Sunday, January 29, 2012

Soldiers and Data Entry

In church today we had a instructor come in and teach us how to index names into popular family history sites like family search and family tree. To be honest the class for me was rather dull and out of duty I somewhat listened. In the end I left with a vague understanding of how to input data so people can find their roots. At the end of the instruction they challenged our community to index a million names in the next year. After church I gathered my family thankful for the wonderful sermon that had been given that day. Hungry and happy we headed home.

After lunch my usual Sunday boredom started to set in and I figured I should go ahead and give this indexing thing a try. After all the instructor had said it was a great way to pass time, and I figured I could go ahead and prove her wrong. Then having done my duty to try what I learned in church I could continue my day of rest. I turned on the computer downloaded the software, watched a quick how to video and got started.

Initially it was pretty much data entry. I would look at the scanned image of a census and then typed the info into the data base. The first batch of 5 people was easy and with nothing else to do I downloaded another file. The individuals to be entered from this file were from draft cards of men who served in WWI. The first few were easy and had pretty good handwriting. By this time I was starting to realize this was more than just data entry. The men were from Kentucky, most of them from the same town. Some were 18 some close to 40. They were single, and married, some had kids, some did not, most all of them were farmers. I then came to one man, his first name was poorly written and hard to make out. For several minutes I studied his name and signature, but could not figure out what it said. Then almost as a voice from the other side I heard Elijah Durbin. He was 21, worked for his father, and listed his occupation as a farmer. He had never been in the military and was the son of an citizen of the Untied States of America.

War at that time became very personal to me. I left some picture in a history book surrounded by empty statistics of the number of dead and wounded. I sat in a trench for a small moment in time with Elijah Durbin. I do not know if he lived through the war or if he died. I do know he had blue eyes, was a slender build and tall. I sense he loved his family, and the blue grass hills of Kentucky. He loved the fresh air and good soil. He had a whole life in front of him. Somewhere in a trench filled with the muddy soil of Europe, far from home, he lived for a season. He lived there for his father, his siblings, his hope of posterity. He lived there for me, for you. I hope he made it home and his life was filled with the soil of Kentucky, his life was full, cause his life was bigger than some big idea. It was his!

Of all we can give to a cause perhaps nothing is greater than just living so that our life is a reflection of the cause. As I sat entering names into a database this afternoon, I found a person born almost a hundred years before me. Who taught me this, if we want freedom then there is nothing better than living free. When we do this our life is greater than a statistic in a history book. Our life touches someone in ways we never dreamed through mediums that we don’t even know exists. We are so much more than a data entry when we live.

I caught a small glimpse of the face of freedom. A personal reminder of the price of freedom and how each of us are so connected as a family of Americans, connected as Gods children. Elijah Durbin had poor penmanship but is more than a draft card. He is part of us all, as are all those who live, and live free. Tomorrow I hope I can be a little better, stand a little taller, fight a little better. I hope to hug my kids a little stronger and teach them a little more. I hope to cuddle my wife tomorrow in our beautiful home. I hope to give something close to my all and honor those who have by living.

Did I mention I had an amazing lesson today in church on how to input names into family history websites. I would highly recommend it as a great way to spend part of a day.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Mustang and the seagull


A couple years ago my assistant trainer decided he wanted to participate in the Mustang makeover challenge. The annual event is sponsored by the BLM and awards the winner 10,000 in prize money. Participants are given a wild three to four year old mustang, then have three months to train the animal. At the end of the training period the contestants take their made over mustang to the county fair grounds and show the animals progress. A panel of judges then picks a winner for that year. The challenge is apparent in the requirements to participate. Some of them are having an enclosed stock trailer at least 12 ft. long for transport and a minimum 12x12 holding pen at least eight feet high.

When he arrived with his mustang we backed up the trailer to the round pen and out he burst. The first few days were entertaining and very educational for my ambitious assistant. I however began to notice some things about the wild or free horse. He never drank all his water. It was early summer and most the horses are watered three times a day and frequently empty their buckets. He never did there was always about a quarter or so of water left in his bucket. He was the same with his feed. Rather than consuming it all in two hours like the domestic horses he would eat and come back eat and come back never completely exhausting his resources. He was also very apt at both natural responses to stress exhibited by horses. He could fight well and there was no stop to his flight. In the end he was ride able but held to his natural habits developed for survival.

In St. Petersburg Florida in 1950 a group of people where watching another amazing animal, the seagull, and finding something in their behavior that was as interesting as the mustangs. The beautiful sea birds were starving to death although the sea surrounding the area was plentiful with fish. The gulls for generations had been following the shrimping fleet that made harbor at the St. Petersburg docks. The birds had been feed the scraps from the boats as the fishermen would return from the sea. Eager to take advantage of the hand outs the birds had failed to teach their young how to fish. Within one generation the skills to use the natural abundance around them was lost and the birds relied totally on the fishermen for survival. When the shrimping slowed in the area and the fleet moved, the birds began to starve. They did not know how to survive.

These two incidents have cause me to reflect on the challenges of welfare and its role in our lives. The mustang due to circumstances beyond his control found himself dependent upon us for survival. He needed our hand out. He however never lost his inner will to be free from it. He always left something in his water for the next time he was thirsty. He was careful with his hay, he conserved his resources. When he was placed in situations were his way of life was threatened he fought to preserve it, or ran from those who would take it away. The gulls eager for a hand out lost their way and ability to care for themselves.

Government sponsored welfare tends to act like the fisherman. In an eager attempt to take care of those who follow them the politicians hand out for free. Amongst the flock of excitement for doing something good they fail to see the devastation that follows getting something for nothing. Within a single generation people lose self worth, they lose the skills to provide and are dependent on the scraps. They sit in the mist of the greatest fishing in the world, but cant harvest the plenty because they have been robed of something far more important than food. They have been robed of freedom.

Provident living offers a celestial, or heavenly, way of giving. While providing for temporary needs from current circumstances, it teaches how to fish. When people are rewarded for their efforts they fill self worth. There is a satisfaction that they have earned, they have improved their lot in life. While they may be in the round pen of trial, they see a way over the fence. Using what resources are given to them they take only what is needed and develop a pattern for survival in the freedom of greener pastures. Then, when freed from the fences, they know how to leave a little water in the bucket, for when times become dry again. A reserve that can carry them through till the well runs over once more. When people are caught in times of need we must give them what they need, while teaching them to use the talents they posses to become something more. We can teach people through welfare to become free. This happens when welfare is not a hand out but an opportunities to learn and give back. I have seen this time and time again while serving in a ministering position in my church. People have run on hard times and the church has happily assisted. Giving time for the hand out and learning about provident living the people have become better off than they ever were. They have become free of poor habits and developed skills for survival.

Inside each of us is something wild and free, something that wants to fly. Life will undoubtedly work hard at taming that. We however can find ways to continue to be free if we look to the source of the one who gives us everything. He has asked we give something back as to not “rob God”(see. Malachi 3:8). When we find a balance in not taking more than we need and leaving something for tomorrow miracles happen. We fly in the flock but never stray from the herd. I am very grateful for the welfare system of my church and many like it. I am not so impressed with the results of the federal governments crack at handouts. We have a great responsibility to free the poor in habit in this country and to help those in need. Perhaps looking at the example of the mustang and the seagull is a good place to start.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Lesson from a cut horse

On a warn summer day in 2009 I received a phone call from a friend who had gone to check the horses at our summer pasture. He found one of the yearlings had a injured hind leg. She had a severe wire cut that was developing a large mass of proud flesh and looked to be infected. After our conversation I hooked up the trailer and headed to Peoa Utah to catch the injured filly and bring her back to the main ranch were we could treat her injuries.



When I arrived at the summer pasture I caught a good riding gelding and headed to where my friend had seen the filly. She had been with three of our older mares who were very friendly and easy to catch. The plan was to catch the older mares and lead them to the corral were we would then be able to catch the yearling filly. When I came over the ridge to the watering hole the filly and mares had been joined by another group of 5 younger horses. Upon seeing me approach the younger horses became nervous and one, who was particularly wild, decided to run off. Rather than stay with the older horses the injured filly followed the wilder bunch. Initially they headed for some very step mountain slopes but I was able to head them off. They then turned and headed for an open sagebrush flat and the chase was on.

For close to an hour the wild colt lead the injured filly over dangerous mountain sides and across sage brush covered flats filled with badger holes. Finally the injured filly became fatigued and fell behind the main group. Seizing a great opportunity I was able to ride my horse in-between her and the wild group of horses. Cut off from her friends the injured filly returned to the small group of tame mares. With ease we caught the mares and led them to the catch pen along the creek in the main canyon, with the injured filly following close behind. Once in the small pen I was able to easily catch the filly and load her in the trailer and start our journey home.

As I drove home I began to reflect on the events of the day and realized some important truths. The horses at our summer pasture are checked on a regular basis and at the time my father worked just 15 minutes away. On his lunch hour he would drive over and make sure all the horses were in and accounted for. While these drive by accountings worked for numbers they failed to closely inspect each individual horse. Far to often we have similar relationships with others. If we are content to just make a head count, checking that everyone is at work, church, school or other social activities, we can miss the hidden injuries. Only upon close inspection, when we are involved in peoples lives, can we see what’s amiss and do our part to help. A great Sheppard does not just count his sheep he knows them.

When she was with the tame mares the filly was easily lead to safety and care, when with the wild colts her life was greatly endangered. One can never underestimate the power and influence of good friends in our life. While Jesus did eat with the publicans and sinners he surrounded himself with amazing people. Peter James and John were deeply spiritual men with amazing qualities and loyalty. His mother who he held close his whole life was “choice among women”. His extended family worked in the temple and served as the great prophet to pave the way for him. Mary and Martha were women of faith, love, and devotion. These are the people he spent his intimate moments with. It was Peter James and John who he wanted near that agonizing night in the Garden. Thomas Jefferson did not establish the greatest nation by his abilities alone. He was surrounded with great men who shared the same dream and vision of a free nation. As these men came together they were able to create something far greater than the ideas any one of them possessed independently. When we swim in the sewage we come out smelling like crap, there is just no way around it. Good friends make us good, great friends make us great.

When I lead the older mares to the corral it was literally beside still waters and in the mist of green pastures. In the world there are all kinds of leaders. It is our individual responsibility to look at the teachings, ideas, and practices of those who would lead us. Then with solid discernment look down the road and see where they take us. All truth may be encircled in one great whole, but there is only one source of all truth. Do the teachings of those we seek to follow shine with light? Or are they darkened with counterfeit lies? The inalienable rights we poses come from the creator, the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those leading us must take us down the path that enables these rights not threatens to destroy them. If we spiritually follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and Politically follow people who adhere to the beliefs of the founding fathers something amazing happens. Our injured souls and infected country come to the corral by the still waters and green pasture that will deliver us to our healing.

The young filly I brought home that day healed well and has gone on the be a very nice horse. The wild colt that lead me on the dangerous chase later ended up with a broken leg, forcing him to be put down. Let’s not just do a head count while hanging out with the fringes of society following liberal lies. We must follow good leaders who follow the greatest leader accompanied by great friends. There are green pastures and still waters in this country we can enjoy. Of course you might need to get on a horse to see them!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Connecting

It was a warm Indian summer day, the sun shining off the cliffs that shot up from the strawberry river. We were at our family Ranch on the river and I was maybe five or six. The fields were browning preparing for the winter sleep and the wind was calm. I was on my sisters horse Delight riding through one of the changing fields. Along the fence were the large cottonwood trees, that were starting to shed changing leaves. The mares growing winter coat was soft and clean. We slowly meandered through the field toward the trail that would take us to the corral. The dry grass softly crunched below the mares hooves and the rock chucks chirped to warn of our coming. Time seemed to be frozen as each step brought me more aware of the natural elements and life all around me. I was safe, connect to the world through the lead lope that served to guide my horse, I knew we would reach our destination. The field fence passed as we hit the shale rock trail from there the memory fades.

This is one of my first memories and the first I have of riding a horse. The details run deep in my heart and I am starting to understand why almost thirty years later. This is the first time I connected on a deeper level with anything. The experience brought me closer to nature and all her wonders and as a result closer to the divine creator of all that surrounds us. It was very much a spiritual experience. At the time I am sure the boy only saw the chance to ride his sisters horse but it was a preparation for me to learn what is real.

 God is real, he is all around us in everything we see, touch, taste, and smell. He is in every man woman and child. He is in the things because he created them, he is in us because he his our Father. The giver of life through a sacred covenant between a man and a woman who come together and create life. He is the source of the very energy that makes us alive. He was there that day on a horse with me, I could fill him.

Somewhere in that red stuff that shows up when we get a cut is a strange strand of DNA. That strange strand somehow makes Stephanie, Sherrie, and Michelle, my sisters. Which is also the same strange strand that was in a bunch of amazing people who did all kinds of things before me. Family is as real as the blood in our veins. But its real not because of the science. Its real because of the way my little girls blue eyes look into mine when she is done riding her pony and she says " I love you dad". That is real, family is real.

In the garden of Eden God gave Adam and Eve something so powerful it has changed all of human history. It was not the fruit! God gave them freedom, the ability to act for themselves to choose and to live. Freedom is real and nothing can take it from us. People and governments may do all sorts of thing to limit it, intrude on it, steal it, corrupt it, and take it from us. Yet despite their best efforts they cannot take it away. We always have it and must always fight to expand it and allow it do work its miracles. Freedom is free, a gift from the creator no one can ever take away. We can always choose to be free cause freedom is real.

Thirty years ago I climbed on a little bay mare in a hay field, she gave me so much more than a ride that day. She gave me the opportunity to connect with God on a personal level. This connection has continued through countless rides when the Lord has been sitting shotgun on the back of my horse. She was in that hayfield because of countless hours my Father and Mother had spent working to buy the land. A land that was available because of my ancestors who paved a way west in a new country. A new country that gave them what every heart longs for, freedom. That day I connected with a few things that are real, God, Family and Freedom all from the back of a horse.

Welcome to my Blog.