j . a . m . k . m . b: Quest for Perfection

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."

Monday, September 15, 2008

Quest for Perfection

Oh My!!! With the hacks on ESPN ridiculing BYU as being the most overrated 2-0 team in the country, the entire nation thinking the only way BYU beat Washington last week was with the help of the refs, with football fans everywhere mocking BYU's quest for perfection, the Boys in Blue needed a big week. The table was set perfectly - PAC 10 team blowing into town with a swagger having just beat another ranked SEC team, most of the world predicting an upset...

And the Cougs came out and gave the "mighty" Bruins the beatdown of the year! They were AWESOME!!! I can't overstate how huge a 59-0 win over a big-name program was for us. It was the best. As I was watching the game, the kids were laughing because, especially during the big 35-point 2nd quarter, I was repeatedly scaring them with my whoops and exclamations of joy.

The aftermath is nice - Max Hall earned National Player of the Week honors with his 7 touchdown passes; the Cougs are now ranked as high as 11th in the country, and even on the local sports radio station on my way into work this morning they were talking about how great BYU is ... and these guys are total PAC 10 honks. And of course, I had to reward my UCLA alum coworker this morning with a huge Y logo taped to his computer screen to greet him as he arrived in to work. It's a beautiful day!

On another note ...

Brig has figured that ageless and classic thing that all little kids figure out - although I'm not sure they get it while still only 2 years old... Brig has found the power of those three little words: "Mom said yes." Over the weekend, multiple times I told him not to do something and he replied without breaking stride: "Mom said yes." What a crack up.

1 comment:

Matt and Becca said...: If only you could have witnessed it in person with us...We're all still on a high! Not only was the game so fun because we played so well and won, but the energy of the crowd was so great! We really shut the UCLA fans up--they just sat there in their little corner with nothing to cheer about...ever.; September 16, 2008 at 10:09 AM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Monday, September 15, 2008

Quest for Perfection

1 comment:

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