May the Fourth

Last week buying groceries, a very happy cashier asked me if I had good holiday the day before.

I thought to myself, "Is this a test?  After all today is May 5th, "Cinco de Mayo."  The store was serving free chips and salsa.  

I replied to the 20 something very tall man..."Today is Cinco de Mayo?"  with a puzzled expression and not so much my authoritative... I know it all expression... which I normally would have done had he not caught me off-guard.

He said  "I know but, yesterday was national "Star Wars" day.

"Now he had my full "in the present moment" attention.  I really dig Star Wars.  I said with earnest emotion.  "Really?  ahh... I didn't know that."  I felt a little bumbed that I didn't get to celebrate it and wondered how it happened and wondered if it was an anniversary of when Star Wars was created... etc.

The cashier said smugly "Yups, May the Forth (force) be with you."

You could have hit me with a brick and I wouldn't have been more stunned.  A huge smile covered my face and I knew from then on, I and my family would be celebrating May the Forth.

Just to follow up a little... The Cashier told me that he and his friends usually watch at least one of the Star Wars Movies on May the 4th and he had at least 5 "texts" the day before wishing him a happy May the Forth (force).  He said that if he ever owned his own company, they would celebrate all the little, quirky holidays.  I sure he will.

You Came

(the following is very much a first draft)

You came today and I noticed.
You came and sat and listened.   I noticed.
You smiled when you could, paused and tried.
I could tell underneath you were timid.
I could tell underneath you were tired.
I could tell underneth you experienced pain but, you came.
I could tell He helped you come.
You bring me joy when you come.
You give me courage when you come.
You give me faith when you come.
You give me friendship when you come, even when you don't say anything and we don't say anything together.
You see, I am timid, I am tired, I experince pain. I need courage.  
I may seem steady, not always. You may not think you make a difference but, it hurts when you don't come. 
So come.
I will still be your friend when you don't come.
Please be mine and ask me, to come.

Thoughts while holding Daniel on my lap during sacrement meeting.

I hold you now, while you are sitting still.
I hold you now, while you are quiet.
I hold you now, where no telephones can interrupt, nor doorbells can ring and no messes can cry out to be cleaned.
I hold you now and pray for you when the times come that I can not hold you:
            Times when you are playing with friends
            Times when you go to school
            Times when you are Too Big for Mom to hold you.
            Times when you are on a Mission or gone to college
            Times when you will have someone else to hold you
            Times when I may be called to a heavenly sphere.
               I pray my time will be before yours... but incase yours is first:  I hold you now.
I hold you now and press my cheek to yours and hope my love for you transfers to your soul for safe-keeping that you may draw upon its power when I cannot hold you.
I hold you and send the energy of my heart to yours.  I image I'm weaving into your soul the light and love God had given me to give you strength when I cannot hold you.
I hold you and pray and pray and pray God will watch over you and lead you in experiences that will bring you to Him so He can hold you too.
I hold you and smile. You give me joy as I Hold you.

.......
This is just some simple thoughts.... 1st  and maybe only draft.

Thought Patterns

I heard on the radio a while back that psychologists have discovered if they can catch teenagers who are starting to have Polarized thought patterns early they can help them prevent a lifetime of mental illness. Since then, I have often thought we need to be careful with our thought patterns and keep them positive. That we should be careful about thought patterns of how we react to people, thought patterns of when we go out in public, thought patterns when we go to church, or talk to our children about chores, etc. I've noticed that I let too many "environmental" factors influence my thought patterns. I have also discovered that I can control many of the environmental factors and thus help my thought patterns. Music, is a great influence. Worthy music can to great things as I have had eluded to before. T.V. can eat my brain or give it something to hope for or just plain distract me from better things. Pondering, meditation and books are good disciplines for my thought patterns. Exercise coupled with either listening to gospel messages or reading gospel messages seems help my thought patterns jump to higher levels of understanding. It is probably all the oxygen. Shrug.




Do you all have any thoughts on thought patterns?

"Listen To the Still Small Voice"

One of my son's favorite songs is, "Listen to the Still Small Voice."  I've thought a bit about that this week and times I have listened and times I have not.   I realize not everyone believe in the Holy Ghost but, there have been too many times, and too many clear thoughts come for me not to believe.  Today I remembered a time 19 years ago that I saw a man walking by my house as I pulled out to go to a dance.  He had something on his shoulder that looked like rope or a hose or something.  I felt a strong impression to talk to him and I didn't.  The impression grew so much that I turned around in my car and looked for him.  I wasn't able to find him.   The next day I learned that a college student had been to visit some girls that rented from our neighbors and borrowed a hose from them and then killed himself from the fumes of his car.  I do not know if this was the same man I saw or not... but, I wish I had not hesitated.  I wish I would have talked to him.  "Listen to the Still Small Voice, listen, listen.  When you have to make a choice,  he will guide you, always." 

God is Love

I came across this quote today by Mother Teresa...  I thougth it fitting for this week's theme.

 “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

"God is Love"

I think I may change things a little in my blog. Sometimes I feel I try to force profound thoughts or insight because, this is "Out-there." I may simplify it a little and add some funny things of life... like, what is up with our body always mutating or doing embarrassing things. Ever since I have had my gall badder out, if I consume a lot of "junk" food, then my body produces extra gas, yes I mean farts. Twice this last week at some family gatherings in the great outdoors, I could not control some little toots. sigh... yes everyone thought it funny and to this point have not let me forget about it. Sometimes I wish all my weaknesses were that simple and would just give others something to laugh about and then we could go on with life.


This week I'm pondering what it means to serve and truly love others and why do we say "God is Love?"

I'm not really sure right now. I will have to think about it.