Affection

My thought today, has a split audience, with differing opinions, but I feel strongly about my own personal belief on this issue, and wish to share.
The display of affection is both healing and needed in order for one to feel loved in completeness.  I don't believe that there is a time or a place, per se, for the display of affection between family members to be inappropriate.  I will give a kiss and a hug to my wife, children, parents, and siblings in the presence of anyone in any place.  That is appropriate at any time!
I sat downstairs and sang songs to our sons, this evening.  As our youngest child, Danny was falling quickly into sleep, I held his hand as I sang three of his favorite songs.  The touch of his hand on mine was powerful.  I felt grateful that he wanted to hold my hand.
I have enjoyed many times holding Becky's hand throughout our marriage.  I have enjoyed that she has never shunned my display of affection.  We have been blessed with her touch without ever worrying where we were at or who was in our presence.
Many years ago, while at a church meeting, Becky and I kissed.  An individual approached us about whether we thought that appropriate that we would kiss in public.  Becky and I both gave a look of disbelief that anyone would ever question that.  I wish more people would publicly display their affection for one another.  I'm not talking about 'making out' in public.  It is okay to hold hands, give a loved one a hug and kiss, or even kiss your spouse.
I have spoken with people that wish someone would show them, openly, that they love them.  They're talking about the need for someone to show some affection.
My dad serves the community of Sacramento through the Interfaith Council.  The representation from many different faiths makes his opportunity very rewarding.  He tells about some of the elderly people he visits with and how much they enjoy when he comes to talk to them about Jesus.  He isn't afraid to give hugs to these people.  I am so grateful for his efforts!
I hold the belief that if there is anyone on this planet who needs a hug from someone, I will do that for anyone.  I am grateful that I was raised to display affection.  The world needs more of the Christ-like display of touch. 

Zion's Park Is Beautiful

Yesterday, we took a hike that was absolutely breathtaking. It was fun to have our children with us. One of the really fun parts for me was the ages of our children. They all were able to do the hike under their own power. I watched with amazement at how big everyone has gotten. I can't believe how the time has flown by. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful woman, like Becky, who stands by my side as we thoroughly enjoy this life, together. We also are grateful to be here with Becky's parents and here brother's family. I am overwhelmed at the beauty of this part of the world, Zion's National Park. We drove through Toquerville, Utah. That is where my dad was born and spent the first years of his life. I am richly blessed and I recognize that each day. There are dreams that I have in my life. One of those is the opportunity to spend time with my family. It never gets old. I love to watch their own distinct personalities and gifts that they have. I marvel at their independence and the desire they have to explore. Several years ago, during a conversation with my mom, I expressed the fact that we didn't have a shy kid. She shared with me that her and my dad had long shared the opinion that it was easier to 'reign in' a child's personality rather than have to pry them out of a corner because they were too shy. I feel a great deal of gratitude that our children are confident and eager to explore life and all that it has to offer. Today, we are excited to spend the day, further exploring the majesty of this beautiful place.

Freedom Is Great

I am thankful that we have the freedom to come and go as we please.  We live in an incredible time when we can jump in the car and see the beauties of this world. 
Utah is a beautiful state, with many of its own things to see. 
Today, we are going to enjoy the day, as a family, seeing the a beauty of our immediate surroundings.
I am thankful to live in a place where we can enjoy all of these great things.
I feel of God's love for me and I thank Him today that I get to spend time doing enjoyable things with my family.
The words of a song remind me of His love.
"I know my Father lives, and loves me too.  The spirit whispers this to me.  And tells me it is true.  He tells me it is true."
Let today be a day where memories are made that you will remember for a long time.

Honest Day's Work

I remembered some advice that I got a long time ago.  Give an honest day's work for an honest day's pay.
I have tried to remember that each and every day.  It is good sound advice.  I believe that giving an honest effort to my employer is extremely important.
This simple principle goes a long way! 

People First

Last night, I visited with members of a family that I didn't even know.  I was on a church assignment and excited to go and make a visit that would hopefully uplift and edify.  We talked about several things, which included life and into the eternities.  This family is very child-like is every sense of the word.  They were very simple people who were easy for me to love.

I was reminded of a great truth.  No matter how different these people were from me, we shared a common thread.  We are children of a Father in Heaven who loves us deeply.  His love is hard to fully comprehend.  I could feel that these good people were doing the best that they could, in life.  I loved that approach a great deal.

It is imperative that we learn as much as we possibly can.  We all have gifts and abilities to learn in different ways.  The knowledge that we gain will help us through this journey of life.  It's a great one, too!

I love to go to people's homes and learn more about them.  There is something to be said about conversing with someone in their own familiar surroundings.

At the end of the evening, I was uplifted and strengthened by the opportunity I had to learn from these fine people.

I consider it a choice blessing to get to know and associate with people I've never met before.  I look forward to future opportunities to do this again.  Every individual is important!

Character Builders

There are some of life's lessons that seem more significant than others. I would rank the character of a man or woman and the experiences that shape them at the top of the list of things that are of most import. The shaping happens in many different and unique ways. I want to talk about a couple of 'character builders.'

The first one is that characteristic of honesty. Each one of us has experienced the lesson of telling the truth. I still remember one of the first untruths I told.   My third grade teacher was Darlene Dudley. She was a young college graduate and I thought that she was very nice. I recall that she asked me a simple question about something and for some reason I didn't tell her the truth. She was no dummy, however. She was methodical about calling my bluff. As all of the other kids left the classroom for afternoon recess, Miss Dudley asked if she could speak with me. My heart began to race wildly because I knew what she wanted to talk about and I wondered why I hadn't just told the truth in the beginning. "Derek, what you said to me doesn't make any sense, are you sure you are telling me the truth?" I thought that my heart was going to come out of my chest. I thought to myself. "Now is the time to tell the truth and take the punishment that is coming because of my dishonesty." I did tell her the truth, the second time. I could see the disappointed look on her face but she gave me a reassuring smile that she was proud of my decision to tell the truth. The character trait we should all desire to have is honesty--the first time.

The second characteristic we should want to have is the ability to accept people for who and how they are. This one is more difficult to master. I have come to realize that when I feel that someone is really weird, the mutual feeling probably exists in the mind of somebody else, about me. I'm trying really hard to not look at the shortcomings of others. I will admit that the natural man in me is hard to overcome. I believe that as I continue to try to master the principle of 'take someone as they are', I will become better for it. I will also learn many wonderful lessons from the different people around me. I have the desire to let people be who they are. That's a good start.

These two things, alone, will allow me to come closer to the man I want to be.  I am striving to watch closely those who do this very well.  I hope that, one day, I will better master these Christ-like character traits.

It's Time To Move On

You would think that at the age of forty, some lessons would be mastered or close to it. Well, today, was a reality check for me. For some time, I have harbored ill feelings toward an individual but today that reality came to a crossroad. I felt impressed to express my feelings to this person and formally apologize for my wrong feelings and ask for forgiveness. Because I wanted to make sure that I expressed myself correctly, I wrote a short note to this individual. The note I received in return was exactly what I needed to hear.
In the mission field, I tried to do something, every day, that would pull me out of my 'comfort zone.' That takes work. My experience today also required me to step outside of that zone and do something that I ultimately knew to be right.
When I was a kid, I felt like my parents knew so much about life and the consequences that came from making certain decisions. I didn't ever think that the reason they knew so much was that, one, they either made a mistake that taught them a particular lesson or, two, they knew someone who made a mistake that taught them a specific lesson of life. There was a time when I thought that my parents were flirting with perfection.
I pass on my personal learning experience of today, in hopes that someone else will make the choice to take something or someone that bothers them, today, and correct that situation so that not one more minute is wasted feeling sorry or bad.
This life continues to speed onward. The days and weeks race by. It is up to you as an individual to prioritize your life and weed out and fix that which is not good.
I want to be a good person--and I know you do, too. I want to get along with people.(That is sometimes very hard to do.) Each person does things according to their own individual abilities and talents. We don't all have to agree on everything. Now is the time and today is that day to fix the things that seem so tiny but that consume energy that we are unaware of.
I feel better knowing that progress is on my side. My heart feels better about this person. I have exercised some humility and that feels really good. Make the choice to fix those things that are currently amiss. You'll be very glad you did.