I'm Engaged
Tonight my girlfriend and I officially became engaged. I completely surprised her with the time and method of ring delivery. I love her and can't think of anyone with which I would rather spend the eternities.
For Those Who Doubt
"Either there is a God, and that God is perfect in truth and loveliness, or else all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones. The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells in looking at it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."
(George MacDonald,
The Curate's Awakening)
Spiritual Yearnings
"In Nazareth, the narrow road, That tires the feet and steals the breath, Passes the place where once abode The Carpenter of Nazareth. And up and down the dusty way
The village folk would often wend;
And on the bench, beside Him, lay
Their broken things for Him to mend.
The maiden with the doll she broke,
The woman with the broken chair,
The man with broken plough, or yoke,
Said, "Can you mend it, Carpenter?"
And each received the thing he sought,
In yoke, or plough, or chair, or doll;
The broken thing which each had brought
Returned again a perfect whole.
So, up the hill the long years through,
With heavy step and wistful eye,
The burdened souls their way pursue,
Uttering each the plaintive cry:
"O Carpenter of Nazareth,
This heart, that's broken past repair,
This life, that's shattered nigh to death,
Oh, can You mend them, Carpenter?"
And by His kind and ready hand,
His own sweet life is woven through
Our broken lives, until they stand
A New Creation—"all things new."
"The shattered [substance] of [the] heart,
Desire, ambition, hope, and faith,
Mould Thou into the perfect part,
O, Carpenter of Nazareth!"
(George Blair, "The Carpenter of Nazareth")
Want to Buy a Truck
I am in the market for a small truck to take with me to Illinois for school. I am looking for something with less than 100,000 miles that runs well. If anyone in Logan or anywhere near knows of such a vehicle for sale under $5,000, I would appreciate a reply.
Patience
There have been many things this week that have tried my patience. I wasn't grateful for these patience stretching experiences in the moments they were occurring, but I am grateful now for the opportunity to learn and grow that they present for me. Difficult moments stretch the soul and help us enjoy the good times in our lives more fully.
Teaching
"Polwarth did not want to say or explain too much, for he did not want to weaken by presentation the force of a truth which, in discovery, would have its full effect."
(George MacDonald,
The Curate's Awakening)
Patriotism
Somebody asked me the other day if I am patriotic. This question helped me ponder my own beliefs and values. I consider myself to be patriotic, but I believe that some other people might not consider me to be a patriot. I believe in and support the United States so long as this nation chooses to pursue that which is good, just, and decent.
I believe that there is such a thing as right and wrong. I do not support the right to an abortion except in cases of rape or incest and where the life of the mother might be endangered. I do not support any non-traditional definition for marriage. I'm not sure I support a war, although waged against a brutal dictator, fought on incorrect pretenses. I do not support withdrawing troops immediately now that we have gotten ourselves into such a mess. We need to stay in Iraq until we can develop stability there and this might take years and years. I cannot support the racist governmental policies that first protected slavery, then segregation, and then internment. I cannot support the imperialist and colonialist policies of America's past and I would not support them in the future. I cannot support corruption, or greed, or perversion of any sort.
I do support the ideals called for in the Declaration of Independence. I believe that everyone deserves the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe in government of the people and by the people. I believe in equality of opportunity. I believe in loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. I believe in the golden rule: that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. I believe in feeding the hungry, helping the sick, and strengthening the hands that hang down all around us.
When government supports such ideals, you will not find anyone more patriotic than I. I could die for my country's ideals, but I would rather live for them. Nevertheless, when the government starts to work against that which is good and true, I feel like it is my duty to enumerate the hypocrisies often created between its ideals and practices. I think all of us must vigilantly remember that might doesn't make right. Right makes right and it is everyone's duty to fight for right. Remember this powerful truth from the musical
Shenandoah, "If we don't try, then we don't do; and if we don't do, then why are we here?" Real patriotism involves more than passive support or criticism. We must live and fight for what we believe in a way that is consistent with those beliefs. I invite everyone to join me in a new and more powerful type of patriotism; a patriotism of action that will help ensure a better world for us and for our posterity.
My Relationship
You know you're hopelessly in love when two cell phones start to look cute together.
Fireworks
Tuesday I went to see the fireworks in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The company that sponsors the fireworks claims that it is the largest show west of the Mississippi. All I know is that they shoot off a ton of fireworks. Here are some pictures that my brother took of the show.
