Recently I read a news report about a farmer that shot his 50 cows and then himself. Regrettably, people commit suicide every day. The farmer’s story is unique only in that it also included the murder of cattle.
Sadly, this farmer believed that life wasn’t worth living. His hopelessness pushed him over the edge. How many millions commit suicide? How many more millions feel that way? How do we get to their hearts before they get to themselves?
If you think life is not worth living, look at Haiti: deplorable conditions, even before the most recent tragedy. How ironic, then, that so many in Haiti are clinging to life, and finding survivors has been the ultimate goal and greatest effort.
Here is a great lesson from Haiti: Hold on until help arrives. Rescuing people from self destructive thoughts and feelings may even avert some suicides. Rescuing people from self destructive thoughts and feelings includes rescuing them from their own destructive beliefs.
We are what we believe. Beliefs are powerful. Especially beliefs about self worth. Beliefs can be self fulfilling prophesies. What you believe about yourself helps or hinders you.
I like the word LOYALTY. One definition of the word loyalty is the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations or faithful adherence to a sovereign, government, leader, cause, etc. We often think of loyalty in terms of capitols and countries. The lower the loyalty, the easier it is to take the city. But loyalty also can be applied to oneself. What is our self loyalty?
Don’t lower your loyalty, especially towards yourself, even if it appears the world is crumbling around you.
The world is moving so fast that we can feel out of our minds and at war with our moods. Happiness, peace, and rest, in a chaotic world, is not easy. We need to rise above changes, circumstances, and conditions, and cling to our spiritual roots. We must find strength in the scriptures and through our own spiritual experiences, because it is through these experiences we grow. We grow, not because we indulged ourselves in an extensive routine of self improvement, but because the Lord, through his grace and mercy, lifts us to higher levels. Consistent scripture study, not zealous scripture study is the key.
Self concern isn't always helpful in self improvement. Unceasing introspection and chronic self awareness is the kind of self temperature checking that leads to loneliness and isolation. It would be nice if it were easy: just exercise, exercise our personality until we become perfect. But perfection is not about exercising or self actualizing. We find ourselves when we lose ourselves in the service of others. We are filled as we are being emptied. It seems contrary to conventional wisdom, but personality and character calisthenics do not rescue the soul of man. Salvation comes in and through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and in no other way.
To accept His rescue isn’t easy. Faith comes through a great deal of reaching and stretching. But the rescuing hand is there. He reaches out to you and asks that you cast your burden upon him. His atonement envelopes all of the dimensions of our soul that trouble us. He went forth “suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this is that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people.” Don't lower your loyalty toward Him.
Faith in the healing power of Jesus Christ also requires faith in self. For some it is sometimes easier to believe in Christ than it is to believe in self.
It starts with belief. It includes belief in self.
Hopefully you are not tired of the poems yet. Here is another one that I wrote that I think fits
Believe
Believe in yourself
and why you are here,
to grow from discouragement;
to overcome fear.
Believe
without becoming too boastfully bold,
but constantly reach
letting treasures unfold,
Believe in yourself
you are here today,
that when faced with grave doubts
you can kneel down and pray.
Believe in yourself,
there’s a place here for you
There’s a reason,
a purpose,
There’s a dream to come true.
So believe and begin,
Reach the stars and achieve
It all waits for you.
If you only
believe.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Our Future Lies in the Here and Now.
How are the New Years Resolutions coming? If you are like me resolutions are hard to make let alone keep. Still there is some value in making resolutions and goal setting.
Self-improvement requires perspective and direction. This is undoubtedly true. But self improvement also requires change. The most critical and essential thing about the process of self-improvement and success is that there exists, in each of us, the power to change and, equally as important, the power to remain the same.
Like fire and water, these two opposites, constancy and change, are powerful forces in our lives. We often take them for granted, however. Many things change in our lives. Seasons change, laws change, cities change, markets change, and people change. Sometimes change is good, sometimes change is not always for the better. With all that changes in our lives, there are still many things which remain constant and stay the same. Holidays seem to always come on schedule, as do mornings, nights, as well as Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays etc.; and January is always followed by February.
The trick is simply this: knowing what to change and what to leave the same. It is easy to just say change the bad and leave the good, but the process is so subjective. Even the process of de-junking a home is hard for some people because people have a hard time letting go of junk (one man’s junk is another man’s treasure).
Some people experience the equivalent of a midlife crisis when they reach a certain age and things have appeared to go downhill in their lives. They feel they still haven’t accomplished all that they wanted to. By the time many people reach 40 or 50, they realize they have collected a lot of mental & emotional junk, picked up bad habits, let talents, skills & even figures slide, just because a sheer number of years have passed. As the years add up, so does the weight, the idiosyncrasies, bad attitudes, false notions & traditions, beliefs, and even sins.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Some people successfully live a little better each day. Look at the Prophets and Apostles for example. The whole point is we must realize that we can rise above letting years slip by without progress. We can be extraordinary even in the ordinary ways we do things. And the secret is not in the future, it is in the NOW. For the future is really made in the present.
I think these two poems I wrote may say it best:
Someday Isle
I charted a ship to Someday Isle
and dreamed of a glorious paradise sun.
I set my sails high and manned the wheel
I hoped for a fast wind and a strong run.
I’d heard of the treasures on Someday Isle
and dreamed of great riches and fame
So I sold all I had for my boat and supplies
but I knew all my wealth I’d regain.
The voyage was rugged, the waves were quite rough
and at times I thought all was lost
But I held on to that wheel and forged on ahead
“I’ll make it, regardless the cost”
One day I spotted dry land close ahead,
So I set my sails high once more.
I didn’t steer clear, enough of the reef
and I crashed far from the shore.
I’m stranded here now on Someday Isle
with no hope of rescue in sight.
But someday, I’ll make it back home to the shore
and tell of my terrible plight.
Life is a voyage of jewels and success
the foolish sailor will say.
But I realize the real jewel now
is the time that I spend with today.
Beyond Tomorrow’s Horizon
Beyond tomorrow’s horizon
lie the dreams
dreamt today.
Passing through time
is a lifetime adventure.
Each new dawn
brings the chance
for a brighter day.
Beyond tomorrow’s horizon
the future speaks:
“New generations,
mold your dreams
like clay.
For when
the clay has hardened
tomorrow
becomes
today.
Self-improvement requires perspective and direction. This is undoubtedly true. But self improvement also requires change. The most critical and essential thing about the process of self-improvement and success is that there exists, in each of us, the power to change and, equally as important, the power to remain the same.
Like fire and water, these two opposites, constancy and change, are powerful forces in our lives. We often take them for granted, however. Many things change in our lives. Seasons change, laws change, cities change, markets change, and people change. Sometimes change is good, sometimes change is not always for the better. With all that changes in our lives, there are still many things which remain constant and stay the same. Holidays seem to always come on schedule, as do mornings, nights, as well as Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays etc.; and January is always followed by February.
The trick is simply this: knowing what to change and what to leave the same. It is easy to just say change the bad and leave the good, but the process is so subjective. Even the process of de-junking a home is hard for some people because people have a hard time letting go of junk (one man’s junk is another man’s treasure).
Some people experience the equivalent of a midlife crisis when they reach a certain age and things have appeared to go downhill in their lives. They feel they still haven’t accomplished all that they wanted to. By the time many people reach 40 or 50, they realize they have collected a lot of mental & emotional junk, picked up bad habits, let talents, skills & even figures slide, just because a sheer number of years have passed. As the years add up, so does the weight, the idiosyncrasies, bad attitudes, false notions & traditions, beliefs, and even sins.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Some people successfully live a little better each day. Look at the Prophets and Apostles for example. The whole point is we must realize that we can rise above letting years slip by without progress. We can be extraordinary even in the ordinary ways we do things. And the secret is not in the future, it is in the NOW. For the future is really made in the present.
I think these two poems I wrote may say it best:
Someday Isle
I charted a ship to Someday Isle
and dreamed of a glorious paradise sun.
I set my sails high and manned the wheel
I hoped for a fast wind and a strong run.
I’d heard of the treasures on Someday Isle
and dreamed of great riches and fame
So I sold all I had for my boat and supplies
but I knew all my wealth I’d regain.
The voyage was rugged, the waves were quite rough
and at times I thought all was lost
But I held on to that wheel and forged on ahead
“I’ll make it, regardless the cost”
One day I spotted dry land close ahead,
So I set my sails high once more.
I didn’t steer clear, enough of the reef
and I crashed far from the shore.
I’m stranded here now on Someday Isle
with no hope of rescue in sight.
But someday, I’ll make it back home to the shore
and tell of my terrible plight.
Life is a voyage of jewels and success
the foolish sailor will say.
But I realize the real jewel now
is the time that I spend with today.
Beyond Tomorrow’s Horizon
Beyond tomorrow’s horizon
lie the dreams
dreamt today.
Passing through time
is a lifetime adventure.
Each new dawn
brings the chance
for a brighter day.
Beyond tomorrow’s horizon
the future speaks:
“New generations,
mold your dreams
like clay.
For when
the clay has hardened
tomorrow
becomes
today.
Friday, January 8, 2010
What's the Risk?
There is one game that my brothers and I love. Growing up we played it over and over again. It is a world conquest game. It takes hours to play. Sometimes, in the middle of the game, we would leave the board game on the card table, after 4 or 5 hours of play, only to pick up and finish later where we left off.
Playing the game Risk, as a family, became almost like a family tradition, until we stopped playing it a few years ago. Finding a night that worked with 5 grown men’s schedules is harder than it use to be, especially when the game lasts for hours.
We still have family game nights. But these nights don’t include the likes of Risk or Monopoly anymore.
I recently discovered a new world conquest game that isn’t played on a game board. It is hosted on the Internet. You can come and go as you please. Millions of players, world wide, build castles, raise armies, and fight battles against one another. Several of the members of my family have gotten into the game. This new found past-time reminds me of the game nights of my youth, and the found memories spending time with my brothers.
The virtual little medieval war game has the works: castles, castle walls, watch towers, catapults, etc. Survival is the key. The secret to survival is knowing how to manage your resources, attacking new territories, and defending your cities. It is easy to waste food and other resources building the wrong fortifications. It is easy to lose soldiers and cities by other careless mistakes.
Most often the mistakes are made in the risk taking. There are two sides to risk taking. One side is fairly straightforward: taking chances. But the flip side is almost always overlooked or forgotten: considering the consequences.
Recently a 16 year old girl accidentally killed her older brother in a parking lot. She was driving a car and playing some kind of game of slamming on her brakes to avoid hitting her brother. Unfortunately the stunt went terribly wrong. She couldn’t stop the car and the boy was killed. The consequence of this carelessness was the irreversible loss of life.
Most of the risks we take do not have life and death ramifications. But if we aren’t in the habit of considering consequences, then when real problems arise, we may not be ready to recognize the dangers and the dangerous results.
Here is a parable, like my virtual conquest game, filled with nobleman, watchmen, towers and walls.
A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants: Go ye unto my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive-trees;
And set watchmen round about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower, that mine olive-trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon themselves the fruit of my vineyard.
Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them, and planted the olive-trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began to build a tower.
And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower?
And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?
Might not this money be given to the exchangers? For there is no need of these things.
And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord.
And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive-trees.
Now, behold, the nobleman, the lord of the vineyard, called upon his servants, and said unto them, Why! what is the cause of this great evil?
Ought ye not to have done even as I commanded you, and—after ye had planted the vineyard, and built the hedge round about, and set watchmen upon the walls thereof—built the tower also, and set a watchman upon the tower, and watched for my vineyard, and not have fallen asleep, lest the enemy should come upon you?
And behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen the enemy while he was yet afar off; and then ye could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer.
The story doesn’t end there. Later in the parable, the lord gathers his servants, warriors, and others and goes and redeems the vineyard, breaks down the walls of the enemies, throws down their towers, and scatters their watchmen.
While it is impossible to avoid every tragedy, cutting corners by not building the watchtower was the wrong risk to take.
My internet game has been down for almost 2 days. I'm excited for it to return. When it comes back on line it will be more competative than ever. Risk taking will be necessary, but survival will really be more important.
In life, risk taking is also necessary, but to avoid some tragedies, risk taking should include more than just taking chances, it should include careful consideration of the consequences. I think I will keep building my watchtowers.
Playing the game Risk, as a family, became almost like a family tradition, until we stopped playing it a few years ago. Finding a night that worked with 5 grown men’s schedules is harder than it use to be, especially when the game lasts for hours.
We still have family game nights. But these nights don’t include the likes of Risk or Monopoly anymore.
I recently discovered a new world conquest game that isn’t played on a game board. It is hosted on the Internet. You can come and go as you please. Millions of players, world wide, build castles, raise armies, and fight battles against one another. Several of the members of my family have gotten into the game. This new found past-time reminds me of the game nights of my youth, and the found memories spending time with my brothers.
The virtual little medieval war game has the works: castles, castle walls, watch towers, catapults, etc. Survival is the key. The secret to survival is knowing how to manage your resources, attacking new territories, and defending your cities. It is easy to waste food and other resources building the wrong fortifications. It is easy to lose soldiers and cities by other careless mistakes.
Most often the mistakes are made in the risk taking. There are two sides to risk taking. One side is fairly straightforward: taking chances. But the flip side is almost always overlooked or forgotten: considering the consequences.
Recently a 16 year old girl accidentally killed her older brother in a parking lot. She was driving a car and playing some kind of game of slamming on her brakes to avoid hitting her brother. Unfortunately the stunt went terribly wrong. She couldn’t stop the car and the boy was killed. The consequence of this carelessness was the irreversible loss of life.
Most of the risks we take do not have life and death ramifications. But if we aren’t in the habit of considering consequences, then when real problems arise, we may not be ready to recognize the dangers and the dangerous results.
Here is a parable, like my virtual conquest game, filled with nobleman, watchmen, towers and walls.
A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants: Go ye unto my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive-trees;
And set watchmen round about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower, that mine olive-trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon themselves the fruit of my vineyard.
Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them, and planted the olive-trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began to build a tower.
And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower?
And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?
Might not this money be given to the exchangers? For there is no need of these things.
And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord.
And the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive-trees.
Now, behold, the nobleman, the lord of the vineyard, called upon his servants, and said unto them, Why! what is the cause of this great evil?
Ought ye not to have done even as I commanded you, and—after ye had planted the vineyard, and built the hedge round about, and set watchmen upon the walls thereof—built the tower also, and set a watchman upon the tower, and watched for my vineyard, and not have fallen asleep, lest the enemy should come upon you?
And behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen the enemy while he was yet afar off; and then ye could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer.
The story doesn’t end there. Later in the parable, the lord gathers his servants, warriors, and others and goes and redeems the vineyard, breaks down the walls of the enemies, throws down their towers, and scatters their watchmen.
While it is impossible to avoid every tragedy, cutting corners by not building the watchtower was the wrong risk to take.
My internet game has been down for almost 2 days. I'm excited for it to return. When it comes back on line it will be more competative than ever. Risk taking will be necessary, but survival will really be more important.
In life, risk taking is also necessary, but to avoid some tragedies, risk taking should include more than just taking chances, it should include careful consideration of the consequences. I think I will keep building my watchtowers.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
We are celebrating YOU!
Today is my wife’s birthday. I want it to be a happy one. I suppose no one likes getting older. Some say women, in general, may have reservations about celebrating another passing year. But celebrating is good. And birthdays only come once a year.
Maybe there is too much emphasis on age. In the eternities, the few years on earth are really only going to be a drop in the bucket. Age, therefore, is relative.
Age can bring good things with it. Age can bring wisdom and peace. The further along we are in life, the more we appreciate the past, and anticipate the future.
So here is a birthday wish to a girl who is one year older: Happy Birthday to the love of my life! You are a gem of infinite worth! And I’m so lucky you are mine!
Just remember, sweetie, when all is said and done, we aren’t really celebrating your birthday at all, we are celebrating YOU!
Maybe there is too much emphasis on age. In the eternities, the few years on earth are really only going to be a drop in the bucket. Age, therefore, is relative.
Age can bring good things with it. Age can bring wisdom and peace. The further along we are in life, the more we appreciate the past, and anticipate the future.
So here is a birthday wish to a girl who is one year older: Happy Birthday to the love of my life! You are a gem of infinite worth! And I’m so lucky you are mine!
Just remember, sweetie, when all is said and done, we aren’t really celebrating your birthday at all, we are celebrating YOU!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Merry-Go-Round Moments
When was the last time you rode on a merry-go-round? For me it was last summer with my daughters. Are we ever to old to ride the carousel?
Think of the last time you waited for luggage at an airport. Like the ride at the amusement park, the luggage carousel goes around and around and around. Instead of trying to spot your child, you are trying to spot your one piece of black luggage, lost in the myriad of, seemingly identical, black pieces of luggage, until you finally find your missing baggage. You just needed time to recognize it was yours.
2010 is here. Some things will be a carryover of 2009. Some of 2009 will repeat itself in 2010. Like the carousel, we will have merry-g0-round moments in 2010 that roll past us. It may not just be events, but people, and ideas. But it is almost a guarantee that what comes around goes around and some things will keep going around and around and around.
Someone once said "Life's lessons are repeated until they are learned." Maybe the repeat customer will be resolutions that we just never kept. Maybe the returning problem is a habit that just won't let go. Or maybe the reoccurring pattern of behavior is a call for change.
Like the rotating "Lazy Susan" or the rotating platform on the dining table at that local Chinese restaurant, we will be offered things over and over again. Some things we should automatically reject, but some things, like important truths, may keep coming around until we grab onto them.
Just because it takes some of us longer to recognize certain things right in front of us, doesn't mean that we were lacking, just not looking.
Maybe we overlooked priorities like faith and family. Maybe we passed over our own potential.
2010 will be filled with many merry-go-round moments. The second times around and the second chances will come around, and when we spot them, when the light blubs finally go on, we will appreciated them more. We will be glad we were paying attention.
Think of the last time you waited for luggage at an airport. Like the ride at the amusement park, the luggage carousel goes around and around and around. Instead of trying to spot your child, you are trying to spot your one piece of black luggage, lost in the myriad of, seemingly identical, black pieces of luggage, until you finally find your missing baggage. You just needed time to recognize it was yours.
2010 is here. Some things will be a carryover of 2009. Some of 2009 will repeat itself in 2010. Like the carousel, we will have merry-g0-round moments in 2010 that roll past us. It may not just be events, but people, and ideas. But it is almost a guarantee that what comes around goes around and some things will keep going around and around and around.
Someone once said "Life's lessons are repeated until they are learned." Maybe the repeat customer will be resolutions that we just never kept. Maybe the returning problem is a habit that just won't let go. Or maybe the reoccurring pattern of behavior is a call for change.
Like the rotating "Lazy Susan" or the rotating platform on the dining table at that local Chinese restaurant, we will be offered things over and over again. Some things we should automatically reject, but some things, like important truths, may keep coming around until we grab onto them.
Just because it takes some of us longer to recognize certain things right in front of us, doesn't mean that we were lacking, just not looking.
Maybe we overlooked priorities like faith and family. Maybe we passed over our own potential.
2010 will be filled with many merry-go-round moments. The second times around and the second chances will come around, and when we spot them, when the light blubs finally go on, we will appreciated them more. We will be glad we were paying attention.
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