Service, birds and other great things

Okay, I know I write about birds on here a lot, but I really do love birds. Apparently, on Kansas roads that seems to just have billboards, powerlines and trees near them, there are many prairie falcons (at least that's what I think they are). They're huge birds! I guess I am truly a bird nerd, but I love seeing them as I drive along. I guess birds are one thing that makes me happy.

Service also makes me happy, especially when it's service I really enjoy doing! Today I had the opportunity to help package food with Numana Inc.! It was awesome! We packed a bunch of meal packets to be sent to Haiti, I believe. We were going as fast as we could and trying to get in the most good that would could for the short time we had there. I hope to do it again some time.

Listen to general authority of the church speak is also something that makes me happy! I had the great opportunity last night to hear Elder Richard G. Scott, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speak! It was such a great discussion. He did a question answer session, with people asking many different questions, a lot about marriage, of course, since it was a singles devotional. I'm so glad he chose to set this up so we could all hear from him. He's so to the point and really helps you understand what you need to do. The Spirit was strong there and it was awesome!

Well, I could list things for a long time that make me happy, but I'm going to keep this blog short. I'm grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm so glad that I can repent of the sins I've committed, because he was willing to suffer for me. I'm so grateful for eternal families too, what a great hope and promise to be with my family forever! It is a wonderful knowledge the gospel brings to us. I hope we can all strive to be nearer to Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, the Holy Ghost and our families. Oh, what a blessed time we live in!

Life is good

This is quite a short post, but it's simple and great. Life is good. Sometimes I think life is difficult, and things could be better, but why? It is so important to be satisfied with what the Lord has blessed us with. I'm so grateful for the wonderful opportunity I have to be here in Wichita, Kansas! I still can't believe I'm saying that, but it's true! Life is good!

I have a job, I make money, am a professional. I am a Structural Design Engineer. I have health benefits, a retirement plan and a paycheck. I am not trying to brag, but I want to show my gratitude for the great blessings I have received! I believe that sometimes, we forget what we have, I know I have before. I have great, faithful and obedient friends who care for me and are looking out for me. Life is good!

I've also thought often of my life as always what's GOING to happen, as opposed to what is happening right now. It's so important to live in the now, and not always be looking forward to future events (though this isn't necessarily bad). This is something I definitely struggle with, but I'm learning to fix it. Living in the present is something I think we should do more often. As it says in Jacob 7:26, "...our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream...". I don't want my life to pass like a dream, I want to live it to the fullest. And I think I can truly do this by enjoying the great times, and making the best of the hard times. So, I will live in the present, and yet look forward to the future, and learn from the past. I suppose I could learn much more from Pres. Monson's talk on this, "Treasure of Eternal Value". I highly suggest it! Though I may not have struck the balance yet, I will strive to. Life is good, don't forget it!

Nature

In case some of you didn't know, due to recent bird migrations, I've kind of been obsessed with birds recently. I've been seeing many different kinds of birds migrating back north, now that summer is close approaching. I've been lucky enough to see a cardinal (finally!), and other birds I can't really name. I've also thought a lot about mother birds. A bird has nested right next to our apartment door (outside, thankfully). And it seems that she is almost constantly flying to get a worm and brings it back to the nest, where the little birdies chirp for food. She does this a lot.

So, how do birds affect me? First of all, it is yet another of the innumerable ways that all things denote there is a God. Birds are beautiful (at least to me) and I know that it is a blessing to have such beautiful creatures around. Not to mention other things in nature. Namely, forests!

I had a great opportunity today to go to friends parents house to help clean up a long dirtied farm area. This was mostly finding wood that could be used or burned in a firepit, and pretty much all other trash, to be burned in a trash heap. Getting out there I saw many birds, and just enjoyed the beautiful trees and scenery. Once there is was great to be out in nature again, listening to birds sing their beautiful songs. I wish i knew their songs better, but someday maybe I will. Anyway, now to a random point in my blog. I picked up a few pieces of wood, that I believe had been on the ground for quite a long time. However, when I did so, there were few bugs beneath them. I'm used to seeing tons of bugs when I pick up a log, or something that has been in the grass for a long time. Why so? My only guess is that either the ground was not super moist (though it looked moist) or bugs are still making their way back to our view. It is only spring, and perhaps the true "bug" season is summer, which I think is right. Either way it was strange.

Well, that's all for now. Hope someone reads this, but I guess it doesn't really matter. Enjoy birds this summer!

Update

Well, it's been a few months, and I think some stuff has happened in that period of time. Firstly, I enjoyed watching the Olympics almost every day they were on. You could call me an Olympics fanatic, I got cable just for watching them. They were pretty great this winter. I love seeing amazing athletes compete. I'm also working a lot here in Kansas, on overtime. I guess that's all I really have to say for now, that was pretty short...