I'm a Christian, I'm a Mormon

In light of recent news items where people who don't know anything about my faith are telling me what I believe, I would like to clarify my belief in and love for Jesus Christ.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I believe in Jesus Christ; He is my Lord and my Saviour.  He is the Only Begotten Son of God, who is the Heavenly Father of us all.

At times I call myself a 'Mormon', which is a nickname given me by those not of my faith.  I am a Christian.  I follow the teachings of the same Jesus Christ those who call me 'Mormon' do.

I revere but do not worship the prophet Mormon; the same is true for other Christian prophets such as Peter, James and John of the New Testament; Adam, Moses, Abraham, Isaiah of the Old Testament; Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and the current prophet and mouthpiece of the Lord: Thomas S. Monson.

For more information on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.  The more information you have, the better you are able to make your own decision instead of relying on the words of those who know little about my faith.

Fosyth County Health Care Benefits

Forsyth County, GA residents:

what are you doing at 6pm today?

Here's one to get the blood pressure up on a beautiful autumn morning:  Today at 6pm the Forsyth County Commission is going to vote on health care benefits for ex-employees.  Big deal, you say?  Then don't worry about reading any further, don't concern yourself with how much it's going to cost you (the taxpayer) and certainly don't wonder why government workers should get a free ride when the rest of us have to pay.

According to the Forsyth News, today's the day for the vote on health care benefits for officials.  Keep in mind that we are talking about "Elected officials [including] the commissioners, sheriff, clerk of court, tax commissioner, coroner, solicitor general, probate judge, chief magistrate and two state court judges."

If this vote passes, these employees will, once they are out of office, receive coverage for a year or more, depending on how long they were in office.  Well, okay... I can cope with that, maybe.  But that's not where it ends.  They would then be eligible for coverage until they turn 65, which is when Medicare kicks in.

Now, it's one thing to cover some guy who's in his late 50s to early 60s until he reaches retirement age.  But what about, let's say, a 28 year old sheriff who serves one year?  Are we really expected to foot the bill for his medical coverage for the next 37 years?

When someone in the private sector finds him-or-herself out of work, we have to buy coverage through COBRA, at prices which could be seen as akin to extracting a pound of flesh.  And in the majority of cases, after 18 months you're on your own.  But not these folks - apparently they feel we should keep on paying their bills, even after they've been voted out.

Think about it - what's the difference between being fired from the private sector and voted out of a public sector position?  As far as I can see, it's the amount of people who say "You're outta here!"  George Orwell hit the nail on the head when he wrote: "All animals are equal.  But some animals are more equal than others." 

So again I ask Forsyth County, GA residents - what are you doing at 6pm today? Hopefully I'll see you at the Board of Commissioners meeting.

General Conference October 2011

It's General Conference time again!   A semi-annual event in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when for two days we receive spiritual and temporal counsel from the prophet, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other leaders of the Church.

Here are some of the things that stood out for me during the first two Saturday sessions:

• We are entitled to personal revelation (i.e. guidance for ourselves as individuals), but we need to desire to receive it.  Don't harden your heart and refuse to believe that the Lord wants you to learn about who He is, who you are and who you can become with His help.  Ask with the faith that He will respond and seek Him diligently.
• Helping others does not require costly or time consuming programmes.  Just do the right thing at the right time - without delay.  The Lord expects our thoughts, action, labour and testimony.
• Be careful about how you use your time.  The poor use of time is a close cousin to idleness.  Let us be as quick to kneel [in prayer] as to text.  Don't become a slave to things that rob your precious time.
• Most of what we worry about is not of eternal consequence.  And if it is, the Lord will help us handle it.

Boyd K. Packer spoke to the youth and recognising that they may wonder how someone of his age might have words of use for them, he quoted the following poem:

~~~
About Crows (by John Ciardi)

The old crow is getting slow;
the young crow is not.
Of what the young crow does not know,
the old crow knows a lot.

At knowing thins, the old crow is still
the young crow's master.
What does the old crow not know?
How to go faster.

The young crow flies above, below and rings
around the slow old crow.
What does the fast young crow not know?
WHERE TO GO.
~~~

How can you not like a poem like that?!!

Insurance Scam

This caught my eye today on a medical insurance company's website:

Have a look at the Exclusions.  In case you can't read it, here's what it says:

'Exclusions: Any Pre-existing Condition, AIDS, HIV, Suicide, Under the influence of drugs or alcohol and more'

I'm not sure which part amuses me most - the 'and more', which could extend to pretty much anything they felt like, or the 'Suicide'.

C'mon, really - suicide?  'Cause, you know, I'd want to make sure I collect insurance after I'd topped myself...

Easy to Rationalise

I don't know where this originated but my brother emailed it to me.  Makes perfect sense in my book.

History in the Making

An email came in from my cousin this morning; well worthy of sharing...

Little Hodiaki

The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some American history.   Who said 'Give me Liberty , or give me Death'?"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Little Hodiaki  a bright foreign exchange student from Japan, who had his hand up:  "Patrick Henry, 1775", he said.

 "Very good!  Who said, 'Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish from the Earth’?”

Again, no response except from Little Hodiaki, “Abraham Lincoln, 1863.”

“Excellent!”, said the teacher, continuing “let's try one a bit more difficult...  Who said, 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country’?”

Once again, Hodiaki's was the only hand in the air and he said: “John F. Kennedy, 1961.”

The teacher snapped at the class,  “Class, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Little Hodiaki isn't from this country and he knows more about our history than you do.'

She heard a loud whisper:  “[Screw] the Japs.”

“Who said that? I want to know right now!” she angrily demanded.

Little Hodiaki put his hand up, “General MacArthur, 1945.”

At that point, a student in the back said, “I'm gonna puke.”

The teacher glared around and asked,  “All right! Now who said that?”

Again, Little Hodiaki said, “George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.”

Now furious, another student yelled, “Oh yeah? Suck this!”

Little Hodiaki jumped out of his chair waving his hand and shouted to the teacher, “Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!”

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said, “You little [brat]!  If you say anything else, I'll kill you!”

Little Hodiaki frantically yelled at the top of his voice, “Michael Jackson to the child witness testifying against him, 2004.”  The teacher fainted.

As the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said, “Oh [heck], we're screwed!”

Little Hodiaki said quietly, “The Australian Rugby Team, 2011...”

Quit Wasting My Money!

One of the many things Mum taught me was to save up for things I wanted to buy.  It's served me well and likely has something to do with a credit rating of 800+.  Now, I'm not a top mathematician by any stretch of the imagination, but it seems to me that the cash inflow needs to be greater than the outflow if you're going to survive for very long.

So it kind of irks me - well no, let me put that more honestly; it ticks me off no end to see governments violating this basic principle.  Did the leaders' mamas not teach them anything?  It frustrates me badly enough that I'm finally giving in to the urge to write a post on politics.  Oh the horror. You can thank this AP article for getting my goat.

It seems to me that here in the US we have a pretty low tax rate.  And while I don't like seeing how much gets yanked out of the pay cheque, there is a need for it.  (Actually, I once heard Glenn Beck make an amusing comparison of government to Bernie Madoff, explaining that Madoff had to convince people to give him their money, whereas the government forces you.)  But the US is currently running a national debt of $14.7 trillion - that's a lot of 0s, folks.  If you really want an eye-opener, check out the US National Debt Clock.  Have a look at the top left, then the bottom left.  Social Security Liability is even greater than the National Debt.

The government clearly needs to pull more money out of the taxpayer if we're ever going to turn this around.  But it's going to take a long time to undo this damage.  Our children's children are still going to pay for the mistakes of our - and previous - generations.  But - and this is a BIG BUT - if they're going to screw things down tighter, then they also need to be responsible with what we're giving them.  Who's working for who anyhow?  The last I knew, we (in theory) put them in office so they can represent us.  There's a reason they're called civil servants or public servants.  They're supposed to serve us, not the other way around.

I don't mind paying higher taxes IF government stops spending my money recklessly.  I might as well get a pile of cash and burn it myself if they're not going to do their job properly.  At least I would get a little warmth out of it this winter.  And don't even get me started on those bogus incentive bonuses right now.  I'm going to have to save that for another post.

Rugby World Cup 2011

Image courtesy of rugbyworldcup.com

The Rugby World Cup is gearing up for a fantastic opening ceremony, with the first match being between the All Blacks (NZ) and Tonga at 8:30pm Friday 9 Sep NZT (2:30am Friday EST).  It's nigh on impossible to get coverage here in the US, especially if you don't have TV and you're trying to stream it free of charge...  So I've been listening to my favourite Kiwi radio chat show, NewstalkZB (that's ZedBee, not ZeeBee) and caught a gem this evening:

Little Jane was in class one day, listening while her Australian teacher was telling the children about the Rugby World Cup.  Each student was telling which team they were supporting and finally it was Little Jane's turn.

"I like the All Blacks," she said.
"Why do you like them?" asked her teacher. "The Wallabies are much better."
"My Dad likes the All Blacks, my Mum likes the All Blacks, so I like the All Blacks," said Jane.
"That's silly!" said the teacher.  "You shouldn't do something just because other people are doing it.  If your dad was a moron and your mum was a moron, what would that make you?"
Little Jane said with a grin, "A Wallabies supporter!"

~ ~ ~

I also heard a guy call in with a website that promises free streaming (click HERE) and it looks promising to me.  I guess I'll find out in about 4.5 hours, or even sooner if it broadcasts the opening ceremony also.

In the words of Tana Umaga; BRING IT!

The Thing in the Compost Bin

A couple of months ago something sprouted in our compost bin and we waited with baited breath to see what it was.  My wishes were fulfilled when it started fruiting - yes!  buttercup pumpkin - happy days!  The folks back home are likely surprised (I was) to find out that many people in the US have no idea of what to do with a pumpkin.  The canned stuff is for pies and the actual vegetable only comes out around Halloween and is ceremoniously hacked into a lantern.

As a result, one of my all-time favourite veggies is somewhat hard to come across here.  Not to be confused with butternut squash or butternut pumpkin, no matter what Wikipedia says.  (University professors everywhere are exclaiming "SEE?  This is why we won't let you use Wikipedia as a reference!")

The buttercup pumpkin has a creamy texture and is great boiled or roasted.  The other day we boiled some, then put it on the barbeque to finish it off.  You can even eat the skins.  Yummmmy!  Here's a photo of a couple we grew - totally different from the Wikipedia pic.  Yup, I've saved some seeds and will be enjoying another crop next year.

Lengthening the GA 400 Nightmare

I've lived north of Alpharetta long enough to remember what the southbound morning rush hour commute on the 400 was like before they put a sign up near the Shiloh Rd overpass.  Traffic flowed smoothly at that point, all the way to Old Milton.

Then someone decided it would be nice to know how long it would take to get to Haynes Bridge, which in theory was a good idea.  They didn't, however, take into account the speed reading skills of the average driver on the GA 400.  We now have a bottleneck caused by rubberneckers trying to work out what the pretty sign is saying.  Never mind that it says the same thing nearly every morning, the exception being the occasional change to the two numbers on the bottom line.

When you work out what the top two lines say, all you need to do is pay attention to the bottom line.

At least, that's what I thought until a few months ago (I haven't had a chance to blog much lately).  You see, the sign originally said "5 miles ahead" but one day it changed to "6 miles ahead".  It stayed that way for a week, when it changed to the current distance.

I'm wondering if some bright spark noticed that the mile markers on the side of the road didn't add up properly, or if it had something to do with the earthquake in Japan last March, as it was shortly afterward that the sign changed.  Either way, apparently the GA 400 commute between Shiloh Rd and Haynes Bridge Rd somehow got longer.  Oh joy.

* Image courtesy of 511ga.org (GA Navigator).  Your website stinks by the way.  It's always broken, especially during rush hour.  I guess it simply reflects the state of the Atlanta area road system.  Always a mess and not enough bandwidth when it's really needed.

Georgia License Plate Vote

Hands up who got the email that was doing the rounds a little while ago where you could click on a link and vote for the new GA license plate.  It hit my email inbox at least three times.  I voted for one of the three designs that had "In God We Trust" on the bottom where the owner's county of residence would normally be.  Apparently a lot of other people did too.  So many, in fact, that the three finalists were: (drumroll) all three designs that included the words "In God We Trust".  Looks like there are a lot of folks out there who like making this declaration to the world.  And good on them.

However (I bet you knew there would be a "however" to this post), according to this article on Yahoo, we misunderstood what we were voting for.  You see, although three of the pictures of the designs up for vote included the phrase "In God We Trust", what they didn't tell us is that you have to pay $1 extra to get a sticker with these words instead of the county sticker.  As the article says:  "The three online winners happened to be the ones with "In God We Trust" at the bottom, leading the state to believe that voters may have decided on the phrase instead of the design."  Ya think???

So how is the state handling this?  They are holding a second vote involving the three winning plates.  Only this time they are clarifying that the phrase is not part of the plate.  Okay, that's fine.  I don't particularly want to force people with different beliefs to have the phrase on their car.  And the good thing is that I now know that I can buy a sticker for $1 and plaster it over my car.  I guess my complaint/question is - why on earth wasn't this handled better so that we could save some time and taxpayer money?  If I fouled up that badly in my job, I'd likely be out of work.  But then that's the difference between civil servants (US: public servants) and those of us in the business world who pay their salaries.

The amusing part of this story is the claim that a certain gun enthusiasts' website was encouraging its readers to vote for the plate with a design showing a peach which looked remarkably like a horse's patootey.  ""If we win, everybody in Georgia state will be driving with horse's [rear] license plate".  Could be interesting...

Doggy Phobias - the Black Abyss

Mr. F and I have a very playful and amusing dog who nevertheless seems to be half a bubble off plumb most days.  His newest (and absolute favourite-est) toy is a tennis ball I found at a park recently.  Rocky chews it, plays his own private soccer match with it and has actually learned that there is a game to be had with bringing the ball to us so we can throw it for him.  (The bubble edged slightly more central with that revelation.)

He does have some phobias though, which are mostly a source of giggling for us.  Mr. F had high hopes of training Rocky to be a bird dog for hunting trips.  That idea was laid to rest the first time Rocky experienced fireworks.  Not up-close-and-personal, mind you; he was inside and, after a short search-and-rescue, we found him doing ostrich impersonations under the bed.  His fear of loud bangs is such that the mere rattle of a box of matches sends him scurrying upstairs for the darkest hidey-hole.  He's a sad tale during a thunderstorm...

We discovered Rocky's latest phobia after noticing that he would tread gingerly past the hearth in our living room.  It's black and very reflective.  At first we thought his own reflection was freaking him out, but it looks like he's more afraid of how it appears to be a horrifying Black Abyss.  He is exceptionally careful about retrieving his ball when it goes too near.

Alas!  The poor dog has lost his newfound toy and best friend!  His tennis ball rolled onto the Black Abyss yesterday during a game of fetch.
 

After about 10 minutes of fretting and trying to build up the courage to pick it up (during which he would plant his hind legs securely a good distance from the hearth, then stre-e-e-e-etch as far as he dared towards the ball), he gave up entirely and sat down for a candlelit vigil.  (At least, we would have lit some candles but then Rocky would have run upstairs to hide as soon as the matches came out.)

I can't imagine what he thought about seeing Pepper lying on it recently.  A large black ball of fur with glittering green eyes, floating on the scary Black Abyss.  He does seem to have a little more respect for the cat lately...

The ball lies there to this day, waiting patiently for another game.  Rocky has been exceptionally callous in totally shunning his former playmate and leaving it to the clutches of the dreaded Black Abyss.

The Joys of Composting

Mr. F built a compost bin for me last year and we've been happily throwing all our vegetable waste plus eggshells, grass clippings and dead leaves in ever since.  It slowly decomposed to less than a quarter of it's original bulk and we were wondering whether to use it on the veggie garden yet or not.  We decided 'not'.

Earlier this year I helped Mr. F build a raised veggie garden and we planted sugar snap peas, green beans, Swiss chard, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, potatoes and sweet potatoes. Veggies taste so much better out of your own garden.  The peas are yummy (the bunnies think so too), the tomatoes are ripening and the two remaining cucumber plants are doing well (for some reason the bunnies didn't devour these ones) although if you watch closely you can see them trembling in fear.  I saw a bunny the other day, munching on grass next to the veggie garden.  Awwww cute, right?  Wrong.  I looked again and spotted a second bunny almost hidden among the pea plants, stuffing his furry little rodent cheeks.

But out of everything that we've carefully planted and tended this year, guess what's growing the best?  Yup, something we carelessly tossed into the compost bin.  It could be pumpkin, watermelon or cucumber.  We're hoping for pumpkin.  Whatever it is, it's growing quickly.  Five days ago you couldn't see it above the bin but now it's reaching for the sun. 

Word of the Day

ostentagious(os·ten·ta·gious)

Pronunciation:/ˌästənˈtājəs, /

When living beyond your means becomes a communicable disease.

 

Atlanta Temple Rededication & Cultural Celebration

This past weekend saw the rededication of the Atlanta, GA Temple: an article with photos and video can be found HERE.  The dedication service on Sunday was inspiring, with thousands of people in attendance, whether at the temple or viewing the live broadcast at chapels throughout Georgia.

On Saturday youth (aged 12-17) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed for President Thomas S. Monson (president of the Church) and a crowd of nearly 3000.  Named Southern Lights, the cultural celebration was a fantastic show full of song, dance and fabulously talented young men and women.

Below are two videos from the Sugar Hill, Georgia Stake.  First are the Young Women performing a salsa and you can see just how much they enjoyed themselves.  The hard work was worth it!

But the show stealers were the Young Men performing a stomp.  Full of energy and fun, they fully deserved the standing ovation they got from the audience.






To you 2700 teenagers who gave up evenings and Saturdays to learn your dances or sing in the choir - thank you!  You made it a night to remember.

Fear & Faith

Recently I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting and as I’ve had requests for a copy of the talk, I decided to post it here also.

Fear is a malaise that has plagued Man ever since Adam partook of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.  The Topical Guide with our scriptures has 64 entries under the word 'fear'.  Many of them are referring to the 'fear of God', meaning reverence for Him, but that's not the definition we're exploring today.  Neither am I going to discuss the fear that comes with a roller-coaster or spooky movie.  I'm talking about the internal, personal kind of fear that freezes your heart and mind and renders you impotent.  Worse than that - it puts you in a state of mind where the Spirit can't reach in and comfort you, no matter how hard He tries.

But right now is when we are in desperate need of the comfort, strength and security that comes from the Holy Spirit.  Russell M. Nelson spoke in General Conference of the need to strengthen our faith.  He said "Why do we need such resilient faith?  Because difficult days are ahead.  Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint.  Each of us will be tested."  A warning such as this might leave you with a chill if you feel you're not handling things currently.  We are most definitely living in the last days, no matter how many of them are left.  We are hearing “rumours of wars” and reports of the earth in turmoil with the waters heaving beyond their bounds.  And on top of that we are dealing with more immediate and personal fears. 

Despite recent claims that the economy is improving, many are still faced with possible job loss.  Even if we do have jobs we might be struggling with a choice between tithing and food.  Or with problems in your marriage or family.  How about self esteem?  Will I ever be strong enough or tall enough or funny enough or pretty enough or just plain enough?

* * *

John Bytheway wrote a little book called 'How to Be Totally Miserable', subtitled 'A Self Hinder Book'.  The idea is that while you're learning the best way to stay miserable, you might instead learn to be happy.  One of the lessons is: 'Take Counsel from Your Fears', which says "Miserable people always think about what might go wrong.  They plan their actions based on their fears.  [...]  Very often, the things we fear might happen never do.  When angels come to earth, they almost always begin their message by saying 'Fear not.' "  Bytheway goes on to say "I guess it would be pretty frightening to see an angel, but maybe there's something more to what they're saying. [...]  Think about it.  Angels come from this heavenly place, and the first thing out of their mouth is, 'Fear not', as if to say, 'You people down on earth are always afraid.' "

In 2 Timothy 1 vs 7 we learn "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind."  To be fearful is to be the natural man, and we all know how easy it is to slip into that skin.  Elder Nelson reminds us that "we do not need to let our fears displace our faith.  We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith."  But how can we do that?  The Mia Maids [young women aged 14-15 years - I teach their Sunday School class] hear this answer nearly every Sunday and are probably waiting for me to say it.  It's what we learn in Primary: study the scriptures, pray at least every morning and night, and attend church.  And you can add to that: attend the temple often. 

It sounds trite though.  Too easy.  But then so was the act of looking at the brazen serpent for the Israelites.  So was bathing in the river Jordan to Naaman.  Heavenly Father has promised us "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (D&C 88:63).  But what if you're doing all that and you're still not feeling the peace and courage you crave?  I would ask: are you doing it "in faith, nothing wavering"? (James 1:6)  Faith begets faith.  As Elder Nelson said: "Brothers and sisters, believe Him!  God will heed your sincere and heartfelt prayers, and your faith will be strengthened."

When Joseph Smith went into the Sacred Grove to pray, he already trusted that God would answer him.  When he was overcome by the unseen enemy, he was understandably terrified.  But he didn't succumb to his fear.  Because of his trust in God, because he had drawn near to God through prayer and study, he had faith that God would deliver him from this trial.  I've experienced this on a much smaller, but yet personally profound, scale when in the space of a few seconds I was quietly and calmly prompted to do the one thing that would help me avoid being hit by an oncoming, out of control car.  Yes, I was panicking and praying my little heart out but I heard the Spirit despite the squealing tyres.  We need to trust that we really do matter to Heavenly Father, because doubt and fear are exceptionally close friends.

The best thing we can do to overcome this alliance is to allow God to build an even better friendship between Him and each of us individually.  No-one else can do it for you.  He just asks that you try, that you open the door to let Him in.  He does a fantastic job of sweeping out fear-dust-bunnies and if you're anything like me, you have great piles of them in the corners of your mind.  Remember that the whole point of this ride around the sun is to learn to deal with adversity. 

On this topic Elder Nelson said “How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith.  Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth.”  We need to quit denying that we are very literally God’s children.  Why would we so stubbornly refuse to believe it?

I know this is an ugly comparison, but little children know Santa exists.  As we grow older, we tend to forget that until Christmas, but children remember it all year round.  Likewise, Christmas and Easter should not be the only times we remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and love each of us individually; instead we should know it all year round, every minute of every day.

While we are learning to do that, we should take some advice Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave during the same conference: “[…] there are some who feel that unless they have an experience similar to Saul’s or Joseph Smith’s, they cannot believe.  […]  They wait at the threshold of testimony but cannot bring themselves to acknowledge the truth.  Instead of taking small steps of faith on the path of discipleship, they want some dramatic event to compel them to believe.”

President Uchtdorf continued by saying: “[…] those who diligently seek to learn of Christ eventually will come to know Him.”  He talked about receiving a “divine portrait of the Master” one piece at a time but that we don’t always recognise what each piece is or where it should go as we receive them.  He said: “[…] looking back on our experience, we see that the Saviour had indeed come to be with us – not all at once but quietly, gently, almost unnoticed.”

Both President Uchtdorf and Elder Nelson discussed the need to learn for ourselves so that we can teach others, whether they be family, friends or people we don’t know.  President Uchtdorf quoted Saint Francis of Assisi as saying: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”  When you get past the humour of that, it’s a very profound statement.  When I was investigating the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I would study the congregation during Sacrament Meeting.  The way in which family members interacted with each other was one of the things that helped build my testimony.

If those people I watched wouldn’t have been strong in their faith, it would have shown in their actions and I wouldn’t have felt the Spirit through them.  “To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, [… and] to others it is given to believe on their words” (D&C 46: 13-14).  We might also say: to believe on their actions.

In closing, I have an excerpt from the Bible Dictionary, under the topic ‘Fear’.  “Sin destroys that feeling of confidence God’s child should feel in a loving Father, and produces instead a feeling of shame and guilt. Ever since the Fall God has been teaching men not to fear, but with penitence to ask forgiveness in full confidence of receiving it.”

I am learning through painful, personal experience that the only way to overcome a soul-destroying fear is to spend time in prayer and scripture study, in church and temple attendance, to learn more of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  I know that they live and that through the Holy Spirit we can receive the comfort that we so desperately need to make it through today.

Rogue Toll Booth

Drivers on the GA 400 southbound beware!  The toll booth second in from the right is a money-grabbing meanie.  Mr. F and I went through this booth twice in three days and it steadfastly refuses to correctly count coins smaller than quarters.

Fool me once and it's somewhat annoying.  Fool me twice (or rather, the guy two cars in front last night) and it needs to stop.

About Cats and Dogs

Mr. F learned something about cats the other day; you play with them on their terms, not human terms.  And certainly not dog terms.

I was lying propped up on one elbow reading, with Pepper the cat sprawled out next to me on the bed.  Mr. F had been playing chase with our dog Rocket and they came bounding into the bedroom, both bright-eyed and one bushy-tailed.  I caught the mischievous grin and realised there was no way to prevent what was coming.

Before I could even catch a breath to say "Nnnnooooooooo!", Mr. F pounced at Pepper, landing with hands and face square in front of the cat.  Now, Rocket would have instantly mimicked the pose and a nice game of rough-house would have ensued.  Mr. F, never having been owned by a cat, had no reason to think things would go differently.

In the space of about a second, Pepper did a classic cat hiss-and-puffball pose, then spun around and sprang (thankfully) over me, slamming into the headboard before landing on the floor.  Cats just don't play that way.  He then proceeded to allow Mr. F to apologise profusely.

Pepper's middle name is Magnanimous.  When he feels like it.  And may Mr. F never lose that mischievous grin.

Looking on the Bright Side (Again)

I was reading an article the other day discussing the effect recent major earthquakes have had on our planet.  Eastern Japan is now 3.96m (13ft) closer to North America, which shortened the day a whopping 1.6 microseconds.  In addition, the whole country sank down 0.61m (2ft), which together not only pulled the Earth's mass towards the Equator but also closer to the centre of the planet.

It's the whole centrifugal force thing that's causing the faster spin - the mass has moved more central and closer in, which increases the rotation speed.

Last year's earthquake in Chile had a smaller but similar effect on Earth's rotation.  The 2004 quake in Sumatra measured 9.1 and lasted 10 minutes (I can't imagine what that'd be like.  Try holding your breath for just one minute and see how happy it makes you feel).  As a result, our day became shorter by 6.8 microseconds.

So, the Earth is spinning faster, which means we have shorter days and therefore less time to get everything done.  Don't know about you but I miss those ~10 microseconds.  The good news is that it also means gravity is having more of an effect.  I'm now a little happier about getting on the bathroom scales.

Mormon Helping Hands

Recently a friend needed help packing her house for an upcoming move.  Six of us went over and boxed up all the small stuff in the house - including pictures, kitchenware and annoying must-have items that lurk in cabinets throughout the land.  Particularly bathroom cabinets.  Everyone has them and no-one likes packing and unpacking their own.  Doing it for someone else, though, is fun.

It's interesting how easy it is to do chores at someone else's house.  For that matter, it's much more fun doing your own housework when someone's there helping you. Besides, what's not to like about those happy-yellow Mormon Helping Hands t-shirts?

"... when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
-- Mosiah 2 vs 17

Nailed

So guess where I sat for a couple of hours the other morning?  Yup, the tyre shop (US translation: tire).  I love my car to death, but it does seem to have a penchant for picking up nails - this is the second one in about 18 months.  And no, I don't spend all my time driving around construction sites.  Riding the Tail of the Dragon would be much more fun.

Have you heard of the new gel nail polish?  (How's that for a change of direction worthy of TotD?) Dries quickly, hard as - well - nails, lasts longer than regular nail polish.  Actually it doesn't come off.  Ever.  You are doomed to repeated visits to the nail salon (did I hear a chorus of "oh bummer" from some?  Sarcasm doesn't become you, ladies), peeling it off or waiting for it to grow out.

Problem with peeling it off is that the top layer of your nail goes with it.  And somehow it manages to weaken the tips of your nails if you leave it to grow out.  So either way, you're stuck with nasty, shattered and peeling nails until time has replaced your entire nail.  Mine have been three months now and counting...

My advice?  Avoid gel nail polish like the plague.  Whichever plague scares you most.

You're Paying Me to do What?

The other day I was looking through some job ads, er... because it's always good to know what's out there, right..?  Anyhoo, I spotted a couple of jobs that left me wondering:

Job title #1:   TBD
[- we don't know what you'll be doing yet.  You make it up.  We just want a new employee okay?  We're tired of the same faces day in, day out...]

Job title #2:   Temperature Sensitive Sales Manager SE US
[- for someone who doesn't like the long northern winters.]

Mix those two together and you've struck employment gold.  I wonder if they'd let me telecommute from NZ, November - April...

What's with all the Temples?

Yesterday Mr. F and I went to the Birmingham, AL Temple.  I can't begin to tell you how much of a needed break that was.  We performed proxy sealing ordinances so that those who have died without receiving these ordinances in their mortal life have the option of receiving them after they have passed on.

It's an unbelievably good feeling to know that you're giving someone the ability to choose how they will live out their eternal life after they have "shuffled off this mortal coil".  For me, sealing sessions always have a feeling of quiet joy and everyone in the room feels they are a part of something magnificent.

Sitting in the Celestial Room afterwards I felt the peace and calm that I've only ever experienced in LDS (Mormon) temples.  Like bathing in sunshine on a cold day, the atmosphere inside a temple soaks through your whole being.  We sat quietly, absorbing the feeling of closeness to the Lord and gaining strength from it.

While the six hour round trip drive from Atlanta to Birmingham is well worth it (and far less than some must travel), I'm excited for the reopening of the Atlanta, GA Temple this year.  There will be a public open house from 9-23 April and a cultural celebration on 30 April.  The rededication of the temple will be held on Sunday, 1 May 2011.  For more information, please click HERE.

Mawidge

 The second half of 2010 was a whirlwind for me.  To the surprise of many (not the least of which was me), I got married in December.  We met in 2009 and started dating in July, which to some may seem quick but when you get to our age maturity you have a better idea of what you want in an Eternal Companion.

Let the above photo be a warning to all who are planning a wedding... Never let family and friends have access to your house while you are on honeymoon.  My flatmate (US translation: roommate) decided to express her happiness in a way she knew I'd understand.  We both love Princess Bride and one of our favourite scenes is Peter Cook performing the wedding ceremony.

After us newlyweds had managed to hit the road (muchly delayed by a toilet-papered, glad-wrapped, oreo-cookie-encrusted car - thanks Tony...), both sets of in-laws and sundry friends gathered to celebrate their chance to trash the house with no fear of retribution.  After all, we would be gone for a week and by then they would have scattered to their respective corners of the country and globe.

My flatmate's parting gift (and don't get me wrong - I laughed 'til my ribs hurt when I saw it) was to graffiti the window with a sentiment that's best pronounced with Peter Cook in mind.  Yes, folks - that's wedding cake.  Red velvet, to be precise (thanks Natascha, it was lovely!).

I think the only thing that amused me more was to connect two conversations with rellies when we got back:

Bro-in-law:     "Did you find all the eggs with holes in them?"
and
Mum:     "Your brother's plane was struck three times by lightning."

Oh - and we can't forget the wonderful job they did with decorating for Christmas.  The attic looked lovely.

The Doctor vs. Donna

I was the kid who had a ridiculously long scarf in honour of Tom Baker's Doctor.  So it was a happy day a couple of years ago when I discovered that not only had they brought Doctor Who back in 2005, but there are Americans who actually know about the series and enjoy watching it.

While engaging in an aimless internet surfing session online research, I stumbled across a comic gem.  David Tennant and Catherine Tate (as Lauren Cooper) back together again in this beauty of a skit:

Kia Kaha Christchurch

 By now you've likely heard about the recent earthquake which hit Christchurch, NZ.  TV, newspapers and blogs have all been loaded up with heart-rending images and reports.  This devastation is not my home; this is a war zone happening somewhere else.  It's hard to get my mind around it.

I got two calls the day the earthquake hit (Tues in NZ, Mon evening in ATL) - one from Mum to say she was okay and another from a friend checking on my family.  Mum's good like that; I find out family's okay before things make it into the news here.  Streaming NewstalkZB has helped greatly to keep up with what's going on and how people are doing in Christchurch and around the country.  One caller suggested people change the voicemail on their phones to say that they're okay.  Even if family and friends can't reach you, they still know you're alive.

Last night I received an email from the New Zealand Consulate in Atlanta, GA.  The Consul has been sending out regular updates which help give a feeling of connection to home. The internet is mightily impersonal when what you really need is human voices and a familiar accent.  Kiwi Expat organisation KEA posted on Facebook asking us to wear black and red - Canterbury's colours - on Fri 25 Feb and Sat 25 Feb.

Probably the only time in my life I'll wear Canterbury colours intentionally.  But this isn't about rugby.  This is about Kiwis doing what we do best in a crisis.  Kia Kaha Christchurch.