Thursday, October 30, 2008
I mentioned during the last entry about the volleyball tournament that my daughter Erin played in last Saturday. She started playing at 8 am, and we thought that the day would go like other days had gone, and she would be done at about 3 or 4 pm. Well her team just kept winning, and finally made it to the championship game at 8:30 pm! They played well, but ended up losing the championship. Erin put in a lot of playing time during the day, but was very glad when it was over. She played well and has a lot of talent in the sport. I was babysitting all of my kids that day, and I was really glad when it was over!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Elder Ballard and blogging
I have been trying to implement Elder Ballard's counsel, when he says "Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration." As I visit different religious sites such as beliefnet.com, I am finding it difficult to adjust to a religious/internet culture that very much likes to debate for the sake of debating, but for the most part has very little interest in truly learning about the church. It seems like a waste of time to participate in those discussions when they are at best simple discussions, and at worst vulgar diatribes against the church and the gospel as the LDS church preaches it. Still, I tell myself that I may never know who is influenced by something I might say, so I will continue to participate. Perhaps there is a better way than what I am doing? Maybe a better way will present itself to me as I learn more about blogging and the different sites available.
On a family note, tomorrow my daughter Erin is playing in her volleyball finals. The tournament is double elimination, so they will play until they lose, or until they win the whole thing! I am proud of her for playing so hard even when some days she would rather not. She is learing about what it means to play on a team, and what it means to stick with something until she sees it through till the end. Jennifer, my wife, planned and put on a wonderful ward fall party tonight, with a carnival for all the kids and visiting and companionship for the adults. She works hard and does a great job at her calling. I have more to say about my children, but will wait until I get their pictures on here before I brag about them. (Besides, it's 12:33 a.m. It's time for my bed!)
On a family note, tomorrow my daughter Erin is playing in her volleyball finals. The tournament is double elimination, so they will play until they lose, or until they win the whole thing! I am proud of her for playing so hard even when some days she would rather not. She is learing about what it means to play on a team, and what it means to stick with something until she sees it through till the end. Jennifer, my wife, planned and put on a wonderful ward fall party tonight, with a carnival for all the kids and visiting and companionship for the adults. She works hard and does a great job at her calling. I have more to say about my children, but will wait until I get their pictures on here before I brag about them. (Besides, it's 12:33 a.m. It's time for my bed!)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Some time away.....
This last weekend my family and I went to my in-laws cabin at Dry Lakes, up near Brian Head. Normally on the opening weekend of the deer hunt we go to my wife's extended family deer camp, about 30 miles west of St. George. Our lives have been so out of control these last few months that we felt like we needed some alone time just for our family. As our kids get older they are becoming involved in more and more stuff, leaving less and less time for our family unit.
Erin is in her eighth year of piano, as well as taking violin lessons and playing volleyball. We sent her to a volleyball camp at BYU in August, and it really helped her skills. She plays on Saturdays starting at 8 am and usually plays until 3 or 4 pm, at different schools all over the county. Also Joshua plays soccer and is taking piano, Jacob plays flag football and is taking piano, and Abigail is in gymnastics. Jen is constantly busy with her church calling, taking meals to people, and running kids to doctor appointments, carpooling, and piano practice. She also babysits two children during the day.
Then there is my time. I work 50 hours per week at my job. My calling as Bishop takes 20-30 hours per week, and I try and help at home as much as I can. It seems like every minute of the day is filled with something, which can be a difficult adjustment for someone who grew up in an environment where I had plenty of time to do what I wanted. I worked on a farm, so I learned to work hard, but when I had time, it was mine to do with as I pleased. So to find some time away, like this last weekend when I went to the cabin with my family, was very special time. I don't want anyone to think that I regret my current life. I don't. I would not change my life or my family or my calling or anything else that is taking up my time, but it does get a little crazy sometimes, and time off is very welcome.
Erin is in her eighth year of piano, as well as taking violin lessons and playing volleyball. We sent her to a volleyball camp at BYU in August, and it really helped her skills. She plays on Saturdays starting at 8 am and usually plays until 3 or 4 pm, at different schools all over the county. Also Joshua plays soccer and is taking piano, Jacob plays flag football and is taking piano, and Abigail is in gymnastics. Jen is constantly busy with her church calling, taking meals to people, and running kids to doctor appointments, carpooling, and piano practice. She also babysits two children during the day.
Then there is my time. I work 50 hours per week at my job. My calling as Bishop takes 20-30 hours per week, and I try and help at home as much as I can. It seems like every minute of the day is filled with something, which can be a difficult adjustment for someone who grew up in an environment where I had plenty of time to do what I wanted. I worked on a farm, so I learned to work hard, but when I had time, it was mine to do with as I pleased. So to find some time away, like this last weekend when I went to the cabin with my family, was very special time. I don't want anyone to think that I regret my current life. I don't. I would not change my life or my family or my calling or anything else that is taking up my time, but it does get a little crazy sometimes, and time off is very welcome.
Monday, October 13, 2008
General Conference
We have always told our children that when they turned eight years old, we would take them to see general conference in SLC. So when my oldest daughter turned 8, I took her to general conference. Then when my son Joshua turned 8, we just didn't get around to it. Now, he's eleven years old, and I was able to get two tickets for the Sunday afternoon session. It was a good opportunity to spend some time with my son, and now that Jeff and Harmony are back from that foreign country (ie, Texas), I was able to spend some time with their family and stay with them Saturday night. I had not seen them for a long time, and we stayed up far too late talking, but I had a great time, and my son did not want to leave when it was time to go.
Sunday morning we left for the conference center in SLC. Traffic wasn't too bad, and we arrived at about 11 am. We wandered around Temple Square for a time, then made our way toward the conference center. We had to pass all of the protesters, and a couple of them were quite vocal. I was told that I was stupid, blind, going to hell, and that I stank (?). Anyway, in spite of that we made it to the conference center. One of the highlights for me was being there with my son. He turns twelve in January and I will be able to ordain him to the priesthood, I wanted this to be a positive stepping-stone for him toward that goal. I think he enjoyed being there, although sitting still for that long was difficult for him. I hope that he will have fond memories of being there, and of hearing the prophet speak in person.
My wife and I are not going take our kids one at a time anymore, though. Next time we are taking the whole family!
Sunday morning we left for the conference center in SLC. Traffic wasn't too bad, and we arrived at about 11 am. We wandered around Temple Square for a time, then made our way toward the conference center. We had to pass all of the protesters, and a couple of them were quite vocal. I was told that I was stupid, blind, going to hell, and that I stank (?). Anyway, in spite of that we made it to the conference center. One of the highlights for me was being there with my son. He turns twelve in January and I will be able to ordain him to the priesthood, I wanted this to be a positive stepping-stone for him toward that goal. I think he enjoyed being there, although sitting still for that long was difficult for him. I hope that he will have fond memories of being there, and of hearing the prophet speak in person.
My wife and I are not going take our kids one at a time anymore, though. Next time we are taking the whole family!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Same-sex marriages/Proposition 8
I am saddened by the lack of understanding that people have about this issue. So many seem to react to it, rather than to think the matter through, and then make a choice based upon their religious belief system and what is best for the country. I hear a lot of people talk about "equal rights" and "fairness" when it comes to this subject. Those are generally reactions to the topic, political and social bandwagons that people jump on to be heard or to feel like they are helping an "oppressed" minority. They don't really think about the legal, social, and religious ramifications of legalizing same-sex marriages.
I was reading a comment this morning in the Deseret News about this topic. I wrote a response to it, although it didn't allow me as much room as I wanted. Here is the comment, then I will post my response.
Comment:
I am so glad I left Utah. No church or government has a right to say who someone should love. Gay marriage will not hurt the institution of marriage. On the contrary, it will give all people the rights that those of us who are not gay have.
This is a matter of equality. It truly is about equal rights, not just marriage. As someone once told me, "You spent $50 to get a marriage license, we spent $1,500 to have an attorney draw up powers of attorney to protect our relationship."
Shame on the LDS Church for giving misleading information to its members and the public at large through this and other newspapers.
My response:
"Gay marriage will not hurt the institution of marriage" How wrong you are, Christina. Marriage between a man and a woman is a beautiful institution whereby a couple comes together to participate in the bringing forth of God's spirit children, something only a man and a woman can do. Marriage between two men or two women cannot accomplish that, so what would be the purpose? You try and sidestep that question by saying that this is really about "equal rights." You should know, Christina that by jumping on that bandwagon you have weakened your own argument. There are no rights without responsibilites, and since a gay couple cannot have the responsibility of having children, why do they need the right of marriage? Social status? Acceptance? Being married will not accomplish those things, only being good people and citizens will do that. And don't tell me that they can adopt children as a responsibility. A person doesn't need to be married to adopt children. I wish I had more room to write further, but know this: To allow marriage between two men or women cheapens the institution of marriage.
So what are the legal, social and religious ramifications of allowing same sex marriages? Well, let's take Proposistion 8. If Proposition 8 does not pass, then same-sex marriages will remain legal in the state. What does this mean legally for religious institutions? Clergy are legally able to perform marriages, but what if a same-sex couple wants to be married by a clergyman, or inside a church, or both? Chances are the church/clergyman would refuse such a request, which would put them in direct opposition to the law. What would the state do then? Would the same-sex couple be allowed to sue the church/clergyman? Would the state be forced to take action against the organization of whatever church it is because they would be in violation of the law? And, if so, does not that action violate one of the very founding ideas upon which this country is built? I can see the potential headlines now: "State shuts down church for refusing to marry same-sex couple!" Viewed this way, this California law allowing same-sex marriages is the beginning of an attack up America herself, though i'm sure these reactionaries who support it have not thought that far ahead.
What about the social ramifications? The family, composed of father, mother, and children, is the basic unit of society. It is through the family that children are born, raised, educated, are taught morals, principles of work, and good citizenship. If you take the standard family away, then upon whom does the responsibility fall? The schools, the states, and the nation. Without going into detail, I think that those are a poor substitute for a family. Also, as this happens over generations, then eventually those who have not been properly taught, who don't know how to work, etc, will outnumber those who do. What happens then? I think we are seeing some of fruits of that in our country now, with those who want to legalize same-sex marriage, not to mention the financial crises that has been caused by many dishonest people. I realize that is a generalization, but if the majority of people in the business and financial worlds were more interested in integrity than in interest, perhaps this crisis would not have happened at all.
What about the religious ramifications? I must begin by saying that my world view is completely filtered through the lens of christian religious teaching, and I do not apologize for it. It is my belief that the United States of America was founded by God upon principles of christian thought and behavior and if we choose to leave those principles, or vote them out, then we will reap the whirlwind. The truth of the doctrine that God has given to man concerning marriage cannot be changed simply because people vote it to change. We are not in this life to change God's doctrine, but to learn to accept it and to live by it. If we do so, we will reap the rewards promised to his faithful servants in the scriptures. If we do not, we risk cutting ourselves off from Him and from His spirit, at which time we are left to our own knowledge and strength. Furthermore, if the United States is founded upon christian principles, what will happen to the country when we depart from those principles? How long can America last? I don't know the answer, but I don't think it would be long.
This has been quite a long post. Perhaps I have rambled some, but it has cleared my thoughts.
I was reading a comment this morning in the Deseret News about this topic. I wrote a response to it, although it didn't allow me as much room as I wanted. Here is the comment, then I will post my response.
Comment:
I am so glad I left Utah. No church or government has a right to say who someone should love. Gay marriage will not hurt the institution of marriage. On the contrary, it will give all people the rights that those of us who are not gay have.
This is a matter of equality. It truly is about equal rights, not just marriage. As someone once told me, "You spent $50 to get a marriage license, we spent $1,500 to have an attorney draw up powers of attorney to protect our relationship."
Shame on the LDS Church for giving misleading information to its members and the public at large through this and other newspapers.
My response:
"Gay marriage will not hurt the institution of marriage" How wrong you are, Christina. Marriage between a man and a woman is a beautiful institution whereby a couple comes together to participate in the bringing forth of God's spirit children, something only a man and a woman can do. Marriage between two men or two women cannot accomplish that, so what would be the purpose? You try and sidestep that question by saying that this is really about "equal rights." You should know, Christina that by jumping on that bandwagon you have weakened your own argument. There are no rights without responsibilites, and since a gay couple cannot have the responsibility of having children, why do they need the right of marriage? Social status? Acceptance? Being married will not accomplish those things, only being good people and citizens will do that. And don't tell me that they can adopt children as a responsibility. A person doesn't need to be married to adopt children. I wish I had more room to write further, but know this: To allow marriage between two men or women cheapens the institution of marriage.
So what are the legal, social and religious ramifications of allowing same sex marriages? Well, let's take Proposistion 8. If Proposition 8 does not pass, then same-sex marriages will remain legal in the state. What does this mean legally for religious institutions? Clergy are legally able to perform marriages, but what if a same-sex couple wants to be married by a clergyman, or inside a church, or both? Chances are the church/clergyman would refuse such a request, which would put them in direct opposition to the law. What would the state do then? Would the same-sex couple be allowed to sue the church/clergyman? Would the state be forced to take action against the organization of whatever church it is because they would be in violation of the law? And, if so, does not that action violate one of the very founding ideas upon which this country is built? I can see the potential headlines now: "State shuts down church for refusing to marry same-sex couple!" Viewed this way, this California law allowing same-sex marriages is the beginning of an attack up America herself, though i'm sure these reactionaries who support it have not thought that far ahead.
What about the social ramifications? The family, composed of father, mother, and children, is the basic unit of society. It is through the family that children are born, raised, educated, are taught morals, principles of work, and good citizenship. If you take the standard family away, then upon whom does the responsibility fall? The schools, the states, and the nation. Without going into detail, I think that those are a poor substitute for a family. Also, as this happens over generations, then eventually those who have not been properly taught, who don't know how to work, etc, will outnumber those who do. What happens then? I think we are seeing some of fruits of that in our country now, with those who want to legalize same-sex marriage, not to mention the financial crises that has been caused by many dishonest people. I realize that is a generalization, but if the majority of people in the business and financial worlds were more interested in integrity than in interest, perhaps this crisis would not have happened at all.
What about the religious ramifications? I must begin by saying that my world view is completely filtered through the lens of christian religious teaching, and I do not apologize for it. It is my belief that the United States of America was founded by God upon principles of christian thought and behavior and if we choose to leave those principles, or vote them out, then we will reap the whirlwind. The truth of the doctrine that God has given to man concerning marriage cannot be changed simply because people vote it to change. We are not in this life to change God's doctrine, but to learn to accept it and to live by it. If we do so, we will reap the rewards promised to his faithful servants in the scriptures. If we do not, we risk cutting ourselves off from Him and from His spirit, at which time we are left to our own knowledge and strength. Furthermore, if the United States is founded upon christian principles, what will happen to the country when we depart from those principles? How long can America last? I don't know the answer, but I don't think it would be long.
This has been quite a long post. Perhaps I have rambled some, but it has cleared my thoughts.
Hello any and all!
I have started this blog because I wanted a place to explore my own thoughts, and to have thoughtful discussions with all who may want to comment. Primarily this will be a blog about my family, but from time to time I will also post my thoughts about my LDS religion and the social issues of the day that will affect it. At first I was a little nervous about starting a blog because it seemed a little embarrassing to think that I might have something to say that others might read. After all, are there not already endless comments about endless topics, all over the internet? What can I add to the discussion? However, I realized that not only are my comments as valid as everyone else's, but the one unique thing that I can contribute is my personal belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and when it comes to faith in Christ, there cannot be too many voices raised in support.
So, I extend a welcome to everyone, and ask that you keep your comments clean and appropriate, or they WILL be deleted. Thank you.
I have started this blog because I wanted a place to explore my own thoughts, and to have thoughtful discussions with all who may want to comment. Primarily this will be a blog about my family, but from time to time I will also post my thoughts about my LDS religion and the social issues of the day that will affect it. At first I was a little nervous about starting a blog because it seemed a little embarrassing to think that I might have something to say that others might read. After all, are there not already endless comments about endless topics, all over the internet? What can I add to the discussion? However, I realized that not only are my comments as valid as everyone else's, but the one unique thing that I can contribute is my personal belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and when it comes to faith in Christ, there cannot be too many voices raised in support.
So, I extend a welcome to everyone, and ask that you keep your comments clean and appropriate, or they WILL be deleted. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)