One of tge reasons people love before and after along with "where are they now?" stuff is because we tend to showcase a portion of the story and make is glamorous and end happily, but what about what Paul Harvey said, "the rest of the story..." I also want to toss out "In the Middle" by Jimmy Eats World and Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling.
I don't have time right now, but want to say something I thought about that cute chubby kid.
It has been used to convince that there is no Christ, like there is no Santa, by saying that all the miracles that happen in your life are caused by others. Well, duh!
The whole idea is that we learn to live like Jesus would and serve one another. That was always intended. We tell little children that Santa may not do everything, everywhere, and so he needs helpers. I say this is the same thing with Christ only he doesn't need us to serve one another because he cannot do it himself. The fact that another person caused your miracle does in no way diminish the reality of God. He always intended for us to love and serve on another. It is infact, so important to him. He NEEDS us to be his hands and he sent his son to be an example to us in hiw we should act toward one another. But, if that is not enough, he also gives us the same power that He has called the priesthood so that we could perform all the wonders he expects of us, his children.
One of the best things I was told by a friend who was assigned to the same host family in Switzerland was, "well, it is really sad when you realize it, and it almost seems unfair. But, the way we are exoected to live boils down to us or you (Cathloics or Mormons) because despite how doctrines make you feel, either the priesthood never left the earth and was handed down through Peter like the Bible says, or it needed to be restored, and your church says that Peter actually came back and gave the priesthood again, weird." It is obvious what she believed, and one could not help but respect such knowledge from a 14 yr old. And that is why I believe that it was also intended that there were many faiths to teach truths how and where ever they might grow.
I researched for a lesson I gave one summer in Provo, UT. about how part of our duty as being born members of this church is not to abolish what is good, but to gather it in. Because I quoted from scholars and such, like Einstein, my words were mocked and made fun of, until I quoted Brigham Young, then they listened and I realized that was a power and authority given to prophets. Not, to be greater knowers or even sayers of anything different, but as a mouth piece of God there is more to what they say than the words themselves.
Often, I have thought deeply about the things that songs were about, but it was never the facet that drew my attention in the first place..
But, I am much older. Because I am aware of things that younger people are not, yet. I wonder if the song writers from when I was younger were far beyond what I was in my level of comprehension, cause the songs that are popular now are quite deep, something that someone more my age would think.
More, have I to say, but later...
Some of the things I believe define what makes me crazy, but they only make me crazy if someone else thought them first and decided to call them crazy because they were not commonly reasonable, further if you have uncommon thoughts and put them in a public place you are not called crazy, but a great thinker.
This is all screwy, it frustrates me like IQ tests.
In short, I am learning that usually the most appealing, thus preferred object or means ends up being the most regrettable. Acordingly, people live for tomorrow trying to imagine what they would like in the future.
An extremely common scenario would be a boy who prefers to sleep in or skip classes to party when their vocation is being taught, and in the time they might have practiced and perfected their craft, instead they played video games. Before you get up in arms defending the need of things like sleep and fun, or start to list the advantages of playing video games, I want to point out that I did not say they had free time, but used time that was ear marked for something else. They might feel happier, but in the long run, they will not be able to support a family or even continue their habit, unless they ecpect to be alone, which the very existance of man dictates otherwise.
What started this was my noticing preparations made by home owners for soon expected snow. And I thought, crap I missed out entirely on that home owni g experience, cause I was pregnant and looking for the most preferable option when looking for a place to live. This place required no initial work (like my first house), was ready to move in, and had no yard to maintain. Even a stake president once told me his home owning horror story explaining that rentals or condos were the way to go.
Still, I feel like I am missing out on so many things that would be great for my family and would teach responsibility.
WARNING: This is not a common philosophical debate attempting to assert how one attains their nature, rather it is a journaling accounts of my discovery.
It started while I was musing about the monarch in England and how she might have lacked types of nurture, but every single genius did. I almost think it tampers with or ruins divine nature.
I noticed in college that my skills were transformed into a lesser ability and especially in terms of my compositions. Oddly, I noticed that I naturally followed all of the rules I was being taught. I think someone was great and they were analyzed and mimicked and so we all copied so that one could be taught to create in a like manner, but to learn to create like someone else, I had to give up my own skills.
It was very interesting to me that some peers who attended school with my father took the "rules" we all were learning to create great symphonic works and "taught"them to a computer who could spit out "perfect"compositions, but they were not pleasing. Think on that.
But, I was thinking about a particular instance this morning when my friend, Robert, commented on how "cosmicaly aware" I was. And it has been thought fodder on occassion.
This morning I figured the reason I felt so completely unaware of the world around me was the same thing others like Robert mistook for me being cosmically aware. It is because I was not aware of the same things as almost everyone else around me. And a few people assumed the things I noted were in addition to what they noticed. So, they were in awe of it, but actually, I was a complete moron as to things one ought to notice.
My concluding thought was not to be so upset, it is possible this is a reward or in LDS terminology, a blessing to not be part of the world. Such a thing ought not be unlearned so that I can relearn a lesser way to "see" like everyone else or receive any praise of men, but ultimately know less.
It is ironic that now I think lyrics that others applied originally to the English Royal family it says, "You used to be someone just like me." But, I associate it with the scripture of how it is good to be learned (nurtured), but when men are learned they think they are wise and they forget God and true knowledge.
Recently, I heard it brilliantly explained that we know in more ways than with the five given senses. A quote of a book/movie was given that said that one can only KNOW things with their heart... I could say more, but lack the time. Sorry.
Was my thought right that started me on this path of questionable conclusions. I guess that is how extropalting and deducing work, some thoughts are going to be wrong or else everything really is predetermined.
My mental assertion was that for a thing to exist it has an opposite. Sure we appreciate rest because we were busy, sickness, health, ya ya, ok but my favorites are truth and love, so should I be thankful for lies and rudeness? There is a scarier thought that I am not saying, yeah, I thought that, too. :)
I was quite impressed by a little thing my daughter's kindergarten teacher said to explain why she was so behind schedule getting the class to the computer lab. She explained that they were busy doing a thing and she didn't think she should put a premature end to what they were doing when it was almost done.
I have this mindset alot of the time and it is exactly why I do not even start lengthy projects. I do not want to end before I am done simply because my time was up.
On the flip side I think this might account for the actual effect that has been named Mormon Standard Time. Often, I have battled with myself regarding my nature to be there regardless and that whole story someone told me about a man who chose to be clean and be late. They say, "better late than never." But, I wonder at that wisdom sometimes. People set deadlines and schedules intentionally and if you miss the roll call it might mess everything up.
But, that was why I loved what this teacher said. It was like saying, it is better to do something correct than half-baked to fit a silly schedule. I hate it when for instance you start to get fixed up, but do not have time to do it right. You end up looking like you tried and failed, when you skill was exceptional, it was time that you lacked.
Oh, my dad would say that you know the schedule, time doesn't change, so do not attempt a thing if you cannit do it well.
Now, in the situation with children it is nearly impossible to budget time properly. So I applaud her decision in this sotuation. I hope it teaches the kids to finish what you start.
