Trip to San Diego

After a long summer of being apart, we broke down and decided to go on vacation to San Diego. We have to thank Holley’s parents for allowing us to stay in their time share for a few days. Holley’s parents had a time share that they had reserved for a full week and found out that Holley’s dad would not be able to come down until the middle of the week. Because of this, Holley’s mom invited us to come down and spend some time with her, kiddos and all!. We lengthened our stay by getting a hotel room on Coronado Island just outside of San Diego on the Navy base for a very reasonable price.

It was so nice to be able to get away to see the beech, the ocean, and just to be on vacation as a family. We had great weather and everything went well for us. An added bonus was that my sister Heather and her son Ryan were able to come down half way through the vacation and spend some time with us. We also through in a trip to Sea World in the mix of adventure, which was definitely interesting from our days of not having any children. Holley and I used to live down in San Diego during the summers so that we could earn more money for school. It is definitely one of our favorite places to go and visit.

It was really funny to see Zackary in the ocean since it was the first time that he has ever been their. It was also cool to see Brooklyn playing in the water and making sand castles. She has been to the beach on several occasions since coming into this world, but she was always so young that I don’t think she really understood the waves etc.

We all got our customary sun burns which is almost a given after coming from virtually no sun to being on the beach all day. Fortunately with some moisturizer cream, it was all good.

We want to make it a yearly tradition, but we will see what next year will bring. I told Holley that we could go even more than once a year if we actually lived in the west rather than the pretend west of Colorado, but that’s another story. It was nice to be a beech bum, surfer bum, and tourist; A great end to the summer’s many interesting adventures.

LET’S GET BACK TO THE BASICS

If you were to choose the most important trait in a candidate, what would it be? To many it would be the look of the candidate, or in other words how well his hair dresser and make-up person made him look. Another trait is how well he is able to give a speech, in other words how well he is able to read the speech that is already given to him in advance usually by someone else. Another trait that is often spoken of is how well he portrays himself. That I would give the candidates does take some talent.

It seems to me that the most important trait we should look for in a candidate is really basic in today’s age. It is simply this, will you Mr. candidate truthfully put the best interests of America before your own and before other self interests? I have little doubt that John Doe from a tiny little town in Idaho or some other way off place could run our country far better than the leaders we have in power today even with little or no knowledge of politics.

It is easy to see why such stupid things can happen in foreign policy and in other matters of the Presidency when you take into consideration that the candidate really didn’t care about the county at all, rather how it would affect his own self interests. How many times can deals be made against the best interests of the United States and we as Americans continue to believe it was a mistake or based on bad information? Last time I checked, coincidence multiplied by a million was no longer coincidence.

It is not coincidence that we are in the situation we are in politically and economically. When we Americans will set down at a TV set and talk for hours and hours on how we thought a certain candidate lied to us on television, how well his make-up person did his make-up (Last time I checked you could put make up on a pig, but it was still just a pig), or how he said just what we wanted to hear, is it any wonder we get such bad candidates. Last time I checked, a real leader was one who was willing to say what needed to be said, not what the people wanted to hear. Unfortunately that type of candidate is too old fashioned and outdated for our country, kind of like what they say about The Constitution.

Maybe if we actually want to live in a peaceful and prosperous country, we should start looking at some of those old fashioned things that used to make this country so great. It seems to me that a people that are so concerned with the trivial to overlook the factual, deserve what they get, not individually but as a whole.

The best candidate plain and simple is the one who will be a God fearing man who will put this country and its citizens first and foremost. Until you have met those criteria, don’t go worrying about makeup, speeches, or even presentation because it does not matter, the pig still wins and we the American people suffer!

You can tell far more about a candidate by looking at his past than by looking at him in a debate on the television screen. Unless you believe in last minute conversions of politicians who have every thing to gain by changing their story when it is convenient, vote for the candidate who has remained true to his office throughout his entire career rather than the one who looks good on television. If we as Americans would simply look at these criteria, miracles could happen; Miracles we desperately need at this time in our countries history!

Plan Accordingly and Carefully

Although no one can say for certain what will come of this huge mess we are in with the economy, some things are certain. We as a nation are in a world of hurt because we have allowed our leaders to build a huge debt load that we are now unable to pay. Politically there are many forces involved, but I am not going to get into those in this blog. This blog is only to give some perspective so that we can plan accordingly.

As tough as the truth may be sometimes, it is the truth that will make us free and give us options to plan in advance before we have to react to a situation. The whole reason for prophecy from the prophets is to give us some warning so we will not be so surprised when things happen and so that if we will head their warnings we can be prepared. This is a huge blessing we have as members of the LDS faith. We also have good reminders available to the general public through the bible, but these sources can never take the place of modern day revelation through modern day Prophets.

It does not take a genius with any kind of college education to understand that if you live off of borrowed income long enough, eventually there is going to be a day of reckoning. That day has come for us as Americans. It is sad that we as Americans may not be responsible for the situation individually, but as a whole we are because we have allowed our elected officials to carry on in a very reckless manner for way too many years. Because of this, we as Americans have some very very tough days before us.

We have two choices. We can prepare now so that those times will not be so difficult, or we can keep on pretending all is well in Zion, and find out all too late that things are really not all well is Zion. Our Prophets have told us to remain optimistic and to be hopeful, but to do this we need to know the truth.

Take this quote for what it is worth, but I would recommend anyone reading this to pray thoroughly about the counsel that is given and prepare accordingly. Take note of how current his statements are even though they are probably 3 decades old.

From the Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson we read:

"The pending economic crisis that now faces American is painfully obvious. If even a fraction of potential foreign claims against our gold supply were presented to the Treasury, we would have to renege on our promise. We would be forced to repudiate our own currency on the world market. Foreign investors, who would be left holding the bag with American dollars, would dump them at tremendous discounts in return for more stable currencies, or for gold itself. The American dollar both abroad and at home would suffer the loss of public confidence. If the government can renege on its international monetary promises, what is to prevent it from doing the same on its domestic promises? How really secure would be government guarantees behind Federal Housing Administration loans, Savings and Loan Insurance, government bonds, or even social security?

"Even though American citizens would still be forced by law to honor the same pieces of paper as though they were real money, instinctively they would rush and convert their paper currency into tangible material goods which could be used as barter. As in Germany and other nations that have previously traveled this road, the rush to get rid of dollars and acquire tangibles would rapidly accelerate the visible effects of inflation to where it might cost one hundred dollars or more for a single loaf of bread. Hoarded silver coins would begin to reappear as a separate monetary system which, since they have intrinsic value would remain firm, while printed paper money finally would become worth exactly it's proper value--the paper it is printed on! Everyone's savings would be wiped out totally. No one could escape.

"One can only imagine what such conditions would do to the stock market and to industry. Uncertainty over the future would cause the consumer to halt all spending except for the barest necessities. Market for such items as television sets, automobiles, furniture, new homes, and entertainment would dry up almost overnight. With no one buying, firms would have to close down and lay off their employees. Unemployment would further aggravate the buying freeze, and the nation would plunge into a depression that would make the 1930s look like prosperity. At least the dollar was sound in those days. In fact, since it was a firm currency, its value actually went up as related to the amount of goods, which declined through reduced production. Next time around, however, the problems of unemployment and low production will be compounded by a monetary system that will be utterly worthless. All the government controls and so-called guarantees in the world will not be able to prevent it, because every one of them is based on the assumption that the people will continue to honor printing press money. But once the government itself openly refuses to honor it--as it must if foreign demands for gold continue--it is likely that the American people will soon follow suit. This in a nutshell is the so-called 'gold problem.' (An Enemy Hath Done This, p. 218.)" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson p 639-640.)

Ezra Taft Benson, speaking of the upcoming economic crisis quotes Hamilton, but then also gives us hope to move forward and rebuild a monetary system and healthy economy which shall be a model once again for all the world. Benson states:
". . .it is even possible that some of the government manipulators who have brought us into this economic crisis are hoping that, in panic, we, the American people, literally will plead with them to take our liberties in exchange for the false promise of 'security.' As Alexander Hamilton warned about two hundred years ago: 'Nothing is more common than for a free people, in times of heat and violence, to gratify momentary passions by letting into the government principles and precedents which afterward prove fatal to themselves' (Alexander Hamilton and the Founding of the Nation, p. 21.) Let us heed this warning. Let us prepare ourselves for the trying time ahead and resolve that, with the grace of God and through our own self-reliance, we shall rebuild a monetary system and a healthy economy which, once again, will become the model for all the world. (An Enemy Hath Done This, pp. 220-21.)" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson p 640.)

Unfortunately, many of the American Sheeple will plead with Washington for extreme measures, including the new monitory system that is prepared for us, without which no man will be able to "buy or sell." Hence, you had better be prepared to have perhaps a year supply of food, clothing, and fuel where possible to get you through a years duration, and to stand independent of these atheistic murderers who have brought us to this situation.
Remember, the Wall Street Backed Communists (Bolsheveks were financed by Wall Street, David Rockefeller being a great ally to these wicked Murderers) have been planning our destruction. When Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson met with USSR Nikkita Cruschev who stated:
“I have talked face to face with the godless communist leaders. It may surprise you to learn that I was host to Mr. Kruschev for a half day when he visited the United States, not that I’m proud of it. I opposed his coming then, and I still feel it was a mistake to welcome this atheistic murderer as a state visitor. But, according to President Eisenhower, Kruschev had expressed a desire to learn something of American Agriculture — and after seeing Russian agriculture I can understand why. As we talked face to face, he indicated that my grandchildren would live under communism. After assuring him that I expected to do all in my power to assure that his and all other grandchildren will live under freedom he arrogantly declaired in substance:
“ ‘You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright, but we’ll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you’ll finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won’t have to fight you. We’ll so weaken your economy until you’ll fall like overripe fruit into our hands.’

“And they’re ahead of schedule in their devilish scheme.” (Ezra Taft Benson “Our Immediate Responsibility.” Devotional Address at Brigham Young University. circa 1968.”) [access the audio file on this page.]
Be it remembered this statement attributed to Vladimir Lenon:
“The best way to destroy the capitalist system is to debauch the currency”

Home at last!

After 5 months of being separated as a family because of military school, we are finally back together again. I had to go to military school to become certified in my new career field and after doing the research, we found that it would not work to bring the family down. Unfortunately that made it 2.5 years that we have been apart in our marriage of 6 years. I was so glad to get home to Holley, Brooklyn, and Zachary. It was good to see their faces again.

I spent 2 months in Biloxi Mississippi. I was glad to spend time their since I had always dreamed of being in Mississippi since it was one of my favorite words to spell growing up. I know that does not sound like a very good reason, but it was reason enough for me, and when it worked out, that was kind of cool. Isn’t that every child’s dream to go to Mississippi after going through a spelling bee? OK so maybe not. It was good to spend some time down there. I was able to see some of the ruins from Hurricane Katrina since Biloxi was one of the worst hit areas. That was one of the sadder parts of the trip. Biloxi is a good community and overall I was very impressed with it. I was able to get trained in Electronic Principles which is kind of a crash course in Electronics, a very exciting class. I was able to live about a mile from the Gulf of Mexico since my hotel I was staying in was right off of the beach. Too bad the water was not really clean enough to go swimming in. I was able to go fishing for a day which was really fun. We had a really cool couple missionary down there that really made the stay a lot of fun. They were Elder and Sister Thompson. They made sure we were well taken care of on Sunday and we had a cool Home Evening each Tuesday since most of us were away from our families. I was so glad they served their mission since it had a large impact on a lot of people. I was actually kind of sad to leave their after my two month stay was over and I graduated from EP.

My next trip was to Augusta Georgia where they are huge into golfing. Unfortunately I was not able to golf while I was down their, but I was able to have a lot of fun. Holley and the kids were able to come down twice and they stayed for a week and a half both time. That worked out very well since I was able to concentrate on my class work and do quite well, and still see the family a couple of times. Fortunately it worked out really well because the times they came down were the times that I had the most time off of school. I was very lucky because the air force works on a compressed work schedule which means that I had every other Friday off while I was at school. They kept us plenty busy thought so I never got bored.

While in Augusta, I was attending the SWATS (Satellite Wideband and Telemetry Systems) course for the Air Force which is actually on Fort Gordon which is an Army base. I can honestly say I was not all that excited to go back to an Army base, but it all worked out very well. I lived in off base housing and stayed in a hotel about 3 miles from the base. It was a little crowded for me and the family, but when it was just me, it was not all that bad. I was so glad to have good AC since the temperatures down there were almost constantly in the high 90’s or low 100’s with very high humidity. Air Conditioning made my stay pleasant.

I was able to attend the South Carolina Temple on several occasions which was definitely an added bonus. I actually had a very unique experience of meeting my cousin in the Temple who consequently had moved down into the same Stake I was living in and I had lost contact with him. I wrote about it in one of my other blogs. It was a very unique miracle how it happened. I was very impressed with the faith of the members of the church in that area. They definitely lived overall as you would expect Latter Day Saints to live.

While in Augusta, I was in charge of 12 other non prior service students which means they were just joining the military. I was prior service since I was doing this for my second go round. They were a good bunch of kids and overall we did very well as a class graduating with no failures and a very high class average.

On August 12, I graduated and I started my trek home; a long trip covering over half of the country. I decided to make the best of it since I was going to be driving for so long and see some of the sights along the way. I was able to stop in Nashville, Tennessee and see that city. Unfortunately that was not my favorite stop. It was nothing like I had expected since I was expecting this small town with a large number of places to go visit to hear your favorite country singers. To show how naive I was, I was hoping to be able to stop in and see some friends from Kooskia near where I was raised who sing there. Well, when I actually got their, I realized that was kind of naive considering the actual size of the town.

My next stop was at the St. Louis Missouri arch. Now that was an awesome spectacle. It had a much larger base than I had expected. It also has a large museum that is free to the public in the middle of the arch. It is definitely a place well worth visiting. I regretted not being able to go up in the arch since I discovered it is actually hollow in the middle and you can take a ride to the top. I would have ridden to the top, but I was parked on the street and it said to secure all your belongings. Since my trunk was completely full and the rest of my belongings were in plain sight, I figured I had better get back on the road before my transportation became a part of St. Louis. I was glad I stopped though.

I saved the best stop for last. This was the bread of butter of the trip and the part I was so excited to go and see. I have always wanted to go back to Zion in Independence Missouri just to reminisce about the past in that area and the future that area will hold in both church history and world history. What an exciting place. I was willing to go out of my way to go see it and when I map quested my route, it just so happened that it was right along my route. I was able to go and see Liberty Jail, Far West, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, and all the sights in Independence Missouri including the Community of Christ Temple, Conference Center, Church of Christ building, (The place where the Temple was originally to be built) and last but not least the LDS visitors center. That was well worth the stop and one of my favorite experiences ever to be on such hollowed ground. I could definitely tell how that was once the Garden of Eden since it is one of the greenest places I have ever seen. It is a very beautiful place. I can’t wait to hopefully move there with the Saints someday to settle that area. What an awesome time that will be.

This is a list of all the states I went through on the trip:

Colorado Kansas Oklahoma Texas
Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Georgia
South Carolina Tennessee Kentucky Illinois
Missouri Iowa Nebraska Back to Colorado

Total Miles for the Honda: 3,600 miles + driving around town
Total days spent in a hotel: 146 Days
Days without a maid: 0
Total days Holley took care of kids: 122
Fingers lost during time away: 1 (Zachary's Right Index finger)
Getting your hotel taken out by a military truck! (Priceless)

The Political Game

Now to begin this blog, I would like to pose a question. Which is more evil, the Devil or his Angels? If you were to ask me that question, I would tell you that it does not matter. They are both evil, and if a person were to allow either in to their hearts completely, it would lead to their ultimate destruction.

Now what does this have to do with the Political Game and what is the Political Game I am referring to? What is a common phrase we are used to hearing at the time of the National election? I know the one I hear all too often is something like this, “This vote is kind of like choosing the lesser of two evils, I don’t like either candidate but I have to vote for one of them.” So the game continues, as it has for many years in the past. We are given a choice of one bad candidate or an alternative of another bad candidate to vote for; neither candidate at all being worthy of the office when you take their morals and lives into consideration.
For a good laugh or to be humbly offended, see the following link:

http://www.republicmagazine.com/magazines/Republic-Magazine8.pdf

Why do we play this game? Most people tell you they vote for either the candidate from the Democratic Party or the candidate from the Republican Party because they feel they are the only ones who have a chance to win the vote. That is not a vote when you have to choose between the lesser of two evils. One of the unfortunate realizations of having only a two party system is that it is possible for an entity to gain control of both parties through a number of compromises etc. Once this has been done, they can gain control of the American political system. We as Americans allow this to happen when we decide that we will choose only from these two parties even when the candidates from those two parties are not worth the paper the vote is cast on (That is if you are lucky enough to be voting by paper which thus leaves a paper trail rather than digitally which means you put your entire trust of your vote in the machine you are voting on. Anyone interested should do some research on the validity of the new digital voting machines. Information can be found at: http://www.awakeandarise.org/article/Diabold.htm.) All that has to be done in this type of environment by those who would try to manipulate the system is get a candidate on both the Republican and Democratic ticket who will continue to push the same agenda as the previous administration. If they are successful in doing this, then they are guaranteed that either candidate #1 or candidate #2 will get elected and they can continue down the same path as before with few changes other than the lies that come out of the candidates mouths at a particular time.

I must admit that I have been guilty of doing this very thing at times. I have voted for what I thought was the better of two evils not really knowing what else to do. Unfortunately I was led into playing the same game I am talking about because of so many people telling me that if I voted for anyone else other than the mainstream candidates, my vote would not count.

I had to ask myself awhile back, why would my vote not count? Those who were telling me this line believed that my vote would not count because not enough votes would be given to someone outside of the two main parties and because of this, that candidate would not get elected. Now if I had to paraphrase that argument, it would basically be this, I will not vote for that candidate because others will not vote for that candidate. If you really break that down, does that really go along with what we have been taught by both our church leaders and by the founding fathers of this nation? I have tried to find the quote attributed to Joseph Smith when he stated that it is our obligation as citizens of this nation to vote for the candidate that we feel will best serve the interests of the people regardless of whether we think they will be elected or not. I wish I could find that quote, but even if I do not, I still believe wholeheartedly that that is a true statement.

Imagine yourself at the Day of Judgment and imagine being asked why you voted for a certain candidate even though his record clearly stated he had little or no integrity in him. Are we going to say, “I voted for this candidate because I thought he was a little bit better than his opponent who was completely evil?” Hopefully that will not be our response and yet it seems that year after year we as Americans continue to do the same thing over and over. Why does it matter that other people will not vote for a certain candidate even if his credentials are good? It makes no difference. It is our obligation to vote for the best person we feel can run our country regardless of which party he is affiliated with and regardless of the way the mainstream media portrays that person. If we are to stand clean at the Day of Judgment, It is our obligation to vote for the best candidate (after doing research and praying for guidance) even if we are the only ones voting for that person. Only after doing this can we really expect our Heavenly Father to make up for any weakness we may have in the voting process.

Global Hypocrisy, I mean warming! Ha Ha

Many people seem to be getting into the “Green” thing these days. It seems to be the new fad for our generation brought upon by the media and certain people in government, not to mention any names although some might come to mind. I wonder if people have ever thought about what we are being told by the media and government leaders. Here are some insights into the issue. Take it for what it is worth, but I sincerely believe they are true.

A good friend from college wrote this to me which I think summarizes the new Environmentalism and “Green” Movement. Thank you Allie for these comments, I thought they were very appropriate. She said:

Chew on this for a little bit: Environmentalism is the new religion. Look, it has a basic end of the world scenario (acid rain, oil tankers spilling crude, ozone depletion, Earth burning, Earth freezing, etc). Environmentalists are dooms-day false prophets. Man is the sinner causing the global warming and has a moral obligation to "Go Green." Instead of finding salvation through Jesus Christ, we are told that our governments will redeem us. This new man's religion even has an origin of life and creation story (carbon). Heck, Environmentalism even has a religious holiday: Earth Day-The day to worship Mother Earth (the new god).

For more, go to: http: //www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/ostrowski-john1.html

I have been wanting to write a blog on global warming to let people know my feelings on the lie. I will be very blunt on my feelings of Global Warming according to the way the media portrays it because it is critical for us to understand. It is not of God because it does not follow his teachings. It is not about climate at all, it is about worship. Tell me how a loving, all knowing Father in Heaven and son would make a planet and put resources on it such as oil etc. to be used for the benefit of man and then be so naive as to let that earth be so fragile as to go into self destruction supposedly from us using cars and trucks and other commodities put on the earth for the use of man. (Long sentence I know) For us to believe this, we would have to believe that our Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ are only partial Gods and very naive because they made a mistake in the way the planet was built and it is now mans responsibility to correct it. It is my testimony that Our Heavenly Father and his Son knew exactly what they were doing when they built this planet and that other than in extreme instances where these resources are abused, the earth is more than capable of keeping itself in balance. It is my belief that if we used the resources of this planet the way they were designed to be used, we could easily maintain a balance between industry and a healthy climate.

I do not doubt the existence of global warming and I don’t even doubt that it is man caused, but the problem is in how it is man caused. It is caused because of murderers and secret combinations and other iniquitous sectors of our society taking advantage of the people and trying to steal their money with stupid lies such as the war on terrorism and global warming. If people repented of the things they were doing contrary to God's teachings, then global warming would cease for the most part in destroying so much that man has built. On the contrary, if we continue in our evil ways, it will continue and get worse. In that sense it is man caused.

I will admit that man can have negative consequences on the earth by having things such as oil spills and contaminating the water and other such tragedies, but overall this is a very smart planet made to support the population and maintain a steady balance if the people will just do what is right.

It is our duty and responsibility to use the resources of the earth in a respectable manner and to use them in a way to maximize their effectiveness. We do this out of a sense of love and compassion for ourselves and for those around us. We do not do it by force, because if it is done by force, you can always rest assured that there are other motivations behind that force.

The stories we are told about global warming have little backing at all if you do the research outside the mainstream media. Most experts who are not being paid by the evil "news establishment" will tell you that humans have a very small impact on global warming. Those promoting these lies, many in our government, are surely aware of this, but they continue to promote global warming to steal from us by creating things such as the carbon credit, carbon tax, and by making us pay other taxes towards global warming research and development, aka buying Al Gore and his goons another jet so they can study how they are destroying the environment with their personal jets and how you should continue to pay them to do so out of your own pocket. It is all such a lie and their is a reason why it is being pushed so much. It is all about power, control, greed, money, etc. (sounds like a secret combination to me). If these people have their way, in the next several years we will be paying more and more taxes until we are destroyed as a Nation. They think we should pay it because they are the new gods and can save us from these perils, but only if we submit to their demands.

How sad of a state we are in as a Nation when the leaders will even try to profit from the judgments of God being poured out upon the land in an attempt to humble the people of the land. I once heard that the Native Americans believe that Mother Earth is an entity and that she has a soul of her own. We are told as members of the LDS church that this earth is a Celestial body. With this being said, many of these great Native American people believe that what we are seeing is an attempt of Mother Earth to cleanse itself from the iniquity on its face because it is a Celestial body.

After hearing the propaganda so long, all I can say is no thanks, I worship the Father and his son, not this planet or the government. That is what the whole argument boils down to is worship and who it is you are going to give your allegiance to.

Hope I did not offend anyone with this. I do have some very strong feelings about global warming and some other issues because we the people are being lied to. We are paying taxes up to our necks and losing our livelihood chasing lies that are told to us by those who should be protecting us.

For a great informational video on the subject, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzSzItt6h-s

Note: Please do your own research because I know their is more to the issue than I have mentioned, but I think this should be enough to at least counter some of the lies we have been fed by the news media and possibly peek some curiosity.

Chance Encounter

I must tell of my experience as I went to the temple today. Now to preface this, I must admit that many times I read the articles at the end of the Ensign where people tell their personal stories of conversion etc. under Latter Day Saint Voices and sometimes I get jealous. Now it is not that I haven’t seen and experienced some miraculous events through the power of the spirit in my lifetime, but many times I wonder what experience I would talk about that would even compare with some of the stories in the Ensign. I have never been prompted by the spirit to change seats or change lanes because of impending disaster or things as dramatic as this, but I have been prompted in many small things.

Well today, I went to the Columbia, South Carolina Temple to attend a few sessions since I had the day off and there is not much else to do without your family. I was trying to decide a couple of days ago whether to go to the Atlanta Temple which is about 2 hours away and larger with more accommodations, or the Columbia, South Carolina Temple which is one of the smaller temples. I was going to go to the Atlanta Temple, but last night when I realized they had their last session in the late afternoon, I decided instead to go to the Columbia Temple which was a little closer. I was hoping to be able to go through a couple of sessions since I don’t usually have the chance to do that very often. I left for the Temple at 10:00 in the morning hoping to get there at the right time so I could go through the 12:00 session and then go to the 2:00 session as well. Well as it was, I did get lost getting to the temple once, but I was able to fairly quickly make the right turn to get back on track. I made it to the temple with plenty of time to get ready etc. That being a miracle in itself!

When I got to the Temple, the front desk man told me that the session was probably going to be full at 12:00 and that I may need to do some other things in the temple, which I was fine with. I got dressed and went to the meeting room and the people in charge were taking number and wondering if they were going to have enough room. Fortunately they did and I was able to go to the 12:00 session which was almost maximum capacity. I enjoyed the session, although towards the end, it was starting to look like I would not be able to make the 2:00 session, which was the last session for the day, because we were still busy. The first session ended at 5 minutes to 2:00, just barely allowing me enough time to change and barely make it to the 2:00 session.

I got seated, and very soon after the next session began. This session had fewer people than the session before it, probably only 10 guys or so. I was deep in thought and enjoying the spirit which is so abundant in the Temple when towards the middle of the session, one of the guys in front of me waved as though he knew me. I didn’t get it, because I was in a place where the chance of someone knowing me was extremely slim. I saw the guys face for a second before he turned back around and I didn’t recognize him from the military base where I only knew a few members. I didn’t know what to think, but I just kind of crossed it out of my mind and just thought how odd it was wondering if the guy had waved to someone else although it looked like he had waved at me.

I heard the guy talking to someone else in front of me, and I still did not know who it was, but I did start to put his face with people I knew. I thought he kind of looked like my cousin from back home in Idaho. I listened to him talk, and he kind of had the same type of voice as well. As I got to the Celestial room I was hoping the guy would be there so I could find out who he was. I went up to him and asked, Paul, and I got a huge smile on my face. This is actually a second cousin, but a cousin who I had known very well up to college and had a great deal of respect for. He was one of those people that after getting to know him, I had little doubt that we had known each other in the pre-existence as odd as that may sound.

I was taken back with emotion although we had a good talk and got reacquainted as we spoke is whispers about each others families. Of all the people to meet in an obscure place in South Carolina and of all the places to meet in the Celestial room. I had lost contact with him when I was activated for military duty, and he had moved to South Carolina a couple of years earlier. I was amazed at how many mini-miracles had taken place for us to see each other again and to get reacquainted both as family and as friends. He told me that he had barely made the session himself which was also quite amazing. As I look at all the events that had to take place just right for us to get reacquainted, I couldn’t help but gain a stronger testimony that our Heavenly Father knows us very well and is in control of the events that shape our lives if we will let him guide us. There is no way a person could tell me that was just coincidence. What an awesome experience!

Preschool Graduation

OK so I am a little late at posting this blog, but I have really been meaning to update all you faithful readers on what has been happening with our lives the last two months. At the end of May Brooklyn finished with her first year of preschool. They had a little graduation for successfully finishing their first. The kids sang a little song for their parents and then the teachers had them each come up to get a certificate for the preschool graduation. Here are a few pictures of all the kids while the teachers were passing out the certificates.

The whole preschool class

Brooklyn getting her certificate.

Happy 4th of July!

As we ponder on the meaning of today, the 4rth of July, I can’t help but be grateful for those true patriots that have made this day possible. Many times it is not necessarily the soldier who deserves so much of the credit for the freedoms we enjoy although they do deserve much of the credit. Many offered the ultimate sacrifice in many wars that have been fought. Although the political scope of the wars may have been in question, I have no doubt that these people will be rewarded in heaven for what they did and it is our obligation to remember them as well. They fought for our freedoms and I will forever be in awe of their sacrifices.

Today I write this blog to thank those who fight for our freedom on a different front and yet deserve just as much thanks. Today their are many patriots who are putting their lives on the line, not necessarily on the battlefield as we would think it, but in the real battlefield for the survival of our country. Most people think that the battlefield for the freedom of our country is in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I promise you that that battlefield is pale in comparison with the battle that is being fought in our own country for our freedoms. The outcome of this battle will determine whether we are free to raise our families according to the gospel, or whether we are in bondage. This war, just like the war in heaven is not being fought with guns and swords and other weapons of war. It is being fought by true patriots who are getting involved and doing all they can to uphold and defend the constitution of this land as it is being ripped to shreds. These people can be found in various places, unfortunately not where they should be found though at the head of our government. These are the people who deserve our help and support just as much if not more than the soldier who is fighting the supposed “War on Terrorism”.

The true outcome of our freedom will not be determined on if we win the war on terrorism, but rather if we can determine who the real terrorists are. Terrorists in my opinion are those who would fight to take our freedoms from us and enslave us just as the Lamanites tried on many occasions to enslave the Nephites in the Book of Mormon. If we are not actively striving to defend the constitution and those who would defend it and hold it absolute, who is to say that we really deserve to be free. Many people in this country and even in the church have no more right to be free than the Nephites did in their wicked state. These people think that freedom is a right and not a responsibility. We should not be surprised if one day we wake up and there are no more holidays like the 4rth of July to celebrate if we are not willing to pay the price to maintain that freedom. We are all under this obligation, myself included. The only way that I could expect to be free in this land is if I am willing to get involved as the founding fathers had in mind and “Exercise Eternal Vigilance” to maintain our republic and the constitution.

As we celebrate this holiday with our families and go camping or whatever it is we do, let’s at least give a little thought to remember the purpose of this holiday and rededicate ourselves to making sure there are many more 4rth of Julys to celebrate in the future. Teach your children of the sacrifices that were made not only by soldiers, but also by patriots such as the Founding Fathers of this country. Don’t let the day pass without doing something to both remember the sacrifices given by others for our freedoms, but also in dedicating ourselves to likewise being patriots of freedom.

"If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers - normally good Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free - Americans who have been lulled away into a false security." (April 1968, General Conference Report)

"If the Gentiles on this land reject the word of God and conspire to overthrow liberty and the Constitution, their doom is fixed, and they 'shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant' (1 Nephi 14:6; 3 Nephi 21:11, 14, 21; D&C 84:114-115, 117). (God Family, Country, p. 345.) (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson p. 618-119.)

First Dental Checkup

Last month Brooklyn had her first teeth cleaning, and her Dental Hygienist was....Holley. Big Surprise I know. She did better than I thought she would. She loved going up and down in the dental chair. She also really liked the suction. Every few seconds she would grab the suction and stick it in her mouth. It was very funny.

Awakening to a Sense of our Awful Situation

As members of the church, it is our responsibility to defend the freedoms we enjoy in this land so that the work of the Lord can continue to go fourth. This can only be done when we have our agency and are able to choose right from wrong. With this being said, there are some very sobering scriptures that we have been given in both the Book of Mormon and by modern day prophets concerning our liberty and freedom.

As we go through and read the Book of Mormon, we come to understand that one of the main lessons we are to learn from that scripture is about the pride cycle. We all should know what the pride cycle entails. As we are blessed, we begin to forget to keep the commandments and we begin to get arrogant and over time the Lord sends trials in our lives to humble us so that we will remember him and his commandments. One thing that seems to happen almost in every instance when the people get wicked, secret combinations begin to arise which seek to take away the freedoms of the majority for the benefit of the few. This is almost always the case in the Book of Mormon. When the people become wicked, you can count on secret combinations being introduced into the land. The Lord will usually use these combinations to try and humble the people so they can repent and be blessed of the Lord once again. If they do repent, and turn unto him, then he will destroy these works of darkness for the blessings of the people once again.

With this being said, as we read in Ether Chapter 8, we are given a very interesting statement in the highlight of the chapter. As we go down it states, “Secret Combinations are of the devil and result in the destruction of nations---Modern Gentiles are warned against the secret combination which shall seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries. “ Now why is that so important to understand? If it were plural, it would be referring to secret combinations in general which is what most members generally think of when they read that verse. If you look carefully though, it is not plural, it is singular. As you read on in that chapter it states, (Ether 8:18-26) “ 18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret ^acombination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;

19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.

20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had ^aamong all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.

21 And they have caused the ^adestruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.

22 And whatsoever ^anation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the ^bblood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for ^cvengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.

23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get ^apower and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of ^bdestruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.

24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this ^asecret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the ^afreedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who ^bbeguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath ^chardened the hearts of men that they have ^dmurdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.

26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have ^ano power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be ^bpersuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all ^crighteousness and be saved.” In verse 24, it states again the presence of a particular secret combination rather than secret combinations in general. It states, “When ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you…” With this you have to conclude that either the Book of Mormon has two errors, there is a major coincidence that it states twice to be aware a secret combination, or that there is one particular secret combination that we need to be especially and critically aware of. Verse 25 states that that secret combination “seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies…”

Now let me give a quote that was given by President Ezra Taft Benson in General Conference October 2, 1988, “Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its influence and control over America and the entire world.” He once again repeats the singular sense of a secret combination and adds a little more detail that it was increasing its influence over America and sought to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries. I would like to add a little note to that. Out of all the prophets in our dispensation, no other prophet had more of a right to say those words from experience than did Pres. Benson. He served simultaneously as a member of the Quorum of the 12 while serving under President Dwight D. Eisenhower as Secretary of Agriculture for both terms, 8 years.

Moroni states in verse 21 that secret combinations had caused the destruction of the Jaredites and the Nephites, both entire civilizations that lived upon the Americas. He then states, “And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed.” He then gives a very very sobering reminder to us that must be placed as one of the most important lessons to be learned from the Book of Mormon for our time, “Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain, and the work, yea even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. (Verse 24) Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.”

To our detriment as members of the church and as citizens of this great nation which we live, that secret combination has gotten above our heads, and we are now seeing the work of destruction as is stated in verse 23. President Benson stated that it was increasing its influence over America in 1988 and it has progressed in leaps and bounds since then.

It is absolutely critical that we awake to a sense of our awful situation and do something about it. That work of destruction will continue at least until we as members of the church, and particularly priesthood holders, awake and remember the constitution that was given to us by the shedding of blood. In D & C 101:80, it states, “I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.”

The time has come for us to remember the words of Joseph Smith when he stated it would be the members of the church who would defend, uphold, maintain, and save the constitution if it is saved at all. We have no more time to waste. It is a commandment for us to get informed as to this secret combination that is mentioned in the scriptures and by modern day Prophets, and to do everything in our power to save the constitution. It stands in great jeopardy at this time as never before. As we become aware of this secret combination and seek the direction of the spirit, we will be directed by the spirit in our efforts to maintain our liberty and uphold the constitution. It is hard to be directed by the spirit when we are not even aware of what is going on around us.

It is my conviction that just as a loving Father in Heaven sent wise men to establish the Constitution of the United States, he also sent people such as Ezra Taft Benson and other wise men to preserve it. Stand tall. Read the constitution. Support it. Let the spirit guide you as the spirit guided our Founding Fathers. This is a vital work that has to be done and it will be done.

Without the Constitution and our freedom, we lose the gospel, our families, and we stand in jeopardy if we do nothing of losing our salvation both temporal and spiritual. The work of the Lord can only be brought about in a climate of liberty. The Lord has held many of this generation in reserve for the very purpose of defending our Constitution and freedoms so that the work of the Lord can continue. This is the work of the Lord in our day. Rise up and take your places ye Elders of Israel and through the Power of God and the Holy Priesthood which we hold, do that which we promised we would do in the pre-mortal existence. It will not be done without us, but with the Lord’s help, it will be done! The members of the church are as sleeping giants right now when it comes to things of the constitution, but as they are awakened, nothing in this world will be able to stop them from defending what is right and saving the Constitution. Many have been awakened and are already doing everything in their efforts to defend our freedom. God bless them for their efforts, for we owe them a world of thanks. God bless us in our efforts to maintain those liberties we have come to love and cherish and that are essential to the progression of the Gospel. He loves us and will not let us fail, if we do everything in our power to preserve that sacred document. This is the real war to which every faithful Latter Day Saint should be devoted. Lets work together to see that this happens.

19

“Secret combinations lusting

A lighter thought for the day!

I just had to share a thought I had today as I was preparing my lesson in the Joseph Smith manual. I was in lesson 9 where it is talking about the gifts of the spirit. I was all serious trying to prepare a really good lesson and all involved in the text. As I got to the end, I was trying to think about the last paragraph that states:

"The Lord cannot always be known by the thunder of His voice, by the display of His glory or by the manifestation of His power; and those that are the most anxious to see these things, are the least prepared to meet them, and were the Lord to manifest His power as he did to the children of Israel, such characters would be the first to say, 'Let not the Lord speak any more, lest we His people die. '(See Exodus 20:19.)"

As I read that verse I pictured a loving Father who would be willing to do anything to help his children, and what do they ask for. They ask over and over for a sign. Show us a sign. We want a sign. Show us a sign. Finally the Father says, ok, ok, I heard you, enough is enough, I will show you a sign. It will be a tough one, but I will show you a sign. Tomorrow all who want a sign will wake up with chicken pox and you will have them for the rest of your lives. The next day, the people wake up with chicken pox as had been predicted, and what is their response? No more signs. We don't want any more signs. Please, Please don't show us any more signs!

Just thought I would pass that on as a little lighter moment of the day!

Additional thought on the Law of Consecration

I wanted to continue a little on my thought about the Law of Consecration and how it can be more applicable in our lives today. I was so glad to receive Andy's comments. Andy was my Elder's Quorum President in the 3rd ward at BYU-Idaho. We both met our wives from that ward and had great times together. I was his counselor and he taught me a great deal about the gospel. I thought his comments were of some great value so I am going to place them here for all to see and then I will continue on with my thought. I hope he doesn't mind me putting his comments here. He said, 1.) "I don't remember anywhere in the Temple where we are told that the law of consecration is on hold. In fact I don't recall any talk or message from the church stating otherwise. So we should live it now as much as we can. That means serving others and mentally living it by realizing all we have is given to us to help those around us and none are better than others because of money. 2.) We actually have to prepare a ZION society before it will be established. Its not that we are suddenly going to be rescued out of the world while we still toil to have more than others. There will need to come a shift on our thinking and behavior then the Lord will establish Zion and send the city of Enoch back to the earth to join an existing Zion society." I love those comments.
Now back to some of my thoughts. Considering for a moment that money is nothing more than a means of exchanging service from one person to another. If this is the case, then in all due reality it does not matter what means of currency we use. Obviously the best currency is one backed by a common value such as gold, but for the point I am trying to make, it really does not matter so much the currency as it does the service we perform. We do not need currency to exchange services among people who are of the same mindset and understanding. We all have talents and skills that we can share with each other. In a ward, in a stake, and in the church as a whole their are many things that we can do for each other that requires no currency exchange. What do we do as home teachers and as visiting teachers? We are taught to share our talents and skills with those we serve. As we serve, we are also served. In the church as a whole, we live far below our potential to serve and lift each other up.
How ironic is it that we will go to work for 8-10 hours a week and spend half the money on gas, food, babysitters, etc. and then we will go pay someone the other half of our day's paycheck to fix a simple appliance in our house. All this when the talents and skills to fix that appliance were right there within our ward or stake. It is even more ironic when you consider the fact that the very person who could have come over to fix your appliance will spend a good part of his paycheck to get the very service that you could have gladly exchanged for the fixed appliance. This exchange would have left both of you with more freedom, a chance to have served one another, and more time to have spent with your family. I am not saying we do not need to work at all on the outside since many services can only be provided by larger entities. I am saying that many times we could alleviate much of the heartaches we have by just living a simple version of the Law of Consecration.
When you think of groups of people who live this lower law better than anyone else, who comes to mind? It may be kind of hilarious, but college students at the church schools seem to live this lower law better than any other people. This is probably more by necessity in many cases than by desire, but they still show how it can be done. A college student has little money but quite a few resources and skills available to them. So what do they do with these skills and talents? They share and serve in as many ways as possible so that all can be blessed. In most all of these exchanges, their is no currency exchanged, and yet the service is still rendered.
Now why is this so significant? Their are two ways we can use this knowledge to bless our lives. First, right now we are all in wards and stakes and organizations with people who could use a helping hand with one thing or another. None are excluded from this category. Although many are not quite at the state where this law can be implemented in its entirety, we can rest assured that it will be implemented fully some day, hopefully sooner than later. But inasmuch as the law is able to be lived, it needs to be lived. We have our daily schedules that seem to be so busy, but why are they so busy. What if we spent Saturdays as ward members and as families serving one another? What a great family activity. Then on Sunday, as time permits, we can do the same. One of the reason's we seem to have no time is the very fact that we do not spend the time to give people time if that makes any sense. If we banded together as members of the church, we could alleviate much of the suffering and pain that is felt by many.
The second reason why this is so significant is that if something were to happen to our economy, we would have to realize real fast that we do not need an economy to perform the basics that will keep us alive and happy. The economy does provide for many luxuries, goods, and services, but it can never compensate for actual people helping people and serving one another. Service is eternal, but our currency and economy are very fragile and can fluctuate on a daily basis. If we truly and sincerely learn the essence of true service, which is the key ingredient to the Law of Consecration, we will be able to weather whatever comes our way. When others are fighting each other because things go sour, we can be serving each other and have smiles on our faces!

Current Condition of our Nation

As I sit here pondering on things that are going on in our Nation, I feel impressed to say a few words concerning our present condition. It may not be a popular topic, but yet it is one that is in serious need of discussion; not so much discussion as it does action. I must say before I get into my thoughts that overall I am an optimist. I know that a loving Father in Heaven looks after his children and will do the very best for them. With that being said, likewise their are times when action needs to be taken. We stand at a cross-roads in our Nation, one that will determine our fate in the future. Just as a child who loses a finger, you cannot just ignore it and pretend that it will go away because it will not. Action must be taken when things are seriously wrong. That is not being pessimistic, rather that is being realistic.
We have come to a time in our Nation when political answers will no longer do. Their are politicians on all sides of the debates saying this and that about different topics; some good, some bad. When a Nation gets to a point when they can no longer be governed by a Constitution, they can no longer be saved by a Constitution either, no matter how perfect that Constitution may be. When a Nation gets to this point, no matter what political practices are implemented, they will soon be defeated through some kind of corruption or another. The true answer to our Nation's problems and the only one that will have a lasting result on our Nation at this time is not a political solution, rather a spiritual one.
People must understand that their will be little or no return to the prosperous times we have been blessed with and are so used to unless we have a spiritual rebirth as a Nation. Prophets have warned us on numerous occasions, and we are now seeing the results of a Nation forsaking righteousness as a whole. The consequences of this are not just spiritual, but even more so natural consequences of secret combinations and the results of their actions. It is also a consequence brought upon by others participating in these works either knowingly or unknowingly.
Unfortunately our Nation is very sick right now and we can no longer get by with a patch on top of a patch to solve our problems politically. Until this Nation can learn to live under constitutional law, we will be bound to live under a law that is relative rather than absolute. As a Nation we can make that decision. We can either suffer as in times of old when people forsook the commandments, or we can repent as a Nation and have a loving Father in Heaven protect us and keep us safe as is the promise to all who live upon this land. If we cannot do this, then we have no promise and as a Nation we have some very tough times ahead. This being said, even if this Nation does not choose to repent, we can still individually receive the protection and blessings promised upon those who live in this Nation, if we will but listen to the prophets and live worthy of the spirit to direct us. That does not mean that we will be able to avoid much of what lies ahead, but as we do what is right, we will be guided to know what we need to do.
The Constitution of this land is no more relative than the commandments are. They are absolutes in a time when their are few absolutes. As was once said, we cannot break the commandments, we can only break ourselves against them.
Now as I began, I must tell you once again that I am an optimist overall, but the time has come for us to realize that all is not well in Zion. We have some difficult choices to make. For us to change the course we are headed as a Nation and as a people, we cannot do it outside of the framework of the church. We need the activity that comes from church membership, (Holy Ghost) church attendance, and in living what we are taught. Nothing short of this has the power to change the state of our Nation as it currently exists.
We can be optimistic that things will happen in our lives and in this Nation according to the dictates of a loving Heavenly Father. This does not change the fact that we can only last so long as a Nation under our current attitudes and actions. Their is mercy and their is also justice. Unfortunately as a Nation we are currently on the side of justice rather than mercy.
We must live under constitutional law if we ever want to return to the prosperity we have enjoyed in the past, but even more than that, we must return to our spiritual roots. Rather than getting drunk on the weekends, we need to serve others around us. We need to study the constitution. We need to study the words of the prophets and be active in following their counsel rather than just listening only. We need to forget the worldly things of this world, and rather use our resources to help those around us. Only in doing this will we be able to preserve our constitution and freedoms that are enjoyed under that document!

Sold on Fluoride

Those of you who know I am a Dental Hygienist may not be too surprised that I am writing about something I promote all day at work and have been taught in all my classes is a good product. It probably isn't a shocker to you if you keep up on the latest dental info that Fluoride is a very controversial subject, at least when it comes to water fluoridation and the recommended Fluoride treatments.

To those of you who may be interested I decided to do a bit of my own research. I am not saying I questioned Fluoride, I just decided to look at what people who where opposed to it had to say. I did this mainly so I would have a greater knowledge of how to respond to these people. Some of the negative points I have heard are: it is a waste product, it destroys cells, it is toxic, it depresses your system, etc. I even saw a very convincing video by a dentist stating that Fluoride was not good; however, after all my research I can honestly tell you that Fluoride is very beneficial and should be promoted and used as currently recommended!

As with all products there should be some comparison, such as the two different types of filling materials. Unfortunately there is not another product to compare fluoride to so all you can do is look at the long studies of fluoride. When we see people who have grown up drinking well water they have very healthy bodies. The fluoride in this water is typically right around the recommended dosage. These people typically have very few cavities in comparison to a person who has not had fluoride. These people also have less broken bones than a person who does not have fluoride and they live just as long of lives and are not killed by "fluoride destroying their cells". In addition there are many products that we use today that are waste products and they are still beneficial, just like fluoride.

Hopefully you can't see by this very concrete research that fluoride is very safe and beneficial when used at the recommended dosages. Fluoride truly does help our bodies and teeth!

Trip to the ER

On Saturday afternoon we had our first dreaded trip that all parents try to avoid....a trip to the E.R. Zachary had his first, and hopefully last visit. We had a great day playing with friends all morning. Then in the afternoon we decided to go outside. The kids played on the swing set and in the sand box. Right as we were going inside my friends son got sand in his eyes. As I was figuring out how to help him Brooklyn ran into the bathroom to get some water for us and on her way out she shut the door. Well, that is great, except when Zachary is right there with his finger in the door jam. I immediately heard him screaming and knew something was wrong. I looked over to see a pile of blood and a crying baby sitting on the ground. I quickly inspected his mouth and then spotted his finger looking as though the tip had been sliced with a knife from the fingernail forward. So I called over two neighbors and my mom to help since I knew at that point I could not handle 4 children by myself, especially 2 that needed attention right then. We put Zachary's finger in a cloth and got him to settle down after about 5 minutes with a pacifier. Then we got the sand out of my friends son's eyes and loaded everyone in the van to head to the hospital.

After dropping off my friends kids and Brooklyn to grandpa we were finally able to make it to the E.R. We ended up getting there around 6pm and staying for about 4 hours. While waiting Zachary was quite content and really wanted to get down and run around. After about 2 hours in the waiting room we were able to go back to a room where they took an x-ray of Zachary's finger and told us he would probably need surgery to fix his finger. Then it took another hour to get a bandage put back on his finger and get discharged from the hospital. I was just glad that Zachary handled the situation well and even let us take a picture of him sitting in the hospital bed.


Four days later Zachary is still doing well. We went to an orthopedic Surgeon on Monday and he said the finger is healing very well and he is going to hold off on doing surgery...yeah!! He told us that the finger and the nail should grow back completely. We will keep you all posted on how things go with this little injury. Tonight I got a picture of his fingers to compare how much it changes over the next few weeks.

An Idea on the Law of Consecration

This is kind of a random thought, but that is the way my mind works. Stick around me long enough and you will know the definition of randomness. Anyhow, I was just sitting here in bed and I have had an idea I have been trying to put into words or at least mental thought, and I figured why not just write it and put it into written thought, and I thought, what a great idea!

Well my idea revolves around the Law of Consecration which is the law which we will voluntarily live by when we are allowed to live in Zion. Anyhow my idea is in trying to explain in a general sense what this law is about. If I had to explain it to anyone, I would have to say it this way with a question. What do we work for when we go to work where we get paid. Are we working for the prestige of the money or are we working for the things we can purchase with that money? To clarify this, are we working so we can go on vacations with our families, pay for gas to go on those vacations, and to have the other needs of life or are we working so we can show off those things and be better than others. If you have to narrow it down, are we working for the money itself or for the services that come from that money?

If we are working for the money in itself, we could never be satisfied with how much we get because when can you say enough is enough or I have enough? When could we finally say, I am happy? If you are working for the services that that money provides, you come to find a sense of accomplishment in that money being spent on a means to an end rather than the end in itself.

Now how does this relate to the Law of Consecration? Well consider for a second that you made a substantial amount of money; Not millions, but you definitely had plenty of money to buy the things you wanted and needed. How would you feel if everyone else was able to enjoy those same things that you were able to enjoy? Would you feel less successful if everyone else was able to have the same things you had even though they maybe had less education or other qualifying factors than you had? In other words, what would that money mean to you? would it be as a means of lifting yourself up above others so that others could see your status was above their status and you had more "things" than they did? Or on the other hand would you feel a great feeling in your heart that everyone was able to partake of the same blessings as you?

As you apply this to the Law of Consecration, an individual person may do very well under the law as he adds increase to his stewardship that has been entrusted to him. The blessed thing in this is that as he does well, so can everyone else. In today's world we are told that if one class is to live a life of luxury, then it must needs come at the expense of another class. This is not the way a loving Heavenly Father wants it for his children. We are all blessed with different talents and abilities and some are better at things as business than others, and some are better at taking care of the sick and the afflicted than others. We all have our unique talents and skills. Their is more than enough abundance for all to enjoy every blessing that Heavenly Father has in reserve for us on this earth, but to get to that point we must get beyond the status of money and get to the services of money. Once we come to the understanding that money is only a means to an end, we will be closer the day when we can all enjoy the blessings of this earth. For although we may be Doctors or Lawyers and have great prestige and many of the things of this world, it matters very little if these "things" are only so we can put a label upon ourselves and put ourselves on a higher level than others.

When we are blessed to live the Law of Consecration, money will no longer be about prestige, rather about service. In a sense, that is all money boils down to anyhow is service from one to another. When we are all able to think of others as we do ourselves, NOT BY FORCE BUT BY CHOICE, this will be when we are ready to live the Law of Consecration and when all will begin to enjoy the blessings of our Heavenly Father in abundance both temporally and spiritually!

Life in the Military!

Well, It has now been a full month since I left Colorado and the family, again. These deployments sure do get old fast, but I am getting some good education which is a good thing. I was thinking about it the other day, and I have almost been on active duty time with the military either in the army or in the Air Force for 2 years, the same amount of time I was on my mission. Just an interesting little fact. That doesn't even count for all the time I have been with the Guard in training either on the weekends or in the summers. If you added all those together, they would add up as well. I don't complain about this, but I do look foreword to when my enlistment is up so I can finally be somewhat done with this type of lifestyle.

I do have to admit that their is little comparison between the Army and the Air Force. They seem to be quite different from each other, at least from the experience I have had. My opinion may be skewed some because of the fact that I served with the Army in Iraq and in training to go to Iraq for a year and a half, (A time I would not wish for anyone to have to go through) but the Air Force does seem to be much more civil. My personality type did not fit into the Army very well by any means. I am a type INFJ which is only 1% of the population of the world, but needless to say, this personality type is not the type of person who likes contention, and the Army was full of that from sunset to sundown. Anyhow, I am quite glad phase of my life is over, at least being with the Army.

It is kind of cool meeting so many very interesting people in this world, many of which I would never have met if I was not in the military. I can honestly say that it was in the military that my innocence was lost; where I learned there is more than one definition of thong. That was an interesting story in and of itself. We finally got a break from boot camp and we were going to six flags, and I told the group I was going to go get my thongs, and they all started laughing. I did not get it. I was wondering why my sandals were so funny. Later they told me the other definition of thongs, and I have to admit I laughed pretty hard myself. Who knew, (Well I guess everyone but me) that thongs can be worn on your feet and to cover your derrier, or as the case may be to not cover your derrier if you know what I mean.

Well, the point of all this is that although military life can be quite difficult, it can also be quite rewarding, adventurous, and at times down right hilarious. Although it has been a tough 2 years, it has been a great learning experience I would not give up. Now if you would have asked me that a couple of years ago, that probably would have been a different story, but that is for another day and time.

Now we are Bloggers!

Well, here it goes, our first little try at blogging! A big day for the Searle Family. One little problem, much of Forrest's side of the family is still learning how to turn on a computer, let alone checking someone's blog site, but o-well! This will be a good way to keep up with family and friends, so we are excited. It seems like nowadays the cool people blog, so in keeping up with the Jones's (No punn intended for Holley's side of the family since much of them are Jones's) we are now the "Cool people on the block." Just kidding! Hope all who visit get a chuckle or two, some good advice, or something worth your time.