Sunday, June 8, 2014

ETERNAL TREASURES

I am compiling 100 of my Thoughts into a book - as of yet I don't have a price - but I want to get an idea of how many books to print - if you have an interest in buying one please send me a reply to this Thought.



Our son Sean and his friend Peter joined us this last week for lunch at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Besides celebrating our son’s birthday and enjoying a wonderful lunch together we were blessed with a view of the Pacific Ocean while we were eating. I was able to record in my journal that it was a wonderful time. The visiting continued when we returned home as Kathleen shared her two volumes of remembrances of our cruise of the British Isles last summer. Since they are leaving for England and Scotland in a couple of weeks they seemed to really enjoy the books she had prepared from our trip. Well, to tell the truth, Peter seemed to have a lot more interest than Sean. Perhaps because he is fewer generations removed from the Motherland.

Kathleen also spent time pointing out a lot of ‘treasures’ which we have accumulated during our 50 plus years of marriage and were passed down to us from our deceased parents. Before they left Peter was referring to our house as a museum. Kathleen calls it a storage unit. Interestingly, even though there had been quite a few ‘oohhs’ and ‘aahhs’ during the day, when they departed they only carried out a very small box of rather insignificant items.

It has been a virtual ‘pulling of the teeth’ experience as we have tried to unload the ‘treasures’ of our now called ‘museum’ on our children as they come to visit.

As the hand of refusal was raised time and again the vision of our children gathering, after our time on earth has passed “as if it were a dream,” with a gigantic dumpster and a Deseret Industries truck parked in front of the ‘museum’ doing some kind of sorting act that goes something like: dumpster, truck, dumpster, Cevin, truck, dumpster, truck, Sean, dumpster, dumpster, truck, truck, dumpster, Troy, dumpster, dumpster, truck, truck, truck, Brendan, truck, truck, dumpster, Rynn, dumpster, dumpster, dumpster, truck, truck, truck dumpster, dumpster, Erin. This rotation will then be repeated until the dumpster is spilling over and the Deseret Industries truck is full and the Museum is empty.

As the time for this virtual vision to turn to reality shortens, my caring about what happens to the stuff also lessens. But it does make me think about what the real value is of our being on this beautiful planet. It seems that the real value of our lives is that which we take with us and not what we leave behind.

The comfort I had enjoyed in my parents’ ‘museum’ during my formative years, ended when I left ‘all that’ with a small bag of stuff and Kathleen and I started our own accumulating. However, what I didn't leave behind were all the parent tapes which could be turned on and played for the rest of my mortal life and I anticipate beyond. It was that I took with me.

My formal education was spread over several states and many of my mortal years. I probably sat in more than 100 classrooms and lecture halls and never thought of removing one item of the stuff which adorned those locations. However, what I was able to remove was a vast array of thoughts and views of what the world is about and what we should be doing while we are residents of this world. I took from those years a thirst for learning, a quest to understand and references and resources which have been able to be called upon in moments of need. It was that I took with me.

My career as a teacher in the Education System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints spanned more than 50 years. I had available to me libraries of books, media presentations, desks, pictures, lesson plans and all the other stuff which were deemed essential to create a teaching and learning environment. When I finally turned the magic markers over, the total of stuff that I left with were my files and a few books. However, I also took with me memories of students some of whom have now joined me in the senior phase of life. If teaching really is the best way to learn, I took with me a treasure trove of repetitious learning and the memory of being able to share what I had learned. It was that I took with me.

When I stand at the ‘Pearly Gates’, I really doubt I will even be tempted to look back on the scene as my progeny play dumpster, truck, mine. I suspect I will be counting the blessings of all that I had the privilege to learn and anxiously be looking forward to asking all those unanswered questions and getting on with the quest of filling in all the blank spaces in my knowledge bank. It is that which I shall have with me eternally.

There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. (Proverbs 20:15)

If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.
(Doctrine and Covenants 42:61)

O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.
(2 Nephi 9:13)

And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; (Doctrine and Covenants 89:19)

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come. (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 18, 19)

13 comments:

  1. Que hermosos pensamientos hermano, es usted un ejemplo para muchos en especial para mi, su forma de ver la vida es maravillosa y espero poder atesorar cada una de sus palabras para mi crecimiento fisico y espiritual, gracias por compartir estas cosas tan hermosas,

    Diana Cardenas

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  2. me gusto leer esto tan bonito deja mucha enseñanza, yo soy maestra de seminarios hace muchos años y veo que en realidad solo me llevare lo que aprendí este tiempo dictando clase..que gran enseñanza gracias

    muchas gracias...

    yolanda maria florez corrales

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  3. Wonderful thoughts, as always & as always they brought thoughts about my own 3 score & 5, that have passed in my mortal sojourn! I have learned that I don't need "things" any longer...never needed a lot before, but not much at all now! A few creature comforts, that's about all! But I cherish the things I still learn daily, from books, Church oriented, yes, & other writers, too! I also learn from great people, Church leaders & others who took the time to ponder Life's meaning. I hope that I can help others find "good words to take home" in the twilight of my life, too! Thanks for your words & teachings that I will be taking with me! When that time comes, as it surely must for everyone! My bags will be empty, my mind full of those same kinds of questions! Gratitude is the best thing I can offer, to all who have taught me! Especially by our Heavenly Father & our Elder Brother!

    Happy days still to be had, by all!

    Patricia Walters

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  4. It is interesting how aging minds function and how it has taken me a decade longer to come to the same view of our earthly museums; which I think of as compct warehouses of eclectic temporary memory joggers. I suppose your piled high degree has something to do with it. Of all the people in my address book, infact all who are still on the green side of the grass there are only two who take the time to articulate how thing really are. I have attached a homely example.

    Thanks for your good work.

    Paul Hansen

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  5. muy lindo su notas y me alegra hermano que pase bien con su familia ,

    maritza ardila perez

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  6. Bill,

    I enjoy your "Thoughts." However, we are also at the place in life to pass on items from our museum, including books.
    Therefore, thanks for the offer, but we will decline your book offer.

    Thanks,

    Ed Petersen

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  7. Thanks,

    I really appreciated this, especially since I've been mulling around a question on some scriptures and you are a perfect person to ask with your years of experience and learning.

    RE: Mosiah 26:25-27 I had to pay special attention to this since it was Jesus Christ speaking. I realized I have generally in the past sort of skipped past v 27, not sure why, but didn't want to acknowledge it, I suppose. Anyway, my question, who is he talking about? He's addressing those coming forth in the 2nd trump who "never knew me" and "then shall they KNOW that I am the Lord...but they would not be redeemed. What does this mean? Using their agency they still deny He is the Christ or Redeemer and don't want his redemption? ..."They shall depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" Is he talking about the sons of perdition? and if so don't they have to be M. Priesthood holders, who would have at one point Known him. Or does this everlasting refer to eternal referring to God's name so it's not forever but a period of time. But if that is so would they be with the devil and his angels? (although I've read that Satan and his minions still have access to us after we pass over to the other side). 1 Ne 15:35 is referred to. If all but the Sons of Perdition receive a form of glory, and only the Sons of Perd do not, then how is it they NEVER knew him?

    These are some of the thoughts bumping around inside my head on this verse.

    What say ye?

    -joyce Wollf

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  8. Muchas gracias Hnos!!! me encanto, pero creo que aun tienen mucho que vivir y disfrutar en esta vida, jejeje, todavia tienen mucho por hacer en esta tierra gloriosa y bella!!!Arco irisDesternillado de risaGuiño, los kierooooooooooo muchooooooPulgar hacia arribaVolver enseguidaGuiñoRisa
    como dice en la peli GLADIATOR: Not yet,

    Mercedes Castillo

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  9. Hi folks, Don't get excited about checking out. What's the hurry!! We would like a book,

    thanks.

    The Krupp's

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  10. I can really apply this to my life Bill...thank you once more for your thoughts....looking forward to stopping work ...having more time to enjoy family and friends and just doing the things which have been missing in my life



    Since the true meaning of the word Sacrifice is to make holy, I wish I had spent fewer days of my life bumping and crashing through mishaps and subsequently wiping away grime, and more of my time concentrating on thinking of ways to make myself sufficiently holy that I might be able

    Renee Lehman

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  11. Oh, my goodness, Bill!!! You created a masterpiece here! Flashes of my own life passed before me as I was reading this and I see myself in the same situation you and Kathleen have found yourselves in. My kids and grandkids want very little of my things that I call "treasures" and I've already told them "I'll haunt you in you don't at least look through my Journals 'cause you're sure in them!"

    Thanks for sharing your "THOUGHTS" with me ~~ I so enjoy reading what you write!

    Love,

    Carla Johnson

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  12. Thank you. I loved this truly timely message.

    Debbie Stransky

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  13. You are the best teacher/instructor/examples...you spur me on, give me a place to express my "contemplations!" Because of my health issues, I'm not able to attend meetings where I might have been able to share my thoughts, & being a widow for so many yrs, I haven't had the opportunity to have the great intellectual conversations that I had with Bob...you've become the recipients, poor you two!, of my time alone, to think such deep thoughts! Thanks for listening to my ramblings! <3

    Happy Father's Day!

    Patricia Walters

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