Charity Never Faileth

This morning, as I was reading the lesson for Church, I was deeply touched by the subject, Charity. According to the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, Charity is the highest attribute that one can obtain.

1 Corinthians 13:

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not ^acharity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of ^aprophecy, and understand all ^bmysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the ^apoor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 ^aCharity ^bsuffereth long, and is ^ckind; charity ^denvieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself ^aunseemly, seeketh not her ^bown, is not easily ^cprovoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in ^ainiquity, but rejoiceth in the ^btruth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never ^afaileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a ^aglass, ^bdarkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth ^afaith, ^bhope, ^ccharity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Charity is the purest form of love that one can possess. It is the pure love of Christ.

To me Charity is doing acts of kindness without requirement for recognition. It is loving your enemies. It is giving fully of yourself unconditionally. I am far from having charity in my life, but I hope to work towards it.

If this world had more charity, can you imagine the better conditions we would live in. Having had a little experience in Third World Countries, I am amazed at the simple needs they have. Things like clean drinking water and safe fuel sources are among the basic needs for almost two thirds of the world's population.

May we all do a little more in being charitable toward our fellow human beings.

My Personal Story about Choice Humanitarian

It's the Little Things that Matter Most!

Remember the movie "City Slickers?"

When Curly, the old cowboy, said "Do you know what the secret of life is?"

Then he held up one finger. "One thing, just one thing."

"You have to find out what that one thing is."

I think that is partly true. However, I think the secret of life, a happy, fun, successful life, is made up of a gillian different little things, not the big--not the major ones. The little, small occurrences in our lives, over time add up to the secret of life.

It is a pleasant smile to someone you pass on the street. It is a small thank you note to a friend or co-worker, it is five minutes of a beautiful sunset, it is holding open a door for a stranger, a beautiful melody of a bird, or adding a little something extra to a company or school project.

A great life, an NBA star, a successful company, a Tiger Woods, all did not happen over night, nor were instant successes. They were built upon an unquenchable thirst for detail, tiny little details. Work out the details, put together all the little pieces of a big puzzle, and you have the secret of whatever your goal is.

So don't anguish over the big gigantic stuff. Concentrate on the little stuff.

For when you add up all the little things, you'll find the big successes.

Families...it's about Time

Take a moment to consider what is most important to the enduring future of our Global Society--It is the proper development and growth of families. The core values of humanity, those that lead nations down honest and forthright paths, are taught in homes where love and kindness are spoken.

As the family goes, so goes a nation. In all nations of the world, we have witnessed the steady decline of the family. Sadly enough, our global community is following similar declines. Broken homes lead to broken relationships and broken ideals. In the United States, children in single-parent families are two to three times likely, as children in two-parent families, to have emotional and behavioral problems.

More than seventy percent of all juveniles in state reform institutions in the United States come from fatherless homes. Half of American children will spend at least some of their childhood growing up without a father in the home, and that in a radical departure from virtually all of human history, responsible fatherhood is declining disastrously in our society.

So, it's about time, spending quality time with our families. Even though most of my children are married and raising their own families, I love the time we spend together when everyone comes over to the house.



If you haven't done so today, hug your family, spend time with them. When everything else in the world seems to be crumbling down, it will be your family that will give you the strength and support to keep carrying on.

Thanks to my family...they are the best!

What is in a Family?

After returning home from my recent motorcycle trip through the southern United States, where, during the trip, I visited the graves of my 4th great grandparents, I developed a deep connection with my kindred dead. Since, I have found myself researching, reading and pondering the experiences of my ancestors with greater appreciation for the sacrifices and trials they went through. Through the Internet and the LDS Family Search, I have been able to add an additional 40 names of ancestors to my ancestral lines.

It has been interesting to learn and read about the journeys many of my ancestors made across the Atlantic ocean in ships from England, to settle in America. I have learned about the struggles through the Civil War, and the rebuilding they made of their lives after the War. I have followed them as they loaded everything they could into a covered wagons and journeyed across the rugged America to settle in Utah.

I am proud for the great heritage I have received from my forefathers. This has helped me to understand and appreciate the importance of family, and the importance of keeping my family strong and living good moral principles.

So what is in a family? All the things past, present and future that families do to create meaningful memories and traditions. When the world around you becomes a scarer place to live, you can always turn to your family for stability, warmth and love.

I know, because that is my family.

5,500 Miles in 2 1/2 Weeks--But Home at Last

Well, I pulled into my driveway at home Friday night with my whole family waiting to cheer my arrival.

All in all, it was a good trip, but long, tiring, and boring at times. I met a lot of good people from different parts of the country. Each area was a little different. Basically everyone I met were good hometown folk.

The homeless (street) people seem to be attracted to me. It was like I was their Vietnam Vet buddy from long ago. They all came up and talked to me. I think it was the motorcycle that attracted them.




But in the end, it was good to be in the arms of family. It felt so good to be home. I love my family very much. I guess, in a way, this trip helped me to realize that even more.

I don't have plans for anymore cross-country trips...at least, not this year.

I'm not here...

If you are waiting here for my next blog post, I'm not here during March. I'm on a motorcycle trip across the United States. You can follow my trip here: http://southernstatestrip.blogspot.com/