You Are On My MInd

Some years ago, Becky and I received a handwritten letter from a person. In the letter this person expressed their appreciation for the way that we were raising our young children. The man thanked us for being kind and gentle with them and talking nicely to them. He told us that he had watched our approach to raising our children and was grateful for the way we were trying to do it. This man and his wife had already raised their children and so for a letter to come from him, I knew that he knew of the experiences we were going through. We appreciated that very much. The older I have gotten the more grateful I am that he would take a few minutes and pen his feelings that would then encourage and buoy us up in our parenting approach.
I would encourage each of us to do something similar to that. If there is someone who is on your mind and you will take a minute to express your appreciation for them, it will lift them higher than anything else.
I am so grateful for the kind words that come from others. It is those acts of kindness that help get us through the various endeavors that we will pursue.

Focus On The Positive

When I began this blog, on January 1, my original thought was that I would write something that would uplift and help focus on the good things of life. It has been meaningful to me and helpful because it forces me to look at the positive things that are happening in the world that we live. There are many good things happening we just have to look.
Because we all have our freedom to make choices, sometimes that means that the decisions we make are not the best ones possible. That goes for everybody. It becomes very easy to see the horrible things that people do because the media magnifies them and they become all that society can think about. Let me assure you that those terrible things are the minority. Unfortunately, all of the good that is happening simultaneously is not being broadcast so it appears to not be going on. It is indeed! A lot of people choose to spend their time contributing in a positive way to help our world be better. If you find yourself being a pessimist, stop right there and look a little bit closer and you'll see what I'm talking about. You will find the good that I'm talking about and you will feel better about your surroundings. It's a great life!

The Rodeo Is On

There are things that we all long to do. Tonight is the 'Days of 47' rodeo at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. Nat has wanted to go to this for a few years. Tonight, her and Laurel are at the rodeo and having a great time of it. I love the excitement that comes from somebody doing something they have always wanted to do. A few years ago, my sixty year old mom took the more than three hundred foot jump off of the bridge at Victoria Falls in South Africa with a bungee cord around her ankles. It is still thrilling to hear her talk about that adrenaline-filled jump that she thoroughly enjoyed. I am grateful for the joy that comes from doing something you always wanted to do. It thrills my heart!

Use Your Tongue Wisely

It is a great blessing to be able to communicate with one another and be uplifted in our lives by the words that we speak. Our tongues are also one of the most deadly weapons. I spoke with a woman who is a victim of serious verbal abuse from a former husband of twenty years. Once she divorced him and received some counseling to help work through the various issues that she had her life has gotten back to a semi-normal state and the future looks bright. Her trials were battled through the awful use of the tongue. We have heard it our whole lives but let me say it again. Be a person who speaks kindly and gently, especially to your spouse and children. I want to be a person that Becky and our children can trust without reservation. I want them to feel safe when they're around me. I want them to feel peace and security--PERIOD! Let that be the same for each one of us.

Love At Home

Our girls arrived home from Girl's camp and it was so nice to be at home as an entire family. When we sat around the table for dinner, my heart was overjoyed as I looked at each member of our family and wondered how the time has flown by and everyone has gotten so big. What a rich blessing it is to be a family. Neither Becky and I like that life is cruising by so quickly. It is neat to watch the various things unfold in the lives of each person in our family. It seems important to say that we all need to enjoy things in 'the moment'. You blink and everyone is grown and the memories are what you have to remember. The positive side is that there are always more memories to make. I am thankful to be a husband and a father. Those two titles bring me the greatest joy.

In His Image

I had a conversation with our son Brady.  We talked about how differently our bodies are built--the shape, size.  We talked at length about the way our Heavenly Father intended for us to be.  I told Brady how important it is to realize and better understand the uniqueness of every single person.  He meant for us to be the way we are. 
That leads me to my thought for the day.  If the idea is important enough to the One who created us then how much should it mean to us that we are okay with who and how we are.
We are created in His image.  We all have divine characteristics that come from a divine Maker.
There are things that each of us are dissatisfied with about our bodies but we ought to try hard to be happy and content with who we are!
Brady and I had a meaningful conversation and I hope that he remembers it his whole life.  I hope I will do better and remembering exactly who I am and the blessings that are so freely given to me.

I Hadn't Thought Of That

Today, I went to the admissions office at the University of Utah. I was stunned at how young some of the kids look that are currently enrolled. My mind raced at the reality that a year from now our oldest will be walking on campus at a university and some forty year old dude will go home and tell his wife how young the kids were walking around campus.
It brought a refreshing youthfulness to my heart. I feel proud that these kids are moving on to the next level of education so as to prepare and build a solid foundation for their future.
I am grateful for knowledge. It is exciting to learn new things and to be taught by those who have educated themselves and are then willing to teach those of us that could use a little bit.
Life is a great big school. Learning enriches the mind and is invigorating to the soul.