Sociology?

The ways our parents raised us have a lot to do with who we are now. What pictures hung on the walls of our house in our childhood have affected our tastes and desires, etc. Anyways my point being that there are many influences in our lives.

I have had quite a chance to see many different lifestyles and how people live and grow up. I have seen how replacing the bad influences with good ones really changes a life for the better. However, there's a slight problem here. How does someone who has always had a bad influence really know the good influence? Most of the time people don't see those things and many of those people have a hard time finding themselves, or shall I say, finding their inner selves. That can open up a whole different can also, because not all people who have not found their inner selves have had bad influences... but I figure that there is a slight connection.

I can choose this day to have good influences in my life and to be a good influence to others in their lives. The biggest, best thing I can do for a friend is to invite good influenced friends into their lives! Choose ye this day whom ye will serve because ye cannot serve God and Mammon!

The power of a choice! Have the courage to say no! Have the courage to say yes! Have the power to be you! Don't go with the flow because the flow always goes down. Have the will to rise above the rest! Help a friend in need!
21 Nov 2007

Attributes of a true friend:

+Tells you they love you.
+Encourages good, wholesome activities such as reading the Book of Mormon or the Bible.
+Always tries to elevate, animate, inspire, and bless you.
+Tells the truth always.
+Helps you be a better person.
+Helps you with your hopes and dreams.
+Gets excited for your accomplishments.
+If male: opens the door and shows proper respect to women, girls, and children. If female: gives the males a chance to open the door, etc, but doesn't insist or demand it.
+Cares enough to ask... on everything... how you are, etc.
+Has good friends.
+Doesn't do drugs.
+Takes responsibility.
+Dresses modestly.
+Is funny.
+Is spiritual (goes to church too).
+Is Patient.
+Doesn't do what they know is wrong.
+Does a good deed on their own free will.
+Is always there for you.
+Accepts your differences.
+IS MUCH, MUCH MORE!
30 Oct 2007

Reflectioning from the lumberyard!

People are so picky when it comes to buying wood. I'm guessing they figure they are spending their precious money on it so they must have the most perfect board ever. A contractor came in a few days ago and really made me think about life, and wow, I think what I thought is something we all can learn from. I have no idea if I can explain it as well as I learned it.

The contractor came in and he saw an ugly board... the ugliest I've ever seen! Cracked, split, discolored, full of knots, and you name it... the board had it. He picked it up and said, "Wow look at that fine piece of lumber!". Looking at him differently I said, "What?". He responded, "This is the best board here in the lumberyard." I was still perplexed but he continued... "I would pay more for this board than one that is nice and straight! It reminds us how imperfect life is. Life isn't perfect so we can't expect our boards to be perfect. Imperfections add character."

Our conversation changed route to something else after that but I kept reflectioning on all that he said. I started to remember that I once said something to the fact that boards are like people... the straight ones are hard to find. Crooked ones make others crooked. Rotten ones seem to spread the rot.

What would we be like if we were all perfect? There would be no variety! We must have the weird people in the middle of all the normal or boring people to give us variety in life.

Thinking about it even more... I would pay the higher price for that weird board too! There's only one me!
22 Oct 2007

Crazy or What?

Waht if ervey tmie you wotre a lteter it lokoed lkie tihs? We mgiht hvae an esaeir tmie selplnig wrods. The hmuan biarn is vrey samrt. If it ws'nat, you wuold not be albe to raed tihs! Aoccdrnig to rseeacrh codnutced at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are tpyed, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit oedrer. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Pherpas taht is why we smoetmies hvae a hrad tmie rmebmernig seplilngs. Cool dno't you tihnk?

Something Cool?

Hey I'm going to try something cool. My buddies and I are creating a site where we ask random/spontaneous questions and we'd like you to answer them in the comments part of each question. If you decide to participate, please be honest with your answers and only answer the ones you want, if you want! This site will be updated more frequently than any of my other pages hopefully so check them out often. Thanks-- Click here for the site link

I'm Back From the Mission!

Wow what a great two years. I have just gotten back from the El Salvador San Salvador West/Belize LDS Mission. I will try to dedicate a webpage to my experience soon! (Just have patience- it may take my lifetime!)