President and/or Precedent

Recently, the 2012 GOP has been of a significant interest to me. Beth and I don’t have cable but I am constantly visiting news sites (CNN most often) to check out all the new info on the upcoming candidates for president. It has made me wonder almost constantly what kind of leader I want for President of The United States of America. There are good qualities in most of the candidates. Political propensity, policy, personality, and popularity are all factors that I’ve noticed play a large role in the process. I think I’ll call them The Five P’s of a President ;) Though all of these features certainly play a role in turning a candidate into the president they are not necessarily key in turning a candidate or a president in to a great leader. Unfortunately, based on results, that seems to be the common trend.

The greatest leader that has ever directly affected me was my mission president, J Nathan Hale. That man knows what he is doing (even when he is doing something he’s new to)! As a mission president he taught me several principles that I now find essential in becoming a great leader. First, a great leader has a vision of what those who are following are to become – an understanding of their potential. Second, a great leader is there to serve the followers constantly(Mark 43-35) – he knows he/she is there to help you bring about the goals that lead you to realizing the vision(Luke 22:27). He is a provider. Third, He has a set, detailed plan to bring about the goals – this includes a detailed evaluation of where the group currently sits. That great leader is then willing and able to personally oversee that vision constantly. Fourth, the leader sets the example and plays the prototype in every, single detail. (John 13:3-15 in reference to principles 3 and 4). Fifth, the greatest leader is kind and has sincere love, charity, and compassion toward ALL those he serves. Though he may not be well-liked among all those he leads/serves, perhaps not even the majority, he will be known and even respected by many for honoring principal qualities. I have identified these five virtues as The Five P’s of Precedent; recognizes Potential, Provides, Plans, sets a Prototype, exercises good Principal.

As I look at the GOP candidates for 2012 these are things I will be looking for now. I desire to point out that the five features I noted above are in strict accordance with anyone who desires a great president – regardless of religion. Does the president think America is great, will he meet America’s specific needs(economy, jobs, policies, foreign affairs), does he have a specific plan to do so(check out their websites…), will he lead by example and from the front, and what principles does he live/lead by? I suppose there is one other P that is essential in the finding us a great leader – we the People.

Finding Inspiration in the Details

Where’s the Inspiration?

This week I’m having a difficult time deciding what to blog about. It’s an interesting phenomenon to me because this week I took extra measures to make sure that I had insights to record for myself. On Wednesday I bought a small notebook to keep in my back pocket everywhere I went. I decided that in that notebook I would record notable spiritual experiences, powerful quotes I heard/learned, thought provoking themes, and even things that I wanted to be sure to remember to take care of later on… Here is a list of my recordings (Wednesday through last night)

• · Buy “The Element of Style” –William Strunk and E.B. White – for writing scientific articles
• · Price of portable steam iron on amazon?
• · Translocation of radial glial cells
• · Chemistry behind blocking solutions
• · Where/what are tocopherols from?
• · $ of hair clippers online?
• · How much is 1 uCi?
• · E-mail Dr. Noctor/Chris about how to do the most effective time lapse
• · Frozen yogurt w/o Beth – Everything is better when your wife is there (if it isn’t it should be).
• · “My Name is Khan and I’m not a terrorist” the power of humanity and love. “We will overcome” “Don’t let your fear get in the way of your goals”

As I went through this list I just now I realized the power behind it. The inspiration is in the small but delicate details of my life. It isn’t just a list or random events/thoughts from my week – as I first thought it was. It is a list of things that I felt important enough to do or take note of for doing. They are steps that I believe will help to make me a better and more effective person. They are thoughts and experiences that God, through his tender mercy, enabled me to recognize.

I’m thankful(v. 15) for my notes this week and now they will be even better next week. My goals and experiences are part of a strategic plan that will help me prepare for Heaven(v 8-12). The translocation of radial glial cells may not make a big difference but it gives me a special knowledge that is best achieved in this life. Recognizing my love and need for my wife is an experience that is best had now and not later.

In the movie, “My Name is Khan” humility and total dependence on a “Higher Power” (v. 9-14) is something that one, I, can’t help but feel. “There are good people and bad people, there are no other differences.” I have no greater desire but to be a good person. I have learned through that desire that Jesus Christ teaches me better than any other personage how to be that best person. I know that God is his Father and that their plan for us, God’s children, is perfect. As I come to Him with my shortcomings He will answer my prayers, heal me(ll-19), and turn my weakness into strengths.

Here’s a list that has now helped me take a step toward the reality of Eternal Life:

• · Buy “The Element of Style” –william Strunk and E.B. White – for writing scientific articles
• · Price of portable steam iron on amazon? or this one
• · Translocation of radial glial cells
• · Chemistry behind blocking solutions
• · Where/what are tocopherols from?
• · $ of hair clippers online?
• · How much is 1 uCi?
• · E-mail Dr. Noctor/Chris about how to do the most effective time lapse
• · Frozen yogurt w/o Beth – Everything is better when your wife is there (if it isn’t it should be).
• · “My Name is Khan and I’m not a terrorist” the power of humanity and love. “We will overcome” “Don’t let your fear get in the way of your goals”

Being a friend and "The Friend"

As you may or may not know I've been working at Shriners Hosptials for Children, a non-profit organization, for my internship. It is there that I am doing research on the development of Autism and Spinal Chord regeneration. I am so happy with my choice to come here for so many reasons - I love the lab, I have a great P.I., Beth and I love Sacramento/California in general, she has a great job, the ward/local church congregation is awesome, AND I find it extremely inspirational to go into work everyday and see children being blessed by the goodness that still exists in this world.

One of the goals of Shriners Hospitals for Children (SHC) is to provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal condition, burn injuries, and other special healthcare needs utilizing love, friendship, and family oriented service as a main tool. They then educate physicians and conduct research to further this cause. Children who need it most are transported with their families, free of charge, to the nearest Shriners Hopsital, sometimes hours and hours away. The service has no regard to health, race/ethnicity, gender, economic standing, or any political agenda - only sincere need. For example, a day care facility in Mexico recently burnt down and SHC provided everything that 11 children could have needed. These children, and thousands-millions more with varying needs, need friends. I'm thankful some have found the friend they need.

I wanted to put this plug in because it demonstrates true friendship - a key quality in being a disciple of Christ. And true friendship is something that I want to demonstrate better.

Here is where I'm at:

--- Children at Shriners help me want to give my friendship to all those in need of it - those in the corners of society.

---10 months ago I married my best friend. Last night I watched this movie... Valentines Day about how true love comes as a part of doing just that! It made me realize that I need to be a better best friend - showing how thankful I am of what I have and being much, much, much more selfless.

--- I called my best friend Emma and she expressed how excited she was for our new news, becoming even more a part of our family

--- Making new friends with a family in our area who wants to go back to church.

I've also been studying these passages; Luke 5:1-13, 12:27-30, Luke 14:16-24. These stories demonstrate many attributes that are essential to being a true disciple of Jesus Christ; selflessness, charity, love, care, priorities, virtue, not hypocrisy, humility, and friendship. Friendship is the quality that I am focusing on this week. Christ was the ultimate friend to me and still is - He is to all of us. John 15:13 - "And greater love hath no man this, that he lie down his life for a friend"

Pessimist, Optimists, or Realists...?

I've always struggled and have been a bit frustrated with the categorizing ofpessimists, optimists and realists. I've most consistently wondered what specifically makes a realist "realist": - I think "optimists" can certainly be "realists" and what makes a "pessimist" so prone to say that they are just "realists". I typically get frustrated at pessimism but I often wonder... struggling to know if I'm too optimistic and am often leaving behind realism...

At my internship we've been struggling to get results on a particular experiment we've been conducting where we monitor the birth, proliferation, and migration of cells/neurons in the spinal chord. It has been quite a struggle for just over four weeks now. (Research in general can be somewhat discouraging at times - they say it has a 90% failure rate). I think failure is common when we aspire to do new great things and these failures cause me to question when optimism begins to be foolish, pessimism begins to be disheartening, and realism really lies.

In regards to failure, Thomas Edison is known to have said, "I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." Mustard seeds are tiny(1-2mm in diameter) but grow remarkably fast up to 9 feet tall. Would it be foolish of this mustard seed to say, "next season I'll be 9ft tall!"? I imagine it would be realistic...

Jesus, the greatest teacher of all time, performed the greatest of miracles known to man and performed them often. His disciples were often optimistic at the idea of them too performing these miracles - after all their Master, "gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." I suppose this optimism could have easily been harassed on many occasions, like when they could not heal a boy of his mental disease.

"I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him," were the words of the boy's father to Jesus. These were the words of Jesus to the disciples in regards to why they could not heal him, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." He also called the people present "faithless and perverse". To me it seems that Jesus teaches that we are often not optimistic enough. Perhaps, if the disciple had more faith and confidence the people, the father, and the boy would have had faith sufficient for the healing to take place.

It seems to me that optimism is realism when we really believe. Christ also said this to the people of ancient america, "And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." To all the King of Kings extends the invitation, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

This is my conclusion: Pessimism is realism when we simply don't have enough faith and belief to be optimists. Optimism is realism only when simply do have enough faith and belief to be optimists. And realism is only what we really believe, which needs be in accordance with God's will.

Today, the experiment I mentioned earlier worked. Now I just need to keep on believing.

Getting what you need

Our Recent Life

Sacramento has been great recently. Beth and I are pretty much all settled in and we're moving along. There are so many things going just right for us. I can't even explain all of it. We have been enjoying bike rides and walks in our nice neighborhood, trips to the temple only 15 mins away, and our new jobs. Beth is grateful for her job at Inalliance Inc. where she coaches the developmentally disabled on how to be better job holders/volunteers and I am loving the research going on at Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shriners seems to appreciate me to because they offered me a paid position following my internship until school starts up again in September. We love our apartment and the ward we're a part of.

Recap

When we were first preparing to leave for

Sacramento we were in and out of the financial aid offices trying to get together what we needed for the move. We were waiting on a tax return-hoping that it would arrive in time, trying to get our grants in order and rushed, still arranging a contract with the apartment we had found, and Beth hadn't found a job yet. Ultimately, I felt like I did not have a whole lot to offer the situation. We had been working up to that point and I had studied my hardest at school but that is really not much... I felt at times like we were driving down a dirt road an old truck with nothing good to help. I did have hope though - I knew that in every moment I was trying to follow the Savior, magnifying my calling, doing my home teaching, and trying my hardest to be a supportive husband.

Similar Stories

On two occasions 4000 and then 5000 men, not including women and children, left their homes, villages, and even food to listen to Jesus Christ. After listening to Him they were tired, more than likely close to fainting, and it was time to leave back to their homes to rest and eat. But Jesus was "moved toward compassion toward them" and said "they need not depart, give them to eat" and "I will not send them away." These multitudes did not have much to offer - The multitude of 5000 men could only offer "five loaves and two fishes" and the later multitude of 4000 could only offer "seven loaves and a few little fishes". On both of these separate occasions the Lord blessed the food and by His grace multiplied the few resources into an excess. It was noted that "they did all eat, and were filled." Furthermore, they were always left with extra to gather up in their baskets.

I hope this story accurately demonstrates the life of our family. I have offered much but to follow the Lord and He has taken what little I have and multiplied it in excess. He is Wonderful.

Preparing a Way

In "The Way Back" one motivated man liberates others from a Siberian Gulag - a preparer of the way.

Elizabeth and I have been more recently captivated by inspirational movies that demonstrate the awesomeness of man and their ability to do great things that seem impossible. We've been

watching movies that involve trial, conflict, and overcoming or just movies that make us want to be the better people - like "The Way Back", "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", "American Violet",and most recently "Wretches and Jabberers".

In "Wretches and Jabberers" "two men with autism embark on a global quest to change attitudes about disability and intelligence. In this movie two men go against the odds and prove to thousands that they are intelligent. They have been trapped in a world that is much less than perfect where they cannot communicate with others due to their neurodevelopmental disabilities. They prove that they are intelligent when they learn that they can communicate, though slowly and with difficulty, through typing - "we are more like you than not" they say and teach the significance of unity - a powerful principle to be applied in zion. Tracy, Larry, and the others with autism they overcome adversity of the world to help others with autism be able to move forward in this world and live better lives. They are two amazing examples of preparers of a way.

I believe that the Lord often sends us to areas, job positions, families, and even specific

bodies in order for us to prepare a way for others to come. We can establish means for many

others to gain their standing in the Kingdom of God. In a sense can be like a modern day Jo

hn the Baptist. Just as he prepared the Way we too can prepare a way for Christ to come to the lives of others and for others to be better/have better circumstances.

Referring to John the Baptist the Lord said, "Among them that are born of ^awomen there hath not risen a greater than ^bJohn the Baptist." He was great because he prepared a way, acted by baptizing him for whom he had prepared the way, and magnified his stewardship. I imagine that the Lord too can think that we are great. We too can prepare the way, baptize/teach, and magnify our callings.

Let us all be preparers of a way and follow His Way - even the way of Christ.