If you were born after the year ~1987 and I just write the words:
“We just got a letter.”
“We just got a letter.”
What happens in your mind?
How about:
“DARE to keep off drugs…”
You know that painful feeling of getting a song stuck in your head?
Ivy has started watching Blues Clues. Don’t know how I feel about Josh as he’s not Steve. The first thing I noticed with this new show was:
“We just got annnn email! We just got annnn email!” If you’ve heard it you understand the multiple n’s.
I was just at my desk staring out the window and I couldn’t get that doggon song out of my head. Then, I thought of better days and started singing in my mind, “We just got a letter…” and it came to me just like that. I could hear it; I could feel it.
It made me think about the power of repetition. Can you believe if I hear, “we just got a letter” 20 years later, I STILL sing that exact song? Why is that? Repetition. I must have heard it 100, 1000 times growing up, and I don’t even recall being a HUGE Blues Clues watcher. (I say that in the context of how Blues Clues took over the world in the 90s).
As I often do, I applied this to a gospel principle. Why is it SO important that we pray and study the scriptures daily? Repetition. I could read the Old Testament every day for the rest of my life and still learn from it. Nothing sticks with us humans unless we do it over…and over…and over… and over.
That is the way we learn and grow: repetition. Now if someone could work on a really catchy Book of Mormon jingle, I could get that book memorized.
A friend of mine wrote a book called Embrace Fatherhood. There is a part in the book where a father has lost the ability to see his new daughter due to a custody battle. Upon finding out he will get to spend a weekend with his daughter he says, “This daddy daughter thing, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It took Brooklyn being born for me to love something far greater than myself.”
I love Beth so much, but I relate to this statement. I think it took Ivy being born for me to understand what unconditional, unbounded, uncontrollable love is. We like to think we love others more than ourselves, but do we? I think I do love Ivy more than myself. I think this is parenthood. I would do anything for her. As a part of that, I love Beth all the more for giving me this priceless gift.
This book is written from the perspective of dads in various forms of relationship disputes, dads that don’t get to see their kids.
I know this is a complicated issue, and I know there are a million different circumstances that make this very difficult. What I will say that I hope we can all agree on: good fathers that want to be in their children’s lives, that for whatever reason aren’t able to, is a great tragedy. I can’t imagine being kept away from Ivy. It would break my heart. It would be like losing a part of me.
Beth and Ivy are in Utah for a week as I write this. Don’t get me wrong, a little bit of free time and the ability to nap and relax like I used to in the old days has been really nice. At the end of the night, though, all I can think about is Ivy and Beth. I miss them so much. I miss that greatest moment every morning. I’m grateful for a picture Beth put up on my bedside table before the trip. I can’t imagine this separation from my baby being a regular occurrence.
I know this situation exists for many dads and it hurts me to think about.
Relationship disputes happen. We are human. I think it is a tragedy of our society that romantic relationships would ever come before or between the most sacred relationship in the world (alongside marriage), the relationship of a parent and their child.
Again, a complicated issue. Having not lived through it myself, I can’t say too much. But I love Ivy. I can’t imagine living without her. There are tons of dads out there right now excited that they will get a weekend to see their child. The disintegration of the family unit is devastating.
I am grateful for Beth, who I love so much. I am grateful for what Beth has given me, the greatest gift in the entire world, Ivy who I love beyond all understanding. I am sorry for any dad that has this gift taken from him.
I love Ivy and I love Beth and I don’t know what I would do without them.
The Shack was a New York Times best seller and eventually became a motion picture. I watched the movie before reading the book. I liked the movie a lot so was looking forward to reading the book.
The Shack is a story about a man who has to come face to face with his faith and what he believes about God. It’s written claiming to be the true experience of one man, written by his friend.
The book is great. It is a religious themed book with an engaging story that anyone could enjoy. The story is one anyone can get behind. We have all felt pain and the circumstances of the main character’s journey are easy to attach oneself to.
I marked and highlighted throughout the book. It’s a book with countless lines that make you stop and think. It’s an intellectual and spiritual journey.
I had the unique experience of watching the movie 2 or 3 years before reading the book. I loved the movie. The movie really made me think and expanded my view on pain, justice, mercy, and how God fits into that equation. Surprisingly, I think the book touched on that in a different way. That theme was there, but I remember it being more palpable in the movie experience.
The big question I’d like to address – did this really happen? Some of what I know to be true doctrinally was misrepresented in this story, but I still can’t say for certain that this was a story of fiction. The world is a mysterious place and I don’t want to get into a situation where I limit what God is capable of. If He presented Himself to this man in this unique way… maybe. Maybe it happened. Maybe countless things happened.
What I will say is this: whether it happened or it didn’t happen, even if it’s a completely fictional tale, I learned something. It expanded my mind, made me think, and I believe it even strengthened my testimony of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. For that reason, I can say I don’t care whether the main character truly had this experience. Even if he was just impacted by whatever experience he had in a way that led him to portray such a unique and beautiful story, that’s good enough for me.
There is something unique at the end of the book. The very last page has “The Missy Project.” It states that the book became #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List on a $200 budget because of passionate readers. It says: “if you were as taken with the message of this book as we are, you may already have some unique ideas as to how you can best let others know about it…. If you have a Web site or blog, consider sharing a bit about the book and how it touched your life. Don’t give away the plot, but recommend that they read it as well and link to http://www.theshackbook.com.
I checked, the website still exists these 13 years after publication. In fact, it’s a beautiful website promoting both the movie and the book.
This book did touch me. It expanded my thinking. I loved it. I loved the movie as well.
A lot of the books I read few will ever read simply because people aren’t interested in the subject matters that interest me. This book should not be avoided. Anyone can learn and grow from this book, it’s a page turner with an engaging plot and wonderful story. Please read it.
If you’ve already read The Shack tell me what you thought of it.
The Mourning Dove was one of my favorite books of 2020. It’s the first book I made Beth read. I read it in 2 days which isn’t much to brag about at only 84 pages.
The inside cover reads:
“A tender story of growing up, exploring life, exploring life, and discovering the boundaries and the defining moments of love.”
The back cover reads:
“The Mourning Dove is heart touching. It penetrates your soul and makes you glad to be alive.”
-Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
This story is so good, so uplifting, so all the good things. I will put it at the top of books I would recommend to someone. It’s especially easy to recommend because it’s such a quick and easy read. I know people are increasingly busy and it’s hard to find time to sit down and read a long book. This book is short and sweet. You will finish it feeling like you’ve grown immensely after spending time with Pop, the main character’s grandpa.
After finishing the book, I wanted to write a screenplay. This book would make such a good movie. The message in it is simple. The story of a young boy learning adult lessons is timeless.
I had no idea Larry Barkdull wrote another book I loved titled Zion: Seeking the City of Enoch. Mr. Barkdull has an easy-going writing style that I enjoy because it’s not so difficult to follow. His stories flow and are combined with good messages. I’ve walked away from both his books feeling like I’ve learned something about life and myself.
I can’t say enough good things about this book. It can be found online for like a dollar. Buy it. You won’t regret it.
Sadly, while looking up information about this book I learned that Larry Barkdull passed away in 2016. I’d like to share this from his obituary:
Many will remember him as their gospel doctrine teacher, home teacher and friend, as he tended to the needs of those he loved. Larry also served weekly in the temple as an ordinance worker, a calling he cherished. Above all else, Larry’s greatest joy was his family. The only title he wished to follow his name was D.A.D. He left his family a legacy of great faith and leaves a hole that can never be filled. Words cannot express the least of what we feel. We love you. Our hearts are broken, but we know we will be together again.”
I don’t know how you can read that without a tear coming to your eye. Mr. Barkdull was clearly an inspired and important individual sent for an important purpose in God’s plan. I’m grateful I got to see a glimpse into his soul through his writing.
Well, by it the worlds were made so… what can our faith do?
I’ve written about a miracle I saw happen in my post Miracle Baptisms.
I was once told a story that strengthened my faith and taught me something about the power of faith. By the way, this is a true story, not made up. If you don’t believe me, have faith.
The story goes like this…
There was a guy attending ASU. His parents planned a big cruise vacation over the winter break. This guy had been praying and looking for an opportunity to share the gospel with someone. Who? He didn’t know, just someone. He had made a commitment to baptize a friend before the end of winter break.
When his parents told him about the plans for the cruise he declined. His parents were shocked. “Why??? We’re going on a family cruise!” He explained he already had plans.
“What plans?!” They asked. “What could be more important than our family cruise?”
“I’ll be baptizing a friend at that time,” was his response.
Oh… they thought. Well, that is important. They asked who the friend was. He told them he didn’t know, yet.
Let’s break this down. Here was a cruise. It existed. It was paid for. It was happening. It was a guarantee.
This guy, though, had another guarantee. He had a commitment. He would be baptizing someone at that time.
Soon after the conversation with his parents (aka the testing of his faith) he was sitting outside on campus reading the Book of Mormon. An acquaintance from class walked by and asked what he was reading. A few weeks later our hero was baptizing this friend at the precise time his family was on their cruise.
Some would say the cruise was a sure thing and the baptism was not. The baptism was a pipe dream, a shot in the dark. It was unlikely to happen.
What role did faith play in this story?
Obviously, faith was everything.
Soon after declining a sure thing, an all-expense paid cruise vacation, the interaction happened.
While this guy could have been on a cruise, he was doing something vastly more important, baptizing a friend.
What is a cruise when compared to the eternal salvation of a soul, of one of God’s children?
I don’t know the rest of the story. I don’t know what happened with the individual that was baptized. My faith tells something special happened. What if this individual joined the Church of Jesus Christ and devoted himself to it? What if he went on a mission? What if he baptizes five individuals on his mission and shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with countless others? What if he marries in the temple and has five children? What if those children are raised to worship Christ and bear testimony of Him throughout their lives?
Fact – that cruise turned into one baptism.
Faith – that one baptism turned into thousands hearing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and coming closer to their Savior.
Where does faith end and fact start? – That’s up to us.
“Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”
“And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!”
No Coincidences 