Rock Crushers and Katrina Victims

In Students for International Development last week, the guest speaker was the former chief speechwriter and policy adviser to President George W. Bush. Despite my feelings for the former President, I was super impressed with the stories the man told and all the international development that George W. Bush orchestrated. (Most of any US President). One story he told, stood out to me in particular:

Michael Gerson (former chief speechwriter) was visiting in Uganda and decided to visit with some women workers. These women were employed to crush larger rocks with smaller rocks, 8-10 hours a day. These were poor, poor women, who work their tails off so that they and their families can survive. Well while Mr. Gerson was there, the Katrina disaster happened. The women ended up raising $1000 of their own money to help the hurricane victims and presented it to Mr. Gerson. It’s amazing that these impoverished women, were able and willing to raise that much money because they knew helping was the right thing to do. It was more than the Ugandan government gave altogether.

The story literally took my breath away. There is so much we can learn from these women's sacrifice and kindness. I know the economy is bad, times are rough, everyone is struggling... But who can you help today? Who's burden can you help lift? Whose tears can you wipe? Follow the Ugandan women's example, don't hold back, be kind.

Life.

"The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give." ~ William Arthur Ward

improvement.

I feel like there is a storm coming and I can feel it approaching in my soul. And all I can do is:

Run farther.
Eat better.
Pray longer.
Study harder.
Love more.



But I don't really feel prepared, I just feel panicked.

"Long as I remember
the rain been comin' down.
Clouds of myst'ry pouring
confusion on the ground.
Good men through the ages,
try'n' to find the sun,
and I wonder, still I wonder,
who'll stop the rain."

What is Leadership To You ?

"Leadership is the organization of efforts into a common purpose. It is aligning the steps to a goal and taking those steps."

Tommy Montoya- Leadership Education Director, Grad Student.



"Leadership is the consistent allegiance to personal conviction."

Sterling May- Executive VP BYUSA, Returned Missionary












"It is Respect. Kindess. Service. It is to learn and grow."

Kari-Elle Thalman, Vice President: Student Honor BYUSA, Youngster.





"Leadership is being trusted with a set of responsibilities and fulfilling those responsibilities to the fullest."

Cici Nye, Executive Director BYUSA Communications, Beyonce look-a-like.



"Leadership is trying your best to exemplify Christ."

Rachel Schwartz, Executive Director BYUSA Clubs, Great Dancer



"Leadership is inspiring a vision and charting the course."

Chris Peterson, BYUSA President, Recently Married.


















"Leadership is knowing what makes YOU a leader and being the best at. Knowing your purpose and changing the world from it."

Macy Halladay, Student Director Leadership Seminar Class, classy lady




WHAT IS LEADERSHIP TO YOU!?

Eye of Faith

Those with true hope often see their personal circumstances shaken, like kaleidoscopes, again and again. Yet with the "eye of faith," they still see divine pattern and purpose."
--Neal A. Maxwell

I still remained to be shocked every time something doesn't work out how I imagined. But the Lord knows me, if there is a lesson from my mission that I reflect on EVERYDAY, it's that He knows me. He does, and I must continue on that faith even when my image of life becomes as confusing as the glass of a kaleidoscope. However, as inconsistent as the images may be they are ALWAYS beautiful.








"Keep my commandments; hold your peace; appeal unto my Spirit;"
D&C 11:18

I Only Fealt Peace

After a surprise visit from an old friend and mentor today (not to mention an inspiration for this blog), i decided it is time another post is in order.

On Sunday I went to the homecoming talk of my returning Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Hemingway. I not only got to hear their wise voices once again and feel of their unconditional love, but i was surrounded by the largest amount of mission family I have ever experienced to date. Old companions, old friends, old Senior couples in age and the fact that i haven't seen them in a while, old NYRM missionaries that i never met but heard countless stories of and old feelings of love, strength, hard work, exhaustion and success. All of these things could have made my sensitive heart ache (like it has been for the last 6 months), missing that wonderful Western New York Experience. But I only felt peace. Peace knowing I experienced what i needed and now it was time to live my life, be grateful for the blessings i have been given, and continue to rely on the Lord. And MAN did it take a long time but I finally feel it! Longer than most returned missionaries i think. But it is here, and I am learning. And that is all that matters...

But man what a journey it has been...
Here are pictures of all the homecoming's i have been to since I have been home:

Park Coming Home and reuniting with us in St. George




Burnett and Adamson coming home
... and sure Becky and Kim coming to Utah.
... and sure Hunt looking less vampireish




The lovely Dennison homecoming. Best Talks. Best Food.




The Emotional return of Hawker








My Lovely Shakespeare, down in St. George





Peace brought back to my soul, Clark returns!



Don't forget my boys...

Mickelson



Krause
(Still wears his suit)


And of course the Hemingway Reunion!



For all those that stuck by me, thank you. For all those that got frustrated with me, my apologies, and for all those who are ready for some more incredible times.... Bring it on Baby!!!

प्रार्थना

I just returned from the BYU Devotional this morning. An activity in which I, believe it or not, occasionally frequent and it was quite moving.




One story that was shared was about a young Indian LDS women that the speaker had met when she and the dance team were traveling through India. This woman (with an eleven month old child and a husband that was the Branch President) was helping the speaker and her students travel through the busy streets of India. As they were traveling this woman shared her conversion story. This Indian woman who came from the high class of Brahmin, knew in her heart that there was more to spirituality and happiness than what her Hindu faith provided. Specifically she knew that there had to be more to communicating with a higher power than chants and rituals. Prayer. The reassuring and calming power of prayer is what she desperately wanted. Something we probably take advantage of. And she was guided to what her aching heart was asking for, when an LDS acquaintance not only introduced her to prayer but to the Gospel as well. Immediately she began praying as her LDS friend showed her and then a little while later she was baptized. She lost her Brahmin caste status, she has lost contact with most of her family. But now she had joy and faith and the reassurance that somebody is listening.What also makes this Indian women's story amazing is that in India, only 3% of the population is Christian and within that Christianity ONLY 5% of that 3% is LDS. So the fact that she was introduced to an LDS person is an absolute miracle. But the miracle goes further. Because her sister who was in a different city going to a different school at the time of her conversion also met an LDS person. And was introduced to the Gospel and also baptized, unaware that her sister was doing the same thing! They both kept it from each other until finally when they both sat down with each other to tell of their precious secret and ended up blurting it out at each other at the same time! The power and beauty of miracles.

It made me really appreciate my ability and testimony of prayer. How fortunate I am to have the freedom to get down on my knees and communicate with the Divine. Except recently i have been particularly aware of how different my prayers have been from when I was a missionary and have been pondering on why that is. On my mission, my prayers were intense and focused. I realized very early on that I could not help people if I did not have help from Heavenly Father. But after the speaker today challenged us to ask ourselves, "Who can I specifically pray for today," I realized exactly what my prayers were missing! Of course I pray for others but why can't I pray for those in my life now like I prayed for those in Rochester! With same amount of charity, the same amount of intensity and most importantly the same amount of faith. So I pass on that same challenge to you from the BYU devotional, Provo Utah...


WHO CAN YOU SPECIFICALLY PRAY FOR TODAY?

Vibrance

EFY has begun at Brigham Young University, and it has put me in a good mood all day. The buzz around campus makes the dreariness of work seem to just disappear. Love it.

"Living the gospel does not mean the storms of life will pass us by, but we will be better prepared to face them with serenity and peace. 'Search diligently, pray always, and be believing,' the Lord admonished, 'and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly.'"
--Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Finding a Safe Harbor," Ensign, May 2000, 59

Prognosis

It is 10:30 AM, I am at work and my body aches and my mind is cloudy. I have been working since 11 pm yesterday and won't get off until 5pm today. I guess large amounts of working hours in a short period of time comes with the two job thing. As soon as I get off I plan on sleeping until the end of time, and the only social encounters I have had in the last couple days, have been the the BYUSA receptionist and 10 adolescent girls that smell like... urine,cheerios and deodorant.. Oh and did I tell you they call me "McDemon." The only thing in my stomach is large amounts of caffeine and marshmallows AND there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with me...

Diagnosis: Lack of balance in my life.

And I am not saying there is a correlation to my condition and being a recently returned missionary. Because whether or not you are an RM, teenager, 80 year old grandpa, stressed out dad, working mom... Finding balance is something we all struggle with. My new symptom however is that I am constantly thinking about it. Balance, or lack of it. And I think that is RM related. I am always asking myself, "Is my life balanced?" "Is my life balanced?" Is my life balanced?.' I am like the little engine that could, in a therapy session. And I am not sure why this question has become an obsessive priority. On many levels, asking myself this question a hundred times a day seems unnatural, but on the other hand it feels very right, and frankly very essential.

So the question I leave with you is: Is there a cure? Do i need it? And can someone please write me a prescription!


Did I mention I spent my graveyard shift watching 5 episodes of House?

Whether or not my prognosis is correct, I shall go on! It is finally summertime in Provo and the air smells wonderful; I am happy, healthy and God is near! I must trust in Him, follow His guidence and remember His course is forever one eternal round.

"For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round." D&C 3:2

540 Days and 5 Months

After serving a Mormon mission for 540 days. And coming up to my 5 month anniversary of returning from that mission, I am still desperately trying to figure out life! And figure out why coming home was so hard. Only about (an this is an estimate) a billion times harder than leaving for the field of miracles, strict schedules, and a little mission flub. So I have decided to write my thoughts down and create solace amongst this time of faith, learning and prayer.

However I did recently read a quote from Elder Worthlin, (in whom my boss is his grandson) and he said that in life we need to not only believe in faith but to live it.

So that is my goal: To live in Faith. I taught it for 18 months, it should be easy right? Time and this blog will tell I guess!

New York Rochester Mission
July 2008-January 2010