Thirteen Turtle Day

As part of our faith & works in action, we have begun to do more walking together. The closest location for this activity is about a mile away, at Gene Coulon Park. If you walk from one end to the other (including walkouts on the docks & all the way to the Boeing Renton plant in front of the waterfront condos) it's about 2.75 miles round trip. Gentle paved slopes, beautiful greenery, flowering trees & bushes & lots of animal life.

When we walk in the evening, we see more turtles than in the early day. Most days, we might see 2-4 turtles sunning themselves on rocks & logs floating in the water. One day a few weeks ago, we saw THIRTEEN! They were everywhere. Big ones, Little ones, green backs, black backs, coppery-rust backs with green or yellow bellies. Some loners, some sunning in groups. It's a highlight of our walk to watch for these gentle creatures.

Caution: Faith & Works in Progress

We have been working on putting our lives in order, reaching for a higher plane. This last month we reached a major goal....

We are finally out of debt! (Yeah Dave Ramsey!)

Except for our home in Oregon, we have no monthly debt payments, not directly associated with our neccesary living expenses. (i.e. rent, electric, gas, food etc.) It feels great! We are now preparing & saving money to stay out of debt. My six year old car will soon need major transmission work, we want to pay cash, not make payments for it's repair.

I love the feeling of being out of debt! We've come a long way. I never want to go there again.

Another way that we're putting our lives in order is to be more careful about what we eat. A couple of months ago, we adopted a new eating plan that eliminates sugar and allows moderate amounts of lean meats, healthy carbs, fruits & vegetables. We measured ourselves when we started & again at six weeks and were surprised at the results.

We each lost 6 inches of belly fat! I had to remeasure twice I thought there had been a mistake.


Tom won't go shopping for new pants yet,(frugal habits) he just keeps cinching up his belt.

We're planning a major wardrobe update in July.

I feel so much better. My health issues have diminished. I have more energy. I'm happier and more peaceful. It's worth giving up sugar to feel that way. It reminds me of Shadrack, Meshack & Abednago in the Old Testament. They wouldn't eat the kings' rich food, because they knew their bodies would be healthier without it. They eventually ran faster & learned more than the rest of their group because they treated their bodies well.

Faith & Works in Progress.

Perspectives

In my recent readings I came across a phrase that jumped off the page. I'll start a few lines before. It's given me cause to reflect and better understand some of what I see happening out there.



"And still the hate grew. Public figures rose up, brainless and empty, spewing vile rhetoric against their own nations and the freedoms that had once made them great. Great leaders preached the loathing of anything decent or good. Hypocritical of the failings of virtue, endlessly forgiving of the failings of vice..."



Endlessly forgiving of the failings of vice...tolerant, embracing, accepting. Those who commit violent crimes and get out on parole, and/or get shortened sentences, again and again. Laws which are woefully inadequate in assigning commensurate punishment when compared to the gravity of the crime.

Hypocritical of the failings of virtue... Ones' whole life can be spent in honest pursuit of what is good, a single mistake or misunderstanding can destroy that. You don't even have to commit a crime, just have a vocal opponent spin scenarios of doubt, and your 'crime' is worse than decades of being a drug dealing dope addict. No opportunity given or permitted to defend your position. The truth can't be tolerated. The yellers and screamers don't want to hear it. It would interfere with the accepted myth they want to believe. Even a convicted criminal gets a day in court. Gossip is a vile activity. It's verbal assault, by stealth.



There are hundreds of examples of this paradox in literature and the news. Even more in individual communities and families. Lies have an origin and an inspiration.

I so appreciate the privilege of associating with people of good conscience. Mistakes are made (often :) ), but as we work through them, we help each other to become better. Truth is honored. I lift thee and thee lift me and we shall ascend together. This principle wouldn't work very well someone were to spread faulty perspectives in a forum that doesn't allow for correction and the influence of the spirit.

Food for thought.

Preparations for Tom's birthday

For the last year and a half, we have had major construction on a road near our home. (The road between our house & early morning seminary, our house & school etc.) the last year of that, the main throughfair has been closed while they reconstruct the May Creek Bridge. They have chosen Tom's birthday, July 16th, to officially open the new bridge.

What a birthday present! Savings on mileage, time & gas expenditures. :)


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Socialism & the War in Heaven

As I have listened to the news and read reports of major changes happening in our country (GM bailout, banking bailouts, government control of major industries, talk of socialized medicine, federalization of many other services etc.) and others around the world, it's been hard not to draw a few comparisons between what's happening now and our early beginnings in Heaven.

The word Socialism comes up a lot. This is what Wikipedia says about Socialism.

"Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equality for all individuals, with a fair or egalitarian method of compensation."

It's hard to pin down all the details because there are so many different views regarding exactly how Socialism should be administered. Basically, I think that most people who advocate Socialism, want everyone to have what they need. (or what they want) No one should be in want or without. This seems like a noble ambition. Taking care of those who cannot (or will not?) care for themselves or their families.

I've been pondering the principles behind the idea. It's not new. In fact it's been around since before the world was created.

Lucifer was the son of the morning. He was one of the great ones. He was our brother. He became so great, in fact, that he decided that he didn't need God to progress. He began a rebellion against God that eventually pulled away 1/3 of our brothers and sisters, before they were ever born. He disagreed with the Plan of Salvation proposed by our Father in Heaven. This plan would allow each individual to come to earth and make choices about what was most important to them. They would then need to live with the consequences of those choices and/or learn from them and progressively make better choices. This plan encourages growth, learning, progression and independence.

He didn't want people to have the agency to choose between good and evil, right & wrong, good-better-best. After all, they might make poor choices and then they would suffer and others would suffer. They might not ever return to our Father in Heaven. Failure. No, that couldn't be allowed. If Lucifer had his way, he would force everyone to follow his plan, and all would return safe and sound. No mention of rigging the test. (What is the test, if you already know everyone will pass, regardless of their choices?) He would be in charge of everyone and everything and ensure equality for all. This plan encourages stagnation, weakness and dependence on others.

No matter, it was a lie. Lucifer knew it wasn't possible, but it was so attractive an idea, that lots of our siblings fell for it anyway. He's not called the Father of Lies for nothing.

It's the same with earthly Socialism. It's an attractive idea, but not possible. You cannot force people to be equal. Equality must come through free will and the use of agency on the part of each individual involved. When a community follows the teachings of Christ and truly tries to implement them, they become more unified in purpose. When each person is seeking the interest of his neighbor, there will be no rich and poor, no bond and free. All are free together, and all share equally, of their own free will. The City of Enoch did it in the Old Testament. The Nephites did it after Christ taught them the gospel in America.

When a government agency tries to force everyone to be equal, by working to give everyone everything they need, it destroys the positive influence of agency. People are then taught to expect someone else to care for them. Why take care of your neighbors? I pay taxes for the government to do that. It encourages selfishness and laziness. Why should I work harder, it will just be taken away to give to someone else who soesn't work or doesn't want to work. The evil of the dole. I need to work as little as I can to get 'my fair share' or 'what I'm entitled to'.

Our current system, while it does allow for failure, (Just like the Plan of Salvation) helps people to learn about cause and effect. Consequences are real when you must live with your own choices. This process helps us to learn and grow and prepare ourselves to meet God. Part of this process is to willingly help our neighbors and to share what we have, but not remove from them the consequences of their choices.

I'm grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me enough to let me suffer through my poor choices and the poor choices of others while I learn about agency and how to use it. All of these experiences give me understanding and help prepare me to eventually return to him.

Happy Anniversary Tom!

This is Tom, and today is our 7th anniversary.

Tom is my dearest friend and most constant companion. I trust him like no other.

I love taking long walks together. It gives us a chance to talk and draw close without so many distractions. We discuss challenges & opportunities and make plans for the future.

I enjoy the time we spend taking car rides together for the same reason, (but not as much as the long walks!)

I enjoy our time doing geneology together and learning more about each other's family tree.

I enjoy working together in the same room, each on our own projects, no conversation, just being in the same place together. So much can be communicated without words, if you're listening.

This morning Tom woke up early to attend a 7:00am Priesthood Meeting with the Stake President. He didn't get to sleep until after midnight. His faithfulness in fulfilling his callings increases my love for him and strenthens my trust that he will do what's right, often with a notable personal sacrifice. His offering to the Lord.

Those who know me are aware that my ability to trust others has been significantly affected by a number of painful events that have transpired in my life. Some lessons come the hard way.

When Tom and I were dating, he told me that he loved me. My first response was to roll my eyes and express "Yeah, right." It took a while to recognize that this was a man whose talk matched his walk. If he said it, it was true.

(Unless he said it with a certain twinkle in his eye, and then you knew that his Irish ancestry was showing and he'd kissed the blarney stone, but that's another story :) )

Tom is an exceptional individual. He treats perfect strangers with uncommon respect and courtesy. He seems to always be on the lookout for small acts of kindness that will brighten someone else's day.

When an individual gets in his face with rude, offensive or untrue remarks, Tom doesn't react, he takes a thoughtful course of action designed to make a friend of the accuser if possible, and if not possible, to at least leave the man with some dignity when he recognizes his error.

Tom, these last seven years have gone by so fast. There have been many bumps in the road; changes of direction, tears, laughter & heartache, uncertainty, struggles to blend/understand two family styles with a minimum of stress, loss of employment, down-sizing & moving, changes of workplace, funerals, births, divorces & marriages, etc. Through it all, there has been understanding and hope. Things have a way of working out the way they need to.

Tom, I love you with all my heart & soul. Thank you for taking this walk with me.

Sandi

A number of years ago, I heard an interesting story. Someone wanted to know how the examples of others influences our ability and desire to keep trying even when things are difficult.

The project included a complicated set of blocks used to build a bridge. Two films were made demonstrating how to put the blocks together. In the first film, each block was put into place in the perfect order, there were no mistakes, no trial and error. The construction flowed seamlessly. In the second film, there were multiple trial and error attempts. Various avenues were explored and finally, the bridge was built. The first film was much shorter than the second.

The next step was to divide the learners into two groups. One group was shown the first film, the next group was shown the second film. Each group was then asked to construct the bridge of building blocks after viewing their instructional film.

When the two groups built their bridges, there was an interesting difference. Those in the group that saw the first film, of the perfect way to construct the bridge, were not very successful.

They would try to follow what they had seen, but when they couldn't duplicate the efforts of those they saw in the film, they gave up before the project was finished.

Those who saw the second film were much more successful in putting the bridge together. When they didn't do it perfectly the first time, they kept trying. They eventually figured it out and built the bridge.

Why am I writing about this?

As I look at my life, and the lives of those around me, it's not hard to see the imperfections. We're all human and prone to error. We're given instructions about how to meet our challenges and avoid the pitfalls that would cause us to waste time on useless tangents.

But, like the film, most of us don't do it right the first time. We learn our best lessons through trial and error. It's hard to watch others make choices that you believe will bring them pain and heartache. It takes a certain level of understanding and maturity to hold your piece (and your tongue) and let nature take it's course. We're each responsible for our own choices. We are taught. Sometimes we pay attention and sometimes we ignore it. The stuff that is ignored has a way of showing up over and over until we finally pay attention and learn the lesson that is before us.

When I think about this story, it helps me remember to be gentle with others and with myself while we're working on our bridges. :)