j . a . m . k . m . b: Brilliance

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, November 18, 2009

Brilliance

Micah's play this weekend was absolutely amazing. She was simply incredible as Annie - we were so proud of her. We were also overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from friends and family who came to the shows to see Micah perform. And all those who saw it seemed to agree: there is a star among us! I happen to have it on good authority that someone might have taken some bootleg video of Micah singing, so I may have something to post here for those who can't make it to the show. Stay tuned...

We are not quite in Thanksgiving mode yet, but it's getting close enough that we can start to feel it. It helps that we've got the "I'm Thankful For..." box out in the living room for people to drop their secret notes into, and we're trying to have extra gratitude. We're all looking forward to a few days off, time with friends (dinner at the Baughs again - what a great tradition!), and getting that much closer to December.

We're starting to make Christmas plans and it's fun to consider all the possibilities as we think about helping Santa find just the right gifts for the kids. There's always the question of doing just enough without going overboard, and avoiding not doing quite enough... I know that's a very materialistic view, but we enjoy the gift giving aspect of Christmas and hope to make our kids and each happy in that way.

Angela and I watched the movie Push the other night and found it very entertaining. We hadn't heard anything about it, so we enjoyed the excitement and new ideas. We love finding new movies to see - we're looking forward to a couple that are coming out soon: The Blind Side, and Invictus.

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Brilliance

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