Earth-Gazing Makes Me Want to Be an Astronaut

I gotta get to space.

I don't care that NASA isn't sending up more shuttles.
Maybe someday I can afford a private flight up to space so I can see this with my own eyes.

Remarkable view, isn't it?
My childhood desire to be an astronaut has been renewed by the video below.

Watch it full-screen HD, and be prepared for a state of awe and appreciation for our world and its beauty.

OVERVIEW from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

One of the astronauts used the term "poetic", which I think is perfect.
It's amazing to see our planet from space.

Definitely poetry-inspiring.

We're on this beautiful rock together.
We are all connected.

So is anybody willing to lend me $250K (US) for a seat on Virgin Galactic?
I'll even take the seat next to Justin Bieber if I have to.

Agency: Every Soul is Free

One of the key doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a.k.a. Mormons, is agency, or the right of every person to make decisions and choose between good and evil.

Good and evil isn't always the choice, though. Sometimes the choice is between good and better, or better and best. But we still get to choose.

On Sunday, the music director in church picked a song for the opening number that I didn't even recognize. Maybe I've heard it before, but I can't recall that occasion if I have.

The hymn was #240, "Know This, That Every Soul Is Free".

Though a relatively short one, it conveys some deep lessons and its message struck me.

If you're an auditory learner, this is a men's choir singing the hymn: 

And for visual learners, here are the lyrics from the lds.org website:

1. Know this, that ev’ry soul is free
To choose his life and what he’ll be;
For this eternal truth is giv’n:
That God will force no man to heav’n.

2. He’ll call, persuade, direct aright,
And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
In nameless ways be good and kind,
But never force the human mind.

3. Freedom and reason make us men;
Take these away, what are we then?
Mere animals, and just as well
The beasts may think of heav’n or hell.

4. May we no more our pow’rs abuse,
But ways of truth and goodness choose;
Our God is pleased when we improve
His grace and seek his perfect love.

Interesting, no? That 3rd verse is a little strange, even though it's technically true.
I especially like the line "God will force no man to heav'n" and the whole second verse.
But I'm really loving the set-up right now.

"To choose his life and what he'll be;"

We make decisions, and then we have to live with the ramifications and results of those decisions. We can't choose the outcomes, especially when the agency of other people comes into play.

Sometimes the decisions others make will hurt us or change our world completely. Drunk drivers, terrorists, and those sorts of individuals will affect us, and we may not be able to avoid their poor decisions.

But we can choose our reactions to the situations we are in. Whether to become bitter or resentful or closed-off from the world and those around us who want the best for us. We choose how to react to everything in our life.

That is our agency.

If you've never read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl, you need to. ASAP.
Go get it at the library this week, and read it cover to cover.
He'll bring you to tears with his heartbreaking story, but also he'll convey the power of choosing your reactions to tough situations in a much better way than I probably ever could.

We make decisions, and hopefully we'll choose good over evil. And then outside forces will act on us, but we make the choice of how to react. My new goal is to focus on the positive and try to learn from tough situations, so I'll be better prepared to help others and cope with difficulty going forward.

"Life is Like a Mop"

Inspirational speeches come from all sorts of places.
I watch a fair amount of movies, so that's one of my primary sources.

For example, the blue-faced Braveheart rallying cry (link).
Or the Herb Brooks "beat the Russians" peptalk from Miracle (link).

But right now, I'm really taking to heart this motivational speech from a favorite childhood movie, UHF.

Because even though I may feel like my life is "full of dirt and crud and bugs and hairballs and stuff", it can be rinsed off and I can start all over again.

Side note: Awesome that "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is playing at the climax of his speech. I'd never verified it before, but the version used in the movie just so happens to be sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (source) with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Pretty cool, huh?

And so, friends and random readers, consider this my virtual standing up, going to the window, and yelling, "These floors are dirty as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"

Anybody got a spare toothbrush?

Accepting What You Can't Change

I've had a couple big relationship things weighing heavily on my mind lately.

Not high profile to most people, even in my inner circle, but the situations are hard on me nonetheless.

The two cases have to do with apologies and the giving and receiving of forgiveness.

Case #1- I've apologized and I'm waiting to see what she decides to do. I was in the wrong, so she'll be fully justified in deciding to accept my apology or not. I'll understand either choice.

Case #2- I've apologized and tried repeatedly to mend our friendship, and it looks more and more like the person will not reciprocate apologies and allow us to continue as friends. He's shown to be stubborn and vindictive and bully-ish, so I can't see reconciliation happening.

So when a friend posted the link to this ThoughtCatalog article, it was a godsend to me:

"How to Accept What You Can't Change" by Brianna Weist

Its lessons - particularly #7 - support what I recently read in a book about apologies and forgiveness:

If your first attempt [at apologies/reconciliation] fails, I suggest you make a second and third attempt. An apology says, "I value this relationship, and I want to deal with this problem." The refusal to apologize says, "I do not value this relationship, and it's okay with me if we continue to be estranged." We cannot force an apology but we can extend the olive branch and express our willingness to forgive. If, in the final analysis, they are unwilling to restore the relationship, you may then release them to God and release your hurt and anger to Him. Don't allow their unwillingness to deal with the problem destroy your life. It takes two people to build a positive, healthy relationship.*

Once we've done our best to seek forgiveness, the ball is in the other person's hands.

In case #1, she can choose to accept my apology and forgive (maybe she already has), with or without the option of reconciliation. She would be justified either way. At this point, I can release my pain and hurt to God. Of course, my preference would be reconciliation between the two of us.

In case #2, I've done all I can do, and as I don't see any forgiveness occurring, I can release the relationship to God and move on. Sometimes friendships end. I suppose all relationships have a lifecycle, even ones that began half a lifetime ago in high school.

So now I can just allow things to happen as they may (for these cases) and accept what I can't change.

*Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married, by Gary Chapman, pp 71-72. I highly recommend this whole book to anyone wanting healthier relationships, both before and after marriage. Lots of it can also be applied to improve friendships.

Boston Marathon Solidarity

The bombings at the 117th Boston Marathon were cowardly and horrible.

I'm grateful that no one I know personally was injured in the attacks, but I feel sorrow for those affected and my thoughts and prayers continue to go out to them.

In contrast, my spirit is buoyed by the incredible response of both Bostoners and people around the country.

First, this happened, and we were all stunned and shocked and horrified.

Then this happened, and we were reminded of how strong the people of Boston and its marathon are.

Then Patton Oswalt spoke up, and Stephen Colbert intro'd his show with this.

The Colbert Report

And people all over the country joined together in support of Boston and the people affected.

Seeing this arena-wide singing of the National Anthem at the Boston Bruins game on Wed, 4/17/13, brings tears to my eyes. Beautiful song, and a beautiful response as a city.

This quote by Mr Rogers has come up multiple times in the past couple years, and I find additional comfort in his reminder of the helpers and how many more people want to do good in this world than seek to do evil and harm innocents.

God bless Boston and its people, and I hope those responsible are brought to justice soon.

Bob Marley - Realist Philosopher

“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”

― Bob Marley

Too often, I forget how obviously flawed I am, and I start to think that I have to be perfect.

What a pile of horse hooey.

Though striving daily to be better is of course a positive thing, I'm all too often terribly hard on myself for making mistakes and falling short of perfection.

Well, I'm going to work on accepting me for me.
I hope we all can accept ourselves eventually.

The Soul Yearns for Beautiful, Uplifting Music

Are you a music addict like me?

I have music playing around me pretty much all day long.

While I get ready in the morning, in the car, at work, at lunch, at home in the evenings, while I work out...

Sometimes it's for an energy pick-me-up, or a little background sound to help me focus, or because I just don't like the quiet.

My musical tastes are varied, but often it's current pop or rock or country that I listen to.

Which is why I was excited to get an invitation to a free concert by the Utah Chamber Artists at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in downtown Salt Lake City on Sept 17th.

The concert was called "Shadows & Light", and I was impressed with the creative use of lighting and locations throughout the performance.

Not only did the orchestra and choir play in the front and back, but smaller groups played from darkened alcoves, behind that front screen in the picture above, and up in the back balcony next to the organ pipes (in the picture below).

During songs, they played with the lighting, including raising the lights on certain paintings or areas of the building during crescendos in the music. I found it all to be beautifully done in creating not just a concert, but an experience.

The song selections included classical pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Brahms, and Handel, along with more-contemporary and less-known (to me, at least) composers like Kaminsky, Dvorak, Piazzolla, Barnum, Hundley, Janacek, and Bradford.

Free performances of this excellent quality are few and far between.
Which is why I will gladly pay for a ticket or tickets to their Christmas concert on December 3rd.

Who wants to join me?

Architecture + Spirituality = Places I Want to Visit

We all get the travel bug once in a while.

Sometime I'd like to visit all the sites from CNN's article on 8 religious wonders to see in the US.

Palace of Gold, West Virginia

I've been outside St Patrick's Cathedral in NYC, but not inside.

Happy to see the Salt Lake LDS Temple at #6, which I've been to and in a bunch of times.

Salt Lake Temple, Utah

So I guess I have 6.5 to visit, eh? Who's coming with me?

Emily's Endowment Weekend

Going into an LDS temple is a pretty big deal, so I was excited for Emily when she told me she'd taken the temple prep courses and had a date to receive her endowment in the Washington DC LDS Temple.

(Note: If you want to learn more, here is an article about the LDS endowment.)

Emily's mom came to visit for the weekend and act as Emily's guide in the temple. I was very happy to meet her, as she's actually the first person that I've met from Emily's family.

I picked Emily and her mom up early, so we could get up to the temple to have plenty of time for Emily to buy garments and then for us to head inside and not be stressed for time.

Plus, it gave us time to snap a few pictures before, including this cute one.

After our time in the temple, we had to get a few shots with the special people who came to support Emily in this big step. She is definitely blessed with some high-quality friends.

Since her parents hadn't been able to see the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial when they last visited DC, Emily and I took her mom to check it out. Such a peaceful place, and we appreciated the design of the benches facing toward (for people on the plane) and away from the building (for those on the ground).

We were all pretty tuckered out from having woken up early, so I dropped the ladies off for a quick naptime, and then we met back up a few hours later to see the free 6 pm show at the Kennedy Center.

Emily had looked into it beforehand, and the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra didn't disappoint. I think I enjoyed watching Emily and her mom taking in the show together as I did listening to the upbeat, expertly-played music and singing.

Feeling quite cultured, we headed down to Old Town Alexandria for some dinner and a more intimate musical setting. Before dinner, we saw my favorite DC glass-player.

After dinner, we hit up the piano bar at Bistrot Lafayette, where we were able to join in the singing and request a few numbers. If you haven't been, you haven't lived. Emily's mom was loving it so much that we felt bad making her leave with us at just before midnight.

My brother Pete and his wife Jordyn had just made the move down to the DC area from Philly, so we met up with them for lunch the next day, and I liked them getting to also meet Emily's mom.

Having finished our lunch, Pete and Jordyn needed to continue unpacking, and Emily's mom wanted to get to the airport, so we dropped her off.

Such an action-packed, entertaining weekend. I wish those kind didn't ever have to end!

(Note: Emily's mom requested that I not post pics of her. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose...)

A Hospital for Sinners

This quote strikes me right now.

"The church is a hospital for sinners, not just a museum for saints."
                                                       -Vance Havner (1901-1986)

All too often, we feel like we have to be 100% perfect, and, while that's a worthy goal, it just isn't realistic.

We strive daily to be better than the day before, but there will be bumps and bruises along the way.

I'm okay with that.

I am working on not getting down on myself for having flaws and weaknesses, and also on accepting others as they are and loving them for who they are, not for the perfect vision of them that I imagine.

Perfection is the goal, not a state of current being that we're trying to maintain.

I hope this makes a little bit of sense. Maybe I'm just rambling.

In short, I'm striving to be better today than I was yesterday, and we've all got a long way to go, right?

And the journey is a lot more enjoyable with someone by your side.

The G-Child's Baptism

Eight years old is a big milestone for LDS kids, because they've reached the age of baptism.

Lucky for me, I was able to extend my Utah vacation an extra couple days to be able to attend his service and witness him taking this step. Yes, I'm a very proud uncle.

Proud son and papa

The siblings

Back at their house, Adam and Lindsey hosted an ice cream reception for family and friends.

Quite the spread of toppings

The happy boy

Proud grandpas

Grammy and Nana Betts

The Smyth brothers

Can't wait for the next family baptisms!

Just don't hurry and grow up too fast, nieces.

Gay Mormons: It Gets Better

This past weekend, there was a conference in Washington DC for LGBT Mormons, friends, and supporters. While I wasn't able to attend, I think it's a wonderful sign that some members of the LDS Church are changing their viewpoint about homosexuality and gender issues from exclusion to inclusion.

Recently, a couple videos have come out from LDS groups in support of LGBT Mormons, using the "It Gets Better" tagline. I applaud the makers and participants in these videos, because hatred and fire and brimstone are not productive. Love and compassion and caring are.

I include the videos here:

BYU students

Family and friends

Well made and to the point.

I'm hopeful that more people will speak up, and do so in a spirit of love and inclusion. All are welcome and loved, or should be, especially by followers of the LDS Church, who have so much to give.

Sidenote: While researching, I came across the MoHo Directory, which links to blogs by gay Mormons and supporters. Thought I'd share, just in case anyone would like to read more stories or thoughts on this topic. 

How I Contribute to the Confusion Between Amish and Mormon

I didn't realize it until I got home, but look what I wore to work today.

Dark pants, blue shirt, and suspenders. No wonder people get the Amish and the Mormons confused.

Now Available: Gluten-Free Sacrament

Each Sabbath day, Christians around the world take the Sacrament/Communion.

This act reminds believers of the Savior's sacrifice for them and is a renewal of promises made.*

In my church (the LDS/Mormon Church), the Sacrament consists of bread and water.

Recently I joined a new congregation, and I was somewhat surprised to see this in the announcements:

Do you see that? Gluten-free sacrament is available! How cool is that?!

Not sure why I'd never thought of it, but surely there are some who need this and I'm glad the leadership here makes it available so that those people can fully participate in this important weekly ordinance.

*If you'd like to know more about Mormon beliefs regarding the Sacrament, you can [read here].

Mark Asper: Oregon Duck, Hero, Eagle Scout, Husband, Father, and...

Mormon.

Of course.

When I read the story this morning on Yahoo News about how an Oregon offensive lineman had saved a choking man's life, and credited his Scout masters and Eagle Scout training, I started to wonder.

When the story then mentioned he was the oldest guy on the team, and that he was married with two kids (both daughters, how cute!), alarms started going off in my head.

So I figured I'd check his Oregon player profile to see if I could get any more info. [Stalker-ish of me?]

When his profile included these tidbits, I determined he's likely a member of the LDS Church:

• Attended Bonneville High in Idaho Falls, ID. Not a slam dunk, but there are lots of Mo's in ID.
• Majoring in Spanish. That could mean a lot of things, until you factor in the next point.
• Redshirted the 2007 season "after being away from the game for a two-year religious mission commitment."

Bingo.

Lots of churches do mission trips, which is excellent and I wish more people had/took the opportunity to serve those in need around the world, including in the U.S., but the two-year part is usually a pretty straight-forward LDS giveaway.

So while I don't really have a horse in the Rose Bowl, I'll be cheering for Oregon's #79.

Not just because he's Mormon (as there are probably some LDS guys on the Wisconsin side, too), but because he's a great guy and a life-saving hero.

The Holstee Manifesto

I had never heard of the Holstee Manifesto until my friend Bree posted this video on her Facebook page.

From what I can tell, Holstee is a super-hipster company that sells some interesting stuff, but what I'm really interested in is their inspirational message in this video.

We all need to live life, be creative, and do more with the valuable time we've been given.

Here's the Holstee Manifesto in one graphic.

To the degree that you currently can, I hope you join me in heeding its charge and spirit.

So what is your passion, friend?

Walking the Labyrinth

No, I'm not talking about the Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie movie Labyrinth, though combining those two with hordes of Muppets was definitely a winning formula.

Watch out for the Bog of Eternal Stench

Nor am I talking about much-creepier Pan's Labyrinth, which I didn't see and won't even include a picture of because just the promos freaked me out a little bit (okay, a lot).

I'm talking about the kind of labyrinth that you walk through for meditation purposes.

Have you ever been to one? Have you even heard of them before (besides the movies mentioned above)?

If not, here's a semi-brief YouTube video explaining them.

While the video above speaks to Christian worship, labyrinths are beneficial for all faiths meditation.

I've seen labyrinths at various places I've visited, and a couple years ago my friend Judi took me to St. Luke's Episcopal in Bethesda, MD, where she taught me the basics and we each took our time walking.
It was a very interesting experience, and I quite enjoyed it.

The labyrinth at St Luke's Episcopal Church

If you want company your first time, let me know and we can go together.
Or you can use http://labyrinthlocator.com/ to find a labyrinth near you. You'll probably be surprised at just how many there are close by. I know I was.

Perhaps you have your own meditational methods, like yoga (which I'm dabbling in) or something else.
If you do, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please share in the comments!

Happenings in the Holy Land

Note: There are far too many sights and experiences from my Discovery Expeditions tour of Israel to put in one blogpost. But I'll share a few highlights just to give you a taste.

Delayed Arrival

Air Canada screwed the pooch on this one. They overbooked the flight to Israel by ten (yes, I said ten!) people, and I got bumped. Frustration ensued. Stayed the night in Toronto. Was re-routed through Frankfurt, Germany. Finally arrived in Israel a day and a half later than I should have. Grrr.

With some of my bumped friends

Garden of Gethsemane

Such a peaceful place. After a quick tour and a short devotional, we had time to go off on our own and ponder on the events which occurred here. Very humbling and profound to sit so close to where the Savior suffered and atoned for our sins. Not as "garden-y" as I'd expected, but still beautiful and calming to visit.

The Western Wall

So much devotion. This spot was also a cultural gathering place for the Jewish people, which was interesting to observe. We made sure to face the wall while approaching and withdrawing, and yes, I did place a prayer in the stones. Different areas are set up for the women and men, and Jim Gee (our amazing guide) told us a lot about the history of the place and the wall excavations going on far below ground.
The Temple Mount

After some negotiation and tense moments with the modesty police, our shorts and shirts were accepted and we made it in. The Dome of the Rock is an exquisite building [from the outside at least--only Muslims can go inside]. Also a cultural gathering location, but for the Muslim people.

With Jasmine and Angela

We also walked around the southern end of the Temple Mount, which is where Jesus would have entered and exited on several occasions. When the temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans, huge stones fell from the walls. Here Chelsea and I stand by some of those stones:
We weren't done touring the Old City yet. A group of us set out on a walk around the ramparts, passing several of the wall's 7 gates before we came down. I was surprised to see a sign for Goliath's Tower. According to tradition, that's where David buried the giant's head.Lazarus' Tomb

It's one of the most famous of Jesus' miracles. Seeing the actual tomb was awesome. Very cozy down there, but I could just imagine the scene and how powerful it would be to see Lazarus come forth. Hopefully it isn't sacrilegious, but I thought a zombie pic would be humorous...
Golgotha and the Garden Tomb

Along with the Garden of Gethsemane, these locations are probably of the highest religious importance we visited. I had no idea they were so close to each other, but it makes sense as there wasn't much time between the Savior's death and his needing to be interred before the Sabbath. Again, after a tour and devotional (this time a testimony meeting of sorts), we had time to be alone in the Garden, and I really appreciated that.

With Angela at the tomb's entrance

Masada

This hilltop fortress was incredible. It's out in the middle of nowhere, overlooking the Dead Sea. Lower sections of the original fortress walls still remain (below the black line in the pic below), including some of the paint/drawings. Remarkable how well they've held up over the centuries.

Beit She'an

Ancient architecture didn't fare well against earthquakes. We saw the ruins at Beit She'an and I was astonished at the destruction. Archaeologists have been able to re-construct much of the city and are uncovering more ruins.
On the way to Nazareth, we stopped for a little taste of home. Yes, McDonalds. Pretty much the only differences were the additions of McShawarma and McFalafel to the menu, and the non-working ice cream machine.
Nazareth Village

In this re-creation of Nazareth in Biblical times, we were shown how several of Jesus' parables would have been applicable in the people's lives: wheat & tares, olive-pressing, watchtowers during harvest, etc. The wine press in this pic is likely the one that Jesus would have used, as it's close to where the small village of Nazareth was in Jesus' time, and wine presses were often communal.
Sea of Galilee

Ever been on a super-old-fashioned boat? I have. We went for a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and had a devotional and lesson. While our water was calm and the weather beautiful, I loved imagining the Savior and His disciples out there in wind and waves, as He commanded the elements to settle. Or of Jesus walking on water and bidding Peter to join him.

Ladies soaking up Galilean rays on the boat's bow

With Aladdin and Mike, enjoying bow seats

Jordan River

The site of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. Since it has historical significance, many churches still travel here to perform their baptisms. Also, there are muskrats the size of small dogs. Yikes.
Tiberias

Our hotel was in Tiberias, and we had a lot of fun there in the evenings, including swimming in Sea of Galilee, even when the swim zone was closed and the hotel worker kept giving us "just 5 more minutes" for about half an hour.
We also enjoyed the downtown and especially the boardwalk area, where we watched a water and light show on two nights. Plus, Angela talked the carousel operator into giving us a free ride. She sure is persuasive!

Our last morning in Tiberias, a small group of us woke up early to see the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. The sunrise was gorgeous, and singing a few hymns added to the experience.

The early morning crew

Caesarea Maritime

Our last day in Israel, and we made it count. We saw Herod the Great's summer palace, built right on the Mediterranean coast. The theater was humongous, aqueducts were used to bring water from far away mountains, and a velodrome existed for chariot races.

Enjoying the Mediterranean breezes

Look at the jellyfish Chelsea found on the beach!