I believe that I am a devout member of my faith - someone who has deep convictions that are based on faith and experiences. Having said this, I am not touting any level of spirituality on my part. I'm just trying to say that I am one who continues to strive to do those things that my faith requires of me because I believe as I succeed in being obedient I will obtain a higher level of long term happiness. Now, I am a bit unconventional by the standards of other people that would consider themselves devout in my faith. I don't have a set of traditions that I follow that were passed on to me. Any traditions that I pursue have been validated by my belief system - not to be confused with "what others think our belief system is". So here's my thought now that I explained that - what gives any majority the right to be arrogant? Feel free to discuss this point - my answer is "ignorance, insecurity, inferiority complex"; so, basically all of the things that do not exhibit meekness, faith, and hope. In any group that is a majority there is a feeling of superiority expressed by some. Naturally, being a majority, more people agree with you in effect making you "more right" than the others simply by population. This is good if you seek the approval of others and you enjoy the semblance that factually you are right. However, being arrogant automatically precludes anyone from being right. So, why is it then that we worry so much about the arrogant majority? Because if we are not in agreement with them, we are considered "wrong", ignorant, and incapable of gaining the higher light that others have received. I'm sure I'm missing a plethora of other reasons, feel free to enlighten me. Only one more point after this one - if you are a majority, please don't be arrogant about it because it automatically makes you wrong (even if you are right, no one is going to stick around to be convinced). If you are a minority, don't take offense to those that are arrogant (and happen to be the majority) as they are just ignorant and really have a baseless belief system that has caused them to be so arrogant - they don't know any better and their thoughts don't warrant any concern on your part. My final point is this - if you are right, regardless of whether you are a majority or a minority, don't be arrogant about it. Be meek. Be subtle. Share your wisdom humbly, not forcefully. Realize that there are other reasonable ideas to be had and you are fortunate enough to have the truth. I believe that one of the biggest setbacks in my faith is that we are arrogant. In small communities where we are a majority it is unbearable what we do as an arrogant majority. In circles of society where there are predominantly our members in attendance we are arrogant. All of this is against our teachings and yet we are so ignorant that often we continue to offend those that might otherwise give our faith a chance and learn for themselves what is true. One of my favorite scriptures is Jacob chapter 3 verses 1-2. It talks about being "pure in heart". I believe that as we strive to be pure in heart and share our faith (not arrogantly insisting we are right) and not get so concerned that others are convinced that we are right; to learn to work along side non-members as easily as we work along members that we will not be concerned if others agree or disagree with us. We will learn to "agree to disagree" and will learn to enjoy being with those that we disagree with and appreciate our differences. Avoid being arrogant as you strive to base your beliefs on truths and not on the traditions of men that just happen to be of the same faith. Pursue those ideals we know are true and be pure in heart doing the right things for the right reasons.
Andrew “hate’n on the arrogants” Brown
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Special Baptism
The Friday after Thanksgiving we had a double baptism in our ward. This was a special day, not just because of the events that brought us to this point but also for the miracles that manifested themselves that day. One of my friends in my ward had his wife and daughter baptized this day. I learned of him and his family through a PEC meeting as I was informed he had a non-member wife and daughter that were learning English but spoke Mandarin as their native language. The Elders and High Councilor over mission work found some amazing people to translate and help teach the discussions and soon this mother and daughter were ready to be baptized. They selected the Holiday weekend because the wife's sister would be in town from Washington State. Her sister was not a member though she married a member (she has another sister that is a member). The missionaries were able to order a lot of literature in Mandarin. As plans were set and we were in the week of the planned baptism my friend decided his life was dull and wrecked . . . a moped (ha ha). He injured his right shoulder so bad that he could not raise it to the square. Since ordinances need to be performed with exactness we were all concerned. He asked for a blessing in which the voice said "you will be able to perform the baptisms and lift your arm to a square". For this reason we had no "Plan B". The day of the baptism arrived and in he came still cradling his arm. Our preferred speaker for the baptismal talk was unable to arrive in time and so another stepped in - it wasn't in Mandarin as planned but it was simple. Off we went to the font to see a miracle take place. My friend raised his hand without a grimace and baptized his daughter. The ordinance is so simple and pure. Daughter traded places with mother and my friend baptized his wife. It actually required a 2nd attempt since the first wasn't done with exactness. Still his right hand was in a square and the ordinance was performed.
He did mention later that while he was promised that he'd be able to perform the ordinance that he wasn't told he'd be free of pain. His expression indicated that he felt the pain.
His wife's sister was touched by the experience and the spirit. The talk on the Holy Ghost was given in Mandarin and while I couldn't understand the words, I too felt the spirit and watched as the sister listened intently. We got word back that the sister wants to meet with the missionaries when she gets back to Washington.
The Young Women’s organization sang "Steadfast in You". A very beautiful performance. The RS and YW sisters both gave amazing welcomes - very moving.
The RS had some sisters volunteer to host the refreshments and did a stellar job where people mingled until nearly 9pm. It was a great environment where many people were able to express their happiness in their new covenant and be part of this wonderful memory and ordinance. I was happy for my friend and his beautiful family - this is how baptisms should be.
Andrew "I wish I could speak Mandarin" Brown
He did mention later that while he was promised that he'd be able to perform the ordinance that he wasn't told he'd be free of pain. His expression indicated that he felt the pain.
His wife's sister was touched by the experience and the spirit. The talk on the Holy Ghost was given in Mandarin and while I couldn't understand the words, I too felt the spirit and watched as the sister listened intently. We got word back that the sister wants to meet with the missionaries when she gets back to Washington.
The Young Women’s organization sang "Steadfast in You". A very beautiful performance. The RS and YW sisters both gave amazing welcomes - very moving.
The RS had some sisters volunteer to host the refreshments and did a stellar job where people mingled until nearly 9pm. It was a great environment where many people were able to express their happiness in their new covenant and be part of this wonderful memory and ordinance. I was happy for my friend and his beautiful family - this is how baptisms should be.
Andrew "I wish I could speak Mandarin" Brown
Thanksgiving Reverse Triathlon - fans and participants
This Thanksgiving I participated in a reverse Triathlon. This means that the event order was run, bike, and swim. Before you think that I did anything amazing know that I placed 196th out of 446 participants and it only took 1 hour and 3 minutes of my life (and 34 seconds). Our run was reduced to a mile and a half due to wet and muddy conditions (12:20 minutes) while the bike route was 12 miles (3 loops of a 4 mile course that was wet enough to constantly have water spraying off my front tire right into my face - 39:54), and a 1/4 mile swim (that's 8 laps in a 50 yd pool - 11:21). I must say that the swimming was the adventurous part. Up to that point it was my own efforts that got me to where I was. In the pool I had people swimming into me, on top of me and then when that wasn't happening there was three slow swimmers swimming shoulder to shoulder in front of me in the lane limiting my progress . . . so I did a lot of back strokes (easier to breathe and very relaxing in a swimming "traffic jam" type situation). When the race was done I thought that passing out would be ideal until the Thanksgiving meal but instead I just rudely cut off a nice little family on my way up the bleachers to catch my breath. I didn't dry heave (my logon name for the beginnertriathlete.com site) or pass out - I'm really proud of myself. I did end up going home and sleeping until the last possible moment before waking up and cooking some ham (after my wife did everything else) before heading over to my parents for a great Turkey day celebration. So this is the first part of this blog . . .
The part I found most interesting was the fans/spectators. First off, distant running or biking events are not fan friendly. You get to see someone for a brief moment and then you are bored until you see them again as they start their next event or their next loop of the same activity. So this then leads to “people watching”, of which I am a pro. In fact I'm so good at people watching that watching me watch people can be quite entertaining. I pass judgment with my expressions as I watch everyone doing the most inane things. So bear with me as I set the scene . . . This is a race where even the most untalented athlete is in a competitive mode (just ask this untalented athlete) and when push comes to shove, well we will push and shove you out of the way if you don't belong there. The course has 4 areas, the 3 event areas and a transition area to store your bike and gear as you change events. There is a clear path from each event to the transition area and to the next event. For the last event, when your competitive juices are flowing athletes jump off their bike, ditch all of their clothes but what they are swimming in and run barefoot across the parking lot, to the pool entrance and to the first lap of the pool. This area was clearly marked with a green carpet to help minimize foot injuries and slipping and to make fans and waiting participants realize this was the course and to stay out of the way. My wife and daughter Allie and I set up camp by the chip reader (every athlete wears a chip so that they can be tracked and no individual has to try and write down which numbers are going by and their correlating time etc). Again and again we'd watch participants walk over the chip reader before they even started the race. We watched people walk down the green carpet talking on the phone while athletes were trying to scurry around them. There were event volunteers constantly screaming (yes screaming . . . constantly!) to keep the course clear and still there'd be some moron casually walking down the carpet wondering why no one else was as smart as they to use this nice wide walking area. Surely everyone else must be a moron for trying to walk in the cramped quarters on either side of the magnanimous carpet they have here. People were screaming at them and just before athletes were upon them some people would give the clue less folks a nice shove to get them out of the participants’ way. Now keep in mind I'm not contributing to the cause as I continue to judgmentally scowl at these mindless fools. I did get great joy out of the shoves especially since the kid race was first and there were some really young participants that had far more heart than I did. Since they were so small they could easily dash around the clue less fools and amazingly the fools would continue to stay on the course as athletes slipped by on either side of them as they continued their phone calls with blank stares on their face. I kept thinking "try that while I'm competing, I dare you". I'm what they classify as a "Clydesdale" - that means I’m a big fatty since most triathletes are bird framed people with grace and athleticism. They have a name for the female fatty's too - "Athena". You know, actually now that I think about it, it was a Clydesdale guy that kept walking on the course with his phone - back and forth continually in the way, constantly getting screamed at, shoved and pushed.
I think I'll do this event again next year, not just for the exercise but I'll be doing it for the people watching too.
Andrew "tri-people watching" Brown
The part I found most interesting was the fans/spectators. First off, distant running or biking events are not fan friendly. You get to see someone for a brief moment and then you are bored until you see them again as they start their next event or their next loop of the same activity. So this then leads to “people watching”, of which I am a pro. In fact I'm so good at people watching that watching me watch people can be quite entertaining. I pass judgment with my expressions as I watch everyone doing the most inane things. So bear with me as I set the scene . . . This is a race where even the most untalented athlete is in a competitive mode (just ask this untalented athlete) and when push comes to shove, well we will push and shove you out of the way if you don't belong there. The course has 4 areas, the 3 event areas and a transition area to store your bike and gear as you change events. There is a clear path from each event to the transition area and to the next event. For the last event, when your competitive juices are flowing athletes jump off their bike, ditch all of their clothes but what they are swimming in and run barefoot across the parking lot, to the pool entrance and to the first lap of the pool. This area was clearly marked with a green carpet to help minimize foot injuries and slipping and to make fans and waiting participants realize this was the course and to stay out of the way. My wife and daughter Allie and I set up camp by the chip reader (every athlete wears a chip so that they can be tracked and no individual has to try and write down which numbers are going by and their correlating time etc). Again and again we'd watch participants walk over the chip reader before they even started the race. We watched people walk down the green carpet talking on the phone while athletes were trying to scurry around them. There were event volunteers constantly screaming (yes screaming . . . constantly!) to keep the course clear and still there'd be some moron casually walking down the carpet wondering why no one else was as smart as they to use this nice wide walking area. Surely everyone else must be a moron for trying to walk in the cramped quarters on either side of the magnanimous carpet they have here. People were screaming at them and just before athletes were upon them some people would give the clue less folks a nice shove to get them out of the participants’ way. Now keep in mind I'm not contributing to the cause as I continue to judgmentally scowl at these mindless fools. I did get great joy out of the shoves especially since the kid race was first and there were some really young participants that had far more heart than I did. Since they were so small they could easily dash around the clue less fools and amazingly the fools would continue to stay on the course as athletes slipped by on either side of them as they continued their phone calls with blank stares on their face. I kept thinking "try that while I'm competing, I dare you". I'm what they classify as a "Clydesdale" - that means I’m a big fatty since most triathletes are bird framed people with grace and athleticism. They have a name for the female fatty's too - "Athena". You know, actually now that I think about it, it was a Clydesdale guy that kept walking on the course with his phone - back and forth continually in the way, constantly getting screamed at, shoved and pushed.
I think I'll do this event again next year, not just for the exercise but I'll be doing it for the people watching too.
Andrew "tri-people watching" Brown
Friday, November 21, 2008
Vacant Homes and their Garbage Cans
I live in a cul de sac that has about a 50% occupancy rate. Of the people who do live there, they are all my customers to my bug business (good neighbors!). One of my neighbors/customers had me over to treat their home and they indicated that the back yard might be the source of their pests. I looked into their backyard from the 2nd floor and had to agree with them - it was an overgrown jungle. They asked me if I knew anyone that could clean up their backyard and I told them "my guy" could. "You have a guy? Can we get his information from you?" I laughed as I realized I made them believe I outsourced my yard work - what I had meant was my oldest son Chase, who has grown into a good worker. I gave them a quote to clean up their backyard and expected them to get back with me right away . . . they didn't.
A few weekends later, when my oldest was off doing a stake youth conference at Camp Lomia for the weekend, is when the neighbors called to see if our offer still stood and they needed it done ASAP. I scheduled to be over to their house the next day knowing that my oldest would be unavailable. At first I was just going to bring my next oldest son, Bradley, but my daughter Allie was persistent that she should help too. I put her off but after working for a bit called home and told her to come on over. I expect a lot from my kids and as a result my kids have to work hard to impress me. That day my daughter impressed me.
We ended up using a mower to grind up all the weeds in the yard. We found a "nest" of kittens. The mom had scampered away and just as we were ready to mow the section where the litter lay, I noticed a kitten scampering around. We relocated them and finished the job at hand. We ended up filling over twenty 50-gallon bags of “jungle”/grass and despite our lack of an engineering degree determined that it wouldn't all fit into a single city garbage can.
Since our neighborhood has so many vacant homes I figured we could utilize all of the unused neighborhood garbages. I sent my son to fetch all the empty homes' garbages and we filled them to the brim and returned them to the correct homes and reminded ourselves that in 6 days we'd be sure to put the garbages out on the street. The backyard looked great and the kids each made $40 for their efforts. Chase was purely peeved to learn that his younger siblings had horned in on his money making opportunities when he got back – he was so bitter that he made lemons seem sweet.
So, it'd seem that life was good, except for the very next couple of days those "vacant" homes had people show up, yep we had new neighbors. Our new neighbors were surprised to find they had a full garbage of jungle/grass. One of the new neighbors was so upset that he put a nice big note on his garbage - "Please don't use our garbage for your trash". So now we are working covertly so all of our new neighbors don't realize that we are the trash filling culprits that we are. Problem is that we still have another 8 bags of trash we need to dump :)
I guess we found out how to surround ourselves with neighbors instead of having all of these foreclosed homes - any of you out there need your yards cleaned up? We have another 100 vacant homes that we need filled with neighbors - some of you are good friends of mine, why don't you come fill up these beautiful homes with your family . . . I promise we won't utilize your garbage.
Andrew "jungle/grass culprit" Brown
A few weekends later, when my oldest was off doing a stake youth conference at Camp Lomia for the weekend, is when the neighbors called to see if our offer still stood and they needed it done ASAP. I scheduled to be over to their house the next day knowing that my oldest would be unavailable. At first I was just going to bring my next oldest son, Bradley, but my daughter Allie was persistent that she should help too. I put her off but after working for a bit called home and told her to come on over. I expect a lot from my kids and as a result my kids have to work hard to impress me. That day my daughter impressed me.
We ended up using a mower to grind up all the weeds in the yard. We found a "nest" of kittens. The mom had scampered away and just as we were ready to mow the section where the litter lay, I noticed a kitten scampering around. We relocated them and finished the job at hand. We ended up filling over twenty 50-gallon bags of “jungle”/grass and despite our lack of an engineering degree determined that it wouldn't all fit into a single city garbage can.
Since our neighborhood has so many vacant homes I figured we could utilize all of the unused neighborhood garbages. I sent my son to fetch all the empty homes' garbages and we filled them to the brim and returned them to the correct homes and reminded ourselves that in 6 days we'd be sure to put the garbages out on the street. The backyard looked great and the kids each made $40 for their efforts. Chase was purely peeved to learn that his younger siblings had horned in on his money making opportunities when he got back – he was so bitter that he made lemons seem sweet.
So, it'd seem that life was good, except for the very next couple of days those "vacant" homes had people show up, yep we had new neighbors. Our new neighbors were surprised to find they had a full garbage of jungle/grass. One of the new neighbors was so upset that he put a nice big note on his garbage - "Please don't use our garbage for your trash". So now we are working covertly so all of our new neighbors don't realize that we are the trash filling culprits that we are. Problem is that we still have another 8 bags of trash we need to dump :)
I guess we found out how to surround ourselves with neighbors instead of having all of these foreclosed homes - any of you out there need your yards cleaned up? We have another 100 vacant homes that we need filled with neighbors - some of you are good friends of mine, why don't you come fill up these beautiful homes with your family . . . I promise we won't utilize your garbage.
Andrew "jungle/grass culprit" Brown
Friday, October 17, 2008
“Unto whom much is given . . .” – Learning that life is full of “get to’s”
Ever heard of “Happy Loops”? They ain’t so happy, they are excruciatingly painful. In fact the person that called them happy loops is the one that had us running them. He’d sit there shouting out our time as we realized we were going to have to break into a dead out sprint to make the target time. This is where the “Happy Loops” were extraordinarily unhappy.
Ok, let me back up a bit. Dave Doerrer is my high school cross country coach from Thunderbird High School (Go Chiefs!). He was a teacher at Sunnyslope high school when my mom went to school there. From the years of 1985-89 he was involved in my track and cross country career. Under his guidance I would hear him talk about the work out we were going to do. Inevitably someone would say “do we have to coach?” – his constant reply to this was “No, you don’t have to . . . you get to.”
To “get to” was the way coach lived his life. He loved to be active and he loved to run. He loved to coach and he was talented both as an athlete and as a coach. His work outs were intense. I still remember having run up Shawbutte after having run to Shawbutte and knowing that I still needed to run back from Shawbutte. After getting down from the hill, coach had everyone lined up facing the hill again. I was confused by this and the look in everyone’s eye was that of disbelief. “Okaaaay, we are going to run up Shawbutte Indian style.” Now our mascot was the Chiefs but that had nothing to do with “Indian style”. Indian style is when the last guy running in a single file line has to sprint to the front of the line as the whole line is jogging; once he gets there the new “last guy” takes his turn and so on. Soon enough, it is your turn and you give it everything you have to minimize the amount of time you have to be sprinting to the front. And then before you catch your breath it is your turn to sprint to the front again. This goes on until we get to the top – keep in mind, most people can’t even run the entire 1.2 miles up Shawbutte without slowing to a walk or simply stop. We ran up it once and then we ran up again in Indian style - PAIN. Keep in mind, after doing this we still did have to jog back to school.
So, back to “Happy Loops”. The neighborhood at the foot of Shawbutte and Thunderbird is called Moon Valley, interestingly enough the Moon Valley Golf Country Club was another location of our painful workouts. In this neighborhood we had a loop that seemed to be 2/3 of a mile and coach required us to run 3-4 of these depending on our progression as an athlete and into the season and what speed was expected etc. We’d run up into the hills gradually, then turn onto a street that got suddenly steeper, turned onto another street that was less steep and finally we’d have about 100 yards of downhill before turning onto the last stretch running towards where we started and hearing our current time and realizing how little time we had left to go the remaining distance. Our muscles were screaming, our lungs were numb with pain, our minds were trying to shut our body down, all the while our competitive spirit pushed us forward expecting more performance than what got us to this painful moment in time. When we finished the first one and realized we still had 2 or 3 more to do, our bodies seemed to be in shock. By the time we were done, none of our bodies were happy yet there was coach Doerrer smiling from ear to ear with his contagious smile, praising our efforts for completing our Happy Loop and reminding us that we had more to go (even bigger grin from him now).
Coach was always there to push us as fiercely as our competitive appetite would demand. He knew us as individuals and respected us while still knowing we could do more and be better athletes and competitors.
I remember a few years after being coached by him to do hurdles that coach came to me to get some pointers on the hurdles. I found out that he was competing in the Arizona games. Over time I learned that he continued to win and dominate his age group. Coach was leading by example the whole time and I was too self centered to realize it.
Tomorrow, Oct 18, 2008 I “get to” volunteer to help coach as he continues to host the Thunderbird Invitational which is celebrating its 50th anniversary http://tbirdinvitational.com/ . I will be running in the Alumni and Friends Run. I will get to see other former athletes and friends that come back because they “get to”. After wards I will get to volunteer with the various races for the boys and girls coming from all over the state to compete in one of the funnest races of the X-country season.
I am proud that I “get to” have Coach Dave Doerrer as my friend. He is first and foremost my coach – my coach of how to live my life, how to love the Lord, and how to enjoy all that we have been given. Now I know that life has no “have to’s” but lots of “get to’s” – it’s all a matter of perspective and I choose to follow coach’s example. Thank you coach Dave Doerrer.
Andrew “still haunted by Happy Loops” Brown
Ok, let me back up a bit. Dave Doerrer is my high school cross country coach from Thunderbird High School (Go Chiefs!). He was a teacher at Sunnyslope high school when my mom went to school there. From the years of 1985-89 he was involved in my track and cross country career. Under his guidance I would hear him talk about the work out we were going to do. Inevitably someone would say “do we have to coach?” – his constant reply to this was “No, you don’t have to . . . you get to.”
To “get to” was the way coach lived his life. He loved to be active and he loved to run. He loved to coach and he was talented both as an athlete and as a coach. His work outs were intense. I still remember having run up Shawbutte after having run to Shawbutte and knowing that I still needed to run back from Shawbutte. After getting down from the hill, coach had everyone lined up facing the hill again. I was confused by this and the look in everyone’s eye was that of disbelief. “Okaaaay, we are going to run up Shawbutte Indian style.” Now our mascot was the Chiefs but that had nothing to do with “Indian style”. Indian style is when the last guy running in a single file line has to sprint to the front of the line as the whole line is jogging; once he gets there the new “last guy” takes his turn and so on. Soon enough, it is your turn and you give it everything you have to minimize the amount of time you have to be sprinting to the front. And then before you catch your breath it is your turn to sprint to the front again. This goes on until we get to the top – keep in mind, most people can’t even run the entire 1.2 miles up Shawbutte without slowing to a walk or simply stop. We ran up it once and then we ran up again in Indian style - PAIN. Keep in mind, after doing this we still did have to jog back to school.
So, back to “Happy Loops”. The neighborhood at the foot of Shawbutte and Thunderbird is called Moon Valley, interestingly enough the Moon Valley Golf Country Club was another location of our painful workouts. In this neighborhood we had a loop that seemed to be 2/3 of a mile and coach required us to run 3-4 of these depending on our progression as an athlete and into the season and what speed was expected etc. We’d run up into the hills gradually, then turn onto a street that got suddenly steeper, turned onto another street that was less steep and finally we’d have about 100 yards of downhill before turning onto the last stretch running towards where we started and hearing our current time and realizing how little time we had left to go the remaining distance. Our muscles were screaming, our lungs were numb with pain, our minds were trying to shut our body down, all the while our competitive spirit pushed us forward expecting more performance than what got us to this painful moment in time. When we finished the first one and realized we still had 2 or 3 more to do, our bodies seemed to be in shock. By the time we were done, none of our bodies were happy yet there was coach Doerrer smiling from ear to ear with his contagious smile, praising our efforts for completing our Happy Loop and reminding us that we had more to go (even bigger grin from him now).
Coach was always there to push us as fiercely as our competitive appetite would demand. He knew us as individuals and respected us while still knowing we could do more and be better athletes and competitors.
I remember a few years after being coached by him to do hurdles that coach came to me to get some pointers on the hurdles. I found out that he was competing in the Arizona games. Over time I learned that he continued to win and dominate his age group. Coach was leading by example the whole time and I was too self centered to realize it.
Tomorrow, Oct 18, 2008 I “get to” volunteer to help coach as he continues to host the Thunderbird Invitational which is celebrating its 50th anniversary http://tbirdinvitational.com/ . I will be running in the Alumni and Friends Run. I will get to see other former athletes and friends that come back because they “get to”. After wards I will get to volunteer with the various races for the boys and girls coming from all over the state to compete in one of the funnest races of the X-country season.
I am proud that I “get to” have Coach Dave Doerrer as my friend. He is first and foremost my coach – my coach of how to live my life, how to love the Lord, and how to enjoy all that we have been given. Now I know that life has no “have to’s” but lots of “get to’s” – it’s all a matter of perspective and I choose to follow coach’s example. Thank you coach Dave Doerrer.
Andrew “still haunted by Happy Loops” Brown
Monday, September 29, 2008
"Unto whom much is given . . . " Part III
In 1997 a new ward was started in the Peoria Stake, the name of it was Sundance. A ward was made by cutting a square mile off of two distinguished wards and combining them to make this new ward. A friend of mine (who remained in one of the distinguished wards) joked that they took the "riff-raff" of both wards and combined them to make the new ward. Two halves of the ward existed and the gap that existed between them was quickly melded by the youth coming together in the stake road show. A man whose background I still know very little about was called to be Bishop. He surrounded himself with others that were new to their callings. We were an awkward ward as we got to know one another; however, the friendliness was amazing. Bishop Pehrson was our newly called Bishop and he seemed to throw out all previous traditions that seemed to be followed in the church. The Church Handbook of Instruction was his only guide that he prescribed too, never trusting any one's input until it was confirmed in the handbook. Things were always handled differently when the Sundance ward was in charge of things like Stake Baptisms - for once they followed the handbook. Tradition spoke louder to the other wards and so it seemed that we were the ward out of sync. I watched from afar as a Young Men's leader of how things were done - always peculiarly. Eventually I was in the "inner-circle" joining in the PEC meetings weekly. I watched the accountability that was dished out to the leaders - not only were assignments made but reports were constantly being asked for in a follow up fashion. Failure was allowed; embarrassment for not completing the assignments was felt. Stewardship was expected and the principles laid out in the handbook were the expectations. I watched those around me as they grew stronger in their leadership skills. I watched as people became comfortable in the way the handbook directed. I was amazed at how many issues were sidestepped as the handbook was the format we followed. Later I watched one of the counselors of Bishop Pehrson become a Bishop of the same ward. He had been led by correct principles and continued to follow them. The new Bishop, though I had seen him falter at other times in his callings, seemed to be incapable of failure as he continued the practice of following the handbook. Later I became one of his counselors and got to see the intensity of his love and his desire to serve the Lord . . . still using the handbook as his guide. We still needed lots of training, we were always being corrected by leadership - but we were always looking at doing the right things for the right reasons. I do believe that the character of a man must be great to break with tradition and rely on his inspired understanding of the true principles. Bucking a system that should not be, to implement that which always should have been. Accountability, stewardship, growth, the allowance for failure and the expectation to improve - this is all that I attribute to Dean Pehrson, the original Bishop of the Sundance Ward in the Peoria Stake. The man is an amazing example to me of how to be a leader, how to fulfill any calling that is given to you.
Today I am a Ward Mission Leader; it is such a foreign thing to me. I knew nothing of it except for my exposure as a full time missionary. I knew little to nothing of my new ward and felt amazingly overwhelmed. The first thing I did was ask for the handbook, I got online and got trained, found all the info I could. I got in contact with the High Councilman over the mission efforts in the stake. I tried to grasp what I was supposed to do and received constant redirection when I mistakenly misunderstood something. I am still in this struggle to improve and learn my calling but I can say that I am much better prepared because of the example of Dean Pehrson. I'm grateful for such a man that would be more interested in serving his Lord and his God then in worrying what traditions that had been laid out before he was called. In doing this he was truly able to be a better servant to the ward members in his administration and as an example to all those that would notice.
Andrew "I noticed" Brown
Today I am a Ward Mission Leader; it is such a foreign thing to me. I knew nothing of it except for my exposure as a full time missionary. I knew little to nothing of my new ward and felt amazingly overwhelmed. The first thing I did was ask for the handbook, I got online and got trained, found all the info I could. I got in contact with the High Councilman over the mission efforts in the stake. I tried to grasp what I was supposed to do and received constant redirection when I mistakenly misunderstood something. I am still in this struggle to improve and learn my calling but I can say that I am much better prepared because of the example of Dean Pehrson. I'm grateful for such a man that would be more interested in serving his Lord and his God then in worrying what traditions that had been laid out before he was called. In doing this he was truly able to be a better servant to the ward members in his administration and as an example to all those that would notice.
Andrew "I noticed" Brown
Friday, September 12, 2008
Conservative listening to Liberal Media
I don't care what your political affiliation is; but I do believe that being informed is a must. To be informed you need to know more than one side of a subject and not think the handful of media you listen to (because you agree with what they say) is the only truth. I'm not trying to say that media is the only way to get your news but it is what most people are exposed to and discuss around the water cooler. So, that said, I'm a conservative and my candidate didn't make it past the primaries so now I'm rooting for John McCain and I’m in awe of his selection of Palin.
I made the mistake of only listening to Fox news and 550 and 960 AM radio for the week after the first Palin speech. I thought we were unstoppable and that everybody was as smitten with the Republican ticket as I was. It wasn't until 2 days ago I changed my radio station to 1480 and went to a bunch of liberal news sites (Time, ABC, CBS etc) and found an alternative approach.
I was educated on how the liberals feel that McCain is running a much more negative campaign then Obama (89 to 11%) by readers. I found that Palin is the only person of interest to the liberals, they have stopped talking about McCain, their focus is on comparing Obama to Palin (why would you compare the top of your ticket to the bottom of the oppositions ticket?). I was also educated on how talk show radio hosts get more cynical and resort to name calling when they are being beaten by the opposition. Lately the liberals have resorted to a lot of name calling, have gotten very cynical, and are obviously stunned at the amazing swing in votes that Governor Palin has generated for the McCain ticket.
McCain was inspired to choose Palin, she represents a lot of what I'm interested in and the ideals I value. I know that there is more to know about her than the little bit that has been brought forward to date. I am trying to not get caught up in how "evil" Obama is as I believe that he's got some amazing talents and does want to serve this country as his ideals guide him - I just believe that the ideals of McCain are better suited to represent me and my country.
The vilifications of candidates is a bit much and the fanatics of either party take things too far many times (Obama is for infanticide (birthed baby killings)? no he's not but you could twist his voting record that way - Palin is a former Mayor of a small town of 9,000 . . . um yeah, but she is now a Governor of the largest geographical state with more natural resources than any other state). I don't appreciate the twists from either side and we need to encourage people not to just vote but to not be distracted by peripheral non issues and realize when a distortion is presented. This reminds me of my favorite comic; Brian Regan does a bit on a political distortion of a politician that has a platform of tazering 7 year olds.
I want undistorted facts and will start challenging those that offer distortions as if they are unbiased truths; I want good folks to be persuaded to be candidates that will represent the people in government; I want a media outlet that will call all of the other media and candidates out when distortions are made (liberal or conservative); I want conservative values to win this election. Go Palin! er, I mean McCain.
Andrew "no distortions please" Brown
I made the mistake of only listening to Fox news and 550 and 960 AM radio for the week after the first Palin speech. I thought we were unstoppable and that everybody was as smitten with the Republican ticket as I was. It wasn't until 2 days ago I changed my radio station to 1480 and went to a bunch of liberal news sites (Time, ABC, CBS etc) and found an alternative approach.
I was educated on how the liberals feel that McCain is running a much more negative campaign then Obama (89 to 11%) by readers. I found that Palin is the only person of interest to the liberals, they have stopped talking about McCain, their focus is on comparing Obama to Palin (why would you compare the top of your ticket to the bottom of the oppositions ticket?). I was also educated on how talk show radio hosts get more cynical and resort to name calling when they are being beaten by the opposition. Lately the liberals have resorted to a lot of name calling, have gotten very cynical, and are obviously stunned at the amazing swing in votes that Governor Palin has generated for the McCain ticket.
McCain was inspired to choose Palin, she represents a lot of what I'm interested in and the ideals I value. I know that there is more to know about her than the little bit that has been brought forward to date. I am trying to not get caught up in how "evil" Obama is as I believe that he's got some amazing talents and does want to serve this country as his ideals guide him - I just believe that the ideals of McCain are better suited to represent me and my country.
The vilifications of candidates is a bit much and the fanatics of either party take things too far many times (Obama is for infanticide (birthed baby killings)? no he's not but you could twist his voting record that way - Palin is a former Mayor of a small town of 9,000 . . . um yeah, but she is now a Governor of the largest geographical state with more natural resources than any other state). I don't appreciate the twists from either side and we need to encourage people not to just vote but to not be distracted by peripheral non issues and realize when a distortion is presented. This reminds me of my favorite comic; Brian Regan does a bit on a political distortion of a politician that has a platform of tazering 7 year olds.
I want undistorted facts and will start challenging those that offer distortions as if they are unbiased truths; I want good folks to be persuaded to be candidates that will represent the people in government; I want a media outlet that will call all of the other media and candidates out when distortions are made (liberal or conservative); I want conservative values to win this election. Go Palin! er, I mean McCain.
Andrew "no distortions please" Brown
Monday, September 8, 2008
"Unto whom much is given . . ." part II
I'm trying to make some order of individuals that I write about it and have decided to do it by association to who I have written about so far. With that in mind I wanted to share some of my experiences with Bill Alexander.
Bill is a man's-man. There is no one that can doubt the manliness of Bill. He's a former Air Force vet that has so much manliness that others grow into men just from association. So it only makes sense that he would serve as a young men's advisor. I had him as an advisor when I was a Deacon; he served with Doug Baker then and also with the Teachers Quorum later on in my life. As a Deacon I remember Bill mostly giving lessons - we were always really reverent on the days he taught, probably because we figured he'd discipline us really well if we broke the silence. He spoke quietly which forced us to have to be quiet if we were going to hear and you didn't want to get caught not paying attention. Bill's son Justin came into the quorum 2 months after I joined. In our earlier years Justin and I weren't friends at all, associates at best until after the week long activity at camp Whiting.
Back to Bill, he married an amazing woman, Karen, who was always so kind and positive towards us boys and so supportive of anything her husband and sons did. I had joined a summer track club in my 7th grade and because I was so lousy at so many things track related they made me a hurdler. What this means is that I wasn’t a good sprinter or a distance runner; with hurdling they could get me working on my "form" so I had something I could improve in. Since it was a summer league I didn't have to be that good to go to competitions and so I would typically go to anything I could. My parents were pretty busy with trying to make a living and raising all of my sisters; because Bill had both of his youngest boys on the same track club he'd usually give me a ride to everything. I honestly was so grateful for all of his efforts to make sure I had a ride and was made to feel welcomed to everything – I started to feel like I was abusing the relationship as no one had ever been so kind to me before. As I attempted to not take advantage of him in my adolescent way I told him I wouldn't be going to the next track meet. This seemed to trouble him and he tried to find out why until I finally broke down under his sincerity and admitted that I had no reason not to go. I was always appreciative of his nonjudgmental support in my success (and failures at attempting to succeed). Later on in high school with some amazing coaches and a lot (and I mean A LOT) of practice I got more competitive and actually won a lot of races. Bill was usually in the stands supporting his son(s) and would take me under his wing and give advice and talk “shop” with me.
At camp Whiting Bill would set a nice pace and make sure that no one would fall behind. He practiced shadow leadership (along with Doug) and really let us kids learn from making mistakes.
My first activity as a Priest was a Grand Canyon New Years Eve campout. I had flown home from baptizing my brother Alex in Oklahoma, packed, and then we went straight up to the canyon. Incidentally jet-lag caught up with me as I was waiting at Dan’s house . . . when I woke up I found that many of the Christmas tree decorations were now hanging on me – I was out!. The trip was awesome, we spent several days down there . . . it was the trip out that I remembered Bill and his steadiness. I was so competitive then, I had to be the first one out. Having an amazing athlete like Justin around made it that much more challenging. I soon faded behind Justin and soon Bill would pass me. He walked so slow I couldn’t believe it; yet he continued to “leap frog” me every time I had to stop from pure exhaustion. I hadn’t considered that he may be hurting too; I just had to beat him and anyone else (I had already given up on ever catching Justin). Bill taught me the importance of knowing your limitations and then respond accordingly. I did end up beating him out, but I was also taught a lesson that saved my life when hiking out of the North Rim (Thunder River) in Oct 2004. I have always been grateful for this lesson. Don’t be in such a hurry that you miss out on the beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyon, covered in all the glory of the white snow (some yellow snow too left by other hikers . . . ok we contributed too). Same thing in life – don’t be in such a hurry to miss out on the situation that you are in. In fact before my mission on my last Havasupai trip I stayed back with my buddy Bubba (Eric Dillard) and we talked, played cards and took our time getting out – it was one of the most enjoyable hikes I have ever been on in my life . . . and we still left at the same time – when the last hiker got out. I have done a lot of amazing hikes in my life with Scouts (as a youth and an adult), with my Aunt Rachel’s GCC hiking classes, and all are more enjoyable because Bill taught by example. I enjoy hiking more now then I ever could due to his example.
Bill taught me tons of stuff about being a man, being strong, not always having to speak even when you have a strong opinion on something and knowing when to run . . . if you know Bill you don’t picture him running from much but there was this time (and Dan Pennell loves to tell this story) that Bill was hiking in the Superstition Mountains and he got treed by a Bear. Up to that time I assumed that Bill was the type to go ahead and wrestle a bear down and beat him with his bare hands. A man’s gotta know his limitations!
Today Bill continues to be a mans-man, I love to hear his stories of tales and adventures – he has tons of them. He is a true friend, a leader, an example and most importantly he has the spiritual side: a testimony of Jesus Christ and the importance the gospel in our every day lives and the happiness it will bring. Thanks Bill – you are amazing!!
Andrew “wants to be a mans-man too” Brown
Bill is a man's-man. There is no one that can doubt the manliness of Bill. He's a former Air Force vet that has so much manliness that others grow into men just from association. So it only makes sense that he would serve as a young men's advisor. I had him as an advisor when I was a Deacon; he served with Doug Baker then and also with the Teachers Quorum later on in my life. As a Deacon I remember Bill mostly giving lessons - we were always really reverent on the days he taught, probably because we figured he'd discipline us really well if we broke the silence. He spoke quietly which forced us to have to be quiet if we were going to hear and you didn't want to get caught not paying attention. Bill's son Justin came into the quorum 2 months after I joined. In our earlier years Justin and I weren't friends at all, associates at best until after the week long activity at camp Whiting.
Back to Bill, he married an amazing woman, Karen, who was always so kind and positive towards us boys and so supportive of anything her husband and sons did. I had joined a summer track club in my 7th grade and because I was so lousy at so many things track related they made me a hurdler. What this means is that I wasn’t a good sprinter or a distance runner; with hurdling they could get me working on my "form" so I had something I could improve in. Since it was a summer league I didn't have to be that good to go to competitions and so I would typically go to anything I could. My parents were pretty busy with trying to make a living and raising all of my sisters; because Bill had both of his youngest boys on the same track club he'd usually give me a ride to everything. I honestly was so grateful for all of his efforts to make sure I had a ride and was made to feel welcomed to everything – I started to feel like I was abusing the relationship as no one had ever been so kind to me before. As I attempted to not take advantage of him in my adolescent way I told him I wouldn't be going to the next track meet. This seemed to trouble him and he tried to find out why until I finally broke down under his sincerity and admitted that I had no reason not to go. I was always appreciative of his nonjudgmental support in my success (and failures at attempting to succeed). Later on in high school with some amazing coaches and a lot (and I mean A LOT) of practice I got more competitive and actually won a lot of races. Bill was usually in the stands supporting his son(s) and would take me under his wing and give advice and talk “shop” with me.
At camp Whiting Bill would set a nice pace and make sure that no one would fall behind. He practiced shadow leadership (along with Doug) and really let us kids learn from making mistakes.
My first activity as a Priest was a Grand Canyon New Years Eve campout. I had flown home from baptizing my brother Alex in Oklahoma, packed, and then we went straight up to the canyon. Incidentally jet-lag caught up with me as I was waiting at Dan’s house . . . when I woke up I found that many of the Christmas tree decorations were now hanging on me – I was out!. The trip was awesome, we spent several days down there . . . it was the trip out that I remembered Bill and his steadiness. I was so competitive then, I had to be the first one out. Having an amazing athlete like Justin around made it that much more challenging. I soon faded behind Justin and soon Bill would pass me. He walked so slow I couldn’t believe it; yet he continued to “leap frog” me every time I had to stop from pure exhaustion. I hadn’t considered that he may be hurting too; I just had to beat him and anyone else (I had already given up on ever catching Justin). Bill taught me the importance of knowing your limitations and then respond accordingly. I did end up beating him out, but I was also taught a lesson that saved my life when hiking out of the North Rim (Thunder River) in Oct 2004. I have always been grateful for this lesson. Don’t be in such a hurry that you miss out on the beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyon, covered in all the glory of the white snow (some yellow snow too left by other hikers . . . ok we contributed too). Same thing in life – don’t be in such a hurry to miss out on the situation that you are in. In fact before my mission on my last Havasupai trip I stayed back with my buddy Bubba (Eric Dillard) and we talked, played cards and took our time getting out – it was one of the most enjoyable hikes I have ever been on in my life . . . and we still left at the same time – when the last hiker got out. I have done a lot of amazing hikes in my life with Scouts (as a youth and an adult), with my Aunt Rachel’s GCC hiking classes, and all are more enjoyable because Bill taught by example. I enjoy hiking more now then I ever could due to his example.
Bill taught me tons of stuff about being a man, being strong, not always having to speak even when you have a strong opinion on something and knowing when to run . . . if you know Bill you don’t picture him running from much but there was this time (and Dan Pennell loves to tell this story) that Bill was hiking in the Superstition Mountains and he got treed by a Bear. Up to that time I assumed that Bill was the type to go ahead and wrestle a bear down and beat him with his bare hands. A man’s gotta know his limitations!
Today Bill continues to be a mans-man, I love to hear his stories of tales and adventures – he has tons of them. He is a true friend, a leader, an example and most importantly he has the spiritual side: a testimony of Jesus Christ and the importance the gospel in our every day lives and the happiness it will bring. Thanks Bill – you are amazing!!
Andrew “wants to be a mans-man too” Brown
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Unto whom much is given . . . (D&C 82:3)
I read my sister’s post the other day http://lifeisgood-eagar.blogspot.com/ where she described taking my dad out to the ball game as a belated father's day gift. She had some choice things to say about him . . . it got me to thinking about all the amazing people I have been associated with through out my life. In D&C 82:3 it speaks of requiring much of those who have been given much. I don't anticipate sharing about being required to give much; rather I want to focus on how much I was given. We'll see if this turns into a series - ha ha.
I'm going to start in randomly with Doug Baker. This poor, poor man was called to be the Deacon's Advisor along with Bill Alexander. Doug and Bill made sure we were involved in everything Scout related. We were learning how to Dutch oven cook one evening and had an all out food fight that was so intense we trashed his entire yard. Pineapple rings were hanging from branches in the tree. He responded by teaching us about consequences. This instance actually got us and all our parents into Bishop Hawkley's office for a "come to Jesus". After that meeting my dad got called "2 by 4" for a story he shared in the meeting - more on that later. Through Doug's amazing service over the next couple of years I earned merit badges, learned leadership, and like a typical teenage punk I belittled him all along the way. My final trip to camp Geronimo with him I learned more about consequences. In an intense water fight (using the buckets intended for the event of a fire) I got caught up in the moment and grabbed the grease fire bucket (a.k.a. dirt) and threw it on David Baker - we were all soaked and this fine reddish dirt was absorbed by all his wetness. He looked like a piece of wet chicken that was just dipped into some breading before being fried. We all stopped in shock and horror - we all knew I had crossed the line. The water fight was over and consequences loomed for me. I was given a 3 hour service project to right my wrong. No one helped me, this was my burden alone. Doug could have made a big deal about it, sent me home, screamed at me - instead he gave me a consequence that seemed unbearable but I didn't dare protest. Looking back now I think Doug was a genius for how he handled us. He wasn't going to be able to stop us from acting up, but he taught us consequences when I'm sure inside he was ready to break our necks.
I had a short break from him as he served in the Bishopric. I'm sure to him this was a nice break (even considering how busy you are in the Bishopric, I'm sure he was grateful to be free from us). Soon he was back (what thing did he do earlier in his life that God kept punishing him) and we went to camp Whiting. Whiting was a life changing event. We had to navigate using a compass to go anywhere from 3 to 9 miles a day to get to the next days events. He let us decide how to do this. We made bad (I mean really bad) choices. He didn't stop us. I gave him a black eye when we did canoe jousting (I broke the rules and hit him above the shoulders). I learned to rappel, lumber jack, black powder and bullet making, Indian lore and finally at the end of the week when we ran out of food we showed up at the chuck wagon. This week long activity helped us earn our 50 Miler award. We learned brotherhood, we learned that we could have fun and be humbled. We learned that Doug Baker was amazing.
Of all the young men that did that trip, we formed lasting bonds and still get together occasionally. Most of us earned our Eagle Awards. Our stake had a Colorado River trip for all boys that became Eagles. Due to Doug's efforts with us we attended a court of honor where 56 young men earned their Eagle rank. A few months later me and 7 friends had our Eagle court of honor. Each of us received a hand carved Eagle neckerchief slide - carved by hand by Doug. We each received an amazing glass display of our rank, merit badges, and awards and also a handmade Eagle neckerchief that had a hand sown Eagle on it. Amazing keepsakes that I wear with pride at every Eagle court of honor that I attend.
Later in life as Priests this same motley crew of boys would meet up with Dan Pennell - we would have missed out on so much if Dan had to wait for us to learn all the things that Doug had taught us. Doug had given us so many experiences to build upon to take us to the next level and had done it so consistently that the course of change was natural and expected. Because of Doug, we had not just earned our Eagle rank - we lived the things that were required to become Eagles. We were still punks and very ungrateful, but we were nurtured and taken pride in despite all of this.
We had so many experiences that covered such an array - I remember one trip we went to Disney land as a troop and we whistled at some girls while at a stop light - the girls came and flirtatiously threw a book of matches at Doug. After all that we put him through his wife Kathy didn't hate us - even when she parked next to our aluminum chloride bottle that we just activated - "BOOM" - the 2 liter bottle exploded all over the side of the truck she was driving as we were screaming at her to move (as she continued to insist on having a moment to talk with her son). We all scattered leaving David to take the brunt of her wrath. We got caught teepeeing their house - he was so cool about it that it took all the fun out of ever doing it again.
Later in life I was attending a wedding reception and I saw him there. It suddenly dawned on me how much he endured having served us. We were all so much better prepared for life, we understood the gospel, we were Eagle Scouts, we served missions, we had testimonies, we tormented him and he responded by serving us even more. I awkwardly walked up to him at the wedding and told him that he was an amazing man - that he "rocked" and that I was grateful for everything he had done for me. That was all I got out before I started to lose my composure so I stopped. A few moments later Ben Larson came up and told me" that what I said (as awkward as it was) had touched Doug. That's when it finally dawned on me . . . "Unto whom much is given, much is required". It was a scary thought because I had been given MUCH by this one man alone - what must be required of me as a result? Surely I could never give as much as could be honestly expected - the challenge seemed daunting. This thought has continued to linger as I have served in various callings. When I think that I am frustrated, when my efforts seem unrealized by those I try and serve - I can only laugh and know that Doug suffered worse with us.
As a result of this experience of talking with Doug at the wedding I remembered a promise made long ago with my friend Ben. We had agreed to have a Priest quorum reunion after our missions. We went ahead and planned it with other quorum assistants that had served over time. We invited our former leaders including Doug. David, yes the one I threw the dirt on at camp Geronimo, created some amazing plaques that we had our quorum scripture engraved on and also a thanks to the leaders for helping us to become worthy husbands and fathers - on the front of each plaque was a glass case that we were able to fill with hand written notes of our feelings for the men that had taught us so much. Truly I am grateful for that reunion and the chance to publicly show my gratitude for Doug and the other leaders that affected my life so intensely.
My approach in life needs to be elevated as I strive to magnify my callings, priesthood, spousal and patriarchal responsibilities. I have been truly blessed and having the chance to realize how much I have been given has made me truly thankful for Doug and all those that did so much for my benefit.
Doug Baker, you do ROCK! You are an amazing man. Thanks.
- Andrew "unto who much is given . . ." Brown
I'm going to start in randomly with Doug Baker. This poor, poor man was called to be the Deacon's Advisor along with Bill Alexander. Doug and Bill made sure we were involved in everything Scout related. We were learning how to Dutch oven cook one evening and had an all out food fight that was so intense we trashed his entire yard. Pineapple rings were hanging from branches in the tree. He responded by teaching us about consequences. This instance actually got us and all our parents into Bishop Hawkley's office for a "come to Jesus". After that meeting my dad got called "2 by 4" for a story he shared in the meeting - more on that later. Through Doug's amazing service over the next couple of years I earned merit badges, learned leadership, and like a typical teenage punk I belittled him all along the way. My final trip to camp Geronimo with him I learned more about consequences. In an intense water fight (using the buckets intended for the event of a fire) I got caught up in the moment and grabbed the grease fire bucket (a.k.a. dirt) and threw it on David Baker - we were all soaked and this fine reddish dirt was absorbed by all his wetness. He looked like a piece of wet chicken that was just dipped into some breading before being fried. We all stopped in shock and horror - we all knew I had crossed the line. The water fight was over and consequences loomed for me. I was given a 3 hour service project to right my wrong. No one helped me, this was my burden alone. Doug could have made a big deal about it, sent me home, screamed at me - instead he gave me a consequence that seemed unbearable but I didn't dare protest. Looking back now I think Doug was a genius for how he handled us. He wasn't going to be able to stop us from acting up, but he taught us consequences when I'm sure inside he was ready to break our necks.
I had a short break from him as he served in the Bishopric. I'm sure to him this was a nice break (even considering how busy you are in the Bishopric, I'm sure he was grateful to be free from us). Soon he was back (what thing did he do earlier in his life that God kept punishing him) and we went to camp Whiting. Whiting was a life changing event. We had to navigate using a compass to go anywhere from 3 to 9 miles a day to get to the next days events. He let us decide how to do this. We made bad (I mean really bad) choices. He didn't stop us. I gave him a black eye when we did canoe jousting (I broke the rules and hit him above the shoulders). I learned to rappel, lumber jack, black powder and bullet making, Indian lore and finally at the end of the week when we ran out of food we showed up at the chuck wagon. This week long activity helped us earn our 50 Miler award. We learned brotherhood, we learned that we could have fun and be humbled. We learned that Doug Baker was amazing.
Of all the young men that did that trip, we formed lasting bonds and still get together occasionally. Most of us earned our Eagle Awards. Our stake had a Colorado River trip for all boys that became Eagles. Due to Doug's efforts with us we attended a court of honor where 56 young men earned their Eagle rank. A few months later me and 7 friends had our Eagle court of honor. Each of us received a hand carved Eagle neckerchief slide - carved by hand by Doug. We each received an amazing glass display of our rank, merit badges, and awards and also a handmade Eagle neckerchief that had a hand sown Eagle on it. Amazing keepsakes that I wear with pride at every Eagle court of honor that I attend.
Later in life as Priests this same motley crew of boys would meet up with Dan Pennell - we would have missed out on so much if Dan had to wait for us to learn all the things that Doug had taught us. Doug had given us so many experiences to build upon to take us to the next level and had done it so consistently that the course of change was natural and expected. Because of Doug, we had not just earned our Eagle rank - we lived the things that were required to become Eagles. We were still punks and very ungrateful, but we were nurtured and taken pride in despite all of this.
We had so many experiences that covered such an array - I remember one trip we went to Disney land as a troop and we whistled at some girls while at a stop light - the girls came and flirtatiously threw a book of matches at Doug. After all that we put him through his wife Kathy didn't hate us - even when she parked next to our aluminum chloride bottle that we just activated - "BOOM" - the 2 liter bottle exploded all over the side of the truck she was driving as we were screaming at her to move (as she continued to insist on having a moment to talk with her son). We all scattered leaving David to take the brunt of her wrath. We got caught teepeeing their house - he was so cool about it that it took all the fun out of ever doing it again.
Later in life I was attending a wedding reception and I saw him there. It suddenly dawned on me how much he endured having served us. We were all so much better prepared for life, we understood the gospel, we were Eagle Scouts, we served missions, we had testimonies, we tormented him and he responded by serving us even more. I awkwardly walked up to him at the wedding and told him that he was an amazing man - that he "rocked" and that I was grateful for everything he had done for me. That was all I got out before I started to lose my composure so I stopped. A few moments later Ben Larson came up and told me" that what I said (as awkward as it was) had touched Doug. That's when it finally dawned on me . . . "Unto whom much is given, much is required". It was a scary thought because I had been given MUCH by this one man alone - what must be required of me as a result? Surely I could never give as much as could be honestly expected - the challenge seemed daunting. This thought has continued to linger as I have served in various callings. When I think that I am frustrated, when my efforts seem unrealized by those I try and serve - I can only laugh and know that Doug suffered worse with us.
As a result of this experience of talking with Doug at the wedding I remembered a promise made long ago with my friend Ben. We had agreed to have a Priest quorum reunion after our missions. We went ahead and planned it with other quorum assistants that had served over time. We invited our former leaders including Doug. David, yes the one I threw the dirt on at camp Geronimo, created some amazing plaques that we had our quorum scripture engraved on and also a thanks to the leaders for helping us to become worthy husbands and fathers - on the front of each plaque was a glass case that we were able to fill with hand written notes of our feelings for the men that had taught us so much. Truly I am grateful for that reunion and the chance to publicly show my gratitude for Doug and the other leaders that affected my life so intensely.
My approach in life needs to be elevated as I strive to magnify my callings, priesthood, spousal and patriarchal responsibilities. I have been truly blessed and having the chance to realize how much I have been given has made me truly thankful for Doug and all those that did so much for my benefit.
Doug Baker, you do ROCK! You are an amazing man. Thanks.
- Andrew "unto who much is given . . ." Brown
Friday, August 1, 2008
Ohhh, you're offering CASH . . .
I recently sold 2 of my vehicles and I stumbled upon this certain oddity. People think that by telling you something, anything about buying with "cash" that all reason will fly out the door and I'll have to succumb to what ever they offer. I had a truck that people were looking at and I told them I was asking $1,500 (I loved the truck but it was a "piece" in every sense of the word). They come back and say "I'll pay you $600 . . . "cash" right now". Oh, you're offering "cash"? I was just hoping to get some chickens out of this deal . . . hadn't even considered the possibility of getting "cash". Maybe you could throw a bushel of green beans in there and we have a deal!
What are they thinking that I was going to put them on a fast track to finance them with my own private bank? That I was going to carry them? That I would accept payment in some bartering system of whatever line of work the purchasing party was involved with?
"Cash" is not a surprise item for me when I sell something. Not getting "cash" would be the surprising element. So, for any of you that read this, can you give me a nice snappy come back for future use. Thanks,
Andrew "Accepts Cash" Brown
What are they thinking that I was going to put them on a fast track to finance them with my own private bank? That I was going to carry them? That I would accept payment in some bartering system of whatever line of work the purchasing party was involved with?
"Cash" is not a surprise item for me when I sell something. Not getting "cash" would be the surprising element. So, for any of you that read this, can you give me a nice snappy come back for future use. Thanks,
Andrew "Accepts Cash" Brown
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Strong Emotions
Today I got an email from my sister Deirdre asking us to pray for a young boy that was run over by a car. I started reading the posts that she referenced. Seeing images of the little guy in the hospital and reading the play by play of all the concerned families and friends was very impressive. The blogspot seemed to be the perfect way to let people know what is going on so concerns could be expressed, information could be shared and required activities could be organized. This made me realize that I aught to get my own site and share the things going on in my life so friends can casually peruse my site and stay posted as they want to and then when something urgent comes up . . . well we can stay in touch with all those that are concerned. So this is why I'm starting my blog site - hopefully I won't be too boring. Oh, the prognosis for the little guy that got ran over is looking good, the love that is shown is truly inspiring in the families blog http://gobroncos-stephensfam.blogspot.com/
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