Office 2007

There aren't that many things in this world that I can genuinely say I hate. There are things that I dislike or things that I prefer more than others. But there aren't that many things I hate. That being said, I hate Office 2007 with the intensity of a thousand suns!! I was a power-user of Office 2003 and it drives me nuts that Microsoft decided to completely overhaul their user-interface (and make it a hundred times worse) as part of the new version. From my perspective, this is a complete disaster.

DE

I've been meaning to write a post about my brother-in-law DE. Specifically, I wanted to say how much I admire him and also mention all his good qualities that I lack. DE is outgoing, personable, and connects with people easily. He's willing to put himself out there and publicly discuss his challenges. He's fun and creative and a kid-at-heart. In so many ways, DE is the "anti-GNP" in the best possible way. Sometimes I'm jealous of that. But most of the time I'm just grateful that my family has him, his wife, and his son in our lives. I'm glad my boys have another (and different) male role model. And I'm reminded that we all have unique gifts to offer in this life (see D&C 46:11-12).

11 years

Yesterday was my 11th wedding anniversary. I can say the same thing about both yesterday and the day I got married - “I believe today is the happiest day of my life so far, and also the worst day of the rest of my life” (borrowed from a friend of mine). While there have been ups and downs along the way, I can say unequivocally that my life with my wife just keeps getting better and better. I truly found my soulmate and I can't put into words how grateful I am for that in my life.

Awhile ago, my wife and I participated in a marriage class at church. One of the assignments was to write down a list of things that you loved about your spouse. I've been meaning to post my list but didn't get around to it. Now I can't find the piece of paper but it's not hard to recreate. Here is a handful of things I love about my wife: she has always supported me and been understanding of my shortcomings; she is kind and compassionate; she is a good listener; she follows her instincts as a mother; she is smart; and she loves me unconditionally. There are so many other things I could say but I think those are the main ones.

I met my wife in 1992 and we got married in 1997. As a fun thing, I gave my wife this summary yesterday of what was hot back when we met and got married. It's hard to believe that when we met, Aladdin was the #1 movie of the year and grunge was the height of fashion. Has it really been that long? =)

Baptism talk

About a week and a half ago, a woman got baptized at Church. I was asked to speak for a couple of minutes on the topic of baptism at the event. Here is a brief outline of what I said:

• Started with the Fourth Article of Faith - "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost"
• Explained that baptism is an ordinance and that this person was making a covenant with God and also witnessing to God and to the world that she was entering into this covenant
• As part of this covenant, we make three promises to God: (1) take upon the name of Jesus Christ, (2) always remember Him, and (3) keep His commandments. [Aside: These are the same three promises we renew each week as we partake of the Sacrament.] In return, we are promised three blessings: (1) constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, (2) remission of our sins, and (3) being born again.
• Read John 3:3-5 about being born again.
• Explained that baptism by immersion is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior. In a similar way, it represents the end of our old life of sin and a commitment to live a new life as a disciple of Christ.
• Reminded the person that John 3:5 says "born of water and of the Spirit". Quoted Joseph Smith as saying "Baptism by water is but half a baptism and is good for nothing without the other half - that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost."
• Concluded with the story of the Savior's baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. Said that I thought that our Heavenly Father was "well pleased" with this person.

Summer of Sharing - week 1

In church today, I taught my first Sunday School class. As part of my calling as a ward missionary, I am teaching a three-week Sunday School class about sharing simple, accurate, and easy-to-understand information about the LDS Church and the gospel with others. This is an outgrowth of some of the handouts I created awhile ago (see prior post). There were about ten people there today and I thought we had a good conversation. Here is the flow/content for this week's class (see PDF). There was a companion handout (see PDF) and a homework assignment for next week (see PDF). In terms of the discussion, for question #3 (how do people know you're a member), some of the responses were: (1) happy disposition, (2) intentionally work it into conversation, (3) how we look and behave, (4) inviting others to Church activities, (5) not swearing, (6) no drinking alcohol or coffee, (7) talking about a mission or speaking a language from a mission, (8) mentioning BYU, Salt Lake City, Provo, or Utah in general, and (9) interest in family history. For question #4 (what holds you back from talking to people about the Church), people said: (1) worried people might not understand or will react poorly, (2) might lead to uncomfortable situation or relationship, (3) afraid of giving the wrong answer or giving out false information by accident, and (4) people forming their impressions of the entire Church based on their interaction with us. The next two weeks, we'll go through the homework questions and incorporate the one-page handouts as appropriate. Should be interesting. I hope people get something out of it.

The Parable of the Slighted Son

I just read this interesting article on ExploreFaith.org. Here is the first paragraph or so to give you a feel for the article:

Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the best-loved stories in the entire Bible. Throughout the ages, Christians have viewed the tale as a profound allegory of god’s long-suffering and ever-compassionate nature, so willing to forgive an errant child who squanders life and resources in pursuit of selfish pleasures. It is such a beautiful story, so rich in theological meaning, so reassuring to all who have ever sought divine forgiveness. The parable of the Prodigal Son—I hate it. Most people like this story because they identify with the prodigal. I guess they regard themselves as squanderers and sinners like the young man. Not me. As a hyper-responsible oldest child, I identify with the elder son. Remember him?

The author goes on to ask the question: "What’s the point of always doing what you’re supposed to do if it doesn’t earn you a few advantages?" As a "hyper-responsible oldest child", I've asked that question before in a variety of contexts. Certainly I've asked the question in the context of religion. But I've also asked in the context of financial responsibility - with so much talk these days, for example, about trying to bail out people who are losing their homes since they took on mortgages they couldn't afford. Now, I'm not saying that I was sin-free in the past or that I'm sin-free now. Anything from it. But compared to most people out there, I think I'm pretty darn responsible and try to do my best to do the "right thing" in my life. So, I have to admit I have some misgivings about the story of the Prodigal Son just like the author of this article.

If you have a chance, read the article. It goes on to make an good argument around forgiveness that we should all remember. Also, regardless of whether you identify with the Prodigal Son or his older brother in this story, let's not lose sight of the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ and the wonderful blessing of the Atonement. Also, let's remember that we need to forgive others if we expect to be forgiven ourselves.

Staying Spiritually Centered

In a recent ExploreFaith.org newsletter, they included this prayer for staying spiritually centered:

Help me know, O God, that you are still present with me, even in my distractions and interruptions. But also help me savor those spiritually centered moments so much that I will make room in my life for more of them. When I am impatient because I can't see, touch, hear, or feel you, let your love seep surely into me until my heart turns back to you in surprise and delight.

Lots of distractions and interruptions these days so it's a timely reminder for me.

Love this comic

As many of you know, I work for a biofuels company. This comic appeared in Dilbert about a month and a half ago. It's probably still my favorite one of the whole year. When we issued the first press release for our company, a couple of blogs picked up on it. And there were comments like "I hope they're keeping their technology under lock and key; otherwise terrorists will use it to turn all of our rivers into gasoline." If it were only that easy. =)

International Everyman

I got back on Saturday from a week long business trip to Brazil. During the trip, a co-worker and I were joking that I should change my job title to "Chief Evangelist" and "International Everyman". In terms of the latter title, a number of people in Brazil (and on the flights to and from Brazil) assumed that I was Brazilian and then couldn't understand why I didn't respond to them when they spoke to me in Portuguese. I guess it's the dark complexion and the stunning good looks. =) It is interesting, though, that this happens to me a fair amount. Some people think I'm Latino. Others think I'm Mediterranean. Still others think I'm Indian (correct on my Dad's side). Now, if I only spoke a bunch of different languages fluently, I really could be an International Everyman - or an International Man of Mystery. =) Perhaps someday.

Moon base

My older son JD is really into non-fiction at the moment, particularly outer space. In one of his science books from the library, it talked about creating a moon base at home. JD really wanted to do this project and specifically wanted to do it with me for some "special time". I have to admit that I'm generally not into activities like this and wasn't that excited to do it with him. But it was important to him so I went ahead and did it. I think it turned out ok and JD certainly seemed to like it. I suppose that's all that matters. I guess I should get used to this stuff since I'm sure there will be many more such projects over the years for school and also personal interest.

Dear Mom, Dad + AJ

JD made a really cool book/card at school today during his free time. It reads (over multiple pages stapled together):

Dear Mom, Dad + AJ, thank you for loveing me and Mom being my mom, Dad being my dad + Andy being my broeder. [heart] JD

I kept in the spelling errors for authenticity. At first, I thought this was a class assignment. But then I found out that JD did this on his own (after making a paper airplane first). He's a very sweet boy.

Heavens are still open

On my way into work today, I was thinking about how the LDS Church differs from other Christian faiths. There are a number of ways you can approach that topic but I think a lot (if not all) of it boils down to your view of one simple question: "Are the heavens still open?" The LDS response to that question is a resounding "yes" and most other Christian faiths (at least the ones that I know about) resoundingly disagree. If you answer in the affirmative, you are willing to accept modern prophets and continuing revelation, an open canon of scripture, and a view of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost as separate persons, three divine beings. If not, you will view these beliefs as sacreligious and non-Christian.

Just one quick observation after a long weekend. It's possible I'm overstating or misrepresenting the view of other Christian faiths. If so, please let me know. Also, I think it's important to point out the many things the LDS Church has in common with other Christian faiths, including a deep love for our Savior Jesus Christ and for the Holy Bible. So, independent of your opinion regarding the heavens being open or closed, there is a lot of common ground that we should keep in mind.

Rapper Snoop Dogg Converts to Mormonism

This was a fun April Fool's article from a month and a half ago. It's amazing what people can do these days with Photoshop. I think my favorite part is a reference to Family Home Evening at Gladys Knight's house: "I was hooked from the start ... We talked about the purpose of life, played Mousetrap, and ate brownies. The kids thought it was off the hook, for real." I also like the closing line: "Listen, the haters will say what they will ... I can only do what I feel is right." I would actually wholeheartedly agree with that.

Great Softball Story

A few weeks ago, a co-worker of mine shared this story with me about an amazing act of sportsmanship. Since the article is no longer available online, I created my own page here. I was very moved by the story at the time. In particular, it made me think about what I would have done in that situation. It also made me think about what my kids would do and how I can install these values in them over time.

GodTube

I suppose it was only a matter of time until religion and YouTube came together. Through a funding announcement on VentureBeat, I found out about GodTube about a week ago. I spent a little time checking it out and it's pretty interesting. I especially liked this video:



With everything else I have going on these days, I doubt I'll spend much further time on the site. But thought I'd share it with others in case you're interested.

LDS Church and DNA research

Last night, my brother-in-law DE asked me about DNA research and whether it supports - or undermines - the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I've never looked into the topic so I didn't have an opinion on it. As a follow-up, DE sent me two articles - one article from the USA Today and one article from the LA Times. Both of the articles are a couple of years old and were prompted by a book that was being published at the time. I just read both articles and they are interesting. It would appear that some members - particularly those in Central and South America and the South Pacific - find this research problematic to their faith since it contradicts what they have been taught in the past. For me, I have to admit that scientific evidence is not central to my faith so I'm not terribly concerned about these findings. It doesn't affect my belief in the Book of Mormon or any other part of the Church. I assume there is some perfectly reasonable answer to all of this and that we'll know it in the fullness of time. In the meantime, we should acknowledge this is an area that isn't clear-cut, one way or the other, and be willing to live with some ambiguity. Obviously, that's easier for some people than others. As in everything else, God has a perfect knowledge of all things (including the exact ancestry and progeny of people in the Book of Mormon, the other inhabitants of those geographic areas, etc). So, if we want to know answers to questions such as "should I continue to be a member of this Church in the face of these studies" or "is the Book of Mormon true", we can ask God in prayer and he will testify to the truth via the Holy Ghost. That is a blessing that we all have in our lives and one that I would encourage people to utilize more often.

The Gift to Know

I had dinner tonight with the missionaries and two people who are investigating the LDS Church (a father and his son). I had sent the father (BF) a couple of recent General Conference talks to read since I thought he might find them interesting (see PDF with my hand-written comments). One of the talks pertained to testimony (see here). BF marked the following sentence as pertaining to me: "Those who have the gift to know have an obvious duty to bear their witness so that those who have the gift to believe on their words might also have eternal life." No one (including BF and his son) have believed on my words but I certainly have been given the gift to know and, therefore, feel a duty to bear my witneess of that to those who are seeking greater truth or meaning in their lives.

LDS Sharing Handouts

In a recent Ensign article, Elder M. Russell Ballard said: "It is not easy to explain something as vast as the Church or as wonderful as the restored gospel to people who know little or nothing about us. Even questions on one specific aspect can be difficult to answer because every question seems to be connected to other questions. The most common request we hear is a fairly simple one that goes something like this: 'Tell me a little about your Church.' The key word here is 'little.' They are not saying, 'Tell me everything you know and then send others to tell me everything else.'"

With these "curious" souls in mind, I created a set of handouts that can be used - individually or in aggregate - to share different parts of the gospel with others. The handouts are not meant to be comprehensive or address all questions that someone may have about the Church. Rather, the goal is to provide enough information to peak someone's interest and generate further questions and dialogue either with members or with the full-time missionaries.

In terms of content, I have utilized text from various Church sources rather than composing any of the material myself. While I'm happy to discuss any and all of this material in my own words one-on-one, I figured it was safest to stick with "approved text" in written form. For each handout, the source material is referenced. In many cases, I had to abbreviate the text to make it all fit onto one page. I, of course, take full responsibility for any meaning lost in this translation.

Looking up the economic ladder

I was talking to a friend the other night about work/life balance and he sent me this article afterwards. It talks about the dangers of materialism and of comparing ourselves to others. Here are some interesting excerpts:

Trying to define materialism is like a fish trying to describe water, says Carroll: “We swim in it. It’s all around us. It’s so pervasive that it’s very hard to question it and think about it clearly.” In addition, the material standards that define modest, good, or decadent living creep up over time and are highly subjective.

Those nuances aside, Carroll defines materialism as placing a high importance on material possessions as the means to achieving personal happiness and a sense of well-being. Several studies have shown that people who have a materialistic orientation report lower levels of happiness and feel less connection in relationships. “As you emphasize and value the material, you start to lessen your appreciation for the personal,” says Carroll...

Consider, for example, the couple that looks up the economic ladder and focuses on people who have more. Even if they have plenty of income, typically they will perceive themselves as not having enough, which in turn fosters a sense of entitlement, feelings of resentment, and anxiety, says Carroll: “If you see that so-and-so goes to Europe, you might think, ‘I’ve never been to Europe. Part of the good life is a vacation in Europe, but we can’t afford that. Something’s not right.’ So you start to attach your expectations and your sense of quality of life to those higher on the ladder.” At its core, looking up also creates a sense of ingratitude, says Carroll. You lose perspective of what you have.

Those who compare themselves with those lower on the economic ladder are less likely to feel distressed about finances, even when their income is modest. “‘I can’t afford to go to Europe, but I can take a trip to Disneyland. I know people who would give anything to be able to afford to take their kids to Disneyland. Wow, I’m blessed.’ So now you’re grateful. You see yourself as fortunate.”

These ways of thinking are powerful, says Carroll. “Materialistic attitudes are a better predictor of finances as a problem in a relationship than is income, which means that even high-income individuals who are materialistic will have financial problems in their marriage.”

The article also offers questions to ask to determine if you are materialistic and also suggestions on how to change. In general, I think my wife and I do a pretty reasonable job in this regard but there is always room for improvement - especially in such a materialistic part of the country like Silicon Valley.

Conversion story

Someone in the ward (congregation) asked me for a copy of my conversion story the other day. For simplicity, I created a PDF of all the relevant posts from my blog (download here). It was interesting to me that, including comments from others, the file was 37 pages long - and that was just the key posts (not everything I wrote during that process). Anyway, in case you want to see the online posts directly, here are the ones I included in the PDF file:

• 33
• Investigating the LDS Church
• January 19, 2008
• I'm all in
• First Vision
• My Christmas Wish
• You can be the beginning
• Baptism and Confirmation
• A message to my future self

Enjoy.