The Eternal Christmas Gift Of Forgiveness

The greatest gift we have been given is not the gift of forgiveness but the gift to forgive. God sent his only begotten son to make it possible that we not live with the guilt of being a victim. When we forgive others it is not releasing the offender from responsibility, but releasing us from the offender so that we can be healed. As we celebrate this Christmas let us not forget that the greatest gift given was not wrapped in fancy paper and laid under a tree, but was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The master gift giver is Our Father, whose gift was and is eternally ours.

Life Is About Struggles

Everyone of us comes into life bearing the responsibility to struggle. Each of us has our own struggles we deal with, the struggles we have always look much harder to us than anyone else. Some of us have to deal with the struggle of poverty, other of us have to deal with the struggle of wealth. Each are different struggles but each in the end are a struggle. Neither the rich man nor the poor man will be able to overcome their struggles, until they recognize the need to struggle both will be poor. The lame man has his struggles and the whole man has his struggles. Until they look beyond their own struggles they will both be handicapped.
Struggles are an integral part of growth. The butterfly that does not struggle out of it's cocoon will either die inside or it will be crippled, for it gets its strength from struggling into this world. As we face our challenges in life we have to ask ourselves if we are looking too closely at our struggles instead of  looking past them.
The freedom to succeed requires a struggle. Life is hard, it is whether we are willing to struggle or not that will determine whether we have the strength to become who we are intended to become.
To let a weed grow requires no struggle, but their is no pleasing fruit either. That which we plant and struggle to grow bares fruit that is worthy enough to give us nourishment.

Christmas Trees

When I think of Christmas, presents are not always the things I remember the most. Yeah, I remember the time we snook into one of my siblings rooms and played with our Pfisher Price Barn and Airport. I remember sneaking into mom and dads room to discover their hiding places, but when it comes to the real spirit of Christmas I remember when we would hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. A couple of years we got a permit and cut our own tree down. Oh yes, the hot cocoa and chili, tying the tree to the top of the van, smell of pine sap on our hands, left a lasting impression upon my mind.
We would take the tree home and decorate it with ornaments, usually the glass balls of varying colors. It was exciting and it was my dad's way of ushering in the Christmas Season. He was not much of a present buyer, I suppose I grew up to be like him in that way.
I don't remember what we did on my mission for a tree. We spent most of our Christmases at members homes and talking to family as they celebrated at home. It was good.
Getting married was a new adventure in Christmas. Our first Christmas tree was a sad little house plant that made Charlie Brown's tree look majestic. We wrapped garland around it and tried putting ornaments on its branches, but it would have none of that. The next few years we had no money for trees, so we waited until a couple of days before Christmas when the tree lots would abandon their lots leaving trees behind. We were so happy to have what ever we got, it was so much fun.
 A few years later we could afford a tree so we bought them, but the prices seemed to be going up so we would search all across the valley to find the best cheapest tree we could find, and we brought it home. I think the funnest part of the Christmas tree was hunting for one. Then one year after discussing the price of trees we decided to commit a near unpardonable sin...we bought an artificial tree. it looked real enough when we bought it but it certainly did not smell real and I kinda ached inside whenever we brought it out, but really did not detract from the season too much so we used it
Then one year my reminiscing of Christmas tree permits brought about the desire to go for a live tree again, this time instead of putting money into the tree lot we would buy a permit and spend the money on a new adventure. So, for the past four years we have gone back to the real Christmas trees, and the adventures in mountains for trees.
Christmas trees have always been apart of our Christmas celebration and I will always remember them for the memories we have created along the way. Someday when the children are grown I hope they will take with them those memories that will lead them to honor the tradition of the Christmas tree.

Family A Christmas Gift

God intends us to be happy eternally. We often times think of the challenges we have in this life as cruel and unusually, as God's punishment for our bad behavior.
 I do not believe that God seeks to punish us. He loves us. He wants us to succeed. Our agency is our greatest asset to perfection as well as our greatest obstacle to perfection. We can not reach our full potential without the full potential to fail.
The greatest potential source of happiness comes from our family. Is it any wonder that such a source of happiness might also be such a source of equal pain and heartache. Is it any wonder that as a reward God would extend that happiness eternally? Our marriage need not end at death, but may continue on through the sealing power of God's priesthood. It only makes sense that as we are a child of God we would grow up to be like him.
This is just one more Christmas gift, made possible through the atonement of Christ.

Poverty Is A Bad Habit

Poverty is not just the lack of finances it is a mentality. There are many who have money, but they don't know how to use it. They spend more than they make, on things that they do not need. There is nothing wrong with buying that which you want, so long as you take care of your needs first. There are also those who have no money but they have hope, and they are truly rich.
At this time of Year we often feel sorry for ourselves when we do not have money to buy our children the things they want, so we over extend ourselves and we go into debt. Sometimes we spend because it helps us feel hopeful, but it is a false sense of hope. Poverty comes when the reality of that false sense of hope reveals itself to us. Just as any other bad habit poverty becomes a cycle. We do it to feel strong, like we are in control, but in reality each time we spend it begins to control us more and more. Learning how to do with, reuse, or do without is a principle that your children will be blessed to understand. However, we must walk them through why we are doing it or they are likely to return to our own cycle of hopeless spending.
Have a truly Merry Christmas this Season.
Remember the real gift that Santa Gives.... http://thegiftthatsantagives.blogspot.com/

Friends May Change As Values Change

Throughout our lives we often find ourselves or our friends drifting away from each other. Sometimes they come back other times they don't.
Throughout life we are constantly seeking happiness and while some may recognize what happiness is, others find a substitute that seems to work for them, at least temporarily. Those substitutes often give us a sense of power over reality, but in reality they leave us weak and vulnerable. What we think would give us control over our mind and body is actually taking control over our mind and body.

 There is always sadness when we lose friends to something we see is destructive, it does not matter how old we are the pain is real.

With all the evidence of destructive substances and behaviors one might think that we would learn, but then again we have very selective memories and we all think we are the exception at one time or another. 

Pride is a false power that leads to ignorance and destruction, while humility leads to knowledge and understanding, which are real power.

When I Think Of ThanksGiving

Bountiful harvest, warm fire, turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, warm apple cider, family, friends, colored leaves, afternoon nap, and heart full of thanks to everyone.... That's what I think of when I think of Thanksgiving.

I was challenged to pray without asking for anything. At one time that would have been unthinkable. Approach God without asking for something??? Since I have found that when I offer a prayer of thanks I often receive more answers faster than when I approach my Heavenly Father with demands. This Thanksgiving I challenge you to offer at least one of your prayers as a pure prayer of gratitude, and see what happens.

Be Good, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Enjoy!

Happy ThanksGiving! 

Gratitude: The Power To Change Ones View

This coming week we look forward to a day of Thanksgiving. I look at this Holiday as a time to reflect on all the blessing I have been given, and a time to thank my Heavenly Father for giving them to me.
Thanksgiving is the gateway holiday into the Holiday Season. We gather together with family, or sometimes with friends and we celebrate the bounty of God's blessings. We remember the sacrifices of our Pilgrim heritage and we eat large amounts of good food. Well, at least that is the way it is suppose to be.
Gratitude is a principle of power. It can change your life. You can not have gratitude without getting rid of all your negative feelings. Gratitude will disappear as soon as a negative thought enters your mind. It has the power to change your view from seeing the problems to seeing the solutions.
Seek the Silver Lining in every circumstance and you will find it. Sometimes it may not be immediate, but with faith you will find it.

My Fish Story

It started as a simple curiosity. What would it feel like? What would it look like? What would it taste like? Why do they say it is so bad? What harm could it do, just once? Why is everyone making such a big deal out of it?
I knew in my heart that it was wrong, but that other little voice kept urging me on and I have to admit my curiosity was very strong.

I tried it, with some reservations, and thought, that wasn’t too bad, even though my spirit screamed within to stop. I didn’t get caught and I tried it again. I felt a little guilty but I justified my actions saying, “I’m not too far gone, I still feel the guilt.” Again I did not get caught, and again I justified it. I got pretty good at it and thought this isn’t really that bad. I couldn’t see what harm was being done by my “little indiscretions.” You see I minimized all my guilt until I was numb. Not that I did not feel it I just got to where I refused to acknowledge it.

As time went on I began to think that everyone could see right through me. I started pushing people away because I felt ashamed but I refused to think that I couldn’t handle the situation. I tried a number of times to stop and felt that I truly had a grip on things, but my mind was weak and I would think that I had to try it, one more time, that's all.

My guilt was changing me!

I didn’t know that I could crave something so much. I hated myself! I stopped caring about others. Not that I wanted to I just didn’t want anyone close enough to find out. I began to wonder if I could possibly love anyone. How could I do something so stupid? After all, this was ME! It seemed like it should be so easy to get out of the situation, but never had anything in my life seemed to want destroy me so badly. I wanted to blame everyone for my errors.

It wasn’t long before I would get angry and turn to my ugly corner for comfort. I gave myself freely to my weakness thinking that maybe I could escape if I got tired of it. It only got worse…


 I remembered going fishing when I was younger. Many times the fish would take the bait without the hook. The fish became more aggressive and bold taking the bait and often they were caught, but occasionally they would still get off the hook. Those that got off usually would go elsewhere for their meals. But occasionally they would stray back into dangerous waters and take the hook again.

I felt like that fish that was caught. I fought the fact, and denied that I had been caught. I even swam to the shore faster than the line was being reeled in, pretending that I was free. When the line got tight again I would fight with all my might to remove myself from the situation. I could not! I was frantic! Where could I go? Where could I hide?

I did not want anyone to see me. I was scared! I was angry with myself. I was filled with anguish and shame at the thought of what I had done, and what was going to happen to me. I wanted to cry. I felt so helpless. I felt so hopeless. I was sick. I was so embarrassed everyone could see I was caught but there was nothing they could do. Many a fish had gone before and I knew the risks. I just did not believe that I would be caught.


 I remembered seeing all the other fish that had never taken the risk and I now wished I had been like them. I realized that they were much more courageous than I. Besides what good did it do me to believe that I was the one who was being courageous by taking the risk. I would never know what it was like to have never tried. I would never know how happy I could be, had I been obedient as the other fish had been.

I began to realize that if something did not happen soon I was a goner. I was having hard time breathing already, and for the first time I felt the pain of the hook deep within my belly. I knew there was no getting out of it this time...


I was out of the water and could not breathe. I was completely removed from my environment, the environment that God had created for me.


I was in the hands of the destroyer. I was at his mercy. I don't know why I took the bait. Thinking back, it no longer looked as enticing as it had and it certainly didn’t taste as good as I thought it would. It wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped it would be. And now I was going to die.

 If only I had listened to my teachers...If only I had held my own proclaimed standards. If only… if only....

Now I have no hope. A wire runs through my gills and I am no longer my own. I belong to the destroyer. Life is draining from my soul and I am growing weak. I fight but I know it is no use. I am dying.

Not long ago, I read a story of a woman who caught a 70 lb salmon on 10 lb test line. It took a long time for her to real it in but she was able to do it. I would like to compare this to the cords (2ne. 22:26) Satan uses to catch us. We may look at the line and think how easy it would be to break that line, and it should be. But with a skilled fisher the line is not broken and by patiently wearing us down we can be brought into the keeper. It does not matter how big you are or how small the line is, avoid it. On the other hand if we understand the atonement and use it, it doesn’t matter how little we are or how strong the line is we can break it.

When we reach the stage in addiction that we are in the boat and we have lost all hope (Moroni 10: 22) it is very difficult to come back, but not impossible (Moroni 10:23).

However, there are many of you who are caught and are in a battle for your lives. If you reach out and get help you can avoid more humiliation, depression, and hopelessness. Don’t wait, it only gets harder. You see, the closer you get to the boat the less and less freedom you have. The more and more restricted you become.


Do you believe Christ? Then confess and forsake your sins. If you rationalize your own sins then Christ can not justify you. You have no authority to pardon yourself from the effects of sin. But if you believe Christ then test him. Give him your burden and see if he will not take it from you. Let your burdens be light upon his shoulders, and allow yourself to experience the fullness of the gospel of repentance. The peace and joy you will feel in knowing that you are forgiven and the effects of sin have been washed away will bring the sweetest peace you can ever know.

It is easy to say that it only affects you, especially if you believe no one else knows. You must be perfectly honest with yourself when you ask the following questions. You must ask yourself, how does this affect my family? Would I treat my family differently if I were free? How does this affect the way I look at others? How does this affect my ability to interact with others? How does this affect my relationship with God? Can I give everything to God if I am holding back?

Addiction looks easy to avoid but it sneaks up on you when you think you’re the strongest. Addiction is never what it seems. It is in the drug but it is not the drug. It is in the pornography but it is not the pornography. It is in the alcohol but it is not the alcohol. It is in the act but it is not the act. It is in our attitude but it is not our attitude. It is not bad relationships but it is in bad relationships. It can even be found in computer games. It is not anything but it could be in anything. Addiction is the hook it is not the bait.

Addiction is an emotional attachment. An emotion is like an adhesive that attaches a physical, chemical, or spiritual chain to our heart and our mind. The strength of the bond is determined by the nurture that we give it. Addiction can not be destroyed by you alone.

Addiction begins to eat at our character and erode our integrity. It makes us question our own worth, and that destroys our hope. Without hope we lose charity. Without hope and charity we fall into despair.

It requires more than we can give or take. It requires the acknowledgment of Christ and our need for his help. We must desire to have it removed, then Christ can remove it and begin the healing process. That is how Christ is our Savior.


Not very many people do absolutely evil things to start with. They do one stupid thing after another and they slowly destroy their life. Where Addiction is Fear is soon to follow. Where Fear is Faith can not enter.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be, also.”

To dream is to create a vision. To set goals is to create your plan. To reach your goals is to build your dream. To believe is to make your dreams come true. And to make your dreams come true is to become like God.

The Environment Is A Resource To Be Used...Not Abused.

I am not an environmentalist, but I like what nature has to offer. I love the outdoors and I feel a great desire to see that it is preserved that my children may enjoy the sites and activities that I have been able to enjoy.

That being said, I believe that God gave us this earth and its resources to be used and enjoyed, but not abused. It is our responsibility to take care of this earth. To be kind to our environment. To create technology that will enhance our environment, to increase the usefulness of our environment, and to renew our environment.

I believe that the current environmental movement has little to do with the environment and more to do with power and control. That, I see as an abuse of the environment. We must be careful in our fight against environmentalism not to throw out the proverbial baby with the bath water. We must be allowed to develop our technology at a natural pace or we will end up replacing the old technology before the new technology is ready.

Tend the garden God has given you. Take care of it, so that when the season ends it will bring forth fruit.

Sometimes Love Is Not Enough

You can ask anyone who has a long lasting happy marriage and they will tell you that marriage is a constant decision to like the person you are married to.
Those who allow their emotions to control their temperament, or their attractions will eventually be disappointed in their own decisions. They will find themselves seeking happiness but unable to commit to what will truly make them happy. Emotions like a fire make wonderful servants, but terrible masters. Learn to control your feelings or your feelings will destroy you.
It is the commitment to Love that gets you through what emotions might otherwise destroy. Enjoy emotions while you have them, but do not make your decisions based upon them or you will find yourself impoverished, financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Many marriages end because one person felt they could not help liking another. They loved their spouse, but they made the mistake of following their feelings to their own destruction. Sometimes love is not enough, it takes commitment as well.

Life Is Precious

There are no more important questions we can ask ourselves than, Where did we come from? Why are we here? And, where are going after this life?

The answer to these questions make life precious, make family precious, and make YOU precious.

The Worth Of Your Soul

What happens to us in this life does not determine our value. You may think you are less valuable because you have been abused, beaten, and broken. Your value is not in what has happened to you, but in who you are. You are a child of God. No matter what has happened to you or what will happen to you that will not change. Nor will his love for you.

Change....

A marriage can be strengthened or destroyed on one word....Change.... 

A marriage requires two people constantly changing, constantly becoming better for each other. The sad thing is many of us get married then forget we are in it together. Instead of growing old together we grow apart. 

We often marry someone because we felt they had characteristics which we needed in our lives to be happy. As soon as we get married we begin trying to change one another instead of becoming more like one another. Find your spouses strengths and try to become like them. 

Change together, Grow together. Grow together, Stay together.

How Do You See Freedom?

I believe that the Spirit of Freedom is the Spirit of God. I believe that our freedoms are inherently attached to our  God given agency. Without the ability to exercise our agency we can not progress. To be forced to do what is right takes away our agency and takes away our own ability to figure out what is right or what is wrong.

How we see freedom often times shows our attitude towards it. Do we see what freedom has done for others? Or do we look at what freedom has done to others? Do we see what freedom will do for others? Or do we see what freedom may do to others? How do we use the freedoms we have? Do we even know what freedoms we do have?
I personally choose to see what freedom does for the majority of those who live within its influence. Freedom, however, is like money or a gun, used in the right hands is a blessing to the barer and a benefit to those around them. In the wrong hands it is a curse to themselves and a danger to those around them.

Where much is given much is expected... It is our responsibility to protect our own agency by doing what we know is right. It is our responsibility protect our freedoms by understanding them and by electing those who will defend our rights. And it is our responsibility to warn others of those things which will destroy both our agency and our freedoms.

Never Fear The Idea Of Facing Your Past

We all at times make decisions that we wish we hadn't, a decision that takes us on a path of decisions we shouldn't have made. Sometimes we invest ourselves in the belief that these decisions will pay off, even though we feel uneasy about staying the course. Sometimes these decisions lead us into extremely dangerous territory, even though we do not realize it at the time.

Being committed to a task is a good thing, but when we feel obligated to the task, more so than we feel obligated to doing what we know we should, we stand the real possibility of putting ourselves and others in danger. 

Prepare yourself to face the decisions you have made, and faith will be your guide, repentance your shield, and the truth your sword in delivering you from your past. Love and triumph will be your reward. 

A Vacation Adventure We Will Not Soon Forget.

A vacation is just a vacation if you don't have episodes of Man vs. Wild or Dual Survival dancing through your heads.....

Before I start to make myself look foolish. Please take note do not do what you read about in this story. It was not the most brilliant thing I have done, but having survived it, I can now say that I have probably seen more of Capital Reef than anyone should in a mini van. Stay on the paved roads and you will get to actually enjoy, the Park much more. Although it does take some of the adventure out of it.

We started our adventure leaving Salt Lake City about an hour later than we had planned, but still not a bad start.

On our way down to Capital Reef National Park in the southern part of our state, we decided our atlas was not detailed enough so we better get a map, which is not as easy to find nowadays as you might think. I guess GPS is the way to go, but what happens if all those satellites get blown out of the sky? Or even worse what happens if our battery dies? Will we ever be able to read maps again? So, we decided get a map and do it the old fashioned way.

Who would have thunk you would have to go clear to Nephi to find a gas station that sells maps. Geewizz, Oh well, so we got our map and headed south on I-15 all was going well we had it planned until DeeAnn started looking at the map. :) Okay so, in her defense, had I been in charge of the map I probably would have done the same thing. But I wasn't so I can say she did it.

Our Hotel was in Torrey, so we left the comfort of I-15 and headed toward the east taking a detour from our destination we drove up to view Fish Lake. The colors were incredible and the lake was gorgeous the blues and yellows were simply unbelievable.


However, not wanting to be too distracted we headed towards Loa, when DeeAnn saw that there was road that would take us to Cathedral Valley on the upper portion of Capital Reef National Park. She said it was a dirt road, but undeterred she said, "It's a National Park. Maybe the roads aren't that bad. Well knowing me, this was just an invite to take the mini van on dirt.... I am game. Woot!!!

So, we went past the Loa turn off, and up through Fremont. We found the road that would take us to over to Cathedral Valley. About 8 miles into the dirt road we saw an over look point. It was simply beautiful. The colorful red and white cliffs where so magnificent and intriguing. The road, by-the-way was nice enough, that it felt safe enough to continue...so we did.

As we began to descend down toward the brilliant red and white cliffs that we saw, we passed from Fish Lake National Forrest into the Capital Reef National Park at which time we stopped briefly to pick up an information pamphlet. Which might have been nice to have read it earlier when our heads were clear enough to think straight and before we could see that the road really wasn't "that bad," except now we could clearly see that the warning for high clearance vehicles and 4wheel drive did not apply to us in our mini van.

After seeing that there were 2 roads through the area we thought taking the lower one would take us to the other side of the Park and closer to our destination of Torrey a little faster, so we proceeded. We stopped briefly to over look Cathedral Valley got back in the van and headed down the road. Oh yes I did fail to say that this at about 2:30 at this point. 29 miles of dirt road how bad could that be?

After about a mile a portion of the road had a pretty good sized hole in it but I thought... now this is a dangerous thing to say, because I know that I leave myself very vulnerable when I say that, but... I thought that if I stayed to the right I could... Well I couldn't and we got high centered. Bummer deal except we had a shovel and the sand was really easy to dig. I put a log in the hole and just under my tire and we were able to get past that obstacle in little to know time. After a prayer of gratitude for deliverance we proceeded forward. Just another story to tell....

We could have turned back but I really didn't want to face that hole again so, we thought lets just see what we can see. we stopped to see some incredible sights, but continued down the road. As we got down in the bottoms, last weeks rains were very evident as the road in several places had been washed out. leaving the road somewhat rough in places, but nothing that would "require" 4wheel drive. So, we proceeded as we approached the half way mark the wash outs started getting to the "almost need 4wheel drive" point, but we were handling it pretty good. Besides after that first little incident, I did not want to face that hole again if I didn't have to.

At about the end of the low lands we had one significant drop into the river bed, but still it was not enough worry me too much because the other side looked do able and we certainly weren't going to have to face it again. So, we went forward undaunted. After that everything went pretty smooth for the next 10 miles or so. We are now about 4:00 pm....

After driving through the Bentonite Hills, that was kinda funky. the crust on top of soil was crunchy, but it was soft and kinda silty underneath. We passed an old mining truck or water pump truck that had been abandoned years ago along on our way over to the promised land...


We knew we were getting close, our anticipation and anxiousness to be off this road was getting pretty high when we came over the top of this hill and saw the power poles about a quarter mile across a small valley full of greenery, which in and of itself was hopeful when sage brush and cactus and an occasional juniper tree were all the signs of life we had seen for miles.

We descended the hill with feeling relieved it was almost over... Only to be stopped dead in our tracks. We had been following the tracks of another vehicle up to this point but they just ended. They didn't turn around. They didn't seem to stop but right in front of us was a dead end. We got out to investigate. Apparently God was telling us something we probably ignored him along the way several times, but this time He weren't going to be ignored. There was a boulder in the road. Not one of those measly little boulders the size of a compact car but one the size of a motor home.... Not cool.

This was about the time that Man vs. Wild and Dual Survival became a serious thought... This was about 5:30 and I knew we only had about an hour of sunlight before things would get more dicey. To top that off we were now looking at little over quarter tank of gas left.

Now that I knew the lay of the land I could go much faster on the roads back at least until we had to go through the wash areas again. Oh boy, the thought of facing those things which I did not want to look back at was pretty scary.

My daughter reminded us the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Which took on a new meaning as I began facing the consequences of the decisions I had made to go where I probably should not have in the first place. I faced my biggest fear approaching the last wash which was now the first wash. getting in the wash wash not to difficult, but as I gassed it to make the run to get up on the other side we spun.... My heart fell. I tried again and nothing... finally we had every one get out of the van and DeeAnn pushed me while I put the van in reverse. We got out of the rut, but still not out of the wash.

We had everyone climb up on the other side of the wash so that I was the only one in the van. I do not believe I have said a more fervent prayer as I asked the Lord to guide me through this wash.. I pushed on the gas and moved around the area I had already been stuck in once and caught the only perfect angle that allowed me a smooth exits from the wash.

The rest of the ride back went fairly quickly with little incident. An occasional thump of an unseen wash, but not too bad. I was racing the sun at this point so a few small bumps I was willing to deal with. With Lauree reading the Book of Mormon in the background. We made it back to the first hole and a little maneuvering of the log and we got up no problem. It was 7:30 now and it was dark, but we were past the point of feeling in danger... Little did we know just how much danger we might have been in.

We made it back to the Highway and through Fremont, when we realized that we needed gas sooner than later and not knowing how far it was passed Loa, to the next town we thought we better stop and fill up.

Now, small towns Utah shut down at dark... No lights were on at any of the two gas stations in town so at the second station we, out of desperation checked to see if the pumps were still active. Thank goodness it was so we filled up. Only when I went to start the car it wouldn't start... talk about feeling helpless.... We pushed the van over to the station office and grabbed our stuff and were headed to the Snuggle Inn a couple of blocks back on the drag of Loa, Utah when a woman asked us if we could use a ride. We accepted and she gave us all the information we would need, come the next day.

We hadn't eaten but the nice gentleman who worked at the hotel eatery said he would make us a pizza even though he was just about to leave for the night... Oh, the kindness we received in Loa, I would not hesitate moving there if I knew I could make a living there.

I would tell you about the rest of our adventure, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as our first day. The second day we told the Rangers about the boulder to which they said, "that road is closed." Yeah, well it would have been nice to tell us that. We told them they might want to post it so no one else tries taking their mini van through. :)

Turns out our battery was dead. So, we ate breakfast paid for our battery and were on our way. A couple of stops in Capital Reef, a pie in Fruita, a look at the Petroglyphs, and on to Goblin Valley. As much fun as we had on the dirt road I think Goblin Valley was by far the best way to end our activities for this adventure. From there we headed home.

A vacation we shall not soon forget.

But I tell you I drive a mean mini van...

Do Not Blame Yourself, Nor Deny Your Children....

There are too many things that our children are having to face when they are not emotionally prepared to deal with them. It is our responsibility as adults to protect our children, however, when we are unsuccessful at stopping it, we must not blame ourselves, and deny them comfort. We must teach our children how to deal with those emotional traumas that have been thrust upon them.

In our frustration and helplessness we can not afford to think our own problems are greater than our children. Be strong but gentle. Be firm but giving. Be willing to cry. Teach them the temporal nature of pain, the eternal principle of forgiveness, and the power of God to heal.
We must learn to be their rainbow at the end of the storm.

When Our Last Leaf Falls....There Is Hope...

 Autumn is a natural time to reflect back on what you have accomplished through the year. The leaves that once provided shade now have painted our  memory with their beautiful colors and finally have fallen to the ground to remind us of our own mortality.
It is amazing to me the patterns that we can see in life are patterns that follow us through time. Each day is born in darkness shares its light then fades back into darkness.

Just as today is time to prepare for tomorrow, Spring is the time to prepare for winter. When the sun rises we know at the end of the day it will set. This days tasks must be done before the day ends so that we can rest.

At the end of the day it is nice to be able to reflect back on what we have accomplished during the day and hopefully we have a little time to enjoy the sunset.

And when we reach into the autumn of our life, when our leaves have turned color and our last leaf is about to fall. We can be assured that our time has not been wasted. Others have found comfort in our shade and enjoyed the color of the memories we have shared. It is then that we begin to look forward with hope, knowing that Winter is followed by Spring. Life does not end at death. Death is but the beginning of a New Life.

Anger Is A Demon

Anger is a demon that ravages your mind until your body loses control leaving you feeling empty, cold, demoralized. Anger is something that we must get under control or it will take over our lives. Often times those things which cause us to get angry are not that important anyways. The best description of anger or grudges is this: "Holding a grudge is like drinking poison hoping someone else will die."


Anger like any demon can be harnessed and used to create change, but you must remain in control or it will turn on you and devour you. It has no loyalty to you and it never will. It is better to get rid of it all together, but if you are prone to it's power you must keep it under control use that power to serve others and you will defeat it.

Pray always and when you feel its presence drop to your knees for you are never stronger than when you call upon your Savior for help. In this way your weakness can become your strength.

We Thank Thee, Oh God, For A Prophet

Our Heavenly Father has given us a wonderful gift. What is that gift? It is the gift of a Prophet in these latter days. I testify to you that God is not silent, He speaks to us today as He did in days of old. He has not left man to wander in darkness, but has given them light and knowledge and has challenged us to prove Him.

I do not expect you to take my word for it. As in all matters concerning God and truth, ask God himself and see if the Holy Ghost does not testify of the truthfulness to you. I promise you God will answer your prayers. He is your Father he loves you he wants you to know he loves you.

Who is Your Neighbor?

Sometimes laws are created in an attempt to legislate love. The problem with creating a law to legislate love, is that so long as their is a law on the books with the threat of retaliation for disobedience to that law, you can not know if love is the motivation for obedience.


Laws are a threat to freedom. It is our responsibility to control our own actions that laws are not needed. When laws are not needed then we will realize the power of freedom.



God gave us freedom knowing that failure was possible. He knew that we would make mistakes. With freedom comes a great responsibility. The responsibility to change, to become better, to improve our surroundings, to love our neighbor and expand our definition of who our neighbor is.
 Teach your children to become better than you and to love more. Encourage them to recognize their conscience that they may understand what is right and what is wrong from within, so that laws are not needed.

Why Use A Fly Swatter

Some people go through life with the attitude why use a fly swatter when you have a hatchet or a sledge hammer? They seem never to learn that they can do more good by treating others well than by trying to bully them into being what they want them to be, believe, or do.

 If what you have to say is good, you will not have to sell it, it will sell itself. If what you have to say is bad, not even the sledge hammer can make it look good, although some may be convinced just to save themselves the headache.

Don't Be Distracted By The Unimportant

Last Friday I was taking pictures at the pine wood derby. I thought that I had chosen the prime location sitting right at the end of the track. As the races began I started taking pictures. I got a few pictures in and I looked at what I had taken. They were out of focus and frankly quite uninteresting. I changed my position slightly and took some more pictures but it seemed the same results. I just didn't feel it.

 It wasn't until after the derby that I realized I was taking the wrong pictures. I should have been taking pictures of the boys. I began to imagine what the boys faces must have looked like as their cars came down the track. Oh, what pictures I could have taken.



It was then that I realized that when we focus on the wrong things life may seem out of focus and uninteresting.

When we make the unimportant the focus of our attention we tend to ignore the people who are important.