Every once in a while you just got to have some chocolate milk

I was at the store today and when I saw the chocolate milk I just knew I had to have some. It’s pretty cool I live in a country and at a time of the world when I can just get chocolate milk. It’s not going to add much to my over all health. But it sure was good to drink. And trying to get the most for my money I’ll be able to drink Chocolate milk for a couple of days.

Some other good things in my life are my wife and kids. I am so lucky to have gotten the mine. I know most people talk about how good there kids are and how beautiful their wife is, but mine is for really. They are perfect for me and I have very happy to have them around. I also feel blessed because I the hope I have that we will be together forever. While most of the world believes in “til death do you part” That is pretty sad, because this life is pretty lame most of the time. I really look forward to living in a situation that is better than here in mortality. But even with as lame as this life is my family really makes it bearable. I really am lucky.

And then on occasion I get a little bonus and get some chocolate milk.

Refiner of Silver

I heard this story in church last Sunday. So I thought I’d look on the internet to see if I could find the author. I found this story in many places, but could not find an author. If you may know where the original story came from please let me know.

There was a group of women in a Bible study class. One day they were studying Malachi in the third chapter they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next class.

That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith; he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God putting each of us through the furnace of affliction – then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered “yes”, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”

Which reminds me of the scripture in Alma


Alma 5: 14, 19

14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?
• • •
19 I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?

Update on the Tour de France and getting old

It seems that today was the day that Lance discovered he doesn’t have what it takes to win the Tour. Also Tom Watson, who is 59, made a magnificent run at the British open. Only to falter on the last hole to force a playoff that he didn’t win.

For me being forty I was cheering on both of these guys. I guess it gave me hope that maybe I can bring back some of the physical stamina I had reached as a younger man. But today, like these guys, I feel older and less relevant.

It is a good thing because it makes me humble and keeps me from even thinking I can have the pride I once had.

I am just reminded I am tired. I will keep moving forward.

Tour de France

Life is a game to be played

I have had this philosophy for some time, however I haven’t written it down.

I am very competitive. From the time I was very little I liked to win. I don’t remember specific instances, but I remember being constantly angry as a child when I did not win a game. Many would look at my behavior and just say I was a very poor sport. I was a poor sport and very foolish. Probably, in my late teens or early twenties I began to see that the joy in life comes from playing the game and not the outcome of the game. Once the game is over, win or lose, the fun or enjoyment of the situation is over.

So many times in life we set goals, and goals are very important. But we focus on the goals and don’t enjoy the game. Ever since realizing this I have become much more a lover of the game. Whether it’s sports, board games or video games I try to squeeze all the enjoyment out of playing the game.

It still is hard, especially in the game of life, when the it seems the odds are against me and failure is eminent. At those times it is hard to enjoy the game. This is the point where I am tempted to, and sometimes I do, give up. We’ll it’s really not giving up I believe, I would better define it as resting. Once the resting is over and I am strong enough again to pick myself up and to try again I realized what I learned from the last attempt made me stronger, better, faster, and better at the game. And after enough playing I am able to score small victories.

What is bad and makes life and playing games hardest for me is when I lose this perspective and get mired down in the failure.

If you feeling bad, like your losing the game, take a little rest and then get back up and into the game. Because, at the end of the day, the fun is in the playing the game.

My grandfather DeVere tells of some wisdom that his father gave to him. When situations looked bleak Harry Robinson, my great grandfather would say “Let’s sleep on it. It will look different in the morning.” And you know he is right everything looks better in the morning.

Play, relax, and enjoy the game.

Dreams – unattributed quote from the internet

Dreams are like stars…you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.

My Site up on a new server. And nobody can tell

I have done this several times with other web sites but this is the last site I had hosted with godaddy.  About 8 months ago I started moving all my hosting to Blue Host.    So this is the last one.   I still have a couple of people I am working with that are using Godaddy, but this is my last hosting with them.   I’d been doing stuff with godaddy for a couple of years and when they speed up for the little guys I may move back.  But Bluehost is a bit cheeper and there isn’t all the pop up adds when I buy domain names and hosting.

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