My 500 Words

In his final year of high school, Jonah appeared in “Puffs.” He was cast as two very different characters. He first portrayed Cedric Diggory. In the original canon, J.K. Rowling describes Cedric as someone who is exceptionally handsome, modest, fair-minded and brave. I admit that my view could be skewed, but it would seem that Jonah checked all of these boxes. In addition, Jonah exceeds six feet and most consider him tall. With the exception of sporting blond, rather than dark, hair, it was a part that did not appear much of a stretch.  In the second half, Jonah took on the role of Voldy. This snake-like character embodies evil, and his for power threatens what should be a peaceful and orderly school of magic. Jonah developed a particularly cold and high-pitched voice to match the nature of Voldy, a voice he said was based on the tone and phrasing  his mother would use when reading the original Harry Potter series at bedtime and on road trips. Jonah’s capacity to adopt a role...

I learned My Favorite Things while attending elementary school. I loved its imagery of raindrops on roses as it reminded me of my mother’s and grandmother’s flowers. And getting snowflakes to land and stay on my nose and eyelashes became a just out-of-reach goal as they always seemed to melt on contact. Yet, the most exciting part of the song occurred when it turned very briefly dangerous and melancholy with the dog bite and the bee sting.  Turns out that last Friday I was putting final touches on a legal brief that needed to be filed when I received an animated, yet succinct, message from my dear wife informing me that she had just been bitten by a dog while walking by the tennis courts near our neighborhood. After a couple of exchanges, I knew she had been attacked hard enough that she required medical attention, but not so bad that she couldn’t transport herself there.  While relieved, the gnawing concern for rabies and potential scarring nagged at me and felt deep concern ...

After telling His disciples that he would die and leave them, Jesus said:  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Can you imagine the fear they must have felt upon receiving the news that the Messiah was going to leave? As a people they had waited for this Messiah for millennia for a savior to bring them liberation. Instead He brought them salvation.  And while they had been taught what they needed to know His disciples did not fully understand. Thomas said he knew not the way to go where Jesus was going. Philip asked to see the Father as though he believed that would finally be enough knowledge and teaching to carry them through.  These disciples had accompanied Jesus throughout his three-year ministry. They had been witnesses to miracles, ministered to by angels, and they testified of Jesus’ divinity. Yet the unknown left them with the uneasiness of the unkno...

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Be careful of the sources you read and who you choose to believe. Seek truth. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: Those who confess Jesus Christ will honestly express what they know. Others will say things for their own gain, to deceive, or simply because they don’t know better. We need to honor and look for those who speak truth. When you find lasting peace and comfort you will know you have found the truth you were seeking. 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world...

I live under the flight path of the Salt Lake International Airport and have become very accustomed to seeing airplanes overhead. In fact, a couple of nights ago I was looking at five planes as they made their approach to land. On September 11, 2001 and the days that followed, the air went silent. Except for Hill Air Force Base. At the time, my commute provided the chance to drive by the base a couple of times per day. But, the Air Force was  running so many drills, you could see the fighter jets all over the sky. But commercial airline traffic stopped and I noted the absence. In the face of the tragedy and all the different things that came to define our new normal, we also experienced a unifying spirit of resolve and community. In the days and weeks after September 11, our society made a concerted effort to support the people around us who would be negatively affected by the attack on our country and the disruption to air travel. People said, if we stop living the attackers...

One night I was driving through fog that was so dense I couldn’t see but a few feet in front of my car. It was so bad that I stayed at a friend's home instead of driving the few miles to get home. I have been in rainstorms that have forced me to pull over and hope that all of the cars behind me have done the same. I’ve also experienced blowing dirt that forced me to take cover and simply wait before I could proceed. Today’s political climate reminds me of the fog, rain, and dirt combined together in a torment so dark that any path forward is unknown and seems uncharted. For many, these circumstances seem paralyzing and people just want to wait until the storm passes over so that they can see their way and continue on their journey. Others who are so convinced of their positions sit in the eye of the storm and wonder why there is so much commotion when everything seems so clear. Unlike the fear while driving blind I have experienced an overwhelming calm in the midst of a very...