At the Beginning...

Who knows who reads this stuff?
When we were teaching in Xi'an China, I pretty well knew who read the postings we did at www.wrightclan.net, but that site, having been long neglected, is also long-forgotten.
So, with three kids now blogging with regularity, perhaps it is time to start up again.

Moments ago, my hand was resting by the keyboard of my laptop. My finger touched an object which stuck momentarily to my skin. As I lifted the finger, the object fell to the floor. It was a small black sheet metal screw, not more than 4 mm long. No such screw seem to be missing from the laptop. There was nothing else on the desk that apeared to have such a screw missing. It is likely that I will spend some amount of time today trying to figure out where that little screw belongs.

On the wall immediately to the right of my desk hangs a calendar featuring art by the LDS artist Greg Olsen. The November Photo depicts a late afternoon sky, Jesus sitting on a hillside, thoughtfully overlooking a mist shrouded Jerusalem. The title of the piece is "O Jerusalem" The scripture in Jeremiah continues: "... How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?"

Now, the little screw and the calendar image are both kicking around in my head. Is the screw really important? Should I take (waste) time trying to solve this little mini-mystery? Is there not a better use for the "little grey matter" of the brain than this?

So, what are "vain thoughts?' Did Jesus not teach the second commandment is to "love thy neighbor as thyself?" Are we not then supposed to Love ourselves? I think the answer must be "yes." Shakespeare thought the same thing when he had Hamlet advise "to thine own self be true...for then thou canst not be false to any man." So thoughts of and about ourself must be a siginificant part of what we are. The grief Jesus expresses is for vain thoughts.

Mark Twain has done some writing that seem applicable. He talked of men who pray in public to bless the msssionaries, while in their hearts they "damn the missionaries and their money begging." Why do they do this? because their minds tell them others will commend them for their piety if they say the expected. Jesus talked of those who parade their offerings to the temple, who have the public's approval, and compared them to the widow, whose mite, humbly offered, is the greater eternal gift.

Charles Reacher penned a couplet which is both counsel and warning:
We sow a thought, we reap an action
We sow an action, we reap a habit
We sow a habit, we reap a way of life,
We sow a way of life, we reap an eternal destiny.

The law recognizes the importance of the mind in grading degrees of criminal conduct.
Malice is the product of an "evil and malignant heart"
One element of serious criminal conduct is "malice aforethought"
Conspiracy (planning a criminal act) is a serious crime of itself.

Scripture speaks of those who by rank in their community, in turn ascended a prayer platform and gave thanks that they were "not like the poor." Their acts were a prelude to abandoning the faith of their fathers.

Vain thoughts allow people to succumb to temptations....Sexual, financial, ethical...
"What if" is a powerful mental tool, for good or evil.
What if I sacrificed a meal out, and gave the money to help a family in another part of the world?
What if I bought another expensive lens instead of helping someone in need?
What if I don't list my true financial status in applying for a loan?

Perhaps there are better things to think about than the proper place for a 4 mm metal screw.
If it is important, I will find out soon enough, anyway.

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A brief calendar:
Nov 25- December 1: To Texas - Thanksgiving and Catherine's Baptism.
December 16 -20: To California - Early Christmas with Connie, Jim and Families
December 20-25: Christmas in Orem -With Jon and Annelise, and hopefully , Connie, Darrell and the Grand munchkins.
December 26 - Jan 4: To Mexico and Guatemala: Tour Mayan sites with Mark and Traci
Enjoy!