Tweets

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Best of the Bull. Part Two???

A while back my friend Jared and I bit the bullet, bit off more than we could chew and bit the bull.

Well recently while I was checking out some of my favorite foodies on www.foodnetworkhumor.com I came across two posts about Andrew Zimmern: This one and this one

I have to say though, the Best of the Bull was a once in a lifetime experience, and I don't think I will be having any of this:

Monday, May 18, 2009

Climbing the walls

I haven't been doing as much personal stuff here, but yesterday my son was climbing the walls....literally.....no seriously!



Of course, I will probably get the bad parent of the year award for this, and it doesn't help that literally minutes before my two boys were burning (not roasting) marshmallows on the grill and then played in the water until 8:00 p.m. Well what are Sunday afternoons for?

Monday Musings: Accepting Service

Yesterday, we had Stake Conference. A combined meeting with 8 or 10 congregations from the area. They were reorganizing our Stake and making some other changes. Well, our Stake is so big they have to do this process of conference in two separate sessions with half attending each session. This is only important because my parents and my family go to two different wards.
Well, I had been teasing my father about not getting up early and not going to the 10 a.m. session. My ward was assigned the 1 p.m. session.

At 10 a.m. I went down to check to see if Dad was ready and assuming he was still in bed. My 10 year informs me: Nope, grandpa left at 9 a.m. WHAT? Now, I need to explain, Grandpa is approaching his 80th year and while doing ok, has not had the best of health and has fallen several times. That's why he lives with us. But he got it into his head that he needed to walk the 5 blocks over the church building for Stake Conference. Well, I went and got him at the end of the meeting and we had a talk. I reminded him that he had told his mother when she was climbing ladders in her 70's that he would have to be the one to pick things up if she got hurt.

Having my folks live with me has given me a greater appreciation that old age isn't for sissies. I think I will take up motorcycle racing and paragliding when I turn 60. But this conversation with Dad also reminded me of an amazing example that Christ set for us. He allowed others to serve him. There are several examples of it through the New Testament, but the one that is always the most touching to me is found in Matthew 27:31-32

31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

During this moment of his greatest agony and in a sense his greatest triumph he allowed someone else to help him carry the cross. This was the literal Son of God and he could have been filled with pride and arrogance and insisted that he carry his own cross, but he didn't, he recognized his own weakness, humility and need and allowed himself to be served. That's a lesson I hope I can remember when I need help.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Monday Musings: Unity vs. Conformity

Last week I posted about the questions I have about whether we have to wear a white shirt to pass the sacrament. I myself find it to be an interesting challenge to encourage unity without mandating conformity. Clearly every organization has a right to define what behavior is acceptable to remain part of that organization. I wonder though sometimes if we are substituting conformity for unity. I have thought about this a lot lately, and really haven't come to any firm conclusion, but it is interesting to me that if you look at the rebellion, it becomes the tyranny. I have written about this before, just briefly. But it keeps coming back to me that whenever a person fights against tyranny, they get others to join them, and immediately form a group that then becomes they tyranny of that group. I think it is a challenging balance to maintain our openess, trust and love of others. To be tolerant and understanding and to maintain our principles.

I am no advocate of rebellion. I am about as conformist as they come. I am a middle age guy who has made his living teaching in the public schools. Yet I see myself, and others sometimes condemned or judged for not conforming in all areas. I just have a strong idea that although the strait and narrow path is still strait and narrow, it isn't single file. Whether I keep my fruit in baskets or bottles isn't as important as whether I love and serve my fellow man.

On further thought, it really isn't about the rebellion becoming the tyranny, just the institution. And don't get me wrong, I am not about refusing to comply. For society as a whole to work and for groups to function we must all comply and agree to allow the institution to hold sway over us, but at least for me it's about the strait and narrow path being strait and narrow but not single file. It's about not condemning other when their actions are well within what the commandments allow.

BTW this is what I wore to church yesterday! (snicker, snicker)