j . a . m . k . m . b: Earthquake and Halloween

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."

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Earthquake and Halloween

Last night we were at home, Ang was helping the younger kids with their bath, Micah and I were sitting at the kitchen table working on her math homework, when our house started to shake. We have been here for almost 3 1/2 years, and we keep hearing about earthquakes, but we hadn't felt one until last night. It started for Micah and me by the laundry room door beginning to rattle and shake noisily, followed the room moving for no apparent reason. My first thought was that it was a couple of big trucks rolling by right outside our house (we live in a parking lot after all), but we didn't hear the noise that would have accompanied that event. It lasted only a few seconds, and then it was over except for a couple of very brief aftershocks. Micah was a bit scared, but other than that it was no big deal. I was surprised to see it on a lot of news outlets today, but I guess it was a 5.6 quake down close to San Jose, which would be big enough to make the news.

Anyway, we're fine, and we can now say we've felt a real earthquake (although that wasn't exactly something we were looking forward to). We're glad it wasn't a bad one!

Ang and the kids all came to Google yesterday afternoon for the big Google Halloween party for the kids and families. It was really fun - they got their faces painted by very talented artists (pictures hopefully by tomorrow); we ate good food; and just had a good time. The adult Halloween party is today (not sure I'm going to make that one as I'm a bit swamped with work - yes, work). I'll give a full Halloween report tomorrow after all the festivities have ended and the sugar high worn off.

Everybody stay safe tonight!!!

2 comments:

Whatcott said...: Wow! We heard about it on the news. We're glad you are all good and ready for Halloween. Be safe.; October 31, 2007 at 5:46 PM
Unknown said...: i didn't watch the news today.. that's scary. i don't think i ever want to be in an earthquake..; October 31, 2007 at 9:51 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Earthquake and Halloween

2 comments:

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