At work this week, I was contacted by another engineering firm through email, with the letter addressed to "Ms. Larsen." This was not the first time that something like this has happened, but it was the most recent (I never corrected the writer of the email, by the way). It made me think about my name and, unfortunately, even with the inclusion of my middle name, there's no clear indication of my gender.
This is not the fault of my parents. Jordan is a traditionally masculine name. In fact, it was around the early eighties when I was born that the trend of naming girls Jordan began. During most of my childhood, I never met a female Jordan, though I did encounter a few male ones. It wasn't until high school that I became aware that girls being named Jordan was even an option. It seemed odd to me, like naming a girl Robert or Steven. Since then, while I do encounter the occasional male Jordan (there was one that works at the restaurant I tried working at), if I meet a Jordan, it usually is a girl: while I was working at IHOP during college, I encountered at least a dozen female Jordans. But, and this is important, they were all younger than me.
Girl names go through trends that boy names don't. You always have at least one Michael in a classroom and usually a few Davids and Juans and Joshuas, but while I attended middle school with lots of Heathers and Megans and Ashleys [or is it Ashleies?], I'm betting that you'll find a lot more Mackenzies and Addisons and Madisons these days. Anyway, girls' names change a lot, but that also means, for some reason, taking surnames and making given girl names. Personally, I think this is remarkably idiotic. "I have a cute baby girl. I should name her Papadopoulos!" I really don't get it.
Anyway, if the trend continues, and I have no reason to think that it shouldn't, by the time I'm an old man, I'll have a girl's name. I can see it now: "Back in my day, Jordan was the manliest name around..."
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Music (Lint of Love)
It wasn't long ago that I took you on journey of the development of my musical tastes. In the case of every song that I posted, I genuinely liked the music (or, in the case of Disturbed, used to like it). Today's topic is different. Don't get me wrong, I like this song, but I like ironically.
This is a wonderfully terrible song by the band Cibo Matto, a duo made up of two Japanese girls. This song, "The Lint of Love" (I just love how awful that metaphor is) is from the band's second, Stereo * Type A. As you may guess from the weird album title or super cheesy rap break, this band is from the nineties. We, as a culture, made bad decisions every decade (disco, anyone?), but this is from my decade. I don't want to give the impression that I don't like their music, because I really do enjoy this band, but in a different way than I do most music.
Cibo Matto has other songs, and while some of them are still super weird, others are genuinely good. (A band that has weird songs that I like anyway? Why does that seem familiar?) Consider this a bit of guilty pleasure for me. When I think of a band that can represent all of the bad things about music in the nineties and (this is important) was still a good band, I think of Cibo Matto. So, here's to you Cibo Matto and all of wonderful weirdness.
This is a wonderfully terrible song by the band Cibo Matto, a duo made up of two Japanese girls. This song, "The Lint of Love" (I just love how awful that metaphor is) is from the band's second, Stereo * Type A. As you may guess from the weird album title or super cheesy rap break, this band is from the nineties. We, as a culture, made bad decisions every decade (disco, anyone?), but this is from my decade. I don't want to give the impression that I don't like their music, because I really do enjoy this band, but in a different way than I do most music.
Cibo Matto has other songs, and while some of them are still super weird, others are genuinely good. (A band that has weird songs that I like anyway? Why does that seem familiar?) Consider this a bit of guilty pleasure for me. When I think of a band that can represent all of the bad things about music in the nineties and (this is important) was still a good band, I think of Cibo Matto. So, here's to you Cibo Matto and all of wonderful weirdness.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Too Much
I worked my second job again this Friday, having completed a full-day at RJM. If I had simply been exhausted I might have done alright, but exhaustion had come and gone by the time I made it to the restaurant. Even so, I made it through the shift and planned to be there the next morning when they opened.
I got home at almost midnight, so tired I could cry, but unable to sleep for a few hours: when you push your body to be awake beyond what is normal for long enough, it won't just shut off when you tell it to. Still, I had committed to be there the next morning, so I set my alarm with plans to wake up and get ready to be back when promised. The last time I looked at the clock, it was nearly three AM.
The next morning at 8:15, the alarm on my cell phone went off. I got up and turned it off and laid back down, just wanting a couple of minutes before showering. I remember thinking, "I can't do this," but still pushing myself to get up.
The next thing I remember, I looked at the time on my phone: 1:39 PM. It took me a few moments to grasp that I had sleep in and missed my first shift (I was going to work a double), but once I was coherent enough to speak, I called the restaurant to explain. I couldn't get ahold of a manager, even when I called multiple times.
I regret the way that events unfolded, but I do not regret missing work; I clearly needed the sleep. I was not out of training yet, so the staff weren't relying on me, merely tolerating me, so my absence was manageable. It was unprofessional skipping work like I did, but in my defense, I did call.
I thought I could handle both jobs, but I failed to consider just how stressful my job at RJM is. I like the job and I'm happy to have it, but it's demanding and challenging. Add to that a physically demanding job late at night, and it adds up to be more than I could handle. It was a hard lesson, but I learned it. (And don't worry, I plan on going into the restaurant tonight to explain what happened and tell them that I won't be coming back.) I wish I could say I'll miss it.
I got home at almost midnight, so tired I could cry, but unable to sleep for a few hours: when you push your body to be awake beyond what is normal for long enough, it won't just shut off when you tell it to. Still, I had committed to be there the next morning, so I set my alarm with plans to wake up and get ready to be back when promised. The last time I looked at the clock, it was nearly three AM.
The next morning at 8:15, the alarm on my cell phone went off. I got up and turned it off and laid back down, just wanting a couple of minutes before showering. I remember thinking, "I can't do this," but still pushing myself to get up.
The next thing I remember, I looked at the time on my phone: 1:39 PM. It took me a few moments to grasp that I had sleep in and missed my first shift (I was going to work a double), but once I was coherent enough to speak, I called the restaurant to explain. I couldn't get ahold of a manager, even when I called multiple times.
I regret the way that events unfolded, but I do not regret missing work; I clearly needed the sleep. I was not out of training yet, so the staff weren't relying on me, merely tolerating me, so my absence was manageable. It was unprofessional skipping work like I did, but in my defense, I did call.
I thought I could handle both jobs, but I failed to consider just how stressful my job at RJM is. I like the job and I'm happy to have it, but it's demanding and challenging. Add to that a physically demanding job late at night, and it adds up to be more than I could handle. It was a hard lesson, but I learned it. (And don't worry, I plan on going into the restaurant tonight to explain what happened and tell them that I won't be coming back.) I wish I could say I'll miss it.
Friday, August 23, 2013
The Need for Balance
Since I was recovering from my most recent severe allergic reaction on Tuesday and did not go in to work, I had some catching up do to when I got back on Wednesday. This was to be expected and I readily made the decision to work through lunch in order to make a deadline. However, that meant that I missed R-JAM. I didn't think anything of it, but as the day got longer and I ended up staying two hours passed the time that I normally leave (bringing the full work day to eleven hours), I realized that having that time set aside for recreation is an important stress-reliever. By the time I finally left, I was having to hold back to refrain from running to my car.
I schedule my day full of things that I need: I wake up early so that I can have some time with the scriptures before a light breakfast and rigorous exercise; after doing my daily grooming routine and dressing, it's off to work where I diligently work; once that's completed, I have a second round of exercise (either running or more body-weight exercises) before dinner and some goofing off before bed. That last bit, the "goofing off" is still an important part of my day. Sure, watching TV or playing a game on my tablet or reading a book may seem like a waste of time, but if I don't get time to relax, I go a little nuts (but getting too much in is bad, too).
By missing my lunch break on Wednesday, I took away an important part of reducing my stress. True, I've worked through lunch before and probably will again, but when combined with staying late, it was simply too much. I see it as further incentive to work hard during the appropriate times so that I feel justified taking a break to play a silly game with my coworkers.
I schedule my day full of things that I need: I wake up early so that I can have some time with the scriptures before a light breakfast and rigorous exercise; after doing my daily grooming routine and dressing, it's off to work where I diligently work; once that's completed, I have a second round of exercise (either running or more body-weight exercises) before dinner and some goofing off before bed. That last bit, the "goofing off" is still an important part of my day. Sure, watching TV or playing a game on my tablet or reading a book may seem like a waste of time, but if I don't get time to relax, I go a little nuts (but getting too much in is bad, too).
By missing my lunch break on Wednesday, I took away an important part of reducing my stress. True, I've worked through lunch before and probably will again, but when combined with staying late, it was simply too much. I see it as further incentive to work hard during the appropriate times so that I feel justified taking a break to play a silly game with my coworkers.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Going to the ER is Totally Getting Old
I had another allergic reaction Monday night, but it may yield some important information.
As usual, I was at home, finishing eating dinner when I noticed my head was hot and that tongue felt slightly swollen. I looked in the mirror to confirm that, yes, I was bright red and developing a rash on my back. So, I drove myself to the ER and was given the same medication as the last three times, fell asleep for a couple of hours, and was discharged around midnight (I arrived around 8). As soon as I was outside, before even getting inside my car, I called work to leave a voicemail explaining what happened and that I would call the next day to check in.
The next morning I called and spoke to my Allergist to tell him what happened and he asked that I come in. When I saw him, I explained that there's a bit of information that, while I did inform him and all of the other health practitioners of before, I had never focused on. Monday night and the time before (and possibly the two times before that, but I'm not sure), I had naproxen sodium in my system. For the last few months, I've been dealing with some shoulder pain that comes and goes and I had been treating it with regular doses of naproxen, but had stopped a month or so ago. Last night, I did a handstand (in an attempt to exercise my shoulders) and fell on my head. Naturally, I was in some pain, so I took some naproxen and ate dinner. By the time I was nearly finished, the medication had had enough time to work it's way into my bloodstream and start to have an effect. When I explained all of this to the allergist, he said that the naproxen sounded like a good candidate, but to be sure we'll need to test it. He wants to wait a couple of weeks to allow the medication I'm currently on to work it's way out of my system before administering the test, but we both hope that we've found the culprit.
Along with being a good candidate based on timing, I also want to be reacting to naproxen sodium because it would be such an easy fix. I won't have to ask questions when I go to a restaurant or plan my meals differently or anything like that, I'll simply have to find a new pain reliever. Here's hoping for a positive result in two weeks.
As usual, I was at home, finishing eating dinner when I noticed my head was hot and that tongue felt slightly swollen. I looked in the mirror to confirm that, yes, I was bright red and developing a rash on my back. So, I drove myself to the ER and was given the same medication as the last three times, fell asleep for a couple of hours, and was discharged around midnight (I arrived around 8). As soon as I was outside, before even getting inside my car, I called work to leave a voicemail explaining what happened and that I would call the next day to check in.
The next morning I called and spoke to my Allergist to tell him what happened and he asked that I come in. When I saw him, I explained that there's a bit of information that, while I did inform him and all of the other health practitioners of before, I had never focused on. Monday night and the time before (and possibly the two times before that, but I'm not sure), I had naproxen sodium in my system. For the last few months, I've been dealing with some shoulder pain that comes and goes and I had been treating it with regular doses of naproxen, but had stopped a month or so ago. Last night, I did a handstand (in an attempt to exercise my shoulders) and fell on my head. Naturally, I was in some pain, so I took some naproxen and ate dinner. By the time I was nearly finished, the medication had had enough time to work it's way into my bloodstream and start to have an effect. When I explained all of this to the allergist, he said that the naproxen sounded like a good candidate, but to be sure we'll need to test it. He wants to wait a couple of weeks to allow the medication I'm currently on to work it's way out of my system before administering the test, but we both hope that we've found the culprit.
Along with being a good candidate based on timing, I also want to be reacting to naproxen sodium because it would be such an easy fix. I won't have to ask questions when I go to a restaurant or plan my meals differently or anything like that, I'll simply have to find a new pain reliever. Here's hoping for a positive result in two weeks.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Accomplishments
Last Friday was day of milestones for me. I accomplished three things that I am rather proud of, so I'm going to show off a little.
The first thing is a fitness goal that I achieved. As a way to help keep me in shape and to just keep me healthy, I do pushups in the mornings, two to three times a week. I started back when I was still staying with the Larsens, but six weeks ago I started using an app for my Kindle that helps track my progress. This is important since it helps to know how many I did last time and try to beat it the next time. The app gives different choices for time periods to do each variation (standard, feet elevated, hand close together, hands elevated, etc.) and I've been doing each set for 45 seconds. I started out doing 22 standard pushups and this last Friday, after doing pushups for six weeks, I was able to 45; better than double. I still hope to continue to make progress, but being able to do a pushup a second is a nice accomplishment.
Last Friday was also the first time that I worked at the restaurant following a full day at the office. Holy crap, I was tired. I did my best to keep moving and to constantly try to learn more and more about the menu (it's really long), but I was out of energy. It was the first time that I had to question whether I could actually work two jobs. I'm not willing to say yea or nay on it yet, but I will have to be aware that sitting at a computer and using my brain to a high degree is exhausting on its own. Add a physically demanding job right after and it doesn't make for an easy day.
Finally, the big one. I've been working at RJM since the middle of May, or about three months. During that time, I have tried very hard to learn the ins-and-outs of what I'm responsible for. I've done okay, but I've made mistakes and forgotten things along the way, which is fine, but annoying. Anyway, for every writing assignment, even with all of the practice that I've had, a lot of times I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing and it's really stressful to turn in an assignment to my supervisor for approval. This last Friday, my boss actually seemed to be impressed with what I wrote. Even if she was only impressed that I turned in good work when compared to my earlier attempts, that's fine. I submitted a document for her approval and received it. I'll count that as a win!
Friday was a day full of achievements for me, but I hope to only continue improve upon what I've done and to do even better.
The first thing is a fitness goal that I achieved. As a way to help keep me in shape and to just keep me healthy, I do pushups in the mornings, two to three times a week. I started back when I was still staying with the Larsens, but six weeks ago I started using an app for my Kindle that helps track my progress. This is important since it helps to know how many I did last time and try to beat it the next time. The app gives different choices for time periods to do each variation (standard, feet elevated, hand close together, hands elevated, etc.) and I've been doing each set for 45 seconds. I started out doing 22 standard pushups and this last Friday, after doing pushups for six weeks, I was able to 45; better than double. I still hope to continue to make progress, but being able to do a pushup a second is a nice accomplishment.
Last Friday was also the first time that I worked at the restaurant following a full day at the office. Holy crap, I was tired. I did my best to keep moving and to constantly try to learn more and more about the menu (it's really long), but I was out of energy. It was the first time that I had to question whether I could actually work two jobs. I'm not willing to say yea or nay on it yet, but I will have to be aware that sitting at a computer and using my brain to a high degree is exhausting on its own. Add a physically demanding job right after and it doesn't make for an easy day.
Finally, the big one. I've been working at RJM since the middle of May, or about three months. During that time, I have tried very hard to learn the ins-and-outs of what I'm responsible for. I've done okay, but I've made mistakes and forgotten things along the way, which is fine, but annoying. Anyway, for every writing assignment, even with all of the practice that I've had, a lot of times I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing and it's really stressful to turn in an assignment to my supervisor for approval. This last Friday, my boss actually seemed to be impressed with what I wrote. Even if she was only impressed that I turned in good work when compared to my earlier attempts, that's fine. I submitted a document for her approval and received it. I'll count that as a win!
Friday was a day full of achievements for me, but I hope to only continue improve upon what I've done and to do even better.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Shorties 2
Once again, instead of one big post, I'm collecting a bunch of smaller ones.
Guest Bed
I recently acquired a free sofa-bed from a family that is moving out of the ward. It's definitely used, but not overly so. There's some fraying of the seams here and there, but nothing that threatens the structural integrity of the sofa. I bring this up, because it looks like I'll be sleeping on it tonight. The air mattress that the Larsens lent me won't stay inflated anymore (looks like I'll be buy them a replacement soon) and I woke up nearly touching the floor. Nice to have a back-up plan.
Have [TV], Will Travel
Speaking of free furniture, Ian found me a free TV and small entertainment center online. I only needed to go pick it up. The problem with that is that the TV is an old-style tube-driven one and it's really, really heavy. The previous owner helped me get it into the car, but then I couldn't get it inside unassisted. Luckily, my Elder's Quorum President, along with his teenaged daughter, was willing to lend a hand. Even with three of us moving it, it was still really, really heavy (it's a 32"). We were all breathing heavily by the time we made it to the third floor. (I think the funniest thing about the situation is that I haven't bothered to plug it in yet, since I haven't had time for TV. Heh.)
One Ring to Rule Them
At work yesterday, a bunch of us married men were discussing our wedding bands: how they fit (or fail to, in some cases), why we chose the styles we did, how often we wear them, etc. I was surprised to learn that one of my coworkers barely wears his outside of when he's at the office. I only take mine off when I run because I'm afraid it may come off (I've experienced enough weight-loss since I picked it out that it's a bit loose), but otherwise it's always on.
Run Like the Wind
Speaking of running, I've changed things up recently by doing hill-sprints. I was talking to a coworker (the same one that barely wears his ring) about how I was frustrated that no matter what I did, I couldn't complete my run any faster than at an eight-minute-per-mile pace. He suggested that I trying sprinting up hills for a couple of weeks, then go back to see how I improve. I know that Ian does hill-sprints sometimes as a part of his PT training, so I gave it a go this week. It's amazing how difficult it was just to get the form down. I've been doing fairly long-distance runs for about over a year now and switching to sprinting, which has a completely different feel to it, isn't as easy as I thought. Still, nice to have a change up.
[-]ate
Did anyone notice all of the hyphens in today's post? I don't know, it seemed like an unusually high volume.
I hope you enjoyed another round of Shorties. I'll have to do this again soon.
Guest Bed
I recently acquired a free sofa-bed from a family that is moving out of the ward. It's definitely used, but not overly so. There's some fraying of the seams here and there, but nothing that threatens the structural integrity of the sofa. I bring this up, because it looks like I'll be sleeping on it tonight. The air mattress that the Larsens lent me won't stay inflated anymore (looks like I'll be buy them a replacement soon) and I woke up nearly touching the floor. Nice to have a back-up plan.
Have [TV], Will Travel
Speaking of free furniture, Ian found me a free TV and small entertainment center online. I only needed to go pick it up. The problem with that is that the TV is an old-style tube-driven one and it's really, really heavy. The previous owner helped me get it into the car, but then I couldn't get it inside unassisted. Luckily, my Elder's Quorum President, along with his teenaged daughter, was willing to lend a hand. Even with three of us moving it, it was still really, really heavy (it's a 32"). We were all breathing heavily by the time we made it to the third floor. (I think the funniest thing about the situation is that I haven't bothered to plug it in yet, since I haven't had time for TV. Heh.)
One Ring to Rule Them
At work yesterday, a bunch of us married men were discussing our wedding bands: how they fit (or fail to, in some cases), why we chose the styles we did, how often we wear them, etc. I was surprised to learn that one of my coworkers barely wears his outside of when he's at the office. I only take mine off when I run because I'm afraid it may come off (I've experienced enough weight-loss since I picked it out that it's a bit loose), but otherwise it's always on.
Run Like the Wind
Speaking of running, I've changed things up recently by doing hill-sprints. I was talking to a coworker (the same one that barely wears his ring) about how I was frustrated that no matter what I did, I couldn't complete my run any faster than at an eight-minute-per-mile pace. He suggested that I trying sprinting up hills for a couple of weeks, then go back to see how I improve. I know that Ian does hill-sprints sometimes as a part of his PT training, so I gave it a go this week. It's amazing how difficult it was just to get the form down. I've been doing fairly long-distance runs for about over a year now and switching to sprinting, which has a completely different feel to it, isn't as easy as I thought. Still, nice to have a change up.
[-]ate
Did anyone notice all of the hyphens in today's post? I don't know, it seemed like an unusually high volume.
I hope you enjoyed another round of Shorties. I'll have to do this again soon.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Be Prepared
During Sunday School, one of the sisters in the ward mentioned that because she works, she isn't able to prepare her kids' lunches for them everyday, so she makes them all at once for the whole week. My first reaction is that her kids should probably help her out by making their own lunches (at least the older ones; at least one of them is in high school). My second reaction was that I should totally do that, too.
The routine I had been employing had been to prepare my lunch the night before, but preparing for the week has made my evenings a lot easier. My mornings go smoothly, too, since I got my breakfasts ready for the week. I mix all of the dry ingredients for my oatmeal (oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and raisins) and put it in a travel bowl. In the morning, I just grab a bowl, dump the contents into the rice cooker, add the required water, turn it on, and keep getting ready. When the cooker is done, I have breakfast and, because of the casual nature of the office I work in, I can even take it with me and eat it at my desk.
I enjoy going to Church for the spiritual uplifting that I receive, but it's a nice bonus when I pick up tips that make my day go easier.
The routine I had been employing had been to prepare my lunch the night before, but preparing for the week has made my evenings a lot easier. My mornings go smoothly, too, since I got my breakfasts ready for the week. I mix all of the dry ingredients for my oatmeal (oats, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and raisins) and put it in a travel bowl. In the morning, I just grab a bowl, dump the contents into the rice cooker, add the required water, turn it on, and keep getting ready. When the cooker is done, I have breakfast and, because of the casual nature of the office I work in, I can even take it with me and eat it at my desk.
I enjoy going to Church for the spiritual uplifting that I receive, but it's a nice bonus when I pick up tips that make my day go easier.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Working 5 to 9
With all of the medical bills that I've accumulated recently, money has been very tight. In an attempt to alleviate this, I now have a second job. After work on Fridays and all day on Saturdays, I will be a server at Mamma Lucia, located not too far from my regular job at RJM. I had my first shift this last Saturday, but because I'm training right now, I haven't actually waited any tables yet, but that should be coming soon.
I found the job posting on Craigslist and when the manager called me to set up an interview, he expressed how much he liked my resume, not just my serving experience, but also how it was designed and laid out (it better look good, I went to school for it!). At the interview on Thursday, the good impression he had of me continued and Saturday afternoon I got a call asking for me to start that evening.
The restaurant is higher-end than I've worked at before and the food is more expensive, so I'm hoping that means that there will be good tips. The waiting staff is really young, like high school-aged young; that will be weird.
The manager has already expressed that he's happy he hired me and it's clear that I have high expectations to live up to. One reason for this (in addition to my prior work experience) is that the manager has an aunt that's a member of the Church and knows that I'm one, too. While we were going over the employee handbook, he kept saying, "I'm sure we won't have to worry about you" when talking about theft or sexual harassment. It's wonderful that I have a good reputation already based on my faith.
Now I just have to figure out when I'll sleep.
I found the job posting on Craigslist and when the manager called me to set up an interview, he expressed how much he liked my resume, not just my serving experience, but also how it was designed and laid out (it better look good, I went to school for it!). At the interview on Thursday, the good impression he had of me continued and Saturday afternoon I got a call asking for me to start that evening.
The restaurant is higher-end than I've worked at before and the food is more expensive, so I'm hoping that means that there will be good tips. The waiting staff is really young, like high school-aged young; that will be weird.
The manager has already expressed that he's happy he hired me and it's clear that I have high expectations to live up to. One reason for this (in addition to my prior work experience) is that the manager has an aunt that's a member of the Church and knows that I'm one, too. While we were going over the employee handbook, he kept saying, "I'm sure we won't have to worry about you" when talking about theft or sexual harassment. It's wonderful that I have a good reputation already based on my faith.
Now I just have to figure out when I'll sleep.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Rain or Shine
Yesterday, as I was preparing for my evening run, I noticed storm clouds looming menacingly overhead. Considering that I had had such success last week at stopping the rain with faith and a prayer, I didn't think too much of it. I finished stretching and hit the pavement.
Before I was even a quarter of the way into my run, I started to feel a few drops of moisture fall on me. I ignored it since a few sprinkles wasn't really enough to hinder anything. Then it started to rain ever so lightly. I thought to myself that this wasn't right: if I was having faith that the Lord would stop the rain, he should stop it. Then I got a prompting that explained what was happening: "But if not..."
During the April 2004 General Conference, there was a wonderful talk given by Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy that has remained one of my favorites ever since (seriously, if you aren't familiar with this talk, go and read it). The talk references when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were threatened with death if they did not worship the idols of the king. As Daniel 3:17-18 says:
Before I was even a quarter of the way into my run, I started to feel a few drops of moisture fall on me. I ignored it since a few sprinkles wasn't really enough to hinder anything. Then it started to rain ever so lightly. I thought to myself that this wasn't right: if I was having faith that the Lord would stop the rain, he should stop it. Then I got a prompting that explained what was happening: "But if not..."
During the April 2004 General Conference, there was a wonderful talk given by Dennis E. Simmons of the Seventy that has remained one of my favorites ever since (seriously, if you aren't familiar with this talk, go and read it). The talk references when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were threatened with death if they did not worship the idols of the king. As Daniel 3:17-18 says:
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
These three had faith enough to fear God more than idols and believed that he would save them from suffering death by fire, but even if he did not, their faith was not shaken.
Being reminded of this, I decided that while it would be nice to finish my run in dry weather, if it started raining it would not affect my faith or my testimony. And rain it did. I would say that for about half of my run, it was coming down at a nice, solid medium-level of rainfall. I even heard thunder. It was not ideal, but my clothes were going to be soaked either way and I didn't feel unsafe at any time during the run.
About thirty minutes after I got home, the rain completely stopped. It would appear that I needed to learn a lesson.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Death Is Not the End
Earlier this year, it was discovered that a man in Cleveland, Ohio had kidnapped and had held hostage three women for about ten years. He committed terrible acts against each of the women while acting as their captor. Last week, he was sentenced to life in prison plus one thousand years as part of a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. One of his victims told him that death would be too easy an escape for him.
The reason I'm writing about this is because it disturbs me that death is seen as an escape from punishment. Death is not an escape from punishment because it is not an escape from existence. The Lord awaits us for our judgement and reward, but more and more people see death as simply the end.
I remember a few years ago talking to Owen, my step-father-in-law and a faithful Catholic. He didn't support the death penalty because he saw it as a crime deterrent that had failed. I explained to him that I saw it as a means to help murderers repent: just as we all have to go through a process of making restitution when appropriate for our sins, murderers need their life taken from them to allow them to make a mends.
I'm not saying that the horrible man in Cleveland deserves death; I don't know what punishment he deserves. What I am saying is that we as a nation are very rapidly losing our faith and our morals that come with it. And, unfortunately, it's going to keep get worse.
The reason I'm writing about this is because it disturbs me that death is seen as an escape from punishment. Death is not an escape from punishment because it is not an escape from existence. The Lord awaits us for our judgement and reward, but more and more people see death as simply the end.
I remember a few years ago talking to Owen, my step-father-in-law and a faithful Catholic. He didn't support the death penalty because he saw it as a crime deterrent that had failed. I explained to him that I saw it as a means to help murderers repent: just as we all have to go through a process of making restitution when appropriate for our sins, murderers need their life taken from them to allow them to make a mends.
I'm not saying that the horrible man in Cleveland deserves death; I don't know what punishment he deserves. What I am saying is that we as a nation are very rapidly losing our faith and our morals that come with it. And, unfortunately, it's going to keep get worse.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Faith Sufficient
One of the days that I like to go running is Saturday. This last Saturday, however, it was raining and I thought that I wouldn't be able to go. Worse things have happened, of course, but since I had already missed my run on Thursday, I really didn't want to miss another run that week.
A thought occurred to me. The Savior taught:
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20)
If it only takes a grain of mustard seed to move mountains, how much faith is needed to stop the rain? I prayed and explained how important this run was for me (I needed to take out the trash in my head), and asked Heavenly Father that he would grant unto me faith sufficient to stop the rain. At the time that I prayed, I had about three hours before the time that I usually run, so in addition to exercising my faith, I also got to exercise being patient.
Of course, after only about an hour, the rain lighted up significantly and it even completely stopped by the time I was ready to go running. The ground was still wet, there were some puddles that I had to avoid, and I even got sprinkled on a few times, but it was dry enough for my purposes.
While this experience didn't change my thoughts or feelings in a significant way, it did help to strength my faith and appreciation in God. I hope it can do the same you.
A thought occurred to me. The Savior taught:
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20)
If it only takes a grain of mustard seed to move mountains, how much faith is needed to stop the rain? I prayed and explained how important this run was for me (I needed to take out the trash in my head), and asked Heavenly Father that he would grant unto me faith sufficient to stop the rain. At the time that I prayed, I had about three hours before the time that I usually run, so in addition to exercising my faith, I also got to exercise being patient.
Of course, after only about an hour, the rain lighted up significantly and it even completely stopped by the time I was ready to go running. The ground was still wet, there were some puddles that I had to avoid, and I even got sprinkled on a few times, but it was dry enough for my purposes.
While this experience didn't change my thoughts or feelings in a significant way, it did help to strength my faith and appreciation in God. I hope it can do the same you.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Delayed Reaction
As you may recall, the allergist I saw told be to take Zyrtec daily to control my allergy symptoms for the time being. That was pretty terrible since it made me so drowsy that I was barely fulfilling my responsibilities at work. So I called him and said that I needed an alternative. He told me to come and pick up a sample of a nasal spray that I could try out that wouldn't make me drowsy. So I went and picked it.
While I was there, I pointed out to the doctor that one of the places that I was injected with allergen hadn't gone down all the way yet. Because the nurses in his office are very good about placing each allergen in a particular spot, he was able to identify what caused the reaction simply by looking at where it was located on my arm.
I had a delayed reaction to cockroach. I asked if it was a particular part of the cockroach, like it's skin, or if I was allergic to its feces. I'm allergic to all things cockroach: skin, scales, feces, eggs, etc. And, the doctor pointed out, I don't have even touch them to react. I could be inhaling various bits of cockroach, along with dust mites and mold. Gross.
I guess I'm lucky that things that I reacted to the most strongly are nasty and I don't want to be around anyway. I would be terrible to be allergic to sunshine or Allison.
While I was there, I pointed out to the doctor that one of the places that I was injected with allergen hadn't gone down all the way yet. Because the nurses in his office are very good about placing each allergen in a particular spot, he was able to identify what caused the reaction simply by looking at where it was located on my arm.
I had a delayed reaction to cockroach. I asked if it was a particular part of the cockroach, like it's skin, or if I was allergic to its feces. I'm allergic to all things cockroach: skin, scales, feces, eggs, etc. And, the doctor pointed out, I don't have even touch them to react. I could be inhaling various bits of cockroach, along with dust mites and mold. Gross.
I guess I'm lucky that things that I reacted to the most strongly are nasty and I don't want to be around anyway. I would be terrible to be allergic to sunshine or Allison.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)