Be Intentional 2023

  Whatever happened to using your manners? I am often shocked by the lack of manners in our society. The rudeness, the language, the total disregard for another person's feelings. It's a terrifying sign of our times. Sadly, it appears to be a growing problem for our society. It causes contention, divisiveness, and is usually a sign of a declining society. It should give everyone cause for concern that our society is deteriorating in this area, it doesn't end well if we can't get it together. In my efforts to live intentionally I believe that manners will play a large role in my behavior. I was taught that manners, courtesy, politeness and etiquette were important to one's success in this life. It wasn't up for debate that you would say please when requesting something, and you would say thank you when you received it. You opened doors for others, you looked them in the eye when they spoke to you, you shook hands when appropriate, you watched your language, and y...

  In Matthew 10:16 Jesus is preparing to send his apostles out to preach and he gives them this advice: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." The phrase 'wise as serpents' has always intrigued me. Each time I come across this phrase it compels me to research it more and see how it applies to my life.  One tip I learned for studying the scriptures is to find the definition of the words and then replace those words with the definitions to see if it gives you more clarity about the meaning. I started with some words in Matthew 10:16: sheep:  1. a domesticated ruminant animal with a thick woolly coat and curving horns. It is kept in flocks for its wool and meat and is proverbial for its tendency to follow others in the flock.  2. a person who is too easily influenced or led. wolf:   1. a wild carnivorous mammal of the dog family, living and hunting in packs. 2. used figuratively to refe...

  I recently read a Facebook post from the author Al Carraway in which she stated that over the last 10 years she has received messages from people of her faith that are judgmental and derogatory. Messages that have brought her to tears more than once. Messages about the way she looks and how she is not a good example to others of her faith because of her looks.  Al is not the typical member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; she once was known as the tattooed Mormon because she has lots of tattoos. Her tattoos never bothered me because her sweet spirit and her joy for the gospel was so infectious. She found her relationship with her Heavenly Father and her Saviour Jesus Christ, and she was all in! She has shared her story of how her relationship with her Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ came about, and she has invited others to feel the Spirit and build their own relationships with them. That's what I think about when I think of Al, not how she looks.  ...

  I love road trips! I enjoy seeing the country at my own pace. The ability to stop and enjoy the views whenever I want is so sweet, especially for someone who loves to explore and take photographs of the scenery. Nature feeds my soul in ways I can't explain, so being able to stop and soak it in is an important part of our trips.  There are other parts to road trips that I appreciate too, the opportunities to have in-depth conversations with my husband and time for self-reflection. We talk about so many diverse topics on our road trips: religion, politics, inflation, education, our marriage, our goals, our health issues, our family, our blessings, and all the other things that are important to us. And we laugh A LOT! Like tears running down my cheeks laughing. And 'we better find a rest area soon or I'm going to pee my pants' kind of laughing. The joy of laughter has been a blessing in our marriage for a long time. I am so grateful for that. In between our conversations...

 The truth may hurt for a little while, but a lie hurts forever.  - Unknown We live in a world where lying is a regular occurrence. You don't have to take my word on this, just check out the current headlines and you'll see what I mean.  If truth be told, we all lie now and then. According to research, the average person lies 0 to 2 times a day. The most common motive for lying is self-preservation or a defense against the fear of punishment of oneself or others. Sometimes a lie is told to protect the feelings of others or to avoid an embarrassing conversation. And then there are lies told simply to have others think better of the person telling the lie.  I think of the child that lies because they don't want to get into trouble. Or the friend or spouse that asks you a question and you know if you told the truth, it would hurt their feelings. These are tough situations and I have some compassion for those that find themselves facing these dilemmas. I'm...

  I enjoy quotes, especially ones that sit in my mind and percolate. This particular quote by the Daoist philosopher Lao Tzu has been giving me lots to think about. What exactly does it mean to anticipate the difficult by managing the easy? Is it important to anticipate the difficult? Is there a benefit from managing the easy? How can I apply this principle to the difficulties in my own life? It is said that Lao Tzu's journey began as he worked his way towards the western border of China, currently Tibet. He was saddened by what he saw around him: men being diverted away from nature and the goodness it brings. A guard he met on the border asked Lao to write down his teachings as he went. This is when he wrote the famous Tao Te Ching, a 5,000-character account of his thoughts and philosophical ideas. I'd like to comment on the background information. I appreciate the fact that as Lao was traveling through nature, he wrote his words. Nature is the place where I find many an...

Civility, is it really that important?  I’ve been thinking a lot about this question lately. Anyone who lives in this world and sees what is happening in our society will understand why this topic has weighed on me. It seems that being civil to one another isn't as important as it used to be. In fact, it often feels like a free-for-all society with only oneself as carrying importance. This feels short sighted to me and in my desire to live intentionally it appears a worthy topic to research. I begin my research with the definition of civility. I started with the worldly view. Civility is defined by Merriam-Webster as:  civilized   conduct, especially courtesy and politeness. The Institute for Civility in Government defines it as: claiming and caring for one's identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else's in the process. And on the Ethics Sage blog civility is described as the quality of our behavior with others in our community. Courtesy, politeness, caring...