Oh man. My next birthday is the begining of the end. Personally, I think I mentally peaked at age 19.

[Read more →]

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

– Teddy Roosevelt

Lincoln is my favorite presdient. Teddy Roosevelt is my second. Both could write well.

Reminds me of 2 Tim 4:7.

[Read more →]

Remember how during SSCs we would learn about the Sabbath and were taught that Saturday Sabbath was changed to Sunday Sabbath during the Council of Laodicea? Well here’s a quick way to access that information: a wikipedia entry on it or the actual document translated to English. (Canon #29). Basically it was made into church law to separate Jews from Christians, but of course this is not biblical.

[Read more →]

Though I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging symbol. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely; does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, that which was in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put childish things away. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

- – -

I’ve been meaning to memorize this again. Today was opportune and fitting. Now to put it into practice. Sam suffers long and is kind? Sam does not envy, sam does not parade himself, is not puffed up? Sam doesn’t behave rudely, does not seek his own? Really? Sam is not provoked? Sam thinks no evil? Sam doesn’t rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth? Sam bears all things? Sam believes all things? Sam hopes all things? Sam endures all things. Sam never fails .. ? Really? The funny thing about relationships and love is that I realize how much love I entirely lack.

God instituted marriage for companionship, joy, and refinement. The process of marriage humbles the man, for he must learn to apologize. The process of marriage matures the man, for he must learn to be selfless. The process of marriage molds the man, for eventually he’ll be better than the first day they met. But he must not give up on the process. Typically, the single man will easily be less mature than a married man, physically and spiritually.

[Read more →]