Catholics and Mormons as the 300 Spartans Against Persians

It may not be appropriate talking about wartime stuff during the Christmas season.  Yes, I said “Christ”mas for all misguided who are easily offended.  Oh, as a sidenote did you know that the feeling of being offended was one of the precursors to the downfall of Sodom and Gomorrah??  I’ll leave that for another time.  I’d like to express a few thoughts regarding a recent invitation from my very good friend Father Vern of St. Mary’s Catholic Church to their Christmas social.  

Odd names are popular for new babies these days.  If you’d like to name him or her Phalanx, well, that would indeed be out of the ordinary.  A phalanx is a wartime formation of men.  They produce a formidable force by obtaining common step with each other.  They have a common purpose and skilled tactics.  Moving forward, together in strength becomes their creed.  With different likes and dislike along with family environments they come together in strategic cadence for their survival and the protection of their nation.  This is the crux of my thought.

For several years our friendship has deepened.  Fond sentiments between the Catholics and Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have warmed not only here in the outbacks of Iowa, but also in Salt Lake City and around the world.  Catholics and Mormons have come together in common causes whether it be in defense of traditional marriage and family, or in response to crisis and in the succoring the poor and the needy.  Truly a miracle this is in our modern, tumultuous prideful times.

Invitation to Catholic Mardi Gras

As I’ve preached many times, this is key in healing this world and conquering the head of Satan, the father of contention, and even his modern minions referred to as ISIS or ISIL.  It is, to rent the walls of personal pride in earnest desire to become a new creature in Christ.  This essential physical and spiritual act of faith and hope is manifest in the often painful outreach across the aisles (and pews as it may be) in love and as one as a global children of our Father in Heaven.  It is good will!  It is not the hateful “Allah is greater!” but rather “let’s walk together and come unto Christ with full clear conscience as we ultimately prostrate ourselves on bended knee.  It is, to realize the full reality of the nature of faith, hope and charity and to qualify as co-heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:16-17).

Good Friday at St. Mary's

My wife and I have been invited to several Catholic functions over the years and I admit that through humility I’ve come to recognize them as another family.  Yes, one can have multiple families such as blood, church (even more than one as is proven in our case) and even community and nation.  I am very grateful, my wife included, to be greeted each time and welcomed by our Catholic neighbors.  They are family oriented as we Latter-day saints are.  Equally they cherish family and faithfulness.  I’ve noticed their social functions are well organized.  Truly, much can be learned from one another.  

Parish Hall Dedication

We are slowly becoming as a phalanx of Spartans against what seems to be incredible odds of the Persians.  The battle of today is as the Battle of Thermopylae with only 300 Spartans.  Yet, because we understand the doctrine of common faith and cause in numbers we know we’ll succeed in crushing the serpent’s head.  Jesus Christ taught this doctrine as he healed the man with palsy.  In one small verse it curiously states that he saw (perceived) “their” faith in the room and proceeded to address and heal the man (Mark 2:5).  Yes, He is the Master with power to heal.  Yet, curious it should mention “their” faith in the room…

Fasting Among Catholics and Mormons

May we continue to be one this Christmas and at all times of the year.  May we lift and uplift one another and come unto Christ.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Elks Curing Metaphysical Hunger Through Service

Recently, members of our community of Shenandoah, Iowa, had the opportunity to assist in the 23rd Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner at the Shenandoah Elks Lodge.  It was quite a feast with many in attendance.  It was made possible through donations of time, talent and means.  For those who volunteered their effort it was a gesture of goodwill so others may have the full liberty to express gratitude in feast and fellowship.  For me it was an honor to serve the community in what capacities I took on.  Primarily my efforts remained at the beverage area.  This was a good place for me as it afforded a great experience and further insight into "thanks giving" and also filling that metaphysical hunger through service.  I'd like to thank a young lady of no more than probably seven years of age.  I'll just call her Heidi for purposes of anonymity.

Whether it be a corporation, government entity, religious organization or even a club, when you have people eager and willing to serve, the mission of that entity finds the power of accomplishment.  This Thanksgiving Dinner was no different.  "Heidi" had the benevolent task of assisting patrons to their table by carrying their beverage cup or even their plate of food if they needed the help.  Overwhelmingly, most declined the offer but thanked her nonetheless.  Yet, there were those who shared the blessing of service and allowed her to carry out that end of the mission.  It had a deep impact on me as I watched the process unfold.  Truly, a spirit of goodwill reigned within those walls as a very young lady would carry the cup of someone wanting to participate in gratitude at a Thanksgiving feast.

....But why was this simple act so significant?

It brought my mind to a prophecy in Amos 8:11:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"

Though this is not a particularly "religious" article per se, but I would say that the famine is in all good things including service as well as the Word.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta spent her life in the service of others.  She is credited with stating that with all the physical hunger and suffering that she has tried to alleviate in the world, spiritual hunger is the most devastating and widespread.  That lack of spiritual strength was a greater hunger in this modern day.

"....my cup runneth over." Psalms 23:5
Hopefully all of us have come across those moments when we are filled spiritually by some experience.  To truly say "... my cup runneth over" requires a humbling of spirit and renting of pride.  Only then can one see with new eyes.  I hope that spirit of service is what people saw in Heidi.  Though she carried the cup for them, with new eyes they'd see that their "cup runneth over."  Being of such young age I don't expect Heidi to know the depth of the service she rendered to the people.  Yet for me and hopefully everyone else it was an inspired lesson to be learned.

Again, I reiterate what I've said in my previous article.  There is no greater power or favor that we can muster than through the kind acts of selfless service.  We've come to a point where we are being stripped to the bone of our liberties, security and even trust.  Now more than ever we ought to engage in acts of selfless service.  Most of us cannot seem to find the power to "fill our cup."  However, the path is right before us.  Being mindful of our neighbor, his happiness, and then acting upon inspiration to minister to his welfare allows your own cup to be filled with purpose as you become a tool in filling his cup.

There is power in service!  Who knows?  Perhaps one of those patrons were subtly inspired by Heidi's act that they later reached out to a neighbor in need.  Perhaps in the 1 or 2 people who read this may feel the influence of Heidi's service and feel compelled to visit the sick and weary this afternoon.  It could be that someone is stressed over some very important issues which they can't seem to solve.  Yet, through seeing Heidi's acts of service, are softened to the point of seeing other perspectives and possibilities - solutions to their own obstacles.

Obviously it seems that I've magnified Heidi's service at the Shenandoah Thanksgiving Dinner at the Elks Lodge.  Some would say to a ridiculous degree.  However...... prove me wrong.  Like so many other communities here in the United States and around the world Shenandoah has it's own set of difficulties and problems.  There are obstacles to overcome on the community level as well as individual with domestic issues.  I so testify that the key is in selfless service.  The key is in what separates us from the beasts of the field.  The key is in openly choosing to become that new creature.  It is in choosing to serve your neighbor that his cup and his joy runneth over.

Thank you "Heidi" for your service to the community of Shenandoah, Iowa.  Heidi was one of two or three others with this task.  Thanks to all of them and everyone else who volunteered their service.  It was truly an inspiration and a timeless lesson to be learned.

Paris Attack Mark of ISIS Cowardice Offers Strategic Hope

Unworthy of even the acronym of terror, the famed ISIS group has claimed the Paris attacks of Friday the 13th as their prize.  Additional statements and Twitter tweets suggest the best blood is soon to come - American blood.  The global threat from cloaked cowards have been upon us for some time now.  What is the solution?  Is there a solution?  What is the damaging affect on the rising generation?

I believe there is an answer.

You can never be fully or too prepared for grave hardships that can befall upon a nation.  The Paris attacks were the deadliest since World War ll.  Go back to the events of that war.  Think of the Holocaust and the twisted minds that sealed those acts in the chapters of human history.  We've come a long way and paid a heavy price for the freedoms we have today.  Still, we lag behind in solutions to problems and the applying the true applications of liberty into our daily lives.  Truly, a change from within is required to continually realize liberty unto happiness.

As you and I sit in front of the computer or television and lament the heinous acts that have taken place in Paris, what are we now prepared to do to maintain not only freedom but also hope.  As adults hope wanes with not much thought put into it.  However, think of our children......... Hope is what drives them into brighter futures.  Hope is what forms their character as they raise their own families.  If terrorist attacks diminish the hope and heart of those with age then imagine what this is doing to the young.  How does their impressionable hearts receive daily doses of death?

We are getting hurricane force winds right in our face and we aren't even holding our arms up in protection.  These blatant acts of horror, which can only be best described as deliberate infarctions against humanity by diseased wild mad animals, are the clearest examples of good vs evil.  When a man is beheaded practically in real time on your screen is that not evil??  When a man is burned alive or tortured in a manner for all the world to see is that not evil??  Agreeably heavy hearts tend to lack hope and the power to act decisively in response to evil forces.  However, I trust that every sentient conscientious human being has that degree of anxiety in the heart and wants to act in some manner.

Attacks from those who fear showing their faces should never happen, but we must learn from them and learn to act decisively both for the protection of the people and for the preservation of liberty unto happiness for the self.

I believe I have the answer though it will never be popular with media.  Obviously, building up the military machine is essential every bit as much as protecting the borders for any nation.  Having said that I'll leave that alone because any further ideas down this road are obvious and clear.  I want to get into the "less" obvious solution that I believe has infinitely more power to it and lasting affect.

What is it that took us to the Moon?  After Pearl Harbor what led us to victory in the Pacific?  What leads men to greatness as they grace our shores as immigrants with new hope and new ideas?  What is it that leads you to cup a child's cheek when he or she is suffering?  By what power does a community rally to support a child with cancer?  What resolve protects the sanctity of a funeral of a fallen soldier?

All these things and all things that have built true greatness of a nation involved something unseen - an idea of hope.  Technology obviously aided in taking us to the Moon, but it would've all been for naught had it not been for the faith in the hope that it could be achieved.  Pearl Harbor stripped us of security but it was the faith and hope in the nature of the Stars and Stripes that girded up our loins and led us to victory.  If we didn't have that unseen empathy we would never have it in us to console a sick child.  There is power in numbers as time and time again it is demonstrated in communities that rally in support of one of it's own.

The answer, aside from the national military, is in positive reinforcement from the individual level on up.  Selfless service allows one or many to draw upon powers that rest in hope.  Selfless service allows one to see new perspectives and inner strength to add to their environment.  I believe that it is through that change of heart, and by extension the change in a nation, that we'll realize a power strong enough to keep adverse forces at bay.  Sure, we'll still be hit from time to time, but as "new" creatures of hope we'll know how to deal with these situations.  We'll know how to properly support our troops and various tools we have that fight against those that delight in such dark days as the Paris attacks of Friday the 13th.

In the realm of selfless service I advocate the first full week in December as Selfless Service week.  Make it your own test.  Commit yourself to serving your neighbor and see how you feel at the end of that week.  If you have complaints or concerns about your City's projects then commit to selfless service and see if you have any new contributory ideas or perspectives to offer.  If you have a family member in serious need then commit to selfless service and see what powers have been invoked on their behalf.  By further connecting to your fellow man you'll find a common communion of energy with them.  You will care!  When you engage in the service of another your thoughts of your own problems tend to be put aside for a while.  When you get back to them you'll find that either they've been solved or you'll know how to find the solutions for them.

There's no need to carry the yoke terrorist attacks or other local or personal problems to the point of no hope or foresight of happiness.  We are all in this together, and in drawing upon our acts for the betterment of the temporal and spiritual welfare of one another, we'll find that unseen power that eventually placed that shoe print on the Moon after the landmark edict, "The Eagle has landed."

Join me the first week of December for Selfless Service week!  Do it in support and remembrance of Paris.  Do it in support and remembrance of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Do it in support of the Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 that was brought down by terrorists.  Do it in support and remembrance for thousands of lives lost and affected from the 9/11 attacks on the East Coast.  Do it in support and remembrance of lives lost and affected from the Holocaust.  Do it in support and remembrance of the daily struggles in Israel from terrorist activity.

Most of all do it for yourself that you may find the power to help others yet maintain a brightness of hope in yourself, your family, your community, your nation and even the entire human family.

Take the Selfless Service week as a challenge!  Dare to prove me wrong.  If you have positive experiences from it then I strongly encourage making that monthly opportunity to reinvest in your neighbor that your energies may be properly balanced and not always turned inward.  Let's support our fighting men and women in uniform that they may be guided knowing of our affection for them.  Let us do our part as civilians to uplift and strengthen our neighbors and communities that we may invoke a positive favor strong enough to protect us in times of deep trial.

CNBC Fail Amazing 2016 Presidential Election Moderator Questions

The CNBC Republican Presidential Debate held in Boulder earned a magnificent 12 bonehead points against the moderators.  This polling seems to be bipartisan across the United States.  The questions posed by the CNBC moderators were embarrassing to say the least.  Strictly coming from a red-blooded American that is.  In a country where we are supposed to expect more professionalism and objective cognitive processes from advanced college graduates, it is evident we have stooped far lower than Chicago even has hope for crime free streets with exorbitant gun regulations.  So....... America..... what say you in matters of our future?

Ever been peed on by your infant child when you changed his/her diaper.  That "glorious" feeling is how I'd feel if I were to post or even link to the Debate questions.  It is of no use and only makes you feel dirtier even after scrubbing your hands and arms.  I keep an open mind so I have no favorites as of November 2015.  I do, however, think that a serious u-turn on a Los Angeles freeway would be close in catastrophic terms to voting for Hillary Clinton or even Bernie Sanders.  I believe I've entered my mid-life crisis and I'm starting to come to grips that I really need to get my eyes checked, but I can clearly still discern those two candidates.  I understand the train wreck we're headed to in this country, but either of these two would be like putting Swiss cheese on the track.  Not only would it mock the trains but would probably exacerbate the situation.  As far as the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate is concern, several of the candidates were very clear and eloquent in rebuking the moderators for their incompetence.

So...................... what questions would you ask?

Here are the 6 questions I would ask candidates of both parties.  In addition, I would offer 5 minutes to answer each question with the option of reserving any unused time to rebuke any other candidate's remarks at the end of the debate.  Interfering, stopping or commenting during another candidate's time is grounds for immediate removal from the debate.  Boy, I'm such an $^&!@^$#

1. What is your plan for economical development in the United States?
2. What policies do you plan to implement to ensure the sovereignty of the United States including economic, national boundaries and also cyber-security sovereignty?
3. What is your foreign policy approach in an increasingly dangerous world?
4. Outside the realm of executive action how do you plan to promote to fruition bipartisan support for bills worthy of the United States Congress?
5. In your opinion, does the Office of President of the United States have an obligation as a moral leader as well as in matters economic and even as Commander in Chief?
6. How will you ensure the protected privileges and rights of religious organizations to fully exercise their beliefs without encroachment by Washington?

It is my responsibility to rebuke and summon to penance the media and others who blatantly mock their own profession by being extremely biased.  It doesn't matter if it is for ratings, political manipulation or just to make a name for themselves.  They all put to shame the intelligence of every American.

Shenandoah IA 2015 Council Election Green Bio

Aaron M. Green, 42, works at Hy-Vee Foods in Shenandoah.  He is married of 23 years and has 2 left of 3 children still at home.  He is an incumbant running again for the Shenandoah City Council in 2015.  

For three years I’ve been telling myself and others that I would not be running for a second term on the City Council.  I’ve never believed in career politics, but rather to do your part and then to humbly stand aside.  Earlier this year I’ve been doing some difficult soul searching in my decision-making process to run or not run.  The answer actually came from the New Testament.  Peter and John were arrested by the Sadducees, priests and the temple captain.  They were beaten and threatened before the council.  At the counsel of Gamaliel it was agreed to let them go.  

In Acts 5:41 it states that Peter and John left rejoicing that they were found worthy to suffer in Christ’s name.  Now, obviously I’m lower than dust and don’t even come close to the stature or faith of John or Peter but it did get me thinking.  Christ is the source of all truth, so I asked myself if my intent and true conviction to serve the people of Shenandoah was still as pure as it was the first time I ran for Councilman At Large.  If it was then I should rejoice in the face of the adverse reactions of the past three years.  Long story short, my intentions are still true to serve this people according to my conscience.  Therefore, there isn’t a legitimate reason not to run for office.  It is still my passion to encourage and ensure the Shenandoah residents to pursue the true nature of liberty.  I happily do this with my arm at the square at the swearing in.

The greatest achievement that I’ve brought to Shenandoah via the City Council is, without a doubt, the suggestion and inclusion into the regular Council meeting agenda the opportunity to express a positive comment.  There is so much good that takes place in Shenandoah!  When we utilize this opportunity properly it can harmonize the Council’s decisions for the betterment of the residents.  Positive comments can help set the tone of the meeting as we attempt to keep the negativity at bay.  

In conclusion I am very disappointed that I will not be challenged on the ballot.  That may seem like an odd comment coming from one who is running for an election.  However, I know there are better people out there who heard the inner call to serve but have chosen not to seek and elected office.  For these people I love them, and hope they will advance other avenues to serve the people, that it may prepare them to run for an elected office down the road.  

The platform of this second term is two-fold; 1, Shenandoah to continue and magnify being a city of conscience and, 2, To let the water flow.  

I plan to initiate opportunities for the people to exercise their time and talents for the betterment of their fellow residents.  I believe this is part of the obligation to the moral trust that we as elected officials have been given.  To provide such opportunities.  For the second part of the platform obviously we need to get this new water plant up and running.  It was supposed to be completed this past March and we are now looking conservatively at late 2016 for completion.  We have been plagued with setbacks and problems.  It does no good to look backwards and complain.  We are where we are and we must work through this in order to produce a water plant that we can be proud of.  Though there is probably very little legal recourse we can take at this juncture to rectify certain problems, I believe we as the City of Shenandoah still possess the greatest weapon in our arsenal.  

Stay tuned on what you can do to help.

Rod Serling Twilight Zone The Shelter is Great Food for Thought

I love old television episodes of various genres.  The original Twilight Zone is one of them.  Recently I saw one episode that actually has a lot of food for thought in it.  It is called 'The Shelter.'  It struck a cord with me because it illustrates a growing trend of ill preparation for, and at the sacrifice of, the future for the emotionally perceived needs and wants of the here and now.

'The Shelter' takes place at a suburban residence just outside of New York City.  It is a birthday party for a doctor who had a strange obsession with preparedness.  The party is complete with family and friends all with fond feelings and happy faces.  In particular, his preparation included building a bomb shelter in the basement of his home.  How stupid and dumb, right?  Low and behold, only as Rod Serling can do it, a mysterious raid is publicly announced and people are urged to seek shelter.  What happens next was truly food for thought for all modern day man.
Watch Twilight Zone 'The Shelter'
The doctor and his family immediately brought down necessities to the bomb shelter.  This consisted of water, radio, his doctor's bag and other items to sustain life.  As they were headed down the stairs a knock on the door sounded.  It was one of his close neighbor friends who sought shelter for his family in the doctor's bomb shelter.  An argument broke out because the doctor was adamant that the shelter is only designed for three people and that he cannot take any more.  This basic scenario continued.

All the close friends and their families soon came over and in a violent manner began to threaten to break the door down.  Among them though started tensions as they all pinned their family's lives as more important than the other's.  As they continued to pursue the protective cover of the doctor's they were told through the door that they were warned but wouldn't listen.  If only they prioritized and had fewer parties and frivolous pursuits.  No sooner did they break down the door another public announcement was given that it was a false raid.  It was only harmless satellites overhead.

The moral of the story is to contemplate how firm is our foundation of the lives we've built.  Are our friendships strong through thick and thin?  In our personal lives are we shoring up future happiness by preparing for hard times?  Hard times doesn't have to mean bombs or wars.  What about the loss of job?  What about injury or sudden illness?  What about fires?  What if your son with a family lost his job.  Will you let his children suffer?

True happiness will never lie in the here and now.  It dwells in preparing for the future in all aspects that life may be sustained in order to pursue continued happiness.

These people thought the doctor's pursuits were trivial.  Yet, at a critical moment what was considered a lifetime friendship turned out to be convenience only for the moment.  Once a friend - can instantly turn to foe for those who are weak and ill prioritized.

I highly recommend Rod Serling's Twilight Zone original episode of 'The Shelter' for an intriguing true look at the psyche of the willing, and unwilling, mind.

Boston Marathon Verified for Wabash Trace Nature Trail Marathon

It's official!  The Wabash Trace Nature Trail Marathon in Southwest Iowa is Boston Marathon certified!  Competitive runners, new and seasoned, numbering 450, give or take, will be celebrating September 12th, the Wabash Trace Nature Trail Marathon's new status as being Boston Marathon verified.  Thanks to the decision of the USA Track and Field Road Running Technical Council, this 26 mile marathon gives a renewed prestige and vigor to Southwest Iowa, particularly for Imogene and Shenandoah.

This trail is truly unique, as is the opportunity to have such a profound organized event take place on it.  It is a privilege to host runners from around the world as they consider it an honor to trek it.  To many, and now officially, completion of this marathon will be another feather in their hat relative to even the famed Boston Marathon.
All Proceeds to Wabash Trace Marathon
Recognition like these afford communities the opportunity to reflect and reinvest in new traditions and focus of pride.  As the Wabash Trace Marathon winds down to the finish line in Shenandoah, Iowa, runners enter a promising city with people ready to welcome them.  I would challenge all Shenandoah residents to view this new "blue ribbon" for the Wabash Trace as being Boston Marathon certified and consider your future participation in the event.  This doesn't mean you have to be a runner, but there are a host of functions you can donate your time to in order to make the marathon as great a success as it can be.

I'm not a good salesman or advocate, but in this case I will express my encouragement to embrace the Wabash Nature Trail and the marathon that takes place on it.

It is hardly my nature to engage in fitness with a positive and motivated mood.  Yet, for the past few years I have been active in fitness whether it be lifting weights or cardio workout.  For quite some time now I've been running the Wabash Trace after my time at the Shenandoah Community Fitness Center.  I run the length from the old depot in Shenandoah to Highway 59 and back.  It's probably a little over 4 miles round trip.  Still, I admire the determination of even the newest to the fitness world.  Where I lack they tend to succeed, but at least it gives something to strive for.  Anyhow, I've found the Wabash Trace very therapeutic not only for the body but also for the mind as well.  That silent quality is what makes this area and marathon different in a special way.

Take it as a promise from me that if you endeavor to walk or run the Wabash Trace with a small degree of open mind, you'll find nature's remedies for whatever ails you.  The promise don't apply where the body is concerned except for good exercise, but the Trace is a great place to go and hash things out from within.  Heck, its a good reason to enter the marathon if for no other reason than peace of mind!

Here are a few things I've noted along this small stretch of the Wabash Trace during my morning runs in solitude:

• Right outside of Shenandoah you have this stretch where there's no trees on either side.  Though sometimes windy, it is a great nature scene to view soybean and corn crops just a few feet away.  
• Also at the end of this small stretch you get a gentle cool "tunnel" breeze as you enter the highly wooded part of the Trace.  This comes as the air is compressed through the "tunnel" made by the greenery on both sides.
• It's weird.  Right before you hit the first bridge (small tributary to the Nishnabotna River) there is a brief open spot that makes me feel like someone is right behind me.  I don't know how, but your shadow is magnified right there and it makes it seem like someone is following you.  Needless to say it is a good motivator to - go faster!
• The Nishnabotna River bridge is the capstone of the trek!  It is very scenic and refreshing.  It has been a great source for inspiration and a great "halfway point" on my journey.  As pictured above the bridge is nicely built.
• Beyond the river to the north there is another very brief spot where you can clearly hear highway traffic from a distance.  Perhaps it is how the trees there are situated.  I don't know, but that peculiar clarity isn't evident even as you draw closer to the highway.  

These were just some of my thoughts on the Wabash Trace.  If you are considering entering the marathon I would highly suggest it.  You won't regret it.  Furthermore, I would encourage people in the area to donate your time to its success or at least come out and wish the runners well.  Positive reinforcement is helpful in all fashions.  

Wi-Fi Disconnect Awakening and Wificolonitis

Are you frequently on the Internet?  Do you watch Netflix on your Roku or use Wi-Fi for your entertainment?  Is your home office or employment heavily dependent on the Information Superhighway?  Is your child or yourself forever on the smartphone?  If your answer to any or all of these questions is yes, then you are probably suffering from a condition I call Wificolonitis.  Excess dependence on the "online" experience may warrant a painful withdrawal procedure called a Wifiectomy.  In all seriousness, our time willingly spend on the Internet is increasing exponentially.

Recently, many people in my geographic area went without the Internet for about 24 hours.  Whether it was due to service maintenance or towers down really doesn't matter.  For most people, myself included, this became annoying from the start.  Where's my news!  Where's my entertainment!  Did Hillary convert to ISIS?  Did Donald play the Trump on national news?  Did Ms. (or Mr.) Jenner take a miracle pill and decide to go back to the manly life?  Did the Kardashians join the Amish community?  It was an immediate withdrawal that almost left the individual in a hungered frenzy for satisfaction.

However, once you get past the contention in your heart there was a valuable lesson to be learned in this experience.

Looking back on my own childhood I remember adventures walking the train tracks or building forts in the woods.  Heck, in grade school my buddy (Jesse) and I used to crawl up the old fire escape tube of our school.  To demonstrate our manliness we scaled the bricks all the way around the building.  I miss going to a nearby hay barn and jumping around on hay bales thirty feet up.  As a teenager, well, let's just say that I was a complete angel without any complication or desire for mischief......

By and large these active youthful activities are becoming extinct due to the addiction of the online experience.  During this 24 hour period people got bored and went to bed early that first night.  However, gradually there was an increase in outdoor traffic as people were awakened to the reality that there is sun outside and that the grass is really neat to walk on.  Still annoyed, whether we admit it or not we realized our over-dependence on the Internet and silently was grateful for the opportunity to "reset."

This will be a short post.  I found this experience important and interesting.  When we come across inspired occasions we should be willing to record it and share it.  As we grow the callous on our thumbs while texting or develop carpel tunnel while typing on our laptop or Chromebook, let's do so with a degree of responsibility and moderation.  The human body was designed for activity and growth and not to veg endlessly in search for useless dialogue and satisfaction.

Ok, now to post this on Twitter and Facebook......

Ground Shattering In God We Trust Religious Liberty vs Nihilism

There are law enforcement agencies on local levels throughout the United States of America who are increasingly choosing to post "In God We Trust" on their vehicles via decals.  Other venues are also being employed to visually declare allegiance and through who's authority and power we owe all our happiness and life's pursuits.  Many choose to be offended by this and continue to inflict legal action.  However, at the core it is un-American to make this a legal issue or even to legislate against someone using their judgement to recognize that Higher Power.  Not just law enforcement but public officials are also heeding the internal cries of our Forefathers and recognizing that Power this country was literally built upon.

Hear and read this:

To be offended is a choice.  It is not possible to have this condition inflicted upon you.  It is a choice.  Therefore,  to be offended is an inner problem and not external.

"In God We Trust" is charged with breaching the separation of church and state.  However, this is not the case.  I know it because our Founding Fathers have said it.  There are scores of quotes from noted George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and even the controversial James Madison encouraging the acknowledgement of God in all things especially where government is concerned.

May I offer a quote from George Washington:

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Because "to be offended" is a self-reflective decision I don't want to delve too deep into how proclaiming the belief in God does not establish for the state a religion.  Nothing I say will convince the offended otherwise.  What I will say is a comment that piggybacks on the highly important quote from Thomas Jefferson.  Referring to the Virginia Act of Religious Freedom he states:

“Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the word “Jesus Christ” so that it should read, “a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion”; the insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination.”

What this epic quote tells us is that even the authors of our most revered national documents intended to impress upon the people, and their ongoing posterity, the importance of recognizing God. Yet, they took steps to not capsulize who God was. This is key!! They knew it was important for the pursuit of happiness, the continuing order of a people and the humility of a liberty-given people to be anchored in that Higher Power - however you believe that Higher Power to be! You can believe God to be spirit. You can believe God to be corporeal. You can believe in the Trinity. You can believe in three separate and distinct members of the Godhead. You can believe that God is blue (yes, this is an established belief especially in south Asia). You can be more modern and believe that God is a flower or even a shoe. Our Founders did not force a given outline of who God was. That was inspired so as to ensure true liberty for all Americans to worship as they see fit.

Since I love George Washington let me offer another quote of his from 1782 to a protestant church in Kingston:

“Convinced that our Religious Liberties were as essential as our Civil my endeavors have never been wanting to encourage and promote the one, while I have been contending for the other…”

I will say this though you may never see it ever as plainly as I will state here.  I say this being an avid student of the Founding Fathers of the United States.  

It is my belief that you cannot truly effectively govern in this country, as was intended by our Fathers, without a basic principle belief in something greater than you - something to whom you are accountable to.  

That statement alone should draw some ire but I stand by it.

In my observations of government, and the men and women who've held posts within, it is evident that without this basic ideal to live by it is next to impossible to govern a people equally.  When your accountability only goes as far as the nameplate on your door it is inevitable that temporal or carnal agendas will intercede in the discharge of your authority and power.  You will begin to not see "the people", but instead live your days as a respecter of persons.  That's just the way it is.  Period.

What manner of man ought we to be?  As Americans, what principles should we live by?  Many things have come into play that have brought our people into a state of apathy and nihilism.  No longer do we burden ourselves with the "good of the people."  Instead and often for favor of voting blocks, we succor and diaper select groups.  Little by little, when the majority becomes disenfranchised chaos and disorder ensues.  From within we cleft and divide often with harsh and bitter walls.  

When this happens the silent yet powerful shame occurs:  The value of life is diminished.  

People begin to focus on personal agendas, entitlements and the things that make them "offended."  They seek not for hard work unto happiness.  In fact, they see no benefit in work at all.  They forsake all effort in accountability and a belief in God - hence the plague of any people called nihilism.  

"In God We Trust" draws contention from those hearts that have been divinely touched by that statement, but will not acknowledge or admit to it.  Were it not so there would be no contention.  In this simple phrase breathes the living outreach of our Founding Fathers.  In this simple phrase lives the secret to happiness - that being religious liberty.  

I offer you another quote from me that will also harden hearts against me.

Liberty is not a right nor is it something you are entitled to.  Liberty cannot be legislated but can be trampled.  Liberty is a privileged path toward happiness.  Liberties are the venues and bounds given for a people to experience wider fields of choices - as they begin to view on our trek.  Liberty is the most powerful gift to ensure personal and family happiness, yet is the most fragile unto utter loss when broken.

Liberty is what dusts us when the banner waves.  It cannot be seen, yet is true and real nonetheless.  It values and magnifies life in all its stages.  Hence, when a people flirt with nihilism we forsake liberty.  When we forsake liberty - amen to the people.

Instead of shunning the proclamation of "In God We Trust", let us first look inward at why we may be offended.  Change comes from within first before we can have a hope of it changing a people.  However, when we try to change a people when we personally feel no accountability toward something greater we surely cause harm to that people and nation.

This is all food for thought and I challenge anyone who may be offended to first look inward at what may be wrong.  The golden rule I live by is that when you point the finger, there is always three pointed back at you.

Campaign of Conscience Shenandoah Iowa 2015 Let the Water Flow

Few know the relationship between an elected official and the constituent.  That relationship starts when the elected official is the candidate and the constituent is the voter.  The connection goes much deeper than marking the box and, with enough marked boxes, a term of office gets to be served.  People tend not to trust government whether local, state or federal.  Federal I can understand.  State I can even understand.  However, you should at least be able to trust your local officials.  You should know them - you voted for them.  This article will examine this God-ordained relationship between the people and those whom they've elected to make decisions that affect the entire community.

Do you know how many questions I was asked about politics or local issues during my first term campaign for Councilman at Large?  Absolutely none!  I will grant you that this may be, in part, due to the small population in comparison to the larger metro areas like Omaha or Des Moines.  Issues are everything there and seldom are the fond small town feelings that people may have one with another.  I will also grant you another truth.  I was uncontested in my first election.  This had saved me the humiliation at the time of being smeared and mocked.  Still, not one question asked.

Not many people know me in person but know me in name.  I highly advocate a non-public life for myself, but when I am public it is due to a compelling of the heart and conscience to make a difference.  This outreach of mine into the community and world over the past 15 years has earned a moderate degree of trust in my judgement.  This trust of the people is something I treasure and I draw upon that strength to foster informed decisions in this elected post.

In truth I prefer to be a recluse.  Anxiety plagues me to great extents.  When I do reach out into the community I do so because I am compelled to do it.  I've tried to live by the edict that if your conscience tells you to do something then you better do it.

I bring all this up because there are deep issues affecting the city of Shenandoah.  There are issues in every community but obviously my concern is with this one.  Distrust will always be on the rise with controversial issues and that's to be expected.  We have a new multi-million dollar water plant being constructed, and there are serious issues that have slowed progress.  This has led many to question the judgement of the City Council and even the contractors.  Again, to be expected, yet how to heal is my direction.

I would ask taxpayers all across the fruited plains of the United States of America just one favor to consider.  You always have the right and responsibility to question with boldness.  That doesn't mean to be contentious but rather question - in clear and resolute language.  It is your hard-earned tax dollars and you have the right to know how it is being spent.  Yet, I would ask for a degree of reservation in judging how your elected officials vote on any issue in your community.  Right now you are looking at this with your head kinked and thinking, "huh."  Grant me this opportunity to explain what I mean.  This will expand on the relationship between the elected and the constituents.

Why do we elect people?  To what are we electing them?  Is it to just fill a post that the government says needs to be filled?  These are serious questions we should all ask ourselves.  We should be electing the willing to office that they may discern information and make good decisions for the greater good.  Content to be discerned includes information that is not readily available or known by the public.  The media can only report so much, but how an official makes a decision in the end depends highly on information gathered outside Council chambers.  Its not hidden information but rather bits here and there that help form judgement.

Serving on the City Council  involves much more than showing up at the public Council meetings.  I'm not sure about other communities but here each Council member is assigned as a liaison to multiple boards and commissions.  This provides continuity to the fabric of the community.  This is where the meat of issues is brought up and tendered.  This is where old subjects are discussed and new ideas are born.  It is also here that the magic of the official/voter relationship lies.  This is where you, as a taxpaying voter, place your faith and trust in your official that discernment will be used to form a good decision.

It is never fun to see decisions made for your community that you view as incorrect.  Harsh feelings tend to be fostered and the disconnect widens.  Likewise, it is also not fun as an elected official to make decisions that you know many will not like.  The one eternal fact of life as an elected official is that it is impossible to please everyone and it is irresponsible and unproductive to try.  The votes sustain that the people trust you to use your good conscience to form decisions that affect the whole.

I would remind elected officials everywhere to discipline themselves and govern worthy of that trust.  Govern with a true conscience devoted to the people in whom you provide selfless service.  On the balance side of the spectrum I would hope to remind the people to question their representatives with boldness.  Yet, anticipate an answer agreeable with the fact that you may not have information that you've placed in the trust of your elected official.

There is a huge responsibility on both sides of the balance that all may be edified in their prosperity.  Your vote is an outward expression of faith and trust in the candidate's conscience and ability to discern information.

For three years I've been adamant of not running for reelection.  However, in counsel with scripture my conscience compels me to run again.  My campaign is a "Campaign of Conscience."  With difficult decisions made and yet to be made in Shenandoah, right now is an opportunity to remind and instruct all of us of what our Founding Fathers intended for our Republic.

I would ask all voters to revive your faith in your conscience at the time you marked the box.  I would ask all elected officials to draw from that faith that you may be sustained with a sound conscience commensurate with your discernment of important information.

This, I believe, is the magic of America - learning to live in order, while expanding and magnifying our liberty to pursue happiness.

Mine is a Campaign of Conscience - Let the Water Flow!

Increase Signal Strength Bars

Most of us use electronic devices whether Smartphones, Ipods or whatever.  These require an invisible signal strength which we sometimes aimlessly wander around the house or community searching for more signal strength bars.  Yet, in our oblivious pursuit for signal strength in order to be globally connected is our attention misguided?

With that last sentence I've already lost 80% of you at best.  That's fine.  Me don't care.  I do, however, care about those few who are humble enough right here, right now, to receive this little message.  I was in receipt of a quote today that was rather profound for all to hear.

"Too often we are concerned about the signal strength of our electronic devices rather than the signal strength we are receiving from the Holy Ghost."

I'll make this post as brief as possible so all who read this can quickly disregard it and get back to your lives.  Not too many years ago we didn't have Internet-ready phones.  Not long before that we didn't have convenient cell phones.  Before that not many satellite phones.  During that time landlines that had the all-too-fun for kids curly cord in the home prevailed.  Before that there was the huge box wall phone that had a speaker you held to your ear that had a not-so-fun straight cord and you talked into a hole in that box.  Before that was probably telegram and Morse Code.  It continues on back with more simple and archaic forms of communication.  Still, the disbelief of our time is that not long ago we were not hopelessly addicted to our electronic device.

Now, how many of us are so consumed with our attention being on that of everyday life?  Are we too concerned about how people view us on Facebook and adjust our posts accordingly?  Do we blog or tweet on Twitter stupid and useless information all to uphold a face to people that we have a life?  Are we not in such a hurry to access the latest world news so that our cup of despair can be regularly filled with doom and gloom and hopelessness in the world?  In essence, are we not consciously or unconsciously eroding our very foundation of our integrity and who we ought to be?  Duh, for most of us there can be only one answer - yes!

Let us use logic and reason as so many people today claim for their own advanced humanity.  You've engulfed your entire belief and faith in that which you do not physically see.  You know it exists because you are able to be satisfied with the lollipop of information and useless communication, and because you see how many bars or signal strength you have.  It's called Wi-Fi!  Along with this modern marvel vast increased numbers claim that there is no God or Supreme Power.  Yet, if you know anything of what the faithful claim about the Holy Ghost you would know that it is something not physically seen yet, if you're humble, can govern your actions and thoughts accordingly unto a daily and lasting happiness.  In comparison, the more humble and teachable you are the more spiritual bars you have.  Thus your foundation of who you are, your happiness in your daily interaction with people, the quality of your communication, and your assured knowledge of a Supreme Power shores up and firms your foundation of integrity.

I do not post this in vain.  I am also on Facebook, Twitter, maintain this blog and seek after world news via electronic means.  However, acknowledging my own fault is the first step in tempering and balancing it.  Being teachable and tearing down the walls of false pride is the first steps to discerning what decisions are right and which are wrong.

Don't be ignorant and stupid in proclaiming there is no God just because you can't see Him.  You can't see your Wi-Fi signal strength except by the number of bars you have.  How can one possibly discount higher forms of signals from something greater than we ourselves?

Reflect on your own lives and purposely discipline yourself by shutting off those electronic devices every now and then.  Get out and physically contribute to the world around you.  Provide selfless service and seek to gain 5 bars of excellent signal strength that'll make you happier than all the apps in the world. :)

Bald Eagle vs Turkey Vulture on American Patriotism and Hope

So why did the patriotic bird say, "Fear not and shrink not from the sting of hatred.  Freedom is a gift from God, and it is He who inspired the Founding Fathers to weave religious freedom, prosperity and happiness into the very fabric of the United States of America.  Fear not, but be diligent and stalwart in defense of this great nation!  Fear not, for my posture is a symbol that those who dwell in this nation can overcome all obstacles and the fiery darts of the adversary.  Fear not, but believe in the foundation of this country - freedom!  Fear not - and realize the full potential of happiness of the one and the many!"

Answer:  Because we as United States citizens needed to hear it.
#DeclarationofIndependence
Though written to start off as a joke it is obviously not.  Yet, it is a good segway into the context of a profound spiritual experience I had on the Wabash Trace in Southwest Iowa just outside of Shenandoah.  Though overwhelmingly God does not vocally speak to us in person, He does speak through other means.  This includes other people, life situations and the environmental setting.  These experiences can only come at the perfect time for that person to receive it, decipher it, acknowledge it and choose to implement it.  I would be remiss if I didn't share the magnitude of the one given me on a perfect sunny June morning in 2015.
#Constitution
I'm not a great orator, prophet or even Clark Gable.  Thank goodness I'm not Justin Beiber!  Anyhow, though this may sound completely stupid, those who know me well enough know that I seek meaning in all things I come in contact with.  With that said here is what the Wabash Trace revealed to me.

I usually hit the Shenandoah Fitness Center five times a week.  I follow this up with a stroll on the Wabash Trace from the old Shenandoah Railroad Depot to the Nishnabotna River bridge.  Thoughts of current events and the many paths of life's choices are companions on this journey.  Often I become very ill-motivated from these thoughts, but if it keeps my blood flowing and my heart pumping then the more power to it.

Seeing the Nishnabotna River is something this guy looks forward to.  Because I was ready to receive it, this time as I ascended the walkway arch my eyes were drawn upward at a high dead tree on the other side.  Atop this tree sat eight large vultures.  Every couple minutes another would coast in circling toward toward a branch.  When it landed one took off.  What impressed me so what that at any one given time four of the birds sat there majestically upright with their wings still and spread.  They looked just like the eagle on the quarter!  These four were each facing a different direction - against the four winds if you will.

As many know, the four winds have an ancient historical significance to the beliefs and culture of many peoples of the earth in all dispensations of time.  Having studied this it was significant to me as well.  Standing there watching these birds drew many ideas.  I've never seen foul act like this before.  They were fully taking in the wind, the resistance from all directions, and sun that was afforded them.  They stood as a symbol and inspiration of hope that all things can be overcome and conquered.  This was the message to me.

My mind tracked over to a scriptural passage of Genesis 3:23-24:

Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Up till now this passage understandably came across as a form of punishment for Adam and Eve.  In part that may be, but the new insight was that it was also a positive motivation given to them.  They were given a glorious heavenly being to look toward not so much with fear, but with hope and knowledge that though they couldn't touch the Cherubims, they could live their lives in such a way that they could receive the majesty that they were privy to.  They could overcome the painstaking trials of life and still come out favored.  The Cherubims were symbols of hope just as the vultures were to me at this particular chosen time.

I constantly struggle to find meaning in everything I come in contact with and experience.  The dead tree may represent the decline of values in the United States.  Condensing it down to me, it may also mean a decline of hope and courage.  Though a real Bald Eagle was not manifest, a vulture was sent with the same message of hope until the time that I or the nation is worthy of the Eagle.

In conclusion we each have our own occasions of inspiration according to who we are as individuals.  This one to me at this time was profound and gave hope that because of the freedoms we have, we have every reason to be positive in the light that all despair can be vanquished.  The threats against us as individuals and as a nation are great.  Yet, because of WHO WE ARE - we shall conquer in the end.

Once we get over this hurdle and realize, once again, who we are - the world will know us again.

#America #Patriotism #scriptures #GardenofEden #birdwatching #Nishnabotna #Iowa #WabashTrace #ShenandoahIowa

Aaron Green Seeks Reelection in 2015 Shenandoah Iowa Councilman At Large Race

Up until about May 2015 I was pretty set on not running for reelection for the Shenandoah City Council seat of Councilman At Large.  The curious thing about public office is that for anyone with a conscience, near the end of the term, you are left to deep reflection and self evaluation.  It is during this evaluation that I had a learning experience which led me on a path to decide to run again to serve the residents of Shenandoah, Iowa.

First, let me explain the points I had in not running.  Without going into great detail the first three years had many instances of personal attacks on not only my stance on specific issues but also my religion as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The feeble malice attempts of but a very few to thwart my allegiance to the people ended up poising my own Constitutionally protected right to free speech (otherwise known as the First Amendment) in jeopardy.  Not so much now, but there was a span of time when my removal was sought through false and ill-willed means.

The anxiety within was severe for quite some time but I have since extended my forgiveness in hopes that the greater good, service to the people, may be achieved with the fullest of my attention.  Yet, let's be clear.  As one who is not comfortable being confrontational, the whole experience understandably led me to thoughts of not running again.  I even entertained my suspicions that my performance was unsatisfactory by the majority.  This is not the case so I am told.

Before I get into what changed my mind I'd like to reveal what my original intent was for running for City Council in the first place back in 2011.  It may all sound rather cheesy but I feel it is important.  I did not know the names of anyone then serving on the City Council.  I did not know who the City Administrator was or even the City Attorney.  I did not know the names of most City employees.  My ignorance went so far that I barely knew who the Mayor of Shenandoah was and I credit that to seeing his name in the paper from time to time.  On top of this I did not know or was not current on the issues impacting the city at that time.  I offer this to illustrate that I had no hidden agenda for running for public office.  I had no vices or grandeur for "change."

In all truth my original intent for running is the strongest suit I have for offering to serve a second term - simply to serve the people in good and clear conscience.

For many weeks of late I've sat, pondered and stewed over whether I should or should not run.  As is my custom in issues of mental strain I resorted to scripture study and prayer to find strength and answers.  In studying the afflictions of Peter and John I came across Chapter 5 Verse 41 in the Book of Acts of the New Testament in the King James Version of the Bible.

"....... rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."

I know.  Right now you have that "huh" look on your face wondering what the heck this is all about.  Here it is.  My original intent was clean and transparent - to serve the people.  All my good intentions and ambitions are inseparably connected to my foundation.  My foundation is to serve my God (see Pledge of Allegiance) by serving the people in protecting their Constitutional rights and aiding the expansion of their potentials, possibilities and opportunities to pursue happiness, and to create and foster a very diverse city in which all this can be comfortably accomplished within the bonds of peaceful coexistence.

Basically, if I am able to retain that level of intent to serve in spite of the trials and difficult decisions inherent with any City Council then why not run again if you have the desire.  If you have the desire to serve then you are called to serve.

After much pondering and study I am here to announce that my intention remains the same.  My desire to serve without guile, pride and without respecting one person or group over another remains void of anything hidden.  After the experiences over the past four years I now know that I should welcome and rejoice in the trials and difficult decisions that come my way.  These are decisions placed upon those who hold the post of Councilperson and those mantles are sustained by the governed - in this case the people of Shenandoah.

There is no elected official that anyone would honestly say they feel they agreed with all of their decisions.  Seeking such a person will lead to a sad life.  So I ask a question: Do you feel that my performance, whether you agree or disagree, has been in my good conscience?  If so, then you can take faith that some good decisions will result.  If not, then I welcome how you may vote.

It may be asked what it is I want to accomplish in my second term as Councilman At Large.  To this I would respond that it remains my objective to create environments to bridge the gaps not only between the people and their immediate local government but between all people in general.  In a city of around 5,000 we have about twenty Christian denominations represented.  That is a large number per capita.  I would encourage understanding and civility between them all as this town has historically always done.  I would encourage more people to get involved with their City government.  There are few opportunities of equal satisfaction than to serve your neighbor.  More should be exposed to such an honor.  These are my continuing aspirations while serving in City government.

I would encourage those within Shenandoah to Share if not Like and Share this announcement to your fellow citizens.  Even if I am not supported it is important to me that they at least understand who I am and what I represent as one currently sustained by the people to sit on a Council of five for the City of Shenandoah.

Twitter @1to1WorldConnct

One Eternal Round Martial Arts Lesson - Three Requirements of Flesh and Electronic Device

Every martial arts instructor inherently controls the atmosphere of the dojo.  It is the power and authority of all mantles whether government, company, church or in the home.  The governed tend to follow suit according to the leader.  As a leader if you strive to create a dojo of learning and fun you can acquire it through strategic leadership.  All things are born first spiritual and then temporal.  As such, there may be certain expectations and even requirements that every student must adhere to.  Aside from codes of conduct I have three things on a personal level that I require of every student.

Teachable Mind - Prior to entering the dojo I expect pride to drop.  It's not the military.  I don't consider you a maggot until you obtain a certain rank.  However, in order to learn and progress one must attend their classes with a teachable mind.  This cannot be done if one is prideful or thinks they have a level of skill above another.  This mindset actually hinders learning.  It erects growth boundaries that one cannot extend beyond.  The deceit of it is that these boundaries are rarely seen or identified by the person.  However, these boundaries built by pride are often seen by others.

Of course, as a student learns this in the dojo they will know that I will expect this to carry beyond the mats.  It is a part of integrity to carry honor at all times.  So come to class with a teachable mind and you'll grow with more substance than you ever thought possible.

Willing Heart - This is closely related to a teachable mind.  A student with a willing heart has the capacity to integrate the arts into their life.  They are willing to take the extra step out of faith of a greater outcome down the road.  The opposite of a willing heart is a reluctant heart.  The heart of a martial artist has the fibers of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and an indomitable spirit.  These qualities are enhance through learning the physical and spiritual disciplines of the martial arts.  A person with a willing heart is willing to test the counsel and assignments given by the instructor through practice.

Dictaphone - Alright, that was supposed to throw you off in a demented humorous sort of way.  Actually, an optional requirement of mine is an avenue to record your thoughts.  I always carry with me an electronic digital dictaphone.  You know, sorta like the ones you see journalists and reporters carry around.  Even a pad and pencil will do.  Whatever it takes to give you the liberty and means to record your thoughts that you want to reflect on without fearing your own forgetfulness.

Some of man's greatest revelations or inspirations come during times of focus and the pursuit of physical and mental training.  As I go through my motions and concentrate on perfection of technique there are times when the floodgates of new techniques and new life lessons present themselves.  Admittedly, I tend to forget a lot of things.  One way to combat this is to carry with me my dictaphone.  Don't be afraid to use your chosen fashion of recording.  When inspired - stop and record.  Even during class time if a student of mine is inspired I would consider it derelict of duty to the self if they don't stop and record.

These three requirements come to mind first and foremost because it is what I use when I enter the dojo.  In the solitude of training the first two help me to ensure growth as I leave the door compared to when I entered.  The last ensures that my weakness of mind doesn't lose important inspirations forever.

Concerning recording your thoughts I have found that just the very effort of saving and recording a thought actually enhances the meaning and helps you remember it.  This is predicated upon the laws of pondering.  Recording your thoughts makes you ponder over them.  You want to capture every bit of information you came up with.  As you do this doors and wider fields of view begin to encroach your understanding.  This is magnifying the inspiration received.

Aside from the dojo I would encourage all to consider three requirements either for yourself or your family.  Make these requirements a part of your discipline.  Even if you are not a leader you still govern yourself.  Therefore, as a leader of yourself you still govern the atmosphere of your mind, body, spirit and environment.  You are accountable.  Let those requirements foster learning with a teachable mind, a willing heart and by all means record the inspirations you receive.

Mormons Observing Good Friday with the Catholic Church with Food

Those who have followed my posts know that I have a good friend who is a Catholic priest.  This has led to an opening of understanding that is unparalleled in worldly joy.  Considering the world today especially with the persecutions unto murder of Christians in the Middle East it is also a miracle.  This also has application to Israel and the threat of its existence.  Intolerance against Israel threatens its very survival.  Will the world follow suit with those who ally themselves with animal behavior of intolerance?  Learn the simple message of Jesus Christ and pattern your compassion and outreach after His manner, and after the manner that we've undertaken here in Southwest Iowa.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it was an honor for myself, our local Bishop and our wives to accept an invitation to the Good Friday service at St. Mary's Catholic church.  It began with the Stations of the Cross and also included the Adoration of the Cross.  Yes, of course the proceedings differ between our faiths.  However, being inherently observant I sat (and stood several times) and listened to the message presented by the good Father and those doing the readings.  The message resounded and reaffirmed the first impressions from our first encounter several years ago.  No matter how different the gatherings are the message among most Christian faiths are one the same.  Jesus is the Christ!

This is why it was such an honor to attend this service.  Both congregations accept each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.  We accept that there is good among the various flocks of the Good Shepherd.  We know that through His design it was known from the beginning the varied nature of the spectrum of worship of the Anointed One.  God loves wondrous variety!

There are fourteen Stations of the Cross.  These include various chapters in the final hours of Christ's mortality up to and including His crucifixion.  I believe this encompasses what many consider the Passion of Jesus Christ.  To include a little levity and humor I must say that we did get our exercise as we stood and sat several times.  A healthy dose of calisthenics is good and healthy.  Now come on, before anyone frays in offense let us also learn to love one another with a jovial nature.  Just remember, the notions of Mormons out there are numerous and off the wall.  Yet to add and substantive side it did offer a refreshing of the body and a retained focus of the Stations of the Cross.  It was a very good and vital part of the Good Friday service of which I am eternally grateful to have been a part of.

The Adoration of the Cross was also interesting and a solemn occasion among our Catholic brethren and sisters in Christ.  This ceremony includes the physical presentation of a cross and the invitation for all to come, approach and offer their humbled gratitude and reverence for the sacrifice of the Lamb.  Sure, for many in other faiths this observance is different, but one must always remember that the message remains the same.  Jesus is the Christ!

The Catholic setting of Good Friday is that of a tomb.  It compels the person to a solemn state of heart and mind.  The displayed cross is adorned with a red banner and the priest offers his liturgy and service with red vestments.  As a Latter-day Saint there are few symbolic representations of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ outside the pictures we may have on the walls in our regular meetinghouses.  Our temples, though, are filled with symbolic representations of the divinity of Jesus Christ.  Again, the message is still the same.

I will offer this observation and it is meant not as anything but a complimentary comparison.  Probably what makes Latter-day Saints and Catholics "in a different zone" in each other's edifices especially during the Easter time is the focus.  It is very interesting, if you remember that the message is still the same.  In the Catholic faith the focus is on the Passion or the process of sacrifice of the Son Jesus Christ and His heart-wrenching suffering.  Of course, it gladly ends with the glorious promises of the faithful in His Resurrection.

In a Latter-day Saint setting the focus is a little different.  We tend to focus our preaching of the events of that sorrowing last week along with the significance each step of the way.  The focus tends to take us from the finishing chapter of mortal death to the rising sun of the Resurrection and the renewal of life and understanding for all God's children.  Both faiths preach both ends of the spectrum (which are one the same) with just a little more time focused on each side of that winding up scene.  Heck, I think its a good thing to be exposed to both schools of worship.

I am deeply grateful for the friendships formed between the Catholic and Latter-day Saint faiths.  Not only here in Southwest Iowa but across the globe.  Together we shall stand lest we be divided and fall.

Now....... let us get to another deep and serious comparison between the Catholics and Mormons - food!

No doubt like the Latter-day Saints skirmishing to the chow line at a potluck the Catholics also eagerly await their dinners (pun intended).  After the liturgy and Good Friday service all enjoyed the excellent food at their final fish fry of the Lent season.  The Knights of Columbus always prepare a very good meal for the patrons.  So, if nothing else we can all take great comfort in knowing that we all observe a good dinner in much the same way. ;)

In conclusion, if we don't learn to reach out and clasp hands with our brothers and sisters of other faiths we will never increase our capacity of love and compassion.  Attend, observe and do your best to understand what makes everyone tick as it does in your own church setting and always remember that Jesus is the Christ.

One Eternal Round Martial Arts Lesson - The Spine Building a Firm Foundation Anchor for Life

It is a common teaching that the martial arts are 90% mental and 10% physical.  I concur with this assessment.  Yet I would add something to this teaching of the martial arts.  The martial arts are 90% mental, 10% physical and 100% spiritual.  Whether Karate, Taekwondo, Jiu Jitsu, Hapkido, Kung Fu, Tai Chi or even the arts of the Shaolin, though physical are highly rooted spiritually.  This makes the martial arts to the serious enthusiast a very important part of their life.

This lesson is physically centered around the spine.  Regarding the 10% it is vitally important to keep your spine straight and when possible upright.  Remember this - most people's excitement revolves around Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris style kicks.  That's great and it is fulfilling to learn these techniques.  However, in a defensive situation it is highly unlikely that any kicks would be necessary.  True, many kicks turn the upper body almost parallel to the ground countering my edict to keep upright.  Yet, since kicks are actually secondary in defensive strategy your spine should most always remain upright and straight.  I love the kicks, but in a practical sense it is good skills to know as a backup in a threatening situation - not the priority.  Remember the spine.

Humans are receptive to visual comparisons.  For some reason a picture sticks to the mind better than reading text.  When I picture how a spine should be in a highly physical situation I think of a carousel horse.  Notice in the picture below the pole running straight down the horse.  It does not move in angles.  It's only motion is up or down.  That is how your spine should be.  There are upper body techniques that require extending the body low or high yet remaining the spine sure and strong.  Just remember the carousel horse and you'll do just fine.  Also like the carousel your spine is your stand.  It is where you are.  It is where you resolve to be immovable.

The mental and spiritual side are intertwined and this is where my final point will stand.  All my teachings of Taekwondo also have a relative application to life.  Your spine, that pole establishing the horse, is your foundation.  It is the thing which you are built upon.  It is the substance that makes you who you are in times of war and peace.  It is that sponge which absorbs all your words, deeds and actions.  It is the litmus test that gauges your level of honor.  This is the mental and spiritual side.

Increasingly, this modern world supports the compromising of personal principles and precepts.  It does so until the one is utterly left destitute and destroyed.  This may sound extreme but I've seen it hundreds of times.  If your house is not built upon firm ground then it has no sure footing.  It is only a surety that when the winds and the waves verge upon you the structure will fail and be left in ruin.  In comparison, when you are in a physical altercation you must pay special attention to your spine.  It is the foundation of every movement.  Sloppy technique without the proper use of the spine can leave you injured or subjected to the will of your opponent.  The firm passion to not compromise your principles and precepts will help ensure your well being and survival.

One Eternal Round Martial Arts Lesson - Protect Vital Area With Bounds of Protection Without Wasted Energy

The martial arts are a great tool of personal discipline, fitness and purpose.  As an instructor it is my pleasure to publish yet another lesson.  All teachings are purposely expand into life lessons for today's dark and tumultuous times.  Taekwondo is my chosen field of martial arts.  The art of hand and foot has been a mainstay foundation.  This lesson covers your expended energy.  Learning and mastering energy can be critical in not only personal physical protection but also alleviating life burdens we place on ourselves.

As you can see in this riveting high quality picture there is a transparent rectangular box.  This box represents the maximum area that you need to concentrate on to protect your vital parts.  This means that for most any high blocks, low blocks and middle blocks your hands should almost never rest beyond these boundaries.  When your motion is complete you should be well within this area.

The reasoning behind this defined area is maximizing the best use of energy.  All motion, and even thought, uses energy.  In regards to thought, it is prudent to exercise and produce a pristine quality of cognitive abilities with focus as a foremost priority.  By doing so you will be using your energies in a direction of your own well being and protection instead of wandering your thoughts in diverse paths.  Thinking about the movie last night or what dinner will be tonight is a wasteful use of your brain power in situations of choice affecting your life.

There are obvious reasons in the realm of personal physical protection.  It is natural to those new or untrained to overextend or overly exaggerate a block technique.  This often lands your hands in areas way outside the focus of a vital organ, knee, elbow or joint.  Extending a block just 6" beyond what is needful exacerbates the strain of early fatigue by a factor of 10.  This can be critical in your happiness at the end of the trial!

Disciplining the mind and body to focus your energies to stay within the Bounds of Protection is among the best lessons to learn.  There are facets of life that can benefit from this lesson.  Logical thinking will direct your choices toward end results for your long term benefit.  These choices will inherently create lasting happiness to you and those around you.  This is the doctrine of energy.  Correct personal choices will have a positive affect in the long term.  This affect will always have a cascading wake that multiplies in ways you cannot know or dream of.

The martial arts is much less fighting than it is learning how best to positively influence the world around you.

A disciplined thinking will also help prevent you from taking on too many activities or responsibilities.  Excess tasks divide your attention and inevitably lead to unwise decisions and mental confusion.  Things that should have priority focus and undivided attention will now have a fraction of that.

Learn the Bounds of Protection.  This area of energy expenditure should represent not only personal physical protection, but also illustrates a focused boundary of life energy - your choices.