Comical Relief – Writer’s do have a sick sense of humor

Recently, I had started a thread over at www.writingforums.com. This thread is discussing how we all came up with our particular online monikers. Mine is SeattleGhostWriter.

Well, being a bit tired and in one of those weird moods, I had decided to post something of a confession regarding a particular nickname that was held for a short time.

It is definitely interesting to see everyone talk about why they had chosen their moniker.

If I were to have signed up with just using the first three letters of my first name, and the first three letters of my last name, it would simply be Timber. At the time, the thought had crossed my mind. However, it had become a nickname because every job I held in the Call Center industry, my email was always Timber@safeco, timber@verizonwireless, timber@microsoft…. it got old and tiring. Wife finally broke me out of it because I had become so addicted to it.

Now, with that said, and knowing people like Dr. Malone, Backwards Ox, and other such notables of hilarity, (and probably will start noticing this anyway). My full name is Timothy Berman.

Put it all together, my nick probably should have been Timber Man. Either hilarious, or just interesting… you decide.

To top it all off though – I went to a school in a logging town, Shelton, Washington. The High School is Shelton, Washington, and the mascot is a High Climber.

Shelton High School, Shelton, Washington

So, let the hilarity begin.

Well, an individual decided to respond with his own graphic and interpretation. I happened to comment back, which resulted in him following up with this one:

ok ok you can be timber man, like Wood Man from Mega Man 2

A Halloween Costume for Next Year??

make that your halloween costume for next year and take a pic

That is just simply too funny. Maybe I will actually done on a costume like that for Halloween next year, what do you think?

Importance of Writing and Editing – A musing

Editing for Writers by Lois Johnson Rew

Wednesday night and it is Scout night for an 11 year old stepson. Rushing around to get things together, nature calling at the most inconvenient time, switching out the laundry from dryer to basket, from washer to dryer, changing out of clothes into fresh clean clothes, putting the last of the dishes away before heading out the door, and finally, making sure that the textbooks Editing for Writers by Lois Johnson Rew and Technical Writing by Diane Martinez, et all. are in the book bag: All being accomplished in the span of half an hour.

Technical Writing by Diane Martinez, Tanya Peterson, Carrie Wells, Carrie Hannigan, and Carolyn Stevenson

Classes for this term have begun, and already reviewing the syllabus for both classes. Last term proved to be a very intense time. Normally, one would have only two classes to deal with. However, being one who loves to put as many irons in the fire as possible, the challenge was met by taking on three classes. All three classes, while challenging in and of themselves, provided much learning experience in Mass Communications, Interpersonal Communications, and College Composition II. The latter being the most fun in that the student had to develop a persuasive essay. Yet, while these three previous classes were challenging (collectively and individually), the next two classes that are underway are going to be an even greater challenge.

The first class is an elective (since the public speaking class had reached full capacity for registration), and is on the Fundamentals of Grammar and Editing. This is one of the most anticipated courses that definitely needs successful completion. The reason for this is because of this writer’s poor grammar usage in his own writing. The second class is Technical Writing. The latter is a required course for the degree program that is being pursued – A Bachelor’s in Communication with an emphasis on Technical Communication.

Briefly, both books were cracked open, thumbed through, some content read, table of contents reviewed, and just a preliminary skimming of the overall content. However, it did not really strike any real significance until the first chapter read of Editing for Writers. Personally, it is like opening up the Bible, or Book of Mormon and reading something that reveals something unknown before. One of those moments where there is a sense of bewilderment, awe, and “wow, I had not known that,”. All this occurred while my stepson participated in scouts.

The current reading assignment is chapters 1 – 2 and then having to read an article by Natalie Canover – entitled “Good Corporate Writing: Why it Matters, and What to Do!” Thus far, having read the first chapter in the EFW and the article, there were some revelatory things that have stuck out in my mind.

One of the first things is something that is stated in Canover’s article:

Obtuse writing is more inappropriate than ever in the wake of globalization. Whatever the langauge, there’s a critical need for clear, jargon-free writing that can be readily understood by non-native readers, and that can easily be translated.

Reason why this struck with me is due to an aspect of my writing where the attempt to sound intelligent, objective, and logical is really nothing more than being quite Obtuse. Now, I did have to look up the word Obtuse to understand the meaning behind this. The definition – in my own understanding – essentially means “dimwitted” and/or “unintelligible”. Essentially, the conclusion drawn here is that Obtuse, or more correctly defined unintelligible and dimwitted writing, is more inappropriate than ever. The only thing that could possibly correlate with this, to better grasp what this means, is to adhere to the K.I.S.S principle of things. That is, Keep It Simple Stupid.

Because of this revelation, there is the temptation to go back to some of the early postings on this blog and read them afresh, with different eyes and perspectives, being ever so critical of how the content is put together, the conclusions drawn, the support material used to establish arguments. Catch phrases used, or not used.

All this comes right back to the importance of editing for the writer. Whether one writes a piece in a church newsletter, content for a blog, seeking to write an article for potential publication, proposal writing, grant writing, or even writing the great American novel, every writer has to grasp the fundamentals of proper editing, and the process of editing.

Now, before continuing, there is some back story that has to be told. Prior to taking on classes for a communications degree, there had occurred this particular mindset. This specific mindset can be summed up in this simple phrase: “I am a great writer, and only need to focus on how to increase my understanding of proper grammar to strengthen my own writing”. Oh how self-delusion shatters like hot glass on a cold wintry day.

One of the first things that had to be re-learned is the writing process. This writing process consists of three specific categories (according to Rew in the first chapter, p. 2 of Editing for Writers). These three categories are:

1) Pre-writing
2) Writing
3) Revising.

Of course, Rew states that these three categories are general activities that a writer employs. However, there are subcategories within these general activities that are listed:

1) Pre-Writing -
a) Planning
b) Gathering Information/Research
c) Considering legal and ethical responsibilities
b) organizing

2) Writing -
a) Writing the draft
b) making information accessible
c) designing the document

3) Revising
a) reviewing and revising the document
b) editing.

Granted, someone who is looking to write a work of fiction may employ some of these techniques, the reality is that in any form of writing, this is the appropriate process that any writer should pursue.

In a more non-technical way, how I understand this to mean:

1) Pre-writing is the brainstorming stage. What is the premise of the article/work? why are the desire to write this (or, if it is not based on a desire but a requirement for work/school, then why the need to write this)? Who is going to be the audience for this? What knowledge does one possess in writing on the given subject matter? It is essentially the Who, what, where, when, how, and why questions. If we do not have a basic premise in how we are approaching this, then the climb to producing a quality document that will be drunk by thirsty readers is going to be quite difficult laborious. This includes gathering initial research (nonfiction, technical, business proposal) on a particular subject matter. Internet research (as I am personally finding out) is not just enough. One has to gather and use credible and primary source documents. Interviews are helpful as well, polls, surveys, et all.

As too organizing, it is just a fanciful way of saying how one is going to put together their document, introduction, key point discussions, supporting documentation, conclusion are all important in the design of the document as well as writing the document. This is also understood as mapping out the project.

Regarding the Legal and Ethical issues and responsibilities, that one is completely and totally new to me and requires much more in depth analysis and research. Anyone who is able to provide some good clarification on this, comments are always welcomed here on this. Another great learning aspect of being a writer – learning the mechanics and increasing one’s knowledge is always a good sign that someone is willing to take their own writing seriously and proactively.

2) Writing – simply put, it is producing the first draft. Creating sentences that follow in a coherent and concise style. Developing an illusion in the readers mind, or pulling them into a form of agreement/disagreement with your position/another’s position. Even in how one speaks to a person, it is not so much what you say, but how you say it. In writing, it is even more reliable to show the reader things rather than tell the reader things. This comes to making information accessible to the reader.

One of the more peculiar things that had always bothered me (and never really payed much attention to) is the bibliography of an article. The citations used in quoting another person. Yes, I had been one of those people that read something, and never really checked out the source they were quoting from and took what the writer said as gospel at face value. Now, the reality is that those citations, those References, those footnotes and endnotes, and the bibliography is not there to take up space on several pages. They are there to generate more interest in researching the information presented (unless one is writing a work of fiction – however, the acknowledgements serves the purpose as to how and where the author gathered and researched the information needed to make their fiction plausible and real) by the writer. Fact checking, critical thinking all play its part in how information is gathered, dispersed, and interpreted.

The final aspect is the designing of the document. Each type of writing has a specified designed that the document must adhere to. Fiction writers are familiar with the query, nonfiction book proposal, synopsis, and other such templates for submission guidelines. Yet, there is the Resume design, cover letter design, a host of various technical writing designs based on the type of documentation needed, legal design, business proposal design, and the list is endless.

3) Revising is simply the aspect of going over your work, ensuring that the document is readable, coherent, logical, objective, usable, and personable. This also includes that the document is free of any grammar and typo’s that plague a document if it goes unchecked.

With that said, the next revelation that struck its divine fancy with me is the purpose and reason why every writer needs to grasp the fundamentals of the Editing process. In fact, Rew asks it this way:

As a writer, do you really need revising and editing skills? In other words, can’t you solve your editing problems by running software that checks spelling, readability, or style? Don’t organizations have professional editors to review your documents for you?

At first, there was the scratching the head confusing look. Yet, the reality sunk within me that – well yeah, type up a document in Word, Wordperfect, OpenOffice, or any number of wordprocessing software that has a Spell and Grammar check feature built in, and viola there you go. A grammar and spelling free document. Again, self-delusional deflates like the balloon that went racing across the sky without me in it. In a sense, the cold hard truth is that many people rely heavily upon the spell check features of their word processing software, failing to realize that it is setup to catch the more common misspellings, generic grammar issues, and styles. In fact, a train monkey can type up a dissertation in Microsoft Word, hit the spell check feature and go through and correct the document. Does this really make that monkey a good writer? No, it does not.

Good writers, whether they are successfully published, work in the publishing industry, work as an editor, or work in the corporate sector, understand the purpose and reason why one has to develop (and hone) their editing skills. In fact, this is how Rew answers the very questions she begs:

The answer is yes and no. Yes, you need good revising and editing skills because they will make you a better writer, and your ability to write well often influences your job performance.

And, regarding the spell and style check features of a given word processing program:

Yes, spelling and style checkers will solve some editing problems: Spelling checkers will catch most of your spelling errors, and style catchers will help eliminate such problems as overuse of the passive voice. Yes, some companies employ professional editors who are trained to review documents and work with you to solve editing problems.

But no, software programs will not guarantee a fault-free or well written document.

Think about this in another way. According to Canavor, this is quite evident in how corporate writing not only losses money, but also loses credibility. This is very important to understand in a very competitive marketplace. Sadly, much of this is due to the failing of public educational systems. Essentially, people who think they can write very well, do not really know how to properly construct a sentence. In some cases, I am even among those who can in no way construct a proper sentence at times.

Yes, writing is difficult. Yes, editing is even more difficult. However, to become a skillful writer, one has to understand the nature of the beast. Writing is always a pillar of any given civilizations. We understand how various peoples lived their lives, interacted with one another because of their writing. The ability to decipher what they said, what they believed 3,000 plus years ago is captivating. However, what will archaeologists say about us and our culture in 200 years?

Regardless, the conclusion is that writing is not something we all do (and some do very well at that), but that writing is an everyday part of our culture and identity. Think about that email you are going to write to your supervisor, your friends, family? Think about what content you are posting on your Myspace, Facebook, Resume, et all. The truth is, what you say, how you put together those words, leave the reader to conclude and interpret them as to who you are, what you are about, and whether or not you are educated. It would not matter if you showed off three Ph.D.’s, what matters if you write something and put it before anyone who reads it and the writing is poor, all reputation is lost.

Yes, writers (that includes myself here) needs to understand the nature and process of editing, why the need to have a good editorial eye, and the ways to accomplish the editorial process of one’s own writing. To become a better writer, one has to become a good editor.

REFERENCES:

Canavor, N. “Good Corporate Writing: Why it Matters and What to do.” Communication World July/Aug 2005: 30-33. Web. 12 Nov 2009.

Rew, Lois. Editing for Writers. 1st Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999. 2-3. Print.

FAIR’s Blog – This week’s blog review

Foundational Apologetic Information and Research Blog

FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice.

The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) was formed in late 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In defending the Church against detractors there, this small group realized that they had no way of sharing their information with each other, much less the rest of the Church. As a result of this, FAIR was born. Incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York on December 19, 1997, the fledgling organization put up its first Web site in March 1998.

FAIR is staffed completely by students of the scriptures, ancient languages, early Christian history, early LDS history, LDS doctrine, and apologetics. Most all of the staff here at FAIR have been involved in online services and Internet-based LDS apologetics for many years. Some of our members are authors of currently-available apologetic publications.

The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) Blog is a subset of the main FAIR LDS Website.

This blog posts relevant and timely messages regarding Mormon Apologetics. One of the best on the web (in my opinion) and the FAIR Website has various topics on Mormonism, the history of Mormonism, and understanding of what Critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not want you to know about.

Two great sites with a wealth of information for a good study on the Mormon Faith.

“No One Owes you Anything”

Sometimes, when someone speaks words of truth, one naturally will take offense to them and what they have to say. Yet, if someone never steps up to the plate and speaks the honest truth, then where would that leave you? What type of person would you truly become if your life is spent going through the motions, believing things that ended up being false, ended up being more detrimental to you than if someone had stepped up to the plate and knocked you back some?

For me, it happened one evening while I had started working as a Janitor for the Bellevue Neighborhood Church. Now, keep in mind, this was a time in my life when there were seasonal upsets that consistently happened every year. This was one of them, and it was where I had lost my place to live, had a Mazda 323, and spent my days at the Bellevue Public Library doing research on the Bible, Doctrines, Christianity, Mormonism, and various other types of religious research.

During this, a gentleman had become acquainted with me. While the AG Church was in the process of building a new playground, and sense I was not doing much of anything, I offered to help out. Through this, he worked on getting me hired on at the church as a full time custodian. And, to be quite honest, it was one of the most fulfilling jobs I have ever held.

On this one specific night, we were outside, enjoying coffee, break from cleaning of the building, and I had started in on my usual rant. Why am I in this situation? Why can’t someone come out and say, “hey, here is some food,” or invite me over for dinner?

After a few moments, he looked me in the eye and flat out said to me:

“Tim, you need to stop thinking that everyone owes you something because no one owes you anything,”

This did not go down so well and when I attempted to rebut what he had to say, he did not allow me any time to and just merely asked me to think about this. When he left, and I finished up cleaning and locking up the building, I went out to where my car was parked, climbed in, and laid back in the seat. The only thing that I could possibly think about was what he had said to me.

First, anger. How dare he say something like that to me when I had done nothing wrong. Yet, the more it came to mind, the more the understanding developed. Most of my life had been spent seeking after those to help me yet, what have I done to help myself out? Nothing really. I had done nothing to resolve the issues in my life. What ended up being was a mere band aid on a wound that would not be allowed to heal. Blaming others for the failings in my own life when very easily I needed to take responsibility.

Truth of the matter is, to this day, I am thankful for that one single night in my life when someone had the gumption to say to my face “No one owes you anything”. It is the down right truth. And, when you take a moment to think about it, looking around in the world today and to what extent our society has become, one will see that it is based on the ideaology that someone owes something to someone.

We have built this false pretense of a society where it is all about individuality and not the common good. It is about what people can do for us and not what we can do for another person.

Our entire culture has long lost the meaning of true “community” when we can’t even put our political and religious differences aside and embrace one another as fellow human beings who are different in a myriad of ways and understandings. We all have something to contribute, we all have our own talents that we can bring to the table.

Furthermore, as the unemployment rate increases, what are your thoughts when you go before an employer? I know that I have recently held the temperament that because I possess all these different experiences, a new employer owes me what I am worth.

In marriage, how is this prevalent in your relationship with your spouse and family? “You owe me a night out,”

In short, when we say someone owes us something, it is when we have adopted a pious and selfish attitude. An attitude that is arrogant, self-righteous and ultimately leads to the oppression of others to get what we want because we have become so dissatisfied with how things are in our own lives.

The reality is that life happens to every one of us on various different levels. We all work together for the common good of our community and society. When our community suffers, we suffer. When our society collapses, it is because we have allowed our own individual arrogance in thinking that others owe us more than we owe them. We have long forgotten the true meaning of brotherhood. Long forgotten the true meaning of looking out for one another.

Yes, there are small pockets of human decency in our society where the community pulls together to mourn, to grieve, to uplift, to encourage, to support. However, it is becoming more and more distant than thirty or forty years ago.

It all comes down to the simple understanding that when we step back, take a look at our lives, and our attitude toward ourselves, those close to us, and those within our communities, it makes more sense that we owe more to ourselves individual than anyone else owes us.

Think about it, it is a hard pill to swallow, and sometimes, the truth has to be spoken, and it has to be accepted.

Inspiring General Conference Talks

This years General Conference was held on October 3-4, 2009. These talks appear in the Ensign Magazine (Known as the General Conference Issue). These talks are very inspirational, thought provoking, revelatory, and provide sound advice in living a healthy, stable life. Many times, many different people find particular answers to specific doctrinal questions, or receive confirmation of some things in their lives. And, every year, General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be viewed online, on BYU-TV, or read online, and in print.

Therefore, the premise for this particular article is a summation of some of the talks given at General Conference, how they have inspired me to understand particular teachings, clarified some questions held, and have solidified an increasing testimony to the power of Revelation and relevant teaching for our time and our day.

For those who are not familiar with General Conference and why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold two General Conferences a year; the answer can be summed up as follows: Because we believe in modern day Prophets and Apostles, we also believe that there is an open canon of scripture. In fact, the ninth Article of Faith states this – “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” Thus, twice a year, General Conference provides members of the Church worldwide to come together in one faith and one accord to hear these timely and most relevant messages. This is also where new Apostles are called as General Authorities in the Church.

The articles have pictures of who is speaking, and links to the specific article that is available online, and an abstract that I felt captures the premise of the particular topic.

Please enjoy these chosen topics, and as always, feel free to comment on either one of them, ask questions, or post your own thoughts on how these specific talks inspire you.

President Thomas S. Monson

School Thy Feelings, O My Brother

“My brethren, we are all susceptible to those feelings which, if left unchecked, can lead to anger. We experience displeasure or irritation or antagonism, and if we so choose, we lose our temper and become angry with others. Ironically, those others are often members of our own families—the people we really love the most.

Many years ago I read the following Associated Press dispatch which appeared in the newspaper: An elderly man disclosed at the funeral of his brother, with whom he had shared, from early manhood, a small, one-room cabin near Canisteo, New York, that following a quarrel, they had divided the room in half with a chalk line, and neither had crossed the line or spoken a word to the other since that day—62 years before. Just think of the consequence of that anger. What a tragedy!

May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say.”

Elder Kent D. Watson of the Seventy

Being Temperate in All Things

Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure.

Likewise, a temperate soul—one who is humble and full of love—is also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride. With increased spiritual strength, we can protect ourselves from the dangerous excesses and destructive addictions of today’s world.

We all seek peace of mind, and we all desire security and happiness for our families. If we look for silver linings in this past year’s economic downturn, perhaps the trials some have faced have taught us that peace of mind, security, and happiness do not come from buying a home or accumulating possessions for which the debt incurred is larger than our savings or income can afford.

We live in an impatient and intemperate world full of uncertainty and contention. It is like the community of converts to various religions where Joseph Smith lived when he was a 14-year-old boy seeking answers to his questions. Young Joseph said, “All their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.

Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

“Impressions of the Spirit can come in response to urgent prayer or unsolicited when needed. Sometimes the Lord reveals truth to you when you are not actively seeking it, such as when you are in danger and do not know it. However, the Lord will not force you to learn. You must exercise your agency to authorize the Spirit to teach you. As you make this a practice in your life, you will be more perceptive to the feelings that come with spiritual guidance. Then, when that guidance comes, sometimes when you least expect it, you will recognize it more easily.

The inspiring influence of the Holy Spirit can be overcome or masked by strong emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. When such influences are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating a jalapeño pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Sin is addictive; self-degenerating; conducive to other strains of corruption; deadening to spirituality, conscience, and reason; blinding to reality; contagious; destructive to mind, body, and spirit. Sin is spiritually corrosive. Unrestrained it becomes all-consuming. It is overcome by repentance and righteousness.”

Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy

That your Burdens May be light

“No matter the burdens we face in life as a consequence of natural conditions, the misconduct of others, or our own mistakes and shortcomings, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who sent us to earth as part of His eternal plan for our growth and progress. Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to Him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heaven’s perspective, for “but a small moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high.”1 We must do everything we can to bear our burdens “well” for however long our “small moment” carrying them lasts.

Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection. They invite us to yield “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and [put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father.”2 Thus burdens become blessings, though often such blessings are well disguised and may require time, effort, and faith to accept and understand.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Seeking to Know God, Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ

“Gaining this knowledge is ultimately the quest of all God’s children on the earth. If you cannot remember believing in God or if you have ceased to believe or if you believe but without real conviction, I invite you to seek a testimony of God now. Do not be afraid of ridicule. The strength and peace that come from knowing God and having the comforting companionship of His Spirit will make your efforts eternally worthwhile.

Even more, with your own testimony of God, you will be able to bless your family, your posterity, your friends, your own life—all those you love. Your personal knowledge of God is not only the greatest gift you will ever give, but it will bring you the greatest joy you will ever have.

Elder Jorge F. Zeballos Of the Seventy

Attempting the Impossible

“Salvation and eternal life would not be possible if it were not for the Atonement, brought about by our Savior, to whom we owe everything. But in order for these supreme blessings to be effective in our lives, we should first do our part, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”7 Let us with faith, enthusiasm, dedication, responsibility, and love do all that is within our reach, and we will be doing all that is possible to achieve the impossible—that is, to achieve what for the human mind is impossible but with the divine intervention of our loving Father and the infinite sacrifice brought about by our Savior becomes the greatest gift, the most glorious of realities, to live forever with God and with our families.”

Elder Neil L. Andersen Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“Repent…That I May Heal You”

“The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God.14 It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel.

Among the tens of thousands listening to this conference, there are many degrees of personal worthiness and righteousness. Yet repentance is a blessing to all of us. We each need to feel the Savior’s arms of mercy through the forgiveness of our sins.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship

“Tonight I want to talk to you fathers and sons about how you talk to each other. There is no other relationship quite like that which can and should exist between a boy and his dad. It can be one of the most nurturing, joyful relationships in life, one that can have a profound impact on who boys become and also on who dads become. Now, I understand that some of you young men do not have fathers with whom you can have these kinds of conversations. And some of you men do not have sons or have lost your sons to accident or illness. But much of what I say tonight will apply to uncles and grandfathers and priesthood leaders and other mentors who sometimes fill the gaps for these significant father-son relationships.”

President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency

Our Perfect Example

“Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others. There is no surprise in that, since the Lord proclaimed those as the first and great commandments. It is love of God that will lead us to keep His commandments. And love of others is at the heart of our capacity to obey Him.

Just as Jesus used a child in His mortal ministry as an example for the people of the pure love they must and could have to be like Him, He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves.

That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. The ideal God holds for us is to form families in the way most likely to lead to happiness and away from sorrow. A man and a woman are to make sacred covenants that they will put the welfare and happiness of the other at the center of their lives. Children are to be born into a family where the parents hold the needs of children equal to their own in importance. And children are to love parents and each other.”

What are you thankful for and why?

November is here and NANOWRIMO is underway. Although I am not participating this year does not mean that I am not working on any type of writing projects. Despite this, Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple of weeks. Therefore, as we are getting ready for the Holiday season, I would like to take a moment to open this up for discussion for the readers to comment.

What are you thankful for? Not just “I am thankful for my family”. Why are you thankful for your family? Career? Life pursuits?

Reflecting upon this, the one thing I can honestly say is that I am very thankful for the opportunity to experience the blessings of Fatherhood. An opportunity that had previously been denied by certain individuals who have felt that they had the right to separate my children from me.

Yes, it is a very painful subject matter to discuss. Many do not understand where one comes from regarding this. Most would put the blame on me to say that I had not done everything to sacrifice and fight for my right to have a healthy relationship with my children. Despite the many times the story has been told, most have become disinterested and view me as a “bad father” or a “dead beat dad”.

Briefly, here is the situation (and the reason why this post and why I am writing about how it is that I am thankful to experience this wonderful blessing) regarding my relationship with my three children.

My oldest son (from a previous marriage where my ex-wife had left me) resides with his maternal grandparents. At least, once a week, I contact to speak with him. Every time, I leave a message and no return phone call. The last time I had actually seen my son, was when my wife and I had gone down to Olympia, Washington to visit my parents and have some pictures taken of us. The last time I spoke with him was on his birthday this past year. Since then, every available attempt to contact and speak with him, to see how school is going, to find out how he is doing is unresponsive.

However, the last time I had seen my daughter was when she was about three years of age. And, my youngest son, when he was about a year old. Both of them reside with my ex-girlfriends mother who had taken it upon herself to ensure that there is no contact between myself and the children. The last time I had seen their grandmother was when I worked at King Solomon’s reef, and she came in for breakfast while I was working. She interrogated me by saying that I needed to see the kids, be a part of their life, and be a father to them. She gave me her number and when I had come off my shift, I contacted her to set up a time to see the kids. No answer and the number had been changed since.

Every year, depression would set in because holidays are supposed to be a time spent with friends and family. For me, such days were nothing but ordinary days spent brooding over what could have been, how much of a failure I had become. There never was a thought that things would change, life would turn around, and holidays would become more meaningful.

Now, those days are water beneath the bridge. Yes, it still pains me, yes, I still wonder how my children are doing. Yes, there is still the sense of failure that I have not had the opportunity to watch them grow, to be there and hug them when they needed a hug. The reality is that my life has changed for the better.

Married, a step-father, and my wife and I are expecting a child of our own within the next week or so. And, as I ponder on this wonderful blessing, my wife’s due date happens to fall on November 26, the day of Thanksgiving. I have to ask myself, why this day? Why are we even being blessed with a child when we both had discussed at length our feelings on why we are not wanting to have a child. For me, it did not seem proper to have a child when I know I may not ever be able to be a father for my own three children. How unfair it is to have another one. Those were my concerns, my reasons why I did not want to have a child. My wife had her own reasons and concerns. Yet, while on the IUD, she is pregnant, and now expecting and the child is a very healthy active little girl.

We do not understand certain mysteries. As much as we try to reason and comprehend the purpose as to why we are being blessed, my thanksgiving this year is going to be one of the most meaningful ones ever to have experienced. The excitement of holding new life in my arms, knowing that this time around, I will have the opportunity to watch a child grow, to actually be a father to a little girl, and to be a part of another person’s life in a way that had been denied by those who felt the need to keep my other children from me.

So, what are you thankful for? What significant events in your life have you sitting back and reflecting as to what all has transpired this year?

The time is yours to share your own stories of thanksgivings and why you are thankful for those things in your life.

A Call for Submissions – The Academic Kind

Off and on, there is the venture over to the Mormon Apologetic Discussion Board where the participation is robust, various topics explored, and questions postulated with diverse answers. One particular posting caught the interest of the more creative and authorian side.

Claremont Graduate University is having a submission call for Academic papers that deal with the discussion of Mormon Studies. This is sponsored by the Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association, and will be held in April 23-24, 2010. The Keynote Speaker is Jan Shipps, Professor Emerita at Indiana University – Purdue University and author of Mormonism: Story of a New Religious Tradition and Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years Among the Mormons. Here is the information from the flyer.

The Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association invites papers on any aspect of Mormonism. We particularly encourage submissions regarding this year’s conference theme:

“What Is Mormon Studies? Transdisciplinary Inquiries into an Emerging Field”

April 23-24, 2010
Claremont Graduate University

Keynote speaker: Jan Shipps, Professor Emerita, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

Given the new academic chairs that have been established in Mormon Studies, and the conferences, courses, and programs of similar designation around the world, we are entitled to ask “What is Mormon Studies,” and who studies such a field? Thanks to such interest in Mormonism, the academy now faces, among others, two significant lines of inquiry.

First, Mormonism’s complexities suggest how this religious movement likely resists categorization. Is Mormon Studies a viable new field? Is it even a viable conceptual option for academic examination?

Second, from an academic standpoint, those who study Mormonism will in large part determine what Mormon Studies becomes and how it proceeds. What are the various competing visions for what should be studied and advanced under this rubric? What various aspects of Mormonism will/should be considered appropriate or germane to investigation? What aspects will/should be eliminated from academic inquiry?

As this comprehensive exploration potentially ranges through all disciplines and is therefore a trans- or interdisciplinary endeavor, we invite papers from all possible fields of academic inquiry in exploring these important questions.

Preference is given to student papers. Abstracts of 1000 words or less should be submitted no later than December 31, 2009. Authors will be notified of acceptance by January 31, 2010. Please send submissions or questions to:

conference@claremontmormonstudies.org

Additional information regarding the particular guidelines, I found out the following information from subsequent emails concerning this type of submission:

Timothy,

Thanks for your interest in our Spring conference. The nature of the conference is to seek understanding about Mormon Studies from a transdisciplinary perspective, so the theme encompasses a rather broad field of possible perspectives. We will judge proposals with a rather loose rubric, quite simply: how well will the paper and presentation contribute to an improved understanding of Mormon Studies as a discipline or line of academic inquiry? Presentations will run approximately 20 mins. Papers ought to be chapter-length, abstracts between no more than 1000 words. The papers will be published on the CGU library web site; we are still looking into other modes of publishing the accepted papers. Preference is given to graduate students, based on their current enrollment (program and institution will be announced at the conference). We’ll consider proposals addressing how apologetics relate to Mormon Studies in the greater academic context. Please feel free to submit a proposal and/or advertise our event on your blog.

Best,

Dave Golding

President, Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association

I also inquired about the citation requirements for the paper, according to Mr. Dave Golding, the paper must comply with Chicago Style 15th Edition citation.

For more information, contact using the email conference@claremontmormonstudies.org.

Personally, I will be submitting one myself regarding Mormon Studies and the Emergence of Modern Mormon Apologetics as an Academic Discipline. This will be my first academic writing outside of Kaplan University’s essay projects.