Real Thanksgiving!

Tonight I was listening to Christmas music and thinking of all the things that I have to be thankful for. It might seem somewhat late for this being that Thanksgiving was last Thursday, but for me its necessary this year to share my gratitude after Thanksgiving.

This past week a family from our new neighborhood and church congregation here in Utah lost their son, brother, husband and father to a caving event. He came home from school with his wife and daughter and went to a family activity with his brother and some friends and as a result he got stuck in a cave and after 28 hours of effort to free him, he passed away in the cave. You may have read about it since it made the national news.

I can't even begin to share their grief with them. They lost their precious loved on on Thanksgiving eve, but what I can do is be thankful for the blessings that came from this event. What blessings can come from an event like this? First I witnessed from them Faith that I have not witnessed in a long time. Second a testimony of the Plan of Salvation. The young wife/mother showed that she understood the plan of salvation and the father of the young man showed that he understood that all things have a purpose. Third I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to mourn with them. In the Book of Mormon we read in Mosiah 18:8-9

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;


9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

Even though I didn't know the young man who died, I feel that he allowed the Lord to teach us, as his children, how we should treat each other. In his death he did a lot to unite and bring comfort to others. I'm grateful for families like his who are great examples to us of how to handle crisis and hard moments. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is always supplying us with his spirit and who showers us with his love at the most difficult moments in our lives. I'm grateful for the knowledge of eternal families and for the knowledge that there is more than just this mortal life. I'm grateful, at this time of year especially, for a loving Savior who suffered in Gethsemany and hung on the Cross for me and others so that we might overcome both the physical and spiritual death. I'm grateful for my wife and my children and for the blessing of being a husband and father.

I'm grateful that out of this tragedy I have had the ability to learn and witness God's gracious love. Please remember to be grateful and thankful for what you have because you might not have it tomorrow.

I'm also grateful for my friends and for those who have born my burdens with me, have comforted me when I was in need and have mourned with me at times in my life. Thank you.

Life of an unemployed professional!

10.2 %. (http://www.bls.gov/cps/) What an incredible number, its the unemployment number in the U.S. and for the first time in my life I find myself included in a negative statistic. If you have any idea of what 10.2% means, then you know its not good. The sad thing is that this number does not discriminate against anyone. Everyone is or can be a victim, professionals, non-professionals, white-collar, blue-coller, men, women........ No One Is Safe!!!

It's frustrating to put it mildly, so what is the life of an unemployed professional like? I spend time looking for work. I look everywhere, in every state and out of the country. I look inside my field, outside my field and to add some humor, I look under my field. :) I spend time reading, watching TV, working on personal projects, having ADD moments, playing with my cat, going to the Temple, educating myself on many....MANY things, watching chic flicks with my wife, watching chic shows with my wife, watching shows that any man would be embarrased to admit to with my wife. But still I see this an an opportunity.

What opportunities are granted to an unemployed professional? I have many, MANY opportunities to learn and grow, but the thing that I have learned more than any other thing is that Faith is not as simple as we think it is. Whether your religious nor not, finding, developing and then nourishing your faith is important. I have found that much of faith is being able to sit back and say that your ok without knowing the end result. Faith is also not knowing why but knowing that it must be. Faith is also knowing that even though you should be able to, you can't because there is potentially something bigger on the other end.

So the life of an unemployed professional is full of many things, but the one thing that for me it is full of, is opportunities to grow my faith.