Townsend Lincoln Hall

The birth of a new member of the family is always a cause for celebration and reflection. So it is with the birth, on the 25th, of Townsend Lincoln Hall. It was important and very satisfying to hold him later that evening, and look at his tiny, wise face. Not that Townsend is more important or more loved as an individual than any of our 7 (and counting) grandchildren. Yet, there is something significant about the family name being carried into a new generation.

My father was the only son in his family. He had two sons and from those two have come five more sons carrying the family name. Now there is a Hall in the next generation with the possibility of moving the name forward into time. Perhaps there shouldn't be, but there is, for me, something significant and satisfying about that.

Hmmm

Driving past the rec center ball fields and noticing a small group of elementary school age kids playing ball. No uniforms, no coaches, no city organization, just a group of kids playing ball. It did my heart good.

A kosher hot dog pack with 7 hot dogs. In Hebrew, I believe 7 is a perfect or complete number. Any connection? I don't know.

Reunion

I thoroughly enjoyed our reunion. The company was wonderful, the location was superb! It really isn't very often that we have EVERYONE together like we did for a few hours - hence the re-union of our family. These gatherings are a type and shadow of what we hope will be re-unions that will continue into eternity. (Yes, I realize the activities will vary significantly!)

June is generally quite beautiful in Mantua and with all the rain we've had in the last month the variety of greens in the valley were carefully woven together with an added measure of energy and vitality!

For me there is always an abiding sense of home in that valley. Thanks to all for coming and participating together and for the hours of service. It's important to leave a place better than you find it, and we did.

Evidence of a Tired Mind and Sundry Thoughts

If we take a fence too often we eventually have enough material to build a barrier, so it's not only stealing but isolating!!!


If we are addicted to something we have allowed ourselves to be "acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:14)


We all pay homage and give thanks to our "god." Because we see our god as giving us "salvation" and providing for the quantity and quality of what we choose as "LIFE."

We should choose the God who has eternal life to offer.

A Long Ball Season Comes to an End

A very pleasant evening on Friday watching the Salt Lake Bees' game with great company and very nice weather brought back memories of other games. I realized that this was the first summer in over twenty five years (yes, a quarter of a century!) we didn't have anyone playing baseball or softball (or some preparatory team such as T-ball or Coach Pitch).

I think it began with the year I coached Allysha and Lincoln in a coach pitch league some 25 years ago and it just sort of blossomed from there. The high water mark of games played was reached somewhere around 12 years ago when we had over 50 games, baseball and softball, on the schedule in just the month of June! Obviously, we did not make it to all of them but to a good portion. Memories of games at the Rec Center fields, Lakeridge Jr. High, Orem Jr. High, Orem City Center, a park in north Orem, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Manti and fields in Salt Lake. Lots of time to sit in the bleachers or on camp chairs and cheer the family on!

Many great memories! Everyone had their chance to shine! Thanks to all eleven who participated. Can we make a list of all the different team names? or uniform colors?

Happy Birthday Grandpa

It was a delight to watch Grandpa enjoy his birthday party last evening! From the grand entrance down the stairs, to the broad smile while listening to the strains of "Happy Birthday", to the opening of the various presents, the tossing of the Fruit Snacks to everyone, to "Happy Birthday to me!", and to his testimony of the Savior.

It seemed to be an experience he savored and deserved to savor. Happy 87th!

Same words . . . sort of

We use the same words to mean approximately the same thing and that ability to communicate is really a wonderful thing. Still, the breadth and depth of the same words depends upon our experience, the intensity of that experience, and the depth of our reflection about that experience with the ideas or things the verbal expression represents.

So "love" in the 4th grade is not "love" in the 4th year of marriage. "Faith" expressed in the testimony of a 12 year old is not the "faith" of a prophet. Yet it is. "Poplars" can be merely poplars or they can be "poplars" squared or cubed or to the 11th power. Our experience brings a unique richness to our communication as well as our ability to bring words together in unique ways that open new ways of seeing or feeling.

Words are like a library full of great books - inviting, wonderful and frustrating at the same time. Still I have an ongoing love affair with words and with the levels of life they express!