j . a . m . k . m . b: Blogging for Two

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."

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Blogging for Two

I admit it, I was almost ready to throw in the towel on this whole blog thing. I haven't been updating very faithfully lately, and it hasn't been as fun for me to feel guilty about not posting, rather than keeping up a steady stream of posts like I used to. Besides, I never really know if anyone is out there reading ... crickets? do I hear crickets?

This week we had a great visit from our longtime friends Craig and Krista - college roommates of mine and Angela's way, way back when we were at BYU. They live in Colorado now and it's always fun when we catch up, however infrequently. I was surprised and very happy when they started talking about how they read the blog, and thus they know a lot about what we've been doing recently. It was kind of gratifying to know that we at least have two loyal readers. So it is with renewed vigor that I attack this blogging thing again - if only for Craig and Krista. C&K, it may just be you guys and me, but I'm going to still try and entertain you guys (and in the process probably only entertain myself...).

A couple of great things lately:

1. 11 pm Tuesday night we noticed the front tire on our Expedition was completely flat - thanks neighborhood construction nails in the street, appreciate it. So I pulled the very dirty spare tire out from under the car, put it on after an epic battle with the jack and lug nuts, and was kind of proud that it took me less than an hour to change a flat. I took it in to Mike's Auto Tune & Tire in Provo to repair, and here's what will secure my business for the rest of my Provo life: not only did they offer to put the tire back on the car right away after fixing it despite lots of customers, but then Mike waved me off when I pulled out my wallet and told me to have a great day. Never mind the thousands of dollars I've already spent there, that $15 plus tax just sealed the deal...

2. The Tour de France is picking up steam and I'm hooked hard. It helps to have an arch enemy, someone to cheer against, the Yankees of the peloton - and I have one this year: Alberto Contador. I don't like him because he tested positive for doping, I don't like him because last year he spat upon time honored traditions of cycling to not take advantage of your rival's mechanical misfortune, and I don't like him because, well, I don't think I need any more reasons. So on day one, he got caught up in some crashes and lost more than a minute to the other real contenders, and just like Mike's $15 above, I was instantly interested. Nice that someone's downfall makes me so happy, huh?

3. Finally, Micah, our sweet little girl, turns 14 years old today. What?!?!?! Yep, it's true... My gift for her this year was a brand new, hand made, Pottery Barn replica bed (Pottery Barn inspired, yes, but much better quality if I say so myself!). It's been fun to build, but tough to finish off. I wanted to get it set up for her birthday, so last night as she was out with Angela doing late night errands for her party tonight, Morgan helped me set it up as a surprise for her birthday. It makes me really happy to do stuff like that. I love her very much and am so proud of her, while at the same time wishing she wasn't growing up quite so fast...

1 comment:

Thi-Anh said...: I appreciate your blogs!...I love keeping up with all the LeBras families...so maybe i'm your 3rd religious reader..:); July 7, 2011 at 10:20 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Blogging for Two

1 comment:

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