Here we are - coming to the end of a journey.
So here we are again - I'd like to play a game. This will require some involvement other than my wife's witty cousin Gina. I'm sure she will set a good example and lead into the foray with guns blazing.
Welcome my friends. It is the historic 54th post. There will never be another one. Most people take the time, this time of year to reflect on the past year, and plan for the new. I'll be getting to that a little later.
"Bells? I don't hear anything."
"If you take the time, and want to, you will."
"How about after our stroll, we go get some drinks?"
"Oh that would be lovely. I would like to see what Thomas is up to at the diner."
"You're not making any sense. That's what makes this difficult. Are you purposefully. . . . "
"Sense is only what you make of it. You have your paradigm, and I have mine. You know there isn't much time left. This monster is ravaging my innards. I don't believe I've caused much for alarm."
"Perhaps. You know it's not just you though. I have my family to think about and care for. It's hard, I know I don't have to complain to you about hardships, but . . . "
"Do you hear that? Bells."
Here Comes the SUN!! Do-de-do-dee. Here comes the sun, la-la-la-la.
The other night, while I was retiring for the evening. My lovely wife gave me a gift that I really don't deserve. I mean - only a handful of times, in a lifetime, is someone blessed with a gift like this."Yes it is, but you're skirting the issue. We really need to resolve this, and I'm not talking about tantrums, or running off. We need to come up with a real plan."
"There really isn't that much time left, but time never stops."
"And?"
"Precisely."
Welcome one and ALL TO ESKIMO BOB'S HISTORIC 50th POST! (smattering applause - applause machine breaks down)"We've been doing this to each other for awhile now. I think we may end up just hurting each other, more than we're helping."
"I just love springtime, when the trees blossom, and the birds return from a long, cold winter."
"It's October. It's 39 degrees outside, and here we are taking a stroll in the park. The leaves are dying, and falling off the trees."
"Isn't life wonderful?"
Keep it simple, short, and sequential.
Where does all the time go? I've actually been pent up, and ready to write a blog for quite some time now. Being that it has been in the negative below zero temperature range for awhile now. Now that I'm here, ready to experience bloggerrhea, I can't quite work it out.
-helix--like three strands of spaghetti twisted together--and held together by hydrogen bonding. Collagen chains are also cross-linked by covalent bonds--important in food because as an animal ages, the cross-linking increases and its meat gets tougher. The tanning process also increases cross-linking and converts skin to leather.
I posted a blog a little earlier today, and for some reason it was immediately translated into a foreign language. If you missed it, I'm sorry. It was quite a sight to see."We need to discuss what happened. We already set the rules before we agreed to it."
" "
"Well? Don't you have anything to say? This is serious. We can't have something like this happen again."
"Once you are finished with your tea, would you like to take another stroll around the block?"
"May we discuss the situation?"
"Oh bother, I forgot the honey."
So - today was a hybrid of busy and stagnant. It's toward the end of the day here in Alaska, though for many of you my followers you've probably already have gone to bed. It starts to get dark here at 4:15 PM then by 4:40 it's totally black outside. Oh yeah. . . 45th post baby!!!"Where have you been? Everyone has been worried sick! Where did you get that!?!?"
"There was a bazaar. I simply could not go without it. Is tea ready?"
"Uh- - - wait. This can not go on without further discussion and intervention. Shall I get Timothy?"
"No. You most certainly will not involve Timothy in this. What has happened, has happened. Anyway, it certainly would not matter a twit to him. Him and his bees."
"I will get the tea ready."
My friends, my followers, my everything. Let me find the words to share with you today that will light the path. It is a deep cavern, this the cyberspace. It can be frightening, especially if it is accompanied by improper grammar and spelling.
"I don't know where she went! When I went to get her up, the room was empty, she had left."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"11:30 last night. She came out wanting to go for another stroll. I told her that she needed to go back to bed, and well now, she's flown the coop."
"How could you allow this to happen? We knew you weren't responsible enough for this!"
Good morning, afternoon, and evening. Welcome my followers, where ever in this the cyber space you may be. I hope that the week that was, was good to you.Gently rapping on the door. "It's eight o'clock in the morning. Would you like to come down for breakfast?"
No response.
Knocking on the door, while opening. "Good morning. Finally got some decent rest? I imagine so - after being up so late the last few. . . ."
The bed was unmade - meaning there were no linens, pillows, or anything to indicate that the bed was even thought to be in use. A quick scan around the room. Barren. The walls themselves seemed to have been repainted, because of the complete lack of photographs and other items that adorned them. The closets empty. The drawers cleaned out. The room was vacant.
Here is a picture of the Aurora Borealis - most commonly known as the Northern Lights. Yeah - they get pretty spectacular. It's been years though since I've seen some really intense lights, mostly because where I've been living, I usually see just the greenish haze, which is eerie and awesome in its own right.
This is taken from a story from the New York Post. My words will follow the article:
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TIMES OF LONDON
Last updated: 11:34 am
December 3, 2008
Posted: 11:32 am
December 3, 2008First they were accused of not wanting to fight. Then they were blamed for failing in their main mission to train the Afghan police.
Now Germany's battered military reputation has received a further humiliating blow. According to official reports the 3,500 troops in northern Afghanistan drink too much and are too fat to fight.
A German parliamentary report has revealed that in 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 1.7 million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine. During the first six months of this year 896,000 pints of beer were shipped to German forces in Afghanistan. British and US bases in the country enforce a strict ban on alcohol.
The physical condition of the soldiers was already in question after a German armed forces report found that 40 percent of its soldiers aged 18-29 were overweight, compared to 35 percent of the civilian population of the same age.
Reinhold Robbe, the parliamentary commissioner for the German armed forces, concluded: "Plainly put, the soldiers are too fat, exercise too little and take little care of their diet."
Yes - there are my two boys. People just think it's one person, until they notice Dylan. He's younger and smaller, so it goes."So - now that we are finished with our little stroll, what would you like to do now?"
"I'd like some tea and toast, and perhaps take a little nap."
"Very good, let me warm up the water for you."
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.
When I was young I loved playing sports, and I have many fond memories of those days. But not all of them are pleasant. I remember one day after my football team lost a tough game, I came home feeling discouraged. My mother was there. She listened to my sad story. She taught her children to trust in themselves and each other, not blame others for their misfortunes, and give their best effort in everything they attempted.
When we fell down, she expected us to pick ourselves up and get going again. So the advice my mother gave to me then wasn’t altogether unexpected. It has stayed with me all my life.
“Joseph,” she said, “come what may, and love it.”
I have often reflected on that counsel.
I think she may have meant that every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.
There may be some who think that General Authorities rarely experience pain, suffering, or distress. If only that were true. While every man and woman on this stand today has experienced an abundant measure of joy, each also has drunk deeply from the cup of disappointment, sorrow, and loss. The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief or sadness.
For me, the Lord has opened the windows of heaven and showered blessings upon my family beyond my ability to express. Yet like everyone else, I have had times in my life when it seemed that the heaviness of my heart might be greater than I could bear. During those times I think back to those tender days of my youth when great sorrows came at the losing end of a football game.
How little I knew then of what awaited me in later years. But whenever my steps led through seasons of sadness and sorrow, my mother’s words often came back to me: “Come what may, and love it.”
How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.
If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.
Over the years I have learned a few things that have helped me through times of testing and trial. I would like to share them with you.
Learn to Laugh
The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?
There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.
I remember loading up our children in a station wagon and driving to Los Angeles. There were at least nine of us in the car, and we would invariably get lost. Instead of getting angry, we laughed. Every time we made a wrong turn, we laughed harder.
Getting lost was not an unusual occurrence for us. Once while heading south to Cedar City, Utah, we took a wrong turn and didn’t realize it until two hours later when we saw the “Welcome to Nevada” signs. We didn’t get angry. We laughed, and as a result, anger and resentment rarely resulted. Our laughter created cherished memories for us.
I remember when one of our daughters went on a blind date. She was all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive when the doorbell rang. In walked a man who seemed a little old, but she tried to be polite. She introduced him to me and my wife and the other children; then she put on her coat and went out the door. We watched as she got into the car, but the car didn’t move. Eventually our daughter got out of the car and, red faced, ran back into the house. The man that she thought was her blind date had actually come to pick up another of our daughters who had agreed to be a babysitter for him and his wife.
We all had a good laugh over that. In fact, we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, when our daughter’s real blind date showed up, I couldn’t come out to meet him because I was still in the kitchen laughing. Now I realize that our daughter could have felt humiliated and embarrassed. But she laughed with us, and as a result, we still laugh about it today.
The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.
Seek for the Eternal
The second thing we can do is seek for the eternal. You may feel singled out when adversity enters your life. You shake your head and wonder, “Why me?”
But the dial on the wheel of sorrow eventually points to each of us. At one time or another, everyone must experience sorrow. No one is exempt.
I love the scriptures because they show examples of great and noble men and women such as Abraham, Sarah, Enoch, Moses, Joseph, Emma, and Brigham. Each of them experienced adversity and sorrow that tried, fortified, and refined their characters.
Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.
Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.
Remember the sublime words of the Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith when he suffered with his companions in the smothering darkness of Liberty Jail: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
“And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.”1
With that eternal perspective, Joseph took comfort from these words, and so can we. Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome.
The Principle of Compensation
The third thing we can do is understand the principle of compensation. The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.
One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father.
Because Heavenly Father is merciful, a principle of compensation prevails. I have seen this in my own life. My grandson Joseph has autism. It has been heartbreaking for his mother and father to come to grips with the implications of this affliction.
They knew that Joseph would probably never be like other children. They understood what that would mean not only for Joseph but for the family as well. But what a joy he has been to us. Autistic children often have a difficult time showing emotion, but every time I’m with him, Joseph gives me a big hug. While there have been challenges, he has filled our lives with joy.
His parents have encouraged him to participate in sports. When he first started playing baseball, he was in the outfield. But I don’t think he grasped the need to run after loose balls. He thought of a much more efficient way to play the game. When a ball was hit in his direction, Joseph watched it go by and then pulled another baseball out of his pocket and threw that one to the pitcher.
Any reservations that his family may have had in raising Joseph, any sacrifices they have made have been compensated tenfold. Because of this choice spirit, his mother and father have learned much about children with disabilities. They have witnessed firsthand the generosity and compassion of family, neighbors, and friends. They have rejoiced together as Joseph has progressed. They have marveled at his goodness.
Trust in the Father and the Son
The fourth thing we can do is put our trust in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”2 The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in.
He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong.3
One of our daughters, after giving birth to a baby, became seriously ill. We prayed for her, administered to her, and supported her as best we could. We hoped she would receive a blessing of healing, but days turned into months, and months turned into years. At one point I told her that this affliction might be something she would have to struggle with the rest of her life.
One morning I remember pulling out a small card and threading it through my typewriter. Among the words that I typed for her were these: “The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”
She did put her trust in God. But her affliction did not disappear. For years she suffered, but in due course, the Lord blessed her, and eventually she returned to health.
Knowing this daughter, I believe that even if she had never found relief, yet she would have trusted in her Heavenly Father and “[left] the rest to Him.”
Conclusion
Although my mother has long since passed to her eternal reward, her words are always with me. I still remember her advice to me given on that day long ago when my team lost a football game: “Come what may, and love it.”
I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.
As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it.” Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
NOTES
1. D&C 121:7–8.
2. John 3:16.
3. See Ether 12:27.
I found that the softer you speak, the less you are taken seriously. No matter how profound the subject matter.
THE LOUDER YOU SPEAK, THE MORE YOU ARE UNABLE TO LISTEN.NO MATTER HOW PROFOUND THE REBUTTAL IS.
The louder you speak, the more you are unable to listen. No matter how profound the rebuttal is."So - where do we go from here?"
"How about we take another stroll around the block?"
"That'd be nice."
This is a picture of a Sea Star that I caught while fishing for halibut a couple of summers ago. The sea star weighed about 45 pounds. I think if you click the picture, you will be able to see that I interrupted it's brunch, as it is still munching on some clams.
