Law & Light, Look, Live Life

My memory fades, especially short-term.  However, with memory aids I am able to remember a lot.  (It also helps to put things like car keys and a worn wallet in the perfect place every night.)

For example, a scripture I read a couple weeks ago has become dear to my heart, especially on Easter last Sunday.  As I was reading the verse, an alliterative memory aid instantly came to mind (words with the same initial sound – in this case, the same letter): law & light, look, live life.  I had a feeling I should easily memorize the two short sentences – something I hadn’t done for many months.  It also helped to visualize the entire simple scripture.  The reference is easy for me to recall: an odd number (three) of odd numbers: 3, 15, 9.

On my profile list of favorite books is found the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.  In this chapter near the end of the book, we read about our Savior, Jesus Christ, visiting and teaching the inhabitants of ancient America following His resurrection.  (Third Nephi 15:9)

"Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, 
and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life."

I was pleased to find purpose provided in "The Power of Scripture", a 10/2011 General Conference address by Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: 
"Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change."

How to Lighten My Load

Writing this on Saturday, spring-cleaning time, I need a manual and YouTube videos on how to get rid of stuff.  I try Google and get this message: "Unable to connect to the Internet."

So what now?  To the basement where stuff is, to check the modem connection.  When I go there, I take action and find something easy to toss.  (No, not my beloved slide rules – a set of full-size and mini, which I haven't used since college, when the first handheld electronic calculator came out @$400.  And my longboard stays, of course.)

How can I part with my LPs (music on vinyl) and my …

What would I do without my vise (heavy metal with movable jaws for my future shop) and my …

Why give up sturdy material (e.g., PVC pipe for Kay’s historic kids' “fish pond”) to a landfill, when I’m sure it will be useful someday?

And other language common to OCH (obsessive-compulsive hoarding).

Then there’s the fine furniture we’re storing.  Our daughter, a non-hoarder and expert at advertising on ksl.com, offered to help me photograph, post, and price to sell at a small fraction of what we paid in 1981 … wish more people appreciated its true beauty and value.  I prefer donating to a worthy thrift like Deseret Industries, avoiding phone calls and dealings with strange buyers.

Fortunately we recycle paper on a daily basis, constantly filling a box and dumping at the public library bin to “save the earth”; (maybe I will contribute the whole Earth Day file folder after celebrating on the 22^nd.)  However, the Bryce Canyon National Park calendars are keepers, gifts from our dear older friend who served there as a park ranger decades ago; the breathtaking views of a favorite destination can be enjoyed by our great grandchildren as well … when the Internet is down.  Right.

Thank goodness for my tiny flash drives I will keep forever – my guilt-free digital hoard of photos and files I take with me in case the house burns down;  no one will ever notice … easy for our children to discard after I die or go to a rest home.

Resetting the modem, I grab some 2010 phone books for recycling, and still can’t get on the web; reminds me of hearing Lois Lowry (age 77, award-winning author of The Giver and 39 other books) describe a dystopian society that had lost all of its technology – a nightmarish tale!  This is a work in progress for next week.

Now on Monday morning (memo: watch for my cassette-tape backup copy of favorite songs by The Mamas And The Papas) my Internet is working.  I learned yesterday that a 17-year-old ran his pickup truck into the main cable Saturday morning, knocking thousands off Xfinity Internet/ TV/phone – stopped our world for hours!  Having archived the original doc and lightened its load by a few personal paragraphs, I think this writing is ready, and I am about to lighten my load.

Raise Your Hand

“If you want to change your life, raise your hand.”

"How many of you would like to ..."

I nearly wore my arm out raising my hand in three free seminars I attended this year.  In the one at a gorgeous Marriott hotel last Thursday, a younger, skeptical man sitting next to me refused to raise his hand, as he knew the presenter was “conditioning us” to finally commit and pay at the close.  True.

The body language of hand raising and refraining from it is fascinating to the presenter and some in the audience.  The expert sees a bold willingness to take action, or a stubborn, maybe fearful failure to act.  I figure it's a small price to pay for education, without worries, knowing my 40-year secret works every time in the end.  Besides, I want the teachers to have a good time, too.  Really.

The last seminar was fast food in the extreme!  Raising my hand every two minutes, I had to seriously pay close attention and take quick notes as the professional, highly-paid expert raced through technical material like I could never do.  Surprisingly, a lot was meat and potatoes that you would not expect to get free; (one of the concepts those companies have learned is the value of giving freely.)  It made me wish I could pay for the three-day follow-up course where I would really learn what flew by me, plus more.

You may recall hearing something like this in Sunday School class: 
"Without raise of hands, how many of you have ever held a grudge?"  But when you have a comment or question, you do what self-disciplined, respectful students do in public schools – raise the hand.

In General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as in local meetings, members raise their hand to sustain Church leaders.  It is a positive sign of commitment to engage in service to others, and accept the inspired leadership of God’s chosen servants, both male and female.  Yesterday was a good example of support among the fifteen million members worldwide.  Kay and I enjoy the sessions, and are content to relax at home while being fed the bread of life.  As speakers conclude their messages of love, we share comments without raising a hand.