j . a . m . k . m . b: Happy Chinese New Year!

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, January 26, 2009

Happy Chinese New Year!

Lots going on these days. Kennan recently got an expander put into her mouth, so the poor girl is trying to learn how to talk, eat, clear saliva from her mouth, and deal with the big metal thing in the roof of her mouth. She's had an amazing attitude about it, and I've been so impressed with her spirit and patience. She can really be amazing in how she handles things at times - she's awesome! The picture's hard to see because I just used my camera phone, but maybe you can see it in there...

Morgan was very excited to celebrate Chinese New Year, or "Lunar New Year" as she insists we call it. She has been walking around saying "Kung Hei Fat Choi" to us, which we hope comes true (it means roughly I hope you get wealthier). She also was excited to wear her Vietnamese clothes to school today, as you can see in this cute picture. She's such a sweet girl.

Micah is already starting to prepare for her 6th grade trip to Costa Rica next month. She has laid out a calendar that she can use to mark off days between now and then, and so she can remember all the super important things she has to do to prepare in the meantime. She is still doing piano and I think she has a recital this weekend. She's quite good at sitting down and playing songs that she likes, and it's beautiful to hear her sing along when she doesn't know I'm listening.

Work has been really intense for me lately. This last weekend included a few hours of work to finish off a big project we got assigned at the last minute, that had to be delivered before Monday. It's pretty common for these things to come down at weird times, and they're painful while we're getting there, but it's always very rewarding to deliver a great product within the deadline.

The last two Sundays we've enjoyed dinner or dessert at friends' houses that we'd previously not been to as a family. It was really nice to be invited over to people's houses, and we really enjoyed getting to know them better. We're very lucky to have so many great friends. Hopefully we can be good friends to others as well.

Angela and I have been enjoying watching the Australian Open pretty much every night. There are some very good tennis players on TV, and it's cool to see them fight and scrap through these long matches. I admit I've also been keeping up on professional cycling again now that Lance is back in the Peloton. I don't know why, but he seems to inject excitement into the sport, and it sucks me in. It's intriguing to see how he does at 37 years old and after 3 1/2 years out of the sport.

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Monday, January 26, 2009

Happy Chinese New Year!

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