Today I picked up my guitar and started strumming it. I wondered why I was practicing my guitar today. I realized that it was because I made the choice to do it an put forth the effort to do so. Granted, the effort was not great, but convincing myself to actually do it took a conscious decision.

I realized that this was analogous to many things in life. No matter what it is that we are wishing we could do or have, the probability that those things are just going to happen by themselves is very low. It takes a conscious decision to motivate our selves to put forth the effort to actually work toward doing or having the things that we want.

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for:

• Him
• His Love, which surrounds me
• His Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, my brother, my friend
• My Spirit, which I am
• My body, which affords me this mortal experience
• A beautiful wife, who loves me in spite of me
• My children, who bring so much joy and meaning into my life when I take the time to see it
• Good parents, who love me, taught me, and continue to teach me
• Wonderful siblings, who care for me, enjoy being with me, and are all counted among my best friends
• Excellent friends, who support me and encourage me
• Vehicles that function properly
• The ability to operate those vehicles safely
• A house which keeps me safe from the storms of nature, tempers the temperature, and protects me intruders
• Grass, that turns green in the Spring and feels good to walk and run on
• Fruit trees with blossoms on them in the Spring, fruit and shady leaves in the Summer, and brilliant colors in the Fall
• The safety of my family
• Food to eat, every day, I never seem to go without
• Air to breathe, clean air at that
• Majestic mountains that surround my valley like huge comforting arms, upon which I can climb and be awed by glorious views
• Water, clean, clear, cool, and refreshing
• Blue skies that stretch beyond the horizons
• White fluffy clouds that hang in the sky and make shapes to entice my imagination
• Gray cloudy days which remind me of Europe
• The smell of rain, freshly fallen
• The sound of rain, pitter pattering a soothing and hypnotic beat
• A lamp, that looks like a soccer ball, so cool
• Soccer, my favorite sport in the world
• The ability to play soccer
• Friends and family members who enjoy playing soccer with me, even if I step on their feet sometimes
• A job, with amazing employers, amazing co-workers (who are also excellent friends), and work that is engaging and always plentiful and constantly changing
• The smell of fresh-baked bread with real butter smeared on it
• The ability to type
• Two hands and all ten fingers present and accounted for
• Acoustic guitars, which makes such a pleasing resonance when you strum them
• SCUBA diving, in warm, crystal clear waters, and a spectacular array of sea life who present a beautiful spectrum of colors
• The Scouting program, that teaches young men to better appreciate this marvelous creation on which we live and the gifts that we have been given
• My knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the peace that knowledge brings to my soul
• Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
• The knowledge that this life is merely a testing point in the middle of my real eternal life which started many eons before I even came to this planet and which will continue on even after this mortal experience is over
• A desk, that my brother helped me make
• An intense curiosity and a desire to learn all things
• Maps, that help me know where I am and open before me the possibilities of endless destinations
• The Sun, which warms my face and my shoulders and also help tomatoes grow
• Tomatoes, fresh from the garden, so plump and juice which make some of the best salsa in the world
• Spices, that I can experiment with and make food that makes my taste buds sing
• Fresh peaches and mangos, which release copious amounts of delicious juices when you bite into them
• Grape juice, just grape juice, nothing else added, just plain grape juice
• Fresh squeezed orange juice
• (I think my food gratitude list could pretty much take over here so I am diverting…)
• Stars, which twinkle in the night and inspire the imagination with thoughts of what is out there and the beauty and sheer immensity of the universe
• Cool breezes on warm days, that rustle the leaves in the trees and make music with everything they can move
• The Internet, which allows me to communicate with friends and family despite the distances that may separate us
• Newly paved roads, that provide a smooth and comfortable travel
• Books, that open portals to worlds I have never known, thoughts I have never considered, and people I have never met
• Music, the voice of the soul, which is powerful enough to move me yet gentle enough to caress and comfort me, bringing with it the encapsulated moods of the artists who bottled them for others to enjoy
• The comments of a four year old, often random yet usually quite poignant, and can knock me off my seat in shock or in fits of laughter
• Apple products, need I say more
• Languages, fascinating and enigmatic stories of the cultures and peoples who use them
• Electricity, without which I would not be writing this list and you would not be reading this list
• Electronics, of the present, fascinating and yet show only a minuscule sampling of what is truly possible when someday we finally understand the true nature and boundless uses of electricity
• Butterflies, floating and flapping their colors seemingly without care or aim
• Imagination, what dreams are made of
• A bed, and an extremely comfortable one at that, with a down comforter on top
• Belts, for all my Luke Skywalker needs
• Towels, the most important tool any frood could have
• Family photos, painful to create, provide years of appreciation
• Excellent eye sight, some are not able to enjoy, which makes me even more grateful to have it
• Running, takes me away from the world and allows me to really think and be inspired
• People who take the time to share and help others share inspiring and uplifting stories with me (thank you Dr. Paul Jenkins)
• Clothes, they keep me warm, they keep me cool, they provide some style
• A head of hair
• Learning new things
• Sunset and Sunrise, especially with partially cloudy skies, what gorgeous spectacles
• The American Flag, a symbol of freedom, courage, and valor
• Happiness, which, as you know, is a choice
• The freedom to choose
• Endless possibilities

To say that this list is incomplete would be a gross understatement. If only I could take the time to continue.

What are you grateful to your Heavenly Father for?

Here are some scriptural examples of seeking:

• “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matthew 7:7) (alt)
• “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
• “For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” (Amos 5:4)
• “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
• “But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.” (Jacob 2:18)

Perhaps a more visual example of “seeking” would be in the story of Harry Potter. He was a “seeker” on his Quidditch team. If he had just sat on his broom and merely looked for the golden snitch, he never would have been able to lay hold on it. His seeking of his goal included actively doing something to attain that goal.

I would very much enjoy it if you shared with me more examples of seeking.

Parenting methods that do not work:

• Spanking
• Yelling
• Threatening
• Discomfort
• Scare tactics
• Soap in the mouth
• General pain
• Endless lecturing

There are those that argue that these methods do work. Granted, they do get reactions and are sometimes effective temporarily. However, the side effects of using these methods are negative and usually undesirable for the parents as well as the children. These methods are usually easier and quicker and come more naturally. As we know, nature is not always the best way. Animals live in nature. Our children deserve parents that are not animals. Parents who use and endorse these methods are little more than children themselves as is self evident in the actions taken which when compared to actions of children are very similar.

Parenting methods that do work:

• Patience
• Really listening to what your child says verbally and through body language
• Putting yourself on their level, physically
• A kind voice, with perhaps a touch of sternness when necessary
• Gentle touches, with perhaps a bit of firmness when necessary
• Concise statements of fact and direction

These methods do work better and have much more desirable long term results and positive side-effects. The major drawback to these methods is that they require parents to actually grow up. To effectively employ these methods, parents must learn how to control their emotions, as well as their bodies.

The key difference in the methods that work and do not work is the person that you are concerned with.

When you are concerned about yourself, your time, your schedule, your plans, your happiness, your stuff, your live, what others think of you, this is when you are more apt to revert to being childish and use method that do not work. Children throw tantrums. Childish adults who have not grown up in this aspect of their life also throw tantrums.

When you are more concerned about the emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical well-being of your child, you are more apt to employ methods that do work. You show that you are truly “grown up” in this aspect of your life when you are able to handle parenting situations calmly and with full control of yourself.

To put it more succinctly, the main difference between what works and what does not, is love and who the target of that love is. Selfishness versus selflessness.

Please feel free to share your own parenting wisdom in the comments section.

The rules are:

* Link to the person who tagged you ( Jamie )
* Post the rules on your blog
* Write six random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself
* Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them
* Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog
* Let the tagger know when your entry is posted

6 Weird things about myself, in no particular order:

1. I am a perfectionist
2. I get cold really easily
3. I am an introverted extrovert
4. I think we should explore the universe
5. I love waking up early in the morning
6. I think pain is good

TAG!!! You’re IT!

1. Andy
2. Christopher
3. Derrick
4. John
5. JR
6. Fred & Dori

For example, I had a goal to exercise every day. If you think about it, that is not really the end goal. It could be argued that that is a short term goal. However I consider short term goals to be part of the cost of the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal may in all actuality be something like this: “Be physically fit enough to go snowboarding at age 100″.

Apparently I need to rethink what goals are.

No matter who you are or what you do, you will find great value in listening to the Live on Purpose podcast.

The amazing thing is that they do not charge anything for you subscribe. I have found value in every single episode of the Live on Purpose podcast that I have listened to.