Reset

I had the chance to work out again today at Planet Fitness.  I asked the girl behind the desk about the last time I checked in...it was March 6...almost two months!!

I knew that it had been awhile, but I'm glad that my body didn't fight the workout too much.

But for the rest of the day I was dehydrated, but not too hungry.  I like how working out curbs my appetite.

But more importantly I'm glad that I was able to "reset" my workout habits and start working out again.

Ultimate Frisbee

I haven't played this sport in awhile, but it was so fun playing today at the park.  I remembered playing this game for the first time when I was serving a full-time mission for my church in Los Angeles California.

During time off, the other missionaries in the area got together and played this game.  I didn't like it at first, because I always wanted to play football.  But this game grew on me.  It can be a fast-paced sport where you can change from offense to defense to a drop of a....frisbee :-)

Thank you, whoever invented this game.  And thanks for some great friends who are like family to me.

17 Miracles

I have to admit.  I cried a few times during the movie.  It's a story about the handcart companies that trekked across the plains to get to Zion.  If you love seeing God work mighty miracles, and see the faith of the people, you'd love this movie.

Puts my life in perspective and I'm grateful that I haven't had to sacrifice as much as these people did.

Hmmm

Chance Encounters

It's kinda neat when you come across people when you least expect it. 

I was at the Duval County Public Schools today dropping off some forms.  It was the first time I've ever stepped foot in the building.  As I was giving the forms to the secretary of the department, a familiar face in a cubicle off to the side said hello.  It was one of my co-workers from a previous employment.  

I had been thinking of her off and on for the past couple of years wondering how she was doing.  After we caught up, we began to realized that we were both embarking in the same endeavor, and it seemed like we were going to help each other out in a big way.

And we both knew it was inspiration from God.  

Don't you like those kinds of encounters?

Thank you God for bringing conformation that perhaps I'm headed in the right direction. :-)

Virginia

I was reminiscing the time I was living in Virginia the second time around.  The first time in Virginia I was a toddler in Norfolk.  My dad was stationed there.

This second time around was in 2005.  Just moved from California.  I had a lot of great experiences with the job and my church activities.  I was part of the Mormon Choir of DC, called MOTAB East.  I also played the trumpet for a production of Joseph Smith.

I'm thankful for my brief stay in Virginia before moving back to Jacksonville.  It was an interesting time of my life.  I learned so much about myself, and hope that I can continue to grow from those experiences.

Honestly?

Today I'm thankful that things went well today.  I cannot reveal it at this moment, but it was  life changing event...really two of them.

I'm excited and apprehensive at the same time.  Did I make the right decision?  Is it something I want to do or need to do?

It's something I need to do.  And it's brought some level of peace, but the change that is going to happen...my heart hasn't caught up yet.

Cryptic huh?  Well, you'll find out soon.

Cramming

Today I crammed a lot of fun in a little amount of time.  Church, Concert, spending time with friends.  But tonight my roommate helped me "cram" for a "test".  It's on Tuesday, and I hope I pass.

Thanks for helping me cram :-)

Cars

I do a lot of traveling for work and church and everything else.  Sometimes I would try to imagine life without cars...just horse and buggy.

We wouldn't be such a mobile society.  People wouldn't travel far as a much.  As much as I love the convenience of the car, sometimes I wish we could try to live without it.

Who am I kidding.

I'm thankful for Elsa, my car since 2001.  I bought her used for a good price.  She only had 5000 miles, and now she's close to 270,000.  I hope to keep her for a few more years.

Grapefruit Juice

It's self explanatory.  It's good for you.  Live it. Love it.  Drink it.

And I'm thankful someone squeezed it out for me so I don't have to.

Freedom of Religion

I'm thankful that I live in a country where we can worship how we want to and that there's not one national religion.

It's an interesting topic about whether the Constitution was founded under Christian principals and if so, then does that mean that this is a Christian country.

Well.  Not necessarily.

But if we took the Christian values and renamed them human values...then these human values are true, no matter how you label them.

We have a God given right to be free to pursue our own happiness.  That is a gift he gives us freely and our government should protect that right.

We can choose our own occupation, our own skills, who to help, etc.  It doesn't mean that we will all live equally well or that we need to force others to share their wealth that they so rightly earned most of the time.

We are free to choose for ourselves and live with the good or bad consequences.

And I choose to follow my Heavenly Father's plan of Happiness.

Being Polished

Seems like I'm falling behind on my daily gratitude....so instead of trying to catch up from the weekend, I'll just pick up here and keep on going.

I'm thankful for what I learned at church yesterday.  One of the speakers said something that I am in complete agreement of.  Our life is about relationships, and that we could not live the Gospel, or be purified by the teachings, unless we are polished by each other.

We don't always get along, and sometimes is the rough times of relationships that makes us grow the most.

Loving a friend, or even someone that is like minded, is easy.  Loving someone that you don't get along with, or disagree with their values, is hard.

The Gospel is really for the latter.  Because that's the part that polishes us the most.

I hope that I can have the strength to be able to stand firmly for what is right, but also the humility to recognize when I should really love people for who they are, because I'm sure I have faults too.  The ultimate goal is that we can all help each other make it back to the presence of our Heavenly Father.

I'm thankful for you...even if you get on my nerves :-)  (That wasn't for anyone in particular, just sarcastic humor for those who don't know me)

Education

One thing I preach to students in high school is that education is a great equalizer.  That sounds like Mr. Escalante from "Stand and Deliver", but he says that math is a great equalizer...meaning that it doesn't matter who, what, or where you came from.  A sharp mind...and educated mind...is a great equalizer that makes you valuable in terms of work opportunities.

I'm grateful for my college education.  I don't use it at the moment, but I'm just glad that it's there.

Kind Worlds (Tuesday, April 10)

I'm a big fan of giving and receiving compliments, positive affirmations, and uplifting words from friends, families, co-workers, and even strangers.

Short and genuine verbal gestures can make your day.  I received a little kind word of affirmation today from a friend.  It wasn't anything big, but it meant a lot to me.  So thank you.

I think I've written about this topic already this year, but it wouldn't hurt to share it again.  Be a positive influence on people today, every day.  When there is something nice to say to someone, be sure to make every opportunity to say it.

Teamwork

Today I had fun with my team at work.  And it also made work fun.  We had pizza during our team meeting for doing well with our goals.

When you try to "go it alone", that can be a drag and sometimes your self doubt brings you down.  Having colleagues, partners, etc for work, church, or any organization helps uplift you, and also give a lending ear when you need to "vent".

I know...Vladimir vents?  Yes I have my bad days too :-)

I'm thankful for my colleagues at work, and also my friends and associates at work for keeping it real for me.  And for being a support, even when you think that I don't need any.

Easter

So what can I say?  Today is an easy choice for who I am thankful for.

I'm thankful for Jesus Christ, my Savior.  He died for my sins, and that through the Atonement I can return to live with Him and Heavenly Father again, through repentance and obedience to the commandments.

It's amazing how the salvation of all the worthy souls hinges on this one singular event.  

I love how Easter celebrates His Resurrection, and that He gave us the gift of living again after death.  

Thank you for sacrificing your life for us, Jesus, that we may live again.

Orlando Temple (Saturday, April 7)

I am grateful for the opportunity to go to the LDS Orlando Temple, especially to help with the youth today.

It's especially gratifying seeing the youth participate with the temple ordinances, and seeing how Spiritual they are...and you know teenagers can be.

I also had a chance to start the work for my late Uncle, my father's brother.  He passed away from Colon Cancer a few years ago.  I had a chance to visit with him back in 1999 when I was at a Telemetering Conference in San Diego as a BYU graduate student.  I was able to perform the first two ordinances (baptism and confirmation)  for him, an hope to do he rest soon.

It was just a good Spiritual Day overall.

Model Rockets

Today, I had a chance to do a favorite past time that has been on hiatus for about nine years...launch model rockets.

I happened to stumble upon this hobby by accident when I was in third grade.  Looking for a Christmas present at the Navy Exchange (NAS Jax).  I was a big model airplane fan so when I saw a model of the Space Shuttle, I just had to get it.

When I was putting it together, it started to become apparent that the model was not just suppose to sit on your desk or hang from the bedroom ceiling.  There was a launcher, and some solid rocket engines.  I thought this was the coolest thing ever!!

Well, the time finally came that we went out to a deserted field (which my dad owns now as part of the farm) to launch the Space Shuttle.  We put the shuttle on the railing guide, hooked up the wires to the igniter, armed the launcher, and started the countdown.  When I pushed the launch button, the engine came to live in a sound of fury, and the shuttle took off, faster than I had expected.

As with all model rockets, once it reaches the peak, the parachute is ejected and the rocket drifts down to the ground, but if I recall correctly, I don't think the ejection worked properly, but the shuttle survived.

Fast forward to now.  I had built a rocket, called the "Big Daddy", back in 2003.  For some reason, I have never launched it until now.  But look at the following sequence of pictures.  Quite the launch.

These were the launch off the pad.  The rest are the parachute ejection and recovery.

I'm grateful for this hobby and that I'm back into it again.  

Croissants

Today I am thankful for a simple tasty treat that I got from Winn Dixie today.  They were selling them right when I walked in...probably a day old or something like that.

But nonetheless, I grabbed the packaged and downed some when I got home...and will eat some more tomorrow.

They're not good for you, but for today, I'm thankful for them.

Sacred Grounds - Jon Schmidt

I'm listening to a very Spiritual piece composed by Jon Schmidt called "Sacred Grounds"

You can listen to it here.

The piano is very versatile, but to create a song that is so serene, beautiful, simple, and Spiritual is beyond me.  I'm a great fan of Jon Schmidt, who is LDS.  I've been to a couple of his concerts from BYU to Boston, MA.

It's also a fun piece to play...a great way to bring peace into the home and in your life.

Thanks, Jon, for such a beautiful piece.

Smile

Today I am thankful for all the kind greetings I received to day, from people that I know, to strangers passing by.

There's something really nice about making that human connection with another person.  Look at them genuinely and greet them with a smile and a "hello".

Even when I'm in a bad mood, just this little gesture cheers me up.

This goes along with my mantra of being a positive influence in everyone's lives.  This little bit just adds to that.

Monday, April 2

Eddie's Birthday

I know that today is April Fools day...but I couldn't think of anything to fool people, so I decided to do something nice.

My friend and I decided to bake a cake for our mutual friend Eddie.  He's everything you'd expect with a 50 something man, of Italian decent, who grew up in New York City.  He talks so fast, your head gets dizzy trying to keep up with him.  But he has a heart of gold.

And today is his birthday.  We decided to bake him a yellow cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles on top.  I picked him up on the guise of watching General Conference, which we were.  And as he was walking into the kitchen, I pointed to the cake, and he was nothing but smiles.

During a break of the conference, we lit the candles (only put 10...it would have been a fire hazzard otherwise), and after singing Happy Birthday, he paused and decided to say a prayer, giving thanks to us.

Who ever does that?  Pray before blowing out the candles.

But I can tell he was very moved by this simple gesture, that he had to stop to give thanks.

Eddie has a heart of gold...and a heart of gratitude, of which I'm thankful for.

Happy Birthday Eddie.  And I hope this year is a great and blessed day for you!!

General Conference (Saturday March 31)

This weekend is General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It's like church all weekend long, listening to the modern day prophets about the messages that would help us stay grounded in our topsy turvy world.  

General Conference consists of a two-hour morning and afternoon session on Saturday and Sunday, with a Priesthood session on Saturday evening.  That's 10 hours of sermons!!  You can go to the church building to watch, or if you have cable, you can watch it on Satellite or even via the internet.

Today, I had a chance to watch the "morning session" today and also the priesthood session.  With the advent of Facebook, my Mormon friends and I would post comments of the speakers, of which we'd either "like" their status, or even comment on them.

I'm grateful that we have modern day prophets.  They guide is in these latter-days.  Humans will always be humans, so the struggles we have today are not any different than past eras.  We can easily learn from the scriptures, but how neat it is to listen to living prophets in our current times.  We're gonna need it.