What Makes Me So Happy?

The thought occurs to me that I have a lot of things that make me exceptionally happy. Well, two things in particular make all the difference so I thought I might share this with anyone who is wanting happiness and peace but has not found it yet.

Reasons for being Happy:

1. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Who I am, and who I hope to become is all because of my faith and the gospel ordinances that are found only in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My parents were members before I was born so you could accurately say that I was "born into the church". So how can I claim to find truth in a faith that I was born into? Wasn't I just brainwashed into believing this nonsense? And how can I, a scientist in training, claim to approach this matter in an objective manner? Yes, I was born into this faith, and yes, I was taught to believe this as a small child, but I am a member of this church and gospel because it is true. I know this for myself, independent of any other influence. I have taken the challenge in Moroni 10:3-5 and have found that promise to be true. I gained my personal conviction when I was about 17 years old, and since then I have found a truth and a validity that I could not have dreamed of at 17. Am I a perfect member? Of course not. I am about as flawed as they come, but I know I owe everything to my Savior.
       Regardless of the denomination, faith in God is a great thing. Acting on that faith is even better. And I love and respect the faith of any and all people and I think that their faith gives them a degree of satisfaction and happiness. I hope everyone has a faith that they can call their own, and be true to themselves. I love the many good churches and congregations that seek to make this world a better place and strive to help those in need. It is simply wonderful to behold. While these churches and organizations are great, they are not the fullness of the Gospel. Please do not misunderstand, I do not mean to belittle or insult the hundreds of millions of amazing people in the world by telling them that their churches aren't good enough. This is not my intention, in the least. Ask yourself, if you had found the absolute cure for cancer would you keep it to yourself? Would you feel that sharing this information might be insulting to the doctors and the researchers that have developed methods to remove and slow down the cancer? That would be entirely ludicrous! Any person who found this cure would be ecstatic and share it with the world! And so it is with me: I have found the cure for the grief, pain, and suffering of this world. Whatever ails you, this will make you whole. If something is missing, it will be found here. This is where true joy is found. I merely want to share it so that you can see for yourself. If you feel that something is missing from your life, this is it. I promise you will never regret the decision to honestly and sincerely approach this to find out if it is the truth. And if there is something that I can do to help you, I would love to. Nothing brings me greater joy than helping someone find the truth.

2.   My Family. I have a crazy family. Seriously. Anyone that knows us can attest to that. We are loud, often obnoxious, and sometimes selfish. We have quarrels and disagreements and sometimes feelings get hurt. We are not perfect. We can, however, make some heavenly rolls, and delicious pies. Aside from my family's culinary abilities, they are good people. I love them with my whole heart and there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for them, and they, for me. We love each other even if we express it through sarcasm and jokes. We can be our natural, goofy selves and its all good. We can rely on each other in a tough spot and know that we will have someone there for us. The fabric that binds us together is our faith in God and our understanding that we can be an eternal family, if we live up to the promises that we have made to God. Those promises have been made in the Temple, the House of the Lord. The family is second only to the Savior in importance. My family understand this, and it makes our love for each other even deeper. We still are the crazy Slades, but there is more to us than just our loud family gatherings. And to those who are in circumstances where your family does not bring happiness, I am truly sorry. The Savior, alone, knows what you feel. And His promise is that if you are faithful to Him, then you will receive every good thing that is prepared for those who love and serve Him. Sometimes we have to endure hard things in this life and trust in the promises of what will come. And also, we can have a great influence in changing our family situations, with his help.


 

      Having the truth in my life makes everything make sense. Trials have a purpose. Heartbreak has a meaning. Physical suffering and deformity doesn't seem so cruel. And the joy and peace that comes from living a life that He wants for us is indescribable. Nothing this world has to offer can compare with the fullness of life that the Gospel gives. Pains and disappointments are swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Triumphant feelings are magnified and happiness becomes sweeter. Family relationships are tempered and bring more joy when the eternal nature of the family is understood. I am not being fictitious or exaggerating when I say that every good thing that I have in life has come because of my faith, and my family. God is in His heaven and He loves us. I testify that what I have shared is true, and I welcome anyone who seeks to find this peace and happiness in their life. I will help you if I can. There is meaning to this life and God wants us to be happy. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. (2 Nehpi 2:25)
     If you want to start your search in private, take a look at http://www.lds.org/?lang=eng

Whats a Blog?

Apparently its been a long while since I've posted something. Oops? Since a bunch of familia keep up on each other's lives via blog posts, I figured I should post something before the reunion in 2 weeks when I will see almost everybody. Lets see, what have I done...Oh yes. Physics, Chemistry, and Geology. And then sometimes I had a bit of fun. 

 Ah yes. Daniel and I went to a creek that has an unmentionable name to look for native jade. The only thing is, neither of us knew what native jade looked like... But the drive was nice and we did find some cool looking rocks so my geology itch was scratched.

 During Memorial Day weekend I went down to visit nae in bountiful. We discovered a trail that goes up the mountain and runs a good long way into the mountains but because there was still some snow, the road was closed at the top of the mountain. Still, it was a really fun excursion and we went exploring both up this mountain that overlooks the Salt Lake as well as roamed the city. It was a nice break.

 In June I had my geology field trip. We were at Little Sahara in Utah for the first night, and there were winds of 20mph+ with gusts up to at least 248mph. Needless to say, we didn't set up camp on the dunes because we had enough sand in every crevice already from our hike in the dunes.

 I took breaks from schoolwork by going to cheer on our ward ultimate frisbee team and take pictures of people looking epic. Pictured is my roommate, Josh.

 So I got a lovely case of the cold/flu and stayed home for two days to prevent anyone from getting sick. At least that is what I told everyone. On Sunday I was fed up with lying in bed the whole day so I decided to go for a drive over to the Tetons. I figured sneezing and hacking in my car was better than around my roommates. Or at least that is what I told everyone. So I set up shop and waited for the "super moon" that was supposed to be epic.

 Well, Idaho is kinda temperamental so naturally it was cloudy that evening. At least I got a few shots of a hazy moon rising over the mountains. Still was a nice little break.

And to take a break from the mind numbing studying and homework, I took some ward friends shooting that had never gone before. I also needed to center the scopes of the rifles in preparation for the reunion, so it worked out well. The part I didn't count on is how the girls are a better shot than me. Go figure. I guess I need more humility in my life, so there you have it. And the man posing is my EQP. You can only imagine what our presidency meetings are like. 

As far as the rest of my life, its pretty amazing. I have an amazing bishopric, a great ward, and some fun friends. I have been able to make some changes in my life that were long overdue, and I have seen the result of those good decisions. Pretty sure I don't deserve my blessed life, but I am grateful to my Father for the amazing experiences and wonderful people 

Some Things are Easier with a View

There has been a lot going on in life and last weekend was a really good chance to try to unwind and make sense of some things. So this isn't going to be very entertaining, so if I were you I would stop right here. Obviously you aren't me. Be thankful. This blog is going to be mostly symbolic, and perhaps enigmatic. And you're still reading. Odd. So here we go. 

 There are times in life when we don't want to be told which direction we should go. This bullet-ridden sign is actually perched right on a cliff. If you fail to turn left, you will plunge down about 200 ft or so. Apparently some people feel upset about being told where to turn (they shot it), when in fact it will save their lives. Moral: Turn where and when you are supposed to, even if you don't want to.

 Rocks are supposedly a rigid material. I'm a geology major and I know first-hand how hard rocks can be. I also know how hard they are because of personal encounters with them while riding a mountain bike. The rocks won those encounters. Pictured here is a fault ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fault_(geology) ). A fracture formed as intense forces deformed the originally solid rock. The side to the left has dropped about a half-foot. Moral: Things that seem solid and constant are subject to change. And there is nothing that you can do about that. 
On a drive to the Palisades Reservoir, my friend and I found a dirt road that led down to edge of the reservoir. We were driving a G6, which is not an off-roading vehicle, but the dirt was firm and there were plenty of tire tracks. The dirt WAS solid except for a twenty foot circle. Take a guess how I know where that circle was? Yup, we found it. The only soft spot along the entire shoreline, that we explored. The ground here looked identical to everywhere else, tire tracks included. The point at which I realized that the ground was not solid was the second the tires sunk. Moral: Despite the appearance of solid ground, dirt can be misleading foundation.

 The combination of school and work has been a little intense and its easy for me to get caught up in it all. This reservoir is pretty large, but the waves were very small. Moral: Don't let little things disrupt large things.

 As we headed back to Rexburg, my friend asked to stop at a random pullout. What seemed to be an ordinary pullout without a good view turned out to be one of the most scenic views of the trip. We spotted two bald eagles in their evening fishing as well. Moral: Take time to find the beauty in life even when it seems it is ordinary and bland.

This last picture was the view as we left the Palisades. Moral: God knows what he is doing, just chill.

Why Seek ye the Living among the Dead?

My Grandma passed away two weeks ago. It was not unexpected and in fact it was prayed for, but that did not prepare us for the shock that we felt at her loss. The thought that kept reoccurring was that a great light had gone out in the world. Perhaps "gone out" is not as appropriate as "hidden from us". My Grandma loved two things; her family, and the Lord. All other aspects of her life are encompassed in these two great loves. She loved and supported her husband in the 68 years of mortality that they shared and continues to do so from the other side of the veil. The part of all this that tore at my heart and caused me to sob like a child was seeing my Grandpa, and the ache that he felt at being separated from his sweetheart. He loved her so dearly and completely that all fairy tales and stories pale in comparison to this example of true love. Did they disagree? Of course. Were they different in mannerisms and characteristics? Some might say near polar opposites. But their love and devotion was never a question. This last near decade of their lives, alone,can attest to the love shared by these two. As her health and abilities declined, his affection and service became all the clearer as he constantly put her needs and desires above his own.

So why share this? Because the loss of Grandma is swallowed up the the joy of Christ. His supreme sacrifice and sinless life has made it possible that my Grandpa will one day be able to embrace his sweetheart. Now I don't pretend to understand how this is possible or the workings of the atonement, but I know that it is real. I know that God, the Father, sent His only begotten Son to earth to live, bleed, and die for us. But that is not all, God sent His Son to LIVE for us.

The gospel of Luke, 24th chapter has spoken comfort to my soul these past two weeks. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James, walked to the sepulchre on the morning after the Jewish Sabbath. As they entered the tomb they were astonished to find the body of Christ missing. As they turned about they saw that they were joined by two men in shining garments.These messengers said to them "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen.."

Jesus Christ overcame the bonds of death and hell and made a path for all to follow. I testify that because He lives, my Grandmother, my Dad's parents, and all those that have been lost to us will be restored. I witness that as He lives, so to shall all of us live. Death is part of this mortal sojourn and should not be feared as the dark abyss from whence no traveler can return but rather a path that we take, one day, that will lead to a glorious resurrection and reunion of the sweetest kind. I thank my God that I have been given this understanding and offer to any that feel the sting of death or the pain of mortality to come and hear the pleasing word of God and the words of His living prophets.

Idaho Again

 Just a couple of unaltered pics of the amazing skies over Rexburg, Idaho. These don't do it justice at all.

Some things affect you like Scripture.

Out of the night that covers me,

   Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

   For my Unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

   I have not winced nor cried aloud,

Under the bludgeonings of chance

   My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

   Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

   Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

   How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
-William Henley

Family is Absolutely Everything

For those of you not from my family this may seem rather an odd statement. Let me explain. "Gumper" is the affectionate (and sometimes not affectionate) term for when things just go wrong, or they don't go right. It downpours when your camping. It snows when you are moving. Its cloudy when you go to the beach. A light will be green right up until you get to the intersection. Etc.  This past weekend was spent moving my grandparents, on my mom's side, to Modesto to live with us. The reason for this is because my grandma is not able to care for herself because of health issues, and has been relying on my grandpa for everything for the last 6 years. Caring for my grandma is complicated by her having dementia, a mental condition where she is no longer herself and her reality can be skewed. My grandpa, who is in poor health himself, has been caring for her and attending to her every need even when his strength is gone or he is having a dizzy spell. He has been a spiritual giant and example to me my entire life. His quiet and unfailing love for his wife, family, and the gospel, has been a hallmark of a man that "doesn't want to be a burden" on anyone.

Despite his physical frailness and tending to grandma, he has continued to perform his duties of Patriarch right up until we moved him here. If I can love my future wife as he has loved grandma and if I can be the example of discipleship that he is, then I will have lived a life of happiness. As I came home this evening from church I noticed that grandpa was reading something out loud. As I sat down to eat dinner I saw that he had a small microphone in his hand and that grandma had earphones on. My grandpa was tenderly reading a story to my grandma even though she may not have been even paying attention or understanding it. He was doing it because he loves her. The little embroidery is a memento that will remind me of one of my biggest heroes, my grandpa.