Here is The Church, Here is The Steeple, Open The Doors And There's All The People.

Today's rant is a little churchy. So if you are not interested in being preached too, then this is actually aimed right at ya'.
My high school was considered the "rich" school. Many of the wealthy neighborhoods in the area happened to be in the school boundaries. So, whenever people from other schools would find out what school I was attending I would instantly be labeled a rich snob. You ask, "what's wrong with being rich?". Nothing. BUT, we were not rich. In fact we were the opposite of rich. What's the word? Oh yeah, poor white trash. As I think back, only one of my friends families could truly be labeled as rich. The rest of us had sufficient for our needs, but not a lot more than that.
So I am not complaining about our financial status. The point I am trying to make is that as far as the people not from our school were concerned we were all rich snobs. It's not that the label was unfounded, there were a few rich snobs in our school. But it was not fair to classify the masses, or the school, that way because of a few individuals.
Here comes the preachy part. If you believe in God, Allah, Buddha or any other deity that teaches love for your fellow man then how can you call yourself a true believer and judge another? Especially those of another religion where they too worship.
Rampant in the news are stories of terrorists and suicide bombers. People killing and dying in the name of Allah. Just because these individuals are Muslim, does that make all Muslims terrorists? If you answered "yes" to this question, then you should probably stop reading and hurry to your clan meeting. For the rest of you, you know that the Islamic religion is one of peace and faith. To judge the religion because of the actions of its followers is wrong.
Allegations of sexual abuse have been filed against several Catholic priests. Even when the charges are true, does that mean all Catholic priests are child molesters? Does it mean the Catholic church encourages and teaches child molesting? Catholicism teaches faith in Jesus Christ. To judge Catholics because of the misdeeds of a few leaders is unchristian.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, yep, I'm a Mormon. I am sure you have all met a Mormon that offended, annoyed, judged, or otherwise displeased you. Especially if you have ever lived near Utah. It is even possible to find a whole group of such Mormons. For those of you that do not know anything about Mormons, we believe, like all other Christians, that Jesus is our Savior and that we must live his teachings to return to live with him. I am not ignorant to the fact that there are an unfortunately large number of members of the church that do not practice the teachings we believe. This does not mean that all Mormons are this way. Quite the opposite. I have been to Mormon churches in both hemispheres and on either side of the planet. I have lived as far away from Salt Lake as possible. The only thing that remains the same in all these places is that the church teaches of Christ and his gospel. In my experience the gossip, judgments, hypocrisy, one-upmanship, and all the other issues that are seen amongst too many Mormons are typically isolated to the communities with a large percentage of Mormons. It's the law of averages. The more of a specific group you have in an area, the more prevalent the "exceptions" become. Much the same way you will find proof for racial stereotypes in neighborhoods largely populated by that race. It doesn't make the stereotype true, it just means there are people that live up to (or down to) that image. This is not me giving an excuse for people to act this way, it is just an observation I have made.
I am not perfect, by any stretch of the word. But I believe in Jesus Christ and his teachings. I do my best to follow him, to be a good person and to love everyone. I know what you are thinking right now, and like I said, I'm not perfect! But don't judge me and my beliefs because of someone else's actions. Especially someone that the only thing we may have in common is our membership in the same church, and one of us obviously isn't living up to our beliefs.
A related complaint, I know many former Mormons, baptized members that no longer go to church. I do not judge anyone for their decisions. Out of five children I am the only one that has chosen to continue going to church. I don't love my brothers any less for this. But I do have an issue with someone that blames the actions of others for their decisions. Believe, or don't believe, that decision is up to you. But own it. If you truly believe in something then you cannot be swayed by the actions of some ignorant people. And to say a religion and all its followers is bad, based on the actions of some of its members, is as un-Christlike as those members that are acting against the teachings of their religion. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7: 1-2)

So bash me, hate me, do what you want with me. But remember this is my rant and nobody made you read it. And just because my words may anger you, doesn't make them any less true. I love you, well, most of you. Again, I'm not the perfect one. =)

Cya in 7

Next Week: "007 License To Breed"

Can't We All Just Get Along? Except You... I Hate You!

Anyone watch Family Guy? I love that show. Remember when Peter had a segment on the local news, What Grinds My Gears? That's how I feel with these rants sometimes, it's kind of fun.
So I am sure you have seen me write, heard me say, or otherwise learned through the grapevine that I am rather open minded. I do have my opinions, but it doesn't mean I cannot listen to yours. I also have a diversified group of friends and acquaintances. I know I have some friends that would absolutely despise some of my other friends and vice versa. For that reason I do not put those friends in the same room, without a paying audience.
You ask, what do you want to complain about today, KG? Well, I'll tell you. How come we can't all get along?! And this is for ALL my friends, not just the liberals or the conservatives or the Mormons or the Mormon haters.
Lets use a little analogy. I like the color green. It is my favorite color. Lets say your favorite color is blue. You find a group of people that also like the color blue. I find some friends that like the color green. You and your group of friends decide you hate the color green. Soon you decided that you also hate all people that like the color green. Eventually your disgust for the color green leads you to attack me personally. Am I green? Am I any different from when we started because I like the color green? Is each individual in my group of "green lovers" the exact same person because we like the color green?
Now blue is your "truth" and green is mine. We reverse roles, and it is I and my friends that hate and despise you and your friends for your love of blue. Is your "truth" so much more important than mine that it is OK for you to hate and persecute me, but it is not OK to be hated and persecuted?
Too vague? OK, lets get dirty. What is your opinion on Abortion? How about gay marriage? Border control? Politics? Sports? Death penalty? God? You will have your opinion. I will have mine. Why is your opinion more important than mine? I have no right to attack or persecute you because your opinion is not the same as mine, so do not feel that you do have the right to attack me.
Understandably having different opinions will cause debate and disagreement, and such is life. But debate and discussion are based on facts, logic, reason, and the pursuit of an understanding. Hate motivated attacks, personal slander, and the constant need to make everyone believe the same as you are all signs of a close minded bigot.
I am sure all of you are reading this and saying, "Well duh! Who wouldn't agree?!". But I am calling all of you out on the carpet! Think about your values and opinions. How do you react to someone that disagrees with you? I am not talking about someone standing on a soap box in the park spouting hatred. Just punch him in the fun sacks. I am talking about some guy you meet at a party. The conversation casually turns to current affairs and he happens to mention that he voted for ( or against, depending on your views ) Prop 8. What do you do? Do your fists clinch, your teeth grind and adrenaline begin pumping? Do you call him a moron and proceed to tell him why he is wrong?
Don't get me wrong, seek your truth. Study all the facts and reach your logical conclusions. Be passionate about your beliefs and share your knowledge where appropriate. But don't think that yours is the only right answer. You may be right. They may be wrong. But that doesn't change the fact that nothing is ever solved with anger. And just keep your mind open because there is always the chance that YOU are the one that is wrong.

Cya in 7

Next week: "Here is The Church, Here is The Steeple, Open The Doors And There's All The People."

Guest Rant : Glenn Beck Is A Tool.

Alright kids, here's the scoop. I have been asked to publish a guest rant. I am not a Glenn Beck expert by any means. I think he is a tool and cannot bare to listen to him long enough to become an expert. So I pass along these words of wisdom. Stay tuned next week for my own personal rant that actually compliment this topic well. It's titled "Can't We All Just Get Along? Except You.... I Hate You."

Cya in 7.

"Dang I've been frustrated lately. I am so upset that so many of my friends like Glenn Beck. I have listened to him and I cannot believe that people in my church love him so much. He has strong opinions that are divisive. The things he says are rude, crude, criticizing, divisive, and the complete opposite of the Article of Faith #13. It frustrates me because I don't think these people should listen to such filth. It seems to me that there are a lot of people who hate Glenn Beck and his show and they also dog on him for his religion. I think that is why so many members of the church are so defensive about Glenn Beck. Because he is a member of the church they either agree with him, or they like him, or they don't speak out against him because he is a member. I have no problems speaking out against him but I have a fear that people won't like me because of it. But I truly, honestly, think what he does is morally wrong. It goes against everything I believe in. The way he belittles others views, acts condescending, lies, makes a lot out of nothing, creates false fear and scenarios. I think he's taking people's eye off the ball and distracting them with fear. Isn't that exactly what Satan wants us to do? Just sit back and listen to how the world could possible fall apart rather than get on our feet, get involved, be supportive, be hopeful, be helpful, be unified? Glenn Beck doesn't promote positive change. He thinks of random, stupid, not even possible situations and rants how America's death is about to occur.

What I want to ask people is "If you didn't know that Glenn Beck was a Mormon, would you still watch/listen to his show?"

In his 2007 Washington Post profile of Glenn Beck, David Segal wrote, "Listen to a few of Beck's shows and what strikes you most is the enormous ratio of words to substance - how Beck can monologue for minutes at a time and leave behind almost nothing except the impression of great vehemence."


James Poniewozik wrote an article called Glenn Beck: The Fears of a Clown. It was published in Time Magazine on April 8, 2009. In it he explains the rising popularity of the Fox News program, Glenn Beck. The article is as follows. (I couldn't decide which parts I liked best so I thought I would share the whole thing).

“On March 23, Treasury Secretary, Timothy Giethner, unveiled the Obama Administration's toxic-bank-assets plan. The stock markets cheered the news, sending the Dow up 497 points.

This meant one thing: it was time for Glenn Beck to break out the Jenga set.

The new populist superstar of Fox News has made a refrain of predicting that government policies are leading to disaster — dark, ruinous, blood-in-the-streets kind of disaster. Pausing for a 17-minute speech rebutting his critics for calling him "dangerous" and "crazy," he took out the block-tower game. On opposite sides of the tower were written the words solution and problem, taxpayer and children. Then he spent much of the hour critiquing the plan, all the while pulling pieces from the wobbling tower and stacking them on top.

For Beck, Jenga is a metaphor for the plan's risk. But it is also a metaphor for Beck's show, which teeters from humor to predictions of apocalypse to self-esteem sermons to fits of weeping. ("I'm sorry. I just love my country. And I fear for it.") This is what makes it so compelling: the breathless feeling that at any moment, everything could spectacularly collapse.

A year ago, with Fox News in an election-year ratings slump, some TV observers (like me) wondered if its conservative commentators could thrive in an Obama era. The answer is yes, and how. Fox roared back and has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.

It's succeeded partly because of its veteran stars Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. But to Hannity's tax-cut Republicanism and O'Reilly's grumpy social conservatism, Beck adds an au courant strain of grievance. Beck had a similar program on Headline News (which I appeared on once), on which he at one point asked a Muslim Congressman to "prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." After he moved to Fox in January, his audience exploded to 2 million-plus viewers — unheard of at 5 p.m. His hook, for the age of economic anxiety: whereas O'Reilly embodies anger and Hannity brashness, Beck embraces fear.

Fear of what? Take your pick. Fear that the U.S. is on a long march to fascism. (As evidence, Beck cited — on April Fools' Day but apparently seriously — the inclusion of fasces on the Mercury dime in 1916.) That fat cats and bureaucratic "bloodsuckers" are plundering your future. That Mexico will collapse and chaos will pour over the border. That America believes too little in God and too much in global warming. That "they" — Big Government, Big Business, Big Media — are against you. Above all, that you, small-town, small-business America — Palinville — have been forgotten. Dismissed. Laughed at. Just like him.

It's hard to identify a Beck ideology so much as a set of attitudes, sometimes contradictory ones. He channels anger against Wall Street but defends the bonuses for AIG executives. He devoted a segment to debunking a conspiracy theory about FEMA "concentration camps" but has warned that the AmeriCorps program "indoctrinates your child into community service."

What unites Beck's disparate themes is a sense of siege. On March 13, he served up a kind of fear combo platter — war, chaos, totalitarianism, financial ruin — with the 9/12 Project, a tearful call to viewers to rediscover the common purpose they felt after 9/11. In 2001, that common purpose involved cable-news talkers' dialing down the us-vs.-them shtick for a day or two; now Beck urged viewers to reject the notion that "they" have all the power. "They don't surround us," he declared. "We surround them."

Beck's surround sound plays like a mix of colonial pamphleteering, Great Depression demagoguery and the movie Red Dawn. But is he serious? He describes himself as a "rodeo clown," and he is a talented TV showman — joking and self-effacing, with a gift for big visuals and low-tech explainer stunts like his Jenga bit. Unlike O'Reilly et al., he's not a shouter. He calls his program "the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment."

Then again, he recently devoted a "War Room" episode to gaming out an American economic collapse in 2014 — the result of debt and high taxes — including the rise of "Mad Max" militias and civil unrest. Because if anything spells laff riot, it's the breakdown of lawful society! Whether Beck is stirring up frightening social currents or just playing in them, his material and its resonance are deadly serious.

Of course, I'm a "them." And if there's one thing we thems love, it's tarring dissenters as scary. As he played with his Jenga tower, Beck made just that point, introducing his next guest, former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. "Remember," Beck said sarcastically, "he is a dangerous militia member!"

Then a wooden piece gave way, and the whole toy edifice came crashing down.”


Different forms of media have a way of evoking our emotions. I’ve noticed that after I listen to Glenn Beck, certain emotions arise every time. I feel angry, discouraged, fearful, and frustrated with the world I live in. I’m unmotivated to do anything. What good will it do? The world is going to hell. Straight to hell.

Although the Jenga analogy is dramatic and entertaining to watch, it is not in my nature to want things to crash and fall. In fact, I feel it is my moral obligation to be a builder. To be part of a solution. To move onward and upward. To go forward. To learn and grow. To be optimistic and hopeful. To use the past as a compass to guide and direct my future. To be one in purpose with those around me. To love and serve. To improve every day.

I admit when I listen to Glenn Beck rant about random, stupid, not even possible situations, I get irritated. Why is he tearing down instead of building up? Why is he criticizing instead of offering up solutions? Well, I know the answer to that. It’s all about money and fame. Fear-mongering entertainment creates a following. Followers create advertising and advertising creates money. And Glenn Beck has lots of it.

I am afraid that many of his LDS followers follow him because they are looking for a political voice to guide them. The Church does not speak out politically or socially, leaving members of the faith to gather their own facts and form their own opinions. They trust their political souls to Glenn Beck, wrongly assuming that because they agree on religion, they also agree on politics.

There is a danger in following someone who creates fear instead of faith. Cynicism breeds discouragement and frustration and leads to anger and apathy. There is doubt instead of hope. There is distraction instead of action. There is the chance of falling off course.

This past General Conference, President Monson gave an outstanding talk called “Be of Good Cheer” which illustrated the need for a certain maturity when dealing with difficult times, reminding us that life on earth has always been hard and will always be hard. He reminds us not to dwell on what is wrong in the world and not to get discouraged or cynical. But to set our sights on God and let faith overcome fear. “This attitude” he says, “is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. It will not remove our troubles from us but rather will enable us to face our challenges, to meet them head on, and to emerge victorious.”

What advice would President Monson give us during these difficult days ahead? He admonishes us to “be of good cheer, and do not fear,” and reminds us that “I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

The entire LDS Conference was a message of love and reassurance. I didn’t hear criticisms or mentions of boycotts or tea parties or socialism. Speaking of socialism, did you know Joseph Smith once suggested that we change to a national banking system? (Just had to throw that in since this is my rant).

I end my rant with these words from Elder Ballard, who addressed the General Conference in October 2003 and said, “Brothers and sisters, refuse to be used. Refuse to be manipulated….We may be a small voice to begin with; nevertheless, let us encourage a more uplifting, inspiring, and acceptable media.” " ~ Anonymous

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff.

So I have decided to make a habit of ranting. And at the request of my little Wilderness Trek sister, who's WT nickname has escaped memory, I am going to rant about sweating the small stuff. For lack of a better nickname lets just call her hot-blogging-Cali-mom. First a quick detour: Why is EAT, MEAT and HEAT all pronounced that way but SWEAT is different. The word sweet should be spelled SWEAT in my opinion. I really don't like English.
And.... we're back. Ok, so why is it that small tasks can seem so important that we lose sight of the big picture? Is it a matter of pride that we must complete a task at the risk of sacrificing the progress to our larger goal? Example, hot-blogging-Cali-mom says she spent time she didn't have, looking for a lost shoe she didn't need, to go to her sons baseball game. End result, son was late to the game. Would the other moms make fun of her (and not allow her to join in their reindeer games) if her daughters shoes were not perfect? I doubt this is the case.
In my infinite wisdom here is how I envision the situation. Ultimate goal was to reach the baseball game. Things are going well, preparing the children, getting them dressed, bam! Daughter can't find her pretty white shoe. In the anxiety of the rush to the game and in the heat of the moment the lost shoe becomes a major issue. And Major issues must be dealt with, right? How long could it really take to find a shoe? As the time passes how many more hiding places can there be, the shoes is bound to be found any moment. Tempers rise, children cry, hot-blogging-Cali-mom swears, and the shoe remains elusive.
The problem in the moment always appears more prevalent, because it is there in the moment. Make sense? So it is easier to focus on that issue. Is that bad? I don't think so. But if the problem at hand becomes so consuming that it prohibits a successful end to the primary goal, then it's obviously not worth the effort.
I once heard a talk about this issue. I wont be adding the reference in a citation page 'cause I just can't remember who, when, why, how, or what it was. But the Readers Digest version; If you hold a small stone in front of your eye it becomes the only thing you can see. When you toss the stone back to the ground where it belongs, you can now see how insignificant it really is in relation to its surroundings.
This is not to say that all issues need to be ignored. Of course we need to address the problem, but it first needs to be taken in context. When problems are viewed in the correct aspect ratio they are often much easier to resolve.
So, hot-blogging-Cali-mom, or any of the other 4 people that will read this, I can't tell you how to overcome the habit of "sweating the small stuff". Or better stated, I can't tell you anything you don't already know about how to overcome this problem. The answer is the same as it has always been. Take a deep breath, count to 10, mentally step back from the situation, and look at it from a birds eye view. Easier said than done.
Anyone out there that knows how to be perfect at letting the small stuff slide 100% of the time, good for you! Now go make an infomercial and sell your secrets for millions of dollars. For the rest of us, just take it one day at a time. If you can remember to step back and breath just once, then that is one less time you freak out. And that is a great start.

What If or What Now?

I am going to call my notes "rants" instead of blogs. I think that is a more appropriate name for a one sided conversation, and I wont have to admit that I wrote a blog. Or I could just call them sermons, since I am sure this will sound kind of preachy. Either way if you don't want to hear me wax philosophical overt your eyes now.
This note is not directed at any one specific person. It is the culmination of thoughts gathered from conversations with multiple people. If you feel this is directed towards you then you are probably correct, but not alone. =)
Recently I have heard many people lamenting decisions they have made in the past. Yeah, this is normal for almost all of us. But when the thoughts about the past consume every aspect of your present there is an issue.
Our memories can cause us many emotions, all of which I believe to be good, even the upsetting ones. These recollections should be great reminders of our successes and failures, used as guides to avoid future failures and to repeat patterns of triumph. Depressing, upsetting, and frightening memories should be used to help us more fully appreciate the happy, fulfilling, and peaceful times. And our memories of loves lost or chances not taken should be constant reminders to appreciate those we have more often and to not be afraid to experience all life has in store for us.
However, I am concerned for those that seek to change their past. You can not go back in time and change what has already occurred. *Side note: Time travel is not possible, otherwise someone from the future would have already come back to let us know. =) * Living your life constantly looking towards your past will cause you to miss all the wonderful events in your present. Let the past be what it is intended, a reminder, and move forward with your life. Take advantage of today, or tomorrow you will just have one more day you regret. Instead of thinking "What if...." think "What now...". What can you do today to make today better? Yesterday happened, it isn't going to happen again, deal with it. If you are not satisfied with the way your life has turned out, then change it. It's your life, own it. You are the only one that can make it better. You are also the one that is making it worse focusing on the "What ifs" instead of the "What nows". You may never have the same possessions you had before, you may never have the same opportunities as you did before, you may never experience the same joys you did before. But if you do not focus on now you will definitely miss out on new possessions, opportunities and experiences. Change is not always bad, change is just always different.
Ok, soap box has been crushed. These thoughts are shared out of concern and love for anyone that wants/needs to hear them. If you have taken offense then you have misunderstood, and for that I apologize.

Anyone who limits her vision to memories of yesterday is already dead.
Lily Langtry