Last week I applied for unemployment insurance. It will take a few weeks to process before I am issued any money, so I'm hoping that by the time I see the first check, I'll have real job. I've got some good prospects looming, but nothing solid enough to mention yet.
I bring up my application because I had to provide the name, address, phone number, and start and end date for every place I've worked in the last eighteen months (they ended up only going back twelve). I prepared by writing out this information for every job within the required window - incidentally, this blog was very helpful since it confirmed the start and end dates of every job I've had since moving to Maryland. Since I didn't have the addresses for every business already recorded somewhere, I Googled the ones I was missing. Interesting fact: the Italian place I worked at for two weekends has shut down. Another interesting fact: I was never paid for those two weekends.
That second one I already knew. I had gone back to return my shirt and apron and confirmed with the assistant manager the hours that I had worked with him assuring me that I would get my check in the next billing cycle. I never followed up and never got paid. I kept meaning to do something about it, but I knew it wasn't going to be a lot, so I never got around to it.
As I was applying for unemployment, the agent I was working with would confirm the company that paid out the checks based off of my tax records. When I gave her the name and dates for when I worked at Mamma Lucia's, nothing came up. No taxes were filed on my behalf. That meant that not only did I never get my paycheck, I was never even issued one.
Ultimately, I just laughed it off. I was a pretty lousy employee since I only quit after I had missed coming in for my double-shift. Plus, the people I worked with were extremely unprofessional and, in some cases, downright crass. So in my mind, it sort of evens out: I worked a handful of shifts as a volunteer and got a few free meals for my trouble. Not a bad deal.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
New Monetary System
The other day I roasted a chicken as a way to prepare meals for the rest of the week. After I had pulled it out of the oven and gave it some time to cool down, I separated the major sections of the bird to make reheating later on easier (I was careful not to say that I "carved" the bird, because I just used my hands). As often happens, a lot of the skin started to separate from the body as I pulled off legs and wings and whatnot. Since the skin had already fallen off, I just picked it up and ate it. This worked fine because the skin is one of my favorite parts, especially since the way that I cooked it, the skin was nice and crispy. Now, I won't pull off the skin for the purpose of eating it, but if it falls off, I figure it's free game.
As I did this, I had the absurd thought that crispy chicken skin (CCS) could be the basis of an economy since it's so highly prized (by me, at least). As I followed this line of thinking, I recognized how foolish that would be since money needs to have three qualities: valuable, portable, and durable. So close. Plus, once you traded something for that item's equivalent value in CCS, wouldn't you just want to eat your money? Clearly this is not a realistic economic model, not that I thought it would be.
Then my mind thought about a society that uses a consumable good as a cash substitute: the US prison systems. If you've ever seen any documentary or even fictional depiction of prison, there's often some talk about trading something for so many cigarettes. Now, I don't know how often a particular inmate smokes his money, but I would think that a cigarette would be more valuable as a commodity to be traded, though I recognize that as a non-smoker, I'm biased.
So, the thought experiment ultimately led to a dead-end, but I am curious if anyone in my audience has a favorite consumable good that they think is desirable enough to have an economy based on it? Instead of the gold standard, could we have a bacon standard? or a brownie standard? or a pizza standard? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
As I did this, I had the absurd thought that crispy chicken skin (CCS) could be the basis of an economy since it's so highly prized (by me, at least). As I followed this line of thinking, I recognized how foolish that would be since money needs to have three qualities: valuable, portable, and durable. So close. Plus, once you traded something for that item's equivalent value in CCS, wouldn't you just want to eat your money? Clearly this is not a realistic economic model, not that I thought it would be.
Then my mind thought about a society that uses a consumable good as a cash substitute: the US prison systems. If you've ever seen any documentary or even fictional depiction of prison, there's often some talk about trading something for so many cigarettes. Now, I don't know how often a particular inmate smokes his money, but I would think that a cigarette would be more valuable as a commodity to be traded, though I recognize that as a non-smoker, I'm biased.
So, the thought experiment ultimately led to a dead-end, but I am curious if anyone in my audience has a favorite consumable good that they think is desirable enough to have an economy based on it? Instead of the gold standard, could we have a bacon standard? or a brownie standard? or a pizza standard? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Friday, January 10, 2014
A Special Brand of Weird
During my time visiting the Larsens for Christmastime, it was rather nice to just get a chance to hang out and talk with Ian and Amanda. During my time there, I explained something unusual that I occasionally do while watching TV. While I don't do this all the time, sometimes when an ad comes on, I'll repeat back random phrases directed at the audience, but spin it around so that it's a "Yo' mama" joke. For example, a car commercial might say that their vehicle has the best mpg in its class and I'll repeat back, "Your mom has the best mpg in her class." I have absolutely no idea why I do this.
Ian's response was that I'm "a special brand of weird." He didn't say it maliciously, he was just dumbfounded that I would do something so absurd. I replied back that, as someone who answers the phone "Ahoy," I was well aware that I was abnormal (for those that aren't aware, I answer my personal phone with the word that was suggested by the telephone's inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, rather than the more universally recognized greeting, "Hello," that is credited to Thomas Alva Edison, though it was a common greeting at the time; when I'm at work, I say "Hello").
This got me thinking about why I do things differently. The TV ad thing has evolved mostly from me living alone. I answer the phone differently just because I got bored of "Hello." I also would consider myself a "facial hair enthusiast", which has gotten more popular in recent years, but it's still the exception rather than the rule. I do things differently sometimes just to do them differently, not for any attention.
But I also don't care for sports and that has often made conversing with other men my age difficult. It's not that there aren't other things to talk about, it's that after an exciting game, other men (and some women, too) will often not want to talk about anything else. I've considered changing this just for the sake of getting along (as some have suggested), but I find professional sports rather dull. If I personally know who's competing, then I have a stake in the outcome, but otherwise I just don't see why I should care. And due to the way that football was often more of a focus at OSU than the education (the University built a professional-sized stadium without adequate parking and was in no hurry to remedy that error), I could never muster up enough school spirit to care if our team won or lost.
So, while my "special brand of weird" can sometimes get in the way, it mostly just means that I do certain things differently than others would expect. I'm surely not the only one who answers their phone with "Ahoy," just as I know that I'm not the only guy who crochets (there's even another one in my ward) or who enjoys baking. I may be weird, but one thing I am certainly not is boring.
Ian's response was that I'm "a special brand of weird." He didn't say it maliciously, he was just dumbfounded that I would do something so absurd. I replied back that, as someone who answers the phone "Ahoy," I was well aware that I was abnormal (for those that aren't aware, I answer my personal phone with the word that was suggested by the telephone's inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, rather than the more universally recognized greeting, "Hello," that is credited to Thomas Alva Edison, though it was a common greeting at the time; when I'm at work, I say "Hello").
This got me thinking about why I do things differently. The TV ad thing has evolved mostly from me living alone. I answer the phone differently just because I got bored of "Hello." I also would consider myself a "facial hair enthusiast", which has gotten more popular in recent years, but it's still the exception rather than the rule. I do things differently sometimes just to do them differently, not for any attention.
But I also don't care for sports and that has often made conversing with other men my age difficult. It's not that there aren't other things to talk about, it's that after an exciting game, other men (and some women, too) will often not want to talk about anything else. I've considered changing this just for the sake of getting along (as some have suggested), but I find professional sports rather dull. If I personally know who's competing, then I have a stake in the outcome, but otherwise I just don't see why I should care. And due to the way that football was often more of a focus at OSU than the education (the University built a professional-sized stadium without adequate parking and was in no hurry to remedy that error), I could never muster up enough school spirit to care if our team won or lost.
So, while my "special brand of weird" can sometimes get in the way, it mostly just means that I do certain things differently than others would expect. I'm surely not the only one who answers their phone with "Ahoy," just as I know that I'm not the only guy who crochets (there's even another one in my ward) or who enjoys baking. I may be weird, but one thing I am certainly not is boring.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Women and the Priesthood
As I believe most of my audience already knows, there is a movement within the Church that is petitioning for women to receive the priesthood. I was completely unaware of this until last October's General Conference. I didn't share my thoughts then, but I've been thinking more about the matter lately, so I decided to share my feelings on the matter.
First and foremost, this appears to be another example of people refusing to recognize that men and women are different. Shocking though it may be, I don't have a uterus, which means that I will never be able to give birth. Also, as a man, thanks to having much a higher volume of testosterone in my body when compared to women, I have an easier time gaining muscle-mass, especially in my upper-body. This is not "unfair" of my creator to have separated these traits by certain genders, just part of his plan.
Speaking of that plan, when I was teaching Sunday School this last week, I realized that women are more likely to have a natural tendency to want to, fulfill our Heavenly Father's plan. In Moses 1:39, the Lord states his purpose: us, his children. Why would women have an easier time with this? Because of how men and women differ in how they define themselves.
I've mentioned on here before that I often define myself by what I do, what I know, and even what I own. And while that may not be true for every man, it's generally the norm. Women tend to define themselves by relationships to others, whether it be as daughter, mother, aunt, co-worker, friend, acquaintance, or even enemy, what tends to define each individual woman is the other people in her life. Another, extremely nerdy way to look at it is that men are all about verbs and nouns while women are all about pronouns and prepositions. Men may have trouble seeing the worth in others while women define their very own personal identities based on other people.
All of that is a long way of saying that men need a lot more help than women do when it comes to caring for others. The priesthood is a great way to urge men to help his fellowman because the priesthood is entirely service-based: I cannot give myself a blessing; I can only give one to someone else. By giving men the opportunity to hold the priesthood, our Father has pushed us to be aware of others and how to serve them. This is something, as already established, that women are much better at naturally.
Finally, women already hold the priesthood when they marry a priesthood holder. Just like the scriptures mention time and time again that the Father and Son are one, so are husbands and wives. If they are considered one flesh, that means that women, through their husbands, hold the priesthood. I realize that this is not what the Ordain Women protesters want, but it's what the Lord has made clear is part of his plan.
First and foremost, this appears to be another example of people refusing to recognize that men and women are different. Shocking though it may be, I don't have a uterus, which means that I will never be able to give birth. Also, as a man, thanks to having much a higher volume of testosterone in my body when compared to women, I have an easier time gaining muscle-mass, especially in my upper-body. This is not "unfair" of my creator to have separated these traits by certain genders, just part of his plan.
Speaking of that plan, when I was teaching Sunday School this last week, I realized that women are more likely to have a natural tendency to want to, fulfill our Heavenly Father's plan. In Moses 1:39, the Lord states his purpose: us, his children. Why would women have an easier time with this? Because of how men and women differ in how they define themselves.
I've mentioned on here before that I often define myself by what I do, what I know, and even what I own. And while that may not be true for every man, it's generally the norm. Women tend to define themselves by relationships to others, whether it be as daughter, mother, aunt, co-worker, friend, acquaintance, or even enemy, what tends to define each individual woman is the other people in her life. Another, extremely nerdy way to look at it is that men are all about verbs and nouns while women are all about pronouns and prepositions. Men may have trouble seeing the worth in others while women define their very own personal identities based on other people.
All of that is a long way of saying that men need a lot more help than women do when it comes to caring for others. The priesthood is a great way to urge men to help his fellowman because the priesthood is entirely service-based: I cannot give myself a blessing; I can only give one to someone else. By giving men the opportunity to hold the priesthood, our Father has pushed us to be aware of others and how to serve them. This is something, as already established, that women are much better at naturally.
Finally, women already hold the priesthood when they marry a priesthood holder. Just like the scriptures mention time and time again that the Father and Son are one, so are husbands and wives. If they are considered one flesh, that means that women, through their husbands, hold the priesthood. I realize that this is not what the Ordain Women protesters want, but it's what the Lord has made clear is part of his plan.
Monday, January 6, 2014
(Somewhat) Renewed
I haven't written about it here on the blog, but since I've been out of work, I've been fight back worsening depression. I did some side jobs here and there for people in the ward, but it was getting harder and harder to function. I had trouble falling asleep and waking up, I was eating poorly, and I couldn't excise since I was still recovering from my seizure. There was one week where I didn't shower for four days in a row, because I didn't have a reason to leave the house (that's my record as an adult, by the way). I came to the conclusion just before Christmas that I needed to apply for unemployment, but because I'm new to the state, I have to physically go in to apply - I couldn't find the motivation to get myself to the unemployment office.
Running again helps, but I was still struggling. Then, on Friday, I went to the Temple for Ward Temple Night. It's very much what I needed. While I know I'm not 100% again, I'm feeling far better than I have in ages. Now, I have all of the required information for the unemployment office (addresses and dates of where I worked) and I'm ready to apply today.
I realize how pathetic it sounds that the big accomplishment before me today is applying for unemployment benefits, but that's how dark things got for me. How grateful I am that I had and used the opportunity to attend the temple and allow the Lord to bless me with his Spirit.
Running again helps, but I was still struggling. Then, on Friday, I went to the Temple for Ward Temple Night. It's very much what I needed. While I know I'm not 100% again, I'm feeling far better than I have in ages. Now, I have all of the required information for the unemployment office (addresses and dates of where I worked) and I'm ready to apply today.
I realize how pathetic it sounds that the big accomplishment before me today is applying for unemployment benefits, but that's how dark things got for me. How grateful I am that I had and used the opportunity to attend the temple and allow the Lord to bless me with his Spirit.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Movie Reviews, 2013
I saw four movies in theaters this last year, so I thought that it might be fun to write short reviews for them, even though all but one of them is now available on DVD. Maybe this could be a way for you to figure out if you want to rent one of the films I saw.
Iron Man 3
This film pulls double duty since it's the second sequel to Iron Man and the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since The Avengers. If you liked the first two Iron Man movies, you'll probably like this one, too (I still think the first one is the best in the series, but this one is at least as good as 2). It has a nice balance of action and humor, but also sees some nice growth for our protagonist, Tony Stark. One departure when compared to the first two Iron Mans is that there are super-powered villains instead of everyone getting their abilities solely from tech; make of that what you will. The movie isn't without it's plot holes, but they're not too hard to overlook and didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of the film.
Man of Steel
I have invested a lot of time in the character of Superman over the years, so when I saw this one, I went in really biased. However, I was happy with the final product. While not devoid of humor, this one was much more serious than Iron Man 3, but I think that worked in the film's favor. It's a character study of Clark Kent growing into his powers and learning to use them for good. There is some Messianic symbolism that's pretty heavy-handed, which I found distracting, but otherwise I have little to complain about. I liked the depiction of Krypton, I liked the villain's motivation for attacking Earth, I even didn't mind the fact that they got rid of Superman's briefs as a part of his costume. Christopher Reeve is still the quintessential Superman, but Henry Cavill did a great job and is easily my second favorite actor to portray the character. While I absolutely recommend the film, keep in mind that there's quite a bit of destruction caused by Superman fighting other Kryptonians - it was so over-the-top that I thought it was almost cartoonish (that happens when characters can juggle cars), though it works within the story and because the characters that are fighting are super-powered, the destruction was less violent than some other action movies that I've seen.
The Wolverine
I was a bit surprised when Ian asked if I wanted to see this one in theaters, since I was planning on waiting until it was released on DVD, but I thought it would be fun so I went. I point this out because I went in with really low expectations, which may be why I was so surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The story is a bit overly-complicated (just like a lot of comic books), but not so much that you don't have fun. The effects were nice, but the best special effect was Hugh Jackman. He really is a fantastic actor that even when things stop being realistic, he plays everything in a believable way, so you buy into it. This was one of the best X-Men films (which exist in a different universe than the Marvel films, due to licensing agreements), so if you liked the stuff that came before, this should be right up your alley.
Have you noticed a pattern? Up until this point, I only watched superhero movies. I suggested to Ian that we could all go see a movie together (like Frozen or something) when I visited for Christmas, so that I wouldn't have seen only comic book-based films in theaters last year. He made a suggestion for something for just the two of us to see together that seemed to be a good candidate.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
This is one of those rare sequels that actually surpasses the original. This movie was very, very, very funny. Plot wise, it's the same story as the first one, just with some details changed. But the jokes are packed very tightly and come at you one after another and nearly all of them hit home. I imagine that most of the members of my audience either didn't care for or see the first Anchorman, so you probably won't like this one either. For both Ian and myself, however, it was fantastic.
Of the four movies I saw, my favorite will surprise no one: Man of Steel. The fact that I had such high expectations and I wasn't disappointed really proved to me that it was a good film. The biggest surprise was The Wolverine. It was a fun action ride with some nice sci-fi elements and good character development. The most fun I had with a movie was, hands down, Anchorman 2. It was such a ridiculous, over-the-top farce with jokes that refused to stop that I couldn't help but enjoy it. Iron Man 3 was the only movie I went to alone (Ian went with me to the others), so that feeling of awkwardness may have affected my enjoyment of the film. It was still fun, but it doesn't stand out quite like the others do.
Of the four films I reviewed, I would recommend all of them. Are there any films you saw this last year that you recommend?
Iron Man 3
This film pulls double duty since it's the second sequel to Iron Man and the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since The Avengers. If you liked the first two Iron Man movies, you'll probably like this one, too (I still think the first one is the best in the series, but this one is at least as good as 2). It has a nice balance of action and humor, but also sees some nice growth for our protagonist, Tony Stark. One departure when compared to the first two Iron Mans is that there are super-powered villains instead of everyone getting their abilities solely from tech; make of that what you will. The movie isn't without it's plot holes, but they're not too hard to overlook and didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of the film.
Man of Steel
I have invested a lot of time in the character of Superman over the years, so when I saw this one, I went in really biased. However, I was happy with the final product. While not devoid of humor, this one was much more serious than Iron Man 3, but I think that worked in the film's favor. It's a character study of Clark Kent growing into his powers and learning to use them for good. There is some Messianic symbolism that's pretty heavy-handed, which I found distracting, but otherwise I have little to complain about. I liked the depiction of Krypton, I liked the villain's motivation for attacking Earth, I even didn't mind the fact that they got rid of Superman's briefs as a part of his costume. Christopher Reeve is still the quintessential Superman, but Henry Cavill did a great job and is easily my second favorite actor to portray the character. While I absolutely recommend the film, keep in mind that there's quite a bit of destruction caused by Superman fighting other Kryptonians - it was so over-the-top that I thought it was almost cartoonish (that happens when characters can juggle cars), though it works within the story and because the characters that are fighting are super-powered, the destruction was less violent than some other action movies that I've seen.
The Wolverine
I was a bit surprised when Ian asked if I wanted to see this one in theaters, since I was planning on waiting until it was released on DVD, but I thought it would be fun so I went. I point this out because I went in with really low expectations, which may be why I was so surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The story is a bit overly-complicated (just like a lot of comic books), but not so much that you don't have fun. The effects were nice, but the best special effect was Hugh Jackman. He really is a fantastic actor that even when things stop being realistic, he plays everything in a believable way, so you buy into it. This was one of the best X-Men films (which exist in a different universe than the Marvel films, due to licensing agreements), so if you liked the stuff that came before, this should be right up your alley.
Have you noticed a pattern? Up until this point, I only watched superhero movies. I suggested to Ian that we could all go see a movie together (like Frozen or something) when I visited for Christmas, so that I wouldn't have seen only comic book-based films in theaters last year. He made a suggestion for something for just the two of us to see together that seemed to be a good candidate.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
This is one of those rare sequels that actually surpasses the original. This movie was very, very, very funny. Plot wise, it's the same story as the first one, just with some details changed. But the jokes are packed very tightly and come at you one after another and nearly all of them hit home. I imagine that most of the members of my audience either didn't care for or see the first Anchorman, so you probably won't like this one either. For both Ian and myself, however, it was fantastic.
Of the four movies I saw, my favorite will surprise no one: Man of Steel. The fact that I had such high expectations and I wasn't disappointed really proved to me that it was a good film. The biggest surprise was The Wolverine. It was a fun action ride with some nice sci-fi elements and good character development. The most fun I had with a movie was, hands down, Anchorman 2. It was such a ridiculous, over-the-top farce with jokes that refused to stop that I couldn't help but enjoy it. Iron Man 3 was the only movie I went to alone (Ian went with me to the others), so that feeling of awkwardness may have affected my enjoyment of the film. It was still fun, but it doesn't stand out quite like the others do.
Of the four films I reviewed, I would recommend all of them. Are there any films you saw this last year that you recommend?
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Recovering What's Missing
I had my seizure back in the ides of November and since then, I haven't been able to exercise. While this was a problem while I was working, it's been an issue of growing concern since I started my time off. As I have mentioned here before, exercise, especially running, is therapeutic for me. When I regularly go running, I handle my stress better and I maintain a better sleep schedule. Losing my ability to go running, meant that I lost a piece of myself.
I've thought a lot about self-identity since my move to Maryland, and I realized that one way that I define myself is as a runner. I never would have mentioned that if asked, until I lost it. It's an outdated line from an old song, but it's true: "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."
Thankfully, I've started running again. I still have some pain in my left shoulder, but thanks to the advice from a member of the ward who's a doctor, it's gone way down. I was worried that the stress from running would make things worse, but with the inflammation reduced, I felt that I could give it a try. On Saturday, I went on my regular route of 3.75 miles. My time was lousy, as I knew it would be, but it felt great to be pounding the pavement once again. I was so sore on Monday that I had trouble moving, but I went again yesterday, despite the pain (though, as someone pointed out to me, it's a "good pain"). I plan on keeping it up.
While things won't be back to normal until I start working again, a small but important piece of myself has been found.
I've thought a lot about self-identity since my move to Maryland, and I realized that one way that I define myself is as a runner. I never would have mentioned that if asked, until I lost it. It's an outdated line from an old song, but it's true: "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."
Thankfully, I've started running again. I still have some pain in my left shoulder, but thanks to the advice from a member of the ward who's a doctor, it's gone way down. I was worried that the stress from running would make things worse, but with the inflammation reduced, I felt that I could give it a try. On Saturday, I went on my regular route of 3.75 miles. My time was lousy, as I knew it would be, but it felt great to be pounding the pavement once again. I was so sore on Monday that I had trouble moving, but I went again yesterday, despite the pain (though, as someone pointed out to me, it's a "good pain"). I plan on keeping it up.
While things won't be back to normal until I start working again, a small but important piece of myself has been found.
Monday, December 30, 2013
"Neither do I condemn thee ..."
I've been thinking a lot about my post from a little while back, about how I used to be a jerk. In particular, I've thought about the process that's led me to a better person; in other words, the lessons that I've learned. Reflecting on this has led me to one important lesson: the importance of accepting people without agreeing with their choices.
When Allison and I first got married, we were both active in the church. Unfortunately, Allison's testimony wasn't strong enough to withstand our move to Oklahoma and she stopped attending within a few weeks of our arrival to the state. This was difficult for me, since my faith is such a big part of who I am. There were several times that I sat down with Allison to convince her that she needed to go back to church, but she fought back, giving reasons why she didn't believe anymore. Eventually, all of this came to a head when she told me that she would never go back to church and I needed to decide if I was willing to stay married to her if that was the case. I realized that even though things were very different from what I had expected, she was my wife and that I needed stand by her, even if that meant that we no longer shared the same religious beliefs. Obviously, other problems arose and we got separated. While I wish this wasn't the case, I can't change what's happened. But even though Allison and I disagree on certain parts of the other's lifestyle, I still accept her as an individual.
This lesson was very difficult for me to learn, but once I understood it, it really hit home. It hurt to see Allison leave the church, but all I could do was either cut her from my life or accept that she had changed and still love her anyway. I chose the latter.
This lesson reminds me of how our Heavenly Father must look upon each of us: He allows no sin, but He still loves each of his children. When we sin, He is disappointed in us and will urge us to do better, but He leaves the decision up to us; we simply have to face the consequences of our actions. I'm glad that I now see that showing warmth and kindness to someone does not necessarily mean that I condone their actions, simply that I respect their agency.
When Allison and I first got married, we were both active in the church. Unfortunately, Allison's testimony wasn't strong enough to withstand our move to Oklahoma and she stopped attending within a few weeks of our arrival to the state. This was difficult for me, since my faith is such a big part of who I am. There were several times that I sat down with Allison to convince her that she needed to go back to church, but she fought back, giving reasons why she didn't believe anymore. Eventually, all of this came to a head when she told me that she would never go back to church and I needed to decide if I was willing to stay married to her if that was the case. I realized that even though things were very different from what I had expected, she was my wife and that I needed stand by her, even if that meant that we no longer shared the same religious beliefs. Obviously, other problems arose and we got separated. While I wish this wasn't the case, I can't change what's happened. But even though Allison and I disagree on certain parts of the other's lifestyle, I still accept her as an individual.
This lesson was very difficult for me to learn, but once I understood it, it really hit home. It hurt to see Allison leave the church, but all I could do was either cut her from my life or accept that she had changed and still love her anyway. I chose the latter.
This lesson reminds me of how our Heavenly Father must look upon each of us: He allows no sin, but He still loves each of his children. When we sin, He is disappointed in us and will urge us to do better, but He leaves the decision up to us; we simply have to face the consequences of our actions. I'm glad that I now see that showing warmth and kindness to someone does not necessarily mean that I condone their actions, simply that I respect their agency.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Christmas, 2013
I spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and part of Boxing Day down with the Larsens. They were very kind to put me up for two nights and I really appreciate being able to share in their Christmas festivities.
The thing that stands out the most to me is how ridiculously excited Clara and Henry were leading up to Christmas. There were multiple times that either one of them just started shaking with anticipation. That kind of child-like enthusiasm was really neat to see.
On the Eve, I arrived (to excited shouts of "Uncle Jordan!") with fresh baked cinnamon rolls- the recipe I used can be found here. From there, due to me arriving in the early afternoon, the kids were put down for a nap and I hung out with the grown ups. After kids were up, we all went to Christmas Mass, which the kids referred to as "Christmas Church" (I went as a way of showing support for Amanda). When we got home, Ian read to the kids out of Luke 2 as they acted out the story with their plastic nativity. Soon after that, we watched The Muppet Christmas Carol while we ate dinner (which was antipasto and spicy meatballs - which is awesome - in recognition of Amanda's Italian heritage). Once the movie was over, the kids got to open up one present each: they got new pajamas that they changed into and then went to bed. With the kids in bed, Santa "visited."
On Christmas, things started at sunrise, because you can only keep children waiting so long. Again, their excitement was so palpable that it seemed like every present was their favorite thing ever. While there was one reminder about needing to be appreciative, overall things went very smoothly. I also surprised everyone with a crocheted scarf (I can't afford much right now, but I can afford a few skeins of yarn and several hours of my time), which everyone immediately tried on. Isaac and Felicia also sent me a package that I opened there: it was a very nice memory foam pillow with a fleece pillow case, which was awfully kind of them. After presents, things wound down a bit. Later on, after dinner, Ian and I went to see a movie, which I'll post about later. For now I'll just say that it was fun.
On Boxing Day (which is not celebrated in the US but should be), I left shortly after breakfast. I did stay long enough to help the kids play a new video game; I didn't jump in at all, I just helped get things set up for each level as their hand-eye coordination is still developing.
A lot of stuff got crammed into just a few days, but it was enjoyable and I'm happy that I got to spend Christmas with family.
The thing that stands out the most to me is how ridiculously excited Clara and Henry were leading up to Christmas. There were multiple times that either one of them just started shaking with anticipation. That kind of child-like enthusiasm was really neat to see.
On the Eve, I arrived (to excited shouts of "Uncle Jordan!") with fresh baked cinnamon rolls- the recipe I used can be found here. From there, due to me arriving in the early afternoon, the kids were put down for a nap and I hung out with the grown ups. After kids were up, we all went to Christmas Mass, which the kids referred to as "Christmas Church" (I went as a way of showing support for Amanda). When we got home, Ian read to the kids out of Luke 2 as they acted out the story with their plastic nativity. Soon after that, we watched The Muppet Christmas Carol while we ate dinner (which was antipasto and spicy meatballs - which is awesome - in recognition of Amanda's Italian heritage). Once the movie was over, the kids got to open up one present each: they got new pajamas that they changed into and then went to bed. With the kids in bed, Santa "visited."
On Christmas, things started at sunrise, because you can only keep children waiting so long. Again, their excitement was so palpable that it seemed like every present was their favorite thing ever. While there was one reminder about needing to be appreciative, overall things went very smoothly. I also surprised everyone with a crocheted scarf (I can't afford much right now, but I can afford a few skeins of yarn and several hours of my time), which everyone immediately tried on. Isaac and Felicia also sent me a package that I opened there: it was a very nice memory foam pillow with a fleece pillow case, which was awfully kind of them. After presents, things wound down a bit. Later on, after dinner, Ian and I went to see a movie, which I'll post about later. For now I'll just say that it was fun.
On Boxing Day (which is not celebrated in the US but should be), I left shortly after breakfast. I did stay long enough to help the kids play a new video game; I didn't jump in at all, I just helped get things set up for each level as their hand-eye coordination is still developing.
A lot of stuff got crammed into just a few days, but it was enjoyable and I'm happy that I got to spend Christmas with family.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Why Christmas is Important
This last Sunday, I led a discussion in Sunday School about how weird a holiday Christmas is: it started out as a pagan holiday with major connections to fertility rites, Santa is an amalgam of Saint Nicolas and Odin, and anything that is in connection to Christianity is an add on. In spite of all of this, Christmas is still an important holiday. My big question was: Why? The following discussion was a delightful mix of members sharing their beliefs and their traditions and how this is the one time of year that we get to share with the rest of the world that we are Christians without getting too much flack.
It was a great discussion (I don't want to call it a lesson since it wouldn't have worked if I was the only one that talked) and I think what made it work was how much everyone felt invested in what we were talking about by sharing personal stories.
I've not always had the best relationship with Christmas, especially as a teen and young adult since there was so much work associated with the season, either with choir or retail work. However, I see that the season is important, whether we celebrate it by having a visit from Santa or by baking cookies for our neighbors. The holiday is about families and togetherness and worshiping the Savior and it's one of the few times that we get to do with the rest of the world.
It was a great discussion (I don't want to call it a lesson since it wouldn't have worked if I was the only one that talked) and I think what made it work was how much everyone felt invested in what we were talking about by sharing personal stories.
I've not always had the best relationship with Christmas, especially as a teen and young adult since there was so much work associated with the season, either with choir or retail work. However, I see that the season is important, whether we celebrate it by having a visit from Santa or by baking cookies for our neighbors. The holiday is about families and togetherness and worshiping the Savior and it's one of the few times that we get to do with the rest of the world.
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