j . a . m . k . m . b: Things NOT to do before going to work...

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

... Professor Harold Hill, one of the principal characters in [The Music Man], voices a caution that I share with you. Says he, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

f you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”³ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”

Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

Said the Lord in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”¹⁰ May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey."

Friday, August 31, 2007

Things NOT to do before going to work...

Run 20 miles. I did this morning, and it has just taken me 17 minutes to write this sentence so far... I'm not functioning on all cylinders right now. I don't know why I do it. A friend suggested I couldn't stop until I reach the 10-year club, which I agreed with at the time, but now that I think about it, why??? Who cares? So what? Hmmmm.

On a different note, as was pointed out by Councilman Matt in the comment section of my last blog, glad I didn't debase myself and cheer for the Utes last night. Man, could you think of a worse way to start the season? Well, actually, if you ask Stanford, I bet you could (hint: Don't schedule the mighty UC Davis anymore!).

Super big congratulations to Micah for making the school dance team! We're so excited for her and proud of her. We're also sad for the girls who didn't make it - our hearts go out to those kids who tried but came up short. Most of her friends made it, but there are always some who don't, and I'm sure it's hard for them.

We've been getting comments lately on how big and grown up Morgan looks. Don't tell her this, because she's already proud that she's not a little girl anymore. For the last couple of years I've been making her promise that she'd always be my little girl, and that she has to stop growing. She has repeatedly assured me that she would. Now her answer is, "I'll stop after kindergarten". Oh well, I guess it's just a matter of time before we open our eyes and the little munchkins will be all grown up and we'll be like, "where did everybody go?!" That makes me sad to think about it.

So early tomorrow morning I embark on a day of travel and football. Wish the fam could all come with me, but it just didn't work out. Our whole weekend is one of travel as I've detailed in recent posts, but we're looking forward to fun family time nonetheless. My plan is to log back on and give my thoughts of the weekend's activities and events, but if the Cougs lose, I may not be able to face the music for a week or two. Here's hoping I have a horse voice and antsy blogging fingers come Sunday.

Thanks for being our friends and family!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: Caroline and I looked for you on the field before the game. I guess you didn't make it down there. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, sorry we didn't get to talk more.; September 3, 2007 at 12:14 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Friday, August 31, 2007

Things NOT to do before going to work...

1 comment:

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