NABLOPOMO Day 4: Teenagers

I have forgotten what teenagers are like a little. Tonight I taught at a local library for the Netsafe Utah grant. It was a little challenging, I had an audience with vastly different ages. 15 year old boys to 11 year old girls. And when it comes to internet safety what those two groups need is different.

Plus, I am not used to the heckling like I once was. When I was in front of teens every day I was used to the banter and could give as good as I got. In this situation I didn't feel like there was enough of a relationship to do that. I had never met these kids and they had never met me. Not a good idea to crack sarcastic jokes in that situation.

It went well and once we got into the swing I think I got through, and I do miss being around teenagers. They are so goofy and there's always something to make you laugh, but I am out of practice.

NABLOPOMO Day 3: Elections

Today is election day. I didn't make it. I spent the evening helping my two sons and my wife catch up on homework. I really wanted to vote to. We have an election that matters to me. It's just a local election but I really wanted to cast my vote. Not because I felt strongly that one candidate should win but rather that I felt strongly that neither candidate should even be considered.

The problem with local elections is that it's possible to really know the candidates and to know how their opinions, ideas, and abilities will affect the community.

In this case I didn't feel like it was a matter of choosing between the lesser of two evils, but rather the lesser of two idiots. I know these two candidates and feel that realistically we would be better of with neither of them.

Wish I could have voted. I would have wrote in a candidate worthy of the position.

NABLOPOMO Day 2: Monday Musings

Ok, I normally do my Monday Musings on Monday anyway so this isn't too challenging other than I got out of the habit.

I want to talk about an idea. An idea that my be a little different for people of other faiths, but being LDS there is a huge emphasis on being perfect. Christ gave that mandate to people and it is taken as a commandment as much as it is a vision of what is possible by many of the LDS faith. This can be tricky.

Be ye therefore perfect! But what kind of perfect. We normally think of perfection as completely without blemish, spot, error or any kind of fault. The trouble with this is none of us are perfect. None of us can be perfect. In a sense Christ's command to be perfect only makes sense if we understand that it is a command to repent and be made perfect through his atoning blood. In another sense it is a command to be perfect in a finished, whole and complete sense.

My other big thought though is that being perfect doesn't in any sense mean being better than others. I think this perspective is adopted by some people. They believe that if I am better than my neighbor or if they are more sinful than I am that make me more perfect, closer to perfection, better. This can be an extremely damaging perspective because it encourages people to find the faults in others to justify their own shortcomings.

Let's all be perfect! Perfected in Christ, complete and whole!

NABLOPOMO

This is my first try at NABLOPOMO. I came to blogging late and I haven't really tried this before. I am going to make posts everyday this month, but I am going to be using my personal blog. So watch out here comes the world!

http://mitchelljorgensen.blogspot.com

Dogs in public!

I got in a big discussion yesterday. It was all about something else at first and like most of these rambling discussions turned into me arguing a stance I wasn't sure I had before the topic came up. From an off-handed comment about the fact that a hotel had pet friendly rooms, which I applauded, because I have traveled with my dog and like having them with me.

Well that was the wrong opinion to have. I needed to have a different opinion. I remarked that I found no reason at all that I shouldn't be able to take my dog where I want. Someone else commented that they were certain a lawsuit would ensue. I agreed. Only, my opinion was that someone who was denied access to someplace with a companion animal (not a service animal) would sue and probably win. The other opinion expressed was that somebody would get sued for bringing their dog somewhere. Well that already happens. My side of the argument is: if my dog is better behaved and cleaner than your child why should I be denied???

And don't tell me it ain't happened. I was at my son's award ceremony the other day. Sitting right in front of me was a wonderful beautiful young girl. Who had boogers encrusted all over her face, was coughing and sneezing, and stank of .... well.... fertilizer. She and her sibling ran about the place mucking up all they could. Spreading disease and germs far and wide. I think even the pigs would have been worried about getting the flu from these kids. Mom??? you may ask. Sitting and chatting!

Now, I am not here to argue that those kids should be denied access to the school event, but why can't my dog come? This is a public building, it's my dog, and my son's dog. He is well behaved, clean, and doesnt' shed. But he's the menace?

We have distanced ourselves to much from the reality that life is messy. Life is dirty, animals are part of the environment that we also belong to.

"Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. "
— Roger Caras

Manspaces

I am a big fan of TED and today I have been catching up. This video was a lot of fun.

So here's the picture of my manspace which happens to be my cubicle at work. Totally Dilbert!

Burdens

Last weekend was the 179th General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was in attendance via television broadcasts, which I enjoyed immensely. There was a practice in old Testament times regarding the Sabbath. After 7 Sabbaths there would be a double Sabbath. I have always felt that General Conference was like that.

But the Gospel is a real burden. There is so much about being actively engaged in the Church that is a burden. We are expected to read our scriptures, study good books, pay 10% of our income as tithing, attend our meetings for 3 hours a week plus fulfill other callings for 5 to 8 hours a week, plus volunteer and help in the community, plus attend the temple regularly, weekly if possible, we are also expected to be the world's best parents and teach our children, knit scarves for the elderly rake leaves for the widows abstain from all the worldly pleasures of coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol and a basketful of other things. The burdens wear me down. They are so taxing at times. It's easier to follow Satan with him you don't have to do anything.

But one of the talk at conference helped me understand something. I dont' think Elder L. Whitney Clayton actually stated it, but he sure intended this idea with his talk. When we take up the yoke of the gospel It is a burden, but the burden is light in comparison with the burdens of sin and regret. Compared to trying to shoulder our lives challenges alone the burden of the gospel is indeed light.

Matthew 11:30