Harbors

The picture above is a different angle of a childhood staple for me: the lighthouse and harbor in Santa Cruz. I remember thinking that the concrete 'jacks' that were all stacked on top of each other seemed so random and strange. I thought that they were just scattered there arbitrarily, only to realize as I grew older that they were placed with great purpose and care to ensure the best support structure to absorb the shock of the waves that could sometimes pound towards the shore. All of the boats within the harbor would have been damaged or destroyed by some of the storm waves that could come in. The lighthouse was there to guide them in.

It's the same with the way the Lord protects us. Sometimes the events He places in our lives to help protect us seem random and scattered, and we don't realize until we're a bit older and wiser just what He's been doing to help shelter us. We may still take a bit of a beating, but those things inside us, our virtue and hope and spirit, remain intact and buffered. He stands always as a lighthouse to guide us in to that safe harbor, whereas we might not want the random, clumsy looking events he offers us, instead opting for rougher waters that initially appear a better choice.

Also, I always liked digging for crabs and starfish that were randomly found on those things. Random thought.

Help from Christ through ordinary people

I want to focus more on the word help. Two summers ago, I moved up to the Salt Lake area for an internship with a consulting firm. I was extremely busy with work. I was working a lot and even then, I put in a lot of overtime. I really wanted to make an impact at my company. Needless to say, because of my work, my social life was non-existent. I attended a singles ward in South Jordan and because I worked so much I didn’t attend any of the FHE activities or anything the ward hosted during the week. When Sunday came along, I would show up to Sacrament and sit by myself. I would then go to Sunday school and sit by myself and then again in Elders Quorum. For nearly two months, this was my experience at this singles ward. No one made an effort to introduce themselves or even say hello. The only person who I remember talking briefly with was the Elders Quorum President and it was just so I could give a prayer. It was really difficult being there.

There was one Sunday where I felt like not going to that singles ward. Instead, I was going to just randomly attend another singles ward in the area. However, as I was getting ready, I felt impressed to try the South Jordan ward one more time. I went and, again, sat by myself in Sacrament and Sunday school. But when I sat down in Elders Quorum waiting for the meeting to start, a brother, who I did not recognize, sat next to me. He had a big smile on his face and introduced himself to me. We then spent the next 10 minutes talking and after the meeting was over, we talked for another 20 minutes or so. After I left and drove home, I felt edified and uplifted. I felt as if someone actually cared about me. I don’t know if anyone else has been in this situation before, but for me, that visit meant so much to me. It was not only a blessing, but it was a help for my life.

I don’t remember his name, but I will always remember what he did for me. He exemplified Christ. He sought out the one and carried me back into the fold. He provided a sincere smile which gave me the motivation to being better. He helped me understand what being a christian is all about.

sweet picture but would not me post....

Living in a technical world we often assess situations in terms of cost benefit analysis-- whether we realize it or not. Is my utility best used in this capacity or in another one? While this line of thinking is practical and very applicable in countless situations, it nonetheless is inherently flawed due to its reliance on rationality. For when humanity attempts to calculate each risk, planning for the effects of our actions we eventually begin to lose our humanity. In approaching the topic of hope it is necessary to acknowledge our reliance on rationality because without doing such, we inevitably fall into a technical or rational way of thinking about hope. We think that if we perform x, y and z that all will fall into place, and if it does not we recognize that all will work out eventually. Hope is not necessarily this though. It is something incomprehensible to the human mind—it is the mercy of God in its highest form which renders unforeseen and epic change. The idea of hope has been morphed into tacky greeting cards and kitschy slogans, even though it entails much more. Due to the commercialization of hope though--it is often written off and thought dismissible, a fool’s gold if you will. Hope like faith however, is something which is not seen yet understood, recognized on a supreme level resonating within the human psyche, and a manifestation of divinity and its power in its purest form. Hope is the cause for rejoicing when all rationality rails against it.

Courtney's Entry

Hope is one of the Christ like attributes that I need to work on developing. The opposite of hope is discouragement. Once we let a trail bring us discouragement we decide to fail. But when we face a trail with hope, despite all conviction that reveals inevitable defeat, at that moment we win. One of my favorite stories shared in conference was when President Uchtdorf talked about his mother and the missing train containing himself and his siblings. She left for a moment to find food, and returned to find the car missing. Despite her deepest fears, she ran from car to car searching for her children. Finally, she found them. I feel like the root of most failure is the failure to hope. A lack of hope is paralyzing. We often hear President Hinckley quoted when he said that fear is the antithesis of faith. President Monson has said in several cases that fear and faith cannot coexist, because one will inevitably overpower the other. A Dutch philosopher names Baruch Spinoza (who does not have the same authority by any means, but brings up an interesting idea) said, “There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.” I think that hope is our first and last straw. Something to think about…

hoop kibo von - however you say it, we all mean the same thing.

We're All In This Together (High School Musical Anyone?)

The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell

"There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possilby broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies ad little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in the casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.
I believe that the most lawless and inordinate loves are less contrary to God's will than a self-invited and self-protective lovelessness. ... We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offereing them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour. If your hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it."
-C.S. Lewis The Four Loves
I believe with all my heart that the quote by Elder Holland that Maridee posted is true. We have the guarantee of victory; there is light at the end of the tunnel. But that is speaking of an end result. It can be the end of a certain trial, or it can be the end of a lifetime. It is not a guarantee that we will not suffer along the journey. Elder Holland spoke of the safety that Christ promises as a harbor. The harbor is the place a ship rests, is repaired, and awaits its next journey, or the continuation of its current journey. The harbor is real; as real as the winds, waves, and rainstorms of the journey we are making. We are all making a journey to the Celestial Kingdom. This will require change to occur between now and the time we reach our final destination. Some of the change I have undergone (with plenty still to go) has been the result of the wear of the road to higher ground. The quote above by C.S. Lewis was one of the ways the promised help and healing came to me in one of the harbors I needed to rest in. From the quote I learned that I was meant to keep continuing down a path, even though the journey was terribly uncomfortable and inconvenient. I have posted it in case there is anyone else walking a similar path.
I am reminded very much of what Elder Neuenschwander said about how his study of the Humanities has increased his understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Until the next Harbor!

His Arms...

Hope According to Samuel Johnson

Its Okay to Laugh

Harbors and Storms

The first devotional speaker that I ever heard at BYU was President Boyd K. Packer, and he made the profound statement that we are now living inside the great and spacious building. All around us are song lyrics and JPEG's, YouTube videos and DVD's laced with desensitizing content.

Yes, there are harbors from the storm-- the church meetinghouse, the temple, the home-- but perhaps even more comforting is that when we have no choice but to brave the storm, the Lord has prepared us with the things that ensure our survival.


Generally, building a harbor doesn't mean throwing out our iPods and laptops. I don't believe that is what Elder Holland meant in his talk. Rather, the harbor is the internal discipline that disciples of Christ develop on a daily basis. It is the daily habit of making correct choices. No daunting wave can capsize a Latter-day Saint who has prepared a harbor in his heart and mind.


It is interesting that the ideas of storm and safety were mentioned not only by Elder Holland, but also by the President of the Church. In his closing remarks, President Monson said that he was reminded of the Lord's words in the Book of Ether. The Brother of Jared had sought His help in preparing ships to cross the great deep. The Lord said:

"Ye cannot cross this great deep
save I prepare you against the waves of the sea,
and the winds which have gone forth,
and the floods which shall come."

President Monson stated, "My brothers and sisters, He has prepared us. If we heed His words and live the commandments, we will survive this time of permissiveness and wickedness-- a time which can be compared with the waves and the winds and the floods that can destroy."

If the Lord has prepared us, then what have we to fear?

The Joys of the Temple

When I think of the word temple, I think of a safe place. The temple is a safe place from the cares of this world-a safe harbor if you will. The picture to my left is of the Portland Temple, the first temple I ever went inside. When you walk inside the waiting area, there is a beautiful atrium with many colorful flowers, thin green trees, and unseen wonders. It has always been my favorite place inside of the temple, not only because I could think but I could also rest my thoughts. I was able to gently gaze around at the beauty surrounding me. I could close my eyes and fill that same peace as if I was alone at sea, resting in a boat in a peaceful harbor. But temples are not just safe places, or places in which you can be freed from the world, but a place to come near unto Christ. I have never felt closer to my savior, than when in that temple atrium.
Temples are a beautiful gift to us on this earth, for God gave us a house in which, if we are worthy, we can come closer to him. I encourage everyone especially me, to never take the temple for granted, but to go to attend it often.

„In the holy temple the precious plan of God is taught, it is here that eternal covenants are made. The temple lifts us. It exalts us. It stands as a beacon for all to see and points us toward celestial glory. It is the house of God. All that occurs within the walls of the temple is uplifting and ennobling. The temple is a place of tranquility, it is a place of kindness, and love, and light.”-President Thomas S. Monson

Don't worry!

One evidence for God's love is the way He cares about the details of our lives. At least, He wants to hear about the details. He wants us to pray to Him, to ask for help when we need it, to say thank you when He blesses us, to show our love to Him. We love Him because He first loved us, and sent His Son to give us a way back to Him. I am so grateful for His loving care. I know that He will be there to bless our lives. Always. We don't have to worry.

And now.... for a complete switch in topic of conversation AND the game you've all been waiting for! (drumroll here, please) NAME THE MOVIE QUOTE! Here you go. You have three guesses. The first one to guess correctly wins..... the satisfaction of having good taste in movies. "True love is the greatest thing in the world. Besides an MLT... Mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is perky... I love that." (No fair looking this up on IMDB. That's cheating.)

Hometown Feeling