j . a . m . k . m . b: random stuff

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, November 9, 2009

random stuff

I'm looking out my office window at a very serene dusk sky as the sun is now down and the last light of the day is lingering over the Santa Cruz mountains. Problem is, it's 4:48pm. Since when does the sun go down before 4:48pm?! Man, glad I don't live in Alaska or someplace extreme North...

I've been downloading Apps like crazy lately on my Android phone. My personal favorites (some new, some I've had for a while), that I actually use quite often, are (and they're all free...):

1. Shazam: when I hear a song I like on the radio, or in the mall (wait, I'm never in the mall, but you get my drift...), I just hold up my phone running Shazam, and it tags the song, tells me who it is, and stores it for later when I want to go buy it.

2. DirecTV: I just set my DVR at home to record tonight's Jazz game, while I was in the bathroom at work - well, I guess you didn't need to know where I was, but it's cool nonetheless.

3. Pandora: this is a great Internet radio app, although I did have a problem with it the other day. I was at work, the app accidentally got opened on my phone, and next thing I know there's music coming from my pocket... good thing it was a cool song.

4. SportsTap: any sport, any time. Real time scoring, stats, and other cool stuff...

5. The Weather Channel: great for whenever I need to know what the weather is in Kona, HI (saved from our trip), or New York City, or anywhere for that matter

6. "Where": which is one of those cool apps that gives you local info for wherever you are - like movie times at the closest theater, gas prices at the closest gas stations, restaurant recommendations for - you guessed it - close by.

7. Some other handy ones on my phone: Flashlight, Compass, and Bubble Level (seriously, I use it)

So the next generation of phones are now hitting the stores and they even have more cool stuff built in. Like turn-by-turn navigation (including Google Street View images as you near your destination), to replace your Garmin or TomTom navigation systems. Another extremely cool one is the speech to text function, which I would find particularly useful when I'm driving - text, email, etc. by voice... nice!

As I was walking out the door today, Brig said, "Dad, have an AWESOME day without me!" :-)

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Monday, November 9, 2009

random stuff

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