Dick Fosbury Finds A New Way to Soar

I wanted to tell you about a kid named Dick Fosbury who literally revolutionized the sport of High Jumping.  He couldn’t do it the way they taught him to do it, so he invented a way he could do it, and now everyone does it his way.  

Dick was a tall kid and average in every way.  He wanted to be good at something so he could get a scholarship and go to college to get an engineering degree.  He tried Football, but he was just average and only succeeded in getting his front teeth knocked out.  He tried Basketball, and at 6’4” he should have been great, but there were already several great players on his High School team.  They could dunk and he couldn’t, so he just sat on the bench.  He tried other sports, but finally settled on Track and Field.  His coach thought his height would give him an advantage in the High Jump, but in every other event, he was just average as usual.

As Dick tried to follow his coach’s instructions to perform the high jump using the ‘Western Roll’ style, (and Dick was trying to follow the instructions), he just couldn’t do it.  He was tall and lanky, uncoordinated and the several different motions required were beyond his capabilities.  He was still jumping at the 5’4” height he had reached in 9^th grade using the ‘Scissors’ style!  On the long bus ride heading to another Track meet, he decided he’d try one more time and if he couldn’t get it, he’d switch sports again.  But he would do whatever it took to reach something higher.

Fortunately, the schools had begun changing out the surfaces behind the high jump pits.  We are used to seeing the 3 foot tall fluffy pads that are in use now.  Back when Dick was jumping, the landing area was sand and wood chips at ground level.  The Western Roll and the other styles forced the jumper to land on his feet or face serious injury.  Arriving at this Rotary meet in Grand Pass Oregon, he saw that they had a high fluffy pad.  Desperate as he was to see improvement, Dick knew he wouldn’t hurt himself trying something new.

His first jump, using the more familiar Scissors technique, netted 5’4”, the standard he was trying to best or quit.  It wasn’t enough.  His next jump, he leaned further back, adjusting his body to try to better his jump.  It looked a bit odd, but he cleared two more inches.  On his third jump, he leaned even further back and made 5’8”.  

When he took his next jump, the bar was set at 5’10”, and he really wanted to make that height.  This time he let his instincts take his body adjustments further and when he jumped, he somehow was flat on his back now, totally out of form and yet he made it!  He landed on his back and the coaches erupted.  Was this legal?  Was it safe?  Was it even allowed?  It wasn’t the Scissor or the Western Roll or any other traditional style he was doing!  He had improved his jump by a half a foot in just 4 jumps, and everyone was paying attention.  (Most improvements in the sport are noted in fractions of an inch sometimes over the course of a whole year!)

Richard Hoffer of Sports Illustrated wrote, “When Fosbury jumped 5'10" at that rotary meet at Grants Pass in 1963, he was in a back layout position, his shoulders going even farther back in reaction to his lifting hips. It was on-site engineering, his body and mind working together, making reflexive adjustments with only one goal, getting over the bar. In an act of spontaneity, or maybe rebellion, he created a style unto itself.”  

Dicks coach was amazed, and not unwilling to let Dick do it his way after seeing his remarkable improvement.  He gave Dick complete freedom to experiment and the next year, Dick’s Junior year, he cleared 6’3”.  By his senior year, Dick could reach 6’5 ½”, well higher than his teammates.  It was still a local phenomenon, and Dick helped teach some of his teammates how he was doing it.  That was hard to do, since he was really making it up as he went along.  

At one of his Senior meets, a reporter noticed his strange form.  He said it looked like a fish flopping onto a boat.  His article gave the new style it’s name, the Fosbury Flop.  (Some said he looked like he was having a seizure midair, or falling from a tall building.) People still laughed at it, yet his jumps were much higher now.  Dick had a high jump style named after him, but colleges were not calling in droves.  After all, he really just wanted to get a scholarship to college somehow.  Fortunately, the local university, Oregon State got him a small scholarship and Dick gratefully accepted.

Dicks new college coach insisted that he go back to the Straddle (a combination of the Western Roll and the Scissor).  Dick, always good at following directions, did that.  But his jumps went back to his previous low levels.  At meets, sometimes Dick would revert back to his trademark jump and his heights would jump too.  In his Sophomore year, at a meet in Fresno, he reached 6’10” using the Flop.  His coach finally relented, seeing that he had actually set an Oregon State University record.  He pulled him aside and said, “Dick, I’m not exactly sure what you are doing, but it’s working for you.  So go ahead with it.”  Finally Dick had support and backing to keep refining this new technique.

Track meet promoters started calling Dick and asking him to perform at their meets with the headline about his new style.  Some headlines noted that he was a physics student refining a new technique.  It drew more crowds and gave Dick more opportunities to refine his form.  In his Junior year, he cleared 7 feet.  Now he was jumping at the heights of the Olympic class athletes!  In fact, he became the most consistent 7 foot jumper in the sport.  After reaching 7’2”, someone asked him if he would be interested in competing in the Olympics.  Dick was stunned!  He had never imagined anything like that, and here he was, using his own strange and comical technique, successful enough to consider Olympics!

Dick trained for and qualified for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City with a jump of 7’3”.  There, the long process of eliminating the weaker jumpers demanded that they start the bar at 6’6”.  The audience continued to laugh when they saw Dick flop over the bar in his strange new style.  By the time they reached 7’, only 5 jumpers remained.  Three were American and two were Soviet, and as this was during the Cold War, they were arch enemies.  The audience began to be won over by Dick and cheer for him instead of laugh.  After four hours of competition, with the sun setting, after two misses at the 7’4 1/4”, Dick ran toward the bar just as the Marathoners were entering the stadium.  Normally, the audience would begin cheering madly to see the racers finish this long race.  But they were already on their feet cheering, watching Dick make his last attempt at a new Olympic record.  Dick cleared the bar, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.  He had set an Olympic Record, earned a Gold Medal, all using a style he himself invented and fine-tuned.   

No coach gave him any pointers; no other athletes showed him the form.   Finally his style was recognized as the improvement over the older styles as it was.  Even so, for several more years there were skeptics.  One coach warned that this technique would wipe out an entire generation of high jumpers because they would all break their necks.  After the games, one reporter wrote,

“When he did it tonight, Fosbury gave the world a spectacular display. The people at Oregon State are studying hundreds of films of their flying civil engineer in action, but so far nobody has figured out a way to duplicate his style. It is totally unlike the scissorkick, the Western roll, the Eastern cutoff and other techniques. Even Fearless Fosbury is amazed. ‘Sometimes I see movies,’ he says, ‘and I really wonder how I do it.’  However, Fosbury foresees the day when boys all over America will be soaring over bars upside-down. ‘I think quite a few kids will begin trying it my way now,’ he said. ‘I don't guarantee results, and I don't recommend my style to anyone. All I say is if a kid can't straddle, he can try it my way.’”

Indeed, in the next ten years, the Fosbury Flop became the common High Jumping style.  No World Records have been set since 1980 using any other technique.  Dick truly changed this sport completely!  He developed a new style by listening to his body and working with his knowledge and interest in Physics and Engineering.  He ignored the laughter of critics and did what worked for him with his abilities and limitations. 

We can do the same with our challenges and abilities, we just need to think outside of the box.   

To read more, see:

“Fearless Fosbury Flops to Glory” by Joseph Durso, October 20, 1968, New York Times, found at http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/10.20.html

This day in History, Oct 20, 1968: “Fosbury flops to an Olympic record” at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fosbury-flops-to-an-olympic-record

September 14, 2009, Sports Illustrated, “The Revolutionary:  As a gawky teenager in the 1960’s, Dick Fosbury just wanted to find something he was really good at.  Little did he know he would become an Olympic Champion and turn a sport literally upside down” by RICHARD HOFFER found at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1160029/1/index.htm

Cornell University’s analyzes why his technique works using Physics at http://thevirtuosi.blogspot.com/2011/08/physics-in-sports-fosbury-flop.html

Watch Dick perform his flop on U-Tube by searching ‘fosbury flop' in your search.

Abraham Lincoln's Humble Start Led to an Important Finish

Today I want to talk about another President in continued celebration of President's day.  This time, I have to share things I admire about President Abraham Lincoln.  He was truly a self-made man who chose to make a difference in the world based on his life experiences.  

Abe grew up in several small towns because his family had to move due to title disputes.  When one buys property, one secures a 'title' showing that the land is theirs.  If there is a question about the boundaries or the origin of the claim, one would have to go to court and defend their position.  Abe's father was involved in several of these disputes because Kentucky was poorly surveyed and the boundaries were always in question.  They lived at Sinking Spring Farm in Kentucky, then Knob Creek Farm in Kentucky, having left each because of title disputes that nearly bankrupted the family.  Tired of the title problems, Abe's dad moved them to Indiana because the land had been surveyed by the Federal Government.  Perhaps here they could set down roots.  

When asked later about these moves, Abe said that these moves were due to their disagreement with slavery and title disputes.  Living in Kentucky, Abe had seen the trafficking of slaves fairly often.  His family was opposed to the practice, so much so that they stopped attending a church because they disagreed with their views about slavery.  The constant litigation gave Abe ample opportunity to visit the courthouse and watch proceedings in his father's cases and in the other cases of the day.

Indiana brought its own trials.  Abe's mother died when he was nine, and his father remarried.  Fortunately, his step-mother loved Abe like her own son.  She helped Abe learn by reading books on whatever subjects interested Abe.  He only had about 18 months of formal teaching, gaining his education by studying books.  He mastered the Bible, Aesop's fables, Shakespeare, poetry, English and American History by reading books on these subjects. 

When Abe was in his early 20's, the family moved again due to title disputes, this time to New Salem, Illinois.  Abe took a job as a clerk in a store and did some trade in New Orleans, where he again witnessed the worst scenes that the slave trade could offer, probably cementing his distaste.  He gained respect as a clerk and as business stagnated, took the job of Postmaster.  He took a side job as a surveyor, teaching himself the art of surveying by studying books. 

Abe owed money for some of his business ventures and wasn't making enough money to pay his bills, so he decided to run for public office.  He lost his first election.  He decided to become a lawyer.

He could not afford to attend law school, so again he taught himself the law.  He read many books and became versant in the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence.  He noticed in attending so many court sessions as a boy that lawyers often referred to these works.  He applied for a license and became a practicing lawyer in 1836 at the age of 27.  He set up a practice in Springfield Illinois the following year. Then he ran for public office again, winning a seat in the legislature for steady income.  Soon, he set his sights on the Presidency.

Although Abe had attended church as a boy, he never subscribed to any particular religion, defining himself more by his 'self made man' status than any other.  He wasn't raised to believe in God and Jesus as strongly as George Washington was.  But events began to change this.  After winning the election to become the President of the United States of America, the Civil War was threatening.  Many Southern states had already seceded from the Union before he had even been inaugurated.  And his son Willie died.  Mary Todd Lincoln, his wife, said that Abe became more religious as time went on, relying increasingly on Heavenly Father to help him face his challenges.  Abe himself said, ""I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." 

Abe worried terribly that the Civil War would indeed split up the United States of the Union wasn't successful, and he prayed earnestly to end the conflict.  After the successful battle at Gettysburg, he said, "No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."

Abe gave full credit to Heavenly Father that the war was finally turning around.  This statement began the first celebration of our current day Thanksgiving celebration, although we usually think of the Pilgrims and Mayflower when we celebrate. 

Not only did Abe institute Thanksgiving Day, but he also added the words "In God We Trust" to US coins, a practice that continues to this day.  And he also added the phrase 'under God' to his Gettysburg Address when speaking of our freedoms, which became part of the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954.  A  minister once told Lincoln he "hoped the Lord is on our side," the president replied, "I am not at all concerned about that.... But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

We celebrate Abe Lincoln's birth because he was the right President to get us through the Civil War.  He believed that all men were created as equals and hated the practice of Slavery.  He was prepared to become president by his early exposure to law and the courts and his penchant for learning.  Although he was a self-made man, he came to rely on Heavenly Father's aid and gave Him credit for America's successes. 

He will always be known as the man who freed the slaves.  As a young boy, did he even imagine that he would have this dramatic impact on his country?  He did amazing things with very humble beginnings, relying on Heavenly Father.  We can do amazing things using the same formula too.

For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_life_and_career_of_Abraham_Lincoln

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_and_religion
 

http://images.ask.com/fr?q=abraham+lincoln&desturi=http%3A%2F%2Flshs.leesummit.k12.mo.us%2Fstudentprojects%2F0607%2Ffall%2Ftlarsen%2FLincoln%2Findex.htm&initialURL=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.ask.com%2Fpictures%3Fqsrc%3D%26o%3D10150%26l%3Ddis%26q%3Dabraham%2Blincoln%26search%3Dsearch&fm=i&ac=107&fsel=1&ftURI=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.ask.com%2Ffr%3Fq%3Dabraham%2Blincoln%26desturi%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flshs.leesummit.k12.mo.us%252Fstudentprojects%252F0607%252Ffall%252Ftlarsen%252FLincoln%252Findex.htm%26imagesrc%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Flshs.leesummit.k12.mo.us%252Fstudentprojects%252F0607%252Ffall%252Ftlarsen%252FLincoln%252Fimages%252Flincoln1.jpg%26thumbsrc%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fmedia2.picsearch.com%252Fis%253F75yY5k21ihl2xHSv0BTvFMOcjb9PCUtrXFFmCHVGyHg%26o%3D10150%26l%3Ddis%26thumbuselocalisedstatic%3Dfalse%26thumbwidth%3D87%26thumbheight%3D128%26fn%3Dlincoln1.jpg%26imagewidth%3D529%26imageheight%3D777%26fs%3D41%26f%3D2%26fm%3Di%26fsel%3D1%26ftbURI%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.ask.com%252Fpictures%253Fq%253Dabraham%252Blincoln%2526page%253D1%2526o%253D10150%2526l%253Ddis%2526pstart%253D0&qt=0

George Washington Sought Divine Help and Received it

With President's day coming up, I thought I'd write today about George Washington, the first President of the United States of America.  He was a remarkable man.  He was a man of God, which helped him be successful in his endeavors.  Some say that God protected him through a number of miracles.  It's fitting that we honor him on President's Day.

Young George was taught to believe in God and to rely on Him.  He was often seen praying for help when he needed it, even as a young boy.  When he was General George Washington leading the Continental Army and helping the American colonies to become free of British rule, he prayed often.  He would retreat to his tent to pray for guidance and sometimes he would go into the woods to pray. 

Several miracles show that Heavenly Father heard his prayers and answered them with help from above.  I want to share a couple of them with you.  The first happened when the British had cornered and trapped the army in New York.  They were stuck on Long Island and all ways to retreat were blocked except for the East River.  Going that way was risky because they'd be out in the open and easily shot one by one in the boats.  The first miracle is that the British didn't come in and kill them all while they were trapped for 2 days.  The British had 32,000 soldiers; Washington had only 8,000.  No one knows why the British delayed.  The delay allowed Washington to gather up all of the boats in the area and plan an escape.  At 8 pm on August 29, 1776 Washington started sending boats out onto the East river with soldiers aboard.  It was raining heavily and winds were strong.  The bad weather kept the British from attacking and rendered all boat travel impossible, except for row boats.  Slowly but surely, boat after boat rowed away into the darkness filled with our soldiers.  To speed things up, at 11 pm, the wind died down and the waters calmed, allowing more boats to fill up and row away.  They rowed back and forth all night long but the evacuation wasn't finished when the sun began to rise the next morning.  Many soldiers remained.  Would they get away?  Slowly a fog arose, so thick that one could barely see anything a few feet away.  The soldiers kept rowing away until all had been evacuated under the cover of darkness, then blinding fog. 

A nosy British sympathizer saw the evacuation and wrote a note to the British army.  Miraculously the note was held up by German soldiers fighting for Britain who couldn't read English.  When the British got the note, checked to see if it was true, they found Long Island empty and the last rowboats in the distance, out of harms way.  It was the most amazing retreat in American history!  Eight thousand men slipped past all blockades. 

Another miracle was when Washington crossed the Delaware and conquered the British in a surprise attack Christmas day 1776.  Washington was again completely outnumbered.  He knew he didn't have a chance against the Germans fighting for Britain in normal circumstances, but thought that a surprise might do it.  After praying for success, the army of 2400 soldiers began crossing the Delaware river.  It was dangerously icy with chunks of ice threatening to break the overloaded boats.  The weather was awful; it was raining, then sleeting. One soldier described it as a hurricane.  The other groups had called it off, but Washington's army pressed on.  At 4 am, the whole army was ashore and they had yet to march 9 miles to get to the British soldiers.  The storm hadn't let up, yet Washington's army nearly ran the distance, racing to their foe.  When they arrived around 8 am, they found the exhausted Germans asleep and easily overwhelmed them.  One thousand British soldiers were captured, 83 wounded and 22 killed.  Of Washington's' army, only 3 deaths and 6 injuries were reported.  "It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater and more lasting effects upon the history of the world," British historian George Trevelyan wrote. This and another victory at Princeton a few weeks later became the turning points of the Revolutionary war.  

At one point over the next winter, his army was hungry.  They had run out of food and were facing starvation.  George prayed for help and suddenly the nearby Schuylkill river began to seemingly boil.  The soldiers found that large amounts of fish were migrating upstream surprisingly early in the year.  So many fish were in the river that they were clogging it!  Soldiers simply reached in and plucked fish from the water.  The army was saved, starvation averted. 

Earlier in his life, George was shot at many times and never wounded.  He wrote to his brother, who had heard incorrectly that George was dead the following:  "As I have heard since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first and of assuring you that I have not as yet composed the latter. But by the all-powerful dispensations of Providence I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!"  This event occurred in 1755, many years prior to Washington's pivotal involvement in the Revolutionary War.  Heavenly Father protected him because he had important things to do.  In fact, Washington was never wounded in all of the battles in which he fought.  It was almost like Samuel the Lamanite of The Book of Mormon!

George Washington was successful as a General because he relied on Heavenly Father for help.  He reminds me of Captain Moroni of The Book of Mormon.  We would be wise to ask for help from our loving Heavenly Father when we are outnumbered and fighting for a good cause. 

For more information, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%27s_crossing_of_the_Delaware_River

http://rjmoeller.com/2010/12/george-washington-and-a-christmas-miracle/

http://www.ministers-best-friend.com/George-Washington-Prays-God-sends-Supernatural-Fog-to-Allow-Escape.html

http://www.ministers-best-friend.com/George-Washington-Prays-for-Food--Fish-clog-river-soon-after.html

http://www.ministers-best-friend.com/George-Washington-Was-he-ARROW-and-BULLET-Proof-Uou-Decide.html

Ronald Reagan Made a Lasting Impact on America

Today would be Ronald Reagan's 101^st birthday if he were still alive!  I wanted to share my admiration for him today to celebrate.  

Ron was born in a small Illinois town to very ordinary people.  He grew up believing in God and the goodness of people.  Although it was unusual for the era, Ron didn't think that people of other races were different, so he treated them the same.  When still a boy in the segregated 1920's, he overheard some African American's being denied a place to stay at a local Inn.  He invited them home, where his mother fed them and allowed them to stay the night as their guests, even serving them breakfast the next morning.  Ron grew up and got a job as a lifeguard, counting 77 rescues as tick-marks on an old wooden paddle.  

Ron excelled in sports and as a leader, becoming a member of the football team, the captain of the swim team and the Class president of Eureka College in Illinois.  He also loved storytelling and acting.  And he followed Politics.  His idol was Franklin D. Roosevelt.

When he graduated from Eureka College with a degree in Economics and Sociology, he auditioned for several jobs as a radio announcer.  He was offered a job at the University of Iowa to broadcast their football games live.  He did such a good job of giving the blow-by-blow descriptions of the plays that he was hired by the Chicago Cubs to broadcast their games live.  While in Los Angeles for a game, he took a screen test and was hired by Warner Brothers as an Actor.  He began his career, hoping to be a movie star.

Within 2 years, he had appeared in 19 movies, although it took a few more for him to become recognized for any acting talent.  Just as he was becoming a star, after completing a movie called "Kings Row," World War 2 broke out.  He enlisted, but because of near-sightedness, he was assigned to make training movies for the troops who were deployed out in the field. 

He had always been involved in politics, but more so after the war ended.  He began to support candidates and make patriotic speeches in their behalf.  He made such a stirring speech for Barry Goldwater, a conservative Presidential candidate, that it's still discussed today.  His speech, titled "Time for Choosing," is full of Ron's personal beliefs in America and hope for its future.  Many hailed this speech as the one that launched Ron's own political career.

Ron ran for Governor of California in 1967 and won.  He served as Governor for several years, then set his sights on the Presidency of the United States.  After unsuccessfully running in 1976, he won in 1980.  Just as he was giving his acceptance speech, American hostages were released after over a year of captivity, beginning his first term as President a great start.  

I loved how he made us feel great about our future as Americans and his belief in individual heroes.  In his first State of the Union address (Jan 26, 1982) he described the challenges the nation was facing, the things he was doing to help fix them and everyday heroes.  He described how an ordinary citizen saved a passenger of a downed airplane, then said, "And then there are countless quiet, everyday heroes of American life; parents who sacrifice long and hard so their children will know a better life than they've known; church and civic volunteers who help to feed, clothe, nurse and teach the needy; millions who've made our nation, and our nation's destiny, so very special; unsung heroes who may not have realized their own dreams themselves but then who reinvest those dreams in their children.  Don't let anyone tell that America's best days are behind her, that the American spirit has been vanquished. We've seen it triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now."  I love that optimism!

Similarly, on the anniversary of D-day (the turning point of World War 2) in 1984, Ron said, "You all knew that some things are worth dying for.  One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man."  It was clear that he loved America and he would do anything to preserve it and prosper it.  

Ron served 2 terms, or 8 years as President of the United States of America.  While President, he accomplished some really great things.  Most important is that he was instrumental in getting the Soviet Union and East Germany to tear down the Berlin wall imprisoning their own citizens in Communism.  Previous Presidents had tried for years and failed to accomplish this.   To do this, Ron built up American's armaments and threatened to use them against the countries involved.  Then he started negotiating with the Leaders of the Soviet Union and East Germany.  He begged them to tear down the wall.  Later, he said, "When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat."  Perhaps he was drawing on his degree in Sociology in how he handled this threat.  I remember when the wall came down.  It was amazing.  I never thought it would happen in my lifetime.  I remember fasting with the body of the Church for it.  Ron was instrumental in making it happen, with God's help!  

The other big thing that Ron did was to apply a new approach to the American economy which became known as "Reaganomics."  His degree in Economics was coming into play.  He lowered taxes, with the idea that business would use the extra money to hire more workers, produce more and then be more successful, eventually paying more taxes because they were more profitable.  It worked!  America, which had been in a serious recession, rebounded and prospered.  When he left public office, he said, "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead. Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you."

Now Ron is remembered by Scholars as the President that made the greatest contributions to America since Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ron's personal hero!  Ron was just an ordinary kid from an unremarkable family, but he believed in God and had an optimistic view of America.  People laughed at the idea of a movie star being President of the United States.  But he did a wonderful job as such.  He made me proud to be an American.  

He once said, "My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose - somehow we win out."  He proved that by making something great out of his ordinary life.  We can do the same. 

To learn more about Ronald Reagan, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan and How to Raise an American by Myrna Blyth and Chriss Winston. 

Read the First State of the Union Address January 26, 1982 at http://www.juntosociety.com/hist_speeches/rr1sou.html

For many more great quotes, some of them really funny, see http://history1900s.about.com/od/ronaldreagan/a/Reagan-Quotes.htm

Erik Weihenmayer Conquers Horizons He Can't See

Erik Weihenmayer has climbed the 7 highest peaks all around the world.  That's pretty cool, but even more thrilling when you learn that Erik is blind. 

Erik was born with a disease called 'Retinoshisis' that causes blindness.  There is no cure.  He wore thick glasses and learned to read.  By the age of 13, Erik's eyesight was gone.  He didn't want to use Braille or a cane, thinking he could live just as he had when he was sighted.  He tried to play ball, but realized quickly that he had to be able to see to catch.  So he went into wrestling.  After a few years of wrestling, he made it to the National Junior Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Iowa when in High School.  He decided to use a guide dog at that point and enrolled in Boston College, where he earned a degree in English.  He became a Middle School teacher and a wrestling coach and got married. 

Erik got a taste of mountain climbing at a summer camp for the blind when he was sixteen.  He hiked with his father and loved it.  Soon after, his mother died and his father took Erik and his brothers on an expedition across Peru, Pakistan, Spain and New Guinea to give them some bonding time.  Erik fell in love with climbing.  Over the next few years, Erik climbed Mt. McKinley in 1995, El Capitan in 1996 and got married on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1997.  Yes, he married his wife at 13,000 feet elevation!

He kept climbing, reaching the top of Argentina's Aconcagua in 1999, Canada's Polar Circus in 2000, and Antarctica's Mount Vinson.  Now he had conquered the highest mountains in several continents and set his sights on the rest.  In 2001, he struggled to the top of Mt. Everest.  Like the other climbs, it was dangerous, but because of a bad storm that came up, they almost had to abandon this climb.  He arrived bloody and sick from the altitude, but he had made it!  He is the only blind man to ever make it to the summit. 

He reached the top of Australia's Mt. Elbrus and the seventh peak, Russia's Mt. Kosciusko in 2002.  All told, Erik climbed to the top of the tallest peak in each of the 7 continents!  And he did it without his sight.

For blind people, navigating in the controlled world is the easiest.  If you never move your furniture, you can count on it always being in the same place.  City blocks are generally the same size, so you can plan for curbs after so many steps.  And curbs are all about the same height.  In nature, things vary and have no uniformity.  For Erik to choose mountain climbing as his field of expertise is amazing.  A fellow climber said, "Watching Erik scramble up a rock face is a little like watching a spider make its way up a wall," according to Time [Magazine]. "His hands are like antennae, gathering information as they flick outward, surveying the rock for cracks, grooves, bowls, nubbins, knobs, edges and ledges, converting all of it into a road map etched into his mind." 

The real irony is that most mountain climbers do it for the view at the top.  Erik does it for other reasons, as he can't see the view.  He said, "I like doing things that are new and thrilling. Blindness is just a nuisance." In climbing, "you just have to find a different way of doing it."  Erik has written books and speaks motivationally.  He has also led expeditions for the blind. 

Erik shows us that doing hard things makes us stronger.  We can do the hard things in our lives.

Kyle Maynard Crawls up Mt. Kilimanjaro

Kyle Maynard, the congential quadruple amputee has climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro!  Well, actually he crawled to the top.  Remember, no arms or legs…  An article was published in yesterdays' local paper.  (Gwinnett Daily Post Sunday January 29, 2012 1C and 4C.)  It's an amazing feat for a fully-functional person, not to mention how hard it would be for an amputee.  Kyle wore carbon-fiber 'sockets' around his limbs like little shoes to give him traction in his climb.  He said, "I would look up the mountain, I'd look up at the summit and it didn't seem like it was getting any closer.  That was really just a huge mental challenge.  I had to kind of remind myself that it was literally going to happen one step at a time.  Don't be so caught up on the horizon.  Just keep moving."  Kyle is the first amputee to climb Kilimanjaro without use of prosthesis and, as Kyle joked, probably the first man period to be dumb enough to crawl to the top.  I'm so glad he achieved this big goal!  He shows all of us that we can do hard things.

Jim Ryun Found his Sport and Made History

This week a man came to visit Norcross and spoke to some area coaches.  I didn't know who he was, but Scott did.  Scott got all excited to hear his name:  Jim Ryun.  That's because Jim did something so unusual in the running world in 1965 that inspires people even today.  

Jim was a normal kid growing up in Wichita, Kansas.  Well, except for his hearing loss.  At 4 years old, he had the measles.  It destroyed 50% of his hearing and messed up his equilibrium.  Jim said,  "As a child, I wanted to enter into the classroom discussion. But sometimes, I might hear the question inaccurately and give the wrong answer. After a while, your fellow classmates begin to think you're basically a dummy. When you can't hear, you tend to withdraw."  

His hearing loss may have affected his athletic abilities.  He was cut from his Church baseball team and his Junior High school Basketball team.  He was even cut from his Track and Field teams.  After all of that disappointment, I think I'd quit.  But Jim kept trying.  He joined the Cross Country team and slowly worked up from average to becoming a winner.  After 5 months on the team, Jim won a mile race, the second competitive one he'd ever ran.    

After running in just 4 competitive races, Jim's Coach Bob Timmons saw potential.  About ten years earlier, a man named Roger Bannister ran a mile in less than 4 minutes.  This feat astounded the world.  Experts had previously thought that the human body could not do it; it was simply physically impossible.  But Englishman Roger Bannister did it in 1954, then others did too.  They were all professional athletes, Olympic quality runners with the best equipment and finest coaches around.  And they were extremely proud of this achievement.

Well, Bob Timmons had the idea that Jim could run a mile in less than 4 minutes too.  And it would be the first time that a high school kid had done it.  And the first time any American had done it.  When he told Jim of this goal, Jim was surprised.  He had only run 4 races and had failed at so many other sports.  Could he really do it?   Coach Timmons recalled, "I took Jim aside and told him that eventually he would be a four-minute miler, and that I hoped he would be the first high school boy to break four minutes. But you don't just happen to reach a great goal. You plan, you work. From that second meet on, I urged Jim to think not like a high school sophomore but like a four-minute miler."

Coach Timmons started Jim on a difficult training regiment.  Jim delivered newspapers at 5 am each morning, then came home to lace up his running shoes.  He'd run 6 miles through the streets of Wichita, then head to school.  After school, he trained with Coach Timmons in wind sprints to help him with his weakness of tiring in the last part of the mile race.  Jim hated running alone in the rain or snow on those dark early mornings.  He felt like a freak.  But he kept at it, feeling that he really could reach his goal.  

After months of training, Jim flew to California to run in the Compton Invitational in June 1964.  There he was running against Roger Bannister and a host of other Olympic athletes.  He recalled, "I looked around and asked myself, what am I doing here?"  He came in 8^th place, but his time was 3:59.  He did it!  He was only a 17 year old Junior in High School!  Suddenly he was among the ranks of Olympic quality athletes.  The winner of that race, Dyrol Burlsen said, "There was nothing unusual about my victory. The entire story was back in eighth place. There is simply no way to imagine how good Jim Ryun is or how far he will go after he becomes an adult. What he did was more significant than Roger Bannister's first mile under four minutes."  

In 1965 as a High School Senior, Jim broke the 4 minute mile three more times.  The first time he ran in the Kansas State High School Championship meet against all High School students.  He won by a long lead in 3:58.3 minutes, and this record still stands as the fastest mile in a race among only High School students.  The next race, he came in at 3:58.1; the third was the Compton Invitational again in California.  He had just graduated from High School, 18 years old, and was again running against Olympic-quality athletes.  In fact, he was running against the Olympic Champion, New Zealander Peter Snell.  Jim finished second to Snell with a time of 3:56.8 minutes.

It was just a few weeks later that Jim beat Peter Snell and broke the world record.  It was the AAU Championships in San Diego, California on June 27, 1965.  Jim, an 18 year old recent High School graduate had beaten the Olympic champion!  He ran that race in 3:55.3 minutes, a record that stood until just a few years ago.

Jim went on to win a lot more races and win all kinds of accolades for his running prowess.  He won Track and Field's Athlete of the Year award two years in a row 1966-1967.  He broke the world record for the mile 4 times; once as a High School Senior (3:55.3), twice as a College Freshman and once more as a College Sophomore.  He competed in 3 Olympic games: 1964 (when he didn't make finals); 1968, when he won Silver in the 1500 meter run; and 1972 when he was tripped and eliminated.  He's had his photo on the cover of Sports Illustrated 7 times! 

Today Jim helps hearing impaired children obtain hearing aids.  And he speaks to students in schools for the deaf.  He also speaks publickly to Coaches and urges them to expect a lot out of their athletes, as Jim credits Coach Timmons for much of his success as a runner.  During his visit to Atlanta last week, he told the coaches, "You don't want to rescue your athletes from difficulties.  These are easier lessons now than they are as an adult.  Don't be afraid to challenge them to do something."  He recognized that Coach Timmons and others who encouraged him along the way were gifts that God gave him.  "A lot of people are afraid of failure, but what they really are is afraid of success.  Don't be afraid to dream big."

Jim didn't let his hearing loss prevent him from succeeding as an athlete.  He just had to find the right sport.  He followed the training regiment of his Coach and worked hard to become the winner that he is today.  He did something that many thought was impossible through a combination of hard work, determination and good advice.  That recipe for success applies to many endeavors!

Sources:

Beitzel, Ben.  “Mile Barrier-Breaker Ryun Dares Coaches to ‘Dream Big.”  Gwinnett Daily Post 14 Jan 2012: 4B. Print.

Brown, Gwilym S.  “A Very Fast Crowd at the Tape”  Sports Illustrated 15 June 1964: n. page. Web. 21 Jan 2012.

 “The Magic Miler” Faith Baptist Church Web. 21 Jan 2012.

Michalik, Tom.  “Jim Ryun, One of the Best Two High School Runners Ever” Randolph College.edu.  Web. 21 Jan 2012.

O’Leary, Tom.  “A Kansas Boy with a Man-size Task”  Sports Illustrated 14 Sept 14 1964: n. page. Web. 21 Jan 2012.

Watch Jim run the famous AAU Championship when he won against Olympic Champion Peter Snell 27 June 1965 on UTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ots91-yh_o (or just search his name on Utube.)

Ruby Bridges Blazed a Trail to Desegregation of America's Public Schools

We did service on Martin Luther King day because that's one of the things Martin Luther King taught.  And he helped bring about the changes in America so that everyone would be treated as equals.  So today I wanted to share one of my favorite stories related to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's.  

Ruby Bridges was an ordinary 6 year old African American girl living in New Orleans, Louisiana. But her faith in God was anything but ordinary.  She would rely on that when she started her new school.  All over America, children went to schools in their neighborhoods.  This is just like today, except that when Ruby Bridges was in Kindergarten, neighborhoods were very segregated.  White families lived in neighborhoods and African American families lived in different neighborhoods.  They were in different parts of town and different sizes.  That's because of biases that continued even after slavery ended in the 1860's.  

When the African Americans who had been working as slaves became free, they had no money or other resources to help them get started.  But they knew how to work hard.  In contrast, white people had land, businesses and money.  They had built schools to educate their children.  African Americans didn't go to school—they worked in fields along with their parents as slaves.  The former slave-owning White families had only seen African Americans working in fields and assumed they didn't have the capacity to learn like White children did. 

 Isn't that the strangest idea?  So when the slaves were freed, one would expect that the children would attend the public schools with all of the children.  But the proud white families wouldn't have these former slaves in their schools.  The former slaves kept working in the fields, but now earning money and preparing to buy their own homes and start their own businesses.  As they worked and saved money, they bought homes and established neighborhoods with other African American families.  And they built schools.  Schools have been supported by tax money for many years now, but somehow more money would go to schools teaching White students than the schools teaching African American students.  (Realize that this explanation is an oversimplification of a very interesting complex issue…)

When Ruby Bridges was just about ready to start First Grade, the government decided that it was time to integrate the schools.  Her school district was chosen to be the first to do it.  Even if you lived in a different neighborhood, you could attend a better school.  In her school district, African American students were tested to see if they could succeed at a White school.  Six children passed this test, Ruby being one of them.  (Don't be alarmed that only six passed; remember that the African American schools had inferior textbooks and outdated curriculum.  They were in fact receiving a 'worse' education.)  

Three of the kids were assigned to a particular White school.  Two kids dropped out of the program.  Ruby was assigned to attend the William Frantz Public School, all by herself.  Well, she wasn't alone.  She had lots of policemen to guard her, 4 Federal Agents to walk with her, and her Mom.  But she also had Heavenly Father.  

The first day she went to school, mobs of people lined the streets near the schools.  Police and Federal Agents kept them at bay.  The people yelled terrible things at Ruby, so terrible that Newscasters had to blur the background  sound to  keep from violating decency laws to prepare to show it on TV.  One woman held a coffin with a black doll in it.  This really scared Ruby.  What was the woman saying?  Was someone going to kill her?  Other people threw tomatoes and eggs at her.  They streaked across the building walls.  The sad thing is that most of this came from White mothers!  Other White mothers pulled their kids out of school completely in protest.  Fortunately, Mrs. Henry, Ruby's new teacher, made Ruby feel safe and loved at school.  Riots broke out all over town, causing the police to pull out their riot gear and clamp down on the violence.  

Ruby's mom came on the first two days, but had to go back to work.  On the third day of school, she told Ruby, "Remember, if you get afraid, say your prayers. You can pray to God anytime, anywhere. He will always hear you."  Ruby remembered, "That was how I started praying on the way to school. The things people yelled at me didn't seem to touch me. Prayer was my protection. After walking up the steps past the angry crowd, though, I was glad to see Mrs. Henry. She gave me a hug, and she sat right by my side instead of at the big teacher's desk in the front of the room. Day after day, it was just Mrs. Henry and me, working on my lessons."

Ruby's teacher, Mrs. Henry, taught Ruby alone, as none of the other kids would be in her class.  She encouraged her and supported her.  Ruby couldn't go out to recess with the other kids, so she and Mrs. Henry played games in the classroom.  Because Mrs. Henry was so kind to Ruby, she learned that White people can be nice even though thousands of White people outside were being so mean to her.  On the way to school, Ruby began praying to not only to be unafraid, and also to forgive the White people as they yelled terrible things at her, because she realized they really didn't know what they were doing.  How amazing and profound for such a young girl to understand!  

School ended in June, and when it started in September again, the school was fully integrated!  She had children of all colors in her classroom and there was no mention again of the ugliness that happened the previous year.  Now she could play with the other kids at recess and learn with them in the classroom.  Ruby had done it!  She had blazed a trail for others to follow.  Because of what she did, it was easier for everyone to adjust to having children of all backgrounds in the same classrooms.  

Today Ruby Bridges is a mother and grandmother, and she speaks to people (with Mrs. Henry) about how God fashioned all of his children into different and unique individuals. 

Ruby said, "It turns out that because of what I went through on the front lines of the battle for school integration, people recognize my name and are eager to hear what I have to say about racism and education today. I speak to groups around the country, and when I visit schools, Mrs. Henry often comes with me. We tell kids our story and talk about the lessons of the past and how we can still learn from them today - especially that every child is a unique human being fashioned by God.  I tell them that another important thing I learned in first grade is that schools can be a place to bring people together - kids of all races and backgrounds. That's the work I focus on now, connecting our children through their schools. It's my way of continuing what God set in motion 40 years ago when he led me up the steps of William Frantz Public School and into a new world with my teacher, Mrs. Henry - a world that under his protection has reached for beyond just the two of us in that classroom."

Although Ruby was only 6 years old, she did something really hard.  Fortunately, she wasn't alone.  She had Heavenly Father with her.  Would she have had the courage she did if she had not been taught of God and how to pray?  It's such a blessing to have the gospel in our lives so that we can count on Heavenly Father to strengthen us in our challenges.

Tim Tebow, not Bowing to Critics but to God

Today I want to tell you about a really amazing Christian named Tim Tebow.  He happens to be an NFL football player, currently playing for the Denver Broncos.  But even more remarkable is that he's had such an impact on Football that a pose has been named after him, Bills in two state legislatures have been named after him and a Marvel Comic has been created representing him.   ESPN has even made two documentaries about him!

Tim Tebow was born in the Phillippines while his parents were serving there as Christian Missionaries.   His mother became seriously ill during her pregnancy and doctors advised her to terminate the pregnancy.  She refused.  People told her that her baby would be born with serious disabilities, but she could not be prevailed upon, probably due to their religious beliefs.  Tim was born as a perfectly healthy boy!  Doctors called it a miracle.  Tim would go on to do many other things that would be termed miraculous.

At the age of 6, Tim thoughtfully approached his parents with the desire to commit to Christianity and follow Jesus Christ.  Over the years, his goals became to be right with Jesus and to lead his football team to glory on the field.  As a Homeschooler, in most states he wouldn't be able to play sports with the school teams.  But in Florida, where he grew up, the law allows home schooled students to play on the school teams where they live.  Tim began playing for the local high school team and soon excelled.  His success prompted two bills before Alabama and Kentucky, named the Tim Tebow Bill, to enact legislation to force schools to allow home schooled athletes the right to play on public school teams.  They are still pending. 

Tim's High School teammates either loved him or hated him because he wasn't braggy or proud.  He treated girls properly and publicly shared his commitment to be a virgin.  He wouldn't swear and stayed out of trouble.  The bad kids on the team hated him because Tim showed them that they could behave better.  The good kids were glad they didn't stand alone.  While on his High School team, he began what would later become known as 'Tebowing.'  When he felt like praying, he would drop to one knee, remove his helmet and close his eyes in prayer, even in public places.  Now this is a worldwide phenomenon.  On a website, people post photos of themselves 'Tebowing' everywhere, at the Statue of Liberty, the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower, and so forth.  Some do it to mock him.  Tim said of this, "I think it's cool.  You don't know the heart of people.  But I tend to think the best of people and believe they are doing it for the best reasons."  'Tebowing' has now been accepted as a verb in the English language by the Global Language Monitor!  So he has created a verb!

After High School, he accepted a scholarship with the Florida Gators and played well for a rookie.  He won the team's Most Valuable Player award three of the four years he played there.  While there, he was awarded the Heisman trophy.  He spent four years there, although he could have quit early and played for the NFL.  Instead, he finished his Bachelors degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences. 

Tim was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2010 and is doing very well playing for them.  As of Sunday, they are within striking distance of playing in the Super Bowl!  The Broncos started out poorly this season, but since Tim has taken over as Quarterback, they have won 7 of 8 games.  And many of them have been won in the last quarter as an upset, or a miracle.  This coming weekend they will play their second playoff game, this one against the New England Patriots.  They must win 2 more Post season games to make it to the Super Bowl.  That won't be easy, the teams ahead of them are really strong.  But who knows!

His success has prompted Marvel Comics to create a superhero character (Super Tim) based on him.  You can watch a fun video about it at http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2011/12/super-hero-emerges-from-marvelling-at-tebow/

What I like about Tim Tebow is that he isn't afraid to demonstrate his commitment to his Christian faith.  In fact, he's rather bold in showing it.  He used to paint scriptural references in his eye black (the black lines under the eyes of football players) until the NFL issued the 'Tebow Rule' which effective banned messages in the eye black.  During one game, where Tim put John 3:16 on his eye black, he set off 92 million Google searches for that reference.  That's a lot of people looking up scriptures because of Tim! 

Even when people are ugly back, like they sometimes are to Christians, Tim is kind in return.  A late night talk show host made public fun of Tim (using terrible profanity) when they suffered a loss in their football game on Christmas Eve.  Tim's only response was this, which he tweeted, "Tough game today but what's most important is being able to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everyone GB2."  (GB2 means 'God Bless' + Go Broncos' = BG2)  There are apparently websites showing this hatred like tebowhaters.com  and a Facebook page "I Hate Tim Tebow."  But Tim is always nice back, just as Jesus would be.  Tim said once, of his detractors, "I know who holds tomorrow.  That's what gives me comfort in all situations, from the praise to the haters."

Some say that this mix of humility and devotion, combined with his public presence makes him like the newest Billy Graham.  It's just great to watch him stand up for his beliefs!  We too can be strong and do our best, but ask for help from God when we need it.  We can be kind to those who are mean.  We can live the gospel in spite of the critics who think we should live the way the rest of the world does. 

Information from:

Gregory, Sean. "Football's Leap of Faith. Does Tim Tebow win with skill, luck-- or a 'miracle'?" Time 19 December 2011: 48-49.

Meacham, Jon. "Tebow's Testimony. What his faith on the field means for the future of American Evangelicalism." Time 16 January 2012: 40-42.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tebow

http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2011/12/super-hero-emerges-from-marvelling-at-tebow/

Winnie Amacher Johnson understood

Yesterday would have been my mother-in-law Winnie Johnson's 90^th birthday.  I hate to call her that because the term 'mother in law' is generally a negative title, yet Grandma Winnie was very dear to me.  She was nothing like the stereotypical nosey, rude and pushy 'mother in law.'  She was like a mother to me. 

I was always impressed by how kind Winnie was to me and to everyone with whom she spent time.  When I found out more about her life, I understood how she came to be such a kind and loving person.  Apparently, Winnie was always self conscious and felt inferior to her friends.  Her parents were Swiss immigrants who spoke German in their home.  During the war with Germany, many looked down on all people who spoke German, assuming they were German.  So even though Winnie's parents were Swiss, neutral in the war, there was some prejudice.  Winnie's older brother asked the parents to stop speaking German. 

Her mother was different than the mothers' of her friends as well.  Winnie admitted later, "I very seldom ever had friends at my house because my house was so humble I was self conscious about having friends come.  I was embarrassed about my mother when my friends would come.  My mother dressed differently and sometimes when we would come home she would be up gathering eggs at the chicken coop or she would be working in the garden.  None of my friends' parents did these kinds of things.  I remember being self conscious about my mother doing that.  And that I didn't have the things that my friends had.  Their families had cars and when we went places they would come up and get me in their cars.  I never had a car to drive—ever.  I remember feeling like that.  We didn't have much money and I was so worried about what my friends thought of me.  High school was miserable for me."

Winnie's mother dressed very old fashioned because health problems had scarred her arms and legs, and left her with a limp.  While Winnie's friend's moms' all dressed like Lucille Ball or June Cleaver in stylish dresses, Winnie's mom wore homemade, outdated long dresses with long sleeves.  And Winnies' mom braided her hair and piled it on her head like they did in Switzerland.  Her friends mom's all had stylish hairdos and knew how to curl and style their hair.  Winnie's parents were just grateful to be in America with the gospel.  They were poor but they didn't care.  Their lives were hard, but had been much harder in Switzerland.

Winnie added, "It wasn't a good thing for me to be with this group (of friends) because they all had more money and they were all much more popular than I was.  So it really made me feel less adequate.  But they were always nice to me and we stayed friends through the years.  They were the popular girls in high school: the student body officers, the class officers and the homecoming queens.  They were very smart good students.  I didn't go to many dances.  I wouldn't say I was popular.  High school was quite painful for me because my other friends were the popular girls who got all the dates.  I know it was weakness in my character (that I was felt so inferior) because they were always very nice to me."

Because of Winnie's experiences feeling less than her friends, she taught her sons to treat girls carefully.  When there was a school dance, Winnie had her boys ask girls to go with them who might not be asked.  She encouraged her sons to open doors for girls and treat them kindly.  But more than just teaching her sons to treat girls carefully, Winnie treated everyone as if they were special, important and loved.  When Winnie married, she had earned a college degree and had been teaching school.  She happily quit her job to raise a family.  So she showed her children that they were more important to her than her status or career. 

A son in law John wrote, "For Winnie, I do not know a kinder more loving individual.  She has always been my role model for sweetness and thoughtfulness and true devotion to her family."  A granddaughter wrote "I have always been very grateful for the concern and interest you have both (including Grandpa) shown in my life.  I feel very lucky to come from such a wonderful heritage where I can find so much love."

Winnie's daughter Kathy wrote it best, writing, "Mom, your love is a tangible presence for all of us, a great strength in our lives.  You, who always felt that personally you had no talents or abilities, have raised children remarkable in their abilities, each meeting life and its' challenges.  Your great talent is making others feel loved.  What greater talent could there be?  It is the most divine of them all." 

Winnie wrote that some of the hardest times in her life were when she was an insecure high school girl, feeling unimportant and unpopular.  But that time helped her to see clearly the value of each person, especially insecure girls.  Winnie's mom taught her that a day without problems is a day wasted because we learn so much from our problems.  Winnie learned that in her own experience.  Her problems in feeling inadequate helped her love and encourage others so that they (hopefully) wouldn't suffer from feelings of inadequacy as she had. 

We can learn from our difficult experiences and turn them into blessings. 

(Quotes were taken from Winnie's Life History, an oral history taken by Janice Johnson Stauffer in 1997, and from Vere and Winnie's 50^th Anniversary Book of Remembrance, letters to them, 1997.)

Joseph, chosen to 'father' Jesus

I wanted to talk about Joseph, the father who raised Jesus.  He's often overlooked in the story of the nativity, as if he didn't matter in the story so much.  But he did matter.  Without him, the story may not have played out at all.

Joseph was pivotal because he kept Mary alive.  Remember that because people thought she was breaking a big commandment—not to commit adultery—she was subject to penalties under the Jewish law.  In their culture, she was actually subject to being stoned to death!  Adulterers were stoned!  But Heavenly Father had prepared for this by sending Joseph.  

Because Joseph loved Mary and had already asked for Mary's hand in marriage, he became the one who had the right to stone her.  As her fiancé, he suddenly had the loudest voice in the matter.  After an angel came to Joseph and explained that the child she was expecting was the Son of God and He would come to save the world, Joseph believed Mary.  And Joseph knew he couldn't do anything to hurt her.  In fact, Joseph would do all he could to protect her.  So instead of stoning her, or even just allowing the village to stone her, Joseph claimed the child as his child, bringing the shame upon himself instead.  Now everyone in the village thought he also had committed adultery and looked at him suspiciously too.

Additionally, Joseph then protected Jesus when the angel came and warned them to flee to Egypt because Herod was killing all of the Jewish baby boys.  Joseph was a good father to Jesus and taught him how to be a Carpenter.  It must have been humbling to be Jesus' father!  How would you know what to teach him?  

Joseph was carefully chosen to be the earthly father of Jesus.  What an honor that changed Joseph's life forever!  I'm grateful for good men like Joseph who are ready and willing to do what the Lord asks, even if it makes their lives harder for a while.  They trust in God, perhaps not knowing how it will all turn out.  But Heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning and so these men become part of a great work directed by Heavenly Father! 

Jesus, our Savior and a discussion of Fun...

I was talking to my kids the other day about fun.  We were discussing whether we came to earth to have fun or to have joy.  The scripture that came to mind was the one that says, "men are that they might have joy (not fun.)"  Having fun is great, but we are here for bigger reasons.  We were placed here on earth to make a difference.  We each have a mission to perform on earth.  I considered Jesus' life here on the earth.  Did he have a fun life or a life of joy?

I thought how Christ knew about all of the eras of time and could have easily come today so that he could have fun.  Why would he choose to come in the meridian of time when he would have to work hard to have enough to eat to survive?  There were no soft beds or warm houses; no comfortable cars with air conditioning; no free time for leisure or fun.  There were no boogie boards, no snow skis, no jet skis, and no parasails.  If Christ were thinking of himself only, He might have chosen to come now and have a great time playing and having fun.  But thankfully He wasn't thinking of Himself, He was thinking of us.  He said with the Father, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."  He knew why He would come to the earth and it was to help us.  Sure, He found time for fun when possible.  But the big things happened.  He lived a perfect life with no sin, then He taught everyone His gospel during His ministry, He atoned for our sins, then He conquered death with His resurrection.  He accomplished His purposes in the meridian of time because that time and people would be the only time and people that would crucify their God.  It had to be then and there.   It's not that we can't have fun, but we can't be distracted from our missions by it.  We let fun fill the time while we are doing what we came here to do. I think of Joseph Smith and his trials, but he still had time for fun. 

I'm glad that Mary, Joseph and Jesus all chose to play their parts in the unfolding of the greatest story in all of history.  Any one of them could have said they didn't want any part of this story.  Mary was maligned as a sinner.  Joseph carried that stigma with him when he married Mary and took care of Jesus as his child.  And Jesus suffered so much for us.  They all performed their missions on the earth in spite of the personal cost and made our salvation possible.  It is something that should make us very happy!

 

There was a world of people depending on Jesus to do what He agreed to do.  There are people who depend on us to do what we came here to do.  So we can look for ways to make a difference in this world and do our best with our trials. 

Mary the Mother of our Savior Jesus

I wanted to write about a remarkable woman today.  We praise her every Christmas for the gift she gave us.  She gave us the Son of God.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, had to sacrifice a great deal to bring Him to us.

Mary was a young faithful Jewish girl living in a town named Nazareth, just like so many other girls in her faith.  She had to work hard with her family to have enough to eat each day.  She kept the commandments and obeyed her parents.  And she prayed to Heavenly Father.  Still, it must have shocked her to see an angel and have him speak to her.  

More shocking still would be what he said to her.  After telling her she was highly favored of God, he told her she would have a baby and name him Jesus.  He added that Jesus would called the Son of God, and that he would be given a throne and reign over a kingdom that would have no end.

This revelation would have unsettled Mary.  First, that she would become a mother when she had not yet been married.  And yet she would be the mother to a king! 

Her worries were legitimate.  She was subject to being treated badly, even being stoned to death because of becoming a mother before marriage.  And yet, this baby was the son of God!  Surely God would protect and bless her!  That thought must have given her the faith to go on.  Her response to the angel was quick, although these many thoughts must have swirled in her mind.  She said simply, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."  In the language of the day, she essentially said, "If this is what Heavenly Father wants me to do, I will do it, as I am his willing servant."

Mary lived, but had to live with a bad reputation now.  People probably treated her badly.  You know the rest of the story:  the king announced a tax and that required Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to register with the census and pay his tax.  He took Mary with him.  It was a long journey and she was uncomfortable with her pregnancy.  After days of travel, the time of delivery had come as they came into Bethlehem.  Joseph found a simple stable for her after trying hard to find a room for her anywhere.  All of the inns were full.  

Mary delivered the baby Jesus in the worst of circumstances a new mother could face.  First, she was without her mother, who would have helped her do the work required to deliver a baby.  Second, she was not in a hospital, or even a sanitary home to deliver the baby.  She was in a building that housed animals.  It must have been smelly and filthy by today's standards.  No face masks, no plastic gloves, and no sanitary wipes were around to make the environment sterile.  Mary didn't even have a clean bed to lay in.  Third, she was exhausted from a long journey.  Some say she rode on a donkey, but the bible isn't clear.  She may have walked the whole way!  Even if she rode a donkey, that in itself is exhausting work, perched on an animal as it ambles forward.  If you've ever ridden on a horse for more than a few minutes, you will know how much work it is.  

Jesus came quietly that night in Bethlehem.  Mary must have wondered all the more as they laid him in the feeding trough lined with a shawl, as they didn't want to lay him down on the dirty floor.  By today's standards, they were living like homeless people!  Is this really how it was supposed to all work out?

Yes, it was.  While this was all happening in Bethlehem, in the foothills nearby were shepherds watching their flocks of sheep.  They may have noticed the new star that had appeared in the sky and wondered what it meant.  An angel that told them about the meaning of the star.  A special baby had been born that very night.  He told them that it was a joyful night, as a Savior and King had been born.  He told them where to look and how to recognize Jesus.  As the angel shared this news, the shepherds heard angels in heaven sing hymns of praise.  They hurried to find Jesus just as the angel had described, lying in a manger in Bethlehem.

Mary showed remarkable faith as she did what Heavenly Father asked her to do, and she relied on Heavenly Father to help her fulfill her calling.  She lost her good reputation, her home in Nazareth, and her own dreams to do so.  She went on to care for Jesus, to teach him and to raise him.  The sacrifices she made to 'mother' the Son of God were small in comparison to the honor and privilege it was for her to know Jesus Christ as her son, as only a mother would know Him.

I hope you enjoy this Christmas as a time to celebrate Christ's birth as the tidings of great joy that it really is.  Let's try not to think of our own worries or troubles but to think of God's gift of His son to us.  Know that Heavenly Father is watching over you just as he watched over Mary during Jesus' birth.