No Patch This Time

I went on a scout camp Friday and Saturday and had a great time with the boys throwing tomahawks and burning things up.

After I got home and everything from the camp put away and rested for a few minutes, it was off to the grass cutting business.  The rain we have been having has been hard on us but wonderful for the grass – it is long and strong!!

Everything was going great until I started doing the edging with my little electric trimmer.  Only a few feet into my work I felt a stinging sensation in my left eye and knew something was not right.

Rretrieving the small item that had lodged itself by the tear duct, and tossing it away (probably should have kept it for a souvenir) the decision was made to abandon any further work and return home for medical attention.

What I got was sympathy and a trip to Instacare, followed by a quick stop at Home Depot for a pair of safety glasses.  Then came a stern lecture from my sweetheart about the need for taking care of our eyes for the next 30 or so years.  Taking it to heart was not difficult considering the state of my eye (see below).

Warning to all who use yard tools!!

Don’t be fooled by success in bypassing damage to eyes.

Use protection or pay the price!!!

And that’s the way it is.

BTW, it is only a bruise and no permanent damage was done to the eye but it sure grossed out some of my kids at school.  And Bryce said he couldn't look at me with "that eye."  

Family Rocks

Once a month we all get together for a “family party” to celebrate birthdays and such.  We also try to do one project at the home where we are meeting.  In the past we have painted, cut roses, erected swing-sets, hauled dirt from the ‘hole’, and other fun stuff.  Last month our party was at Brian and Paula’s new house and we tried to remove rocks from their yard so they could have a garden.

                   

I have always heard the South Jordan soil is full of rocks but there have been many places that say that so I was a little skeptical.  After all, Josh lives in the same area and his garden produces pretty well. So we began the process and started raking the gravel (about 2” diameter for the most part) from the area they wanted as a garden.  The first layer of raking netted a pretty good sized pile of rock and I was certain this would be a great improvement on the situation.

Using our new tiller (shared by the whole family) we made a first run through the garden area.

And there were more rocks than when we started!!!!

Each pass brought forth even more of the little pests until we decided it was counter-productive to continue.

Sure hope the kids like bent carrots and potatoes with stones cause that’s all they are going to get.

I am also including a few photos of random experiences with the grandkids.  They are so much fun (especially when they aren’t cranky).

 Becca's Pretty Hair

 Little Emma

 Lot's of boys

 Uncle Brian's Backyard

 Ellie at the party

Logan... we don't know???

P.S. See my new article here.

Holding On

C. S. Lewis once said:

No man knows how bad he is until he has tried very hard to be good.  A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means.  This is an obvious lie.  Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is: after all, you find out the strength of [an army] by fighting against it, not by giving in….

We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it… (Mere Christianity, Chapter 11)

Circumstances of the past week have led me to view this in a slightly different context.  I hope I don’t ruin Lewis’ reputation by modifying his words and ideas.

There is a man who has announced that he can no longer bear the burden of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because he has discovered some things that he never knew and doesn’t understand.  I won’t elaborate except to say that the things listed are subjects that anti-Mormon folk like to trumpet as the reason for the falsity of this Church.  The surprising thing to me is that the fellow claims (and it seems pretty certain he is not being deceitful) to have been a sitting bishop at the time of his announcement.  

The surprise is not that a bishop can falter and lose his testimony – Oliver Cowdery fell away and he was intimately involved with the Restoration – my ‘wonder’ is how someone who has apparently developed a testimony of the Gospel and joined in the spreading of the word of God could cast off all the truths he had learned and preached simply because there were questions he (or someone else) could not answer sufficiently. 

There is a verse of scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants which reads:

And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end, ye shall have eternal life which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God. (D&C 14:7)

Often we read this and fail to separate the two commandments given.  The Savior says “If you keep my commandments.”  Not many of us are capable of keeping all the commandments all the time.  The purpose of life is to experience challenges and overcome them…including repenting from sin.  So it’s important to keep trying to keep the commandments.  But if that was the only consideration for eternal life it would be nearly impossible for us to qualify.

(Just a note: I am NOT discounting the power of the Atonement in this whole process but I’m trying to make a different point.)

The second part of this verse offers something that is, in some ways, more important.  “…and endure to the end…”  In my mind, this is the Lord’s way of saying,

“I will give you credit for being good but there are some things I’m not going to tell you.  Life is a test of faith and if I told you everything, there would be no challenge to that faith.  Do your best with what I help you know.  Trust me on the things you don’t quite understand.  If you do that and hold on till the very end, THEN I will be able to give you what you really want.”

Alma taught it like this:

And now as I said concerning faith – faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. (Alma 32:21)

Some might say this is simplistic or “sheep-like” and I answer, yes, it is following the Good Shepherd as a wise sheep would do.

 

And when those challenges to our faith come and we aren’t sure how to answer… well, here’s what I do.

I go back to something I know IS true!!  Starting there, the road is clearer and more familiar.  Diversions do not distract and confusion dissipates. 

Here is an example.

Why is it that men of black African descent were not allowed to hold the priesthood until 1978?  I know lots of theories but I have never heard a prophet of God express an opinion or doctrinal purpose for that ban.  If allowed to fester and boil under the skin (or in the heart), this question might become a real impediment to a testimony (and in fact, it has done so with many folks).  Since the answer is not known and no Prophet seems to be inclined to elaborate, the only way to deal with this is to …

Go back to what I know is true.  The Holy Ghost has witnessed to me that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

The principles and doctrines of the Book of Mormon are, by my accounting, the guidelines given by God for the betterment of His children.

Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration and the Lord’s mouthpiece for this generation.

Brigham Young and all the Prophets since are the legal successors to the Prophet Joseph.  These things I cannot deny and therefore I will accept that my knowledge of ALL the doctrines of God is incomplete. 

Until such time as God decides it is important for me to know some things, I am willing to let HIM be in charge.

Let me conclude by modifying the words of C.S. Lewis to fit what I have shared.  Again, please forgive my presumption but he is such a good writer that I can’t help myself.

No man knows how good he is until he has tried very hard to hold on.  A silly idea is current that good people who do not know everything cannot trust anything.  This is an obvious lie.  Only those who try to resist the temptation to give up know how good it feels to finally reach the end: after all, you find out the strength of your faith by continuing onward in the face of doubt….

We never find out the strength of the doubts inside us until we try to fight them…

Discussions, Truth, and Eternity

One afternoon, when I had a free minute, I stumbled on a discussion group that focuses on LDS topics.  Having an interest in the subject, it seemed a good choice for a few minutes of idle reading. 

Surprise!!!

My eyes have been opened (again?)!!!

Not everyone in our church believes the same things. 

Oh, most still have faith in Christ and a good majority are convinced that Joseph Smith is still a prophet of God.  Deviations begin when the topic changes to such things as resurrection, morality, The Book of Mormon, and other doctrines of the kingdom. 

As I read the various discussions in these posts, my mind is taken to a scripture in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The gospel of Christ is pretty simple if not polluted with the concepts of man.  But if you take a truth and separate it from the whole of the doctrines of Christ, it becomes much harder to see the eternal verities of that truth.

 

Maybe (actually for sure) that is why Amos 3:7 is such a pivotal verse in the quest for eternal truth.

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

No matter what the world may think, there is safety in the words of living prophets.  They reduce friction between man and truth. 

BTW, I had planned to put the link for the discussion group but on further thought decided it might be best not to lead others where they might not be safe.  If you are interested, send me an email and I will give you the address. grundelwalken@gmail.com

 

Dreams Come True

This is a repentance post.  You know, the ones where you have to eat your words because they were wrong.

Some of you may remember a while back when I opined that one of my dreams was to write something that would be published.  It was at this blog entry.

I had some unfavorable words for the folks at Deseret Media because they seemed impervious to my pleadings and longings.






Since then, I have wormed my way back into their system and just last Saturday, March 26, 2011 they printed this book review I did in the Deseret News.  No big deal EXCEPT it is the first thing I have ever written that has been published.


The hope is that it won't be the last.  I'll let you know.


Look for me in the funny papers------- or book reviews.

Doctors---Bleh

I have been a little under the weather today so I only went to work for half the day. 

Teresa made a Dr. appointment and I, dutifully, went and fulfilled my patient responsibilities. 

What a WASTE OF TIME. 

Don't get me wrong, I like my doctor and appreciate the times he is able to help but today  he had no clue why I was miserable. This mortal tabernacle is so complex that, unless there is something major happening or the problem is completely obvious, it is nigh unto miraculous to identify an ailment therein. 

Coming home with a big question mark stamped on my forehead did nothing toward alleviating my wife's concerns.  And I am out $20 for a co-pay that could have been used some other way.

Resurrection seems to be the only cure I can count on for having a better body.  And I'm not really ready for that just yet.  Maybe a few more days like this and I will wish a little harder---but not yet.

Hope your day is better.

 

Another Point of View

Just a quick post to offer another perspective on the BYU Honor Code enforcement.  If you don't know already, the BYU basketball team suspended one of their best players for an honor code violation.  This came just as the team had reached a #3 ranking and were being considered one of the possible favorites for the National Championship.  The infraction was of a nature that most other universities would not care one little bit but for BYU it is a major problem.  Since the decision to suspend the player the team has dropped to #10 and are considered a longshot for any major run in the tournament.

A writer for the Salt Lake Tribune has offered his perspective on the purpose of Universities, citing the Honor Code of BYU as a foundation.  It seems that most people are surprised that a school would be so 'dogmatic' in the application of an 'honor code' when it would cost the school huge amounts of money.  The message this fellow offers is refreshing and makes me proud of my school and their adherence to standards.

Mormon’s for President

There was an interesting article in the Washington Post that examined the differences and similarities between Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr.  I am not great political whiz but I try to follow the trends and keep my eyes open so I can make informed decisions.  It was interesting to see how people outside my own circle view these two “Mormons” and their political aspirations.  Being of the same persuasion—Mormon— my tendency is to look at each candidate through the filter of my religious beliefs.  Not saying this is particularly fair to the candidates but it is what I use to set a groundwork for the decision process.

My impression is that Mitt is a little more conservative and Jon has more progressive leanings.  Part of that is factored from personal experience as a citizen of the State of Utah and having Huntsman as governor for five and one-half years.  Some of the bills he proposed and passed were in opposition to my personal leanings so I was never enamored with his ‘reign.’  On the other hand, Mitt had such great success with the Winter Olympics and left our state in much better circumstances so there is the emotional connection derived from that source.  Still, am I really ready to vote for the man who created RomneyCare in the State of Massachusetts?

There is one thing that has made a huge difference in my thinking about these two very capable men: their own commitment to the religion they purport to follow.  Romney is well known as a faithful, involved Latter-day Saint who is not afraid to confess his religious preferences.  Huntsman, on the other hand, seems to be wiggling around, trying to avoid any formal attachment to the religion of his fathers.  Though his own father is very involved, Jon Jr. gives the impression that he can take or leave the Church.  (And where would he be if he hadn’t served a mission in China—No ambassador to China!!!).

Romney has been accused of flip-flop tactics but he has had the strength to uphold the principles of his own faith.  I’m not sure Huntsman will do the same in his efforts to hold office.  As things progress, I hope the truth unfolds more clearly.

Does Anybody Listen?

The Utah Jazz have been going through some turmoil for the past few months.  At first it was the defection of some of their better players.  Then they found a couple of good guys who showed promise and hope for the rebuilding of the franchise.

After building a decent record in the first half of the season, something happened and they have now become a less than .500 club.

Then Jerry Sloan, their solid, reliable, "eternal" coach decided it was time to retire and stay off airplanes so much.  Immediately, there were rumors and suppositions as to the circumstances causing Sloan's departure (especially since things happened mid-season)

It really isn't all that surprising to me.  While I'm not as old as Jerry, I think I understand why coaching wasn't much fun.

People just don't want to listen anymore.

It doesn't matter if you are a coach, a doctor, a teacher or a parent, it is becoming harder and harder to find people who are willing to listen when you speak.

Here's Jerry Sloan, Hall of Fame Coach, working with a group of young basketball players, trying to share a few of the things he has learned over the years------------ and they don't want to hear it!!!

One of the comments I heard from the coach indicated that he knew what it took to be a successful player/team in the NBA but no one was interested in what he had to share.

Thankfully, I have discovered that there are some folks who really want to garner the experiences of those who have gone ahead in life.  Their hearts are open and their minds soak in the truths they receive while still looking for applications that are personal.  It is my pleasure to work with such people every day and watch as they grow and improve at a rate high above the rest of the world.

I love my job and the youth I am privileged to serve.

God Bless them for their goodness.

Getting From Here to There

Last night Teresa and I went out to Brian and Paula's to take care of their little ones for a couple of hours. They just bought a new van for their family and Brian was kind enough to let us take it for a test drive.  The van is an '04 Toyota Sienna and is in really fine shape.

WOW!!!!

Who knew that a car could drive so nicely and be so soundproof?

We are used to our older, more beaten down modes of transportation and this little gem was really delightful.

It was a pleasant ride and reminded us that there are still nice vehicles in the world.

(This coming from the owners of several well-travelled iron beasts)

 

 

As nice as the whole thing was, there was one little negative to the whole experience.

 

A few years ago I was going to buy a new pickup for my next form of conveyance but because of events at the time, we (or maybe I, memory isn't great) determined not to wait to save enough for the truck and instead, purchased my lively little Explorer.  It has been a reliable little jewel but does have the disadvantage of not being a TRUCK.

So, for the past several years we have been saving so I can finally get the 'real' vehicle I wanted in the first place.

BUT

After last nights little jaunt, I am afraid that my sweetheart is going to need to have a replacement for the aging and rattling piece of junk she has been driving for the past while.  Oh, she still thinks she loves it and is willing to continue using it for years to come but I know that inside she is just as frustrated with that goofy product, created by the Chrysler company, as I am.  And if she isn't, she should be!!!

Therefore:

I have come to the conclusion that even if Teresa thinks her van will suffice, I do not agree and we must make her needs a higher priority than my own!

And that's all I'm going to say on that subject.