn out the way everyone expected, this isn't how it was supposed to end."  Boy I'm sure that made Naomi feel great.  After she just accomplished, most likely, the goal of her lifetime. Instead of congratulating Naomi on a job well done.  They have to make her feel bad about actually winning and doing well!  Absolutely ridiculous.

The political establishment still can't face reality that their darling Hillary lost.  They are still making up all kinds of excuses and trying to get Donald Trump out of the White House.

Whatever happened to losing gracefully and accepting the fact that you lost fair and square?  Losing is part of life.  Things don't always go the way we want them to.  Serena and Hillary should have learned that in their childhood.

The parallel between Serena Williams temper tantrum meltdown at the U.S. Open and the 2016 election is uncanny. 

Unfortunately our society is full of a bunch of entitled selfish brats who meltdown when things don't go the way they want them to.  Serena Williams and Hillary Clinton are their poster children.

That's my two cents.

Amazing Brain

A few days ago I was thinking about how amazing the human brain is.  It truly is a remarkable organ.  It is more evidence that God truly exists and created us.  The human body is a marvel of creation.

What made me ponder how amazing the human brain is, you might ask?

As you probably all know, last week Burt Reynolds died.  His death announcement was just another piece of  information my brain received that day.  I was not a Burt Reynolds fan.  I knew of him just because I live in this world and grew up in the 70s and 80s.

The interesting thing is, a specifiic song lyric popped into my head after learning of Burt Reynolds death. "Tell old Burt I've seen all his movies."  And I kept singing it all day.  I remembered exactly what song it was from and who the artist was. "If Hollywood Don't Need You" by Don Williams.

The next day, I remembered more of the song without listening to it.  "If you see Burt Reynolds would you shake his hand for me?  And tell old Burt I've seen all his movies.  I hope you make the big time I hope your dreams come true.  If Hollywood don't need you, honey I still do."

The thing is, I had not listened to that song for at least 15 or 20 years.  I had completely forgotten about it.  And even if someone had mentioned the song title to me I wouldn't have remembered that Burt Reynolds was mentioned in it.  But my brain remembered.  It was stored somewhere in the deep crevices of my brain.  And just the trigger of Burt Reynolds name brought that song to my conscious memory.  I even remembered the tune to a tee. And after singing the same line over and over more of the song came to my conscious memory.

Isn't the brain amazing?

There is something powerful about putting lyrics to music.  This is not the first time I have remembered a long forgotten song because of certain triggers.  Specific times in my life  or certain memories or even specific people, like Burt Reynolds, will bring to my remembrance different songs that are stored in my brain somewhere.  Songs that I have consciously forgotten about.

This is a good reason why we should only expose ourselves to good songs.  Songs with irritating beats or bad lyrics will drag our spirits down instead of lifting us up.  Once you put a song in your brain it is there forever.  Perhaps not consciously but it is definitely stored in your unconscious mind. 

Songs will also drastically affect your mood.  If you're sad or depressed nice mellow uplifting songs can elevate your mood.  Also if you're in a fairly good mood songs with bad messages or up-tempo loud irritating beats can really drag you down quickly.

The brain is an amazing organ.  Once you put something in it, you can never take it out.  It is there forever. It's like putting too much salt in a cake or cookies.  Once you put it in, you cannot get it out.

Be careful what you choose to put in your brain.  Don't poison your brain with toxic songs or images or language or anything bad.  The poison may quickly leave your conscious memory, but it will always be somewhere in your brain.  And it doesn't take much to trigger the memory to enter your conscious mind again.

The cookies or cake with too much salt may look normal and delicious.  Yet one bite will tell you otherwise.  The brain is like a sponge.  It absorbs everything that it is exposed to.  And once it's in your brain you will never get it out.  Just like the salt in the cookies or cake.  Even memories that have been suppressed for decades just take a small trigger to bring back to full conscious memory.

Burt Reynolds death triggered a long suppressed memory in the deep crevices of my brain.  It brought to mind a song lyric and music that I had long forgotten about.  But it's amazing how quickly I remembered it and how well I remembered the lyrics and tune. And not only that but I remembered the song title and artist. Thanks Burt and Don.

The brain is amazing.

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks 2018 Week Two

1. Rex  -12          TB  51
2. Tammy  -15   TB  49
3. Dad  -15         TB  56
4. Lisa  -18        TB  39
5. Mom  -18     TB  37

Actual Tie Breaker:  39

Sellout

Kaepernick is back in the news. The guy knows how to keep his name in the news.  Now it's about Nike using him in a new advertising campaign.  Which of course caused a stir in the news.

The advertisement -- which I'm sure you've all seen -- is a close-up of Kaepernick's face with the words "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."  It's a great statement in and of itself, but in this context is pure hypocrisy.

Colin Kaepernick did not sacrifice everything.  Colin Kaepernick did not sacrifice anything.  Colin Kaepernick saw the writing on the wall.  He realized he was a washed up NFL quarterback who would soon be irrelevant and forgotten.  So in order to extend his fame and fortune he sold out.  He is a traitor. He chose to betray his country and spit on the graves of all those who died preserving his freedoms.  By disrespecting the flag of this great nation he also spit in the faces of any armed forces veteran and any United States citizen who respects and honors our flag and our country.

Any integrity, honor, respect, or moral fortitude he may have had was sold for fame and fortune.

He couldn't have sacrificed his NFL career.  It was already tanking-- he was falling fast.  So what did he sacrifice?  Nothing.

Kaepernick merely seized the opportunity to make himself relevant and keep his name in the news by protesting the national anthem and flag. Claiming that he was protesting social injustice and racism is a joke.  What kind of social injustice and racism did Kaepernick or any minority NFL player face while making millions of dollars a year and being adored by millions of NFL fans?  In which other country could Kaepernick go to be treated so well?  What an ingrate.

He certainly didn't sacrifice fortune. He made millions of dollars in the NFL.  He's had a contract with Nike since his NFL career and just signed a new multimillion dollar deal with Nike for the new ad campaign.  So he certainly is not in the poor house.

Kaepernick has certainly not sacrificed everything.  Especially not for what he believes in.  He doesn't even know anything about what he's protesting.  He gives a different answer every time.  He praises Fidel Castro and upsets all Cuban-Americans who actually understand how evil Fidel Castro was. Many of whom had to flee Cuba because of Castro's oppression and who love this country which gave them opportunity. Kaepernick wears socks with pigs in cop uniforms, while kneeling during a national anthem protest, thereby insulting all law enforcement officers and law abiding citizens.

Colin Kaepernick certainly knows how to keep his name in news by insulting many different people and groups including law enforcement, Cuban-Americans, and all US citizens who respect this great nation and all veterans who fought to preserve this free nation.

Colin Kaepernick doesn't believe in anything but fame and fortune.  Colin Kaepernick has not sacrificed anything.  Colin Kaepernick is nothing but a savvy businessman who sold out for fame and fortune.  Colin Kaepernick is nothing but a traitor, sellout, and hypocrite.

Is it worth selling your soul to the devil for fame and fortune?  Ask Colin Kaepernick.

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks 2018 Week One

Another seeason of college football is upon us.  Here are the results from those who reported for week one.

1- Mom -10 Tie Breaker 42
2- Lisa -12 tie breaker 39
3- Rex -16 tiebreaker 51
4- Tammy -16 tie breaker 43
5- Dad -18 tiebreaker 42

actual tiebreaker 51