Jan. 21, 2013

Today was 2nd Inauguration of President Barack Obama. It's also MLK Day so there is no school. I was able to watch all of the inaugural proceedings--the ceremony, the luncheon, the parade, and the inaugural balls.

How has God blessed me today?

I've been blessed to live in a free country where I can vote for and express my support for a leader like President Obama. I was proud to vote for him in 2008 and watch him become the first African-American president. I was even more proud to vote for him last November.

He is such an amazing and inspirational president. He is a man of destiny and a man of history. I watch him and I cannot understand how people don't just love him. I don't get it.

Today in his inauguration address he laid out his agenda for his second administration. Immigration reform, equal rights for women and gays, gun control, education reform, etc. He won't get it all, but he can get the ball rolling.

My resolution is to separate myself from friend on social media who post hatred about the president. Life is too short to absorb their hatred and negativity. I've learned that those people can't be convinced otherwise (just like I can't be convinced to swallow their raft of hatred). So, why try? Everytime I log onto Facebook I see anti-Obama crap from lots of my "friends." So, I've unfriended them. I deleted 30-40 people this weekend. I have over 800 friends so I'm sure there will be more to follow.

Some will call that intolerant of other opinions, but the president said it today. "We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate." I'm just tired of people who refuse to respect the president or who still question his place of birth and his faith, or who liken him to Hitler. I'm tired of their hate. Elections have consequences. A majority of American voters (and an overwhelming electoral college) elected him to be president. He gets to put forth his vision for the country. In 2016 someone else will get that chance. But for now...he is the president of the United States. He is the commander-in-chief of the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. He is the leader of the free world....and I voted for him!

President Obama taking the oath of office

Jan. 13, 2013

Skipped a week on my journal. It's been a busy one.

It was a good weekend for me, professionally speaking. We had the Washington Activity Coordinators Association (WACA) board meeting in Yakima. I am the president-elect for the 2013 conference and the president for the 2014 conference. I've been a board member for 9 years. I served 2 years as an area representative, 6 years as the technology director, and this is my first of 3 years in the presidential trio (pres-elect, pres, past pres).

I don't have a burning desire to be in control. That's not why I ran for president. I just wanted to give something back to this organization that has meant so much to me. Anyway, we had a contract signed for the 2014 conference at Semiahmoo Resort, in Blaine up on the Canadian border. But, they closed. So in December we were left high and dry with no place to go for 2014.

I determined that I wanted to bring WACA to the Tri-Cities for my presidential year. I knew it would be a bit of a tough sell. Most of our delegation lives on the west side of the state. But with no viable locations on the west side that are anywhere close to our price range, Tri-Cities stepped up and made us a great offer.

I presented it to the board. We discussed it for a little while, and then we voted. The exec board voted unanimously to bring WACA 2014 to the Tri-Cities. Obviously, I'm pleased.

The other thing that happened this weekend is that I had nominated my friend Jim Qualheim for the WACA Hall of Fame. I can't think of any advisers more deserving. There were 5 other nominees. In order to be inducted you have to get two-thirds of the vote of the board. Jim was a first-ballot, unanimous pick. It's all top secret, hush-hush. We keep it a secret from the winner and invite his or her family to the banquet at the conference and then spring the surprise on him or her right before the dinner. The board asked that since I nominated him, that I introduce him at the banquet too. Pretty excited for Jim.

How has God blessed me today? He has given me the chance to honor my friend among his peers. And He has given me the chance to bring my activities friends from around the state to this beautiful area. I know once they come to Tri-Cities, they're going to love it.

Jan. 6, 2013

Today I was released from my calling as 1st Counselor in the Young Mens Presidency. It was the first time I've ever (in 30 years in the Church) asked to be released. Over the past few months I've just felt like working with the young men hasn't been what I need to do. It became very routine and, frankly, not very much fun. I don't seem to relate to the 14-year-old boys very well, and we have some very challenging young men. Very rude and disrespectful. Not very cooperative. No fatherly support. It got to the point where I was working with kids 5 days a week and then having to do it on Sundays and Wednesday nights. So, after serving with 9 Young Men Presidents (Rich Elms, Dave Volmer, Rick Ewell, Jason Medina, Craig Nelson and Trevor Anderson in the stake, Ryan Slaugh, Anthony Muai, and Tory Christensen) for approximately half of my time in the Church, I decided it was time to ask to be released.

After I was released, each member of the bishopric pulled me aside to give me a heartfelt thanks for my service to the young men. At least I hope it was heartfelt. It's just weird asking to be released. It's quitting. I just don't do that very often. I can't help but think that the bishop's counselors were under instruction to sincerely thank me because the bishop might be afraid that my testimony is struggling.

MY TESTIMONY IS NOT STRUGGLING! In fact, I feel closer to the Lord than I have in a long time.

I was impressed today that Bro Jamin Trevino (who was called to replace me) stood up in testimony meeting and bore testimony that he knows that the Lord wants him to work with the young men know. He knows that's true. Perhaps my asking to be released was inspired.

How had God blessed me today?

He has shown me again that we are all connected and that things happen for a reason.

January 4, 2013

Today was the last weekday of Christmas Break. Just a weekend left and we're back to school on Monday. I had lunch with my buddy Joel Forrester. It was nice to just sit and chat.

I've been blessed to have a good friend like Joel. Eric said something last week that caught me off guard. I went out for a guys night of dinner and last minute Christmas shopping with Joel and Ryan Slaugh. When I got home, Eric asked if I had fun. I did. Then Eric said he was glad I had a friend like Joel in the ward. He said he had been worried because for a long time it was obvious that I didn't have any close friends. I guess I didn't know it was that obvious.

Joel has been great. It's nice to have someone in the ward who gets my sense of humor and who shares my liberal sensibilities--a rare find in the Mormon world.

How has God blessed me today?

I've been blessed with a good friend.

Jan. 3, 2013

How has God blessed me today?

Today was a hard day. Shannon is in Baton Rouge on a business trip. Marlee and I took Eric to the airport this morning to fly back to Utah for school. It's likely that he won't be back in Tri-Cities until June. Winter semester will end in late April. Then he's staying for Spring Term from late April thru mid-June. He's taking summer term (July-August) off from classes but will probably still work on his job teaching at the Missionary Training Center. So, it'll be 6 months before we see him again.

Every time I put that kid on a airplane to fly away, it makes me cry. As I stood there watching him go through the security screening, I felt the tears welling up. Marlee kept asking if we could go, but I didn't want to. When Eric finally gave me the customary wave signifying that he had made it through, I told Marlee we could go. It was all I could do to walk to the car with crying.

That's the way it's always been. When we dropped him off at BYU his freshman year, at the airport for both Thanksgiving and Christmas that year, when we dropped him off at the MTC for his mission, then again at BYU this past August, and again today. I know he needs to go. I know he can't stay home forever. The kid is 22 years old. But watching him walk away literally kills a little part of me.

Before we left for the airport, Eric asked me to give him a father's blessing. He asks me almost every time he leaves for an extended period of time. I appreciate a son whose faith is so strong. That's how God blessed me today.

I know he is fine back in Provo. I know he's where he needs to be. I know that our family can be together forever if we live our lives in such a way to be worthy to do so.