Strawberries and Happiness

Yesterday my mom and I went to pick strawberries at a local farm. It was great fun. She had been before, but it was my first time. We went to the entrance and got a couple of baskets. Then the nice owner man told us how to get to the field. We drove around and got out and he was there to meet us. As we approached him, he gave us very specific instructions. Most people he told to just go up this one row and put down a flag where you stop. Because I was "energetic and responsible" he gave me a specific task. He said that I could go up and down ALL the rows south of where Mom was working. These berries here were mostly green and not ready, but every now and then, he told me, I would find a nice big purple strawberry (meaning nice and tasty). But because they're few and far between, he doesn't tell many people about them.

So I start  on my hunt, and begin to doubt as I only see lush green foliage and tiny green berries. And then I find a huge perfect strawberry hiding deep inside the row. A ways down, I find another! Indeed, they were few and far between, but they were all wonderful and perfect. The owner came back to check up on me, and was pleased that I was having success in my task. I had to cover about 4 times the distance Mom did and work twice as fast to find as many, but as we compared out bounties, it was pretty clear that my berries appeared much darker, and fuller, and plain better.

It's my testimony, once again reaffirmed, that the Owner knows his garden. Heavenly Father is the Lord of the vineyard and we are the workers fulfilling His great work! It's so tempting to go off and do our own thing, but if we will take strict heed to The Lord's Voice, as received from prophets and personally through the Spirit, we will be able to find those perfect strawberries of happiness and success. The strawberry could represent a new job or happiness in the family, or success at work, or anything! But the best will always require double the effort, and might take more time - but it is always worth it! The Owner, our Father, is interested in our success and will often visit us (usually through other servants and his leaders and our friends) to guide and encourage us further. 

By following He who Knows and being willing to put forth the required effort, we can all enjoy the fresh homemade jam and delicious strawberry pies of life!

Life Lessons from a Road Trip

My good friend was married a few weeks ago in the LDS Washington D.C. Temple and my other friend and I made an epic road trip down south, and then down to South Carolina for the reception.  We learned a few things...

1. Always listen to the still small voice. 

As we were passing through Virginia, notorious for its policemen, my friend was speeding along talking to his girlfriend in the passenger seat. From the back seat I was carefully monitoring his speed on my GPS. I quietly reminded him to slow down (we got a ticket last year doing the same thing!). A second time I had to remind him and finally he went down to the limit. Just then, we passed a nice police man parked on the side of the freeway! 

For some reason, I was able to play the role of the "still small voice." We always know what we should be doing, especially when some of God's commandments are as clear and precise as speed limits (such as tithing and word of wisdom), but sometimes we just a need a little reminder. I'm so grateful for the Spirit and His little reminders in my life, whether through friends to slow down while driving, or - as a man in Russia described it- "a feeling to grab the umbrella when it's still sunny outside."

2. It pays to plan and act now.

Over the weekend we needed a hotel 3 nights, all in different places. Because we weren't quite sure what was happening and where we were going to be, we didn't book any of them ahead of time. The first night it was 10:30 pm in Washington D.C. when we started just driving around hoping to find a little no-name place. After about 2 hours we gave up and drove all the way home to PA, just to return to DC early the next morning. BAD. Another night we began looking for a hotel about 9:30 pm in Fayetville, NC. We used the GPS to get phone numbers and called around until we finally found a cheap enough hotel nearby. We didn't pay a lot, but I never expected to pay for the dead bugs, broken sink, disturbing bathroom, and ripped sheets that we found. BAD. Another night we began about 3:30 pm to call all around. We called a ton of places and really worked hard and finally found a wonderful hotel close by. It was peaceful and rejuvenating. GOOD!

When we procrastinate, we only make trouble for ourselves. As President Monson says, "when the time for performance has come, the time for preparation has passed" or "proper prior preparation prevents poor performance." I think about this principle with things like reading and praying and going to the temple.  If we wait until the "11th hour" to do these things, they'll either not happen or be a bad experience, just like with the hotels. But if we just get down on our knees right when we have the thought, or open the Book of Mormon right then, or make going to the temple our top priority, it will likewise be peaceful and rejuvenating. Let us all keep the dead cockroaches out of our lives by planning, preparing, and acting now!

3. Life is not a competition. 

My best friend brought his girlfriend along for the trip. Over the weekend we began to realize that we both felt that we were competing for my friend's attention. At one point we had him ask us questions about his life to see who knew more about him. Of course, there was no winner, and most of it was in jest to begin with.  We can all be friends together! Instead of she and I competing for his attention, we found that instead we could be more united thanks to the common link of our mutual best friend!

When we begin to compare ourselves - our talents, abilities, knowledge, experience, appearance, etc - to others, we only begin to short change ourselves. What a true gift and blessing it is to be satisfied and content with what we have. Life is not a competition. Through prayer we can gain a profound gratitude for all the wonderful things in our lives. Instead of always competing with those around us - our brothers and sisters - we too can find a peaceful unity and brotherhood, bound together by our common Father in Heaven who loves us all equally!

4. It's okay to have fun. 

The wedding reception was held in the bride's beautiful backyard. The focal point of the yard was a bright blue glimmering swimming pool. As expected, the bride was trying to rally up some troops to get her now-husband (my friend) to change out of his tux so she could throw him in the pool. Very unexpectedly, however, still in their tux and wedding dress he slung her over his shoulder and splashed in. I was actually quite mortified, on her behalf, and couldn't believe it. When another groomsmen tried to throw me in, I was dead-set not to get wet. After about the 3rd wrestling match, I finally gave in and emptied my pockets. And it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was brilliantly fun! A perfect ending.

As important as it is to work hard and "be sober" ("meaning being earnest and serious in assessing your circumstances and careful and circumspect in weighing the consequences of your actions") as the ancient prophets counseled, it's just as important to have a little fun. Know one likes a stickler leader, but one who leads by example and has fun. The wedding party was more united by our crazy experience together, just as having fun while at church will often bring us closer together. As all things in life, it is a happy balance of moderation.

High School and Celestial Kingdom

Tonight I went to the Arts Festival at my high school. I graduated 5 years ago, and it's still fun to go back and see the halls I roamed, the classrooms I ruled, the jazz band I played in and the choir group I sang in. Wandering around I saw so many people from the past - some I vaguely remembered, some I knew very well and were very excited to see each other.  Most people had changed a lot.  Some good friends had changed so much I didn't even recognize them. After five years, any physical evidence of my legacy is all but gone, and only my friendships remain.

I loved the feeling of "coming home." I spent some time alone out by the track and everywhere I looked I saw specific happy memories of running and track meets and band parades and football games singing in the bleachers and fun with friends. I looked further across the field and saw my Junior High that was torn down years ago, and I could even still see the old hall ways that seemed endless compared to my elementary school.  It was a happy wonderful feeling to be in one place and see so many happy memories.  That's all I could remember - happy memories.  And I wanted so bad to share them with someone.  All I really wanted in the world at that very moment was to have a best friend I could who would excitedly listen to every one of my reminiscent stories of the past.

I have a feeling that the Spirit World and the Celestial Kingdom will be a lot like that in a lot of ways. When we're on the other side looking back I think we'll be able to see all the happy times of our lives. The sorrow and trials of our lives will seem insignificant compared to all the joy we experienced.  We will be surrounded by countless loved ones - some of whom we knew better than others, but we'll have the chance for many joyous reunions. Likewise, the most important things will not have been the things we left behind on earth, but the relationships we strengthened and the eternal friendships we formed.

What a feeling of returning home it will be when we finally reach out Heavenly Father again! Surely His smiling face and Heavenly Abode will seem much more familiar than we could even dream. Just like I had such a desire to share my "feeling of home" with my friends, I think that's what conversion to the Gospel is all about: we get a glimpse of "Heavenly Home" when we feel the powerful influence of the Spirit. Missionary work is that burning desire to share that joy and comforting "at home" feeling with all the world! Hopefully each Sunday we attend church and partake of the Sacrament we can experience that feeling of being at Home - surrounded by loved ones in a place of happy memories.

However strong my desire was to share all my memories and knowledge of my beloved high school, that much stronger are my desires to share all the happy memories and knowledge I have about God's Eternal Plan for us to Return Home to Him!

Army Tanks and Eternal Perfection

This summer I'm working for a company that makes vehicles for the army. The vehicle I'm working on is called the HERCULES (which is actually an acronym), which is basically a large tow trunk for tanks - it weighs 70 tons and can tow, hoist, and lift an entire army tank or pull it out of a ditch, etc. The company has been making the vehicle since about the 70's.  There are currently about 300 or so in the army, and more in the Marines and other international allies. We just received a 12.something million dollar contract to make more.

Even though the HERCULES vehicle has been in production for over 40 years, it is STILL in the design process!  There are at least 50 engineers who every day, year after year, continue to work on the vehicle. In fact, every week there is a meeting with about 15 different leaders, managers, and Army representatives who discuss an 18-page agenda of 50+ items that are currently being worked on. 

I find this incredible!  After so many years, there is STILL an amazingly huge effort to improve and perfect the vehicle, and it is a massive effort and process.

Of course, the same could be said of us.  We've been around for a number of years, and have pretty much become who we're going to be for the rest of our lives - we've defined our careers and personalities, etc. I will always be who I am now. The tank will still be a tank. But the tank will be a better tank.  And I can be a better me.

We too can undergo this massive and incredible improvement project - in one day becoming perfect like our Heavenly Father - one day at a time. Like all the engineers working together on the tank, we can't do this alone. We need the support and love of our family, friends, church leaders, and most surely the Holy Ghost's watchful direction and Heavenly Father's loving care and Jesus Christ's enabling power of the Atonement.  Our gradual improvement process can be as detailed and recorded and goal and task- orientated as the tank's.  We can't afford to be blase about our personal extreme make over - that of growing more like Christ, line upon line, one decision at a time. Goals help us get there by first defining our success, and then pushing us towards a finish line.  Without goals, we may end up in the same spot, but with no clear finish line, we'll feel unfilled.  Goals therefore help us to be happy!

If it's worth a total-to-date cost of 1.4 billion dollars to improve some army tow-tanks, it's worth every bit of sincere effort on our part to improve our lives each day, in the tiniest ways, to one day receive the Greatest Gift:  all the Father hath!

Final Exams and the Test of Life

For finals every semester there's always so much stress and worrying and cramming that goes into it.  There's so many different kinds of "finals:" projects, presentations, papers, take-home tests, open-book tests, essay tests, long tests, short tests, etc. As I take the tests I have this odd combination of disappointment and relief.  Disappointment because I don't know the material on the test, relief because it's material that I know I never would have covered had I studied another 5 hours like I should have, so it doesn't matter anyways! It's odd:  on one test I missed 3 questions and got a 97% (100 questions total).  On another test I missed 3 questions and got a 25% (4 questions total). The greater the number of questions, the less important each individual question becomes. I always realize at finals week that it's simply not feasible to read the entire text book in a day, no matter how motivated I am - if I slacked off during the semester, it's hard to make it up.

I find many analogies to our test of life. There are so many different tests of life - financial trials, dating issues, marriage problems, family concerns, doubts in testimony, conflicts with friends, natural disasters, etc.  We too can find disappointment and relief from each one of these trials.  Disappointment because they often induce some temporary sadness, but relief, because we know that in the long run, any and all trials will only strengthen us and lift us higher.  

I'm so glad that the test of life doesn't have just 4 questions, or even 100.  The test of life is made up of thousands and millions of questions - every day of our lives. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father is at least tolerant of my mistakes.  While no unclean thing cannot enter His kingdom, he doesn't ask us to always be perfect and get 100% every day - He asks to try our best, to truly do all that we can do.  Not ALL that someone else can do, or not a part of what WE can do, but ALL that WE can do.  As President Monson often says, when the time for performance has come, the time for preparation has passed! It's all about the day to day decisions that either draw us closer to God, or tear us further apart. But unlike most tests, each question is not just weighted 1 point.  Perhaps whether or not we choose to read the scriptures today is a 3 point question, but whether or not we choose to accept and enter into covenants with God is a 300 point question! Luckily, Jesus Christ is the grader, and everyone will be graded with perfect fairness!

I know Heavenly Father doesn't grade on the curve.  There is not bell curve and normal distribution into the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven - He will accept as many of His children who have lived the laws thereby.  However, just like teachers sometimes "add a few points to all scores" Christ's Atonement can boost us all up to that 100% if we do all that He has asked. I know that Heavenly Father loves all His children and nobody is interested in our success and in our ability to "pass" the "final exam" than He is Himself.  And He will do all that HE can to help us return to Him.  Our success and happiness in life is His work and His glory - both His labor and His joy.  

Final exams would always be so much easier with the answer key right next to us.  But if that was the case, we would be proving nothing, and we would have learned nothing.  In life, we too do not have the answer key.  We don't understand the meaning of all things.  Sometimes we'll come across a question that just plain stumps us.  But Life's questions are always very open-book, as we can use all our resources: the scriptures, prayer, personal revelation, leaders, family, and friends.  

I know we can be successful at Life's tests - both daily and in the long run.  I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us every step of the way.  I know that Christ's suffering in Gethsemane has provided the only way by which our mistakes and wrong answers can be forgiven and we can receive that glorious 100% - Eternal Life with God!

If we cram and study hard for college final exams, how much more so should we all be preparing every single day for the great Final Exam of Life. Thankfully, we're given a practice test each and every day of our lives.  Our goal: Get a better score than yesterday!

Communication and Prayer

It seems to me people just don't communicate enough. "Hey, what's up?" and "Hi, how are you doing? Gotta run!" as you pass a friend isn't communication much at all.  Of course, as they say, a true friend is one who asks "how are you" and then listens long enough to really hear the answer.  In today's culture there's so much game-playing and face-painting in conversations.  We're so preoccupied what others might think, or how they'll react, that we hold back on most of our true feelings.  Especially when it comes to dating, most people simply abhor the dreaded DTR (Define the Relationship talk), when really, that's what makes friends - friends! In marriage, communication is the number one key to success, so why should it be any different in dating or friendships?

How wonderful it is that our Heavenly Father is a perfect communicator.  He always lets us know exactly how He feels by blessing us with the sweet comfort of the Holy Ghost. At any given moment, we can know if our actions are approved by Him - whether or not we have the Spirit with us.  He communicates to us freely.  It's our responsibility to pay attention and listen.  Through prayer, we can just as freely communicate with Him.  We can, and should, let Him know how we're feeling at any given moment, not for Him, but for us. Of course, He knows how we're feeling - He knows what we need before we do. Prayer, then, is a divine process by which we can, in effect, think out loud and come to understand the things He would have us understand.  We can set goals and make plans with the Lord. We must thank Him for all our blessings - not because He needs it, but because it helps us to be humble and more receptive to His word and revelation. 

Since God so freely communicates with us through His Spirit, and we can talk with Him any time or day through prayer, why should our communication with friends and loved ones be any different?  Let us all be a little more open with our feelings and feel the power of unity in purpose!

Rappelling and Faith

Since I was a little boy my dad has taken me rappelling at least a few times every year.  One of the first times was when, in California, we hiked up to some boulders where he stood on the top, held a rope in his hands, and told me to climb down. Even though I was only about 6, I knew some basic principles of physics (for example, if I let go, I would fall). After much encouragement, I finally "rappelled" down the single rope that was tied to nothing but my dad's waist. I remember how scared I was, how much I resisted going down, how timid I was at the start, and how happy I was when it was over. I had put my trust 100% in my dad, and of course, everything was alright.

I think we have all been in this situation at least once.  Before we came to earth, we all lived with our Heavenly Father as one big happy family in the Pre-mortal Existence. There we learned and grew and made choices.  We wanted to become like our Heavenly Father, but knew that in order to do so, we must come to earth and receive a physical body. As we were up in Heaven and looked at that fearful world way down below, how scared we must have been, much like my fright on the top of the boulder.  

But like my dad, Our Loving Heavenly Father assured us of His tender watch and care over us. He would not let us fall. Maybe every now and then we would bump the rocks along the way, maybe get a cut here and there, but He would never let go. God will always do His part. Unfortunately, sometimes there are some of us who willingly let go of the rope - our connection to The Father - The Gospel, The Word of God, The Living Prophets - and as a result free fall to sorrow and unhappiness.  If we would but trust in Him, and know that He will never let go, know that He is the Rock of Our Salvation, we will safely and happily make it to our destination.

If even a 6-year-old boy can trust his dad to rappel down a boulder, surely we can all have the Faith to completely trust our Perfect and Loving Heavenly Father in our journey through life.