A window pops up. 'Updates are available,' it says. The OK button blinks temptingly, but you know you must resist! For clicking it will thrust you into a world of frustration.
'To download updates, current applications must be closed,' a new window says. It is a warning that any unsaved work will be lost.
On the most frustrating of days this warning will pop up as the computer simultaneously closes the applications in question, and all of your work is lost forever.
Beware the software updates...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Parable of the Bicycle
I needed to get out of the house and do some thinking. It was Saturday and I had to give two talks the next day in church. One in ward, and one in another. I had been informed of the speaking assignment a few weeks earlier, but due to a tight school and work schedule, not to mention an over active social calender, i had had no time to even think about what I was going say.
I always do my best thinking when I am on my bike, so i get on my bike and started to ride. As i worked the peddles around with my feet i noticed that the the chain was a bit clunky. My bike needed to be oiled. i had known this for some time, but i had not had time to oil it. Nor did I think I had time to oil it now. I need to just get out there and think.
We all have these kind of activities in our lives. Activities where we get our get some good thinking done. It is almost a form of meditation. The activity relaxes us and we feel free to think. It is in these times of introspection that we are most likely to receive revelation from our Heavenly Father as well. This is the reason that I needed to be out on my bike! I had to get these talks ready!
i had just made it to the top of my street, and my mind was finally clearing when my clanking clanking bicycle chain locked up and my bike was brought to a sudden halt. In an instant my quiet refuge from the world was gone. I had to wheel my back back to my house and oil it up. After that it was as good as new. But I had lost precious time. If I had only taken the time to take care of my bike this would never have happened. I had just taken it for granted that my bike would always be there and work for me, but my impatience had cost me this time.
This isn't just a story about a bike. Think about it. What or who in your life have you taken for granted. In our impatience and our hurry, we may be leaving some people in our lives out to rust. Don't let it stay that way. You have the oil, and you can raise them up. Don't wait until it is too late, the chain will lock up and you will have lost something.
I always do my best thinking when I am on my bike, so i get on my bike and started to ride. As i worked the peddles around with my feet i noticed that the the chain was a bit clunky. My bike needed to be oiled. i had known this for some time, but i had not had time to oil it. Nor did I think I had time to oil it now. I need to just get out there and think.
We all have these kind of activities in our lives. Activities where we get our get some good thinking done. It is almost a form of meditation. The activity relaxes us and we feel free to think. It is in these times of introspection that we are most likely to receive revelation from our Heavenly Father as well. This is the reason that I needed to be out on my bike! I had to get these talks ready!
i had just made it to the top of my street, and my mind was finally clearing when my clanking clanking bicycle chain locked up and my bike was brought to a sudden halt. In an instant my quiet refuge from the world was gone. I had to wheel my back back to my house and oil it up. After that it was as good as new. But I had lost precious time. If I had only taken the time to take care of my bike this would never have happened. I had just taken it for granted that my bike would always be there and work for me, but my impatience had cost me this time.
This isn't just a story about a bike. Think about it. What or who in your life have you taken for granted. In our impatience and our hurry, we may be leaving some people in our lives out to rust. Don't let it stay that way. You have the oil, and you can raise them up. Don't wait until it is too late, the chain will lock up and you will have lost something.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Where You Are Is Safe
My heart sped up a bit as I looked 300 feet straight down over the edge of the cliff. A little nervous about our resting spot, I inched closer to my five year old, Joseph, making sure he was within arm's reach.
While in Las Vegas with my wife's family for Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, my brother-in-law, Matt, took me, two of our boys, and one of their cousins climbing in Calico Hills, an enormous escarpment found in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the mountains just west of Las Vegas and only a short drive from his house.
We had made our way to our resting point by scambling up narrow ravines, climbing rippled layers of red sandstone, and hiking along the ridges of fossilized sand dunes. For the most part, the find-your-own-way hike allowed us to create a hike easy enough for the kids. However, a number of times we found ourselves in some steeper, class 3-type climbs that tested the boys and made this dad a little nervous.
On the way up, I followed behind Joseph in case he slipped. On our way back down, I went ahead of Joseph, offering help when needed, but truly trying not to be TOO overprotective. Having fallen behind the others, Joseph and I were alone for a moment as we descended a steep crack in the sandstone. As I tried to show him the safest way down, he said to me, "I step where you step, dad, because I know that where you are is safe."
Since we were on a man hike, I had to hurry and blink away whatever it was that had caused the sudden moisture in my eyes.
I was touched by his expression of trust. I was also struck by the analogy to our mortal journey through life. In all the difficulties of life, it is important to follow in the Savior's footsteps. He is the Way. If we go where He is, we will be safe.
However, the moment passed quickly. A few minutes later, we reached a flatter area where the terrain opened up, and my son's commitment to following in my footsteps was forgotten as quickly as I was in the relative safety and the excitement of wanting to race around like his cousins.
I was a little disappointed to be tossed aside so abruptly. Yet, I couldn't help but notice that the change in circumstances only broadened the metaphor I was experiencing. We can be so quick to forget Him when the trail smooths out. Even after experiencing His guiding influence, divine intervention, or broad-daylight miracles, it can be so easy to slip away from the path He walks when the fun of our friends' activities calls.
Looking back, I am grateful for the trust my son expressed to me as his father that day. I am even more grateful for the perspective my Heavenly Father offered me. May we commit to follow in the safety of the Savior's footsteps and have the dedication and discipline to walk where He walks not only when the path is difficult but when it is smooth.
While in Las Vegas with my wife's family for Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, my brother-in-law, Matt, took me, two of our boys, and one of their cousins climbing in Calico Hills, an enormous escarpment found in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in the mountains just west of Las Vegas and only a short drive from his house.
We had made our way to our resting point by scambling up narrow ravines, climbing rippled layers of red sandstone, and hiking along the ridges of fossilized sand dunes. For the most part, the find-your-own-way hike allowed us to create a hike easy enough for the kids. However, a number of times we found ourselves in some steeper, class 3-type climbs that tested the boys and made this dad a little nervous.
On the way up, I followed behind Joseph in case he slipped. On our way back down, I went ahead of Joseph, offering help when needed, but truly trying not to be TOO overprotective. Having fallen behind the others, Joseph and I were alone for a moment as we descended a steep crack in the sandstone. As I tried to show him the safest way down, he said to me, "I step where you step, dad, because I know that where you are is safe."
Since we were on a man hike, I had to hurry and blink away whatever it was that had caused the sudden moisture in my eyes.
I was touched by his expression of trust. I was also struck by the analogy to our mortal journey through life. In all the difficulties of life, it is important to follow in the Savior's footsteps. He is the Way. If we go where He is, we will be safe.
However, the moment passed quickly. A few minutes later, we reached a flatter area where the terrain opened up, and my son's commitment to following in my footsteps was forgotten as quickly as I was in the relative safety and the excitement of wanting to race around like his cousins.
I was a little disappointed to be tossed aside so abruptly. Yet, I couldn't help but notice that the change in circumstances only broadened the metaphor I was experiencing. We can be so quick to forget Him when the trail smooths out. Even after experiencing His guiding influence, divine intervention, or broad-daylight miracles, it can be so easy to slip away from the path He walks when the fun of our friends' activities calls.
Looking back, I am grateful for the trust my son expressed to me as his father that day. I am even more grateful for the perspective my Heavenly Father offered me. May we commit to follow in the safety of the Savior's footsteps and have the dedication and discipline to walk where He walks not only when the path is difficult but when it is smooth.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
A Toast
I'd like to propose a toast, a toast to health and family. It sure is amazing how your health can be an afterthought one day and then dominate all of your thoughts the next. What happened to the good ol' days of being sick just so you could stay home from school and watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off? On the bright side, having health problems is a fun and exciting way to appreciate good health and is also a great way to learn humility.
I'm very grateful for the built-in support group that families provide, and truly grateful for mine. As a wise man once said, "A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. So here's to health and family!
I'm very grateful for the built-in support group that families provide, and truly grateful for mine. As a wise man once said, "A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. So here's to health and family!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Go About Doing Good
It caught me off guard this season, as it always does, to see change that comes over people during the holidays. The Christmas spirit brings out the best in so many people. I was further surprised at how short lived that spirit was. The past month has been filled with Christmas carolers and well wishers. The news was reporting stories of people at Starbucks paying for the stranger behind them, and people were nice to each other. Then, on January 2nd, it all disappeared. I was snapped back to reality that day at work during an unpleasant encounter on the phone with a particularly disgruntled IT Director, who had apparently been the recipient of a large amount of coal for Christmas.
The Christmas Spirit is the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost; the only difference is that more people naturally feel the Spirit at Christmas time. We should be feeling the spirit with that same intensity all year! We should be nice to people all year long! That should be our goal anyway. Don't be like the jerk on the phone. He'll get his.
President Faust gave a talk last year to the young single adults about keeping a high self-esteem. In it he mentioned that we should love ourselves enough to say "hi" to a perfect stranger. There is wisdom in this. People feel better about themselves when they are nice to others around them. It doesn't do a lick of good to be a jerk to anyone. You are only hurting yourself. So be nice to others. Try it. I dare you.
The Christmas Spirit is the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost; the only difference is that more people naturally feel the Spirit at Christmas time. We should be feeling the spirit with that same intensity all year! We should be nice to people all year long! That should be our goal anyway. Don't be like the jerk on the phone. He'll get his.
President Faust gave a talk last year to the young single adults about keeping a high self-esteem. In it he mentioned that we should love ourselves enough to say "hi" to a perfect stranger. There is wisdom in this. People feel better about themselves when they are nice to others around them. It doesn't do a lick of good to be a jerk to anyone. You are only hurting yourself. So be nice to others. Try it. I dare you.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Potty Training and the Plan of Salvation
I walked in on an interesting conversation tonight between my wife, Lynette, and my three and a half year old, Nathan.
Lynette: "Nathan, just sit on the potty for a second before you get in the tub."
Nathan (without attire): "No."
"You don't have to GO potty, just sit on it for a minute."
"No."
"If you don't like it you can get up, but just sit."
"No."
"Joseph's going to use the big potty. Why don't you sit on the little potty at the same time?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No." (Just as an aside, he gets his stubborness from his mom.)
At this point, I decide I better slip out before I end up in a conversation about why we decided to have a third (due in April). But I wasn't quick enough, and Lynette and I ended up in a long discussion about potty training and ultimately the principle of agency, the ability to choose, while Nathan ran around the bathroom repeating, "I'm getting in the tub. I'm getting in the tub." (An insight into what good kids we were blessed with that while he is too independent to sit on the potty, he is too obedient to get in the tub without Mom telling him it's OK to do so without having sat on the potty like she said.)
As we discussed our next approach (including the merits of tying him to the potty), it was clear to me that while agency is something I want for myself, as a parent I am reluctant to give it very freely. It's a whole lot easier just to tell my kids what to do. It would save everybody a ton of time and pain if my kids would just do what I say instead of wanting to figure stuff out for themselves. I'd have to clean up fewer messes, fix fewer broken things, and apply fewer bandages.
If God reads blogs, He's shaking His head right now.
How many messes of mine has He had to clean up because I'm still learning how to recognize what He already knows would be best for me? How many feelings have I hurt? How many people have needed my help that I have ignored? How many sins have I committed that the Savior has had to suffer for? On a larger scale, how many wars have been fought? How many people have been killed? How may children are abandoned? All because so many people have abused their God-given right to choose.
Wouldn't it have been easier to make us be good? To force us to be kind?
Easier maybe, but not better.
If I make all the decisions for my boys, how will they learn anything other than to resent me? If their only choice is to do what Dad says or be punished, how will they ever learn to choose what's right because it makes them feel good rather than out of fear?
God is perfect and so is His plan for saving us. He knew the only way for us to be like Him as the Savior commanded was for us to learn to use our agency appropriately--to try and sometimes (often) to fail. But that is why the Savior came anyway, to provide a way for us to get back on our feet again after falling down.
So we will continue trying to help Nathan understand how to apply his agency appropriately when it comes to potty training, and God will continue to let us try to figure out how to do that. In the process, hopefully we all learn something about both potty training and God's plan of salvation.
Lynette: "Nathan, just sit on the potty for a second before you get in the tub."
Nathan (without attire): "No."
"You don't have to GO potty, just sit on it for a minute."
"No."
"If you don't like it you can get up, but just sit."
"No."
"Joseph's going to use the big potty. Why don't you sit on the little potty at the same time?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No." (Just as an aside, he gets his stubborness from his mom.)
At this point, I decide I better slip out before I end up in a conversation about why we decided to have a third (due in April). But I wasn't quick enough, and Lynette and I ended up in a long discussion about potty training and ultimately the principle of agency, the ability to choose, while Nathan ran around the bathroom repeating, "I'm getting in the tub. I'm getting in the tub." (An insight into what good kids we were blessed with that while he is too independent to sit on the potty, he is too obedient to get in the tub without Mom telling him it's OK to do so without having sat on the potty like she said.)
As we discussed our next approach (including the merits of tying him to the potty), it was clear to me that while agency is something I want for myself, as a parent I am reluctant to give it very freely. It's a whole lot easier just to tell my kids what to do. It would save everybody a ton of time and pain if my kids would just do what I say instead of wanting to figure stuff out for themselves. I'd have to clean up fewer messes, fix fewer broken things, and apply fewer bandages.
If God reads blogs, He's shaking His head right now.
How many messes of mine has He had to clean up because I'm still learning how to recognize what He already knows would be best for me? How many feelings have I hurt? How many people have needed my help that I have ignored? How many sins have I committed that the Savior has had to suffer for? On a larger scale, how many wars have been fought? How many people have been killed? How may children are abandoned? All because so many people have abused their God-given right to choose.
Wouldn't it have been easier to make us be good? To force us to be kind?
Easier maybe, but not better.
If I make all the decisions for my boys, how will they learn anything other than to resent me? If their only choice is to do what Dad says or be punished, how will they ever learn to choose what's right because it makes them feel good rather than out of fear?
God is perfect and so is His plan for saving us. He knew the only way for us to be like Him as the Savior commanded was for us to learn to use our agency appropriately--to try and sometimes (often) to fail. But that is why the Savior came anyway, to provide a way for us to get back on our feet again after falling down.
So we will continue trying to help Nathan understand how to apply his agency appropriately when it comes to potty training, and God will continue to let us try to figure out how to do that. In the process, hopefully we all learn something about both potty training and God's plan of salvation.
Friday, December 28, 2007
In the Beginning . . .
In the beginning the blog was without form, and void; and blankness was upon the face thereof. And since neither of my brothers wanted to go first, I said, "Here am I." So here I am.
Welcome to Olsondipity, our effort at giving voice to not only the what's in our lives but the why's as well.
Among all the day-to-day events--the humorous and the ho-hum, the exciting and the irritating, the big things and the really not-so-very-big things--we hope to share the experiences that weren't meant just for us. We hope to see the divine within the mundane. We hope to recognize and remember the hand of God, orchestrating the score of our lives.
By so doing, we hope to help keep our friends and family updated not only on what we are doing but what God is doing for us.
As you read our posts, we'd love to hear your thoughts on what God has done for you lately. We hope reading and sharing is worth your time. We know it's already been worth ours.
And this is only just the beginning.
Welcome to Olsondipity, our effort at giving voice to not only the what's in our lives but the why's as well.
Among all the day-to-day events--the humorous and the ho-hum, the exciting and the irritating, the big things and the really not-so-very-big things--we hope to share the experiences that weren't meant just for us. We hope to see the divine within the mundane. We hope to recognize and remember the hand of God, orchestrating the score of our lives.
By so doing, we hope to help keep our friends and family updated not only on what we are doing but what God is doing for us.
As you read our posts, we'd love to hear your thoughts on what God has done for you lately. We hope reading and sharing is worth your time. We know it's already been worth ours.
And this is only just the beginning.
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