Attention Public School Educators

Your work can go overlooked sometimes. It's hard work that requires the utmost patience and perseverance, so you deserve a moment to sit back and enjoy the following sound byte:

This is the message that the Maroochydore High School, Queensland, Australia staff voted unanimously to record on their school telephone answering machine.

New Sensation

While at the dentist's office for a cleaning, my permanent bottom retainer wire sprung loose much to my horror. Dentist said he didn't have time to take it out, so he graciously referred me to an orthodontist friend of his. For the remainder of the day I ate on the right side of mouth trying to evade the protruding metal hook from almost certain disaster. Well today I am a new man having rid myself of the wire prison that held me captive for a good 14 years. The sensation in my mouth is extraordinary. To quote an animated sitcom writer "It's like there's a party in my mouth, and everyone's invited!" Sooo strange but exciting now that I can floss freely and uninhibited. The world is my oyster and I intend to eat it all!

'Tis A Gift To Be Simple

Tonight after doing some home teaching with my dad, we bundled up and took the traditional Sunday walk. I was in a particular inquisitive mood and so I got to ask him all sorts of questions ranging from his boyhood neighborhood friends to family vacations. There is so much I don't know about his youth and I wonder how many of us of the younger generation actually have given much thought to what growing up must have been like 50 years ago, indeed, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

I'm grateful for these one-on-one moments. I can learn so much from them. For example, I asked my dad how we was able to deal with so many low-blows throughout his career. He responded exuberantly that the Lord had always provided avenues for him to make a living even in the bleakest of times. It was never an easy road, it required sacrifice and diligent effort, but the Lord provided for our family. This heartfelt testimony from a parent can be one of the most powerful influences on a child. There is a grand purpose to this life and it begins and ends with family.

http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/

Brand Spankin' New Nephew

Last weekend in CA I got to see the first time this side of the veil my new wittle nephew, Forster Kuzmich Paget. He's one healthy baby who loves his momma and didn't mind all the grabbing for attention as long as there was plenty of food and good burpage included. And something I heard this week reminded me about the fascinating transistion into mortality. As LDS church doctrine goes, we believe that before this earth life we all lived as spirit children with our Heavenly Father, learning the true principles of His gospel and what would eventually be our next step in our eternal progression (i.e. coming to earth, getting a body, *eating In-N-Out burgers, etc...).

I've always had the distinct impression when I see a newborn that they carry with them a clear memory of their heavenly home. Apart from their cries and other gurgling petitions, what if their tongues could be loosed just for a moment and they could speak to our understanding? What would they tell us or remind us of?

Last year I helped out in the primary with all the kiddos during church and during our brief lessons when we could actually keep their attention away from screaming their lungs out for Mom or running wildly around the room, we would occasionally hear some simple yet powerfully deep thought uttered from their little mouths in response to whatever the lesson happened to be on. It reminds me of the scripture in Alma 32:23 "And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned." Very cool indeed. General Conference weekend is upon us and I'm excited to hear some more inspirational thoughts from apostles and prophets.

Here's Rhys and Liz aka the "A team" with baby Forster:



* - not essential but definitely worth it if you have the chance.