Kelly is the mother of 5 adorable kids--4 boys and a girl. The girl came in a package with a boy (twins).
Kelly is married to a charming young man who lives and breathes computers. They are also guardians for three nieces and a nephew.
She is active in the community having served as PTA President of a local elementary school,
on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins, as a district round-table trainer with the Cub Scouts, as a volunteer for Sidelines (a support network for Women on bed rest during pregnancy) and she and her husband are active in the LDS Church.
Salt Lake LDS Temple Centennial with a full 3D model of the building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
This Single Image Stereogram was done at the 100 year anniversary of the building's completion.
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer,
who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea,
his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to
drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation,
a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
A friend of mine teaches at Utah State University. He gave his students an assignment to come up with some songs that they would consider their "life" trak and write it. They also included with their paper a CD of the songs that were chosen.
I decided to do it as well.
These are songs that mean something to me in a real way. At some time or another most of these songs have been written about by me on this blog. I believe that the first song has not been used, but that is a mere oversight. So, I include in here the posts that describe these songs, and where necessary, a bit more about them and how they apply.
Collin Raye--In This Life
Though I have not written about this song in the past it does not mean that it has any less significance in my life. I have met many people in my life who may not be present in my daily life yet have previously been a significant part of it.
For every mountain I have climbed Every raging river crossed You were the treasure that I'd longed to find Without your love I would be lost
Let the world stop turnin' Let the sun stop burnin' Let them tell me love's not worth going through If it all falls apart I will know deep in my heart The only dream that mattered had come true In this life, I was loved by you
I cherish the memory of their love...whether present or not.
I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.
I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.
The Climb lyrics Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;
I can almost see it That dream I am dreaming But there's a voice inside my head saying "You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high
There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing The chances I'm taking Sometimes might knock me down But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it But these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going
And I, I got to be strong Just keep pushing on
...
Keep on moving, keep climbing Keep the faith, baby It's all about, it's all about the climb Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa
John Denver--Country Roads
Almost Heaven One night while watching and listening to some music videos on Youtube I was taken back, as I often am, to some place in the past. I have been accused of being nostalgic and even hopelessly romantic. I am likely guilty of such. There are previous blog entries right here on Paperclippings as evidence--especially when music is involved.
Such was the case that night--as I listened to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. I was transported to a hill in the midst of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwest Virginia--a mere rocks throw from West Virginia. It was the summer of 1988 and I was among a small gathering of people in the backyard of some local folks when someone pulled out a guitar and began to play. As the lyrics filled the air, I was swept up in the moment.
Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.
All around me were those mountains and I could feel the antiquity of the land as the wind blew gently through my hair. I felt like I belonged to this place.
Country roads, take me home To the place, I belong West Virginia, mountain momma Take me home, Country Roads
Ahh... Life is good!
Lee Ann Womack--I Hope You Dance
This one reminds me all the time of getting out there and just doing...being active and living life. I once asked my husband how it was that he knew how to do so many things. His response was that he just did them. I have taken that to heart. But I also realized that I had already started to do that to a degree.
Just before my senior year in high school began I decided that I was going to enjoy that year. I was going to make it a point to say hi to everyone in the halls and to find some way to compliment them as I passed them. I gained so many friends and had the most enjoyable year. It does not mean I was free from heart ache, but I was living life to the fullest.
As an adult I have made it a point to be involved. I have been a PTA President at a local elementary school. I have served on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins. I currently serve on the district cub scout round table staff and am the Council PTA President over 9 local elementary PTAs. People ask me how it is that I know so many people. I know so many people because I have served along side them.
When opportunities come my way, I do not hesitate to jump right in and dance.
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder, You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger, May you never take one single breath for granted, GOD forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean, Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens, Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, Never settle for the path of least resistance Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin', Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter, When you come close to sellin' out reconsider, Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
Mike and the Mechanics—The Living Years
When given the opportunity, you might say, to say one last thing to someone who was once a friend, this song came to my mind very powerfully. I had only one chance and I had to get it right.
Crumpled bits of paper Filled with imperfect thoughts Stilted conversations I'm afraid thats all we've got.
You say you just don't see it He says it's perfect sense You just can't get agreement In this present tense We all talk a different language Talking in defense.
Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye.
So we open up a quarrel Between the present and the past We only sacrifice the future It's the bitterness that lasts.
So don't yield to the fortunes You sometimes see as fate It may have a new perspective On a different day And if you don't give up, and don't give in You may just be okay.
Say it loud, say it clear You can listen as well as you hear It's too late when we die To admit we don't see eye to eye.
It was with these words that I realized I no longer held any hard feelings. It was about forgiveness.
In the mid to late 1980s a young 13 year old girl in my neighborhood was found dead in some bushes not far from her home. Her throat had been slit. When the news hit the next day it didn't sink in much. I wasn't paying much attention to the story and didn't recognize her name.
Later that day I was watching the news when they showed her picture along with the story. Not only did I know her, but she was the younger sister of a girl who had gone to school with me. It was then that I was hit with a powerful feeling of grief for the girl and her family. This was just too close to home.
Sometime in the next couple days I heard a song on the radio that seemed to speak to the occasion. I heard Mike and the Mechanics singing "All I Need is a Miracle".
I said "go if you wanna go, Stay if you wanna stay" I didn't care if you hung around me I didn't care if you went away
And I know you were never right I'll admit I was never wrong I could never make up my mind I made it up as I went along
And though I treated you like a child I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you All I need is a miracle, all I need is you All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
I never had any time And I never had any call But I went out of my way just to hurt you, The one I shouldn't hurt at all
I thought I was being cool Yeah, I thought I was being strong But it's always the same old story You never know what you've got 'til it's gone
If I ever catch up with you I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle) All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (all I need is a miracle) All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
From that day on whenever I heard that song on the radio I was swept back to that day when I saw that young girl's face on the TV screen. I can totally forget about her and about the song. Then I will hear the song on the radio and I see her face and remember.
Michael Buble—Lost
For me, this song speaks of the need to be there for one another. We are not alone. If you want to have friends...be a friend.
Can't believe it's over I watched the whole thing fall And I never saw the writing that was on the wall
If I only knew Days were slipping past That the good things never last That you were crying
Summer turned to winter And the snow it turned to rain And the rain turned into tears upon your face
I hardly recognized the girl you are today And god I hope it's not too late It's not too late
'Cause you are not alone I'm always there with you And we'll get lost together Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done And the darkness has won Babe, you're not lost When your world's crashing down And you can't bear to fall I said, babe, you're not lost
Life can show no mercy It can tear your soul apart It can make you feel like you've gone crazy But you're not
Things have seem to changed There's one thing that's still the same In my heart you have remained And we can fly, fly, fly away
'Cause you are not alone And I am there with you And we'll get lost together Till the light comes pouring through
'Cause when you feel like you're done And the darkness has won Babe, you're not lost When the world's crashing down And you cannot bear to crawl
I said, baby, you're not lost Mmm yeah yeah, yeah yeah I said, baby, you're not lost I said, baby, you're not lost Ooh yeah yeah, I said, baby, you're not lost
and finally,
Tim McGraw-- Live Like You Were Dying
This song goes back to the thoughts associated with "I hope you dance". In early 2006 a good friend had just learned she had breast cancer. She had just turned 40.
In the words of Tim McGraw---
"He said I was in my early 40's, With a lot of life before me, And a moment came that stopped me on a dime...."
My mantra for life is to live life to the fullest, forgive everyone, be a friend and don't forget to appreciate God's wonders. Life is short.
I have never been a fan of Hannah Montana. In fact, I have been known to roll my eyes when the youngsters around here get giddy at the sound of her name. But my heart has been tugged on by a song by the very same Miley Cyrus.
I think about my oldest son. I think about the mountains he seems to have in front of him. I think about the mountains I keep climbing. I think that perhaps when I have completed the task before me that I will be able to relax or to take it easy. But there will always be something else...not because someone else puts it there, but because there will always be another mountain I'm gonna want to make it move.
The Climb lyrics Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;
I can almost see it That dream I am dreaming But there's a voice inside my head saying "You'll never reach it"
Every step I'm taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high
There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb
The struggles I'm facing The chances I'm taking Sometimes might knock me down But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it But these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going
And I, I got to be strong Just keep pushing on
'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be a uphill battle Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb, yeah!
There's always gonna be another mountain I'm always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be an uphill battle Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there Ain't about what's waiting on the other side It's the climb, yeah!
Keep on moving, keep climbing Keep the faith, baby It's all about, it's all about the climb Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa
The following came to me via an email group of LDS moms. Permission was given to share this. This issue is not merely a change in who can or cannot be married.
Read on. Mr. King says it better than I can.
I know this list is mostly for Moms, but I'm an attorney Dad who needs to weigh in on this issue, particularly for those not in CA who might not be well informed, or those in CA who feel 'the [LDS] Church has over-stepped its bounds.' It has not.
Far more is at stake than whether same-sex couples can formalize their relationships - the absolute fact is that they can under California law, whether or not Prop 8 passes. The Family Code says there shall be no difference in the rights of registered domestic partners under California Law - so they already have every right California can give them. The only thing Prop 8 denies them is the term MARRIAGE.
The underlying goal of those same-sex marriage is not supporting those relationships, it is totally about undermining established religion and those who espouse moral standards. The goal is to make California a hostile environment for those of faith, as San Francisco attempts to be. As I recall one City Councilman put it [paraphrased, and I wish I could now find the story I read so long ago]: 'Established religion and those who belong to it have no place in San Francisco and should go elsewhere.'
Note the Church that lost its tax-exempt status because it would not perform gay marriages. Note the doctor who was sued [despite referring to another doctor who performed the procedure] over refusal to artificially inseminate a lesbian couple and was then told by the Judge 'find another line of work.' Note that the Catholic Church can no longer arrange adoptions in Massachusetts since they will not do so for same-sex couples. Note that marriages of all kinds have declined catastrophically in foreign countries that have allowed same-sex marriage for years.
Know that there are couples waiting until after the election to approach the LDS Church to be married there, but have already drafted the legal complaint in order to attack the Church in Court for a refusal to perform the ceremony. Know that California law requires that same-sex marriage be taught to children in school on the same basis as heterosexual marriage.
I just got myself a cheap little mp3 player. I have had a desire to get out and walk in the mornings and having some music to accompany me would help motivate me to walk more. I gathered a number of favorites from my computer and downloaded them to my new player.
Among the songs I added to my player were a few Josh Groban Christmas songs. Now if you have never heard him sing a carol or two you are definitely missing something. I could listen to them year round. In fact, when his Christmas CD came out last fall, I quickly got a copy for myself and began listening to it OVER and OVER...it was still only November.
About the time that I got this CD a good friend sent me a book...a very good, very difficult, very heart wrenching book, in the hopes that I would read it and enjoy it as he had.
Well, as it happened, I found myself reading that book, Give Us This Day, while listening to this new Christmas CD.
Fast forward to today. I am listening to the tunes I have just downloaded to my new mp3 player. As The First Noel and Angels we Have Heard on High by Josh Groban start out I am suddenly thinking of that book I read last fall. Many of the same feelings I had as I read that book come flooding back to my mind and heart.
Summer is just about upon us, though we have not had much hint of that here in Utah--it has just been too cold. But the activities that have surrounded us have reminded us that, yes, indeed the end is near.
Each class and grade has had their end-of-year concerts, performances, show-n-tells, and the like. This would not be so bad if I had one or two of these to attend. But as it is, I have 9 kids in my home and they all have had something that I have had to attend. I do so look forward to the end of the school year, but does it all have to be at once?
Just for the month of May [these are just the activities involving the kids in my home]:
Kindergarten invited the parents to come and watch their students show their new academic skills and then eat lunch with their student.
Fourth grade had a "wax musem" to show a famous person they had learned about.
Elementary school had a student of the month luncheon.
Elementary school had a literacy night so that we could listen to our kids recite their poetry.
Elementary school had a concert at the high school so that each grade could perform a song they had worked on throughout the school year.
Middle school had a band concert.
High school had a bell choir concert.
High school had a concert band/symphonic band concert.
High school had a jazz band concert.
Piano teacher had a recital.
Baseball games were held twice a week.
Oh, and high school graduation is June 3rd. Thankfully it is in June...but just barely.
Ah...and then summer vacation begins with 10th grader starting drivers ed June 5th.
Isn't it supposed to be warm for baseball games?? Apparantly, not here in Utah this year. Standard equipment for enduring these little league baseball games has been coats, blankets, propane heaters, hot chocolate, two pairs of socks and gloves. I kid you not.
Not only has it been in the 30s and 40s for these games, but it has been windy and snowy.
Because of this strangely cooler-than-normal weather we have a few die-hards who show up to watch the boys play. There was one game that was held on an evening that was warm enough to bring out everyone else. The very next game was held during another cold one. Those same die-hard parents were there as before.
This evening I plan to wear two pairs of socks, legwarmers, a coat (with a hood), gloves and I will take a blanket (the warmest, fuzziest one I can find.)
I was telling a friend the other day about being nervous about my computer. It had been acting sluggish. My hubby had ordered a backup system for our computers but it had not yet arrived.
Yesterday I had a bit of a challenge getting my desktop to boot up. I got it running and all was going fine...
...until today.
I got up to put finishing touches on a Sunday school lesson I had to teach today. This time my computer said, "NO WAY JOSE!!" My oldest son did his best to figure out the problem. Later, my dear shweetie hubby took over. No, it is still not working, but at least he has saved the contents of my hard disk. WHAT A MAN!
He took my hard drive out of my computer, connected it to his computer and transfered a bunch of files from my HD to his despite getting errors on the disk.
I do not know when I will have it up and working again, but I am happy that my pictures, writings, web designs, and other miscellaneous files are still accessible.
For now, I will be accessing the internet via my laptop and perhaps I can convince my oldest son to let me use his computer to play my favorite computer game...City of Heroes/Villains.
My dear schweetie sent this in a group email this morning. I told him it was begging to be used in a blog. So, I took matters into my own hands.
"On the way to work today I heard "Amazing Grace" sung to the tune "House of the Rising Sun." Do you know what this means? Based on the usual method of getting a song unstuck from your head (singing Gilligan's Island to Amazing Grace's tune or vice versa) you can now add House of the Rising Sun into the mix.
"Between the three originals and the now TWO alternate tunes for each, you have a total of 9 combinations, six of which can purge any normal song from your mind with ease! (I make no claim about the emotional scarring caused by singing Gilligan's Island to House of the Rising Sun.) I knew those combinatorics math classes from college would come in handy some day."
I love snow! This is a good thing since I live in Utah and we get a fair amount. But today it got to me. I had to take a couple of kids to the dentist which should generally take 45 minutes. It took TWO hours. There were times when traffic was flowing at a whopping 7 mph. If I had known it was going to be this bad I would have called the dentist and resceduled. As it was I was well on my way before I realized that I-15 was at a crawl.
Now to go out and play in the snow. We love building forts, snowmen and other scupltures with this great fluffy white stuff.
I recently sat down to read a book that was highly recommended by a good friend. I don't know that I would have ever picked this book to read, myself, but as it was given to me I felt I ought to read it.
The book I am talking about is Give Us This Day by Sidney Stewart. It is the true story of a survivor of the Bataan Death March.
It took me a couple days to get past the first page or two, but then I was drawn in with a vengeance. It took the better part of a day to read the remainder of the book. I could not put it down. But OH how I cried!
I was warned that it was a hard read. It is most definitely NOT for the faint of heart. The night after I read it I could not sleep. My mind simply would not be quiet. It had too much to talk about and discuss with me.
It is an incredible story. I was profoundly moved by the underlying story of faith that carried this man through this horrendous experience.
Thank you, jb, it was/is a really good book!
"Sometimes, son, men know not what they do. They cannot help sometimes when they lose faith in themselves, sometimes even in God. But God is just. Your God is a just God."
---Father Cummings
Suddenly I felt stronger again. I reached over and touched [my friend's] body. It was growing cold now. I looked down at his face. It was strange to me that I had not noticed how very thin he had become, how sunken his cheeks were. He had suffered, he had wanted to live. He had been good, always kind and good. I looked up, closing my eyes, and I could feel God about me. I knew that God forgave him.
Christ's own words came to me like whisper:
'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!'
All at once I knew that God had taken [him] home. God was good. ----excerpts from Give Us This Day
My husband has longed to have a nice big workshop of his own to tinker and build stuff. We have been in this house for 2 1/2 years and we are finally getting around to getting the shop/garage built.
After getting the permit from the city we hired a guy to do the foundation and flatwork cement for it. Last Tuesday he came with his crew to dig the trench for the foundation. In the process of digging they had to cut a couple sprinkler lines. My husband was warned about this and told not to run those lines until they have been reconnected.
During the day as I was watching the dig I thought, "we might want to shut off the sprinklers." But, that was the last thought of it until the next morning.
6 am, he and I were just waking up when he ran to the window. "OH NO!!" were his only words. Suddenly, the full impact of those words hit me and I remembered that I forgot to tell him....not knowing that HE had been told to turn the spinklers OFF and had also forgotten.
Well, to make a long story short, we found ourselves bailing water out of a moat for the next 2 hours.
This pushed the project off for a few days as the concrete guy had to have dry ground to work with.
Now, you should know that we have had NICE very hot weather for the last week or so. NO PROBLEM. It will be dry in a day. NOT SO! The next day we had rain.
NOW for the icing on the cake. Afterwords I hosed down my husbands shoes. As I set them on the front porch to dry I rammed my foot into a rock and broke my toe.
In a recent conversation on another blog the topic of Good and Evil was discussed. I bring this subject here for more discussion. I invite anyone who would like to discuss their views of Good and Evil. In this discussion there is no right or wrong answers.
I always like the take on evil by Thomas Aquinas. He basically stressed that evil was not a 'thing' or even anything necessarily personified by a spirit being or a physical being. His claim was that evil is the absence of good. In other words, if a person accepts his or her responsibility (and the joy) of living to the good as much as possible, then the place for evil is very small indeed.
This argument was primarily aimed at the dualist theologies in which the creator God created both good AND evil. If there is not a real thing, good, that is pursued, then the absence of good is ipso facto evil. In this understanding, one cannot really embrace evil as much as one 'avoids' good.In the case of a complete madman, I think Thomas would have argued that he was impaired to the point that he did not know the value of pursuing the good. To your point, John, then this guy cannot be demonized in that sense. That does not mean that the responsibility is not his, and his alone, it just means that we cannot guess what the Maker's judgment will be.
I think Milton's Lucifer falls under this category rather well. The absence of loving the supreme God is to love the self as supreme instead. That, the sin of pride, is considered by Milton as the chief of all sins. That was why his Adam fell from grace, as he was tempted and fell from grace by wanting his own good rather than that of God.
John, along the lines of evil being the absence of good...Darkness is the absence of Light. I can agree with that.and James, I agree that we cannot know the judgement Cho will face. We do not know what motivated this young man to commit such a heinous act.
Also, I do not believe that God created Good or Evil.
Though it may have elements of "deism" my belief is that God is involved in our lives so far as we will permit.I believe that God IS good. I also believe that He allows evil to be present to allow us to choose between good and evil. If we are forced to choose good, are we really good?
Pardon my reference again to the Book of Mormon, but it is key to formation of my understanding or rather belief of the nature of God and good and evil.
"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so...,righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.
And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.
Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God. "
I present this as my personal beliefs on the subject and by no means expect anyone to see it as I do.I like this debate.
That is the basis of deism, in a sense. It is not the hard deism of Thomas Jefferson, where God creates that world and then steps away to watch his creation run like a clock. There is a link between this line of thought and that of Aquinas. Thomas would not agree that God allows evil to exist, per se. He would agree that God allows us a free will so that we can choose between Him and hell, so to speak.There is a difference between definitions of evil. One person may say, why does God allow disease and hunger, floods and earthquakes?
Those things, in Thomistic thought, are better represented as accidents of nature than evil. The reason is that nature presents trials to us as well, but these are not brought about, necessarily, by any kind of rational or irrational choice. They happen because nature exists and nature is based on rude survival.True evil, as you also represented, is based upon the choice of a being that has the ability to choose. God, being all Good, is one choice. One can choose God or "Not God." The reason that that is evil is that all things that are "Not God" are by definition, evil.
This is the basis of salvation. If a person were an object that is truly evil, then there can be no forgiveness of sins. God cannot forgive an earthquake because an earthquake is acting out the natural forces of nature. A lion eats what it kills because it must. Humans, on the other hand, are the only creatures that are truly capable of choosing between a good and a "not good," so there is still room for a redemptive act.
"One person may say, why does God allow disease and hunger, floods and earthquakes?"
How we deal with adversity is another part of the equation. Do we turn bitter or do we rise above. Many have turned against God for things that have 'happened' to them by way of nature.While at the same time, many have become great because of the choice they made to make lemonade out of lemons.
"True evil, ..., is based upon the choice of a being that has the ability to choose. God, being all Good, is one choice. One can choose God or 'Not God.' The reason that that is evil is that all things that are 'Not God' are by definition, evil."
Exactly!I also agree that Mankind are the only ones who have the ability to choose between these two dichotomies.
That's not some profound theological mystery that takes a lifetime of exegetical study to glean out of The Bible. It's spelled out quite plainly in the first book (Genesis): Live in this paradisical utopia (i.e. Eden) under One Rule and nothing bad will ever happen. Choose to break the One Rule, however, and you're on your own (and don't blame God for what happens).
In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom...
Whether you believe the Book of Mormon or not there is a great story in there that can be compared to what is happening in our country today.
Here is the setting: There are two basic groups (or nations) of people who fight against each other from time to time—the Nephites [nee-fites] and the Lamanites [lay-man-ites]. The Nephites have a chief judge and judges who make up their government. Prior to this they had had a king for their leader.
For the first few years of the ‘reign of the judges’ there is relative peace. This story takes place 30 years into the reign of these judges. There are many dissenters who want to go back to the days when they had a king.
At this same time there is a war going on between the two nations. The leader of the Nephite army is asking for supplies from Zarahemla (the capital of the Nephite Nation). He is becoming frustrated that those much needed supplies are not coming. In a fit of anger he writes to Pahoran, the chief judge, and warns him that they will storm the capital if they don’t get the supplies they need.
As it turns out, the “king-men” as they call themselves, have taken the Capital and Pahoran is in hiding. Not only have these king-men taken over Zarahemla, but they are in league with the enemy (the Lamanites).
Prior to this war Captain Moroni (the leader of the Nephite army) had already had to deal with the dissenters. In doing so he had inspired many to join him in his fight.
And now it came to pass that when Moroni, [who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites], had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.
And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. Italics inserted.
I wish we could do as they did in this story. The leader of the Nephite army, with the permission of the chief judge storm the Capital, take the king-men captive, and return Pahoran to the judgment seat. The king-men who will not give up their fight are put to death.
At this time in our own country we have dissenters who are trying to usurp our leaders. They appear to be in league with the enemy. They are traitors. They are undermining our sovereignty by weakening our ability to defend ourselves against our enemy.
With all the talk of blame we have been hearing regarding the massacre at Va Tech I was encouraged by the story of Professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor, sacrificed his own life for those of his students. (Monday, April 16, 2007, was Holocaust Remembrance Day.)
As Jews worldwide honored on Monday the memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust, a 76-year-old survivor sacrificed his life to save his students in Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech College that left 33 dead and over two dozen wounded. Professor Liviu Librescu, 76, threw himself in front of the shooter when the man attempted to enter his classroom. The Israeli mechanics and engineering lecturer was shot to death, "but all the students lived - because of him," Virginia Tech student Asael Arad - also an Israeli - told Army Radio. More of the story...
This man, who was a living memory of the horror of the Holocaust, is now a hero to many of those who survived Monday's tragedy at Va Tech.
We should take care not to place blame on those who have come to this country from other parts of the world. Yes, the gunman was a foreigner, but so was one of the heros.
As the talk continues the day after the massacre at Va Tech many people are looking for reasons and something to blame. I was over at Eeps, Meeps and Ipes blog. I read something I have heard before following tragedies like this.
I work in an office environment and this case was all the talk of the office after lunch. Sadly one of my coworkers immediately launched into a tirade about how all of these school shootings and violence in our youth is directly related to "those violent video games". If it weren't for video games you know that no one in the highly civilized United States would lash out and try to injure their fellow beings. I, of course, jumped in and told him there was no proof that violent video games caused such behaviors any more than playing cops and robbers with fake guns or fingers did. His comment, "I don't need proof, we all know these things."Excuse me? We all know this? What -we-?"
So often we jump to conclusions about the cause of the world's ills. We want quick fixes. Getting rid of video games might be a quick fix--or not. But it certainly would not solve the problem. The problem is much more complex. There are many things that have lead up to a decision by the young 23 year old Va Tech student to gather some ammunition and open fire.
We all want to know why. That is human nature. We want to know how to prevent this from happening in the future. But we would best be served by learning the facts rather than jumping to conclusions based on our pet peeves--whether they be video games or something else that gets our goat.
Virginia Tech brings back memories for me. The campus is in the small town of Blacksburg in Montgomery County, Virginia. I spent the summer and fall of 1988 living in neighboring Giles County. We would occasionally spend our off days on the tennis courts on campus.
Word just reached me of the horrible news at this beautiful campus.
BLACKSBURG, Va. — "A gunman opened fire in a Virginia Tech dorm and then, two hours later, in a classroom across campus Monday, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history, government officials told The Associated Press. The gunman was killed, bringing the death toll to 31.
"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified." It was not immediately clear whether the gunman was shot by police or took his own life. Investigators offered no motive for the attack. The gunman's name was not immediately released, and it was not known if he was a student.
My heart and prayers go out to the families and those who witnessed this tragedy.
ADDENDUM:
I want to reference what Patrck Conlon said about this tragedy on his blog at Born Again Redneck Yogi.
"The really ironic tragedy is that VA Tech is a "gun-free campus" and a subcommittee of the Virginia Assembly killed a bill which would have changed that." Read More...
"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."
In February 2005 US Senator Larry Craig (Idaho) opined:
"To most people, it makes sense that General Motors can't be held responsible for the actions of drunk drivers, or that Louisville Slugger shouldn't be sued if a criminal uses one of their bats to assault someone. To some trial lawyers and social activists, however, this logic does not apply to firearms dealers and manufacturers."
I recently joked about the Swiss Army and their inability to keep their own borders straight. Nanc commented on that post about why the Swiss would even need an army since they are a neutral nation. Think about this. If Switzerland had no army at all would they even remain a country at all? Would the United States be able to remain sovereign if it was unable to defend itself. The right to defend oneself is intrinsic whether they are a great nation or an individual.
On May 13, 1857 my husband's 3rd Great Grandfather, Parley Parker Pratt, was killed near Van Buren, Arkansas.
While on his mission, Parley sensed his approaching death. He wrote home, “I long to do my duty while here and then go to rest in the paradise of God.” Indeed, Parley stated, “I neither dread nor fear death, but I anticipate changing worlds with joy inexhaustible.” In May 1857, shortly after his 50th birthday, Parley was murdered outside the small town of Van Buren, Arkansas.
As he lay dying, Parley testified to those who had come to help: “I die a firm believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith. … I know that the Gospel is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God, I am dying a martyr to the faith.”
Many things, both good and ill have been written about Parley Pratt. But there is no doubt that he was not an ordinary man. His legacy lives to this day.
In the mountains to the east of Salt Lake City there is a canyon that bears his name. I-80 East from the Salt Lake Valley climbs through this Parley's Canyon.
"The transportation story of Parleys Canyon is one of development by phases, in which one mode of transportation improves on, or replaces, another. The most recent phase is today's high-speed six-lane limited access freeway which is Interstate 80; but it all began with Parley Parker Pratt's initial exploration of the entire canyon in June 1848." Utah Rails.Net
In November 1849, after suspending work on his road for a season, Pratt was called to head an exploring company of fifty men to southern Utah and to counsel Brigham Young on promising areas for new settlements. Pratt gave to the legislative assembly optimistic forecasts for settling the present sites of Richfield, Marysvale, Parowan, Cedar City, Washington, Santa Clara, Mountain Meadow, Beaver, and Payson. His company brought back samples of iron ore, coal, and other minerals. He provided specific information on weather, soil conditions, water, forestation, and other topographical conditions.
He opened his toll road in 1850, and during its first season of operation collected $1,500 from California-bound gold seekers and others. He left for a mission to Chile the following year, and the road largely fell into disuse. Today, what was then the "Golden Pass Road" is the Interstate 80 freeway through Parleys Canyon, a major scenic route into the valley, and one that services numerous communities east of Salt Lake City. http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/p/PRATT,PARLEY.html
He was a poet, song writer. Seven of his songs are currently included in the LDS Hymn Book.
In the old historic Nauvoo, Illinois there is a street bearing his name. It was along this street which runs west to east toward the Mississippi River that most of the early Mormons last saw their beautiful town. Parley's Street became known as the Trails of Tears (later to be renamed the Trail of Faith). As the Mormons were being driven from their homes in February 1846 they followed this road to the River and on to the west.
Parley Pratt, in his short 50 years, would cross the oceans six times. "Parley provided crucial leadership in the trek to the Salt Lake Valley and in the early exploration of Utah. During the winter of 1849–50, he led a 50-man expedition to investigate possible settlement sites and natural resources in southern Utah. In the 1850s Parley traveled twice to California as president over a mission to “all the islands and coasts of the Pacific.”
In 1851 he sailed from gold rush San Francisco to Valparaiso, Chile, along with his wife and another missionary, making the trio the first missionaries to South America. Unfortunately, civil unrest, restrictive laws against non-Catholic religions, struggles with the language, the death of an infant son, and lack of adequate funds cut short this early effort." The Extraordinary Life of Parley P. Pratt
A Note: Two of his descendents have run for President of the United States. George Romney was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968, losing to Richard Nixon and his son Mitt Romney who is currently in the running for the same nomination.
Today's (well, actually yesterday's since it is past midnight) Deseret Morning News has a little blurb about me and my family. For the most part the reporter got it right...but not completely. I have mentioined in an earlier blog entry that my husband and I started another blog about taking care of someone else's children and the challenges that go with it. Well, this News article's purpose was to bring some attention to the blog and what we are doing there in trying to help others in the same boat we are in.
What an interesting day! I just hope that people will understand that the reporter did her best to tell our story...given the short amount of time I had to tell this story. Things can sometimes be misunderstood. I still thank her for her time in putting it together.
"...I was in my early 40's, With a lot of life before me, A moment came that stopped me on a dime...."
In recent weeks there have been a few events that at first glance seemed to stop me on a dime. From previous blog entries...
Though my friend is not completely gone there is a loss of something both once considered great in value.
Three members of Gary Ceran's family were tragically taken Christmas eve after a wonderful performance of A Christmas Carol.
Five people lost their lives and four others wounded when a teenage gunman went on a rampage through a Salt Lake City mall.
These are among the many things that have nearly brought me to my knees. But life does not stop. It continues. We pick up and we continue. We hold on more dearly to those things that are still of value to us.
The words of Tim McGraw continue...
"I went sky divin', I went rocky mountain climbin', I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu. And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter, And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
...And I became a friend a friend would like to have."
Life does go on. Shoppers have flocked back to Trolley Square with a sense of purpose...to continue on. Let's hope that we can grab hold of that renewed opportunity by the horns and be better than we were before.
window. "OH NO!!" were his only words. Suddenly, the full impact of those words hit me and I remembered that I forgot to tell him....not knowing that HE had been told to turn the spinklers OFF and had also forgotten.
