Comments -- Books

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I've decided to have the option here to allow comments, not that I've particularly publicized where this blog is or anything.... Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

Books I Read

A friend was wondering, "So, the books you read are Jack Weyland books?" Yes. I happen to love what he writes because it's full of goodness, which I happen to have a particular penchant for. But no, that's not ALL I read, =o) and LDS teen/young adult fiction isn't my chosen genre. I primarily read non-fiction, but not always.

One of the books I'm currently reading is a book by Denver Snuffer Jr. titled The Second Comforter. It's my third time through it, actually. It's one of those books that I've marked, re-read and marked again, and am now reading and marking once again. There's so much to digest there. And it's a book on what has ever been my consuming passion. Not curiosity about the facts--the ins and outs, and the whats and whys, but only the how. For that, this book has been a particular blessing to have the privilege of reading.

One of my favorite books in this last year has been The Brain That Changes Itself, by Dr. Norman Doidge. It was fascinating. It chronicles some of the advances in neuroscience (neuroplasticity,) and was absolutely spellbinding. Astounding, even. I'd tell our kids some of the accomplishments from the book about what's being done now, and they'd think I was making it up. (Okay, some of the reason for that might be because I might make up something off-the-wall every once in a while just to make them laugh.) One example though, of the kind of thing I'm talking about is this-- Did you know that it doesn't take eyes in order to see? Yes, to actually see the things that are going on around you. Well, it doesn't. And I suppose that's as good of an intro to what's going on in this incredible age of neuroplasticity as anything....

I'm always reading something, and usually in minutes of time. Although I would adore curling up with a book I love and some Granny Smith or crisp Jonathan apples (only in September or October for the Jonathans--that's the only time they're good,) and reading it straight through, I rarely do it. There's usually too much going on around here, and too many other things that I both need and want to do. Since I read fairly quickly, there are some books that simply wouldn't take much time to read. But some books seem made to be devoured, and others, to be savored.

I do experience the joy of devouring or savoring a glorious book all in one sitting from time to time. That's MY idea of fun! Ha! I think my kids would say, "Wow, Mom.... If that's what fun is to you, your life is really, really BORING!"

A Dream About Jared

I dreamed about Jared last night. Since I'm one of those people who, for some reason, almost never remembers my dreams, to know that I dreamed about anything is a rare occurrence. I probably haven't remembered a handful of dreams in a year's time.

In my dream, I was in a room with Brad and Scott, sitting on the floor doing something or other. Someone had turned on some nice music, but I wasn't really paying any attention to who had done it. A couple of minutes later, I happened to look up and saw Jared lying on a bed over in the corner, watching us. I was so surprised to see him there, quiet and unobtrusive, like he would often be. I called out,

"Jared! What are you doing here?" He got that somewhat sheepish, sort of sad smile he had sometimes and said,

"I know that everyone thinks I'm dead, but I'm not. I'm sorry for all the bother I put everyone though over this."

It felt confusing for him to be there, but I immediately started thinking about what we needed to do to help him find someplace to live. And that was it. Then I woke up.

This morning, after I dropped the kids off at seminary, I couldn't stop thinking about my dream. I had an Enya cd in as I was driving home, and one of those haunting, lyrical melodies that she has was playing. Before I realized it, tears were sliding down my face. When I got home, I turned off the engine and just sat in the car and cried. I've felt pretty melancholy all morning, which isn't typical for me.

I miss my kind, gentle son.

A Beautiful Book - Jack Weyland's new =The Samaritan Bueno=

This is my favorite Jack Weyland book ever.

We own every book Jack Weyland has ever written. I've loved being able to buy his books so our kids could read them because they're always filled with goodness, but are so fun and interesting that our teens and young adults think they're great. Since we've enjoyed so many wonderful books of his over the years, I was extremely surprised that THIS Jack Weyland book has turned out to be my favorite one of all.

The Samaritan Bueno starts out with the classic Jack Weyland fare that teens love so much--the witty dialog, the engaging, often humorous characters, an interesting plot line (with a thread of 'values' running through it that parents always appreciate!) But if he ever wrote a book that keeps you off balance, wondering what will happen next and how the story will end, this is it. There were some parts when I wasn't sure where this whole thing was headed, and even a couple of places where I felt a little uncomfortable with how it looked like things were going. This is a book that will make you think, and may possibly even make you reconsider your views on a couple of issues.

As good as it was as it went along, I was unprepared for the profound impact that the last forty pages or so had on me. I was left in tears, not due to a heart-wrenchingly sad turn of events, but because the simple events described there were SO right, SO moving, and SO true, like--

--choosing to do the right thing even if it's humiliating in some respects, because you know in your soul it's what you should do;

--caring about others enough to actually be the person who makes the difference in situations that come up day to day;

--regardless of how things look at the moment, that to just keep doing what your heart says is right and true is the best thing you can do;

--that status and the apparent trappings of "success" don't matter as much as being deeply good and caring.

I love this book, and have such admiration and respect for Jack Weyland. Someone can only write a book like this by drawing from what's within their own soul and heart. What a blessing it is that an individual with a heart like this possesses the gift to be able to share it with the rest of us though what he writes.

Thank you, Jack.

This is a book you will want to own. You can click on the link at the left to see where you can purchase it.

Jared

I really need to update the last few weeks here, but I have so many things which have been on hold that I need to catch up on or take care of. I'll have to make only a comment or two now, and then just get to this when I can.

Our son was hadn't been well for quite a few years before his death. A few years ago, he told us that two different hospitals he'd been in had diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder.

I think I'll just post this song for now.

I miss him.

At Jared's memorial service, Two of our friends, Diane Hull and Andrew Doria, so beautifully sang this song, which expresses so many of the emotions involved in all this. I had put the words together, altering some of the original words to fit these circumstances, about a year and a half ago. I had called it "Song for Jared" because I had a feeling that we might be needing it for him at some point.

Song for a Son
[sung to Josh Groban's "February Song"
Click 'Play' below to hear how it would
go with the melody.]

(Parent)
Where has our dear son gone,
Off in a lost and lonely song
One day before too long
He’ll open his eyes, open his eyes.

(Son)
Where is that simple day
Before colors broke into shades.
How did I ever fade
Into this night, into this night.

I never wanted to let you down.
How did my world slip away?
All that I am is still inside.
You'll know the one who I am
Again someday.

Morning is waking up
Sometimes it hurts to bear so much.
Prayer for the peace and love
That God can impart,
Quiets my heart.

I never wanted to let you down.
How did my world slip away?
Can't find myself on solid ground
'Cause I keep on falling, as I fight to
Find my place within this world.
Fight to find my place within this world.

I never wanted to let you down.
Forgive me for slipping away.
Even the lost, our Lord makes found.
I will be waiting, and I'll see you there some day.

Now that our dear son’s gone
Finished his lost and lonely song.
Tell him it won't be long
'Til he opens his eyes
And we’re at his side.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Okay, I actually DID make the July 4th treats =o)

They were completely darling. I opted not to do the printed tissue paper, as it took a ridiculously long time to get them to print since our printer feeds from the top, and wouldn't pull the tissue paper through properly. Even so, the way they turned out was amazing. Our kids were all SO impressed with how they looked, and so were the people we gave them to.

This picture doesn't show the cute little red-checkered baskets,
but we made those, also.

Would I make them again? Um.... probably not.

Why? Two reasons.

Reason One: They took FOREVER to make. I sometimes take on projects that I know ahead of time are going to take a long time, and this was one of them. I did a lot of what needed to be done before the 4th, with the help of my 16 year old, Jenni. But they still took waaaaaaaaay longer to do than I imagined. It was fun making them, but really, REALLY time-consuming!

Reason Two: They looked fabulous. But they only tasted so-so, in my opinion. The dessert I usually make for the 4th looks great (but not in the adorable way these did) and it tastes fabulous.

The little sugar cookie french fries were yummy. But when it came to the hamburgers, it was a different story. The brownie part of them was fine. But I'm not big on frosting, and these had lots of it. If it had been chocolate frosting, I might have felt a little differently about it. But then the colors would have been all wrong, now wouldn't they?

Then I wasn't fond of the cupcake part of it either. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special. All in all, the hamburgers weren't inedible, but they were only okay.

So the bottom line for me is that:

Merely "Looking Good" Is Not Good Enough!

I just realized though, that it will make a great story to use in a talk or a lesson sometime to illustrate that very point. =o)

Following Promptings Promptly

The irony! I yearn to be guided throughout my day. When there is so much to do, it typically comes down to making decisions regarding which things to do now, and which ones to do later--hopefully!

So I'm saying my prayers this morning. From the moment I kneel, the very distinct impression comes to me to work on the skit that our girls are using for camp. They need it for practice today. But I already have a specific time set aside when I'm going to do that. And I don't WANT to do it now! I WANT to finish fixing this frustrating, messed up thing I've been trying to fix on my website. I want to just get that finally done--and I'm very close to finishing--then do whatever else. I will have plenty of time after that. But the feeling persists.

"Fine!" I mutter. "I'll write the skit! But I don't see why it would be such a big deal to finish fixing this other thing first...."

I'm just so silly sometimes. In the eternal scheme of things, it doesn't matter in the least. But seeking for help in keeping my days together, then following what direction I receive does. Not the thing itself as much as being grateful and willing to be guided even on small things if they come up. I do know from experience that I will always be glad I followed.

And I am grateful. It's embarrassingly ridiculous that in the moment, I at first feel grudgingly grateful. It's because it feels like just one more interruption in something I've been trying to get done. It takes me a couple of minutes to be still and go, "Oh, right. I'm not being interrupted. I'm being blessed." I really am glad to receive guidance about even the small things in my day that make life work better.

It's actually quite amazingly wonderful that heaven is willing to do such things for us, if we are willing to listen.

Book of Mormon evidences

I found a wonderful website by Rusty Lindquist a couple of days ago, that has some really great information. There's the link to the site a little further down.

I really appreciated his most recent post, which I've put below. The information is very thorough and helpful. It shouldn't be a basis for a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but as I commented on his site, it could be useful to share with others who might otherwise completely discount the Book of Mormon or be unwilling to even consider reading it due to negative misinformation.

My testimony of the Book of Mormon comes from a time when I wasn’t even sure if there was a God, or if so, if He still had anything to do with this world. Reading the Book of Mormon changed my life, and allowed me to know that God was REAL and that He could give specific answers to me. The witness I received of its truthfulness has never dimmed in all these years, and I'm so grateful for it. I also love the Bible, and particularly love being able to read about the life and words of the Savior in the gospels.

I very much appreciate this information below, and hope it might be a good way to discuss with Book of Mormon with those who haven't read it yet. I just got the book today and can't wait to read it. Thanks, Rusty!

From Mormon Conversations
http://mormonconversations.com
Rusty Lindquist

Is there evidence for

the Book of Mormon?

The answer may surprise you!

Tina, on the post “Seeking for evidence” asked today:

Please give me the name of one renowned historian who takes the Book of Mormon serious.

Tina, I appreciate your question. I have your answer. Before I share it, I think it’s important to note why so many ask this question.

The Book of Mormon presents a serious challenge to orthodox Christianity. It is said to be another witness of Jesus Christ, a record of His dealings with the Ancient American inhabitants. If scripture, it provides clarity to the bible in ways which create occasional, but important contradictions to the traditions and beliefs that have evolved over the centuries by all other Christian denominations.

If the Book of Mormon is true, then not only does it call into question the beliefs of so many, but it has eternal implications for you, and calls for meaningful, but difficult changes to your life.

As such, it would be much easier if we could simply dismiss it, rather than undertake the spiritual responsibility of studying it ourselves, and asking God if it is true. That makes us vulnerable, and we all prefer to have our beliefs validated, and not challenged.

If it could simply be dismissed, that would be so much easier. If we could just say “there is insufficient archeological evidence to support such claims” then we give ourselves reason to move on. And so rather than seek the answer from God, we seek answers from men, from science. We say “give me evidence, give me proof”, even when we know that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Indeed, faith is the evidence, not things we can see.

Still, we want a sign, and archeology is the easiest, and often the first place to turn. Why? Because we’ve been raised under the misconception that the Americas don’t have the archeological evidence to support the massive amounts of people, or the advanced technology as recorded in the Book of Mormon.

Indeed, even today, textbooks teach that pre-Columbian America was largely uninhabited. But as we continuously find throughout all the sciences, things previously accepted as facts (like a flat world), end up not being factual at all.

While there are numerous new findings (archeological, anthropological, and otherwise) that I could recount (and will at some point), perhaps the single best source I could refer you to is a new book, recently published, and that is now a National Bestseller. It’s called “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus” by Charles C. Mann. Coincidentally, Mann is not LDS, and didn’t intend to validate the Book of Mormon with his work, even though that’s precisely what he did.

The Washington Post said “1491 vividly compels us to re-examine how we teach the ancient history of the Americas…” The book explains that contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled, but were here in huge numbers, larger even than any contemporary European city. That the people shaped the earth around them, had immaculately clean streets, running water, and were even the first to genetically engineer crops. But for decades, archaeologists, anthropologists, paleolinguists, and others have been bringing forward a different story. 1491 brings it all together in one read.

One interesting revelation brought by these scientists, is the realization that rather than the first Americans having come over the Bering land bridge around 12,000 B.C, but rather that they came by boat. Interestingly, that’s just how the Book of Mormon describes it.

Another interesting revelation is that the reason early European visitors found an empty landscape, was not because they’d found the natural, unchanging state of native America, but rather the end product of a vast society decimated by wars and epidemics - perhaps the greatest in human history. Again, remarkably, that’s just how the Book of Mormon explains it.

Mann describes discovering gigantic ancient cities, with huge, 14 foot walls thrown up as fortifications. Again, just how the Book of Mormon describes Moroni’s fortifications of the Nephite cities.

It was believed that the Inca, for instance, fell to Pizarro because they had no metallurgy. But these findings clearly show that they actually had a highly refined metallurgy, just as the Book of Mormon states.

About the book, “Publishers Weekly” stated that “Mann also shows that the Maya constructed huge cities and governed them with a cohesive set of political ideals. Most notably, according to Mann, the Haudenosaunee, in what is now the Northeast U.S., constructed a loose confederation of tribes governed by the principles of individual liberty and social equality.” Again, that’s just how the Book of Mormon describes the creation of the Nephite nation, and Moroni’s “standard of liberty” which united the cities, even placing them in the right area.

So while it would be convenient to dismiss the Book of Mormon based on the old, uninformed notion that there isn’t sufficient archeological evidence to validate its claims, in fact, the opposite is true.

So true in fact, that the new evidence not only validates the description of early America as recorded in the Book of Mormon, but validates the prophetic nature of the Joseph Smith. For it must be remembered that we’re talking about a book written by Joseph Smith (actually translated from ancient plates) hundreds of years ago. Long before any of this evidence was to surface, at a time when such writings were in stark contrast to current beliefs. But here we are, hundreds of years later, finding detailed evidence validating that work.

It’s been surprising to many.

Publishers Weekly further commented about the book: “In a riveting and fast-paced history, massing archeological, anthropological, scientific and literary evidence, Mann debunks much of what we thought we knew about pre-Columbian America. Reviewing the latest, not widely reported research in Indean demography, origins and ecology, Mann zestfully demonstrates that long before any European explorers set foot in the New World, native American cultures were flourishing with a high degree of sophistication. The new researchers have turned received wisdom on its head.”

I’ll be posting additional similarities illustrated in the Book (and elsewhere) to further eliminate this “easy out”, but if you prefer not to wait, here’s the link to it on Amazon.

Most importantly, however, are two simply points. The first is the principle that we should not require the validation of science (or signs) to substantiate our faith. It’s sure nice when it does, but true faith needs no such validation. Second, having removed the easy dismissal of the Book of Mormon, it is upon each of us to then undertake the spiritual responsibility to consider the work for ourselves. To study, and read it for ourselves. And then to ask God, for ourselves, if it is not true. It’s simply too important not to.

Indeed, “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5). The Book of Mormon itself contains a promise.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things be not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:3-5)

Rusty