Circles

Ahhhhh....Can't Help It!!!!!!!!

2008-11-18T09:07:00.001-08:00

Sorry, I HAVE to post this! I promise I won't post politics too often. In fact, I have plans to start a new political site.

Here is an example of the TYRANNY OF THE UNINFORMED/MISINFORMED :

Now, combine this video with the results from John Zogby's post election poll (found this on HotAir.com):

The poll surveyed over 500 self-professed Obama voters and has an MOE of 4.4%, with 55% having a college degree and over 90% having a high-school diploma. It asked 12 multiple-choice questions; only 2.4% got at least 11 correct. Only .5% got all them correct.

57.4 could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)
81.8 could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)
82.6 could NOT correctly say that Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)
88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)
56.1 % could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).And yet…..
Only 13.7% failed to identify Palin as the person their party spent $150,000 in clothes

Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter
And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her “house,” even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

What Does This Accomplish?

2008-11-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

It Starts With the Heart - Part III

2008-11-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Read Part I by clicking HERE.

Read Part II by clicking HERE.

I will focus on one gift that comes with finding and following the voice of the Lord - and I will do it by recounting something I recently read about the LDS handcart pioneers.

The Bunker Company was the third company to leave Iowa City, and because most of the members did not keep a record, not much is known about their experience. However, 21 year-old Priscilla Evans does give us a little glimpse. At one point, she describes the condition of those with whom she shared a tent each night:

"There were in our tent a man with one leg (my husband), two blind, Thomas Giles being one of them, one man with one arm, and a widow with five children."

This is the account from ONE tent (there were about 10-11 tents in the company with about 20 people in each tent) - and this is not to mention the overall sickness and weakness that seemed so prevalent with the immigrants.

And, here you have Edward Bunker, their leader, staring at the challenge and responsibility of taking these Saints 1300 miles on foot while pulling handcarts.

Now, I want you to picture me - but, picture me with your spiritual eyes. You will see a soul that is not much different than the physical condition of those Saints in the Bunker Company - battered, bruised, scarred. In fact, when we look at each other with our spiritual eyes, this will be the case. This is the natural consequence of our involvement in the fight against evil and sin. Remember, ALL of Helaman's 2000 were wounded, yet none were fatally wounded.

So, here's my question:

Will you be my Edward Bunker? Will you help carry my battered soul to Zion? I have covenanted to do that for you.

That is the gift that I wish to emphasize - CHARITY. The ability to look at others with our spiritual eyes, assess how we can help them, then do as we have covenanted to do.

Parley Pratt was able to do this for Thomas Giles, one of the blind men in Priscilla's tent. He was traveling with his wife, two sons, and a baby daughter. His daughter died early on. And, near Fort Bridger, he finally collapsed with illness. The party waited two days in hope that he would recover, but they had to move on. With 2 men left behind to bury Thomas when he died, Parly Pratt came upon the men on his way out east. Parly knew Giles from his time in Wales. He gave him a priesthood blessing:

"that he should instantly be healed and made well, that he should rejoin his company and arrive safely in the Salt Lake Valley; that he should there rear a family, and that because of his faithfulness he would be permitted to live as long as he wanted."

All the promises were fulfilled.

In closing, I would like to share a poem that certainly applies to the church as a whole. But, it also applies to each of our souls:

Line upon line

The stone was cut.

Angelic voices from on high

Confirm the truth, "The Lord is nigh!"

Precept upon precept

Without hands.

The gathering words are assured,

As Zion's beauty and people endured.

Here a little, there a little

Until the stone rolled forth.

Sending the wicked asunder

Leaving all to witness the marvelous work and wonder.

In our lives, if we faithfully follow the divine process of earning light to our souls, the coming of the Lord will occur - it will occur in our hearts and in our daily lives. Then, WE will be a marvelous work and wonder of the Lord.

I love the Holy Ghost and all He does for me.

It Starts With the Heart - Part II

2008-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

In case you missed Part I, click here to read it.

So, how does this process work - the ability to feel and follow the voice of the Lord?

We now know it starts with the heart. Then, our spirits our affected, as well as our minds. But, what happens after that?

Well, we then begin to depend on His voice more often, so we pray more earnestly to know His will. We pray for that which He would have us pray:

"And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire" (3 Ne. 19:24).

You'll notice, after we pray for what is meant for us, we are "filled with desire." Being filled with righteous desire is a definite indication of our own spiritual maturity and progression. However, just being filled with righteous desire does not make us good servants. In fact, without the next step, our righteous desire will quickly disappear.

In order to progress, we must seek to live by every word:

"And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life. For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God" (D&C 84:43-44).

As we live according to our righteous desire, we are filled with more light - we learn more truth:

"For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (D&C 84:45).

As we gain more light to our souls, we become more uncomfortable with the dark things of the world - AND, the dark things of the world become more uncomfortable with us:

"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one" (D&C 93:36-37).

Then, line upon line, truth upon truth, light upon light - we GROW. We grow closer to Him until the time arrives when we are with Him and we are ONE with Him:

"That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24).

So, how does this process work in your life in particular? Only one real way to find out - Dig in and experience it.

If we choose to participate in this process, we are blessed with so many different gifts. In Part III, I will focus on just one -

It Starts With the Heart - Part I

2008-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

I KNOW God lives. I KNOW it. I KNOW Joseph Smith was called by my Savior to form again an organization - a group of people willing to be obedient to eternal, everlasting laws and truths; a covenant society here on Earth, whose purpose is to combat evil and return home safely to our Heavenly Father. I know these truths by the pure power of the Holy Ghost.

Gaining this knowledge was a process.

It starts with our hearts - That's what our Savior taught the Nephites just before his personal visit. And, remember, he is speaking to those who were spared because they were the more righteous part of the people:

"O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart"

(3 Ne. 10:6).

Notice, even the more righteous part of the people were required to have:

A repentant heart
A "fully purposed" heart

So, let's pause and evaluate our own hearts. How do our hearts measure up? Ask ourselves, "Is my heart all-in? Am I dedicated to serving my Savior with ALL my heart?"

Once our hearts are repentant and filled with His purpose, what happens to us?

The Lord tells us in Ezekial:

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them" (Ezek. 36:26-27).

So, once we commit to allowing our hearts to change, and once we commit IN our hearts to serve with full purpose of heart, the Lord blesses us with two specific changes:

A New Heart -

This new heart, we are taught, is a soft heart. And, ironically, our NEW hearts will always be BROKEN hearts. Elder Bruce Porter taught, "When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are" (Ensign, Nov. 2007, p. 31).

A New Spirit -

Now that our hearts are soft and broken, we are prepared and able to FEEL the Savior's guidance. When we have His spirit with us, we are able to feel HIS thoughts and we are able to FEEL His testimony. And, that is what motivates us to walk in HIS statutes and keep HIS judgements. We have a feeling of dependence on Him.

When we feel dependent on someone, communication with that individual is vital. The Nephites understood this. In chapter 19, their hearts, at this point, were changed and their spirits were new. They had felt the Savior's presence. They truly felt dependent upon his guidance. They knew they had to be able to constantly communicate with Him. So, what did this group of Nephites pray for? What did they most desire?

"And they did pray for that which they most desired; and they desired that the Holy Ghost should be given them" (3 Ne. 19:9).

They wanted to FEEL the voice of God. They did not want to talk to God. They wanted to speak with God.

THAT is the essence of the Holy Ghost - He allows us the ability to speak with our Father in Heaven with Christ as our mediator. Notice that all 3 members of the Godhead are deeply involved in the communication process, indicating just how important this communication is to our salvation.

In fact, the ONLY way we achieve our potential is by feeling, and then following, the voice of Him whom we seek to be with and seek to be like. It is the only way.

Dear Ben's Blog

2008-10-16T07:54:00.001-07:00

Dear Ben's Blog:

I miss your funny family stories and pictures. I miss the mini attacks we had going in the comments section. I thought you were a man of your word. You said no more youtubes and political postings. May your wittiness come back! I think the readers miss it.

Sincerely,

A Bored Reader

How Important Is Clemson Football To The Clemson Fans??

2008-10-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

REALLY important...

"See, now it's locked in place"..."Actually I didn't have it locked."

2008-10-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry, had to do it - Courtesy of Jennifer Williams. The lady laughing at him is classic.

"We uhhh, may need emergency surgery in the studio.."

2008-10-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

I had to post this...I wonder how many they sold after this?

Wyoming Trip

2008-09-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

So, here's the story, albeit short, of our weekend trip to the newly finished Wyoming cabin:

We were in the car for a total of 2 minutes and 37 seconds when Jared and Rowan simultaneously said, “I need to go to the bathroom. I really, really need to go.” “Yeah, me too, me too.” And you thought this stuff only happens in movies!

But, it was a good thing we went back, because we forgot Rowan’s shoes! Nice going mom and dad.

Once we finally hit the road, it was “road trips as usual” –

Way too much candy
A lot of hoping for a long nap from Reese
Kids begging for lame gas station toys
Several games of “I Spy” in which Rowan, when it is his turn to spy, reveals his answer after one person makes a guess –
Rowan: “I spy wiff my wittle eye somfin bwue.”
Wendy: “Is it the duffel bag?”
Rowan: “No, it’s the MAP!”

We made our way through Park City (pretty drive) and Evanston (not so pretty), then onto Star Valley (pretty again). Here is the view as you pull up to the driveway to the newly built cabin (the cabin is that white spot tucked behind the trees):

The air was fresh, crisp, and smelled like pine…until Reese did a number in her diaper. No worries about mountain lions and bears for at least 1 hour.

Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse…Friday night, Wendy was hit with some sort of stomach virus. So, she was out of commission for the day.

Leaving our fallen hero, the kids and I took a 4 wheeler ride through the property and up to the mountains behind the house.

We went to the park for lunch. Everyone had fun, except for little Michael. There's a lot going on in the video, but watch the right right steering wheel:

Later that night, I felt a little like Michael. You see, Wendy kindly passed her virus in my direction. So, Saturday, I was the one up all night participating in activities (that I will not mention) related to a vicious stomach virus. Jared also got the virus, but he was much tougher than mom and dad. We’re just glad it was only a 24 hour virus.

All that being said, we all had fun and can’t wait to get back.

Reese & Company

2008-09-30T13:29:00.001-07:00

I thought it was so funny how she kept throwing the pebbles on the slide. Then, watch how she claps after the others slide through the rocks. Funny to me, maybe cause I'm the papa.

BTW - Political Postings - GONE

2008-09-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have removed most of the political stuff. However, I did leave a few of the postings about John McCain, which may leave many of you wondering for whom I will vote. I have also left a couple that I think are funny.

I did this for a couple of reasons:

Most of you don't care about politics enough to be interested in the postings.
Some of you don't agree with my views, and I love my friends more than politics.

I will most likely start a new blog/website that will be purely political.

Storytelling

2008-09-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have had several requests for more storytelling. I realize most of my recent posts have been one of the following:

Regurgitated news clips and videos
Pleas for help in creating content
REALLY quick updates

The sad part is, the last few months have presented some really great stuff I could have shared.

So, here's my commitment for this weekend's trip to Wyoming -

"I will get at least one story and several pictures."

So, stay tuned and wish me luck!

In the meantime, you can always read the older stories...right?? : )

Funny Palin Spoof

2008-09-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Touchdown Celebration

2008-09-25T15:59:00.001-07:00

Pretty good touchdown celebration...

Electric Storm

2008-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

A buddy sent this in an email-thought it was cool:

Two of nature's most spectacular forces produced an incredible brew in the skies ofChile as a volcanic eruption met a lightning storm. Tons of dust and ash from the eruption of the Chaiten volcano poured into the night sky just as an electric storm passed overhead. The resulting collision created a spectacular sight as lightning flickered around the dust cloud amid the orange glow of the volcano.

The eruption was all the more spectacular because the Chaiten volcano, 800 miles(1,290km) south of Santiago, has been dormant for hundreds, if not thousandsof years. The Patagonian volcano began erupting on Friday and the 12-mile-high plumehas left vast tracts of land coated with a layer of ash.

Favorite Sites - Additions

2008-09-15T15:25:00.001-07:00

Here are the sites that were added to the list today (so far):

Tjoos
American Thinker
Drudge Report
Hot Air

Blog Roll

2008-09-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

I am going to add a blog roll to this site. So, if you would like me to include your blog and/or a really cool blog you love, let me know in the comments. Also, any cool sites - shoot them my way.

I Need Bloggers...

2008-09-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Are any of you interested in becoming a blogger on this blog? I would love to add some other bloggers. I think it would be fun. Let me know in the comments section if you would like to add your wisdom, insight, humor, etc.

Quick Update

2008-09-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few updates:

We have moved to Highland, UT
Jared is in 1st grade
Rowan is in pre-school
Reese is still REALLY cute
Wendy is still REALLY hot

Law Professors and Campaign Contributions

2008-09-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

I think this data from the Tax Prof Blog is interesting. This is actually pretty useful information for someone deciding on which law school to attend (assuming they want to attend one of the listed schools).

I am actually pleasantly surprised by some of the schools. Northwestern shocked me! I would have thought Duke would be a little more conservative.

Also, it is kind of interesting to look at the dollar amounts. For instance, the the 8.1% of republican donors at Georgetown almost matched the 100% of democrat donors at UPenn. Anyway, thought some (probably not all) of you would find this interesting.

Lipstick...

2008-09-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

What happens when you put lipstick on a donkey?

Megyn Kelly v. Uhhh...Duhhh

2008-09-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

I thought this was entertaining. Just think, this dude has a job as a SENIOR EDITOR! Like most liberals, they didn't have time for the facts. Pretty embarrassing for his mom.

New Google Browser

2008-09-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!! Google has created an internet browser. Is is called Google Chrome. So, if you are sick and tired of the lame Windows Internet Explorer and all of its bugs, download Chrome.

www.google.com/chrome

Food Storage Video

2008-08-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time since the last post. The move has kept us busy. Here is a clip I thought many of you would find interesting:

Thomas Jefferson's Government v. Today's America

2008-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago, I bought a book called Speeches That Changed the World. It's a neat book and this morning I read something that I thought many of you would enjoy. It is an excerpt from Thomas Jefferson's 1801 inaugural address (the entire speech is a must read for all Americans).

Here is an excerpt that I found especially relevant to our current situation in relation to how our country's government is behaving.

"Let us, then, with courage and confidence pursue our own Federal and Republican principles, our attachment to union and representative government. Kindly separated by nature and a wide ocean from the exterminating havoc of one quarter of the globe; too high-minded to endure the degradations of the others; possessing a chosen country, with room enough for our descendants to the thousandth and thousandth generation; entertaining a due sense of our equal right to the use of our own faculties, to the acquisitions of our own industry, to honour and confidence from our fellow-citizens, resulting not from birth, but from our actions and their sense of them; enlightened by a benign religion, professed indeed, and practiced in various forms, yet all of them inculcating honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude, and the love of man; acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence, which by all its dispensations proves that it delights in the happiness of man here and his greater happiness hereafter - with all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow citizens - a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labour the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities."

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

For All You Crazies...

2008-07-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

I wonder if any of you have that little voice in your head screaming, "FOLD, FOLD, FOLD!!!!" anytime you see a piece of clean clothing? Well, evidently you aren't alone.

Here is an article that was in the Wall Street Journal - Excuse Me, Do You Work Here? No, I Just Need to Fold Clothes.

And, here's a video to go along with it:

Lessons from "Trouble"

2008-07-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, something happened in our family that most of you can appreciate.

It started yesterday morning. We went to Target to buy a birthday present for a birthday party that was planned for later in the afternoon. While at Target, in addition to buying the present for the party, we decided to buy a new game for our family. We chose "Trouble" with the pop-o-matic bubble - a classic, simple, and fun game.

As soon as we got home, the boys wanted to play - ALL the boys. And, it wasn't long before Jared brought out the true meaning of the game's name - TROUBLE, because he was in it.

Like his dad, he is a pretty competitive person, so when he couldn't pop the number "6" to release his pieces into play, he couldn't handle it. He started wiggin' out and crying. And, not just a normal whining cry, but the kind of cry that makes you think someone just died. Jared is an emotional kid, but this wasn't normal. I told him if he didn't calm down he couldn't play. He tried to compose himself by wiping his tears and stifling his cries. His turn came again - he popped a "2" and freaked out all over again. I sent him to his room.

Rowan and I kept playing, but I was still trying to figure out why Jared was acting so funny about the whole thing.

After about 5 minutes Jared came back downstairs. I told him he could have one more chance. His first turn - a "2." His lip quivered and his face reddened, but he held it in. His next turn - a "2." That was it - here we go again! I couldn't believe it. I almost think he couldn't either. He just couldn't help it. So, up to his room he went again, this time to Rowan's chorus of "Jawed is crwing wike a wittle baaaby! Ha, ha, ha..."

While Jared was up in his room pouting, I told him he wasn't allowed to go to the birthday party because of the way he was acting. I told him he needed to figure out how to fix his mess. That killed him.

Fast forward 10 minutes. He was back downstairs apologizing and doing the things that he knew he should be doing in order to get what he wanted - the party. But, it was the kind of apology any parent can related to - the "I'm only saying this because I know if I don't I can't go to the party" apology. Nope, not what I was looking for.

The party was to begin at 4:00, but Wendy was leaving early to help set up. So, around 3:15ish, Wendy was out the door with the other 2 kids and Jared was absolutely BEGGING to go with her. He was crying and begging as fervently as I have ever seen. He wanted to go so badly. And, it was actually really tough for me to resist giving in. But, I didn't. I just told him, "No, you can't go because you haven't fixed your mess. You need to think about why you are in trouble and how you can fix it."

Silence for the next 5 minutes. I watched him from the corner of my eye, and I could see his energy changing. As he slowed down and stepped back to think about, it seemed like he realized that his actions were unacceptable. And, I think he started to feel bad about the way he acted.

Finally, he just came over and sat by me. He said he was sorry for what he did, and this time I felt like he meant it. He never again asked to go to the party. He accepted the fact that he wasn't going and realized that it was his fault.

Jared wasn't the only one who learned a lot from this. For me, this was a profound experience. I learned something as a father, but I learned the most as a son.

At one point, while Jared was crying and begging me to go to the party, I said a little prayer, asking, "What should I do? How can I teach him something right now?" I immediately had a very distinct thought come to my mind:

"Is this how my Heavenly Father feels about me at times?" That one thought led me to this -

When I go through life, am I doing things for the right reason in the right spirit? In other words, do I really understand what I am to be doing and how I should be interacting with my Father in Heaven at the deepest levels? Or, am I just doing certain things because I know they are what I am suppose to do in order to get what I want - eternal life?

My testimony was strengthened regarding the following principle - Going through the motions is never sufficient or acceptable.

Just as I didn't accept Jared's attempt to go through the motions, my Heavenly Father can't accept my behavior when I am going through the motions. He cannot consecrate it. Sure, I may be saying my prayers morning and night. But, am I really participating at the level I know I need to in order to feel His spirit and direction? Yeah, I may be reading my scriptures everyday, and feeling the Spirit while I do so, but am I constantly seeking the Spirit while I am reading in order to learn what I need to learn? Am I fasting properly? Am I serving as well as I am capable? Am I sharing the gospel as much as I should?

I need to allow Him to teach me, and the only way that can happen is if I am completely honest in my intentions. Going through the motions isn't being honest with Him - this prevents him from being able to influence my life in a pure and profound way - that is why he can't accept us going through the motions. He simply CAN'T teach us unless our intentions are pure. Had I given in to Jared when he was begging, he would have learned the incorrect lesson. I would have led him down the wrong path. Heavenly Father's role as the is to guide us on Earth, and he won't accept anything less - so, He can't accept our intentions unless they are humble and pure. Otherwise, He would be leading us down the wrong path.

Just like Jared - when his energy changed and he was honest with himself about the situation, he was teachable. And, as badly as I wanted to give in, because I knew how important it was to him, I knew it wasn't in his best interest - not until he learned from it.

Our Father in Heaven KNOWS when our intentions are pure. Surely His love leads him to feel a delicate compassion for us when we are crying and begging, but he cannot give in until we learn how to sincerely bend to His will. Then, and only then, can He bless us with whatever we need.

It is my goal to constantly scrutinize my own behavior to make sure I am not going through the motions. I need to be completely honest with my Heavenly Father. Only then can I learn from Him.

I am grateful for a son on Earth and a Father in Heaven who both taught me this lesson.

And, Jared was able to make the party.

Why Does Marriage Make Sense? Look in the garage.

2008-06-17T14:10:00.001-07:00

Is your garage clean? Are you married? If the answer to both questions is "yes," then chances are you are happily married – If you are single and have a clean garage, you need to find a hobby.

"Huh? What are you talking about Dr. Ben?" Well, I will tell you a story to illustrate.

About 4 months ago a beautiful young woman decided that she wanted her garage to be nice, clean, and organized. She even wanted that special garage floor epoxy coating. So, Wendy Sally called to get a bid on the cost for coating her garage floor.

"Uh, yes ma'am, we have a special seasonal discount that you can take advantage of, but only if you jump on it within the next 3 SECONDS!! $2500 doll…." [click].

Sally decided that she wasn't in the mood to get bamboozled, at least not on that day. (That's not to say that the next recovering meth addict that knocks on the front door selling magazines won't have a shot. Or the next 14 year old runaway selling plastic horse toys and cap guns for $20 a pop won't find a buyer). So, she decided to talk to me her husband Sven (looks a lot like Brad Pitt).

"It's the garage. I don't think we need to worry about having a garage with a floor that we can eat off of. Let's just get some cabinets, install them, and organize the bikes and stuff." – Sven

"Yeah, but I want a nice, clean garage. There are spiders and stuff out there. I want to do all that other stuff, too, but let's also get the floor done." – Sally

"No, it's not worth it. I don't think we need to worry about that right now." – Sven

"What should we have for dinner tonight?" – Sally [Woman-Speak Translation: I will have to devise another plan of attack, but I know one thing – WE ARE GETTING THAT GARAGE COATED.]

So, the months passed and both of them didn't put too much thought into the garage, accept when they hit their shins on the crossbar of a kids bicycle. Or, when they twisted their ankle on a Razor scooter blocking the doorway. Or, when they tripped over the pile of coats laying on the garage floor from 2 months ago. Or, when it took 15 minutes to find a 2 ½ inch screw needed to hang a picture. Or, when….[going on forever and ever].

Then, one day Sven came home from the office to find all of the stuff that was IN the garage OUT of the garage in the driveway.

"I thought this weekend would be a good time to clean the garage." – Sally [Woman-Speak Translation: Ha, ha sucker. You thought I forgot about this whole project, but now you don't have a choice but to do it!]

"Wow, that's crazy you did that. I guess I don't really have a choice now." – Sven

"Yeah, and I was thinking that we could just apply that (pointing at 3 boxes of garage floor coating kits and a pressure washer) while we are at it." – Sally

"Hmmm…" – Sven [Man-Speak Translation: What the!!! What was she thinking? I had plans to do something else, anything else. Man, now I have to be out here for 3 days in the heat, and all for a garage!]

Needless to say, Sven fired up the pressure washer and went to work. After about 2 minutes of playing with the pressure washer, he began to enjoy it. It was kind of therapeutic. In fact, the entire project began to grow on him and he started getting excited about it.

3 days later, the floors were covered with a shiny new epoxy coating and the garage smelled like a new car. Sven and Sally were both happy and fulfilled with their project. Sven realized that had he not been married, he would have never done the project. So, all the credit goes to Sally except for most of the work, like the whole process of cleaning and coating the garage floor.

For a step-by-step explanation on the process of coating your garage floor, see below...

Steps To A Coated Garage Floor

2008-06-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

Friday:

Wait for your wife to take most of the stuff out of the garage and leave it in the driveway, except for the heavy stuff. That's your responsibility.
Try to think of as many excuses as possible to get out of the project, then realize you are trapped like an itty-bitty mouse – a little, hungry, innocent mouse looking for cheese when all of a sudden BAM!!! – Your head is caught in a massively strong trap. MOST OF YOUR STUFF IS OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY!
You look at the pressure washer and start to realize the possibility that there may be some fun involved. But wait, wipe the drool and hold off – it's not time yet.
You have to move all the heavy stuff that your wife couldn't move out into the driveway. (NOTE: I would recommend doing this project during a mild weather month, but I would be wasting my time since you are not the one planning the project).
Okay, NOW you can fire up the pressure washer and have at it.
Let the floor dry.
Pressure wash it again! Why not? It's fun.
While the floor is still damp, pour the acid etching on the wet floor and scub with a firm brush. It doesn't take too long and you will get a nice workout on your arms and back. Not to mention the calorie burn.
Pressure wash it again! This time be sure to get all the etching rinsed off. By now, your garage floor will be clean enough to eat off of. And, it will smell pretty nice too.
Now, you have to let the floor dry. It should be completely dry before you apply the coating. Notice how I said should be completely dry. Because of the extensive pressure washing, it may take a little longer than normal to dry. (Here's hoping that mine was dry enough - there were some spots that were questionable.) If you need an excuse to watch a game on Saturday, just tell your wife that you are worried that the floor isn't dry enough yet.
As night approaches, move your valuables into the house or backyard. Tomorrow is Saturday and there will many dawn breaking garage-salers perusing the neighborhood for bargains. They may see your stuff and decide that FREE is the best bargain they will find. It may be a good idea to park your cars in the driveway to help shield the stuff.

Saturday:

If necessary, continue to let the garage dry. Depending on your climate, it may take longer. We live in a humid area, so that made a difference on drying time.
Tape off the necessary areas. (No, your wife's mouth doesn't count – kidding, of course).
Bust out the floor coating kit. We bought ours at Home Depot. It was the Rustoleum brand and the cost was around $60 per kit. Each kit is enough for a 1 car garage and has the etching, coating, and activator. I also know that Sherwin Williams has their floor coating product.
You will mix the activator into the coating and stir for 3 minutes. Then, you will want one person to start painting the edges, corners, and ledges.
While one person is working on the edges and corners, begin rolling the floor in 5x5 sections. After each 5x5 section toss the included paint chips in the air for decoration.

The project really doesn't take that many man hours and is easy to do. I can't believe people can charge $2500 to do a 3 car garage.

**You actually don't need a pressure washer to do this. It just makes it more enjoyable.

Family Planning

2008-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

I read a great article in latest issue of LDS Living magazine. I was by the popular LDS author Marrilee Boyack.

She starts the article off with:

Few parents of my acquaintance have an actual overall plan for raising
their children. They have a vague idea that they will feed and clothe their
children and watch them until they grow big enough that the government says it’s
legal to send them out on their own. Perhaps somewhere along the line they might
teach them a thing or two. But most parents simply approach parenting on a
day-to-day basis...

To begin with The Plan, you need to start with the end in mind. Think back
for a moment to when you first left home, perhaps for college or a mission or a
job and apartment. When you moved out, what did you not know how to do? What
came as a surprise to you? I can remember several things: I had never had a
checking account, never taken care of a car, never made my own doctor’s
appointments, and on and on. Spend a few minutes and come up with a list of
things that you suddenly had to scramble to learn how to do.

It got me thinking about all the stuff I want my kids to know - IT MADE MY HEAD SPIN! And, there are some things that we all need to learn through experience. But, that still leaves ALOT of stuff that Wendy and I need to teach them. And, we can't just "run it by them" and hope they pick up on it. We have to be able teach them in a way that has impact. To me, that is the key - can we teach them how to do certain things in a way they will remember?

What types of things do you hope to teach your kids before they leave home? Things like creating a budget, opening and using a checking accout, managing a credit card properly, etc.

Click HERE for the full article.

I Had To Show This

2008-05-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

"A Swiss pilot strapped on a jet-powered wing and leaped from a plane Wednesday for the first public demonstration of the homemade device, turning figure eights and soaring high above the Alps…

Passing from free fall to a gentle glide, Rossy then triggered four jet turbines and accelerated to 186 miles per hour, about 65 miles per hour faster than the typical falling skydiver. A plane that flew at some distance beside him measured his speed…

Steering with his body, Rossy dived, turned and soared again, performing what appeared to be effortless loops from one side of the Rhone valley to the other. At times he rose 2,600 feet before descending again.

After one last wave to the crowd the rocket man tipped his wings, flipped onto his back and leveled out again, executing a perfect 360-degree roll.
'That was to impress the girls,' he later admitted."

Click HERE for the full article.

Family Traditions

2008-05-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Lant gave a great talk on FAMILY TRADITIONS. It got me thinking...what sort of traditions do I remember growing up with and what sort of traditions do I want to create for our family? Of course, most families have a few "bad" traditions, but what about the good ones?

Family traditions can be social, physical, spiritual, and educational. I ask myself these questions:

Are Wendy and I creating traditions that are balanced - some that are 'mortal' in nature AND others that are eternal in nature?

Are we creating habits that will lead to well-adjusted kids who can thrive in society?

Are we creating traditions that will teach our kids to rely on eternal principles?"

Both are important to the overall happiness and balance in each person. For example, what if the only traditions we have as a family are things like:

Family vacation twice a year

Boating trips every Saturday during the summer

Boys watch football while girls talk during the games : )

Sure, it would be fun for the kids and may do wonders for the family's cohesion. But, what will it generate in the eternal scheme of things? Wouldn't it be better to add in things like:

Daily family prayer and scripture reading

Regular Family Home Evening

Weekly church attendance

Service activities

Cheryl Lant asked, "What kinds of traditions do we have?
Some of them may have come from our fathers, and now we are passing them along
to our own children. Are they what we want them to be? Are they based on actions
of righteousness and faith? Are they mostly material in nature, or are they
eternal? Are we consciously creating righteous traditions, or is life just
happening to us? Are our traditions being created in response to the loud voices
of the world, or are they influenced by the still small voice of the Spirit? Are
the traditions that we are creating in our families going to make it easier for
our children to follow the living prophets, or will they make it difficult for
them?"

I have two questions for you?

What traditions did you grow up with?
What specific and creative traditions do you want your kids to grow up with?

Cool Photos

2008-05-13T09:53:00.001-07:00

A friend sent me an email with these photos. I thought you would enjoy:

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

To all the mothers who read this blog...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! I know, I am kissing your little booties (notice how I said "little" booties), but you deserve it.

From my mom, whose advice from over 15 years ago still echoes in my head, to those of you who I don't even know - YOU ARE THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS.

I see it everyday in my own home. Wendy spends everyday doing her best to mold our kids into the best people. I thought of this yesterday while Wendy was telling me about her parent teacher conference with Jared's kindergarten teacher. Jared's teacher raved about Jared's behavior:

He is friends with all his classmates.
He is a leader in the classroom.
He always listens to her.
He has received a sticker (an indication of good behavior) everyday this year, which is very rare.
He works hard on his school work.

While we are proud of Jared for this, I am just as proud of Wendy. Jared's success is a result of Wendy's hard work. She invests her time and energy into making sure Jared knows how to treat others and how to treat his own life.

The same is true when I watch Rowan treat Reese with care and love. The boys treat their little sister with love and respect.

Consequently, all of this is a tribute to Joyce, who raised Wendy in a way that enabled her to raise our kids the way she does.

There are bad moms out there - fortunately, I have been surrounded by great moms.

To my mom - I am not in prison (yet), I still have a job, and my kids don't have tatoos. Great work!

To my grandma - I think about you everyday. You are a huge example to me and one of the reasons I am not in prison.

To Wendy - (see your Mother's Day card)

Poison and Brocolli

2008-04-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

vs.

Yesterday, after Jared's basketball practice, he and I went to Wal-Mart (the same Wal Mart mentioned here). On the way in, Jared asked, "Dad, can we get a Dunkin' Donut?" I jokingly told him, "What??!! Are you crazy? That stuff is poision!" His response:

"So what, dad. I like poison way better than brocolli and stuff."

People Really Fall For This?

2008-04-18T13:25:00.001-07:00

Here is an email I received today - verbatim:

Hello Dear,

I have Paid the fee for your Cheque Draft.but the manager of Eko Bank Benin told me that before the check will get to you that it will expire.So i told him to cash $1.5 Million all the necessary arrangement of delivering the $1.5 Million in cash was made with FedEx Express Delivery COMPANY LTD.This in the information they need to delivery your package to you.

ATTN:DR.ALAHAJI MANGAR YARADUA.
TEl: +229-951-47-159
TEL: 00229-951-47-159
EMAIL: (infofedexfasterstdelivery@gmail.com)

Please, Send them your contacts information to able them locate you immediately they arrived in your country with your BOX.This is what they need from you.

1.YOUR FULL NAME:
2.YOUR COUNTRY:
3.YOUR HOME ADDRESS:
4.YOUR CURRENT HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER:
5.YOUR CURRENT OFFICE TELEPHONE:
6.A COPY OF YOUR PICTURE
7.COMPANY REGISTRATION NO EG58945
8.CODE NMBER 0140479

Please make sure you send this needed infomation to the Director general of FedEx Express Delivery COMPANY Ltd DR.ALAHAJI MANGAR YARADUA. with the address given to you. Note. The FedEx Express Delivery COMPANY Ltd don't know the contents of the Box. I registered it asa Box of an Africa cloths They don't know it contents money. this is to avoid them
delaying with the Box. don't let them know that is money that is in that Box.I am waiting for your urgent response. You can even call the Director of DR.ALAHAJI MANGAR YARADUA Ltd with this line +229-951-47-159

Thanks and Remain Blessed.

DOUSS SAMUEL.
CONTACT THE FeDEX DELIVERY COMPANY IMMEDIATELY
________________________________

Now wait! If you are 80 or older and reading this - DO NOT SEND YOUR INFO! Who falls for this stuff??

p.s. My apologies ahead of time if you have fallen for this type of scam before. Trust me, some rich African king isn't looking to give away 4.2 billion.

Rednecks and Stuff

2008-04-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I wonder what she's looking at...

Now, I don't want to know!

Can you guess the 2 players that rode the pine?

Primary activity

Teaching the primary kids what to do in case there is a raid and subsueqent shootout with Texas law enforcement. We heard that once they are done with the polygamists, they are coming after "the regular" Mormons.

Rowan at a bounce toy park - DEC 2007

Reese eating rice in her high chair - DEC 2007

Jared and Elle - DEC 2007

Our little rednecks - DEC 2007

Do You Think This Is True?

2008-04-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Rapper Snoop Dogg Converts to Mormonism

By Aaron NicholsCNN

DIAMOND BAR, California (AP) -- In what some may consider an unexpected move, rap artist "Snoop Dogg" has reportedly converted to Mormonism after nearly a year of study with the fast-growing, Utah-based faith.

Snoop Dogg says he "can't get enough of the Book of Mormon."

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Snoop Dogg -- whose real name is Calvin Broadus -- said he considers himself extremely fortunate to have discovered such a deep sense of spiritual fulfillment at this stage in his life.

“Mr. Broadus is also very pleased to find that his family is as enthusiastic about attending church services as he is,” the spokeswoman said.

However, Snoop Dogg has not been enthusiastic about publicly sharing his experience and declined to be interviewed by CNN for this article. In fact, he reportedly informed producers of his E! reality show "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood" that this particular aspect of his family's life was off-limits to the cameras. Still, he left open the possibility of addressing the subject in future episodes.

According to the Associated Press, Snoop Dogg was first introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the Mormon Church is officially known, after attending a Gladys Knight concert in an LDS meeting house in Los Angeles.

Knight, who very publicly discusses her conversion to Mormonism several years ago, invited Snoop Dogg to what is known to the Mormon faithful as “Family Home Evening,” a church program that encourages families to set aside Monday evenings for gospel-centered lessons and family togetherness.

Though Snoop Dogg has been hesitant to publicly discuss his recent spiritual journey, he commented on the experience of attending his first “Family Home Evening” in a recent interview with People Magazine.

“I was hooked from the start,” Snoop Dogg said. “We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real.”

In what Snoop Dogg now thinks was anything but a coincidence, Mormon missionaries had knocked on his door just one week before the Knight concert. He said he had initially turned them away because of what he knew about the strict Mormon health code, which prohibits members from smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.

“Y’all know me,” he said grinning broadly. “There were just certain things the old me -- the "natural man" -- needed to do. And these young guys are telling me that God’s not down with disrespecting ourselves. But it’s cool now.”

Snoop Dogg said his conversion marks the end of his old life, one that included frequent run-ins with the law. Snoop Dogg was convicted in 1990 of cocaine possession and charged with gun possession after a 1993 traffic stop. In 1997, he pleaded guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
In 1996, Snoop Dogg was acquitted of murder after a purported gangbanger was killed by gunfire from the vehicle in which Snoop Dogg was traveling.

Snoop Dogg dismisses critics who claim his conversion is intended to placate a Salt Lake County judge, before whom he is appealing an alleged probation violation.

“Listen, the haters will say what they will,” Snoop Dogg said. “I can only do what I feel is right.”

Aaron Nichols is a CNN producer in Washington. Other contributors include Robert Spencer and Richard Scott Stephens.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

A Tribute

2008-03-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Washington Post Article

2008-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

This article hits it on the head. Many Mormons have thought to themselves:

"Why can't the country understand that Mitt's life IS as it seems. He's not too good to be true. There are millions of others just like him."

But, the great thing is, we will continue to be that type of community - they type of community that others will look to and think, "Wow, that is too good to be true."

We stay married
Our mothers stay home to raise strong children
We live a healthy lifestyle
We look happy
We feel happy
We are disciplined
Etc., etc., etc.,

I also feel that many people are looking at the LDS church and thinking, "Wow, that is too good to be true. How can I be like that?" Slowly but surely, more and more people will find themselves wanting shelter from our increasingly evil society and they will look to the Church of Jesus Christ for sanctuary. So, make sure you are ready to do your part by sharing why your life, in comparison to the world, is "too good to be true."

Did Mormons Get A Bounce From Mitt?
By Libby Copeland
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 8, 2008; C01

After Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign yesterday, in a speech praising conservative values and criticizing such scourges as liberal judges and France, the question became:

So, was it good for the Mormons?

The Jews like asking that question about themselves. They asked it a lot after Joe Lieberman ran for vice president in 2000, and it was never quite resolved to everyone's satisfaction. (Others are easier. Monica Lewinsky: Bad for the Jews.) Can you blame any minority for asking such a question about themselves? Who doesn't want to be loved?

"Mormons were chased out of the Midwest in the 1840s, and ever since then they've been looking to America for approval," says Bengt Washburn, a Mormon who is also a full-time comedian. (There aren't a lot of those, by the way. In case you were wondering.) Washburn says Mormons he knows will constantly list examples of mainstream Mormons to outsiders. Gladys Knight is a Mormon! Steve Young is a Mormon! Donny! Marie!

It's as if to say, "'See? Mormons aren't weird,'" Washburn says. "Well, yeah, we're weird." But here's the thing, the comedian adds: "All theology standing next to logic is weird."

Maybe that was Romney's mistake, that he tried to make his religion sound palatable to evangelical ears, that he didn't just say that sure, some of my beliefs may sound incredible to outsiders, but then again, a lot of the doings in Bible stories sound incredible to outsiders. (And, as historian Jan Shipps points out, Mormonism is a young faith. The earliest Christians were reviled, too.) But politics doesn't permit that sort of honesty any more than it allows a candidate to say, "My faith is private, okay?"

The truth is, Mormonism is in many ways the epitome of what was considered normalcy, back before the '60s upended everybody's definition. With his handsome tanned face and white teeth, his five square-jawed sons, his gorgeous blond wife and daughters-in-law, his teetotaling ways, his corporate demeanor, Romney broadcast health, uprightness, a life spent on the straight-'n'-narrow.

His campaign put out an ad at one point of Romney jogging, all that fabulous hair slighty mussed. The message seemed clear: Now here is a man vigorous and disciplined. (Take that, John McCain!) Every morning on the campaign trail, he ate the granola his wife made for him herself. How consistent! How homey!

Was he too normal?

We'll come back to that.

Two big things happened to elevate the face of Mormonism in the last decade. One, of course, was Romney running for president. The other was the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, which Romney took credit for turning around. During the Olympics, the Mormons were "wonderfully gracious" to visitors, as Shipps says, and everyone thought, wow, these Mormons aren't so weird after all.

"The result of this was that a lot of the stereotypes about Mormonism, the negative stereotypes -- that they were clannish, that they were secretive -- that sort of disappeared," says Shipps, who is one of the foremost non-Mormon scholars of the denomination.

But with Romney's candidacy, the scrutiny was different.

"I know Mormons and members of the church that felt like it was a terrible thing that Romney was running because we opened ourselves up to criticism," says Joel Campbell, a Mormon who teaches journalism at Brigham Young University.

"It certainly opens the conversation, but whether the conversation will be a friendly one or a contentious one, I'm not sure," says Shipps. "I do think it alerted a lot of upper-middle-class, exceedingly successful Mormon lawyers and doctors . . . to the reality that not everybody thinks being Mormon is great. If you grow up in the mountain West and you grow up in a Mormon community and you send your kids to church and all the kids are going to school where there's mostly Mormons and there's not a lot of drugs and there's not a lot of crime, everybody thinks, 'Oh, being Mormon is just so wonderful.' And to realize that this is a perception that is very provincial."

This is the nub of it, really. Romney seemed so Mormon, so squeaky clean, so Pollyanna-ish, even. (Remember when he went to Michigan and said he could bring those lost jobs back?) Romney's seeming normalcy isn't the norm anymore. Maybe we understand better those who've strayed or failed and recovered -- or, for that matter, those who aren't fabulously successful and can't put tens of millions into their own campaigns. Maybe we relate to the family lives of other candidates, candidates who have been divorced, who have blended families, whose children don't all campaign with them (and may not even like them). Sure, they're messier, but messy is authentic.

There was more to it than that, of course. Some evangelical voters -- who don't want messy -- see Mormonism as something other than Christianity. Mike Huckabee, an evangelical and former pastor, was speaking to them when he said, "Don't Mormons believe that Jesus and the Devil are brothers?"

All of this gives Mormons something to chew on for years to come.

Maybe it was all for the good, no matter what, says Campbell. He quotes the prophet Brigham Young on the issue of persecution:

"Every time you kick Mormonism you kick it upstairs."

"That's kind of the optimism of Mormons," Campbell says, adding: "I guess that may sound like Pollyanna or something."

It WOULD Take Magic!

2008-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

In the latest issue of LDS Living magazine, there is an article entitled, "Keeping the Magic Alive in Marriage." The author recommends a weekly date night. She also realizes that many may not be able to afford a NORMAL date that costs money, so she lists 10 date night ideas that will not cost any money (with the exception of babysitter costs):

1. Go on a walk in the park or on the beach and hold hands and talk.

2. Take a blanket to the mountains or wherever and look up at the stars.

3. Go to Costco (there is a membership cost involved) and eat the free samples and then watch a DVD on your laptop in your car facing the sunset.

4. Go on a bike ride.

5. Take a free class offered in the community.

6. Go to the bookstore and read to each other.

7. Take your iPod or boom box or whatever to a remote parking lot and dance together in the beams of your car's headlights.

8. Walk through a crowded area and make up stories about other people's lives. Be creative! Be funny!

9. Go skating, surfing, boogie-boarding, swimming, hiking, backpacking, or whatever sport you like.

10. Go to the cemetary and look at the cool headstones or go to the airport and watch planes land or to the port and watch boats dock.

What do you think of these ideas?

Photos

2008-02-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Since many of you may be getting tired of the political postings, click here for more photos:

http://jensencirclesjensenpix.blogspot.com/

John McCain: A True Politician

2008-01-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

Time to sling a little mud!!

1. He is an ardent supporter of campaign finance reform, which is bad enough in and of itself. But, it gets worse. McCain was the only Republican that was investigated in the 1991 Keating Five scandal. In short, there was an investigation into 5 senators and their connection to the founder of Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. McCain accepted favors (over $100,ooo cash, private jet rides, vacation to the Bahamas, etc.) from Charles Keating. Read this article for more detail - http://www.nationalreview.com/contributors/levin040501.shtml

2. McCain suggests that Romney doesn't have the leadership skills to handle the Presidency. That is laughable and displays one of two things: 1) McCain's self-dishonesty, as surely anyone can see that Romney's accomplishments require the highest degree of leadership. 2) McCain is completely clueless as to how the real world works, especially the business world. He doesn't have any concept of leadership, period. His idea of leadership is to tuck away with an uber-liberal senator behind closed doors only to emerge with bills like McCain-Kennedy, etc. Yeah, McCain, way to show real leadership!

3. He calls himself a Republican, but barely. After he lost the 2000 Presidential bid, the Alamanac of American Politics 2006 (p.95) states, "he became more legislatively active than ever - and increasingly to ally himself with Democrats and oppose most Republicans. His first priority was the campaign finance bill...In 2001, he threatened to tie up the Senate unless Majority Leader Trent Lott set aside 2 weeks of debate on the issue." Many speculated that McCain was going to leave the Republican party after the Jim Jefford's betrayal. The Alamanac of American Politics 2006 (p.96) once again supports this with, "After Jim Jeffords switched parties, he [McCain] invited Tom Daschle to a friendly visit to his vacation home near Sedona.; speculation abounded that McCain would switch parties too, and liberals writing in the Washington Monthly and the New Republic argued that he would be the strongest Democratic nominee for President." And, don't forget about the 2004 speculation of a Kerry/McCain Presidential ticket.

4. He criticizes Romney for his self-generated wealth while he lives on the high-horse as a result of his trophy wife's inherited bank account. In 2001 he was the 20th wealthiest member of congress ($15 million in assets) without lifting an honest finger to earn it. In 2005, he was the 10th wealthiest member of congress ($29 million is assets), again, without earning a dime of it.

5. During last night's debate, while explaining his McCain-Leiberman rationale, he used this logic: [Paraphrased] "Uhhhh, if I am wrong, uhhh, then at least our kids will have a cleaner planet. But, if I am right, then I have saved the universe from the evil greenhouse gases. Basically, we have nothing to lose, my friends." Hey, Johnny boy, try telling that to the corporations and tax payers that will pay the price for your socialist views on the economy and the environment! And, all because you happen to believe in controversial and flawed science.

6. He called the amendment that would ban same-sex marriage as unecessary and un-Republican (CNN.com, 7/14/2004). In 2004, he was one of only 6 Republican senators to vote against the amendment.

7. Gang of 14

8. He has consistently denegrated pro-lifers. I have no idea why more people don't question his commitment to the abortion issue. The National Right to Life Committee said that McCain did not warrant their support. He told reporters that if his 15 year-old daughter were to ask for an abortion, he would support her. An hour later, he said he misspoke. He has repeatedly said that he will not favor the overturning of Roe v. Wade, then changed his mind on the campaign trail.

9. He voted against ANWAR drilling. How does that line up with fighting terrorism?

10. He wants to close GITMO and he wants to tie the hands of CIA operators by limiting their power to interrogate. Once again, how does that line up with fighting terrorism? Just because he was tortured does not mean he gets the high-ground on the issue. He is simply wrong!

And the list goes on....

Finally - here are 2 MUST READ articles that were written today. Take the time to read them, they are both short but informed:

Michael Reagan - Ronald's son, a TRUE member of the Reagan Revolution:

"John McCain Hates Me"
http://www.reagan.com/column.cfm?id=52

Mark Levin - another member of the Reagan Revolution:

"Rally for Romney: Conservatives need to act now before its too late"
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDEzMDYzZjBkMDNhYjk0ZjdhZmJlZWNkMWQ1NjI4MGI=

By the way, today Sean Hannity announced that he will be voting for Mitt Romney.

1 FEB 2008: UPDATE

As a follow up to #3, here is an article that appeared this morning on www.thehill.com. I can't believe this hasn't received more play (well, yes I can - typical MSM antics):

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop-2007-03-28.html

Root Canals: Literal and Political

2008-01-29T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today, at 8:00 AM, I had a root canal - and I deserved it. According to my dentist, while flossing, I "continuously neglected a pocket in between my last 2 molars in my upper left quadrant." He said my gums were in great shape everywhere else, but because I neglected that one tough-to-reach area, the decay took the tooth by storm. It snuck through the back door by starting above the gums. Then, it grew larger and larger until it finally hit the nerve. But, by then it was too late. The tooth had to be grinded to less than half its size and the nerve had to be permanently removed. They now need to build an entirely new tooth.

What was the cost of all of this? A lot of money that could be better served elsewhere in my family and a little physical discomfort.

At 8:00 PM I came to the realization of the possible need for another root canal in the near future.

This one will be much more difficult to endure, and the cost will be SKY - HIGH.

Tonight, Republicans (and some sneaky Independents) voted for the following (see article below):

OPEN BORDERS, WHICH EQUATES TO A HUGE SECURITY RISK
PRO-ACLU INITIATIVES
AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE IN US FREE MARKET COMMERCE
FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS BY LIBERAL TRIAL LAWYERS
HIGHER TAXES
ASSAULT ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH
OUTRIGHT DISHONESTY AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR THAT IS TYPICAL OF CAREER POLITICIANS
MOST DISTURBING OF ALL - SUPREME COURT JUDGES WHO DO NOT WEAR THEIR CONSERVATISM ON THEIR SLEEVES

John McCain has been the leading form of American decay personified. He has perfected the back door approach to American politics. He hides under the umbrella of conservatism while playing a key role in the rotting away of the strength of America's conservative enamel.

How has this happened? It is simple - TOO MANY CONSERVATIVE AMERICANS HAVE NEGLECTED THE POCKET OF DECAY IN WHICH MCCAIN AND OTHERS LIKE HIM HIDE. Conservative Americans have spent their time working for their families, raising values driven children, pushing this economy in spite of challenges from liberal policy-makers, charitably serving their communities, and attending church services and activities. That is the short-list, yet it amounts to A LOT of time consuming activity.

Thank goodness for these people. Because of them, we have a future generation grounded in true and lasting principles and values that support the structure of a healthy society. However, because conservatives have neglected this one little pocket of decay, it has been allowed to grow unnoticed, leading to a strong, thriving rot. And, the disturbing aspect of this rot is the fact that it fundamentally undermines all the hard work conservative Americans are doing each day.

John McCain's policies, beliefs, and strategies have putrefied conservative values right to the edge of America's core - our proverbial nerve. And, it is almost too late.

If John McCain is the Republican candidate, it is my feeling that the Republican Party will need a root canal - and the party will deserve the accompanying discomfort and cost.

In short, the party will need to suffer the discomfort of a grinding process aimed at eliminating all elements of decay (see list above and article below). Then, the root will need to be removed - the root I speak of is embodied in those policy-makers that hide behind the word "conservative" in order to get elected only to betray everything that word stands for. The funny thing is, while receiving my morning root canal, I didn't feel a thing while my dentist removed the nerve! Finally, Republicans will need to rebuild the party to reflect the strength that comes with conservative thought. Conservative thought is the backbone of a thriving, happy society.

I assert, rather boldly, that if REPUBLICANS aren't willing to do this, then CONSERVATIVES must find a way to make it happen - without the moldering Republicans.

In the meantime, if Obama wins the Democratic primary, liberal Americans will have voted for (see if you notice the difference with McCain's list):

OPEN BORDERS, WHICH EQUATES TO A HUGE SECURITY RISK
PRO-ACLU INITIATIVES
AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE IN US FREE MARKET COMMERCE
FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS BY LIBERAL TRIAL LAWYERS
HIGHER TAXES
ASSAULT ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH
MOST DISTURBING OF ALL - SUPREME COURT JUDGES WHO DO NOT WEAR THEIR
CONSERVATISM ON THEIR SLEEVES

Finally, if Clinton wins the Democratic primary, liberal Americans will have voted for:

OPEN BORDERS, WHICH EQUATES TO A HUGE SECURITY RISK
PRO-ACLU INITIATIVES
AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE IN US FREE MARKET COMMERCE
FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS BY LIBERAL TRIAL LAWYERS
HIGHER TAXES
ASSAULT ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH
OUTRIGHT DISHONESTY AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR THAT IS TYPICAL OF CAREER
POLITICIANS
MOST DISTURBING OF ALL - SUPREME COURT JUDGES WHO DO NOT WEAR THEIR CONSERVATISM ON THEIR SLEEVES

Can we avoid the need for this political root canal?

The good news is, "YES," but there is only one remedy. I will let you figure out what it is.

Let's Have Some Straight Talk, My Friends

2008-01-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

Everytime John McCain says, "Let's have some straight talk, my friends," you can know that he is about to tell a lie. Anytime someone tries to convince you that they are a truth-teller, they are usually a person that has a hard time telling the truth.

However, after learning about McCain's record, we can all understand why he lies so much. The following article is one of the best summaries of McCain's flawed political decisions. Take 5 minutes to read this article so you can know why Mitt Romney is by far the better choice - NOT EVEN A CLOSE CALL.

The Real McCain Record
Obstacles in the way of conservative support.
By Mark R. Levin

There’s a reason some of John McCain's conservative supporters avoid discussing his record. They want to talk about his personal story, his position on the surge, his supposed electability. But whenever the rest of his career comes up, the knee-jerk reply is to characterize the inquiries as attacks.The McCain domestic record is a disaster. To say he fought spending, most particularly earmarks, is to nibble around the edges and miss the heart of the matter. For starters, consider:

McCain-Feingold — the most brazen frontal assault on political speech since Buckley v. Valeo.

McCain-Kennedy — the most far-reaching amnesty program in American history.

McCain-Lieberman — the most onerous and intrusive attack on American industry — through reporting, regulating, and taxing authority of greenhouse gases — in American history.

McCain-Kennedy-Edwards — the biggest boon to the trial bar since the tobacco settlement, under the rubric of a patients’ bill of rights.

McCain-Reimportation of Drugs — a significant blow to pharmaceutical research and development, not to mention consumer safety (hey Rudy, pay attention, see link).

And McCain’s stated opposition to the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was largely based on socialist, class-warfare rhetoric — tax cuts for the rich, not for the middle class. The public record is full of these statements. Today, he recalls only his insistence on accompanying spending cuts.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, McCain was consistently hostile to American enterprise, from media and pharmaceutical companies to technology and energy companies.

McCain also led the Gang of 14, which prevented the Republican leadership in the Senate from mounting a rule change that would have ended the systematic use (actual and threatened) of the filibuster to prevent majority approval of judicial nominees.

And then there’s the McCain defense record.

His supporters point to essentially one policy strength, McCain’s early support for a surge and counterinsurgency. It has now evolved into McCain taking credit for forcing the president to adopt General David Petreaus’s strategy. Where’s the evidence to support such a claim?

Moreover, Iraq is an important battle in our war against the Islamo-fascist threat. But the war is a global war, and it most certainly includes the continental United States, which, after all, was struck on 9/11. How does McCain fare in that regard?

McCain-ACLU — the unprecedented granting of due-process rights to unlawful enemy combatants (terrorists).

McCain has repeatedly called for the immediate closing of Guantanamo Bay and the introduction of al-Qaeda terrorists into our own prisons — despite the legal rights they would immediately gain and the burdens of managing such a dangerous population.

While McCain proudly and repeatedly points to his battles with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who had to rebuild the U.S. military and fight a complex war, where was McCain in the lead-up to the war — when the military was being dangerously downsized by the Clinton administration and McCain’s friend, former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen? Where was McCain when the CIA was in desperate need of attention? Also, McCain was apparently in the dark about al-Qaeda like most of Washington, despite a decade of warnings.

My fingers are crossed that at the next debate, either Fred Thompson or Mitt Romney will find a way to address McCain’s record. (Mike Huckabee won’t, as he is apparently in the tank for him.)—

Mark R. Levin served as chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese in the Reagan administration.

A Talk For Our Time

2007-12-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

Last week, while listening to this talk, I wasn't sure of the year in which Elder Maxwell delivered it. Then, because of curiosity, I checked. I couldn't believe it was given just 2 years after I was born - 1978!

I could not believe how prophetic this talk is. Everyone should listen to it and study it. It will enlighten you, motivate you, and inspire to you to be better. It will strengthen your feelings of the importance of the Lord's chosen servants. It will remind you of the relevance of the times in which we live.

Here is the link to the audio. Just click on the link, then click on the banner.

Meeting the Challenges of Today, by Neal A. Maxwell

Click here for the text of this talk.

After you listen to this talk, let me know what you think.

6 Rules Every Blogger Should Live By

2007-11-28T20:31:00.000-08:00

Heidi "tagged" me, which means I am supposed to give 6 random facts about myself - UH, I don't think so. Instead, I will give 6 tips that every blogger should know (smile on my face):

1. Do not try to impress everyone with stories of a sugar-coated, make-belief life

Everyone knows who you really are and they know your life is just as dysfunctional as the rest of us. You aren't fooling anyone.

2. Don't force everyone to listen to music everytime they visit your blog

I learned this one from experience. I had songs on my own blog and even I was annoyed everytime I pulled it up.

3. No, No to Po, Po

Do not post poetry. The only exception is - UNLESS YOU ARE A GOOD POET. You may be asking, "How do I know if I am a good poet?" Just because your husband, mother, [insert any family member], tells you they like your poetry does not mean you are a good poet. In fact, the only good indication of your poetic talent comes with publication. If you have published poetry in the past, you are safe to post poetry on your blog.

4. Watch your comments

Take advantage of your administrative powers when it comes to comments. DELETE, DELETE, DELETE. If your significant other thinks it is funny to make a comment with embarrassing commentary to your posting, you have every right to eliminate it - you just do. However, you must be careful. With so much power it is easy to get carried away. You could end up using your power of deletion on innocent bystanders. This will alienate your folks. Just like any other power in life, you should be judicious.

5. Don't force it

You're not going to have something interesting EVERY SINGLE DAY. So, don't spend half your day trying to figure out how you can create some artificial event in your life just so you can blog about it. Put your camera away and do something important - like PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR KIDS. Artificial events are boring.

6. Don't send lame "tag" games

Most people, when participating, end up violating tips 1 and/or 5. This makes you an accomplice in a blogging felony.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

Now that you have had time to think about it, I am curious what you are thankful for - cellphones, trees, warm weather, cold weather - whatever you are thankful for.

A Gospel for the World

2007-11-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

This was in today's Washington Post, although with its typical annoying spin (in the article). The article is definitely aimed at raising questions about Romney's religion in terms of race. But, overall not too bad. They can write what they would like, but the stone is going to roll and they can't stop it!

Here is the link to the article:

The New Face of Global Mormonism

Gender Excitement

2007-11-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday something interesting happened. A brand new Wal Mart opened in Highland Village, the town next to ours. And no.....that's not the interesting part. The interesting thing was how excited Wendy got when she saw it. I couldn't believe someone could get so excited about a Wal Mart! She squealed like a little girl on Christmas morning - LITERALLY! Then, after squealing, she screamed, "I can't believe this! This is sooooo AWESOME!"

After gaining my senses and putting my thoughts through my constantly evolving "sensitivity filter," I looked at her to see if she was serious --- she was. Then, while I was sensitively asking her, "ARE YOU KIDDING! HOW CAN YOU GET SO EXCITED ABOUT..."

That's when I saw it - I saw it go by through the passenger side window. It stopped me mid-sentence. I couldn't breath. I couldn't think. Suddenly, without my control, I began squealing like a little girl on Christmas morning - LITERALLY! Then, after squealing, I screamed, "I can't believe this! That is sooooo AWESOME! Do you realize what that is? {blah blah blah, bablah bablah blah blah}." Here is what I saw, and yes, I even took a picture of it:

I assure you, Wendy thought I was nuts for getting so excited over a car. Some of you probably don't even know what it is (it's a Lamborghini Murcielago). She can't understand why anyone would pay $325,ooo for a car that only seats 2 and doesn't even have room for a stroller.

So, what's the difference? It's DNA. That's the difference. If you don't believe me, read this:

Human Genome Discovery

Circles' Top 10 List

2007-11-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here is a top 10 list of "Circles" postings. Read them (or reread) and rank them in the comments section - 1 being your most favorite and 10 being your least favorite.

Just click on the title of the posting and it will take you there:

Horses and Reindeer

Smokin' Times

Four Foot Hole

Human Genome Discovery

I Have Never Heard a Scream Like That!

It's Not the Baby Crying

Funny Things Kids Say

National Geographic

Bourne Ultimatum

Phone Hiding

Also, if you have a favorite not on this list, you can replace one of the above with the one you like better.

Referee Training

2007-11-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

Who can relate???

Dream Job

2007-11-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

I am curious. What is your dream job? It can be anything other than what you are now doing, including you stay-at-home moms.

Tell us in the comments section!

Grandpas

2007-11-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

Who's that man in the black hat wearing shades? Most people in this world have no idea. But, to me, he is a hero. I have ALWAYS looked up to him as an example of character, hardwork, loyalty, and love. Even when he is cussing at me - I know he loves me! Even when we are arguing about who's the best golfer in history - Tiger or Nicklaus - I know he loves me. And, even though we have lived miles away for most of my life, I feel the influence of his prayers and unconditional love for me. Perhaps the greatest tribute I can pay him is to let him know this - While growing up, there were many times, when facing decisions, I would ask myself, "What would Grandpa do in this situation?" or, "How would Grandpa feel about this?" or, "What would Grandpa tell me to do right now?" To this day, I still find myself asking the same questions. I love you Grandpa!

Passing on the tradition...

Attend Your Own Funeral

2007-11-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

This is an exercise that is found in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and I think it is very revealing.

Imagine that you are attending a funeral. You see all the familiar faces and upon seeing yourself lying in the casket, realize it is your funeral. You then look at the program for your own funeral and see that there are to be 4 groups of speakers:

1. Your family, immediate and extended.

2. Your friends

3. Your co-workers

4. Your church or community organization

Now, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What would each of these speakers say about your life?

2. What do you want to resonate about you?
3. How would you like them to describe your character?
4. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?

Make comments on your thoughts. What do you think about this exercise? What did you find out about yourselves?

Headlines on FoxNews.com

2007-10-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

What do you think when you read this? If you want to read any of the stories, just click on the headline. They are links.

Tehran 'Talks' Tough
Iranian military drill teams form into an American flag with swastika and Star of David in show of defiance.

Extradite Kurdish Rebels
Father of Slain Marine Sues Church for Cheering Death
Second-Grader Commits Suicide in New Jersey
Accused 14-Year-Old Plotter Admits to Stockpiling Guns
Mother Acquitted of Abuse in Genital Piercing Case
Court Orders Man Sentenced in Teen Sex Case Freed
Shuttle Astronauts Walk in Space
Putin Compares U.S. Missile Shield to '62 Cuba Crisis
Pedophile Supporters Post Photos of 3-Year-Old Princess
Female Tenn. Teacher Accused of Sex With Male Student
FOX News Poll: Half of Voters Eye Abortion Stance
Boy Found Near Death in Halloween Spider Web Display
McCanns Release Sketch of Possible Abductor
Cop Charged With Sexually Abusing Handicapped Girls
Police: 4 Houston Toddlers Test Positive for Cocaine

This is the world in which we live. Thank goodness for the perspective and armor the gospel brings into the lives of those who live it and for all the good people who do great things.

Fire Everywhere

2007-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

With the California fires all over the news, fire has been on many people's minds. Yesterday, Jared came home from school, and along with an 8 year-old neighbor told their own fire story.

Liberty Elementary had a fire drill yesterday. The problem is, the teachers didn't know it was a drill and neither did the students. So, when the alarm went off, for a few moments the kids were scared senseless. Their little minds were trying to figure out what was happening. Quickly, the teachers got everyone organized and followed the fire drill procedure.

Well, this morning, as Jared was getting ready for school, Wendy noticed his backpack was tearing at some of the seams. So, she asked Jared, "Do you want me to get you that Broncos backpack we saw when we bought Dad's hat?" He answered, "Yeah, and yesterday when my school was on fire I was thinking, 'Oh no! Now I am going to have to get a new backpack."

The funny thing is, I remember fire drills as a kid and thinking, "I have to remember to grab my backpack."

Laura and Company

2007-10-10T12:03:00.001-07:00

Laura and her family made a trip to California. Here are a couple of photos she would like to share:

Kids - 29 July 2007

2007-10-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

You Wish....

2007-10-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

You wish you could hug and kiss this little girl EVERYDAY!!

To see more pictures click here:

http://jensencirclesjensenpix.blogspot.com

Smokin' Times

2007-09-28T07:25:00.000-07:00

It all started with a Saturday afternoon family trip to the Guitar Center. It sounded like fun and everyone was up for it. The Guitar Center has much more than guitars. It has just about anything you can think of as it relates to music and production. They have guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, editing software, synthesizers, turntables, and anything that goes along with these things. But, the kids’ favorite items are the concert items – the smoke machines, the strobe lights, the disco ball, and moving colored lights. There is a room that contains all these items, and the kids have a blast in there. The music is blasting, the lights are flashing, the smoke is flying – what kid (or dad) wouldn’t love this?

So, I got to thinking – Why not have something like this at our house? It would altogether change the definition of “party house.”

One smoke machine, strobe light, black light, and rotating color light machine later – our playroom became an instant PARTY ROOM!!

First, we fired up the smoke machine. It was awesome! We got the room so full of smoke we couldn’t see across the room. Then, we fired up the colored lights. Here’s what it looks like as it cuts through the smoke:

Then, we decided to turn it up a notch – We busted out the black light! Check out these pictures:

Based on Rowan’s (3 years old) mixture of forced laughter and a face that looked like he just sucked a lemon, I could tell he was a little spooked. So, we moved to the ultimate – STROBE LIGHT IN THE SMOKE!! Talk about the supreme idea! I decided that I was pretty much the coolest dad in the world at that moment. I should mention at this point, Wendy was putting Reese (7 months old) to bed.

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!! I pumped the smoke out and hit the strobe light. The kids were going crazy, jumping and screaming, dancing and bouncing. It was pure party excitement.

Then, after a few minutes of this, I notice Jared (5 years old) running for the light switch. This being his first experience with a strobe light, he didn’t realize the magic of it – at one moment the wall is 3 feet away, the next moment the wall is plastered against your face – and you don’t even see it coming! BANG! He nailed the wall hard, dropped to the ground screaming while holding his face. Rowan, already a little on edge before Jared’s collision with the wall, heard the loud bang and ran for the door like a gazelle. BAM!!! Lesson learned by Rowan - at one moment the door is 3 feet away, the next moment the door is plastered against your face – and you don’t even see it coming! Now, Jared AND Rowan are on the ground screaming while holding their faces. I was also on the ground screaming…in laughter. I was laughing HARD. (Now, imagine what Wendy was thinking. She heard two loud bangs followed by intense crying and laughter).

Party at our house ANYDAY – ANYTIME!

Don't Step On the Ducks

2007-09-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

Got this from a buddy:

Three women die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven. Don't step on the ducks." So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one. Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw. St. Peter chains them together and says, "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity with this ugly man!"

The next day, the second woman accidentally steps on a duck, and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing, and with him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same punishment as the first woman.

The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps. She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St.Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on... very tall, tan, muscular, and with good hair. St. Peter chains them together without saying a word. The woman remarks, "I wonder what I did to deserve being with you for all of eternity?" And the guy says, "Well, I don't know what you did, but I stepped on a duck.

People Watching at the Phoenix Airport

2007-09-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had a meeting in Phoenix. While at the airport, waiting for my return flight, I decided to put my book down--I just watched the people around me. Here is what I saw (photos taken with my camera phone, but much funnier in person):

2nd Runner Up:

(Notice the high water pants)

1st Runner Up:

Notice the arms resting on his gut for his reading convenience.

Grand Champion:

No, I am not kidding. He was really wearing those shorts with the wife beater! To make it even better, he has that perm-style hairdo. He watched way too much Three's Company!

New Photos

2007-08-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

I just added some photos from the Burnham family reunion. Check 'em out.

Equations of Life

2007-08-17T14:21:00.001-07:00

EQUATIONS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.
A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.
To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next."
They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

Key Search

2007-08-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am big on keeping things in the same place as to avoid looking for them ALL THE TIME. For example, I always keep my wallet and keys together, and they are almost always in one of two places - downstairs on our car key rack or upstairs in my closet next to the valet my Grandpa made.

A quick side note: I would put them INSIDE the valet, but Jared, upon seeing that I keep loose change in one of the compartments, decided to empty his entire piggy bank into my valet. So, now my entire valet is full of coins. He said he doesn’t need the money so I can have it.

I have also designated certain pockets for certain items. My left pocket is for my cell phone and my right pocket is for my wallet and keys. I just like to have as much routine as possible and it works for me – That is, until my kids get involved. Then, who knows where my stuff ends up??

Well, this morning, I was heading out the door for work, and I couldn’t find my keys. I knew they weren’t upstairs, because I had just been up there. I checked the key rack and they weren’t there either. I checked my right pocket – no keys. Wendy was still upstairs, so I asked her if my keys were up there. Nope. So, Wendy, Jared, Reese (she had no choice as Wendy was holding her), and I spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out where my keys were, all the while accusing Rowan (he was upstairs watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and didn’t care one bit about my keys). We looked everywhere and could not find them.

Then, I decided to start the search over. I checked my right pocket, no keys. Then, I haphazardly checked my left pocket, all the while wondering why I was even wasting my time with the left pocket. I never put my keys in the left pocket - ALMOST NEVER. But, now I had to face my family with a dunce cap. We got a pretty good laugh out of it. I’m just glad I didn’t accuse Wendy of misplacing my keys – she would have had a field day!

Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, Steve and I went to see the new Bourne flick, Bourne Ultimatum. Personally, there just aren’t that many movies that I get excited about. I have come to the point where I don’t even like to go to the theatre to see movies. I prefer to watch them at home – It is much more comfortable to fall asleep on our Luv Sac as opposed to the theatre seats.

But, I knew there would be no need for a Luv Sac with Jason Bourne…Wait, that doesn’t sound right…Actually, it kind of does. I have a huge MAN CRUSH on Jason Bourne. In fact, I want to be Jason Bourne so badly, I have almost convinced myself that, with a tiny bit of training, I CAN BE Jason Bourne (except for the ability to speak every language known to man and pygmy).

At the conclusion of the movie, while Steve and I were walking out, surrounded by all sorts of potential “perps,” I whispered to Steve, “Just think, these people have no idea who I am. They don’t realize that they just watched a movie about my life.” Steve, possessing very similar DNA as myself, felt the same way. So, no doubt, he noticed the same thing I did as we were leaving the theatre. Just outside the door, a suspicious looking Asian man (okay, maybe a boy), had his cell phone pointing directly at me. Knowing that a photo of my location could easily be passed on to the NSA and CIA, I swiftly grabbed the phone from the agent’s hand, smashed the phone, removed the SIM card, then knocked him out with a round house kick to the chin (in the spirit of full disclosure, this all happened in my mind only). I didn’t want to kill him, because he was just following orders. It’s not his fault his superiors are corrupted by greed and want of power.

I know this all sounds silly right now, but once you see the movie it will all make perfect sense. You too will walk out of the theatre as a sophisticated, highly trained, government assassin.

Check out this trailer--

Talented Guitarist

2007-08-09T22:35:00.001-07:00

Phone Hiding

2007-08-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am sure, at one time or another, you have done it – PHONE HIDING. And, if you haven’t, you will after reading this.

By “phone hiding,” I do not mean the kind of joke that I played on one of my bosses. That was pretty funny, though. My former boss thought it was so funny to steal and hided cell phones. When someone would lay their cell phone, he would take it, hide it, and get a kick while the owner would spend hours looking for it. In fact, I wonder how much I spent looking for my phone. Anyhow, one day, during a week of major corporate meetings (they flew in all the managers from across the country), I decided to get him back. During a 15 minute break, I took his phone and hid it in the ceiling above the ceiling tiles. Then, when the meeting resumed, I constantly called his phone. It rang and rang until he finally realized it was his phone. So, in the middle of someone’s presentation, he had to climb on the table, removed several ceiling tiles, and search for his phone. He was pretty embarrassed, and I felt super satisfied.

Now, back to the other kind of “phone hiding” – It is super useful at times. I have used it many times to avoid unwanted conversations. For example, if I am sitting in my office and I notice one of my “special” employees heading my way, I can quickly pick up my cell phone and begin talking as though I were having a real conversation. When the employee gets to my office, I just give my “this will be awhile” signal, and voila, they disappear, usually to solve the issue on their own.

Or, say you and another person get stuck listening to another person’s super boring (insert, “annoying,” “embarrassing,” “dumb,” “illogical,” etc.) story. When you realize you would rather be stuck in a hot car, on a Phoenix summer, with the windows rolled up, and the ignition off, you simple reach into your pocket, grab your phone, put it to your ear, and say one magical word, “HELLO.” Then, you just walk away – and make sure you do it with confidence, like you just got a call from someone super important. Also, make sure you do it before your equally suffering counterpart does, because if they have been orientated on phone hiding (aka “hiding behind the phone”), they may get the jump on you.

You may be asking yourself, “But, what if I get stuck in that scenario, but I don’t have my phone with me?” Great question! I have been in this situation many times, and I have a solution. Use your hand! That’s right - YOUR HAND. This is ONLY for advanced phone hiders and here’s how it works. Just turn one ear towards the storyteller, then put your hand up to the other ear, duck your head while tilting it towards your fake phone, and say “HELLO.” Then, walk away with the same confidence you have when you actually have a phone. I have even used my wallet at times.

I hope this helps in times of unwanted conversation and unwanted potential conversation.

Tribute to Moms

2007-08-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

Bad Blogger

2007-08-07T21:53:00.001-07:00

It has been forever since my last REAL posting. I have to get back into the swing of things with my blogging. I don't have too much to blog about right now, but I can give a quick rundown on some things I have been thinking.

1. As my calling, I work with the deacons. The whole scouting thing comes along with that territory. I am not sure how I feel about it. Having never been a big scouter, but seeing others awarded their eagle, I am not sure what true value it adds. What do you think?

2. There is a new movie coming out about the Mountain Meadow Massacre. It is a major motion picture starring Jon Voigt (sp). From what I have read, it paints a pretty ugly picture of the event and even implicates Brigham Young in the decision to kill the immigrants. Are you planning to see it?

3. I am currently reading in Helaman ch. 10 and 11. Read about the issues Nephi addresses WITHIN the church! Then ask yourself how you can avoid being a disappointing follower of the Savior.

4. I want to get into photography (no Dad, not pornography, that is still off limits, so don't tell mom that I said it is okay for you to try it). I think it would be cool.

5. I just bought a road bike so I can train for a triathlon. I know that sounds crazy, but I really want to do it. Yesterday I took a short ride (5 miles) and it was a ton of fun. Those hills that don't look steep sure do FEEL steep on a bike! Have any of you ever wanted to do a triathlon?

6. My youngest brother Steve is getting ready to enter law school. I am excited for him and am curious to hear about what he learns. He is going to be attending Texas Tech and my hope is he will move to Dallas when he graduates. We would love to have he and Marissa here with us.

That's about it for now.

Here is a poem I wrote for your reading pleasure:

Scabs

You will find them on their knees.
As boys grow they fall,
Constantly running and jumping,
Playing in life’s playground
Without a care in the world
In front of them
Lies manhood
Waiting to teach them
Of life’s other playground
Constantly running and jumping
As men grow they fall,
Leaving scabs on their souls.
You will find them on their knees.

Brian Regan - Emergency Room Parts 1 & 2

2007-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

2007-06-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick story from our family reunion here in Sundance.

Background:

While at home, Jared (5) and Rowan (3) share bunk beds. Occassionally, Rowan will wake up crying in the middle of the night due to a nightmare about bugs or bees. Usually, the crying awakes Jared, and we can hear Jared, from the top bunk, saying, "I'm right here Rowan. I'm up here. It's okay, Rowey." And from time to time, Jared will climb into Rowan's bed and sleep with him in order to help him go back to sleep.

Quick Story:

Here at the family reunion, me, Wendy, and the kids are all sharing a bedroom. The boys are in bunk beds and Reese is in a crib. Well, last night Jared woke up at about 3:30 am with a nightmare. He was crying and calling for "mommy and daddy." To make things worse for him, he didn't know where he was. Then, before Wendy and I could respond, we heard Rowan say, "Jawed, I wight here Jawed. Jawed cwying. Jawed, isss okay, I wight here."

We thought it was pretty cute and it was neat to see and hear.

Straight Road Trippin' - Day 3 (Read Days 1 & 2 first)

2007-06-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

The Arches National Park was awesome! I wish we could have spent more time there, but the boys were losing interest, and I didn't want to turn it into a miserable experience for them. They were having fun, but I could feel the tide turning. So, we distracted them with a snack and hit the road for American Fork.

Here are the photos from the Arches:

After a few hours we made it to American Fork. We arrived at Wendy's parent's home, and for your loyal "Circles" readers, Joyce's master bathroom light was left on -- during the day -- nobody home -- just draining away the money with each kilowatt hour. By the way, Harold lives in Canada, so I know it wasn't he that left the light on.

Straight Road Trippin' - Day 2

2007-06-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

We headed out this morning with Moab on our minds. But, before that we had "The Land of Enchantment" to deal with. I'm sure the "enchantment" is somewhere out there, but we didn't see it. New Mexico is quite boring. We ate lunch in Albuquerque, then headed for Gallup.

Halfway between Albuquerque and Gallup we stopped in a little town called Grants. Here we paid a visit to the New Mexico Mining Museum. They had a simulated underground uranium

mine. It was interesting and the boys had a blast.

Our drive between Gallup and Cortez, CO was a bit frustrating. Most of the time we were on a Navajo Indian reservation. I can't tell you how many times I got stuck behind an almost broken down 1981 Ford pickup with a 50 something year old Indian behind the wheel. Without fail each Indian was driving 45 mph in a 65 mph on a two lane road. I also thought it was ironic that everyone of the Indians was wearing a cowboy hat.

Today's music:

Jack Johnson
Dave Matthews Band
Kenneth Cope
Rascal Flatts

The drive from Cortez to Moab was a pretty one and I was excited to get to there. It was my first time there and I had always wanted to go. We had dinner at Buck's Grill House and it was super good. It is a pretty nice restaurant and the food was awesome. Wendy had the Buffalo Meat Loaf and I had Chicken Diablo. I recommend it.

Tomorrow we will hit the Arches National Park then head for American Fork.

Straight Road Trippin' - Day 1

2007-06-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

We weren't even out of our neighborhood when Jared asked, for the first time, "Are we out of Texas yet?" Literally, five minutes later he asked again - and he didn't stop asking until we reached the border of New Mexico.

Now, we are in our hotel room in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Much like Afton, Wyoming, everyone here seems to wear plaid, boots, and tight jeans.

The road trip has been enjoyable. We have sufficient snacks for a family of 12 and I suppose they will last through half the day tomorrow.

We have:

2 cans of fat free Pringles
Bananas
Apples
Wheat tortillas
Shredded chicken w/ Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Granola bars
Chex Mix
Fat free blueberry muffins
Go Lean cereal
Bag of mixed candy
Bottled water
Crystal light powder pouches
Propel powder pouches
Several packs of Trident apple/raspberry and strawberry lime gum
Rold Gold cheddar pretzels
Pistachios
Trail Mix
Nilla Wafers, the mini Shrek kind
Fruit snacks (Costco size)
And whatever else I couldn't think of

Here is a list of the music we listened to:

Backyardigans
Sugarland
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Showtime
I Will Follow Him in Faith (Kid's CD)
Joseph: A Nashville Tribute
The Best of Simon & Garfunkel

Our first stop was the McDonald's in Vernon, TX. The boys had happy meals and Wendy and I had some of our chicken with the wheat tortillas.

230 "Are we out of Texas yets?" later, we stopped in Clarendon. There was an old museum that I wanted to see. It was closed, but we still got to see this old jail house. I can't imagine having to spend the day in this jail cell during the summer. It was 92 degrees and humid. It would have been brutal in that cell.

There was also and old bunk house and an old hospital. It was a neat little town.

We then picked up our handcarts and put our shoulders to the wheel - ummm... well, we got into our air conditioned SUV with leather upholstery, navigation, 6 disc changer, and DVD player. And don't forget about the year supply of snacks. But, we do like to think of our pioneer ancestors as we make these road trips. In fact, as Wendy was sinking her teeth into one of the blueberry muffins, she said, "Think of how grateful the Martin Handcart Company would have been for this muffin." I thought, "They would have been more grateful if it wasn't fat free!"

Next stop, and 260 "Are we out of Texas yets?" later (notice how the frequency has decreased? That is because I threatened his life if I heard him ask that question again. Occasionally, I would hear him whisper the question to Wendy, who is in the back seat. I pretended like I didn't hear him because I love him too much to kill him, but I didn't want him to think I wouldn't do what I said I would do. Plus, I didn't want to stop the car.) we noticed a sign for a Quarter Horse museum in Amarillo. We made the stop and it was well worth it. It is less than a week old, and they definitely sunk some money into the architecture. It was neat and we all enjoyed it. We arrived about 20 minutes before closing time, so we weren't able to see the film on the history of the quarter horse. As nerdy as it sounds, I wish I could have watched that.

Finally, we made it to Tucumcari, home of the Mesalands Community College Dinosaur Museum. We enjoyed the museum and the boys had a blast. They were excited to see the T-Rex skeleton. There also had a lot of fun digging for dinosaur bones.

We finally made it to our hotel. I had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express - you know, the hotel where "smart" people stay. Well, it turns out their swimming pool was out of service. But, the desk attendant said, "We have a deal with the Hampton Inn. If you are staying here, you can use their pool for free!" To which I asked, "Okay, where is the Hampton Inn?" To which she replied, "About 3 miles down the interstate." To which I said, "Well, why don't I just stay there then?" To which she said, while shrugging here shoulders, "I don't know."

3 miles and one canceled reservation later we were at the Hampton Inn. We took our stuff up to the room then headed for the nearest source of food - DENNEY'S. Only one time prior had I dined at Denney's. My experience was not great, but I thought I would give them another chance. Big mistake! To make a long story short, as soon as our waitress took our order moved away from our table, I put a $100 bill on the table and told Wendy, "I will leave that there as her tip if our order comes out without a mistake." Her tip was $4 and were the bet reciprocal, I would have had at least $500 in my pocket for each mistake she made.

After dinner, we took the kids swimming. It was fun, and we were all able to get rid of the "cooped up" feeling.

Finally, bedtime. The beds were nice and comfortable and we all slept pretty well - IN THE SAME BED! Both boys migrated to our QUEEN SIZED bed. I finally jumped into their bed and not long after Jared was with me. When I asked him why he switched beds through the night, he said, "I didn't want you to be lonely."

Day 2 up next...

The Mormon Way of Doing Business

2007-06-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

In the book The Mormon Way of Doing Business, Jeff Benedict outlines the lives of a few select LDS business leaders. The men he selected are, or were, running some of the nation's largest and most profitable companies - companies like American Express, Dell, Deloitte, Madison Square Garden Corporation, and Jet Blue. He also profiled Kim Clark, former dean of Harvard Business School (he is now President of BYU-Idaho and a member of the Seventy). In each case, these men serve as examples of how a business person should strive to conduct business, both in the office and away from the office. While the book itself wasn't written as well as it could have been, there are several pieces of great information about the lives of these men and their families. I feel many of the insights are worth sharing, so I will post a few of them over time.

The first insight I would like to share comes from chapter 4, "Guarding Your Habits."

I have just returned from a business trip in Las Vegas. I have to admit, I don't like going to Las Vegas in general.

ME CLIMBING ONTO A SOAPBOX---

At the risk of sounding prude, I just feel that there are too many outlets for addictive vices. This leads to a lot of immorality and acceptance of evil behavior. Of course, this is the "brand" Vegas wishes to have and has perpetuated through its ad campaigns, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." That is certainly a message from the Adversary and it encourages individuals to make the sort of decisions that breed regret, sorrow, and depression.

ME CLIMBING OFF THE SOAPBOX---

In chapter 4, there is a section on "Alcohol." It points to the fact that each of the men in the book have abstained from alcohol consumption. It may not seem like that big of a deal to many of us, but in the business world, when a person does not drink, it can bring a lot of attention to that person. Most business people drink socially, if not more. It is assumed that there will be drinking when there are after-hours business meetings, conventions, parties, and dinners.

Here is an excerpt that will illustrate:

"At the early stages of their business careers, the practice of avoiding alcohol produced some awkward moments for some of them. Jim Quigley [CEO of Deloitte] was just 26 when he left Salt Lake City to begin working at Deloitte's Manhattan office. Shortly after relocating to the New York area he attended his first company holiday party at the prestigious Greenwhich Country Club. He soon discovered he was about the only person in the room without an alcoholic drink in his hand. As the newcomer, Quigley wanted desperately to fit in and make a good impression. 'It was a defining moment for me as a very young man in my business career,' said Quigley. As the party wore on, he observed that the substance of the cocktail conversation began to deteriorate as alcohol consumption increased. A few individuals ended up revealing things they certainly would not have disclosed had they been sober. 'Some people were very compromised as a product of their drinking,' said Quigley. 'I concluded from that experience that it is not a disadvantage not to drink. Instead, it is a big advantage.'

The advantages are subtle, but real. 'First you avoid ending up in situations where your judgment is compromised,' said Quigley. 'Second, you are less likely to say and do things that may embarrass yourself or your company. You may not be as entertaining or funny. But there's a real upside to enjoying social interaction without alcohol assistance.'"

I was a witness to this type of occurrence yesterday. I was with a few people and their wives as the men drank until they were drunk. Once they were drunk, they were saying things that were completely inappropriate and compromising. A couple of the wives became upset at their husband's actions towards other women, and rightfully so. Also, one person began sharing information about business that he normally would not have shared. And, it wasn't just the information he was sharing, but the way he was sharing it, that indicated his true feelings about several situations. All in all, I was uncomfortable due to the level of intoxication and belligerence.

Also, I heard others talking about their previous night, and I was embarrassed for them, although laughing, at what I heard. One guy, in his 40's, was passed out on a slot machine and security had to call his wife to come get him. Another guy bought taxi cabs for 12 women in order to meet them at a dance club. Then, while at the dance club, he bought them all several drinks. He is a married man with children. Not to mention, he paid using his company's money, which is supposed to be used for "business" purposes.

I appreciate the examples of the men in this book. Not necessarily because they are following the gospel plan, but because they are following the gospel plan while excelling at the highest levels of business. It is great to know that there are at least a few great men running America's successful companies while raising great families and serving in time consuming church callings.

TPC at the Canyons

2007-06-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

Today I went golfing with some business contacts. We played at the TPC Canyons course. It is a PGA level course (a course where professionals play) with lots of hazards and tough greens. The fairways were so nice, it was like walking on grassy sponges.

Here's how my day of golf started.

I began the day dressed in jeans, a button up shirt, a sports jacket, and dress shoes. I went downstairs and got a smoothie for breakfast. I then headed over to the Las Vegas convention center for a convention. At this point, it was about 10 am.

Our tee time was set for 1:30, so I had plenty of time to walk the convention and meet with different business contacts. After an hour of doing that, I met with the guys with whom I would be golfing. I come to find out that they wanted to head for the course at about 11:30. This didn't leave me anytime to get back to my room.

So, we headed off for a 5 star course and I was dressed in business casual attire. When we got to the pro shop, I had to improvise. I bought a pair of black Adidas golf shorts ($60) that I will most likely never wear again, a pair of black socks ($7), and I was able to borrow a white golf shirt from one of the guys in my golfing group. So, on the first tee box, I was wearing brown dress shoes with black socks, black shorts, and a white shirt.

And, that ensemble pretty much symbolized the way I played. But, it was a lot of fun, and the weather was perfect. Our round of golf ended up being a round of "heckle" golf. We distracted each other as much as possible, including hitting chunks of grass at the person during their back swing. At times, we were laughing so hard, we couldn't swing the club. One person made a comment about my shoes, saying, "I like how you came to this course in your Mister Rogers shoes." I was laughing for awhile from that one.

(The first photo is the par 3 2nd hole. Thank goodness I hit the green. No room for error. The 2nd photo is the par 4 14th hole. You have to hit over that huge gorge, and the fairway lines the gorge. I played it semi safe and avoided the gorge.)

Blue Man Group

2007-06-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

Last night, I took some potential clients to see the Blue Man Group. It was at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Two words: Pure Creativity

Not only is the percussion on PVC pipes impressive, the special effects are incredible. Then, at one point towards the end of the show, there were so many rolls of crepe paper flying around the audience, even Ted Nugent would have been asking himself about the number of trees in question. The paper rolls were all connected to the back of the auditorium. A group of ushers then started pulling the paper and handed it to the last row. Then, everyone passed the paper forward until it reached the front row. I was totally covered with moving paper for at least 5 minutes. It was actually a lot of fun and I was laughing pretty hard.

The lighting, which included strobe lights, was super cool. The special effects were super creative and very entertaining.

The Blue Men (there are 3 of them) actually never say a word, nor do they make any noises with their mouths. In fact, they hardly even change expression. Yet, they are super funny without saying a word.

If you ever have a chance to see the Blue Man Group, I recommend it.

National Geographic

2007-06-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

(This posting was actually started on May 22nd. I just forgot about it until now.)

I have been through Yellowstone National Park a number of times, and one of the images that stays with me to this day involves buffalo. As a family, we were making our way through the park in our car. I was about 14 years old at the time. At one point, up ahead, we saw a few cars pulled over. All the kids bustled knowing that we were about to see something close to the road. Of course, we hoped it would be a bear, or even a moose. But, to no great surprise, it was a small herd of buffalo. After the collective sigh, we noticed something weird was happening. There was a guy holding a 2 year old girl - AND HE WAS WALKING TOWARDS A BUFFALO! This particular buffalo was on the ground, yet not on his side, so his back was in the air. Well, this "father of the year" walks right up to the buffalo and sits his daughter on its back. He then steps back, pulls out his camera and shoots a few shots! Luckily, the buffalo realized how stupid he was and didn't take it out on the little girl (now days that would be on YouTube and this guy would be in a whole lot of trouble).

A little later on that same trip, we approached another herd of buffalo. This time, there was another guy taunting them. It wasn't long before he was charged. Lucky for him, there was a tree nearby which provided a barrier. I can still see his smiling face as he played peek-a-boo with a buffalo.

That takes me to a conversation I had with Jared, my 5 year old son. We were watching National Geographic one Saturday morning, and it was one of those programs that tries to determine how and why someone died at the paw/horn/antler/claw/hoof/teeth of some animal. In this particular case, they were investigating attacks by a water buffalo. Jared and I watched as they explained the first incident. Evidently, a few hunters were standing around talking when all of a sudden a buffalo came out of nowhere to kill one of the men. They then moved on to a second incident in the same area. Only this time, a female hunter was charged and badly injured.

Having never hunted big game, I was wondering what kind of moron would put themselves in such a position. I would later come to find that I wasn't the only one thinking this way.

During a commercial, I went upstairs to see what was happening up there with the rest of the family. I was up there for just a bit, when I heard Jared yell, "DAD, DAD, DAD! Hurry, come here. You have to see this!!" I came downstairs and his eyes were the size of saucers - Bending over at the waist, with his arms out wide, he yelled, "ANOTHER GUY GOT KILLED BY A WATER BUFFALO!!" I responded, "That's crazy!" To which he said, "See Dad, that's why we should just leave the animals alone."

I don't suppose he'll want to go hunting anytime soon.

Donny Osmond's Dream Come True

2007-06-06T20:32:00.001-07:00

Watch Out LeBron James!

2007-06-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Man, Lebron James is coming on strong! He is proving to be a great clutch player and a great leader. I like his poise on and off the court. Plus, he has the best commercials out there. He still has some work to do on his 18 - 23 foot jumper, but he seems to hit it when they need it.

Speaking of shooting, about a year and a half ago I taught Jared the proper way to shoot a basketball. Being so young, he picked it up quickly. I want all my kids to have a strong understanding of the result of hard work and practice. Not just in sports, but in school, music, and spiritual matters.

Since my kids are so young, I feel it is important to start this lesson of skill development in a fun way. So, instead of just goofing around while playing basketball, we have shooting sessions. We keep track of Jared's shot attempts and his made shots. I then thought it would be fun to make a chart. This way he can watch his progress. He has something he can see and get excited about. He is a competitive person, so it is fun for him to see the charts.

So, everyday, we go out in the driveway and shoot 5o shots. I keep track of his stats and we do it in bunches of 10. He is shooting with a junior sized ball (just a tidbit smaller than a women's ball. It's not a mini ball.), and the basket is set a 8 1/2 feet. He is usually shooting from within 7 feet.

Here is a look at this week so far:

Just click on the chart to make it bigger. Jared chose the colors.

More to come.

TV Follow Up

2007-06-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Two months after the "TV or Not TV, That Is the Question" posting, a few of us have said "no" to the tube.

Here's a list:

Ben and Wendy
Heidi and Kamron
McKenzie and Cal

Am I missing anyone?

To those who have turned it off, how do you feel about it so far? How long do you plan to keep it off? Have you noticed a difference in the feeling of your home?

Just curious!

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit - Back to the Basics

2007-06-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

The smell of politics is in the air, and I am sure many of you are having internal debates about many of the issues that are currently facing our country. With so many different views and counter-views, one can get lost in the logic. So, I thought it would be helpful to contribute a very basic foundation for your political ponderings.

At the basis of America's founding political philosophy you will find such statements as, "all men are created equal," "endowed with certain inalienable rights," and "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These principles, and even some of the language, come from the works of John Locke.

America's founding political philosophy was carried to the forefront by John Locke. Locke was an 18th century British activist and during his time, the British society consisted of the following principles:

1. The sovereignty of Parliment which included a monarch and a government dominated by hereditary inheritances.
2. Unlimited power of government, which creates an absence of accountability
3. Very limited opportunities for commoner to pursue wealth
4. Absence of freedom of speech in any form

Now, contrast that with Locke's idea for an appropriate government:

1. Separation of powers
2. Representative, limited government
3. The right to pursue wealth
4. Freedom of speech and conscience

This is just a basic explanation intended to stimulate discussion on today's political landscape. It is important that we are involved in the arena that determines the landscape of our society.

Take these principles and apply them to the issues you are considering. Also, if you are curious about some of the issues, make it known in the comments. We can open it for discussion.

If you don't know what the issues are, here you go:

Abortion
Budget & Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy & Oil
Environment
Families & Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade Government Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure & Technology
Jobs
Principles & Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War & Peace
Welfare & Poverty

It's Not the Baby Crying

2007-05-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

I have just come to the realization that it's not the baby crying that annoys me. I'll explain.

While Wendy was running errands, I was tending our 2 1/2 month old Reese. She is our third child, and let me think......yeah, our 3rd child with COLIC. Colic defined:

"Colic is uncontrollable, extended crying in a baby who is otherwise healthy and well-fed. Every baby cries, but babies who cry for more than three hours a day, three to four days a week, may have colic. About 20% of babies get colic, and it equally affects boys and girls, first-born children and those born later. In general, it appears at around two to four weeks of age and can last for three months, or longer in some cases."

So, we have had our share of experience with crying babies - nothing new here. And today, while I was watching Reese, she began crying. I immediately began cycling through my mental laundry list of "Things to do to stop my baby from crying."

Hold her.

Walk aimlessly around the house with her.

Shake her (that's a joke in case any of you are a members of the PC police, Al Sharpton's National Action Network, or the Child Protection Services).

Place her on my hip at a 37.25 degree angle while keeping her arms bent at the exact same 37.25 degree angle.

Sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Hand her off to Wendy.

Bounce her in the bouncey seat.

Change her diaper.

After making all of these failed attempts, excluding #6 as it was not an option (although it IS my favorite much of the time), I began to buckle down and look for something new and creative. There was an empty water bottle within arm's reach. I grabbed it, I squished it, I rolled it, and I crinkled it. Doing this made a really, REALLY, annoying noise. In fact, a noise second only to the sound of the vacuum on the scale of "noisy annoyingness." But, IT WORKED! I did it for at least 10 minutes straight. By the time I was done, the water bottle was so hashed up it was recycle ready. Al Gore would be so proud.

I started thinking about the noise the bottle was making and realized that in any other circumstance, that noise would have driven me nuts. But, in this case, it didn't bother me. It was actually kind of fun watching Reese's reactions to the different types of noises. Then, I thought about the vacuum, and how I don't mind the vacuum when it is running to keep the baby from crying (a trick we have used since our first child).

So, I came to the following conclusion: It's not the noise that bothers me, it's the cause of the noise. I don't like the idea that our little baby may be in some sort of discomfort. Of course all bets are off when she is crying during the NBA Playoffs!

What's Their Story???

2007-05-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

Combining these two photos, make up a story about the lady in the first photo. These are photos I took while on a business trip to Chattanooga, TN (another story in and of itself). Be creative and have fun with it. Type the story in the "comments" section.

Funny Things Kids Say...

2007-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

My kids are always saying the funniest things, and the last couple of days are not an exception. However, as a disclaimer, the things they say are always more funny in person. But, I will post them for those who know my kids well. You will get a kick out of them.

1. Like many parents, Wendy and I are committed to teaching our children how to work and clean. Well, one of Jared's "jobs" is to make sure our little fridge (we have this fridge for drinks) is full of water bottles at all times. In order to teach responsibility and accountability, we taught him that if he doesn't do his job, the rest of us won't have cold water to drink. We explain that it is important to everyone that he do his job--just like a business, when one person fails to perform, others are also penalized.

So, the other night we were getting ready to eat dinner. I went to the little fridge to get some water for everyone, and there were only a couple of bottles left in the fridge.

I said to Jared, "We're almost out of water, so after dinner you need to do your job." To which he replied, "Dad, I'm out of business now."

I guess he really does understand what happens when people don't do their jobs!!

2. Steve and Marissa stopped in Dallas on their way to Houston. One morning Jared was snooping through their stuff and found some Starbursts. Marissa gave Jared a couple of them and he came and showed Rowan and me. I asked Jared if he would give one to Rowan, to which Rowan jumped up with excitement. Jared began unwrapping the candy and acted like he was going to put it in his mouth. Little Rowan, who is a late bloomer in terms of speech, began begging Jared -

"PWEASE, PWEASE, PWEASE, PWEASE, JAWWED, PWEASE, PWEASE..."

Growing tired of the taunts, I said, "Come on, Jared." Rowan, seeing another avenue then said, "Yeah, come on dude!"

This is hilarious to those who know little Rowan, because of the way he talks. He knows what he is saying, but sometimes the rest of us don't. Maybe candy is the key to getting clear phonics.

3. Every Friday one of the parents of Jared's preschool class comes to the school to read to the class. Today was Wendy's turn, but she is feeling sick with mastitis (infection of the breast in breastfeeding mothers). So, when I dropped Jared off at school, I told the teacher that Wendy wasn't feeling well, but would try to make it. Well, she wasn't able to make it and when picking Jared up from pre-school, his teacher wanted to speak to me away from the kids.

She said, "I want to tell you something funny. The kids were asking who was going to read to them today, and I told them that Jared's mom was going to try to make it but she may not be able to. When one of the kids asked why not, Jared blurted out, 'because my mommy's boob hurts really bad.'"

KIDS!!!

The Road

2007-04-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Occassionally, I like to read fiction. Most often, it is a classic. Something I read in college or something that I wanted to read in college, but didn't have the time. However, this year's Pulitzer Prize winning fiction, The Road, is an instant classic. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It is about a man and his son in a "post-apocalytic" type of world, a world void of almost every convenience we now have. Food is scarce and so are the people. Not only is it creatively written, it is perfectly framed. While descriptive as a whole, it is vague enough to allow the reader's imagination to kick in. Most of all, it is very real. The author (Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses) does not try to over-embellish the way most authors do these days. If you want to read picture perfect fiction, this is it. I highly recommend it.

The novel describes itself as:

"A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food -- and each other."

Here is an exerpt, and while reading it, think of yourself in a world where survival is the main concern. No electricity, cars, or jobs. Just trying to live day-to-day:

"No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes. So, he whispered to the sleeping boy. I have you."

Go get it!

I Have Never Heard A Scream Like That....EVER

2007-04-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Finally, I have something new to write about.

As most of you know, I work from home. As a result, I see a lot of Wendy's sister, Heidi, and my little nieces, Elle, Riley, and Kora (the explorer). Today was like many others. I had just wrapped up my third conference call of the day and Wendy had just returned from taking Jared to preschool. Elle, Riley, and Rowan were out in our backyard playing.

Heidi and Wendy were in the dining room discussing the topics of the week -- redecorating our home and Heidi's house hunting (okay, okay, Heidi's home hunting has been a topic for the past four months). I overheard them talking about the schools in an area that held Heidi's interest, so I brought them a map with the school boundaries outlined. We spent about 5 minutes talking about the schools when we heard a scream.

It was little Riley, and it wasn't her normal screaming/crying. She was obviously in some distress. Heidi jumped up and sprinted for the back door. While running just behind Heidi, Wendy yelled, "Maybe it's ants." Texas has some mean fire ants. Wendy stopped at the kitchen sink to grab a bunch of paper towels in anticipation of the ants. As Riley's screams didn't lessen in intensity, I got a little worried and ran behind Wendy. Wendy opened the back door, and when she did, I heard something I have NEVER heard before. It seriously gave me chills. When I heard it, the first thing that came to mind was, "Oh no, Riley is dead, or being mauled by a grizzly."

Wendy slammed the door shut and her face was white. She looked at me and said, "It's a snake!" So now, as a result of Heidi's "Bate's Motel" scream and Wendy's door slam, I am picturing Riley's body halfway down the throat of an anaconda.

I asked Wendy how big the snake was. She said, "It's huge, and don't open the door. IT IS RIGHT THERE AND IT WILL GET IN THE HOUSE IF YOU OPEN THE DOOR." I couldn't see it, so I decided to go through the garage and around the house.

I would now like to pause and remind you of the "Four Foot Hole" posting. I quote:

"While at Lowe's we found the shovel section. I can't believe how many different shovels they have. I was honed in on all the different options of shovels. I was in this man-trance when Wendy tried to distract me with a lame post hole digger. I then began to explain to her that anyone who knows anything about digging would NOT use a post hole digger for this project. I bought the shovel of my choice and took it home."

I spotted my trusty shovel on my way through the garage and rounded the house with shovel in hand. I saw Heidi's heart beating through a vein in her forehead. I asked her to point the way to the snake. With tears rolling down her panic-stricken face, she couldn't even speak. She just raised her trembling hand and forced a point. That's all I needed. I tasted the air and headed for the unfortunate reptile.

There it was, coiled up and ready to strike. I assessed the situation and wasn't too excited about smashing a snake with a shovel. I poked it a little, and it struck my shovel with the ferocity of a rabid ferret. By this time, Heidi, Wendy, and our neighbor Shelley, were all advising me in a panic. You would have thought that each one of them had received years of personal tutoring in Steve Irwin's "Poisonous Snake Handling" course. Either that, or they stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I took my first swipe and about the time I made contact, all 3 women screamed. I look over, and there was Heidi holding Riley and Wendy holding Rowan. Elle was standing by the door, probably wondering why the adults were behaving so silly.

I missed the head, but put a nice gash in the side of the snake. It was REALLY mad after that. It started striking at the hose, it was striking in the air, and even at itself. Then, it made a "slither" for it. It was heading straight for Shelley's yard. There was no way I was letting that happen, so I swept in back the other way and gave it two more nice cracks. The head shot did the trick. I scooped it up and set in on the lawn for all to see.

Afterwards, Heidi said when she came out to see why Riley was screaming, she saw the snake crawling over Riley's feet. So, she jumped over the snake, then asked Riley to run. Riley was frozen, and so was Heidi. Finally, Heidi mustered the courage to grab Riley. That's when Wendy opened the door, and went into her panic.

A little while later, Jared got home from school. Wanting to get a 5 year-old boy's perspective, I told him I had something to show him, covered his eyes, and guided him to the snake. We got right up to it and I removed my hands. The first words out of his mouth were, "Whoa, DAD! That is totally awesome! Can I hang it in my room?"

By the way, I should mention -- it would have been much more difficult to kill a snake with a post hole digger.

Link to Photos

2007-04-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

I am now realizing that many of you haven't seen the "Photos" link included on this blog. Previously, it was tucked towards the bottom of the page. You will now find it at the top on the right hand side. Click on the linked entitled "Family & Friends" under the "CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS" heading. It leads to another blog that has photos of friends and family. Send me photos of you and your family via email and I will post them. Everyone will love to see them. I try to add photos frequently to keep it fresh.

Twinkle in Your Eye

2007-04-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest Sunday posting. Short and simple -

What did the Savior mean when he said, "The light of the body is the eye...?"

Horses and Reindeer

2007-03-31T18:18:00.000-07:00

Jared and I went to a Dallas Mavericks game. They were playing the Milwaukee Bucks. This was Jared's first NBA game (he's 5 years old) and I was excited to see how he responded to the athleticism and speed of the players combined with the excitement of the crowd. I had no doubt that his eyes would be glued to the greatest show on hardwood. I was prepared to explain the intricacies of the Flex offense, the importance of player movement in the 1-4 Quick Hitter, and all the advantages and disadvantages of Run & Jump pressure.

Before leaving our home, Jared had been playing outside with his friends. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and as we were getting into the car, Wendy asked if he should wear pants. She was worried that he would get cold. I told her that he should be fine and Jared agreed. So, in the mouth of these two witnesses, we headed off.

We arrived at the American Airlines Center an hour early. We walked through the award-winning architectural masterpiece gathering all the free giveaways of the sponsors and credit card companies - drink koozies, foam fingers, towels, t-shirts, and posters. Having a five-year-old as your liason allows you to avoid signing up for the contests and credit cards. There aren't very many five-year-olds attending, so when Jared would ask, "Daddy, can I have one of those blue thingys?" the vendor would happily toss one his way. I didn't have to say a word.

After making off with all the free "treasure" we could find (mostly stuff I threw away when we got home), we headed to our seats. We still had about 30 minutes before the start of the game, and Jared was ready for something to munch on.

"Dad, I want some candy."

Not seeing any candy, I asked one of the vendors where I could find some. He said they don't sell candy before the game, and the only candy available during the game is cotton candy.

"Jared, they don't have any candy."

"But, where can we get some candy?"

"They don't have any candy here. They have ice cream, though."

"I don't really want ice cream, I just want candy."

"They don't have candy, they have ice cream."

"I don't want ice cream."

So, he deferred to a bucket of popcorn and a 7-Up (in the Dirk Nowitzki souvenir cup). However, on the way back to our seats, I had an idea that it wouldn't be long before he would be asking for some ice cream.

We arrived at our seats, and they were pretty good seats. They were about 15 rows up from the court and behind one of the baskets. It gave us an up-close view of the pounding in the paint. There was still about 20 minutes before the game would begin, so we ate popcorn, drank 7-Up, and watched the occassional player participate in their personal pre-game warm-up. We watched the Mav's drumline and spoke to some of the fans sitting around us. The pre-game entertainment, shown on the overhead big screen and on the floor, was pretty fun to watch.

Finally, after the well-sung national anthem and a purposely dull introduction of the visiting Bucks, the lights slammed off and the music blared. Spotlights and strobe lights flashed all around. The fans rose to their feet and cheered with anticipation. The arena announcer excitedly ripped of the names of each of the Maverick starters. The players high-fived each other and bumped chests. Jared loved it. He was standing on his seat and screaming with the best of them. After the line up was announced the lights popped on and the players were on the floor for the tip-off.

So it began. Yes, the game began, but more prominent than Avery Johnson's (Mav's coach) league leading offense, was Jared's offensive to distract my attention from anything basketball. Here is the play-by-play, and attention to the time stamp is important (each NBA quarter is 12 minutes long):

11:58 - "Daaaad, can I have some cotton candy?"

"Sure," I replied, "just keep your eye out for the cotton candy guy."

"Dad, I already see him, he's way over there. Can we go get some?" The cotton candy guy was half way across the arena.

"No, we have to wait until he gets closer. Keep your eye on him, and when he gets closer we can get some."

11:23 - "Dad, Dad, Dad, he's closer now! Can we get some cotton candy now?"

"Nope, he's not close enough yet."

10:45 - "Okay Dad, he's really close now. I can just go get it from him."

"No, the way it works is, when he gets over to our section, we wave our hand in the air and he brings it over to us. So, wait until he gets to our section."

9:33 - "Dad, the cotton candy guy is in our section now."

"No, he's on our side of the arena, but THIIIIIS is our section," pointing out our section to him. "Just watch the game for now, and I will make sure you get the cotton candy."

5:01 - "He's right there, Dad. He's in our section now." We waved our hand, called him over, and finally had our cotton candy.

Having now abandoned all hope of giving Jared his first basketball clinic, I resulted to candy as a means of keeping him entertained. I thought if there was anything that could keep his attention for awhile, it would be cotton candy.

3:24 - "Dad, are you going to have some cotton candy?"

"No, I am not going to eat any candy, but thanks."

2:02 - "Dad, I want you to have some cotton candy." I realized, after looking at the almost untouched bag of cotton candy, that he wasn't eating it. I was beginning to understand that he wanted me to eat some cotton candy because he was feeling a bit guilty that we bought it and he wasn't eating it.

"Jared, why aren't you eating it?"

"I forgot that I don't like cotton candy anymore," he said with a tinge of regret.

"Huh? When did you stop liking cotton candy?"

"I don't know, I just did," with an apologetic tone.

"It's okay, we can just take it home to Rowan."

1:26 - "Daaaaad, can I have some ice cream?"

"Not right now. Wait, I thought you said you didn't want ice cream?

"But, I do now."

"Maybe in the 2nd quarter we can get some."

"But, why Dad?"

"Because we just got cotton candy. Do you want some more popcorn?"

"Okay," a little somberly.

END OF THE FIRST QUARTER

11:22 - "Dad, what quarter is it?"

"It's the 2nd quarter. Dirk is having an awesome game. But, the Bucks are leading by 6 points. I think the Mavs need to switch to a 1-3-1 zone and shadow Michael Redd. He is killing them."

"I thought you said we can get some ice cream in the 2nd quarter?"

"I meant later in the 2nd quarter."

"Well, you saaaiiiid...."

"I know, but let's wait a little longer."

10:07 - "Dad, I'm cold."

"What? It's not even cold in here," I say - while wearing jeans.

"But, I'm cold."

"Here, come sit in my lap. It'll make you warm."

8:18 - "Dad, can I have some ice cream now?"

"I thought you said you were cold? Ice cream will just make you colder."

"I'm not cold anymore."

"Okay, just wait a little bit longer."

7:52 - "Dad, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Number 1 or number 2?" Not that it really mattered. I guess I just asked out of habit.

"Number 1."

"Can you hold it for a little longer," I asked, not wanting to leave the game while they were playing.

"No, I can't."

"Okay, let's go."

We arrived just outside the restrooms, and I noticed that there was a family restroom. Knowing these restrooms are usually cleaner and more private, we went inside the family restroom instead of the men's room. And it was a good thing, because after number 1, he decided number 2 was ready to come off the bench and enter the game.

"Don't look, Dad."

"I won't."

We washed our hands and headed for the ice cream stand. I figured since we were already up, we might as well knock the ice cream out of the way. He got a nice sized cup of Dreyer's vanilla ice cream. And, I must say, it kept him busy for most of the remainder of the 2nd quarter.

1:22 - "Dad, I'm cold."

"I knew you would get cold. Come sit in my lap."

"Mom told you I should wear pants."

"I know, but you said you didn't need pants."

"But Mom said I did, and you should have listened to Mom."

"I know."

0:53 - "Dad, who do you like better, the horses or the reindeer?" Even though he was laughing along with me, I think he was a little confused as to why I was laughing so hard. Just in case you are as confused as Jared was, here are the logos of the two teams:

I guess I was laughing for several reasons. First, because others around us heard it and got a good kick out of it. Second, since he cheered so loudly every time the crowd cheered, I just assumed he understood for whom he was cheering. Third, I realized that it really is that simple to a boy his age. Tell him which animal to cheer for, and he will cheer his heart out for that team.

I told him, "I like the horses better. The horses are the Mavs and the reindeer are the Bucks. The Mavs are the best team in the league. They are the ones we were cheering for at the beginning of the game."

"Oh."

END OF THE 2ND QUARTER

After half time, we took our seats. The visiting team was now playing on our side of the court, and since we were behind the hoop, we were given poster-like bricks to be used to distract the free-throw shooters. Jared loved this. His eyes were peeled, searching for foul shooters after each whistle.

We watched, talked, and cheered. Once his stomach had its fill of popcorn, 7-Up, and ice cream, he was able to give his 5 year-old attention to the game. We had a ton of fun, and I really enjoyed spending time with Jared. He is a funny kid, and he keeps me entertained. The best part is he is well-behaved, which makes him easy to be with. I am glad he enjoys doing the same things that I enjoy.

The game was a tight one, going down to the final seconds, but the Mavs pulled out the win.

Next up - Perhaps an MLS soccer game or a Rangers baseball game.

Why Do You Ask?

2007-03-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:6-8 -

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

If our Heavenly Father already knows what we need, why must we ask Him?

Get Yoked

2007-03-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Matthew 11:29-30 - The Savior Speaking:

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Most of us, at one time or another, have studied these verses and have committed these verses to memory. They give us comfort when things are tough. And when we are content, they remind us of the essence of the atonement - the "AT-ONE-MENT" with the Savior. After all, the atonement's reach extends far beyond the availability of repentance.

What does it mean to take HIS yoke upon ourselves? Here is a photo of a yoke:

So, if we are yoked with the Savior, what do we see?

We see what He sees, we go where He goes, at the pace He wishes us to go, and we do what He does. When we are yoked with Him, sharing our burdens with Him, we are then at one with Him. He then, through the power of His Spirit, makes our burdens seem lighter and more bearable. Most of the time, He even teaches us eternal truths through our burdens.

Can you imagine how Alma and his "Waters of Mormon" converts felt about this doctrine?

Mosiah 24:13-15 - (Read the entire chapter for context)

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

Finally, to be yoked with Christ also means that He wishes for us to pull our own weight. We must do the work, our "Eternal Homework," in order for us to feel the "rest" unto our souls. Our souls will not feel rested unless we are pulling our weight, for if we are not, we will feel spiritually awkward when looking over at Christ on the other side of our yoke. Be assured, He will ask you to repent, and when you do, you will then feel His strength lift your burdens. The feeling of worthiness will strengthen your ability to work with Him, or to be AT ONE with Him.

Leadership and Self-Deception - Part 2

2007-03-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

Here's what happened next:

"You might say I 'betrayed' my sense of what I should do for Nancy," he continued. "Now that's sort of a strong way to say it. But I just mean that in acting contrary to my sense of what was appropriate, I betrayed my own sense of how I should be toward another person. So we call such an act 'self-betrayal.'"

"...Picture the moment. I felt I should get up so Nancy could sleep, but then I didn't do it. I just stayed lying there next to Nancy, who also was just lying there."

As Bud was saying this, he drew the following in the middle of the board:"Now - in this moment, as I'm just lying there listening to our wailing child, how do you imagine I might've started to see, and feel, about Nancy?"

"Well, she probably seemed kind of lazy to you," I said. "Okay, 'lazy,'" Bud agreed, adding it to the diagram.

"Inconsiderate," I added. "Maybe unappreciative of all you do. Insensitive."

"...What do you think, Tom? Was Nancy really asleep?" "Oh, maybe, but I doubt it. Bud wrote "faker" on the diagram.

"But hold on a minute, Bud," Kate objected. "Maybe she was asleep - and probably, from the sounds of it, because she's worn out from doing everything for you," Kate added, obviously happy with the jab.

"Okay, good point," Bud said with a grin. "But remember, whether she actually was asleep is less important right now than whether I was thinking she was asleep. We're talking now about my perception once I betrayed myself. That's the point."

"So from the perspective of that moment," Bud continued again, looking at me, "if she was just feigning sleep and letting her child wail, what kind of mom do you suppose I thought she was being?"

"Probably a pretty lousy one," I said.
"And what kind of wife?"
"Again, pretty lousy - inconsiderate, thinks you don't do enough, and so on." Bud wrote this on the diagram as well.

"So, here I am," he said, backing away from the diagram and reading what he had written. "Having betrayed myself, we can imagine that I might've started to see my wife in that moment as 'lazy,' 'inconsiderate,' 'taking me for granted,' 'insensitive,' a 'faker,' a 'lousy mom,' and a 'lousy wife.'"

"Wow, Bud. Congratulations," said Kate, sarcastically. "You've managed to completely vilify one of the best people I know."

"I know. It's scary, isn't it?"

"But it's worse than that, even," Bud continued. "That's how I started to see Nancy. But having betrayed myself, how do you suppose I started to see myself?"

What do you guys think? How did he begin to see himself?

Human Genome Discovery

2007-03-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

They finally found it. They have confirmed the suspicions of millions of men. The most brilliant geneticists of our day have finally found a female gene that many men have suspected existed. With over 3 billion subunits to search, it is no wonder they had such a hard time finding it. They have nicknamed it the "Lights Out" gene.

How many of you husbands find yourselves constantly walking around the house turning off lights! There is nothing "better" than walking upstairs to a plethora of rooms that haven't seen the breath of life for hours and seeing EVERY light switched on. To make things more confusing, when this happens during the daytime, all the blinds are open simultaneously. Anyhow, you then walk through the house turning lights off only to find that an hour later this process needs repeating. Of course, she blame the kids, but you then remember the time when the two of you didn't have kids. You were turning lights off then as well. In addition, the same scientists found the "Lights Out Gene" right next to the "Blame the Kids Gene." So, there is now scientific evidence to reject the old "kids did it" excuse.

I suppose it is possible that men have a similar gene that predisposes us to want the lights off. It is probably right next to the gene of practicality called the "I Don't Like to See Our Money Going Down the Drain" gene.

In both cases, men and women can now understand that, since it is part of our genetic make up, we just can't help it. Women leave lights on; men turn them off.

What do you think of this new discovery? Are there any other genes you suspect exists that you would like for the scientists to validate?

Leadership and Self-Deception

2007-03-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

Joyce, my mother-in-law, sends me this book - the title of the book is Leadership and Self-Deception. Now, just put yourself in my place. At first, I seriously wondered if she was trying to tell me something. "Does she really think I have this huge problem of lying to myself?" I started thinking of anything I could have done to compel her to give me this crazy book. But, it turns out that it was recommended to her, so she read it and loved it. She then bought a bunch of copies for people she thought would enjoy it - at least that's what she told me!

I highly recommend this book. I know the title leads one to believe that it is one of those "business improvement" books, and it is. But, it approaches the issue from the perspective of the individual. So, by using this method, its principles and practices apply to anyone in all roles of life. I think it is especially helpful to mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives.

It is a quick read and you may find that your view of others will improve. The book teaches us that we all have a problem, and the problem is we oftentimes don't see our own problems. Hence, the "self-deception" part of the title. There are times that we betray ourselves, but are unable to see that we are doing it. And, frankly, it is this self-betrayal that causes most of the problems in our lives and our world. So, if we can be taught to see how we betray ourselves, we can work at reducing the amount of self-deception in our lives. And when we do this, our lives are more enriched and meaningful.

Here's one quick example from the book on how we may betray ourselves (epecially useful for those with kids):

"One night a number of years ago, when David was just an infant, I was awakened by his wailing cries. He was probably four months old or so at the time. I remember glancing at the clock. It was around 1:00 am. In the flash of that moment I had an impression or a sense or a feeling - a thought of something I should do. It was this: 'Get up and tend to David so Nancy can sleep.'

"Now, this sort of sense is very basic," he continued. "We're all people. I've grown up as a person, as you have and as Kate has. And, when you are out of the box and seeing others as people, we have a very basic sense about others - namely, that like me, they too have hopes, needs, cares, and fears. And on occasion, as a result of this sense, we have impressions of things we can do for them, things we want to do for them. You know what I'm talking about?"

"Sure, that's clear enough," I said.

"This was such an occasion - I felt a desire to do something for Nancy. But you know what?" he asked rhetorically, "I didn't act on it. I just stayed there, listening to David wail."

So, the question I ask now is - what do you think happened next?

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THE BOOK, PLEASE DON'T GIVE IT AWAY, but feel free to add any humorous comments.

TV or not TV - That is the question

2007-03-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

We went about a year without TV in our home. Then, when we moved to Dallas, I had TV installed for the Super Bowl. Well, it is the middle of March and we still have it on. Now we watch American Idol, 24, National Geographic, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, Grease, You're the One That I Want, and HGTV. Of course, March Madness is upon us and the NBA Playoffs are right around the corner. I would be crazy to turn it off now, right? Well, I can get 24 on DVD when it comes out, and I don't care if I miss the other shows. But, the sports! Now that is real drama - true reality TV.

But, I will say that when we had the TV off, we seemed to have a different feeling in the home. I am not saying that it was necessarily a better feeling - just different. And, I think we like the feeling in the home with the TV off - it seems we stimulate our minds with more invigorating activities. So, maybe it is a better feeling.

What do you think?

Four Foot Hole

2007-03-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

I bought a new basketball hoop for my driveway. It is called a GOALRILLA, and the name suffices considering its size and weight. It has a six-inch square pole and a 60 inch glass backboard. It is heavy and huge. Frankly, I hope the neighbors don't turn me into the HOA.

Anyhow, because of its size and weight, the manufacturer calls for a FOUR FOOT HOLE when installing the hoop. Have you ever had to dig a four foot hole in Texas clay? Not I. But, I thought to myself, "Man, four feet is deep, but it shouldn't be too bad if I knock two feet out the first day, then two feet the next." So, I went out to the garage and discovered that I did not have shovel. Off to Lowe's we go. All of us - pre-Reese - made a Lowe's run - "No dad, not Lowe's again! I hate when we go to Lowe's."

While at Lowe's we found the shovel section. I can't believe how many different shovels they have. I was honed in on all the different options of shovels. I was in this man-trance when Wendy tried to distract me with a lame post hole digger. I then began to explain to her that anyone who knows anything about digging would NOT use a post hole digger for this project. I bought the shovel of my choice and took it home.

It didn't take long to realize that digging holes BLOWS! I got the hole to about 18 inches when the soil became extra dense and difficult. I was done for the night. Three days later...

Joyce, my mother-in-law, suggested that I hire someone to finish the project. I think she was tired of looking at the pile of red mud on the lawn. Not to mention, the red mud in the kids' clothes from playing on the pile of red mud on the lawn. Wanting to make sure she knew that her daughter was in the good hands of a man - the kind of man that can dig holes all day if need be - I told her that I would knock it out when I get back into town in a week. Seven days later...

Did you know that there are companies that do nothing but put basketball hoops up in driveways! All it takes is $350. Yep, and guess what they use to dig the holes with - a post hole digger.