j . a . m . k . m . b: Late July. It's Hot.

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 28, 2011

Late July. It's Hot.

We had a killer family reunion last week with all my siblings, their families, my parents, and Grandpa Richards. We rented out this amazing lodge up Hobble Creek Canyon called Spring Haven - hello!!! Huge, luxurious, beautiful, remote but close to civilization ... pretty much everything we hoped for. Highlights were: an impromptu game of 7-man brothers version of 21 (like 1 on 1, only with 7 guys) in the sweet indoor bball court, water fight with all the kids and most of the adults, Amazing Race BYU campus edition (ok, that's a gratuitous self-promotion because I planned this one - but it really was fun!), bike rides with the bros (even though I was feeling sick Saturday morning and couldn't go on the real ride), golf at Hobble Creek where everyone played well, great air conditioning in the rooms, hanging with the fam, delicious food, and much more.

On Sunday we went up to Dad and Mom's ward as they spoke before leaving to Chile next week. Matt and Rebecca were also blessing their baby there so we all participated in that. They were great talks and a great blessing, but unfortunately that won't be the prevailing memory of the meeting. The deacon who was passing the sacrament, standing right next to me, threw up all over the place. Luckily I heard the freight train coming up the esophagus and moved quick as a cat over into Angela's lap so didn't get sprayed, but it was still horrifying for all involved. I'm sure the poor kid felt terribly humiliated, but I wasn't too happy as I got down on my hands and knees with baby wipes and cleaned it up. Angela said Elder Bednar on the stand was smiling as he saw me cleaning...

The landscaping on our house is moving along slowly but ... well, slowly pretty much sums it up... I was very excited to go home for lunch today and see the sod going in - that's some tangible progress! Can't wait to now get the patio poured so we can start grilling and chilling. Pics to come as things continue.

Summer's been hot, and surprisingly more humid than I remembered Utah being. Not always, but some days have been downright muggy. The last couple of days have included explosive late afternoon monsoon storms that are spectacular and cooling - I admit I like them as long as I'm not out on my bike or something like that.

Still happy in Provo...

1 comment:

Craig and Krista said...: Best wishes to your mom and dad! And poor deacon! I'm sure his mom appreciated you cleaning up the mess. :); August 2, 2011 at 4:14 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Late July. It's Hot.

1 comment:

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