The Impact Of A Good Song

I was sitting in church and a choir sang a musical arrangement of a church hymn. The choir was made up of twelve people. I listened as they sang their individual parts and the harmony was beautiful. The sharing of their musical talents was the most stirring to my heart. I watched each member sing and they did so with enthusiasm. The chapel was filled with the beautiful music. I loved that there was no other background noise. Whether you are musically inclined or not doesn't matter. The influence of a song will touch the innermost parts of the human heart.

Lift Your Head High

An experience came to my remembrance. It happened when I was a young boy. I was present when a cousin of mine was wrestling in the championship match of his weight class. He too was young but a talented wrestler. The match was against a good friend of his so we all knew that there was going to be a winner and then someone would also take second place. As I think about that moment long ago I still get 'butterflies' in my stomach. They were equally matched and they understood how the other wrestled. I remember at a timeout my grandpa telling my cousin that he would give him a sizable amount of money if he won the match. My cousin was exhausted and I think grandpa was trying to give some sort of motivation to help breathe some new life into him. The matched resumed and there were back-and-forth points earned by both wrestlers. At the very end of the match my cousin had nothing left in his 'tank.' He let down his defensive guard and his opponent and good friend pinned him to the mat for a victory. I will never forget the tears of frustration that flowed from my cousin's eyes.
I have had and continue to experience my own frustrations. That is a fact of life. Because those are going to happen the secret seems to be to lift up your head and find what is good in what you consider to be an unfortunate situation.

I Believe

From the time that I was a young boy I have possessed a deep feeling of belief.  That belief is important in my life--those feelings are my life.
As a young boy my heart was stirred by the reality that there is so much more to life than what I see on the surface.  That reality has caused me to reflect each and every day.  
I want to be a good boy.  I want to do what is right.  I want to live a life that is worthy of the blessings that are in store when I choose the right.  That is the same for everybody.
I owe my parents for teaching and instilling in me the ability to recognize what is truly important.

Work Is A Good Thing

I have always felt that good hard work is a blessing.  At this point in my life I feel especially grateful for good employment and the opportunity to support my family. 
A recent conversation with a man I know solidified the fact that to work hard is imperative.  It doesn't mean that everything is always just the way you hope it will be but through dedication and hard work things seem to work out the way they need to.
I am thankful for the vision I have been blessed with to start something and then work hard to see it through.

Memories Are Great!

Last night I was in the kitchen and a song came into my mind that I haven't even thought about for a very long time.
It is a song written about the Biblical account of the Good Samaritan.  It's entitled "Do Likewise My Friend."
That parable is one of my favorites.  I love the account and the meaning it has for each one of us.

"Do likewise my friend, so simple the call, from the Greatest of all.  Do likewise my friend, and you shall live.  Do likewise my friend."

Those lyrics remind me of the obligation we have as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. 
I love that this particular song was recounted in my mind.  In fact, I went upstairs and pulled it up on YouTube and listened to it.
I want to follow the desire of my Father.  It's great knowledge to have!

Daddy, Are You There?

Our two boys and I attended a father and sons camp outing at the church owned property called Aspencrest.  It was a remarkable time and there was a fairly good showing from members of our ward. 
I need to share an experience with you that was profound and touching to my heart.
Early Saturday morning, I awakened by the sound of a small child crying.  I thought that it was a dream and so I listened carefully until I could hear the crying.  Soon a bright light shone in our tent and the young voice asked, "Are you there, daddy?"  I told the child that I was not his daddy but I asked him who he was.  He answered back with his name and I immediately knew that his tent was nearby where we were sleeping.  His father eventually heard the call from the child and he found his way.
You might not think this is that big of a deal but the parallel became very apparent to me. 
I know that my Father is there but there have been times in my life that I have needed His comfort and I have asked the same question the young child asked.  "Are you there?"
We can ask that question as often as we want and His answer will never disappoint.  He helps us in times of need. 
I am thankful for the precious experience I had while camping with our sons.  I will never forget it.

A Glass Of Milk-Paid In Full

I decided that this story that I recently read would be appropriate to share.

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:  “Paid in full with one glass of milk”