Self-honesty requires that I examine myself carefully enough to know all the reasons I’m doing something. If there isn’t at least some admission of selfishness in my pondering, I’m rationalizing.

People wouldn’t really know it, but when it comes to things like ward activities, I would much rather keep to myself than be noticed. Sometimes, I find myself sitting alone, and content to be so. I get along with my own thoughts very well.

I would bet that every person reading this has felt the frustration of having something to say and everyone else too focused on their own thoughts to really listen. Yet, even though we’ve all felt the sting of being misunderstood, very few of us make the effort to understand before we give our opinions.

In life, it is often helpful to know what came before, what events triggered other events. That kind of information can help us understand life and make better choices. It can comfort us to have an explanation for the difficult things and give us an understanding of why we feel the way we do.

…I don’t really get depressed much. I like life, even with its bad memories. I think in that moment, it was just a realization that I was getting too old to really have the kind of Christmas excitement I had when I was a child.

In my adulthood, I’ve only grown more prone to crying at emotional stuff. A talk in church, a television commercial or show, a movie, all can make me cry. It’s a little embarrassing, but I’m glad I’m that way.

As I wrote, Granny and I talked. It wasn’t always about the ancestors, but when she knew something about the person whose name I was writing down, she would tell me stories about them. There was something about it that delighted me.

In Taking the Plunge: A Leap of Faith, I wrote that I wasn’t as concerned about changing policies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Boy Scouts of America, as I was seeing the hearts of people change to be tolerant and loving towards those with same-sex attraction. I realize that […]

Christmas–The Most Powerful Day of the Year: Christmas remains for me like the atonement itself. It has the power to change the very nature of human beings and bring out the best in them.

The truth is, I think it is a losing battle if I am the only combatant. I am just too weak and too worn out to fight it alone. I am not fighting alone. My Captain and close Friend is Jesus Christ, and he is more powerful than even the cosmos. As Lyte described him, he is the one who “changest not.”

Myfriend, Eric, who posts here, reminded me of a favorite hymn that has blessed my life and given me comfort in difficult times. The hymn is Lead, Kindly Light, written by John Henry Newman. I hope you will take the time to read Eric’s entry, “Lead Thou Me On.” 4 people like this post. Like […]

Sometimes it is really easy to get stuck in a way of thinking that leads to a dead end in life. I often find myself thinking that there is only one solution to a situation and that I must focus all of my efforts on that situation. I think this way of thinking results too […]