Perspective

My parents were recently getting rid of some old stuff in their garage and the came across a box that was mine. There were some books in it, a couple pictures, and my A.P. English & A.P. European folders from senior year in high school. I didn't really want to keep them, but I thought it would be fun to look through them first. Apart from a treasure trove of old inside jokes, I found a bunch of papers I had written. I always thought I was a fairly good writer in high school. My teachers almost always seemed to like my work, and I consistently received scores in the 90's. Of course, I feel I have become an even better writer since then with the training received in College and the general life experience gained (and no judging my writing skills based on my blog - it doesn't count), but I was not prepared for what I would find reading these high school papers. Now, keep in mind that these 'A' papers helped me pass my classes and A.P. tests, so they couldn't be that bad right? Wrong!! I was in histerics as I read them. It was laughable that I would be given good grades on these things. Were my teachers crazy? So you don't believe that I could have written anything sub par? (Don't worry - hee hee -I know no one out there thinks that). Well, here's an example. This particular sentence stood out to me as being especially rediculous. I don't remember the topic, but I was writing about Russia (for A.P. European History), and mentioned Ivan the Terrible. Here's part of what I wrote: "Blah blah blah something about Russia, starting with the reign of Ivan the Terrible, so named because he was terrible." What the?!! Wow. I must not have gleaned too much from that chapter if all I could say was that Ivan was called the Terrible because he was infact terrible. I did actually go onto say a little more about him, but still! And that paper received a 94%! I wonder if todays students are held to such obviously low standards? Hmmm. It makes you wonder how anyone could be "left behind" when this is as far as they are expected to come. I never realized just how easy life really was in high school. If only life could be that simple and easy now. =)

My Two Cents

WARNING: This post is about to delve into the realm of politics. If you get offended easily or want to stay completely out of this sphere, then please don't read any further.


I rarely discuss politics with people. This isn't for the reason that most of you assume (that I am just unaware). I usually try to stay up to date on politics and what's going on around me. I do, however, fall into the camp of wishing I could remain blissfully unaware of the world. There is so much yuck out there, and I just don't like hearing most of it. Unfortunately that is not the most responsible thing to do. Plus, the stuff I don't like hearing about isn't life altering (at least not to me) if I don't know about it. For example, I would prefer not to hear about the child whose stupid parent left them in a hot car to die. I know these things happen, and it's terrible, but I don't like the emotional mess I become when I hear about it. I am extremely sensitive to sad news about children, so unless it poses a threat to me or my family, I would rather not know about it. You can ask my mom. She would always be reading the paper at the kitchen table in the evenings when I was trying to do homework and would gasp loudly or say something like "Oh my gosh", and then want to launch into an explanation divulging the details of what caused her reaction. I would frequently ask her not to do that, and would try to leave the room before she could continue (not usually succeeding). So I've always been this way. But I'll stress again that it's just the irrelevant bits of sad news I don't want to know. Otherwise I try to stay up to date.


So, on to politics. There have been so many things on my mind lately, and I feel like I'll burst if I don't share them somewhere. The reason I don't usually discuss politics with people is that if I have an opinion on something, it's usually a very strong one, so much so that I could easily offend someone. Now, I tend to value my relationships and friendships with others, so I don't want to offend them. I don't get offended easily, but others are usually more sensitive. You may be thinking, why don't I just be nicer, or less direct with my comments? Well clearly you don't know me very well. Quick introduction: I am unapologetically loud, sarcastic, in your face, sarcastic, assertive, forward, did I mention sarcastic? And many more things I'm sure. I should include opinionated on the list, but wanted to make sure it wasn't misconstrued as narrow-mindedness. If I'm wrong about something I'll gladly change my opinion.


In case you didn't know, I am a conservative. That may cause you to think I'm boring or old or stupid, but let me share a favorite quote. Winston Churchill said, “If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain.” There are a few key points that I firmly believe that keep me in the conservative group. For starters I absolutely 100% believe in the sanctity of life. I very much feel that abortion is wrong. I don't think it's necessary. If you are not ready and willing to have kids (in case of an unplanned pregnancy), then stop having sex!! Don't be stupid and irresponsible and then kill your unborn defenseless fetus just to "solve" your problem. People today do not want to suffer any consequences for their behavior. Yes we have the freedom to choose, but that doesn't mean we should choose foolishly. And the thought that some people could actually support infanticide completely shocks me. There are no words sufficient enough to voice how appauled I am. And I have a hard time understanding how anyone who has any percentage of a brain, no matter what other political beliefs they have, could under any circumstances bring themselves to vote for someone who supports such sickening practices (like a certain presidential candidate who is evil incarnate and a pox on society). Keep in mind that it's the President who appoints Supreme Court Justices who have the authority to actually dictate what is legal and what isn't when it comes to issues like abortion and infanticide. These Supreme Court Justices are life appointments and will be able to adversely change the law long after a presidents term is over. This is arguably the longest lasting affect of any presidents term in office. So it is very important to support not only your candidate for their beliefs and goals, but also for who they may appoint to other positions.


Okay, next thought. I am confused by the reaction Sarah Palin has received as the running mate of Senator McCain. Think what you will about her as far as how capable she is etc, but I'm referring to people being overly concerned about her neglecting her baby if she is put into office. What the?!! The people who are mostly "concerned" are the same people who profess to being advocates of equal rights, feminism, etc. Why are they now flipping the switch onto family values? I happen to support the family, and think it's best (at least when the kids are young) to have one of the parents stay home if possible. But if someone wants to work, then who am I to judge their reasons? So, if Sarah Palin wants to work while she has a young child, then let her. As far as questioning her ability to parent her children and her dedication to them, everything vouches for her very highly. And her daughter still might have become pregnant if Governor Palin had been home more often. Even stay at home parents can't keep an eye on their children all the time (especially when their in high school). You can't blame her daughters poor choices on her (Sarah). But I am mostly talking about her newborn. Special needs or not, I would hope that if she were going to be away from home more frequently, that her husband would step up his game and be more involved. She is known for bringing her children with her to work when she needs to, so I don't think her kids are suffering because of her career choices. Besides, she didn't start out with White House dreams or anything. She was just a concerned parent. So the naysayers who criticize her should probably give her a little slack. I have just enough faith in humanity left to believe that if this were going to jeopardize her family at all that she would not have agreed to run in the election. So support her or don't support her for the position of Vice President, but support her in her choice to try to enter this level of politics which has so far been (not purposely necessarily) restricted to men, especially if you claim to support women's movements etc.


Okay, my last point is about voting. I agree that it is our responsibility as Americans to vote. We shouldn't waste our right to a voice by not voting. Even if we don't think our candidate will win. Now, that being said, I also feel the votes we make should not be wasted. What I mean is voting for someone who really truly does not have a chance to win. Because this inevitably changes the outcome for those who do stand a chance to win. I'm mostly talking about independent or third party candidates. I'm not saying that they are not good people who may have good points and who may make great leaders if elected, but they do not have a chance to win. They have the right to run, but I think a major flaw in our system is having more than 2 candidates in the final race. No matter how many people run, we should always narrow it down to two prior to the final election. It's a travesty when someone is elected who has less than half of the Electorate supporting them. No one should be in the White House with less than 50% of the vote. I realize that this could occasionally cause my candidate of choice to lose, but for the most part it's my candidate who is hurt by a third party nominee, probably because it's usually soft-headed conservatives who bend and compromise their values resulting in a wasted vote. As an example, I cite the election of Bill Clinton to his first term in 1992. He won with only 43% of the popular vote. If you further delve into the numbers you would discover that a large enough number of the nearly 19% of voters who voted for Ross Perot come from social groups more likely to have voted for then President Bush than Bill Clinton. So, it is likely that if we had narrowed the vote to only 2 candidates in the final election, that there would have been a different outcome. Even if I don't like a president, somehow I feel better about them being in office if at least half the country wanted them there. Then instead of blaming an imperfect system, I could blame the idiots in the country for choosing poorly.


So all I ask is that come election day you go to the polls, stay true to yourself and your values and beliefs whatever they are, and don't waste your vote. Make it actually count.

Wii had fun!

Today seems to have been a Wii day. Earlier today Emma was "playing" the Wii with Eric. She just loves it. Then later we went over to my brother's place to have dinner and play games. Mike and Melissa made some pizza on their grill. I had heard about it from others in my family, and had high expectations. They did not disappoint. It was delicious. I didn't get a picture of it in time. It disappeared too quickly. =) After dinner we played Michael's Wii. He also showed us and let us try Wii Fit which they just bought. Eric had fun and was really good at the balance stuff. Emma was mimicking him. Mike and Melissa have cats (bad for me with my allergies), but Emma loved them. She doesn't seem to have any allergies, so she was running around with them and playing. I made dessert (molten chocolate cake - yum!), and then we came home so I could breathe again. =) It was a lot of fun. Of course, now I think Emma is way too interested in the Wii.

In this video Eric is hula hooping on Wii Fit. He looked so funny I just couldn't resist taking a video. Of course I was too fast, because I forgot that on the camera I had with me, I can't rotate videos, and I should've taken it the other way. So forgive me, but you'll just have to tilt your head to the side to watch it.

Inspiring Friends

The other day I saw an article in Meridian Magazine about an old friend of mine. This is a friend I've known my entire life (he was born less than a month after me). His family was in my ward for quite a while growing up until they moved into their current house. Every so often I'll run into him and his family, and every time without fail I feel so much happier, and my life seems better. His smile is enough to cheer anyone up and indeed inspire miracles to happen, as this article mentions. I love him and his family dearly. Here is the article about my friend Jamie Wheeler.

“Jamie, You're the Man!”

By Heidi S. Swinton

Jamie Wheeler turned 29 on September 5th . But by all accounts, he's been celebrating for months. His district celebrated his birthday, and when the senior missionaries had a get together, Jamie requested a chocolate cake with sprinkles – don't forget the sprinkles -- he kept telling me. We even presented him with a birthday badge.
Jamie is serving a mission with his parents, their third mission -- so far -- and their second to the England London South Mission. They have served in the Salt Lake Inner City Project as well, and there are more on the horizon.

When they arrived in England , my husband set Jamie apart as a Church Service missionary to accompany his parents. How blessed is the mission who receives this couple and their remarkable son! They have caught the essence of President Monson's teachings, “Do something for someone else to make his or her life a little better. Find someone who is having a hard time, or is ill, or lonely, and do something for them. That's all I would ask.”

Jamie has special needs. That doesn't stop him from street contacting, knocking and any other measure of missionary work put before him. He is endowed and attends the temple. He sings with gusto – great gusto sometimes – and he beams with love when he sees someone he knows. Even those who scowl on the street get the endearing Jamie smile. Ask anyone who has been street contacting with Jamie and they will tell you, Jamie is bold. Paul's words: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” describes Jamie Wheeler.

The Wheelers -- James and Catherine -- serve in the Hamble River Ward in the Portsmouth Stake on the south coast of England . What they with the help of Jamie have done for the members, for the people in the community and for their fellow missionaries is nothing short of a miracle.

We have been talking about miracles in the mission. We have pointed missionaries to President Eyring's talk in October 2007 General Conference where he reminded us to “remember” the Lord's hand in our lives. As a mission, we took his counsel to heart and have looked for miracles every day. What is amazing is that they DO pour down from the sky, as consistently as does the rain in England .

President Eyring told of writing down a few lines every day for years. He would ask himself, “'Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?' As I kept at it,” he explained, “something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.”

One of the things God has done for us in England is send Jamie. His is pure; he is inspiring.

At one Zone conference focused on getting investigators to Sacrament meeting so that they could feel the spirit of the Lord, the mission president asked for a volunteer to step up and read the Sacrament prayers. Without even raising his hand, Jamie leaped to his feet and came forward. He read from the scriptures the prayer on the water; it was a spiritual moment everyone of us there will never forget. As he said each word, “that you may always have his spirit to be with you” the Lord's promise resonated in all our hearts.

When one of his zone leaders was called to serve as an assistant, Jamie filled in until the new companion arrived. “The day he was my companion,” his fellow missionary, then about a year in the field, explained, “he was so enthusiastic for the work; he had so much desire. He just made me realize how much more I could be doing because he was giving everything.”

His parents are prolific chocolate chip cookie bakers and Jamie is the designated taster. (He's quick to tell you that fact.) Since it's difficult to get chocolate chips in England , his dad chops bars of chocolate into chips by hand. Right now, they are at more than 40,000 cookies distributed in their two British missions. Each one, a bit of a miracle.

When the Wheelers visit the less actives, Jamie stands at the front with the plate of cookies. The door opens and his folks greet them. Then Jamie steps forward with the cookies and with all the goodness in his heart he says, “I love you.” The door swings open and the people take them in. “Knock and it shall be opened unto you” has taken on a whole new meaning in this mission.

The elders like to clap him on the shoulder and say, “Jamie, you're the man.” His comeback is speedy, “Yes, I am.” When we stand to recite our purpose, “To invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end,” Jamie adds at the end – “like my Dad.”

We have learned a great deal from the Wheelers. We have learned about pressing on and serving with whole-souled devotion. They could have stayed in their ward on the hillside in Salt Lake but they are in a tiny little two bedroom flat, a kitchen with no window. But it doesn't matter. The light of the Lord Jesus Christ pours down upon them and upon everyone they meet.

Jamie's mother and dad beam as they serve by his side; sometimes there are tears in their eyes as they sit at the back watching him mingle with the missionaries. My, how they love Jamie; we do too.

Finally Moved In...Kinda

Well, we're finally mostly moved into our new place. We still have lots of stuff in boxes, but it's all here at least. Just yesterday we had our internet, phone, and cable connected. Yeah!! I can now me in touch with the outside world again! Anyways, I'll do a real post sometime soon.