No Coincidences

Author: Brayden Quackenbush

  • Road Trips

    Road Trips

    I consider myself a relatively laid-back individual.  I have some high-strung tendencies that I try to keep under control.  I would hope most people would say I’m a “go with the flow” kind of person.

    There is one specific circumstance where all my patience, laid-back, go-with-the-flow ability goes right out the window.  That’s for road trips. 

    I know I’m not alone on this.  I’m one of those people that considers the 4.5 hour trip to Las Vegas as a Nascar race.  That analogy holds true more for pit stops than in actual speed.  I consider a bathroom break a great opportunity for that semi-truck I so meticulously passed to quickly catch right back up to me.

    This angst once on the road starts well before we even enter the car.  The week leading up to a trip I’m constantly thinking about what I need to do, what I need to pack, creating a checklist of what I need to pack, double and triple checking my list of what I need to pack, etc.

    The Road Trip Has Always Been DIY—These Experts Are Here to Change That | Condé Nast Traveler

    I drive Beth absolutely crazy.  I’ve tried to tone it down for her sake.  I’ve tried to “enjoy the ride.”  She can comment on how successful I’ve been in that.

    Last week we were travelling for Christmas.  Imagine my average travel angst multiplied by 10.  What presents do we need to bring?  Are they wrapped?  Did we bring warm clothes?  On and on it goes.  Which is why the coincidence of my Monday guided meditation was bizarre in its timing. 

    It was literally titled, “Daily Trip – My Urgency Story.”  The meditation was described as “the antidote to your own urgency story.” 

    I listened to it a couple times throughout the week to try to mellow myself out. I’m not going to provide any advice here on mellowing out on trips. I already posted a hypocritical post two weeks ago. Don’t need another.

    All I’ll say is this: if you think God doesn’t have a vested interest in your day-to-day life, stop and look.

    That’s all.

    He’s always watching and helping. We just need to see it.

    No Coincidences.

  • War or Cheesecake Factory

    War or Cheesecake Factory

    One morning at 7:30am I received a frantic call from my below neighbor yelling at me asking why I didn’t tell her my unit flooded. 

    I hadn’t had a ton of interactions with this neighbor, but this was the first time she yelled at me.

    I calmly replied by saying, “there hasn’t been any flooding for me, what’s going on?”

    She angrily told me that there must be flooding.  She hadn’t been home for a week, and she could see it coming from the ceiling and how could I not tell her we had a leak!

    I said, “Let me clarify, I haven’t seen any flooding on our end.  If there’s a leak, I have no idea about it.  But I will look into it right away and see if we can find anything.”

    I got details on where her flooding was and all that.

    I must emphasize that she was understandably freaking out.  She was angry, she walked into her unit completely flooded and thinking I was responsible.  I responded with a calm tone and explained my side and let her know I would get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.

    This neighbor had a friend come over to look at her and my unit and determined the leak was coming from her end, thank goodness I wasn’t responsible.  This friend of hers was working all evening in this hot, humid kitchen trying to fix her issue.  Beth made him up a plate for dinner.

    By the end of the week, with us not having water for most of it, this neighbor was leaving us a gift card to a restaurant (see title of post if you’re wondering where).  I had been in constant communication with her throughout the week, helping however I could, and staying in touch on where they were at with repairs.  This neighbor thanked us for our patience, help, and feeding her friend dinner that night, thus the gift card.

    I thought back on that 7:30am call.  What if I responded confrontationally to her call?  What if my response was, “what do you mean a leak?! We don’t have a leak! That’s your problem!”

    Even if it turned out to be her problem, we would have been at war, and Beth and I wouldn’t be headed to Cheesecake Factory for a free meal tonight.

    Kindness, patience, understanding, and TONE can go such a long way. 

    I understood immediately when my neighbor called that she wasn’t mad at ME.  She was frustrated.  That frustration may have been pointed in my direction, but if I put myself in her shoes, I could immediately understand why.

    Society has become too quick to yell back.  If we all took a second and looked at it from the other person’s perspective, we’d have a lot less Twitter wars and a lot more visits to Cheesecake Factory.

    I’ll take the Cheesecake factory any day.

  • The Grinch and Jesus Christ

    The Grinch and Jesus Christ

    One of my all-time favorite movies is The Grinch starring Jim Carrey from the year 2000.  Most members of my family can quote almost every word.  My dad is on the record saying he has seen it at least 300 times. 

    It’s a phenomenal movie.

    Recently Beth was out shopping and she mentioned how crazy it was out there.  This led my mind, naturally, down the path of thinking how cunning Satan is.

    If you haven’t seen The Grinch film, or need a refresher on the classic Dr. Seuss tale, here’s a quick summary –

    What Happened To Cindy Lou Who From 'The Grinch?' Taylor Momsen Is A Rock Star
    Cindy Lou Who

    Whoville loves Christmas.  The Whos go all out – decorations, presents, celebrations.  Our loveable character Cindy Lou Who wonders, “what is Christmas all about?”  In the great words of Cindy Lou Who, “doesn’t this seem…superfluous?”  I couldn’t have said it better myself Cindy Lou. 

    Our antagonist in the classic tale is the Grinch who HATES Christmas.  “Ardvarkian, Abacadnezer Who, I, HATE YOU!” (I had to look that one up, can’t ever remember good ‘ol Ardvarkian’s name).  If you haven’t seen the film, I just lost you, let me get back on track.  We learn, ultimately, that it isn’t Christmas that the Grinch hates.  It’s really the hypocritical, showy nature of it.  He hates what Christmas has become.

    Which leads me to my spiritual thought – shouldn’t we all, or at least any believers in Christ, hate what Christmas has become?

    I write this as a hypocrite.

    I’m not a big fan of gifts.  That said, I’m not out there in the Christmas season doing what actually matters either.  Volunteering at a food bank, helping a neighbor, serving, donating, volunteering, loving, doing the things Christ did while He was here.  That’s what Christmas is about.  How quickly we all get wrapped up in gifts, and parties, and gatherings, and decorations, and traditions, at the expense of what it’s all really about.

    Love.

    Family.

    Service.

    Charity.

    Giving.

    That’s what it’s about.

    So, please, next time you’re bustling about buying gifts and stressing about Christmas; let’s all, please, take a moment.  Let’s stop.  Let’s remember what it’s all really about.

    It’s about Christ, and all He represents.

    Light the World

    https://fb.watch/9XuyWb32Dr/

  • The Greatest Gift Man can Receive in Mortality

    The Greatest Gift Man can Receive in Mortality

    The Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit; he is the Holy Spirit promised the saints at baptism, or in other words the Holy Spirit of Promise, this exalted name-title signifying that the promised receipt of the Holy Spirit, as on the day of Pentecost, is the greatest gift man can receive in mortality.

    Bruce R. McConkie

    I recently read this quote and the truth of the statement hit me.  This seemed a fitting thought after last week’s post talking about the gift the gospel has been in my life. I believe that quote is a powerful reminder for those of us who have been blessed with this great gift.  The gospel is a blessing in part due to this great gift, the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

    I can’t wait to teach Ivy of this most extraordinary gift and to watch her receive it for herself.  I know the Holy Ghost is a guiding force and has blessed my life more than I will ever understand while on this earth.  One day I will know.

    I’m grateful for this constant companion (D&C 121:46), this friend, this comforter.  I am never alone when the Holy Ghost is within me.  What a blessing that gift is.  The greatest in this life.

    WORD FOR THE DAY-03JAN17 | Living Waters
  • What to do with all the Love

    What to do with all the Love

    I was meditating and thanking God for all He has given me in this life.  It was the day after Thanksgiving.  I had just watched Ivy with so much love around her, as detailed in Love has Afforded Me Much.  Ivy was surrounded by aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, second cousins, great uncles, great aunts and the list goes on.  She was receiving so much love.

    That visual again brought me to realizing and remembering that was me 30 years ago.  I was the one having love poured out on me.  It brought me to a repeated thought: what did I do to deserve this?

    What did I do to deserve the family I was born into?  Now, how lucky I am to be one half of the uniting of two families – the Quackenbushes and the Cannons.  How blessed will Ivy be from a life of love from those two extended families she’s been born into? 

    How blessed have I been from being born into the Leaches and the Quackenbushes? An un-quantifiable amount of blessed.

    Where does that blessing come from?  Where does it stem from?  What was the catalyst of this blessed, love-filled life I’ve been given?  The catalyst, the starting point, is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Three of my four grandparents converted to the church.  My fourth grandparent came from a faithful family back to the days of Joseph Smith.  I am forever grateful for my grandparents and the generations of love and family they’ve created.

    A similar story can be said from Beth’s side of the family, the Cannons and Vauterlauses.

    The thought that occurred to me while meditating, to add to how Love has Afforded me Much, was this: I started to pray to God to please bless all those who didn’t have all the love Ivy had on Thanksgiving Day.  All those who don’t have great family dynamics, who feel lonely, who feel lost, who feel afraid; I asked God to let them feel His love.  I asked Him to spare no angels in pouring out blessings on those who don’t feel loved in this world.

    Then it occurred to me.  Love has Afforded me Much.  God has given me a surplus of love.  A love I can’t quantify.  It’s my responsibility to share that excess of love I’ve been blessed with, with God’s children, my brothers and sisters across the globe.  I pray that I can share the love that’s been given to me with those around me.

    I believe the greatest thing I can do to share that love, the greatest thing any one of us can do that have been given (Luke 12:48) so (D&C 82:3) much (Boyd K. Packer), is to share the source of that love.  The source of that love is Jesus Christ, His Gospel, His Church.  It is our responsibility to share with others what has blessed us so.

    Love is important.  Supporting someone, listening to someone, loving someone, these are all noble.  But what of generational love?  What of the love that permeates through families – of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren?  That’s what my grandparents created.  That love started with missionaries sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with three of my grandparents, and with the gospel being shared to one of my Great Great Grandparents by Joseph Smith.

    I am grateful for this Church.  I am grateful for the blessing it has been to me and my family.  I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me this greatest of all blessings.  I feel a noble responsibility, a beautiful weight to share it with others.  My wish is that the world can accept Jesus Christ and experience the love he has to share. 

    I love Jesus Christ, and I am forever grateful to Him.