How do I get myself into these things?
It all started with an innocent trip to Wally World with my granddaughter. Some folks were standing outside with a box full of bunnies. Well, some were full grown rabbits and one of those looked pregnant. One didn't look too healthy, but hey, the people didn't look too healthy either. The critters were a motley looking bunch. Several colors and variations thereof. My granddaughter was desperate to have one. And after all they were just five dollars each, regardless of the size!
Now little anything is cuter than big anything (with the possible exception of Hillary Clinton) so we opted for two small black ones, hopefully both females. Two, because my granddaughter has a brother. Too, because it appeared that if these folks didn't come up with some cash quick, the bunnies would be dinner by night fall.
I already had a nice wire rabbit cage. Ten bucks and a little rabbit chow and we were in business. Not a bad deal for all the fun the kids have been having.
That is until someone developed visions of more rabbit real estate. Now my plan was to keep the rabbits until fall, whereupon I'd deliver them to my brother-in-law who raises rabbits. A couple of does from a different gene pool might enhance his hutch. Then, come spring, I thought we could pick up a new couple of bunnies to raise next summer. This plan lasted until someone (probably Satan) suggested to the children that said brother-in-law might actually eat their bunnies.
They hired a high priced lobbyist (their Dad) to urge a more winter proof hutch that might facilitate keeping the bunnies all year round and spare them the doom predicted. What the hey, there seemed to be plenty of scrap lumber in my shop, they proposed. As it turns out I'm not all that different than Congress. I haven't finished paying for the last program I started, heck, I haven't even finished the program. Now, I launch on another program to keep the masses at bay, hardly considering the cost. What a politician won't do to garner a few votes from the constituency. What they proposed should be a one day project - two if we painted it. Plus the kids, 7 and 5 would roll up their sleeves and help. Now, two days and five trips to the store later, it's about half finished. And now, I've got to be gone for a couple of days on a foreign affairs junket.
To guarantee my return the kids have had a lawyer (their grandmother) put a workman's lien on the property. So, assuming I return, and assuming I don't run out of money like the Cash for Clunkers Program, we should have pretty good accommodations. The project has two stories, two spacious, insulated nesting boxes, it's handicapped accessible with magnetic door flaps, a ramp from one level to the other, etc. It should really do the trick, but I noticed last night, that there was already talk of an elevator, slide, fireman's pole and big screen TV. There is also talk of more rabbits......
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Gambling with Peoples Lives
A kid at the Detention Center told me last night that there is a bet amongst the staff on whether he'll stick with his program or run. How very inappropriate. He even told me that he was tempted to run for the first time, because he dislikes the person who bets he'll stay and wants to see him lose the wager. So here's a person who believes in him, who potentially could cause his failure.
The young man still, comforted me by reminding me that he is determined to succeed not only in his incarceration experience, but in life; so I don't think he'll run. I just think he's a little bitter that staff would trivialize his situation. I am also disappointed. I thought so much better of these people. I don't know specifically, who the staff members are, but I've held them all in such high regard. It's just probably a foolish indisgression, but it could amount to something far more serious.
It makes matters so much worse that the bet should come to the ears of this young person.
In the mean time, the young man is preparing to teach our Sunday lesson this week! I am eagerly anticipating that event. He is bright, thoughtful and will doubtless teach us something of great value, from the scriptures. His inmates, who haven't previously come to church, are planning to be to this one.
I haven't really mentioned here, how very much I love serving the youth at our local detention center. I spend many hours each week with them. I've been blessed with a heart full of love for them and they reciprocate ten fold. I don't do this by myself. There are several of us. We are called the Vernal 12th Branch. While the Branch has never consisted of more than 13 workers and is now down to 8 we all love the opportunity to serve these wonderful children of God.
We teach them the gospel, help them recover from addiction, play volleyball and other games. We spend hours counseling with them and become fast friends with many. Too often they have experienced very little love in their lives. Yet they are full of love themselves and delight in spending time with a bunch of old fogies to whom they can hardly relate, but from whom they feel the precious, refreshing draft of love for which their souls so deeply thirst.
The young man still, comforted me by reminding me that he is determined to succeed not only in his incarceration experience, but in life; so I don't think he'll run. I just think he's a little bitter that staff would trivialize his situation. I am also disappointed. I thought so much better of these people. I don't know specifically, who the staff members are, but I've held them all in such high regard. It's just probably a foolish indisgression, but it could amount to something far more serious.
It makes matters so much worse that the bet should come to the ears of this young person.
In the mean time, the young man is preparing to teach our Sunday lesson this week! I am eagerly anticipating that event. He is bright, thoughtful and will doubtless teach us something of great value, from the scriptures. His inmates, who haven't previously come to church, are planning to be to this one.
I haven't really mentioned here, how very much I love serving the youth at our local detention center. I spend many hours each week with them. I've been blessed with a heart full of love for them and they reciprocate ten fold. I don't do this by myself. There are several of us. We are called the Vernal 12th Branch. While the Branch has never consisted of more than 13 workers and is now down to 8 we all love the opportunity to serve these wonderful children of God.
We teach them the gospel, help them recover from addiction, play volleyball and other games. We spend hours counseling with them and become fast friends with many. Too often they have experienced very little love in their lives. Yet they are full of love themselves and delight in spending time with a bunch of old fogies to whom they can hardly relate, but from whom they feel the precious, refreshing draft of love for which their souls so deeply thirst.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Book Review - Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast
Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast by Bill Richardson is just what I would expect a B&B on an island between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland would be; secluded, serene, charming, quaint, comfortable, intelligent and personal.
The Bed and Breakfast is operated by fraternal twins, Hector and Virgil. Compatible, convivial twins, yet different as night and day, the brothers share the story telling load with several of their guests. Thus the story is eclectic as one would expect an old house in a isolated rural place might be. A mix of bookish book reviews, hometown memorabilia, hilarious poetry, odd ball antics and warm hearth side musings, this sweet read was charming from cover to cover.
I have stayed in B&B's around the Northwest and British Columbia. They have a B&B tradition up there. The standards are high for such establishments in the region. All are special delight! If the Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast were an actual establishment, I'd have been booked to stay there before I laid the book down! I imagine it, in my mind, in a setting like my favorite, San Juan Island; pastoral, peaceful, slow and cozy.
For a Summer when I couldn't go away as I am wont, this was the perfect read. I expect when I get nostalgic for such quiet adventures, I'll likely pick it up and read it again.
I'll leave you with a delightful tidbit:
A Poem by Solomon Solomon, just one of Richardson's carefully crafted, delightful characters:
The Tiger Says Grace
Dear God who cares for tigers,
I have much to thank you for.
My stripes and leafy jungle home,
My throaty purr, my roar.
I thank you for the blazing sun,
And for the cooling shower,
And for the tasty hunter
I'm preparing to devour.
Dear God you have been generous
To send this meaty one,
Encumbered by nearsightedness
And by a faulty gun.
Oh, he was easy prey to stalk!
A most unequal match!
I leapt on him with claws unsheathed
And slew with quick dispatch.
So now he lies before me
With his dim, unseeing eyes,
His face bedecked with nothing
But a look of slight surprise.
And do I feel remorse's pull?
No. Not a guilty tug.
It's better he should be my lunch
Than I should be his rug.
So, God who cares for tigers
And who made us burning bright,
Thank you for your kindness,
I'll sleep happily tonight.
Maybe I won't leave you with this after all. I was in Jones Hole camping by my self for a week. I found lion tracks outside my tent one morning. That night as I was trailing back to camp in the dark, after a satisfying afternoon of fishing, I wondered if I might be ambushed by my unseen feline consort. While I was loathe to be eaten, I did imagine that being slain by a lion merited certain lofty bragging rights upon my arrival in the great beyond. I've always loved an especially good story. I expect I still will - over there.
Now, I'm off to read Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Book Three - Dead and Alive! I've waited for this for a long long time Dean. I'm glad it's right here, right now!
Four Stars
The Bed and Breakfast is operated by fraternal twins, Hector and Virgil. Compatible, convivial twins, yet different as night and day, the brothers share the story telling load with several of their guests. Thus the story is eclectic as one would expect an old house in a isolated rural place might be. A mix of bookish book reviews, hometown memorabilia, hilarious poetry, odd ball antics and warm hearth side musings, this sweet read was charming from cover to cover.
I have stayed in B&B's around the Northwest and British Columbia. They have a B&B tradition up there. The standards are high for such establishments in the region. All are special delight! If the Bachelor Brothers' Bed and Breakfast were an actual establishment, I'd have been booked to stay there before I laid the book down! I imagine it, in my mind, in a setting like my favorite, San Juan Island; pastoral, peaceful, slow and cozy.
For a Summer when I couldn't go away as I am wont, this was the perfect read. I expect when I get nostalgic for such quiet adventures, I'll likely pick it up and read it again.
I'll leave you with a delightful tidbit:
A Poem by Solomon Solomon, just one of Richardson's carefully crafted, delightful characters:
The Tiger Says Grace
Dear God who cares for tigers,
I have much to thank you for.
My stripes and leafy jungle home,
My throaty purr, my roar.
I thank you for the blazing sun,
And for the cooling shower,
And for the tasty hunter
I'm preparing to devour.
Dear God you have been generous
To send this meaty one,
Encumbered by nearsightedness
And by a faulty gun.
Oh, he was easy prey to stalk!
A most unequal match!
I leapt on him with claws unsheathed
And slew with quick dispatch.
So now he lies before me
With his dim, unseeing eyes,
His face bedecked with nothing
But a look of slight surprise.
And do I feel remorse's pull?
No. Not a guilty tug.
It's better he should be my lunch
Than I should be his rug.
So, God who cares for tigers
And who made us burning bright,
Thank you for your kindness,
I'll sleep happily tonight.
Maybe I won't leave you with this after all. I was in Jones Hole camping by my self for a week. I found lion tracks outside my tent one morning. That night as I was trailing back to camp in the dark, after a satisfying afternoon of fishing, I wondered if I might be ambushed by my unseen feline consort. While I was loathe to be eaten, I did imagine that being slain by a lion merited certain lofty bragging rights upon my arrival in the great beyond. I've always loved an especially good story. I expect I still will - over there.
Now, I'm off to read Dean Koontz's Frankenstein Book Three - Dead and Alive! I've waited for this for a long long time Dean. I'm glad it's right here, right now!
Four Stars
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Too Little Understood: The Law of Stewardship
I read this article from Meridian Magazine and felt it too important to not just send you there.
Larry Barkdull gives some magnificent counsel to all of us. Here is a tidbit:
"Even in a telestial setting, we encounter the concept of stewardship constantly. For example, a business owner will enter into an agreement to hand over the management of his company to a trusted employee, provided the employee gives his best effort, pursues the mission of the company, is committed to increasing the company’s profitability, and is accountable to his employer. In return, the employer pays the employee a fair wage, with which the employee takes care of his family. The employee has no right to divide his attention with another interest, change the purpose of the company, use its resources outside his employer’s desire, or take the profits for himself. We might ask ourselves, If we understand these principles on a telestial level, why can we not apply them to a celestial situation?"
Please take a minute and read the entire article here.
Larry Barkdull gives some magnificent counsel to all of us. Here is a tidbit:
"Even in a telestial setting, we encounter the concept of stewardship constantly. For example, a business owner will enter into an agreement to hand over the management of his company to a trusted employee, provided the employee gives his best effort, pursues the mission of the company, is committed to increasing the company’s profitability, and is accountable to his employer. In return, the employer pays the employee a fair wage, with which the employee takes care of his family. The employee has no right to divide his attention with another interest, change the purpose of the company, use its resources outside his employer’s desire, or take the profits for himself. We might ask ourselves, If we understand these principles on a telestial level, why can we not apply them to a celestial situation?"
Please take a minute and read the entire article here.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Receiving Personal Revelation
We had an exercise in 12 Steps with the Detention Youth yesterday. An exercise in hearing the voice of God. It was met with a pretty large measure of skepticism. In fact when I asked them if they had ever received a revelation from God, they all said "No, of course not!" Still, I was convinced they had and could, so I went forward by asking a series of questions.
Initially, I asked, "Did Jesus carry a planner?"
"No."
"Unanimous?"
They looked around and all agreed. I asked them, "How do you know?"
"Dunno, we just know."
"So how did He get along then?"
"Life came at Him and He responded."
These are kids with very little if any religious background.
"How did He know how to respond."
"He felt it in His heart. Somehow, he just knew what to do."
"Have you ever known what to do?"
"All the time."
"Do you always do what you know you should?"
"No."
"Why not?"
And we had a discussion about why Jesus always did what He felt He should and why we do not. One answer was, "We get scared."
"When Jesus felt what He should do or how He should respond to circumstances around Him what would you call that?"
"Information from God."
"Would you call it revelation?"
"Sure."
"What would you call it when you feel what you should do?"
"Conscience."
"How about revelation."
"Guess so, but it just makes sense."
"Wouldn't revelation make sense?"
"Yea!"
"Does ignoring it make sense?"
"Obviously not (pointing to orange jump suits)."
12 Step recovery is entirely about connecting with God and receiving His help in overcoming our problems and addictions. The AA prayer, "Lord, what would you have me do today? Please give me the strength to do it?" is all about getting personal revelation. Drunks get personal revelation. They have to or they cannot recover. They have to get it every day, every moment and they have to choose to be obedient to those promptings in their hearts. So it is with all of us.
I spent a few moments helping them realize that God is good and kind. I told them a story of a friend in recovery who prayed the AA prayer every day for six years before she felt impressed to pay her tithing and another two before feeling impressed to go to Church. God doesn't expect to us progress from A to Z in one fell swoop. He is kind, good and He knows where we are and what we need today. He is not about to ask us to give what we don't yet have. He is patient, forgiving and loves us. "If we will respond to His answer to that question every day," I told them. "He won't overwhelm us with His answer. He'll give us just the right measure of challenge and strength to help us grow and progress. Plus He will give us the strength to do it! Our parents, teachers, counselors, friends, or enemies might and often do overwhelm us, but God does not."
One little girl came forward after the meeting and shyly requested a set of scriptures. "I came in here convinced I didn't need God in my life. Now I know I can't possibly make it without Him."
Initially, I asked, "Did Jesus carry a planner?"
"No."
"Unanimous?"
They looked around and all agreed. I asked them, "How do you know?"
"Dunno, we just know."
"So how did He get along then?"
"Life came at Him and He responded."
These are kids with very little if any religious background.
"How did He know how to respond."
"He felt it in His heart. Somehow, he just knew what to do."
"Have you ever known what to do?"
"All the time."
"Do you always do what you know you should?"
"No."
"Why not?"
And we had a discussion about why Jesus always did what He felt He should and why we do not. One answer was, "We get scared."
"When Jesus felt what He should do or how He should respond to circumstances around Him what would you call that?"
"Information from God."
"Would you call it revelation?"
"Sure."
"What would you call it when you feel what you should do?"
"Conscience."
"How about revelation."
"Guess so, but it just makes sense."
"Wouldn't revelation make sense?"
"Yea!"
"Does ignoring it make sense?"
"Obviously not (pointing to orange jump suits)."
12 Step recovery is entirely about connecting with God and receiving His help in overcoming our problems and addictions. The AA prayer, "Lord, what would you have me do today? Please give me the strength to do it?" is all about getting personal revelation. Drunks get personal revelation. They have to or they cannot recover. They have to get it every day, every moment and they have to choose to be obedient to those promptings in their hearts. So it is with all of us.
I spent a few moments helping them realize that God is good and kind. I told them a story of a friend in recovery who prayed the AA prayer every day for six years before she felt impressed to pay her tithing and another two before feeling impressed to go to Church. God doesn't expect to us progress from A to Z in one fell swoop. He is kind, good and He knows where we are and what we need today. He is not about to ask us to give what we don't yet have. He is patient, forgiving and loves us. "If we will respond to His answer to that question every day," I told them. "He won't overwhelm us with His answer. He'll give us just the right measure of challenge and strength to help us grow and progress. Plus He will give us the strength to do it! Our parents, teachers, counselors, friends, or enemies might and often do overwhelm us, but God does not."
One little girl came forward after the meeting and shyly requested a set of scriptures. "I came in here convinced I didn't need God in my life. Now I know I can't possibly make it without Him."
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