Failure

So what does one do when facing failure? The way I see it is there are a few options that could play out.
The first option is the 'Tornado Option.' What the 'Tornado Option' is is to close your eyes and simply pretend that it does not exist. Then when you have failed, try and move forward recovering from the damage of what was done to you. Sometimes this can happen without any warning, but often the danger is in front of you and you simply choose to ignore it until it's to late and you loose everything.
The second option is to rise up and face whatever your failure is then boldly yell into the heavens that you will not fail. After believing that you might succeed you stand a little taller and let down your emotional defenses, only to be crushed by failure after all. This often leads to the loss of religion, the loss of hope and with that comes depression and then loss of life. Like a rich man who lost it all in the great depression, you can either accept that you are now poor and move on, or jump onto the street below.
How about this: realizing that failure is a part of life and in order to succeed, we will need to fail. Maybe even  a dozen times. So when facing your future and it looks bleak and scary and full of disappointment, remember that this is what life is. It isn't a bowl of roses, but in fact at times a maze of vicious thorns. Only when we experience sadness and loss and even failure is when we will truly know what it is to be happy, or to love or to eventually be successful.
I choose to look at my failures as a lesson. What did I do wrong and how can I avoid that the next time. I will also not measure my life on what the world's definition of what success is. I might fail and loose my home or my car, but those things can be replaced. My success comes from the fact that I still have my wife, four beautiful daughters, and my extended family.
I don't know what the future holds in store for me. At this very particular point it's dark and scary, like I am drowning and instead of going up, I keep sinking down. I often ask myself, "What option am I going to take? Close my eyes and just give up. Or how about rely on a false hope, only to fail in the end."
My option is easy. This time I simply refuse to fail.

Spiritual Snapping Turtles

When I was younger I remember at my mom's past job at UNLV that one of the professors that worked with her had a snapping turtle. Her name was Lucy and she was very big. For some reason, I became fascinated with  Lucy. I thought that she was the coolest. She could snap a broom handle in half with her powerful jaws. I started to learn more about snapping turtles by reading books about them and asking my mom questions. The most fascinating thing about a snapping turtle is how it catches it's food. They bury themselves in the mud on the floor of the lake, mouth wide open and wait. Their tongues look like a worm and when a curious fish gets to close, SNAP!  By the time the fish realizes the danger, it's to late.
I was thinking about this strangely when I was at church today. Don't ask me why, I don't have answers on what my brain does. But anyway the speaker was talking about how we need to fight Satan back, be on the defensive and live a more Christ centered life. But it isn't easy to do so because Satan is often well hidden and clever enough to hide from us until it's to late. My brain began to start to think again and I thought to myself. Oh my gosh. Satan is a snapping turtle!
All our lives we are told either by the church or by our families what is good in this life and what is bad. We strive to follow the teachings of Christ and live being good. But every once in a while we do slip up. We fall victims to spiritual snapping turtles. Often we know the danger, sometimes we see it right in front of our own eyes and we can easily avoid it. But what if that danger is hidden from us and all we can see is that sweet little worm luring us, the hungry fish, into it's trap.
This "worm" could be anything. It could be TV, movies, music or even the way we dress or act.  We may have been told that there is filth on a certain channel or in a certain movie. Sometimes we are told not to watch the very popular 'So and So' movie because there is a heavy nude scene, lots of drug use or even something simple like the actors just use a lot of foul language. We are told that there is a snapping turtle in all that muck and not to get to close. But then something, maybe it's peer pressure, or 'Well, it only has that one scene, I know where it is I'll look away,' or whatever it is acts like that false worm and slowly lures us in, like the hungry fish, until we are close enough for Satan to get a hold of us and then SNAP! He has us.
A snapping turtle has a powerful grip, and as much as it's prey struggles, it's no use. Satan also has a strong grip and when he has a hold of us, he wont let go either. It usually takes an outside force to pry us free. In this case that outside source is Christ. By going to him with faith and humility and repentance of your wrong doing it will set us free from a spiritual snapping turtle. And next time we will be a little bit more on guard about the other hidden turtles that are waiting.

3rd Nephi 18:18 makes it very clear. 'Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation: for Satan desireth to have you..."

Have a great Sunday every one and be safe!!

Netflix this movie. It's three acts, all about 15 minutes each. Watch the whole thing. It will only take 45 minutes. I love how in order to get what he truly wanted, he had to give up what he truly wanted. Deep. I know. Now go. Watch.

Fun. It's called Fun.

So this has been my tune that I find myself humming and singing to myself. It's good. If you have the time check it out. Go on now. Do it.
(They do drop the F Bomb once. It's at 3:52ish. Just an FYI in case you have little ears in the area. Yeah I am cool like that. No need to thank me.)

Fun

Random Maddy

So Maddy's newest thing that she likes to do is run around and say, " Ohhhhhhh Daaaaadaaaa." It cracks me up, so naturally she continues to do it. The other new little thing she discovered was her last name, which she loves to say. She runs around proudly yelling, "Imma MOOOOOOON!!"

What a little goof.

Follow this chart!!

SO due to all manner of things that have been going on lately I have been finding myself just a tad bit depressed every now and then. I seem to worry a lot, but that is my nature as a father and a husband to worry about the care of my family. Whenever I start to feel like a complete failure, I look at this chart and for some odd reason it makes me feel better. Maybe it's the whole can you do something about it section. We can always do something about it.

And if not. Screw it, move on and figure something else out.

They are coming for you!!

Is anyone else just a little freaked out by the random acts of cannibalism that has been going on? I mean come on, it's a bit strange. Sure they can say the person was mentally unstable or that they were eating bath salts, but come on, really? I am not a believer of the Mayan calender, but there is something very not right going on in the world lately. I fear it will only get worse.