The Price of Indecision

Indecision has cost me three kids.  It cost my company $20k.  And it costs a lot of people a lot of happiness.  Let me explain:

Indecision has its roots in fear.  We don't want to take a wrong turn, buy the wrong car or marry the wrong human.  So we wait.  And somehow, we're convinced (subconsciously at least) that waiting will help.  As though we'll magically become wiser through no experience at all.  Well - unless you count Netflix as experience...

Time Takes Time

I once received a phone call from a missionary.  At the time, I was on my mission too - and I had stewardship over this particular missionary.  The phone call was a regularly scheduled event - a means to account for the day's progress.  But this phone call was different.  I've reflected on it for years now.

This missionary was one of 11 kids.  He was really hard working, really dedicated.  He and his companion had been doing well, but had not seen immediate success.  Meanwhile, my companion and I were enjoying a relative harvest.  It seemed strange to me how this young missionary broke down on the phone that night.

Notes - YSA Fireside w/ Elder Oaks

Since I've moved out to Roseville, CA, I've had two meetings with members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding.  A few weeks ago - Elder Andersen came to the Roseville Stake (of which the Roseville YSA ward belongs) for a special stake conference of sorts.  And just two days ago, Elder Oaks came to do a YSA fireside for all the single kiddos in the region.  He came with the Presiding Bishop, Bishop Stevenson.  We've had a stacked deck out here for speakers.

While I should have taken better notes during the Elder Andersen meeting, I was on uncle duty, and mostly my notebook was filled with outlines of small hands and drawings of random animals and trucks.  For the YSA fireside, however, I did take some notes - and I figured I'd post them here for whoever may be interested.  The quotes that I have here are as I best remembered as I wrote my notes - there may be slight discrepancies.

Section 88 and the Effect of Change

It's fascinating to me how the Lord manages to teach us timely lessons but only as we're ready.  He never casts His pearls before swine, and so it is with His teachings.  It's only when we're prepared to receive light that we realize it has been surrounding us all along, and that the Lord, the source of that light, has been waiting for us to recognize it.

I've been out of my comfort zone for the past fortnight-and-a-half.  Being in California means warmer weather, strange roads, smaller YSA wards, and more insight from family I haven't seen as often.  But to me, it also represents a time for considerable self-reflection.  Any change in my surroundings seems to have that effect upon me.  And right now, several changes are underway.

In Keeping an Empty Cup

So I've been in Roseville, California for the past week or so.  Several interesting things have managed to fill my mind since my arrival.

I met two people out here last week who I randomly started talking to about the gospel.  I don't believe it is any easier to talk about religion in California than it is in Utah, but rather I think I'm so dependent on the people around me now that I've become significantly more friendly.  Ironic it is how one's friendliness is indirectly proportional to the number of friends who surround him.  Perhaps that is why the Lord is constantly pulling us out of our comfort zones?

The Art of Spiritual War

Sun Tzu was a legendary general in China during the middle of the Zhou Dynasty.  He wrote the book, "The Art of War", that contains 13 key strategic points to winning in battle.  Think of it as the 13 Articles of Faith for army generals.

I bring up Sun Tzu because I've had a couple of questions that I felt were blog-worthy recently, and one of the points Tzu brings up links the two questions.