j . a . m . k . m . b: Feelin Goooooood!

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, June 19, 2009

Feelin Goooooood!

It's Friday morning, not a cloud in the sky, perfect temperature, rode my bike to work, just made my boss happy, treating myself to an amazing breakfast of egg whites, potatoes, strawberry pancakes, and a chocolate donut!, got the tunes playing in the office Bose, Anne and Brandon are coming into town this morning, and my buddy just asked me to go golfing this afternoon... Can it get any better than that? Probably, but for now, I'll definitely take it.

I had a 'sad' thought as I was sneaking into Micah's room late last night to borrow her book she's reading, because I wanted to read it: there's all this great and inspiring literature out there in the world, and all I want to read are novels and kids fantasy books... I've been asking myself, should I force myself to read more of the classics, or maybe a church history book (and inevitably get 100 pages in and start looking around for my ESPN the Mag), or should I just accept it and enjoy my cretin tastes?

Congratulations to Rosemary and Todd who had their second child this week - a boy they named Charles - and all went well. Since they're in Portland, we wouldn't have seen the baby even if we did live closer to family, but it'll be fun to see him this summer. Looking forward to Dave and Meredith's coming baby boy as well!

There's a lot of nervous energy in our house as Angela and Micah get ready for girls camp. They were out last night on yet another camp-preparation shopping trip and Ang accidentally left her credit card at the counter, so we had to cancel that card... At least she knew when she lost it and we knew no charges were going to hit us - no big deal, just a small hassle.

I had a good week at work. I was able to complete a big project that went really well when my boss presented it to our VPs, and subsequently he was very happy with me. He told me to take my family out for dinner and charge it through as a reward for my good work. Hmm, that presents some possibilities - I mean, he has no idea how much my four kids can eat [wink, wink]! So where to go .............

1 comment:

Nate said...: Congrats dude....on the chocolate doughnut, that is. And egg whites? Really? How's that pear spritz hairspray you bought at Bath and Body Works?....he he he.

Glad to hear things are good at work and at home. We miss you guys. We should talk soon...I'll call you.; June 20, 2009 at 6:25 AM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Friday, June 19, 2009

Feelin Goooooood!

1 comment:

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