Karen asked me a question this morning. If the foundation of loving others is loving yourself, what is the foundation of loving yourself. I took some thought before responding and came up with this: the foundation principle of loving one's self is being accepted by the authority figures around you. When you make the childhood mistakes, the authority figures are fine with it. They even laugh with you about it. This makes the child's true self feel secure in his environment. It is perfectly acceptable by the authority figure and others for the child to explore his world and try new things. Everyone, especially the authority figures, are delighted with the child's creativity and imagination.
Children, I believe, are resilient. They can take a lot of negative feedback and still develope normally. But, there comes a point where the balance is tipped and the child's true self recedes and finally disappears deep inside the child's unconsious. This happens when the environment the child is in is sufficient negative or when traumatic experiences occur in the child's life. We call these experiences forms of abuse: mental, emotional,spiritual, sexual and physical.
The stage that follows loving acceptance is for the authority figure to foster growth of the child's inner knowing. The child has already felt secure and accepted. He has a foundation to try new things without any feeling of recrimination.
When a child has been traumatized, his true self hides deep within. A this point the genuine, loving overtures of the authority figure to foster development and creativity, don't work. The child either is unresponsive (fights back) or goes along believing the authority figure that the proposed course of action is as good as any. The child is inadvertently gambling on manipulations and whims of others to decide his future. He has given up his own direction. He no longer is his own authority figure.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Seminary Graduation
Julia graduated from seminary yesterday, May 23, 2010. I was an amazing meeting . I enjoyed all the speakers but especially President Webb. He spoke of the need to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. We need to prepare ourselves each day and learn the language of the Holy Ghost. We don't demand that He learn our language. We learn His language. The reason why we read our scriptures each day and say our prayers and ponder is align ourselves with the Spirit. As we do this and remember Christ each day (walk a Godly walk as best we can each day) we will begin to hear the promptings. Parley Pratt eloquently said the Holy Ghost expands all of our faculties, talents, and abilities. It purifies our passions and desires. I need to find the quote. The Holy Ghost will guide us in all things that we are to do. The other option is to make our own decisions and tie ourselves up in knots. After many years of doing that, we are so tied up that we start pleading with the Lord for help. But it takes awhile for the Lord to untie all the knots. Since I am prone to make important decisions on the fly or based on limited knowledge, I find that I need to be still, silence my mind and wait on the Lord - before making any decision, major or minor. Maybe as I slow down, the answers will come and all my life knots can be unraveled.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Good Things
1. I was able to stay calm and peaceful thoughout the day.
2. I choose to exercise and keep a routine going.
3. We gave a gift. I like to do some kind of gift or service everyday.
4. I was able to watch the Duke vs. Butler game. I was an intense, exciting game.
5. I learned of new websites that might help in producing an income.
2. I choose to exercise and keep a routine going.
3. We gave a gift. I like to do some kind of gift or service everyday.
4. I was able to watch the Duke vs. Butler game. I was an intense, exciting game.
5. I learned of new websites that might help in producing an income.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Faith and Demons
I have been thinking lately about my approach to faith and hope. Three things come to mind: the faith of Nephi, mellowing out, and the movie, 'A Beautiful Mind'.
First, the faith of Nephi, shows that many times God does not come through for a person that is exercising faith until after the tribulation has occurred. Nephi also demonstrates his faith by his steadiness. He has a firm hope, trusting in his
God, that their is a promised land to inherit.
Second, I believe that staying calm and mellowing out is a demonstration of faith.
Third, in the movie, 'A Beautiful Mind', the main character has to first become aware of and then master his demons. His demons were mental apparitions of individuals that feed his various fears.
So, how do these things help me with my life? At times, the Lord reveals to me what I need to do in advance, counseling me to take a specific action. This might be considered an errand of the Lord. Other times (or during the errand), the Lord doesn't give any direction (counsel or deliverance)until after the crisis has occurred. This is what is meant by the scriptures stating that miracles don't occur until after the trial of our faith. I may want to guided and inspired so smooth sailing will always occur but this is not scriptural. So, what demonstrates that I have faith? That I can remain steady, calm and believing up to and during the 'fire'. Of course, keeping the commandments is a given.
But, how does one stay calm when things aren't going well? How does one not go into despair (unbelief, hopelessness)? Everyone has their own 'demons' that immediately manifest themselves when the going gets rough. Like in the movie, these mental demons can overwhelm us. The man in the movie has to first become aware of their existence and then learn to keep them at bay. He mastered the ability to keep them at a distance rather than letting them control him and his life. In the same way, we too must become aware of our personal demons (weaknesses, emotional states, etc.) and learn to keep them at bay. As we practice (exercising faith and maintaining hope) we eventually become masters at it.
But my tribulation is truly despairing! There is no way out of it! What you are really saying is that God really doesn't exist and cannot help you is this particular case. Your case is special. God helps other but not me. But the truth is that you haven't been granted to gift of seeing your demons. You believe that your particular demons are just part of your personality. They came upon you so fast, when the affliction or trial occurred, that you didn't even recognize what just happened. You believed in the demon (depression, fear, foreboding, paranoia, injustness, shame, jealousy, envying, coveting, anxiety, hatred, rage, apathy, judging, mocking, pride, self-condemnation, etc.) and gave it room in your inn and let it take up its abode inside of you.
Keeping your demons (negative emotions) from overwhelming you takes practice. It may require you to stop what you are doing and immediately reaffirm your faith in God, that the feelings that you are having are neither permanent nor useful. They may seem very real but they serve no useful purpose. My goal is learn to be aware of them coming upon me, keep them at bay, and give them no heed. All they will do is hinder your progress. Nephi had to leave his brothers outside the walls because they were complaining that the errand couldn't be done. We need to put despair and unbelief aside also. When Nephi and his brother were returning home with Ishmael and his family, Nephi wasn't delivered until after he was tied up left to die. The Lord was testing and growing Nephi's faith by bringing the brink. This happens over and over where Nephi keeps the faith, stays calm, trusts in the Lord and stay optimistice (hopes all things).
Where do we start on our journey? The first step is just to believe. Believe you are worthy. Believe that God is aware of your problem. Believe that He will help. Believe that He will at times take to all the way to the edge to see if you will be steadfast in your faith in Him. Believe that faith preceeds the miracle. Be aware that the miracle that was waiting for you will not appear unless your faith is strong enough and that you will probably never realize what the miracle was if you fall into despair and unbelief.
So, stay calm, be believing, trust in God and wait on the Lord!
First, the faith of Nephi, shows that many times God does not come through for a person that is exercising faith until after the tribulation has occurred. Nephi also demonstrates his faith by his steadiness. He has a firm hope, trusting in his
God, that their is a promised land to inherit.
Second, I believe that staying calm and mellowing out is a demonstration of faith.
Third, in the movie, 'A Beautiful Mind', the main character has to first become aware of and then master his demons. His demons were mental apparitions of individuals that feed his various fears.
So, how do these things help me with my life? At times, the Lord reveals to me what I need to do in advance, counseling me to take a specific action. This might be considered an errand of the Lord. Other times (or during the errand), the Lord doesn't give any direction (counsel or deliverance)until after the crisis has occurred. This is what is meant by the scriptures stating that miracles don't occur until after the trial of our faith. I may want to guided and inspired so smooth sailing will always occur but this is not scriptural. So, what demonstrates that I have faith? That I can remain steady, calm and believing up to and during the 'fire'. Of course, keeping the commandments is a given.
But, how does one stay calm when things aren't going well? How does one not go into despair (unbelief, hopelessness)? Everyone has their own 'demons' that immediately manifest themselves when the going gets rough. Like in the movie, these mental demons can overwhelm us. The man in the movie has to first become aware of their existence and then learn to keep them at bay. He mastered the ability to keep them at a distance rather than letting them control him and his life. In the same way, we too must become aware of our personal demons (weaknesses, emotional states, etc.) and learn to keep them at bay. As we practice (exercising faith and maintaining hope) we eventually become masters at it.
But my tribulation is truly despairing! There is no way out of it! What you are really saying is that God really doesn't exist and cannot help you is this particular case. Your case is special. God helps other but not me. But the truth is that you haven't been granted to gift of seeing your demons. You believe that your particular demons are just part of your personality. They came upon you so fast, when the affliction or trial occurred, that you didn't even recognize what just happened. You believed in the demon (depression, fear, foreboding, paranoia, injustness, shame, jealousy, envying, coveting, anxiety, hatred, rage, apathy, judging, mocking, pride, self-condemnation, etc.) and gave it room in your inn and let it take up its abode inside of you.
Keeping your demons (negative emotions) from overwhelming you takes practice. It may require you to stop what you are doing and immediately reaffirm your faith in God, that the feelings that you are having are neither permanent nor useful. They may seem very real but they serve no useful purpose. My goal is learn to be aware of them coming upon me, keep them at bay, and give them no heed. All they will do is hinder your progress. Nephi had to leave his brothers outside the walls because they were complaining that the errand couldn't be done. We need to put despair and unbelief aside also. When Nephi and his brother were returning home with Ishmael and his family, Nephi wasn't delivered until after he was tied up left to die. The Lord was testing and growing Nephi's faith by bringing the brink. This happens over and over where Nephi keeps the faith, stays calm, trusts in the Lord and stay optimistice (hopes all things).
Where do we start on our journey? The first step is just to believe. Believe you are worthy. Believe that God is aware of your problem. Believe that He will help. Believe that He will at times take to all the way to the edge to see if you will be steadfast in your faith in Him. Believe that faith preceeds the miracle. Be aware that the miracle that was waiting for you will not appear unless your faith is strong enough and that you will probably never realize what the miracle was if you fall into despair and unbelief.
So, stay calm, be believing, trust in God and wait on the Lord!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The World should be sour tasting
Let us, as parents and grandparents, so love, tutor, and train our youth that the sweetness they experience in their Latter-day Saint homes will, thereafter, make the world taste sour to them!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ed Wk Day One 2009 Abraham Lincoln
Now that was an interesting class! Abraham Lincoln was incapable of duplicity, a lawyer never known to lie, cared little for money, would not criticize, hold grudges or seek revenge; he never smoked, chewed, gambled, profaned, or drank. He served water.
AL talked about God in all his address. He would call America, "almost chosen". He didn't want people to judge the south. The north was the major contributor to the slave trade.
A nation dived against itself cannot stand was his motto. He said he would rather lose the election than not use this phrase. The phase was understood by the south and the north.
The nation was in trouble in the 1850's. Curruption was rampant. AL get back into politics because of this. The the Kansas Nebraska Act would permit slaves in new states. (1854). There was mobocracy, illegal elections, secession issues, the Declaration of Independence was being assailed, the constitution was being attacked and there were 4,000,000 slaves. The Dread Scott Decsion (1857) by the Supreme Court called the black man an inferior order. The Know Nothing party was anti immigration and anti catholic as their platform went from 30,000 members to 1,000,000 members in a year. It was a racist party. There were denials of freedom of the press, speech and religion. There were huge problems in America.
AL started realizing that it this war was the will of God. It would go on until Americans turned from their sins. That's what AL preached! He signed into law the anti slavery anti polygamy bill but said he had no intention of enforceing it.
He used Book of Mormon phrases in his speeches. (I am instrument of God (I think)).
The lost talk of AL: He spoke for an hour and a half. All 40 reporters including his note taker didn't right it down. He was so powerful that everyone put their pens down.
I broke one campaign promise: He said he didn't have the legal right to change slavery in the slave states. He ended up as the executive and commander in chief confiscating the southern states' property calling it the emmancipation proclamation. The civil war was won because 160,000 slaves joined the north as solders.
Most soldiers were fighting for the union, not to free the slaves. AL had to work with the union troops on this matter.
AL talked about God in all his address. He would call America, "almost chosen". He didn't want people to judge the south. The north was the major contributor to the slave trade.
A nation dived against itself cannot stand was his motto. He said he would rather lose the election than not use this phrase. The phase was understood by the south and the north.
The nation was in trouble in the 1850's. Curruption was rampant. AL get back into politics because of this. The the Kansas Nebraska Act would permit slaves in new states. (1854). There was mobocracy, illegal elections, secession issues, the Declaration of Independence was being assailed, the constitution was being attacked and there were 4,000,000 slaves. The Dread Scott Decsion (1857) by the Supreme Court called the black man an inferior order. The Know Nothing party was anti immigration and anti catholic as their platform went from 30,000 members to 1,000,000 members in a year. It was a racist party. There were denials of freedom of the press, speech and religion. There were huge problems in America.
AL started realizing that it this war was the will of God. It would go on until Americans turned from their sins. That's what AL preached! He signed into law the anti slavery anti polygamy bill but said he had no intention of enforceing it.
He used Book of Mormon phrases in his speeches. (I am instrument of God (I think)).
The lost talk of AL: He spoke for an hour and a half. All 40 reporters including his note taker didn't right it down. He was so powerful that everyone put their pens down.
I broke one campaign promise: He said he didn't have the legal right to change slavery in the slave states. He ended up as the executive and commander in chief confiscating the southern states' property calling it the emmancipation proclamation. The civil war was won because 160,000 slaves joined the north as solders.
Most soldiers were fighting for the union, not to free the slaves. AL had to work with the union troops on this matter.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Letter to Mike Bird
Dear Mike,
What I life you live! Someone hit my son's, James, car so he gets $500 and gets it fixed for $50. Julia gets hit from behind so now I have to work the complexity of the insurance companies paying for her whiplash. The totaled her car last month so my insurance goes up $60 for a new high. But, I like her having a car. Less headache for me. Someone hit Steven last week and he trying to work that out.
Everybody came down for the weekend. A full house. We played board games and passed around the grand baby (Steve's).
I am deep into the debt system. It is very hard to get out of vicious cycle. We have too many expenditures and not enough money. And to top it all off, my company is barely able to stay alive. I am practicing faith and believing all things so if I have to look for another job, I might access the my God for assistance.
Please explain what you mean by genetic complexity. I believe life is way too complex for those in the system like me. I believe we are making brick without straw. Since both a husband and wife need to work that has to mean that the cost of living has gone up over the past 30 years. The standard has also gone up. But a blue collar worker in 1960 could raise his three kids, put them through college, have a dumpy cabin on Cape Cod and have his wife stay home. Their standard of living was lower but their quality of life was better. And the cost of living must have been much lover since the wife is a home.
A pit is being dug...
Babylon his a twelve headed beast. That says it all. This creature is out of control. Human weakness is that we believe we can solve the woes of the world without God doing it our own way (telestial or terrestrial). Telestial greed is running rampant. Terrestrial mammon seeking (I earned it, it's mine) is the God most cherish and worship (if you have the capacity to prosper in this world).
God says to love each other. Prosper together. Stop competing. Stop fighting. Join together. Make sure the poor are taken care of (give them doles). The rich because the believe in Christ, consider the talents for making money as gifts and share their wealth freely (doles). This is Christ's law. I can prove it throughout the scriptures. It isn't Zion necessarily. But it can be. I call it 'All in Common in Babylon'. Zion or consecration is more an separate economic order in my opinion. All in Common seems to be running a similar order inside of Babylon.
My wife told me in 1989 to mellow out. Nephi stayed really calm during crises. To really trust in God means to relax and let him help. You are not on your own. Until you and I figure this out we are left to our own devises. And we fail.
Love,
Scott
What I life you live! Someone hit my son's, James, car so he gets $500 and gets it fixed for $50. Julia gets hit from behind so now I have to work the complexity of the insurance companies paying for her whiplash. The totaled her car last month so my insurance goes up $60 for a new high. But, I like her having a car. Less headache for me. Someone hit Steven last week and he trying to work that out.
Everybody came down for the weekend. A full house. We played board games and passed around the grand baby (Steve's).
I am deep into the debt system. It is very hard to get out of vicious cycle. We have too many expenditures and not enough money. And to top it all off, my company is barely able to stay alive. I am practicing faith and believing all things so if I have to look for another job, I might access the my God for assistance.
Please explain what you mean by genetic complexity. I believe life is way too complex for those in the system like me. I believe we are making brick without straw. Since both a husband and wife need to work that has to mean that the cost of living has gone up over the past 30 years. The standard has also gone up. But a blue collar worker in 1960 could raise his three kids, put them through college, have a dumpy cabin on Cape Cod and have his wife stay home. Their standard of living was lower but their quality of life was better. And the cost of living must have been much lover since the wife is a home.
A pit is being dug...
Babylon his a twelve headed beast. That says it all. This creature is out of control. Human weakness is that we believe we can solve the woes of the world without God doing it our own way (telestial or terrestrial). Telestial greed is running rampant. Terrestrial mammon seeking (I earned it, it's mine) is the God most cherish and worship (if you have the capacity to prosper in this world).
God says to love each other. Prosper together. Stop competing. Stop fighting. Join together. Make sure the poor are taken care of (give them doles). The rich because the believe in Christ, consider the talents for making money as gifts and share their wealth freely (doles). This is Christ's law. I can prove it throughout the scriptures. It isn't Zion necessarily. But it can be. I call it 'All in Common in Babylon'. Zion or consecration is more an separate economic order in my opinion. All in Common seems to be running a similar order inside of Babylon.
My wife told me in 1989 to mellow out. Nephi stayed really calm during crises. To really trust in God means to relax and let him help. You are not on your own. Until you and I figure this out we are left to our own devises. And we fail.
Love,
Scott
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