It’s all been downhill since the Y went with the Cougars as their mascot instead of the Danites

(Ducks and runs, giggling  madly)

“Shane Reese’s career sounds like a boyhood dream: full of sports, wildlife, bombs, race cars and space exploration.

“He worked with nuclear weapons and helped the National Academy of Science monitor the demolition of two chemical weapons stockpiles. He consulted for an NFL team and the U.S. Olympic volleyball team. He published original research on baseball legend Babe Ruth and NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon. And he predicts the power of solar storms and helps government scientists understand a shape-shifting mass of energy on the edge of our galaxy.

“For all that, this year he will join the hall of fame for statisticians by being named a fellow of the American Statistical Association.”
–from a BYU news release from July 1, 2013

Dawn is not repose nor movement,

The flame grows like a plant.

Dawn is not melody nor clamor,

but the droning of a chant.

Tranquility is not indifference.

Repose is not lethargy.

They contain that quality we call holiness.

If you experience them, to that degree you have re-enchanted the world.

An ox team moves better together when pulling a load.

An ox team moves better together when it has a destination.

The is a lesson here on what it means to be equally yoked.

On the sweetness

On an impulse you work through the house

Grandma and daughter are baking a cake in the kitchen. They are talking up a storm.

And then you walk outside

Three offspring ages high school to elementary are on the tire swing.

You have a revelation. Watching people you love be happy under your umbrella is one of the most exquisite pleasures known to God or man.

“Daddy, twist the swing!”

You do.

The previous section (ch. 13—27) was about the Fall of Babylon. But that is only important insomuch as there is something to replace it. Otherwise, Babylon would reestablish itself in short order.

This section is about how God will establish Zion and in particular, how the Word of God will transform the world. If I summarized this next section (28-35), it would be with this quote from Spencer W Kimball

“I am convinced that each of us, at some time in our lives, must discover the scriptures for ourselves—and not just discover them once, but rediscover them again and again.” 
How Rare a Possession – The Scriptures! The Ensign Sept. 1976, 2, 4

And not merely learn the scriptures, but how they will transform society, individually and collectively. We must rediscover the power in the Word of God. Chapter 29 is attributed to the Book of Mormon, and this is true, but I wonder if it is broader than that. I suspect that when the Ten Tribes Return, they will see this as applicable to themselves as well.

Chapters 28 & 29 are the Doctrine and we see the Application in chapters 30-35.

Word of God Rejected, yet Taught: Doctrine (28), Application (30)

A Marvelous Work & a Wonder: Doctrine (29:1-14), Application (31-32)

Society Transformed: Doctrine (29:15-24), Application (33-35)

The doings at the Drones Club are as sprightly as ever.  Rolls whizzing to and from, young blood distinctly young and bloodish, bon mots of the bonest.  Rep. “Reppie” Thomas H. Massie had a good one that he shared with all and sundry to general acclaim.

.@repthomasmassie on his #RawMilk Bill and the lactose lobby in #DC pic.twitter.com/RI97JEY766

— Free the People (@freethepeople) March 12, 2023

Although still a frolicsome life of the party and whatnot, your Bertie has had to return a dashed nolle prosequi when viands and potations are pressed upon him.  I’m in training.  The boys have signed me up for a bank run.

An acolyte in an Asian monastery grew dissatisfied with the slow pace of his progress there and determined to make his own way in the world.  The sage who presided called the acolyte in and showed him a fire.  On it he laid a stick.  As it started to catch flame, the sage pushed it away from the main fire, where its flames soon went out.

Another acolyte was content with the teachings there.  The sage called him in also.  He showed a heap of sticks and logs.  Tightly packed, when the sage tried to light the heap, he could not.

A couple of days ago I passed on three great parenting metaphors from others and in the comments tried myself to make them into fables.  The results were good as fables but for the first and third weren’t obviously connected to the metaphors I started with. (more…)

Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean

If the Galilean who conquers you is pallid, you were no great shakes to begin with.  Only the pale can be defeated by the pale.

The Galilean will overcome you, sure.  Be stout enough that he overcomes you in his fiery mercy and ruddy strength.

“When have I brought you joy?” the lovely one asked a week or two ago.  It was an unexpected question to just have like that.  I said what came to mind.  What came to mind were the spiritual moments.  The birth of our children and life with Betsey.

One of them was we two dressing Betsey’s body and combing her hair after she died.

Well, today was the day she died.  It s been many years ago.  It ruins grief to desire it, but it also ruins something when it fades away.  Today it feels a little bit fresh.

Her family on both sides were mostly able to gather throughout the day.  By car, by plane.

We were singing Jesus, Lover of My Soul when she entered the final bodily throes of her life.

Let me to thy bosom fly.

One big aha moment is when you realize that at least in this life the good (i.e., the righteous), the true, and the beautiful and I would add the heroic are not the same.  They are all good.  We all praise and value these things and seek after them.   But at least in this life they aren’t all the same thing.  They aren’t purely opposed to each other either.  In fact I firmly believe that ultimately they all become the same thing when we have grown into the fulness of our eternal return to God, but for now they are only partly lined up.   Some things are beautiful but corrupt.  Some heroism is pretty messy and ugly.  And so on. (more…)

Last night thoughts and images were drifting through my head as I was falling asleep until the image came of one man grasping another by the shoulder and in a reassuring tone telling him,

you have the infinity of godly asphyxiation

I startled myself fully awake.