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Category Archives: Preparation

Properly Preparing for a Prize-Winning Passage Past Prevailing Pathways

28 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Riley Alexander in Preparation

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Last summer my 3 brothers and I met up for our annual “Brothers weekend” in Moab Utah to go mountain biking. As is my personal custom and personality I packed at the last available second procrastinating as much as humanly possible. This clearly flawed system has proven itself every time to be a horrible and negative preparation tactic, yet despite that fact I do it on EVERY vacation.

Quickly after the Brothers all met (Colby and Casey flew in) we planned to “hit the trail”. As we unloaded from the truck, I wish I could say that I was “shocked” to find I had underprepared but that would be a lie. My first mistake was my choice in helmet. I had brought my full face motocross helmet (because it looks totally awesome) yet failed to realize that wearing that type of helmet would be like 4 million times too hot for the weather and situation in Moab I knew I would be in.

I am grateful for my brothers. Not only did Tyson bring his own helmet and the helmets he agreed to bring for Colby and Tyson, but he also brought one more “just in case”. Tyson’s preparation insured my trip to Moab didn’t include multiple IV’s sticking out of my body due to heat exhaustion or any awkward mouth to mouth resuscitation by Colby or Casey. The bike riding was a success and super fun.

On the last day of the trip after bike riding all day I got cleaned up and ready to change. To my horror my preparation (lack of preparation) again reared its ugly and in this case stinky head. As you may or may not know, when men exert much physically in the heat of the day for hours on end and sweat profusely they surprisingly do not emit a pleasant rose like aroma. So the fact that I didn’t have a change or shorts was alarming. I was left with 2 options:

Option #1 – Wear gross shorts from day 1 that I’d warn all day while mountain biking in hot Moab.

Option #2 – Wear gross shorts from day 2 that I’d warn all day while mountain biking in hot Moab.

One of my favorite movie characters is Jason Bourne so with my back against the wall, I thought to myself “WWJBD” (what would Jason Bourne do). Sadly, after the tumbleweeds blew across my mind the only thing I could think of was created a new option, which was:

Option #3 – Wear no pants at all for the rest of the day and the entire drive home!

I feared option #3 would automatically revoke my invitation to any and all future events for the rest of my mortal life with them. So, in a last ditch effort I threw a “hail Mary” and asked “does anyone have an extra pair of shorts?” Again, Tyson answered the call! I was saved, as were the eyes and nightmares sure to come to my brothers. This also staved away the relentless retelling of this event at every family reunion for the rest of mortality.

Like the class did with my wood shop project in high School spoken of in my last post, I can often teach how to do something by providing the example of what NOT to do. The fact is, we need to be prepared.  Not just physically prepared, but spiritually prepared also. If this experience were compared to the parable of the 10 virgins I would have been found asleep without a lamp, at the wrong side of town, 2 days past the decided date, at 11 in the morning, thinking I was going to a birthday party.

My preparation was not good! It was awful! I could have done a lot better, yet I didn’t. It was my own fault and under any other condition I would likely have suffered the consequences for my lack of preparation. Yet through the preparation of my older brothers, I was saved.

In real life however and eternal salvation the parable holds true. We alone are responsible for our preparation and faith. I can help but I can’t make others read the scriptures, go to Church, do their home teaching, go to the Temple, or prepare in any way. In other words, I can’t prepare for you. We alone must do the work for ourselves. We can ask for the help of others of course, but we first need to have the desire to help ourselves or even their help is in vain. What we decide to start with, or continue with is up to us, we just need to start or continue! If I had any advice for myself or others, it would be to prepare spiritually in the exact opposite way that I prepare for vacations. We can’t afford to procrastinate, wait, under prepare, rely on others or not take serious our spiritual preparation. As with anything to do with Christ, there is always help. One of the most amazing things about growing stronger spiritually is that we can help and be helped by others along the way! We’ve all heard a story about righteous courage that spurs us with a desire to be better. We’ve all heard that testimony that raises us to another level. Words are so effective in our journey if we allow them to be. Hearing powerful words of testimony yet failing to act upon them is something I think we could all improve on. Let us strive to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only”. Let us every day try to better ourselves and also uplift others. Let us make a commitment to be better, to do better, to treat others better and we will naturally find ourselves nearer to Christ than we were prior. After all, we know what’s coming… we just need to be ready for it. Oh, and don’t forget to “pack enough shorts”.

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I Really Like M&Ms

06 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Tyson Alexander in Food, Preparation

≈ 1 Comment

A few years ago I had a problem, a serious problem.  I was addicted to peanut M&Ms. Now, before you discount this as a funny story or even a non-serious problem, I should impress upon your minds the seriousness of the matter.  This problem was in every sense of the word an addiction. It was unhealthy, unrelenting, and insatiable, and – as a hallmark feature of a true addiction – I was largely unaware of the magnitude of the problem while ensnared in its chains.

I had, have, and still do love peanut M&Ms more than any human should, and this particular problem started when I was visiting one of my brothers’ homes in Arizona.  He had a large jar of candy sitting on the counter and it just so happened that this large jar of candy was filled (literally filled, like a swimming pool of sugar and peanuts and chocolate) with peanut M&Ms.   While we were there visiting this candy jar was available for any and all to partake at their leisure.  No limits, no effort (except for lifting off the candy jar lid, which I soon just left sitting on the counter for ease in stuffing my face more quickly), no parental influence to tell me that was enough (after all, I was an adult right?), nothing but myself to govern my appetite for the delicious treat.  This trip (in which I ate the majority of his candy) was only the beginning of my problems.

Soon after this initial frenzy, and my true discovery of these M&Ms, I quickly transitioned from ‘wanting’ them to ‘needing’ them.  I needed them every day.  I needed them to be by my side to give me comfort when I was weak.  I needed them to speak peace to my heart when others were mean to me or didn’t understand me.  I needed them to assure me that everything was fine and I needed them to feel good (this is healthy right?) – and it just got worse from there.  Soon, not only did I ‘need’ peanut M&M’s, but I ‘needed’ them in a larger quantity and with less frequent breaks.  At first, a small (single serving) package would fill the void, which quickly transitioned to me ‘needing’ a ‘tear-n-share’ size bag.  This seemed a simple enough transition, after all, good + more good = more good.  Then, over time, my dependence upon M&M’s grew and I needed a ‘small bag’, then a ‘large bag’ (I completely skipped the ‘medium bag’ since it seemed appropriate).   This problem escalated into my ‘need’ for a family size Ziploc bag (you know, the kind you get at Walmart or Costco in the mega bulk section) which I would hoard for myself and devour in a weekend.  Read that again to understand where I was…I would consume an entire 45 oz. bag of peanut M&M’s in a weekend – by myself.

What happened next, was disturbing, but also very logical.  I began to store them.  I began to think to myself “what if I can’t go to the store and buy more?” or even worse, “what if I want some (need some) and don’t have any?”  That was unacceptable to me, so I ALWAYS had more than I needed just in case I wanted some.  In fact, I remember a time when I went to the store and bought 2 or 3 ‘tear-n-share’ size bags for a trip only to reason with myself that ‘I would probably need more’ so I went right back and bought twice that amount.  I am not proud of this.   When I was home, I hid them in various locations (in case someone found one stash – I would always have another).  I was totally prepared for any event, because I knew that I would be safe and that nothing was going to prevent me from enjoying M&Ms.

Now, the law of diminishing returns is in full force when you eat M&M’s.  But that doesn’t stop most people, and it certainly didn’t stop me from trying to plow through it chasing the delicious taste of the first few M&M’s (you know, the one’s I could taste before my body started begging me to stop).  I would make myself ill each time I would feast upon them.  Many times I would go to bed in an absolute state of sugar-coma vowing to not go quite that overboard next time – only to eat a bowl of M&M’s for breakfast the next day.  I had M&M’s in my baseball bag, my golf bag, my wallet, the pocket of every pair of pants I owned, my computer bag, my car, and probably my scripture bag.  There was no activity (including sporting events that I participated in) that was exempt from the tentacles of my disease (yes I did also buy them at the snack shack).  I made sure of that.  I even painted a pumpkin in the image of a yellow M&M for Halloween.

To be fair and honest (as you can imagine) I gained 40 pounds during these dark times.  40 pounds!  Imagine if you put 40 pounds of M&M’s on a scale, because that’s exactly what my hindquarters and midsection was comprised of (your welcome for that image in your minds) and it was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination.

Flash forward a few years to now – and I have shed this habit.  I still love M&M’s but I managed to free myself from their addictive powers, and since I can see a lesson to be learned from this experience, including turning weaknesses into strengths (See Ether 12:27) I’d like to relate it to a parable that we all know; a parable in which my M&M’s can (and hopefully will be) likened to ‘oil’.  This story is found in Matthew 25:

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

If we consider my love for, storage of, preoccupation with, and constant protection of M&Ms a ‘simile’ for what we should be doing with our ‘oil’ we can learn a valuable lesson.  Do I have sufficient storage of oil in my lamp?  Am I worried that if I take a trip I might run out?  Am I worried that my rate of oil consumption is more accelerated that my rate of oil storage?  Do I have enough oil stored up in case of emergency?  What about Saturday night when I know the store is closed on Sunday?  Have I prepared my oil stash to last the night or next day?  What about if we were bears and I had to survive a long harsh winter in a cave?  Have I stored enough oil for myself?  Have I helped my family store their oil?  Do I have various stashes in case one gets spoiled?  Am I confident that no matter what happens I can and will have access to this oil in time of need?

This gathering and hoarding of oil is a good thing – and the more weight we add the better.  Imagine the spiritual pounds we will add if we continually seek after, feast upon, and store this oil to the same degree that I did with M&Ms.  There is no law of diminishing returns with this oil – in fact it’s the opposite – the more we eat, the better it tastes, the more ravenous we become and the more spiritual pounds are added to our hindquarters and midsections.  Then, when the rubber meets the road and the bridegroom comes – we will have enough in our store to abide the day.  Those without stores of oil or ‘no meat on their bones’ will be left asking those who appear more plump to ‘give us of your oil, for our lamps have gone out’.  These spiritual pounds are not shareable, and they are only gained by repeated consumption of spiritual food and the only advice we can give at that point is to ‘go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves’ – or in other words – go get yourselves some M&Ms and start eating.

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