Category Archives: Poems

The Man and the Tree

04 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Fatherhood, Poems

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The Man

There are two ways to look at a marriage of a son or daughter from a parent’s perspective.

One, you will be giving up a son or daughter as they start a new phase in their life. This new phase suddenly changes the way this son or daughter needs you as a parent, or at least to the extent that they have up until that point. So, you feel as if you are losing a family member.

Or, two, you will be gaining a son, or a daughter, and your family now will be expanding, getting larger, more diverse, and getting bigger and better! Instead of the feeling of losing someone, you embrace the feeling of gaining someone else who loves your son or daughter just as much as you do.

Isn’t it funny that the two choices we as parents have with regard to this life changing event, are polar opposites? They couldn’t be more different, or have a bigger effect on the way the family dynamic changes when this marriage actually occurs.

My Father-in-law is a perfect example of how to pull off the second option. From the first time I met him, he has always welcomed me, shown me, and told me that he cares about me. I completely understand how difficult this would be for a lot of fathers. I appreciate that immensely. He has made me feel just like one of his own sons, and for that I give him huge props.

He is retiring now, after 42 years of working for the same company. Even though it took a lot of sacrifice on his part, through ups and downs he always wanted his family to stay rooted where they were.

He has created traditions that have continued through the years, and have expanded through all of his kids, and now into his grandkids lives. An annual Disneyland trip with the whole family is now on year 29. His home, to this day, fills with his kids and grandkids that want to come and be close to home.

That is the strength of this man. He’s quiet about it, but he is a leader. People follow him. Whether they know him from work, or from growing up with him, or from the community. Once you meet him, you love him, and want to be around him. He is a humble man, but great in the things that really matter.

I thank him for always making me feel welcome, and loved.

The Tree

On high secluded mountain side,
a mighty, stalwart tree resides.
Around him gather smaller shoots,
that long for his much stronger roots,

Entrenched so deeply in the ground.
Through winter storm and thunder’s sound,
he shelters those small trees below,
from heavy rains and falling snow.

And then, through wide expansive reach,
Those younger trees below, he’ll teach,
by showing them the way to be,
a strong, mature, and hearty tree.

He shaded me with outstretched limbs,
gave me the time to learn from him,
He showed me what it meant to be,
A wise, and caring Father tree.

A man, in truth, this stalwart tree,
not made of limbs, or roots, or leaves –
His steadfast strength, provides the shade-
protects the home his hands have made

And all who meet, and come to know,
His heart would follow where he goes,
A secret leader no one sees,
A living pillar – like the tree.

He honors pure integrity,
loves truth, hard work, and honesty,
Provides with generosity
for all within his family.

And now, surrounded by the ones,
who love him most, He’ll get his fun!
And with the trees that he helped raise,
Be free at last to spend his days.

 Happy Retirement Curtis!

My Little Brother

02 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Brothers, Faith, Poems

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This photo captures the dynamic of our Brotherhood exactly
 Recently, I was asked to speak on the parable of the sower. So, after consulting my three brothers, proceeded to write the first 7 versions of this talk over the next few weeks. It was pretty awesome, if you like boring regurgitations of 2000 year old parables.

I tried a few versions on my wife for a test run, and although she was quite supportive, said, “Why don’t you just tell a story and make it relevant?” In 6 seconds, she rendered my several hours of study, preparation, writing and thought that I had done so far virtually useless. Of course, she was absolutely right, like always, and knowing that people tend to fall asleep everyday after hearing me talk for even just a few minutes (its kind of my job) it seemed like a much better option.

So, rather than run the risk of putting everyone into a coma in sacrament meeting, I had to go another route. It was just then that I realized that the true message of the parable had played out very distinctly in the life of someone close to me. After reading the parable over and over and thinking of what message would be really relevant to us today it was quite clear that I had to tell one of the best stories that I have ever heard. Its a story of my little brother. 

The basics of the parable are this: A sowers seeds land in three different types of ground or soil. The seeds represent the gospel, or the words of God. The soil types represent the receptivity of our hearts to the gospel. The three types of ground are stony, thorny, or finally fertile receptive soil.

The story Ill try to tell is how this soil can change, it changes over time, with effort, desire, a plow, and poop. because this is our blog, and not sacrament meeting, I will use the word poop, and not manure, although manure is probably more accurate. But the idea is that we are not cursed to keep the soil of our hearts permanently, we can change.

My brothers and I grew up beating each other up, fighting, competing, fighting, beating each other up, teasing each other, fighting, and then teasing each other. We were relentless.  Im the oldest brother, but I’m also the best looking, strongest, and smartest, but so were the other three.

There was always a lot of pressure to beat the other guy, or one up the other guy, or not let the other guy show you up. It wasn’t just in sports, but spilled over into all other aspects of life. The oldest three brothers eventually graduated high school, and went on missions, just like we had learned were supposed to do, the youngest, though, was always a little different. Being the youngest, and a little different than us, he, unfortunately, took the brunt of the teasing, razzing, and ridicule from the older brothers. We were horrible. I was horrible. I was an idiot, a jerk, and everything I wasn’t supposed to be as a big brother. In the context of the parable, I did nothing but sit there and throw rocks into my little brother’s soil. Im sure he just wanted to fit in, be a part of us, be like us, and all the things little brothers want to be. But, I didn’t help out. In fact, I did just the opposite.

Im sure that he felt tremendous pressure to graduate and do just like we did, and go on a mission, Im sure he felt that way from everyone around him, whether real or imagined. Whether purposefully or not. It was just the way it was. But, the fact is, he hadn’t developed a testimony of his own yet, and was honest enough with himself to realize it. He went into the MTC and came home after a couple weeks. I cant even imagine the way he must have felt. Even though he was an amazing kid, he felt alone. His soil was stony.  Mostly because of the rocks that yours truly had sent his way.

But, all of the stupid stuff I did, to make him feel the way he did, makes his story all the more amazing.

Fast forward several years, its 2011, and he’s now married, and has three amazing little girls. but his heart was still stony. He’s going to church, he doing the right things, he’s an amazing father, but his heart was still in the stony phase.

This is where it gets fun. As I hope you can see in the picture above, my little brother is the happy, goofy, life of the party, story-telling-est guy you will ever meet, so I will use the words he used to describe what happened next.

He said that he was tired of pretending, tired of going to church just because, and that if he was going to put in the effort, he needed to know for himself, really, that it was worth it. If it was true. And if so, he had to give it his all, not just show up.

He tells the story of him praying like he had never done before, he prayed with as much effort and heart as he could muster and said that he told God that he had an ultimatum for him, that He had one shot. One. One chance to give him and answer, and that it was going to be tonight. My little brother proceeded to tell our Father in Heaven what was going to happen. He made his demands. For his part,  he would go to the general priesthood session, alone, take notes, pay attention, give it his 100% effort. In turn, he demanded that Heavenly Father tell him, without a doubt, no room for error or question that is was true. He needed to be hit across the head with an answer though, no room for doubt. He said that because he had never really felt the spirit before, that it had to be obvious. (he has since said, that knowing what he does now of Heavenly Father, he would never talk to him like that)

So, he went to the priesthood session, and the first speaker? Elder Holland. Yep. the talk? “We are all Enlisted” Yep. If there were ever a talk designed to smack you across the face this was it. He said that the Spirit didn’t whisper anything to his heart, It yelled at him like a spitting red faced drill sergeant, then put him in a headlock, and then body slammed him.

He said he had learned that night the true meaning of “Ask and ye shall receive”.

So his heart was changed right? he lived happily ever after? not quite. He had just begun.

Stony ground is not made fertile overnight.

This is where the poop comes into the story. Lots and lots of poop. Knee deep poop, the really stinky kind.

In the context of the parable, we need to realize that the crap we wade through in our lives is not actual crap, but nutritious fertilizer that is changing our stony hardened ground, into the fertile receptive soil that the sower can use to grow his seeds. Sometimes the more manure, the better the plant that grows.

My little brother was just getting started. He now had 4 beautiful little girls who adore him. The last two had some health difficulties when they were just babies. Both little girls had mystery undiagnosable medical issues. The youngest little girl especially, Lexi. She would stop breathing for no apparent reason, and turn blue. She also had difficulty eating, she couldn’t hold food down, and she would aspirate and cough whenever she tried. She eventually needed a feeding tube to be placed so that she could get some sort of nutrition.

Because of her breathing problems, My brother and his wife would take turns staying up all night watching her every breath,watching her little chest rise and fall, just waiting for her to stop breathing. It was exhausting.

The doctors and nurses had no answers. They didn’t know what to tell them. The only thing they could come up with was to teach them CPR, can you imagine? “Sorry sir, we have no idea whats wrong with your daughter, but when she stops breathing and is dying, this is what you can do….But this ended up being a skill that they had to use multiple times after she would stop breathing.

One early morning my brother was on Lexi duty, and decided to take her out into the living room so his wife could sleep. He says that a lot of things were going through his mind at that point, and he was pleading with our Heavenly Father for help.  He then said he had his moment. His moment of complete clarity. His moment when he was able to see things as he was meant to see them. He said his mind opened up and he was able to perceive what the plan was for him and his family. He said in that moment of clarity, he saw that he had done everything to help Lexi, but the most important. He was to use the priesthood of God and to give her a blessing, not just any blessing, but a blessing to heal her. Now, this really shocked him, as she had received many blessings up to this point, from great men, but still had her medical problems. But, the feeling came again to him, that right there, right then, He, Lexi’s  father, needed to give her a blessing and heal her. So, he knelt down, put his hands on that little 3 month old girl’s head, and started to speak. When he described that blessing, he said his lips were moving, but the words weren’t his, his thoughts weren’t his, he just sat there in awe as a power came over him, and through him, and the words that did come out of his mouth commanded that little girl to be completely healed.

It took faith, but they pulled the tube out of her nose, cancelled all other doctor’s appointments, and Lexi has never had another problem again.

She is now a happy, healthy little 2 year old girl and you would never know that she had come so close to dying on so many occasions.

Since that night, and other experiences since, my brother, my little brother, has changed the soil in his heart completely. He is a real follower of Christ. The seeds the Savior sowed have now taken root, and through him, a lot of people in his family, and all around him, including me, the big brother, have benefitted immensely from his testimony. I look up to him, and love him. I see him a lot differently than I used to. I can see, in retrospect, that the Lord was preparing him all along to to great things, and, when the time was right, and when he turned his heart to the Lord, it changed.

Our stony soil does not turn into prepared, fertile soil overnight, it needs to be chopped up, churned, tilled, and sometimes, a lot of crap has to be heaped on it. If we do all this, we will be prepared for the Sower, our Savior.

Through all of this, I have learned from my little brother how to better follow, and love, my Big Brother.

Four Brothers’ Prayer

On bended knee, we turn to Thee,
and offer up our soil,
For His good seed, we’ll nourish, feed,
And labor, sweat and toil,

And from His living water’s well,
and light from Thine own Son,
Our plant gains root, and grows, and swells
Towards Him- the chosen One.

The Girl I See Today

22 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Baptism, Poems

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Sophie

My Sophie girl is turning eight!
Excitement’s in your eyes!
Your birthday’s come, you couldn’t wait,
To finally be baptized!

A constant smile across your face,
And plan for this whole day,
To be a special birthday race
For you, in just your way.

And even though the gifts you get,
Can bring some happiness,
They don’t compare, you won’t forget
Your heart swell in your chest!

As we descend in water clear,
in clothes so clean and white,
we’ll feel the Holy Spirit near,
And feel the Savior’s light.

You’ll promise with your little heart,
to His, so big and pure,
that you will follow, do your part,
And with His help, endure.

For even He, a perfect Man,
Lay down in water’s grave,
And thus fulfilling God’s command,
To willingly obey.

Then both together, we will stand,
in water clear and true,
And to the square I’ll raise my hand,
As Spirit fills the room.

And then I’ll hold you close to me,
Immersing down below,
And rise above, now pure and clean
And light as falling snow,

And then, the part I love the most,
my hands upon your head,
Confirming Gift of Holy Ghost,
God’s blessing will be said

And as you seek to use this gift,
Your heart will fill with love,
From Holy Ghost, our friend that lifts,
With strength sent from above.

And then you’ll grow up, time will fly!
but in my heart you’ll stay,
My little girl, in daddy’s eyes,
the one I see today.

I Love you Sophia!

-Daddy

The Sower

20 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by in Poems

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The Sower

The Sower’s hand will send forth seeds to plant within the soil
But only fertile ground achieved by faith, and sweat, and toil,
Is ready to accept at once, and cultivate this seed,
And give it root, to firmly stand in opposition’s breeze.

And stony ground some seeds will find, and shoot up right away,
but rootless lives will prove short-lived in scorching heat of day.
And thorns that choke, and steal the light creep softly to the soil,
With pleasures, cares and riches do attempt our ground to spoil.

But we must till and cultivate our hearts just as the land,
In preparation for the touch, and love from Sower’s hands.
And with His living water, and His light, will start to grow-
His words – in fertile soil, wherein the Master’s seeds are sowed.

See Mathew 13:3-9

If Dr. Seuss was a Mormon

19 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Poems

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If Forest Gump was an avid reader of our blog, I’m pretty sure his famous quote would have actually been “This blog is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”. This post is no exception. As much as I’d like to say the following poem is a newly discovered, never before seen, unpublished work found in Dr. Seuss’s old sock drawer about his conversion to the LDS faith… it’s not. I will also admit that I’ve spent probably too much time thinking about what Dr. Seuss’s conversion story would look like if it actually existed. So, having explained all that, welcome to the artificial LDS conversion story of Dr. Seuss. (that he never wrote!) Yepper, expect the unexpected on this blog.

I hear a knock at my door, two young men there? Tell me more!

“I am Sam”, “and I am too, we’ve come to bring the Gospel to you”!

This Mormon church? I haven’t searched, I do not know this Mormon Church.

In my hands, by and by, a book or Mormon?  I don’t know why.

I will read it, I will spy, to see why, you brought it by.

As I read, I learned why! I know why, you two brought it by!

The truth is here, in this book! Just read its pages come and look!

I can read it here or there! I can read it anywhere!

I love to read it night and day, and read what all the prophets say.

I feel the spirit here and there! I can feel it anywhere!

As I read and do by part, grows 3 sizes does my heart!

I know it’s true, and so can you! I know I do, do you know too?

It makes me happy, it makes me smile, I want to go the extra mile!

It’s changed my life, and will change yours! It opens eyes, hearts and doors.

My testimony though still growing, is like a seed I’m now still sowing.

Can I share it with anyone! I can share it with everyone!

With the tall and with the small, I’ll share with them one and all!

I can share it here or there, I can share it anywhere!

I can share it with all I meet, the ones I see on Mulberry Street!

I can share it at my job, with my crazy boss named Bob.

I can share it with a Cat, a rhyming cat who wears a hat!

I can share it in a box, with a fox wearing socks,

I can share it on a plane, in the rain, or on a train!

I can share it at the game, during the stretch in the 7th frame,

I can be the Lord’s tool, If I live the golden rule!

I can be an example too, to be like Christ in all I do.

For we are all his “sneetches”, and to us he teaches,

Stars on thars, or stars on ours, walking slow or driving cars,

We need to love, one and all, for a person is a person, no matter how small!

This wacky Wednesday, the Gospel  seek, or seek it every day this week!

Today’s the day to fill your cup, today is a great day for up!

For that is where Christ will take you, he can change you to brand new!

Oh the places that you’ll go, you CAN come to know!

With the Gospel, come join me! You will love it! You will see!

That’s my mission and my goal, to live with God and be made whole!

Aside from trying to squeeze as many of Dr. Seuss’s books, phrases, or characters slyly in there, I really wanted you to notice above all else the attitude of the character once he’s converted. He can’t help but live it, spread it, share it, and love it. He understands that he can share it with anyone, anywhere, at any time, in fact, he doesn’t even limit his sharing the Gospel to humans. He fully plans on dropping it on a couple animals too. Dude is a missionary for sure! He doesn’t plan on reserving his testimony to those only in his ward, and only on fast Sunday. He understands his testimony and this gospel isn’t to be a light under a bushel… unless of course the intention is to light the entire bushel on fire to spread the light even more! Let’s do the best we can to follow his example.

I know it. I live it. I love it.

The Riddle of Opposites

14 Thursday May 2015

Posted by in Poems

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How is it when I close my eyes, that I better see?

For that is when they truly open, to a greater degree.

How is it when I am alone, I know that I am not?

For that is when they encircle me, after their protection I’ve sought.

How is it when the words aren’t mine, I have so much to say?

When my hands are placed upon a head, and Heaven’s message then convey.

How is it when I tremble weak, I always feel so strong?

For that is when I can sense, heaven pushing me along.

How is it when my mind is empty, it’s completely filled?

For that is when I learn the most, and knowledge in me instilled.

How is it that my two mites, far exceed the greater sum,

and the more I give away, the richer I become?

How is it that the Spirit whispers, yet can overcome the loudest sounds?

It’s never seen by the eye, yet can be felt all around.

How is it when I kneel so low, I can reach so high?

Although I’m on the very ground, I reach beyond the sky.

How is it faith is free, yet worth far more than Gold?

Earned in many places, yet it cannot be sold.

How is it Heaven so far away, is so very near?

When I enter God’s Holy House, and my mind becomes so clear.

How is it when I’m giving, I’m truly just receiving?

The greater gift goes to the giver, and it strengthens my own believing.

How is it when I lose myself, I am also the most found?

For when I lose myself in God, I am anchored safe and sound.

How is it when I look outward, I see what lies inside?

I feel the words and love of Christ, and feel him close beside.

How is I’m so incomplete, yet completely whole,

filled with flaws and empty, yet completely full.

How is it that when I let go, I’m securing holding on?

When I heed his call to go, from the comfort I stand upon.

How is it that the more I feast, the greater that I hunger?

The words and lessons deeper now, than when I was younger.

How is the simple complicated, and a mystery to some?

While to others it makes perfect sense, and answers freely come?

How is it that the answers lay, standing within the very questions?

How is it this leftward logic, is often the right direction?

How is it that for you and I, what allows us to stand tall,

was a successful failure, result from history’s greatest fall.

How is it this fall allowed for death, yet also allowed for birth,

this fall the only way we prove, our worth upon this earth.

How is it that our Savior lived, just so that he could die?

This Lion as a lamb did come, to secure hope for you and I.

To me it seems to be, if we are open and perceive,

we realize Heaven is just the opposite, of how this world believes.

So our duty here on Earth, is to spread God’s truth and love,

so we can live here below, like they do above.

Mother’s Day

09 Saturday May 2015

Posted by in Motherhood, Poems

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Mother’s Day

Your “Mother” job demands your time,
To hear the cries, the screams, and whines.
“I’m hungry, Mom!”, “What can I do?”
“Wasn’t me!”, “Where’s my shoe?”

“Can I have some?”, “Mom!, come-ere!,”
These never ending sounds you hear,
The never ending time you spend…..
Yet, still, you hope it never ends!?

For, somehow, placed inside your heart,
Is strength to understand your part
In heaven’s plan to raise the ones
He’s lent- two daughters and two sons.

Who idolize and comprehend
Your sacrifice to this great end,
And will someday be overcome
With gratitude for what you’ve done.

As I am now, for I can see
The strength you are for them and me.
Your gift was sent from high above
A pure display of mother’s love.

I Love You Catie! Happy Mother’s Day!

The Hypocrite’s Mirror

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by in Poems, Pride

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 In 1820, the country was full of religious crazies. This pressure cooked environment was the catalyst for Joseph Smith’s desire to pray to know which of all the competing churches were true.  For each of them preached christianity, yet would privately, and not so privately, denigrate and attempt to disprove each other.

     We now know, that in response to his simple prayer, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and told him that “all of the churches were wrong”, and that he should join none of them. The personage who addressed Joseph also loosely quoted two scriptures to describe the men who were leading the churches in 1820. Isaiah 29:13, and 2 Timothy 3:5.

Isaiah 29:13

  “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”

2 Timothy 3:5

  “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

     Those churches leaders were not genuine. They were all bark, and no bite. All fluff, no substance. I’m sure they said all the right things, appeared to live the right way, but were not motivated by the proper end goal. They wanted more parishioners filling their churches. They wanted to be the winners, or the ones with the biggest congregation. It was a competition. They were hypocrites.

     To a certain extent, we are all hypocrites, because we know what we should be doing, how we should behave, how we should treat each other, and how we should be within the church.  But, we all fall short.

     What is the difference between ourselves, and the preachers in 1820? We have the truth, but do we live it? do we pretend to live it? Have we tried to make the gospel who we are? All these questions are ones we should ask ourselves, and see if we can take one step closer to getting rid of our hypocritical tendencies, because we all know how much the Lord loves hypocrites….

 

Hypocrite’s Mirror

When I stop and look at me
What exactly do I see?
Do my actions every day
mirror what I teach? or say?
Do I see a child of God?
Or just elaborate facade?

Am I who I claim to be?
Or, am I like the Pharisees?
Who loudly preach humility,
with proud and boastful piety,
Who say the words, and play the part
Yet stray from God within their heart.

Does my appearance matter most?
Or, worthiness for Holy Ghost?

When God looks deep inside of me,
Will He be pleased with what He sees?
A phony hypocrite, am I?
Or truthful, honest, free from pride.

For after all, it’s WHO we are,
Not WHAT we do, that gets us far
Tho’ worldly praise may man impress,
It falls well short in Heaven’s test.

The Garden

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by in Poems, Resurrection

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Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to live during the time of Christ, and to have actually witnessed those important events that took place to change the world?

Imagine what it must have been like to witness the excruciating final hours of his mortal life. We would have watched as he was beaten, scourged with 39 lashes from a whip embedded with rocks and sharpened bone designed to tear and rip apart the flesh as it pierced His back.

We would have witnessed the Man we saw heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, and do nothing but show absolute love to everyone around him, collapse under the weight of the very cross from which he would hang.

Imagine the sense of utter unfairness that we would have felt, as He was subjected to an illegal court and sentenced by the very ones who should have been preaching His gospel.

Imagine the despair we would have felt when the man we came to believe as the Son of the Almighty God, allowed himself to be mocked, and nailed to a cross, and left to suffer for hours hanging there, as evil, self-righteous men laughed at him.

Imagine the anger, confusion, dismay, and helplessness that we would have felt. We would have pleaded with Him to lift His hand, and stop the injustice! We would have wondered why, why, would he allow those evil men to win?

We would have felt just as He did, that we were abandoned, and forsaken by the very God of whom He testified. How could such an injustice be allowed to occur to His own Son?

How would we have felt when we could see, through those men, the devil himself claiming victory over the God of all creation?

imagine what it would have felt like seeing the only hope for mankind hanging lifeless on the cross, seemingly defeated by flawed, mortal men. How trying on the faith of His followers must it have been?

Imagine seeing the one who you had gained a testimony of, bloodied and bruised beyond recognition. The eyes that had emitted pure Godly love to you personally, now swollen shut and lifeless.

Imagine how difficult it would have been to maintain your faith through that day, let alone for the days and years to come.

There could be no darker feeling of hopelessness and total despair. He was laid in a borrowed tomb, and forgotten by many. Even His apostles went back to their former lives.

Until the third day.

Imagine that the storms and tumult have ended. The sun returns, and quiet has been restored. Imagine being in that secluded humble garden where, just as He did when He was born to the earth, He returned with humility and power.

Imagine the hopelessness being instantly replaced with hope, the despair replaced with absolute joy!

This was the third day, the resurrection. He had taken up again His body and was glorified.

This is exactly why He is so integral in our life. It’s through him that all the sorrow is replaced with hope. Through him, death is not the end. Through him happiness can be eternal. This is why we need Him- So this contrast of dark and light can take place within ourselves.

This is the message of the resurrection, that darkest night of sorrow and dispair can lead to brightest happiness and hope.

The Garden

The beaming sunlight of the day,
spilled over mountain, through the haze,
and bounced upon the flowers’ bloom
to warm the rocks of Jesus’ Tomb

The peaceful morning’s quiet light,
had ended restless, violent nights,
When earthquakes came, with lightning’s fire,
As nature’s God unleashed His ire,

Now heaven’s hand would end the night,
From garden, now, would spring its light,
The Roman guards had run away,
When Angel hands their strength displayed

Removing stone that tomb had sealed,
Unveiling power once concealed,
The garden’s peace, now bathed in light,
rejoiced with Heaven at the sight!

Of Risen Lord! In perfect form!
Resurrected from the storm,
of death and sorrow’s loneliness,
With Peace, and Hope, and Righteousness!

The Son of God, The Prince of Peace,
To whom all bow on bended knee,
God’s brightest light, and Eldest Son,
had darkest night and tomb o’ercome,

That all, through him, may live again,
and shed the shackles placed by sin,
To once again, with tear-streamed face,
Enjoy our Father’s warm embrace.

The Mirage of Stuff

29 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by in Poems, Treasure

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In a talk I listened to recently, it mentioned a story about greyhound dogs. These dogs are the slick racing dogs that are trained to race after a mechanical rabbit. The only problem is, its a mechanical rabbit. These dogs, because of the time they spend in training, and their experience, don’t even recognize a real rabbit when they see one. They have been completely fooled by the mirage of a fake rabbit, or a pharisaic (inside joke) rabbit if you will. One that looks like a rabbit, runs like rabbit, but when you peel off the furry outside, its nothing but cold steel inside. 


In the race of our lives, we need to catch ourselves before we get caught up in the mirage of chasing fake rabbits, and be able to look at things through the perspective of the big questions…


1. Where did we come from? 

2. Why are we here? 

3. Where are we going after this life?


We need to guard against the constant barrage of temptations that may, on their face, not seem so bad. For instance, is it so bad to want a larger, nicer home for your family? Wouldn’t a nicer car be so much safer for my family to drive around in?  All these questions are rhetorical and not meant to pass judgement on anybody at all, but this is exactly how we get caught up in the treasures of the world. Sometimes that stupid mechanical rabbit looks super realistic. Is there anything wrong with working hard, earning a good living, and providing for the family? Of course not! Quite the opposite is true.  It is our duty to do so. But, not at the expense of losing sight of what a real rabbit looks like. 

Proverbs 11:28 “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch”

D&C 6:7 “Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.”

Mathew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The Mirage of Stuff

We hunt for treasure endlessly,
a brand new car, new phone, TV,
a bigger house, expensive clothes,
A fancy boat or quad, or both.

The race for all the nicest things,
does nothing but frustration bring,
And wastes the effort we invest,
to pile up treasure, to impress
the other racers in the game,
determined to do just the same.

The worldly treasures that we seek,
act as mirage, just out of reach,
that disappear as we draw near,
now dust, where diamonds once appeared.

For THINGS do not bring happiness-
but heart that’s proud and covetous,

But, BEING righteous, kind and true,
honest, faithful through and through,
Will lay up treasure that endures,
And Heaven’s mansions will be yours.