Thanks for giving Consequences

The turkey has them because he is a turkey.

My body will have them starting about at 2:00 pm MDT tomorrow. Because I ate too much.

Consequences.

Good or bad, happy or sad, hard or easy. They happen. If the best prevention of stress is preparation, then how do you prepare to prevent without first preparing to stress out along the way? (Go back...read again. Better?)

It's harder than it looks and easier than it sounds, (what am I, the Riddler from Batman all of the sudden?)

You say thank you.

Your eyes are opened a little wider, you find you have more in you than you thought you did. Because the consequences brought you there. They may be consequences of others choices that you are up against, they may be choices that are perfectly fine in all aspects, or they may be consequences of you being mortal.

Every person has a context for why they think and feel what they think and feel. Example, we'll play a quick game... Think of three words for the word "brown"....Anything. Go!

What did you think of? You want to know what I thought of?

Fish, baseball bat, hot cocoa (don't judge me).

Did you think of all of those? Probably not. We don't know where everyone is coming from. And at times people aren't willing to do anything different to change where they are. You are the person who has to decide whether you'll change or toss it aside. Whether you'll strive for those new goals that seem afar, or just be content to stay where you are.

This year, give thanks for giving of consequences. See them through His eyes. Not yours. You'll begin to see the miracles around you. You'll love your loved ones more. Selfishness will begin to melt away and the spirit of giving for the Holidays will begin to take hold of you.

That is...if you're willing to do what is needed to face those kind of consequences.

Your choice.

I just want a car

I have a tendency to be quick to judge. My personality demands perfection from myself, and at times I demand that perfection from my wife, my friends, coworkers, or family. But...the other day KacyAnn told me a story that has given me a new perspective...I hope it will do the same for you.

She was in her developmental biology class. The teacher began a discussion about genetic tendencies, and how each of us have a tendency for doing something. One boy raised his hand and stated, "my family is genetically prone to alcholism. If we have one drink, we're done for." (As I thought about it, I believe I'm prone to way too much hot chocolate in the winter time - I just bought 4 lbs of it--it was on sale...give me a break).

Then as the discussion moved on, the teacher began discussing homosexuals. He pointed out that they have done studies with children, boy or girl. He said that the some of the boys like to play with dolls, while some of the girls like to play with tonka trucks, and that some of the children have said "I don't want to be a ____ (fill in gender here)." The students were discussing the need not to judge others. We don't know what kind of things they have going on inside them, we don't know what struggles they go through.

Another boy raised his hand. "I'm gay." he said. "I haven't told too many people that, but its true. I have always struggled with it."

King Benjamin teaches us that, "the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord..." (Mosiah 3:19, emphasis added)

KacyAnn was talking to a friend of hers about this later and her friend said, "When you first turned 16 and your father gave you the old junker car as a gift, you didn't care whether the car dripped a little oil or the steering column was a little off. All you cared about was getting from point A to point B."

We accepted our gift to come here and to have a body. A body that may have chronic health problems, be prone to indulgences (hot cocoa notwithstanding), or not function properly. We didn't care, as long as it gets us from point A (this life) to point B (life after this).

Will it be hard to put off these tendencies; be whatever they are? Yep.

Will you be able to do it? Absolutely.

For with God, nothing is impossible.

....Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to go make some hot cocoa.