A FUNERAL FOR LAZARUS

I KISS A FOOL EVERYDAY...BUT I STILL LOVE'EM!

The other day I was standing in line at the local grocery store. The cashier I got thatday was rather “chatty.” She was a pleasant woman who looked to be aroundfifty. While she scanned my items, she never stopped talking, which is fine, Iguess, except that she was not talking to me but to the woman cashier next toher. I really didn’t mind; sometimes its nice to just go through a line withouthaving to interact. But I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation whichconsisted of tidbit gossip regarding the “personnel” of the store. However, Ihad to laugh when I overheard the other cashier say, “My nose is itching!” Towhich my cashier responded rather jovially, “You know what they say, ‘When yournose itches you are going to kiss a fool.’” The other woman laughed. Then as Iturned to walk away, my cashier blurted out with gusto, “I kiss a fooleveryday… but I still love him.” She was, of course, affectionately referringto her husband. As I walked out of the grocery store towards my car that day tothe sound of women’s laughter, I had to smile to myself. Funny how true somesilly statements really are! I certainly have done some pretty foolish thingsin my day. A number of years ago, I was in line at a Subway shop located acrossfrom my office. As I approached the cashier, I got out the money to pay for mysub. The cost was six dollars and some change. I had in my pocket atwenty-dollar bill, a five dollar bill and change. For some reason I justdidn’t want to break that twenty. It seems as soon as you break atwenty-dollar bill you might as well toss it to the wind because youalways spend it and you never have anything to show for it. Alas, it appeared Ihad no options but to break it. However, lo and behold, a solution emerged.There in front of me was the “give a penny, take a penny box.” A dollar billwas in that box. I gleefully took the dollar out and handed it to the cashieralong with my five and the change. My twenty had been saved. But as soon as Ipaid for it and started to walk out of the store, it dawned on me that perhapsI had robbed the “Tip” box. I was so embarrassed that I scampered out to thecar where my wife was waiting. As I got into the car, with heart pounding, I recountedmy deed. She hung her head down and slowly shook it. “Please”, she said, “Don’ttell me you robbed them of their tip money!” Nothing more needed to be said. Iquickly put the car into gear and, for the first time since my teenage years, Ilaid “rubber” as we pulled out. Well, the next week I went back into that same Subway for lunch.As I made my way down the line, I kept looking for the “give a dollar, take adollar” box. As I paid my bill, I spied the “unmarked” box. I nonchalantly saidto the young girl behind the counter. “Hey, is this your “tip” box?” She smiledand said, “Yes.” Then she leaned forward and said, “You wouldn’t believe it, Iheard some guy came in here last week and took a dollar out of it to pay forhis sub.” I stammered, “No way!” “Yeah” she said, “The nerve of some people!”(On a subsequent visit I righted my wrong to the ‘Tip Jar.’) Jacques Maritain once said: “We don’t love qualities, we lovepersons; sometimes by reason of their defects as well as of their qualities.” Well, I don’t know what got into me the day I raided the “tip”box. But I learned that we all play the fool from time to time. I keepreminding my wife that our wedding vows said “for better or worse”, even if“worse” comes up more often than “better”. My wife doesn’t like it when I tellthis story because, well… the story stands as evidence against her that shekisses a fool everyday. I can only hope she still loves me.

A FUNERAL FOR LAZARUS

A number of years ago I attended the funeral of my uncle. He has been in ill health formany, many years. Countless members of his family traveled long distances topay their respects. His funeral was filled with beautiful music and testimoniesfrom loved ones of his life. During most of his mortal time on earth, my unclehas suffered from the symptoms of Diabetes. He had several organ transplants,including his kidney and pancreas. On more than one occasion, he appeared to benear death, only to recover and continue onward. His victory over death went onfor decades. Even so, he was still a relatively young man of sixty-eight whenhe passed away. In cheating death so often, he was affectionately given thenickname “The Lazarus Man” by my family. And although over the years, he woneach battle over death, in the end, he lost the war. The day of a funeral evencomes for Lazarus! Perhaps you remember the story of the Biblical Lazarus whom myUncle was warmly nicknamed. He was a follower of Jesus, as were his sistersMartha and Mary. His story is found in the eleventh chapter of John. “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the townof Mary and her sister Martha… Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, andLazarus…Then when Jesus came, he found that he (Lazarus) had lain in the gravefour days already…Jesus saith unto her (Martha), Thy brother shall rise again.Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection atthe last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life, he thatbelieveth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever livethand believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him,Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which shouldcome into the world” (John 11:1,5, 23-27) The scriptural account then goes on to record that Jesus calledLazarus forth from the tomb. Lazarus, though expired four days, comes forthfrom the land of the dead to live again. This miracle is symbolic of Christ’spower over death. Not just the physical, but also the spiritual! Lazarus the man is mentioned, by name, only once more in the scriptural records. But thereare traditions of varying accounts as to the outcome of his life. The date ofhis “second” death is uncertain. But this much is for sure, there was anotherfuneral held for Lazarus. As I sat in the pews, I was again reminded of the fragile natureof this life. I know that someday a funeral service will be held for me. ..As I looked around and sawthe wet eyes, and rolling tears on those who loved my Uncle, it was clear to methat the words spoken by my Father, like many others at such services, weretrue. He testified that the only hope we have, is our hope in the power of resurrection,as made possible by our Savior. In this we gain some comfort. It is a terriblething to lose a loved one. It is an emptiness that can best be described onlyby those who have experienced it. It is a void that will not be satisfied andcannot be filled till “that” day! “That” day is the day of resurrection aspromised by the Lord. It is on “that” day when the emptiness and lonelinesswill end for those that suffer from the gulf of separation. “The day of resurrectionmay be far off, but it is getting closer by the minute. It is getting closerbecause “that” day exists! It is real and it is made possible by the sacrificeof Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for us so that we might live again...Our physical bodies will lie in a box becoming “dust!” I shudder to think that that will be the end of who Iam, or that of everyone I have ever loved. I know it isn’t! I know that throughthe sacrifice of our Savior, I will live again. You will live again! We areeternal! Thanks be to a loving Father who designed a plan whereby we can livetogether, with our loved ones, in His presence for eternity. I believe this tobe true and know it is so in my heart!

THE DISCIPLE MD NOW READ IN OVER 110 COUNTRIES

I startedwriting in April of 2007. That year my wife and I had traveled from Maryland toUtah to spend time with three of our five grown children. I had procuredtickets to General Conference that year and it was there at the ConferenceCenter that I felt impressed to embark on a project that I named “TheDiscipleMD.” My writings are imperfect! Nevertheless, it is now been read inover 110 countries around the world. As I sat waiting in the Conference Center with my wife for theSunday morning session to begin, I glanced down the aisle to view my children.One son was seated with his wife, another with a girlfriend, and my onlydaughter was there with her then fiancé. Like most parents, I marveled at howfast time had gone by and that my children were now grown. They were becoming“independent.” I recall thinking that my influence was slowly diminishing intheir lives. At that moment it occurred to me that I could continue toinfluence their lives for the good with modern technology. I could accomplishthis by communicating with them daily via email. I committed right then thatwhen I returned home, I would begin to send out a weekday inspirationalmessage. At first, my messages consisted of a scripture or perhaps aninspired entry from one of my journals. Sometimes it was part of an old letterI had received from a grandparent, my parents, or even an old romantic letter Ihad written to their Mother. On occasion, it was a quote from a church leader.As time passed, I began to recount stories of my youth, tying them into gospelprinciples. My children are avid sports fans so I started to tie in sportsthemes or personal experiences with athletics. Since I have spent most of mylife in church leadership, I began to intermix inspiring stories of a personalnature that were uplifting and testimony-building. There are so many stories ofinspiration in the lives church members. I once recall one of my siblings complainingto my Mother that she saw the gospel in everything. She didn’t deny it. What Ihave found out is that my mother was right. The influence of the gospel ofJesus Christ is found in all aspects of our lives. The Savior was a greatteacher because he taught parables that resonated with the common man. He couldrelate simple stories that all could understand. I have found the more simplethe story, the more profound the message. Over time, my siblings and extended family found out I wassending out daily messages and asked if they could be included in the emaillist. On many occasions, I have received a response back from someone in thefamily who write, “Thanks for that message. I needed that today!” I guess thatis why I keep going. I believe I am doing some good. One of my sons told methat he uses my messages in his church assignments and that it is nice to havethem stored in his phone where he can access them in a moment’s notice. I oftentalk with my children about the gospel and nary a discussion goes by without“The Disciple” being mentioned. Over the years, I have approached almost everysubject under the sun. The greatest beneficiary of my messages has been me. It hasgiven me reason and purpose to write down my thoughts. Because I use a lot ofpersonal experiences, it has become somewhat of a journal. It has driven me tothe scriptures on a daily basis. Often I find myself overwhelmed with thespirit while in the mist of writing. At times I find myself in tears as Irecall past experiences. Memories come flooding back into my mind as I searchfor a daily message to impart. I often read my messages to my wife verballywhen I get home from work. It’s become a daily habit. More times than I canremember, I get emotional as I read them to her. She listens patiently andusually says, “That’s a good one!” each time I finish. She has given metremendous support over the past years with my writings. She believes that it...THE REST OF THIS PODCAST IS FOUND IN THE WRITTEN FORM AT MY WEBSITE.

BEARING THE CROSS!

One of the more memorable experiences I had as a young man in my church was a canoe trip during the summer of 1971. That summer, the young men of the ward took a trip to the lakes of Minnesota. At the Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base, a week of great beauty began. I still remember the still, crystal blue lakes, flying eagles, and beautiful lakeside stops. But what I remember most was a week of hard work and sparse food. The still lake waters are memorable,but with their stillness comes the challenge of canoeing across them. Because we were gone for an entire week, we had to carry all provisions. Food, tents, cooking supplies, and extra clothes were packedinto all the canoes. The real work was not packing all the supplies on the canoe, but “forging” from one lake to the other. Forging is a mightyundertaking. It involves landing at the edge of one lake, then hiking to thenext lake with the canoe on your back. Each time we forged, we had to climb asmall mountain, then descend the other side to reach another lake. Carrying thecanoes was hard enough but carrying all the supplies as well made for a slowand excruciating transition. In addition to the hard work, there was a limitedsupply of food. You can imagine that when you carry a week of food supply for20 men and boys, you take no more than is “needed.” For me, and the other youngmen, the rationing of food brought us close to rebellion. Never has food tastedso sweet as it did that week. Because of that experience, I have taken note of how often theLord has required great sacrifice in “crossing and forging” his people. Theexamples are many. Per the commandment of the Lord, Abraham had to forge andcross the mighty Euphrates to reach the land of Canaan. Moses led theIsraelites across the parted Red Sea, and Joshua was asked to lead the Lord’speople across the River Jordan. In our time, the mighty Mississippi River stoodin the way of our modern-day exodus to the west. And how can we forget theJaredites and the family of Lehi, who crossed an ocean to reach this continent? With such rich examples of “crossing and forging” in ourhistory, it makes you wonder why the Lord has required it so often of hispeople. One answer is found in the Scriptures: “My people must be tried inall things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have forthem, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is notworthy of my kingdom” (D&C 136:31) I am convinced that the Lord presents us with opportunities to“cross and forge” so that we might stretch and reach our potential. It may notbe easy, but nothing that builds character ever is! I hated the hard work ofthat canoe trip in Minnesota, but the calluses were soon gone, while the sweetmemories and character-building lessons have endured. Bearing and crossing theeveryday challenges that are placed before us while maintaining a testimony ofJesus Christ are certainly an intricate part of who we are or who we would liketo become!

DO I BRING A SMILE?

A number of years ago I was reminded of an important principle when my wife and Ivisited a rural town in Pennsylvania.  We were sitting in an icecream shop in Strasburg on a Saturday night, enjoying good food and looking forward to an ice cream treat. My wife said to me, “Look at how everyone is smiling. That man over there just held up his big sundae to his wife and smiled.” It was true. We watched as person after person, young or old, smiled ateach other as they were handed their ice cream treat. It brought me back to the summer of 1978 when, just after being married, I worked for an ice cream company.  My job was to open new accounts in the Washington D.C. metro area in restaurants and small cafes. Inevitably, when I would enter aplace of business and present my card to the business owner, they wouldjoke by saying, “Do you have samples of your ice cream?” Not knowing that I wascarrying a bag of dry ice filled with samples, I would surprise them by saying“Yes, do you want some?” What do you think they said? Not one person everturned me down. If I didn’t get the sale, I left the person smiling. Ice Creamhas that kind of effect on people. Can people have the same impact on people as ice cream? Sure! Haven’t you ever met someone who seems to carry a smile? They havea way of making everyone else around them enjoy life.  I’ve never metanyone who doesn’t have any problems, but some choose to not wear it ontheir faces. In a talk entitled “A Reason to Smile”, by Joe J. Christensen,he said this: “Ask yourself, Am I really a happy person? If you are not and ifit is difficult for you to smile, then think about it. Some of it may come fromrecognizing that difficulties are part of life. There are ups and downs. Thatfact reminds me of a story shared by Marian D. Hanks. “A father is aboard an airplane on a short business trip. He haswith him his five-year-old son and is almost wishing his son were not therebecause it is a very rough trip. There are downdrafts and updrafts and headwinds alternating with tailwinds, and some passengers are feeling a bit queasy.Apprehensively, the father glances at his son and finds him grinning from earto ear. ‘Dad’, he says, ‘do they do this just to make it fun for thekids?'(Changing Channels, “Ensign, Nov.1990,38) Sometimes we just need to be more childlike in our perspectiveof life’s daily happenings. Let us try to be like Ice Cream, and make peoplesmile when they come into contact with us.  The wonderful thing aboutice cream and people is that they come in so many flavors.  It reallydoesn’t matter what flavor of a person we are because if we choose to bless thelives of others, like manna from heaven, the taste we offer is delicious forall.