Many years ago someone told me "if you point a finger at someone just remember that there are Three fingers pointing right back at you".
The profound nature of this statement is mare adequately summed up by one of my favorite although poignant sayings it is this: In general the biggest problem you have with others happens to be the biggest problem you have with yourself.
This is painful to hear and not a good idea to say to someone (instead just leave this blog up and let them "discover it on their own", I'll take the heat for you). In this line of thought I have become enthralled with a show on the Style Network called Clean House Where a team goes to a filthy house and tries to sell the cause of the clutter at a yard sale, then uses the money gained to remodel the house. This show can be very entertaining and infuriating, watching people cling to the most ridiculous items even when they are assured of receiving much better in the trade. It reminds me of a thought by C.S. Lewis where he equated our relation with God to the remodeling of a house. Initially God changes the color of the paint and we say, wow that is great thanks, but then he knocks down a wall and we say, hey easy there, and only as things progress we see that he isn't remodeling our house he is destroying it and building a mansion for us.
This is the point the people on the show arrive at when they come home and finally see what idiots they have been, and some still are.
During these shows I tend to become agitated and want to yell at these people until I remember the aforementioned line and realize that I am clinging to items in my possession that I had no need for, So I start selling (my wife did the selling I just said okay) and I felt much better. Then I watched one episode where the house was absolutely filthy and once again I realized That I could do a better job keeping my house clean, so rather than feel self righteous about my lack of things I had to repent from my habit of filth and clean up.
Now I see that God has decided to use this moment to teach me one more thing, aparently now it is time to clean out the things in my day that barricade his spirit from comuning with my soul. Until I quit doing the things that clutter my mind and keep me from clearly seeing the image of Christ and repent of the filth that has clouded my sights I am short changing myself just like the people on the show.
More than anything I need to look within and focus on the only house I can really clean, Mine and until that one is perfectly clean I have no right to tell others how to clean theirs but I can love them with the love of Christ whose house is spotless.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
I LOVE MY WIFE!
Thirty years ago to the day in the fields of Iowa a small miracle occurred. A darling baby girl wailed into the air with her first breath. She would grow and learn through adventures and challenges. She used to hang out the laundry all the time to gaze longingly at the vision who was the boy next door. Eventually she went to school and worked full time to receive a degree in hotel management. Angels would keep her car on the road and out of harms way during this time because she was asleep and they knew she had a big job to do later on in life (raise me).
She worked a summer job in Massachusetts and then decided to try the great white north and drove off to Alaska. after a few Summers a goofy bus boy came North (to escape some turmoil he had created) and soon found his own heart in turmoil.
I couldn't believe my fortune when a friend asked me to come on a hike to a waterfall and this woman was going to accompany us. shortly after, she and a friend came to eat where I was serving and it became clear that I had eyes for Michelle and none other.
I behaved as normal as possible and yet she persisted in liking me (weird). during this time I had a shorn head, loooong goatee and behaved like a complete Ass.
Eventually the Lord persuaded her to investigate the church and she saw the truth disparaging the wishes of her family she became what she had declared she never would be, she became one of us, a Mormon.
I was becoming lonely and decided I wanted to marry so I pondered and remembered this great gal from Alaska so I asked Heavenly father if she would be worth marrying and he said yes, so I asked him thirty or Forty more times just to be sure. He finally took my hand and spelled it out so clear for me that I could no longer deny that I wanted more than any thing to change Michelle's last name from Aalbers to Hiatt.
On a day in Navou when even the Icicles realize it is just too cold to be out she fulfilled my wish and joined me in the Holy Temple to be sealed for time and all eternity by the authority of the holy Priesthood.
Four and a half years later she has given me my second greatest source of joy in our little son Beck and today was the day we celebrated her birth. I gave Beck (16 months) one of her presents and told him to take it in to his sleeping mommy he toddled off right to her bedside and started talking to her in his baby gibberish to wake her up it was one of the most tender things I have ever witnessed. It was a remarkable weekend where she did all she could to make me happy but it just backfired and made her happier.
I love her more than life itself and I will do whatever there is to be done to ensure that I am worthy of standing by her side throughout this life and into the eternities. I thank God that he protected her and prepared her for the day when she and I could begin a path that would lead us forever into the bosom of our Father in Heaven.
She worked a summer job in Massachusetts and then decided to try the great white north and drove off to Alaska. after a few Summers a goofy bus boy came North (to escape some turmoil he had created) and soon found his own heart in turmoil.
I couldn't believe my fortune when a friend asked me to come on a hike to a waterfall and this woman was going to accompany us. shortly after, she and a friend came to eat where I was serving and it became clear that I had eyes for Michelle and none other.
I behaved as normal as possible and yet she persisted in liking me (weird). during this time I had a shorn head, loooong goatee and behaved like a complete Ass.
Eventually the Lord persuaded her to investigate the church and she saw the truth disparaging the wishes of her family she became what she had declared she never would be, she became one of us, a Mormon.
I was becoming lonely and decided I wanted to marry so I pondered and remembered this great gal from Alaska so I asked Heavenly father if she would be worth marrying and he said yes, so I asked him thirty or Forty more times just to be sure. He finally took my hand and spelled it out so clear for me that I could no longer deny that I wanted more than any thing to change Michelle's last name from Aalbers to Hiatt.
On a day in Navou when even the Icicles realize it is just too cold to be out she fulfilled my wish and joined me in the Holy Temple to be sealed for time and all eternity by the authority of the holy Priesthood.
Four and a half years later she has given me my second greatest source of joy in our little son Beck and today was the day we celebrated her birth. I gave Beck (16 months) one of her presents and told him to take it in to his sleeping mommy he toddled off right to her bedside and started talking to her in his baby gibberish to wake her up it was one of the most tender things I have ever witnessed. It was a remarkable weekend where she did all she could to make me happy but it just backfired and made her happier.
I love her more than life itself and I will do whatever there is to be done to ensure that I am worthy of standing by her side throughout this life and into the eternities. I thank God that he protected her and prepared her for the day when she and I could begin a path that would lead us forever into the bosom of our Father in Heaven.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Get done to you as you went and done!
Every now and again (every other minute) I discover that the natural man whom I thought to be dead inside me was in actuality sleeping. When this natural man wakes up he is generally embodied as the antithesis of charity and things become difficult while he is at the helm.
Often times one of my favorite curses to invoke during these times when I am ignoring the spirit and following other paths is the ancient law of "I hope the things you have done come back to bite you in the butt!" ( the exclamation is to show how intense this law is).
Last night my bosses wife had to have emergency removal of her gallbladder that caused her to be unavailable to come into the office today, while we had the greatest sympathy for her it did pose an immense problem because she is the one who prepares the paychecks for the company. This problem is dire because like myself there are many people who work at this company who are unable to save money and are being required at the time to live paycheck to paycheck. One nameless gentleman has enough fuel to reach his home but not the return trip tomorrow morning now say what you will about saving and rainy days but the fact is the job doesn't pay all that well and expenses are going up wildly fast.
This is where I am sorely tempted to invoke the aforementioned law, the only problem is it has all ready been invoked as they were not able to pay Christmas bonuses because they are waiting for six hundred grand that is owed from people they have done work for. I recently read a letter that they are sending out to their clientèle stating that for every period that payment is not revived an additional late fee will be added on to the bill. In the name of justice and equality I propose that the same be applied here and for every day beyond the agreed upon payday the company will invoke a late fee to be paid to each of the employees so they can cover the late fees applied from their various bill collectors.
Ultimately It comes to this if one of the commandments is do unto others as you would have them do unto you, why does it seem that so many institutions who are so concerned about their own money don't seem to care when it comes to my money. I don't think I ask to much in wanting my paycheck on the day it was promised.
HOLY COW this was initially written in January and it is now September, since this time I have received a very nice Christmas bonus and the owner of the company gave me a very intense Avanti Mountain bike. Sometimes The Lord blesses me with pleasant memories and sometimes he blesses me by not making me remember certain memories and sometimes he needs me to humble up real quick and he helps me remember memories like the one I just recorded. Man I can be such a dork sometimes. In some amazing way the check didn't end my world as I apparently thought it would at the time and since I'm not dead yet I have some time to repent and try again.
If Mark or Carrie red this I am sorry pleases forgive a dork and Carrie I am so glad you are well.)
Often times one of my favorite curses to invoke during these times when I am ignoring the spirit and following other paths is the ancient law of "I hope the things you have done come back to bite you in the butt!" ( the exclamation is to show how intense this law is).
Last night my bosses wife had to have emergency removal of her gallbladder that caused her to be unavailable to come into the office today, while we had the greatest sympathy for her it did pose an immense problem because she is the one who prepares the paychecks for the company. This problem is dire because like myself there are many people who work at this company who are unable to save money and are being required at the time to live paycheck to paycheck. One nameless gentleman has enough fuel to reach his home but not the return trip tomorrow morning now say what you will about saving and rainy days but the fact is the job doesn't pay all that well and expenses are going up wildly fast.
This is where I am sorely tempted to invoke the aforementioned law, the only problem is it has all ready been invoked as they were not able to pay Christmas bonuses because they are waiting for six hundred grand that is owed from people they have done work for. I recently read a letter that they are sending out to their clientèle stating that for every period that payment is not revived an additional late fee will be added on to the bill. In the name of justice and equality I propose that the same be applied here and for every day beyond the agreed upon payday the company will invoke a late fee to be paid to each of the employees so they can cover the late fees applied from their various bill collectors.
Ultimately It comes to this if one of the commandments is do unto others as you would have them do unto you, why does it seem that so many institutions who are so concerned about their own money don't seem to care when it comes to my money. I don't think I ask to much in wanting my paycheck on the day it was promised.
HOLY COW this was initially written in January and it is now September, since this time I have received a very nice Christmas bonus and the owner of the company gave me a very intense Avanti Mountain bike. Sometimes The Lord blesses me with pleasant memories and sometimes he blesses me by not making me remember certain memories and sometimes he needs me to humble up real quick and he helps me remember memories like the one I just recorded. Man I can be such a dork sometimes. In some amazing way the check didn't end my world as I apparently thought it would at the time and since I'm not dead yet I have some time to repent and try again.
If Mark or Carrie red this I am sorry pleases forgive a dork and Carrie I am so glad you are well.)
Why Santa is good for Christmas
Much has been said about the horrific of Santa Clause and how he is usurping the role of Christ and taking over Christmas. I have found that a good balance can make Santa's role in the holiday a very helpful beneficial thing.
In the Old Testament the Israelites were commanded that they should not overuse the name of the Lord this was so enforced that modern day Jews cant remember how to pronounce the name of the Lord because they have not used it in such a long time. In a more modern sense we have been commanded to utilize the name of the Priesthood after the holy order of the Son of God as Melchizedek who was a righteous King in Old times. In conclusion the long and short of it is let Santa field the secular and Jesus field the religious and lets all go dream of sugar plums and worry about something else.
In the Old Testament the Israelites were commanded that they should not overuse the name of the Lord this was so enforced that modern day Jews cant remember how to pronounce the name of the Lord because they have not used it in such a long time. In a more modern sense we have been commanded to utilize the name of the Priesthood after the holy order of the Son of God as Melchizedek who was a righteous King in Old times. In conclusion the long and short of it is let Santa field the secular and Jesus field the religious and lets all go dream of sugar plums and worry about something else.