Favorite Thing to do in Vermont (4-year-old Perspective)

I was on a walk with a 4-year-old yesterday when we heard a helicopter overhead. He was excited to look at it and I asked him where he thought the helicopter was going. His response: Vermont.

Knowing he had recently been to Vermont to ski, I asked him what his favorite thing to do in Vermont was (anticipating that I would get to hear about his ski trip, of course). His response was not at all what I expected.

"Well, read a book, take a walk . . ." he listed a couple other things and then in a very excited voice finished, "and then get a treat! Yeah!"

Thanks for the 4-year-old perspective! It is not always about the big things - people we love and activities we do all the time are more than enough to bring great joy.

Freely Giving of Self

I have an incredible teacher for my Institute of Religion class this semester. She often talks about how she prays to know who she can serve and how she can serve them and tells us stories about carrying out her acts of service.

This is not a new concept for me, but one that I have often felt that I am not good at doing. I have a hard time remembering to ask God who I can serve, and I have a hard time feeling like I receive specific guidance about who to serve and how to serve them when I do ask. I decided recently to redouble my efforts to ask those two questions and carry out what I feel inspired to do. The first night I was saying a prayer before I went to bed and realized I had not been given an opportunity. Immediately I realized that was not true. More than once I had thought about texting a friend of mine and asking how things were going. That was what I had been directed to do. So simple.

I have been out of town visiting old friends and had the chance to read the book "The Ultimate Gift" where a young man from a privileged background is given an opportunity to learn some life lessons like the love of learning, the value of money, friendship and the gift of giving. This young man is challenged to give something that is truly his to give (not the money that was given to him or the things that money could buy). He had to come up with something to give every day for 30 days. The first thing he gave away was an ideal parking spot to an elderly couple. Some of his other gifts included a pint of his own blood, time to read to blind students, wrote a poem and sent it to a friend, let people use his house for a charity reception and baked cookies for an elementary school's bake sale. I again was struck by how simple most of these things were.

It seems to me that the best things we can give always include giving a part of ourselves. Those simple things have the capacity to have a large and lasting impact on others. I also realized that I do try very hard to do kind things for others - those who are close to me and strangers I may never see again. While I should not stop praying to know who I can help and how I can help them, I should also not stop planning things I can do to reach out in love to others.

The following words from the Doctrine and Covenants (revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith) came to my mind as I was thinking about all this:

26For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is ^acompelled in all things, the same is a ^bslothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

27Verily I say, men should be ^aanxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28For the power is in them, wherein they are ^aagents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their ^breward.

I do not have to be "commanded" or in this case, directly inspired in order to do good. I can be anxiously engaged in many good things of my own free will.

Lessons (re)Learned

- You can't please everyone, I know because I've tried (Michael McLean's song “I Can’t Do Everything”) over and over and over again.

- There is light at the end of the tunnel ALWAYS

- No one can make you feel inferior without your consent (Elinor Roosevelt said that) but too often I give that consent - usually without even realizing

- No one can fill those of you needs that you won't let show (Bill Withers) but so often they can and will fill your needs you do show

- I may have a long way to go, but that doesn't mean I'm starting from a bad place or that I haven't made great progress to get where I am.

Moment to Shine

A few months ago I went with a friend to see a performance by Laura Benanti. At one point, she said "Man, I wish everyone could experience standing on stage and having a room full of people clap for them."

Tonight, I was back at the same venue for a totally different event - a chance to celebrate teachers for all the unsung work they do every day. A chance to recognize teachers who do their job very well, despite a multitude of odds.

As I watched the first teacher walk to the stage to accept her award I stood to clap for her. So did the rest of the room. At that moment, I remembered Laura Benanti's words and I was so happy for the individual being recognized - they were getting their chance to stand on stage and have a room full of people clap for them. As each of the next six teachers walked onto the stage to accept their award I thought the same thing "this is their moment to shine, what a great chance to stand up and be publicly recognized."

I'm grateful for all the people in this world who deserve to stand on stage in front of a room full of people and be applauded. I'm especially grateful for those who never have that experience, yet continue doing the things that make them deserving of the honor.

A Message from My High School Self

My parents drove out a truck full of my furniture and stuff that I haven't had for about 7 years.

In one of the notebooks I was going through today, I found the following poem. I remember writing it at one of my brothers band concerts thinking about everything I needed to get done. I find it very applicable to me in my life now :)

Life

Rush, Rush, Rush
Work hard to Cram everything in
Cram, Cram, Cram
Plan ahead - be sure there's Time
Time, Time, Time
Manage that Time, make it fit
Manage, Manage, Manage
Finish things in Time -
Finish, Finish, Finish
To Rush - again.

Take a Step

Right now I am contemplating making significant changes in many facets of my life.

Not sure what that is going to mean exactly. A quote from one of my heros keeps coming to mind (yes, it was my Facebook status twice in a row . . .)

"There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions." – Pres. Dieter F Uchtdorf

What this quote says to me right now:

I need to take a step. Or several really. I may want to see the whole picture (my thirst for intricate solutions). However, I know some of the steps I will have to take, so I may as well start (an effort to see beauty and clarity in simple things)

Wish me luck!

Learn to Join the Dance

I was walking to work the other day reading an article from the Ensign about the law of fasting. The article quoted from the Doctrine and Covenants - a collection of revelation given to Joseph Smith, the prophet who restored Christ's Church to the earth in modern times:

"For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, was were instituted from before the foundation of the world" (Doc & Cov 132:5).

As I thought about this verse in connection to fasting and the blessings that come from obedience to specific laws, I was reminded of another verse from this same body of scripture:

"There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated" (Doc & Cov 130:20-21)

Then I got to thinking about how cool it is that we existed before this life, and that we knew God's plan for us and chose to come to this earth and be tested and have the opportunity to choose to follow the laws of God and reap blessings connected to those laws. I also thought about the fact that we do not always know the blessings that are attached to specific laws and that sometimes we do not even know exactly what we need to do.

Almost immediately the lyrics to a country song came to my mind:

"Life's a dance you learn as you go/Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow/Don't worry about what you don't know/Life's a dance you learn as you go" (Life's A Dance by John Michael Montgomery)

I really felt at that moment no need to "worry about what I don't know" I felt assured that I really will learn as I go - and that I will not be alone in my efforts. Another song with very similar lyrics also came to mind:

"And though you'll never know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance." (Prince of Egypt sound track "Through Heaven's Eyes")

Dancing is something I really like to do, but do not feel that I am very good at - or at least I do not know many steps. That does not keep me from participating, nor does it make me doubt that dancing is possible. I know there are others that know far more than I do, and often they are more than willing to teach me if I will but ask and watch and then do what they show me. I have also learned that I am fairly good at following. If I dance with someone who knows the steps and how to lead, with a little coaching on the basic steps I am good to go.

Thinking about all this I realized that I can come to learn principles and doctrines of Christ's gospel in the same way. He set the perfect example that I can watch and follow. He knows the steps and will help me follow and learn them as I allow Him to lead me. Laws and rules exist to help us and guide us. We can follow them, and will experience greater success and joy when we do so.