I regularly ride my bike to work. A great thing about Louisville is that drivers are mostly good with it. About once a month though, someone will pass me and express his dissatisfaction with my transportation choice (without exception it's always been a 'his'). Typically they go by and that's the end of. There is however one part of my ride where due to traffic volumes and the way the light is timed, that i'll repass a car that passes me at that part.

So, earlier this week I'm riding along and this guy drives by yelling foul words at me. A minute later I'm passing him. I couldn't let the opportunity pass. I stopped and lightly rapped on the window. A stream of profanity issued forth.

I'm thinking, "What do I say to this?" At the first break I said, "Are you a Christian?"

He replied, "What does that have to do with it?" I said, "Simple question, yes or no." He answered with another stream of profanity. As he rolled up his window I said, "I guess that answers my question." Now, I don't know know that he thought a second about what I said - it doesn't really matter.

What matters to me is that I was good throughout. No anger. Nothing. Just looking for an opportunity to help my fellow man.

Gear test result

The hot water bottle kept me warm until 5 AM. I was just starting to get a little cold when it was time to get up at 6:45. What a great little trick that is!

I don't think it got as cold as forecasted. Usually when I've done this, there's a layer of ice in the bivy - wasn't there last night.

I have on my list of things to do
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Gear test

I'm in the backyard, in my sleeping bag (no tent), on what may be the coldest night of the year (3 degrees) doing a gear test. I started doing this while in Michigan. Just out here seeing how well the gear does.

My setup: bivy bag with air pad and sleeping bag inside. This year I've done something new. I boiled water, put it in my water bottle, and placed it down by my toes. Right now, I've been out about 15 minutes and I'm too hot! I'm sure that will change as the water bottle cools.

I've been asked to give a talk in my congregational meeting next month. The topic is 'prayer and promptings'. A good topic for me to study, but not one where I feel I have a lot to offer - as far as insight to share with the congregation. Hopefully I'll do no harm.


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On healing

A guy in my congregation has cancer. This one's gonna kill him without some sort of divine intervention. It's been 25 years or so since I was close to someone in this condition. He's my age, has a bunch of kids.

I've been thinking a bit more about the gifts of the Spirit and how they are manifested (see 1 Cor. 12). I'd guess at one time or another every Christian wonders about the gift of healing and how that works.

I've come across healers. There was one in my congregation in Detroit. I found one in my congregation here. (I keep my eye out for them as you never know when one might come in handy.)

In the LDS faith we have a prescribed way of administering through the Priesthood. I wonder though about the gift of healing. I'm sure I don't understand how that works. How, for example, does it work when a woman has that gift? What would it look like for her to exercise that gift?

I don't believe I have that gift. I'd like to have it right now.

I'd be interested in hearing stories about how the gift of healing has been exhibited.

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How did you come to know Him?

I served an LDS mission in Ohio a few years ago. It was a wonderful time. My 'purpose' was to teach people the gospel and invite them to be baptized. I met some wonderful people and I look back on those two years as a sacred time in my life. I learned quite a bit, as you might imagine, during that time. One thing I want to mention now is that I learned to love to talk with people about religion.

A couple of weeks ago I was traveling on business. I went to the hotel exercise room to run a few miles. A lady, about my age came in and did the eliptical next to me. We said good morning and went on our way. As I was leaving, I noticed that she had a copy of the Bible with her.

That morning I thought about her and that Bible a bit. I thought that says something about her that she'd bring a Bible with her to exercise in the morning. The thought came to me that I would really enjoy to hear the story of how she came to know God.

I decided that I'd start asking people, "How did you come to know him?" and start collecting stories of people's foundational experiences with God.

I'm shy by nature. I tried it the first time yesterday with a colleague. It went OK. At one point she said something like, "You're not going to like it." I said, "There's no judgment on my side whether your story is a 'good' story. I just want to gain strenght by hearing about your faith."

She told her story. I listened. I'm better for the experience.

In the LDS faith we have meeting called "Fast and Testimony Meeting." For 45 minutes or so, the pulpit is open for anyone in the congregation to come up and share their faith. It used to be my least favorite meeting. Now it's my favorite. This meeting is the congregational meeting, generally, the first Sunday of the month. If you're near an LDS building sometime, stop in. You will hear people tell of how they came to know him. You can tell your story.

I'm less interested in teaching and more interested in hearing and sharing and in gaining strength from the strength of those around me.

Peace to you on this early Wed. morning from the timeless AZ desert.
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What's Important

Today was a great day. I had a great afternoon at work. Then after work I headed north and drove through the Arizona desert in the rented Solstice with the top down (I'm in Phoenix traveling on business).

It was a beautiful sunset. I was thinking about how timeless the desert seems and that led to me thinking about the timeless people in my life. Some I've known all my life others are more recent. I'm thankful for them all.

The timeless things in my life are becoming more and more important to me.

I'd like to type more, but it's slow on the iPhone and after spending all day in front of the computer at work...

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Just a test

Just testing a post.


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Scout Preparedness

This past Friday night I went with the local scout trip on an overnight campout. The topic was Wilderness Survival - so we were supposed to build shelter (no tents).

We left in a rainstorm. We drove in a rainstorm. We set up camp in a rainstorm. It rained until midnight. After that, it was beautiful. The coldest it got was about 40 degrees.

Just a couple of observations... and none will be earth shattering.

You need gear to stay dry. Three scouts ended up sleeping in a car. Their stuff got wet - they were done.

You can get by on very little. One scout slept under a tarp and in a couple layers of Under Armour and some trash bags. He did OK.

My setup was a blue tarp, bivy bag, and sleeping bag, on the ground. I was dry.

As far as clothing... I had a long Gore-Tex jacket. I was fine from head to knees. Below that, I was OK because it wasn't colder. What I'd really like to have is a good hat with a brim, a long duster type jacket, and some waterproof shoes/boots. With that and a good pair of gloves, I could spend a long time in wet 20 - 40 degree weather and be OK - I think.

The next day, under blue sky, we did orienteering, signaling (you'd be amazed how well a 2" - 3" mirror will signal at 1/2 mile), fire starting, and the like.

I think we have the best scoutmaster in the world.

The Coming Revolution (revised)

Brigham Young said the following: “Will the Constitution be destroyed? No; it will be held inviolate by this people; and, as Joseph Smith said, ‘The time will come when the Constitution of this nation will hang upon a single thread. At that critical juncture, this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction.’ It will be so.” (July 4, 1854, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p. 15)

As I’ve become more “aware” (maybe “awake”) over the past dozen years or so, I’ve reflected on this statement. Recently, within the past couple of weeks, I’ve come to a troubling conclusion. I’d like to share some of the key steps in this journey.

First, the current and past few US presidents have had little, if any, regard for the Constitution. First, my ‘awareness’ really flourished during the reign of Bush the Lesser. He launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without Congressional approval – a Constitutional requirement for waging war. He stamped on many other Constitutional safeguards. Perhaps the most troubling was his establishment of his own Praetorian Guard. US Army troops are now assigned to operate within the bounds of these United States (stationed in my backyard at Ft. Knox, KY). The list goes on and on of how Bush trampled the Constitution. I don’t need or want to go through the awful details here.

Bush’s successor, Obama the Beneficent has, in his disregard for the Constitution, put his predecessor to shame. General Motors has become Government Motors and Obama the Omniscient has determined that Mr. Wagoner is not the man to lead GM. I don’t see where the Constitution grants to the Executive Branch the authority to do this! Perhaps the most (and it’s stiff competition) insidious recent event (i.e., of these first 100 days) is the passage of the GIVE act. This act, co-sponsored by our very own Hatch the Giving, is, certainly not the first, but a huge step toward enslavement.

Just a quick note. Why, you may be asking, all the “Obama the Beneficent” type references? It’s an oblique reference to Alexis de Tocqueville’s essay, “What sort of despotism democratic nations have to fear.” It’s not too long. Google it and have a read. See if you don’t find him a prophet of sorts. But I digress…

Back to the first point. Really, it’s this. I think the Constitution is hanging by a thread. Now. Already. Right now. There’s just a thread. The Executive branch is doing whatever it wants and it has the pieces in place to cut any remaining threads at the next ‘crisis.’

You might not be there with me on this one. You might argue that there are a couple of threads. We still have free speech and the right to bear arms. OK. I’ll grant you that. However, if they can be removed at the next crisis (when you’d really need them), do you really have them?

So, for the sake of the rest of my argument, go with me for a minute that the Constitution is hanging by a thread right now.

All this happened while we (the LDS people) had well-placed government officials “on the watchtower” (so to speak). These are people who could have warned us, perhaps by providing additional information to the obvious things we can see by reading the published reports. The senator from Nevada, Hatch the Giving, and several others. They could have been sounding the warning bell – and even fighting for the Constitution. But, they have not. They have contributed to the Constitution’s downfall (perhaps the one point of promise is Chaffetz the Frugal (rumor has it he’s concerned enough about prudent use of taxpayer funds that he sleeps in his office to cut down on costs)). They voted for and promoted (Reid) the robberies (er, “Bailouts.” Note it isn’t ‘theft,’ that’s what happens when you aren’t watching. Robbery is when it’s done by force – and this was certainly done by force) and the enslavement (Hatch’s GIVE act).

I could go on here as well. However, the point is that our best placed Constitution defenders are taking it down, not rescuing it.

To review: The Constitution is hanging by a thread. The people we’d hope to be working on saving it aren’t.

Then last week I started thinking – and here’s the conclusion. The federal government isn’t going to give up its power. The only way ‘this people’ will save the Constitution is by force – by revolution. I remember reading this statement by LDS Church president Ezra Benson, “To all who have discerning eyes, it is apparent that the republican form of government established by our noble forefathers cannot long endure once fundamental principles are abandoned. Momentum is gathering for another conflict—a repetition of the crisis of two hundred years ago.” (The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986, p. 27)

Obama the Beneficent will not heed a call to return to Constitutional principles. Nor will his successor, even if it is Mitt the Merciful. By the time Obama is finished, we’ll have the US version of the Hitler Youth in place (again, see the recently passed GIVE act) as well as, it is certain, a host of other acts in place limiting our 1st, 2nd, (continue the series all the way to 10) amendment freedoms.

I’m not sure who will be behind the revolution. I suspect members of the LDS Church may expect that Church leaders would lead the charge. Maybe. Maybe not. Consider this from Ezra Benson, “Maybe the Lord will never set up a specific Church program for the purpose of saving the Constitution. Perhaps if he set up one at this time it might split the Church asunder, and perhaps he does not want that to happen yet, for not all the wheat and tares are fully ripe.” (“Not Commanded in All Things.” Conference address April 5, 1965. Please, read the talk in full.). There are people I know, in whom the light of freedom burns so brightly, who will not be able to sit idly by watching the march toward tyranny. They may be part of that revolution.

I may live to see it. My children certainly will. People are talking about it.

I don’t like reading what I’ve written. Do I have it wrong? Is there a way to reverse the tide? Without blood? I wish. I hope. I pray. But not in faith.

Surprised by goodness

I'm on the scout committee for Joshua's scout troop. One responsibility that's mine is to arrange for campout locations.

Based upon a tip, I contacted someone, just outside Elizabethtown, KY, who has a cave on his property. I called him a month ago to ask if we could bring the scouts for a visit. I'd never talked with this man. He was friendly and allowed us to come camp in his cave.

We showed up this past Friday evening - 7:30ish. I was surprised. This guy is probably a bit younger than me. The goodness I encountered was surpassed by his kindness in person. He welcomed us (3 leaders and 10 or so boys) to his property and ferried all our gear out to the cave. In the morning, when he saw that we were packing up to leave, he drove out and ferried us back to our cars. He asked when he could expect us back and told us a year from now was too long.

Every part of this man to us, complete strangers, was kindness and goodness. I reflected on my experience on the drive home. I wanted to become less of who I am and more of who he is. I doubt anyone has EVER left an encounter with me thinking, "Wow, that guy is the kindest guy I've ever come across."

I suspect, in the not-to-distant future, my little corner of the world will desperately need more people like this guy. I know it's late for me, but if I work real hard at it, maybe I can be my version of this guy for people around me. Uugh. I have a long way to go and there's a lot of baggage I need to dump on the way.