There’s nothing like the gentle “buzzzz” of a good snorer. The trouble is that there are very few snorers like that. Oh, we all think that we fall in the category of a “gentle breeze” snorer, but truth be known, most of us can let out an occasional snort that could fell a tree from fifty feet.
My mom, Mable; she would start off with the occasional gentle snort, but it wasn’t long before she had moved into the typical sound of a logging truck going downhill with the Jake Brakes on. Of course, no mater what the decibel level of the snore, it is almost always indiscernible to the snorer. I mean, after all sleep is sleep.
I would like to tell you of two different accounts of snoring; not from me of course, but from a friend of mine who we will call “Lon C.”.
1) I had been a scout master for many years. It was the custom of our Stake to hold an annual leadership meeting for all the youth leaders in the Ward. One particular year the Stake meeting was held at a nearby Boy Scout camp. The program was excellent; we were fed both spiritually and physically. At the end of the day, the leadership retired into different bunkhouses used to house the scouts during their camps. These houses consisted of two large rooms each with about eight beds per room. I chose to sleep in the bed right next to my old friend Lon C. and it didn’t take long before we were all sound asleep.
Much to my chagrin, my old friend Lon C. turned out to be an avid snorer. It hadn’t been more than twenty minutes and he was already up to the gas leaf blower level. If I was going to get any sleep at all, I was going to have to get innovative. I remembered I had once read that if a person were to click their fingernails together in defense of a snorer, that the snorer would hear the soft clicking and would concentrate on that noise rather than his snoring. It was worth a try; “Click, click, click”, on into the night he would snore, and on into the night I would “click”. This was war! The trouble was that he was not even aware of the great battle which was raging on just three feet away in the next bunk.
After a sleepless night, we all drug ourselves into the kitchen for breakfast. The program director asked us if we had all slept well. Out of courtesy, we all said we did; except for that dirty Lon C. He said that there must have been a mouse running around up in the ceiling or something, because he had been kept awake all night long by a constant clicking sound.
Have you ever wanted to literally tear out someone’s lungs and stuff them up their nose?
2) Since I was the scout master, each year we would have a super activity; something that was more grandiose, more taxing, and more impressive than the regular monthly activities. For years I had participated in the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Ride; the STP. This bicycle ride covers the two hundred mile distance from the Seattle, Washington city hall to the Portland Oregon, city hall. Of course I had done it in one day, but there was also the option of doing it in two days; this is the tour the majority of participants would take. I presented the ride to the scouts and of course they jumped at the chance to participate. To make it even more enjoyable we also invited the Young Women of the ward, and just to keep things on the up and up, we also invited the parents of anyone who was going.
We trained all spring, doing ten, twenty and fifty mile rides. The boys, the girls, and even the parents were buffing themselves up. They knew it was going to be hard, but they were determined to succeed. This was going to be the ride of the century.
In all we had about ten boys, six girls, and seven adults, mostly the fathers. One of the girls brought both of her parents, there were a few of the scout leaders, Lee Miller brought his father, and of course there was Lon C. We also had two vans for support and two cars with parents who could not ride, but wanted to participate in some way.
When the ride day came, we presented ourselves at the Seattle City Hall by 5:30 AM. We got ourselves registered, received our maps, instructions, and ride numbers. There were at least 12,000 participants in the ride, and every one of them wanted to start off first; there was pandemonium of course, but above all there was an electricity and excitement in the air. The crowd was alive; all buddies, all bragging, and all well prepared, both physically and mentally; or so they thought.
The route took us right down 4th Ave, through the center of Seattle, to the Interurban Trail, on through to Puyallup. We rode through towns such as Parkland, Yelm, Rainier, Tenino, winding up in Centralia for the night. One hundred miles, and we were all pretty well spent. Our support team had dinner ready for us, we played some games and then we were ready for bed. Most of the kids and their parents slept under the roof of a large pavilion. Knowing how rowdy kids can get, tired or not, I chose to pitch my tent about two hundred feet away from the main group and the noise. Just as I crawled into my sleeping bag, I looked out the door of my tent, and I could just barely see a lone figure approaching me through the evening mist. He approached to within twenty feet and then pitched his tent. Another wise old sage, I thought, who wants to distance himself from the crowd.
I was really tired, and it didn’t take me long before I was sound asleep. Just as my dreams were getting good, I was awakened by the sound of a gas leaf blower, apparently coming from the tent right next door. Yes, it was my nemesis, that dirty Lon C. He had come clear out here just so he wouldn’t disturb any of the others with his snoring.
Have you ever wanted to literally tear out someone’s lungs and stuff them up their nose?
Well, despite the loss of a perfectly good night’s sleep, we all finished the ride in high spirits the next day. Well, most of us did; one of the adults took a tumble and broke his collar bone, and Brother Miller was just too worn out to continue the next day. Much to his credit though, he joined us on the next years ride and finished up the ride by accompanying us on the second day of the ride.
So where did I pick up my snoring from? Certainly not from my sweet old mother, she would not pass on a curse like that to her second born; no, I believe it was from that dirty Lon C.
Thoughtfully written by;
Gary Hyde
Copyright 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Narin Falls
Narin Falls
by Gary Hyde
An interpretative sign placed near the viewing area at Narin Falls, British Columbia, Canada reads;
“Over time, water and glaciers have brought many changes to this landscape. The Green River in front of you carries sand and gravel which have worn away the bedrock. When the river water moves in a circular motion, these abrasive particles carve round depressions called pot holes. Occasionally, this carving causes the bottom of the neighboring pot holes to join through an underground passage”.
As you look at the Narin Falls these potholes are easily identifiable, some of them are nothing more than a small divot in the rock, while others reach six to seven meters in diameter.
Narin Falls is a dramatic example of the great erosive power of water. The "potholes" have been created in the base rock over time as small pebbles and sand get caught in a swirling eddy of water tossed to and fro cutting ever-deepening circles into the rock. The winter storms may temporarily wash the smaller potholes clean, but can then deposit even larger rocks, chipping, scraping, gouging away at the sides and bottom of the hole in an ever widening, ever deepening erosive action.
To the viewer, the falls and the river appear to be unchanged by all these destructive forces, but over time these potholes have altered the very channel of the falls and the course of the river.
Like Narin Falls, we can suffer a similar type of erosive power in our lives. We experience the “potholes” of life which can be just as dramatic and just as devastating as those of the falls, but instead of rocks or boulders acting as the abrasive power, we supply a different kind of irritant.
These irritants can come from many different sources, real or imagined. There seems to be no event too great or happening too small that we can’t view it as an “unforgivable” sin, and thus hang onto it, storing it away in our memory bank to be recalled at some later time of stress or anger. The actual source of these irritants may stem from a multitude of reasons, such as an expanded ego or a denial of self worth; believing that we are always right, or being ungrateful. Often times we take ourselves too seriously, feeling that life has been unfair with us and that we are always the victim. Greed of any kind can drive us to making poor choices and decisions. Holding on to our emotional baggage and keeping it hidden deep within can prevent us from experiencing a real joy in our life. Some tend to focus on things that they do not have rather than what they do have and the good things they have accomplished. We often fail to forgive others or even ourselves for mistakes, errors or failures, and it is too easy to judge others by our standards rather their own merits. The reasons are many and varied for which we tend to pile this guilt upon ourselves.
The accumulation of these “potholes “in life can take a real emotional or physical toll on mind, body and spirit; manifesting themselves through loss of sleep, irritability or poor health.
Unlike the Narin Falls we have been given a solution for the cleansing of our minds and bodies from these imperfections, these transgressions or sins; and that is through the act of repentance and forgiveness. Yet, rather than repenting of our acts and asking for forgiveness, or offering forgiveness to someone who has trespassed against us, we will often ask “How can I forgive such a heinous act”? “How can I forgive such a personal insult”? “How can I forgive”?
But we can forgive, and we must forgive. We have been commanded to forgive. The Lord has told us: “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men”. (D&C 64:9-10)
When Christ was crucified on the cross, His final words were “Father, forgive them”. (Luke 23:34) He was asking the Father to forgive those who had just falsely accused Him; to forgive those who had just beaten and scourged Him and nailed Him to the cross, to hang there until dead; to forgive those who, even in His most painful moments offered not compassion, but ridicule, not sorrow, but hate. He knew that they would not repent, He knew that they did not care, and that they would not care for more than 2000 years; yet still He asked, “Father, forgive them”.
“Forgive them”; how hard it is for us to say these two simple words; “I’m not the one at fault here, why should I be the one to forgive; it is up to them to do the repenting”. The Lord tells us “I the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” (D&C 64:10).
But it happens all the time, time and time again! How many times must we forgive someone? The Lord tells us “Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22). People can and do change and it is our duty to forgive them.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has provided the atonement that we may be cleansed from all sin and become pure before Him.
How much agony have we created in our lives because we do not fully understand the atonement; what it is, and what it can do for us?
In order to change things, first we must have faith in Christ, then we must ask forgiveness and we must remember that “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42)
The Atonement of Christ can take away not only the pain of our sins but also the pain of things that happen to us over which we have no control. “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people”. (Alma 7:11)
The Book of Mormon prophet Enos tells us of how he had received a remission for his sins. “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed”. When Enos heard this he asked “Lord, how is it done?” The Lord answered him “Because of thy faith in Christ”. (Enos 1:4)
As we submit to the will of the Lord and experience that joy of forgiveness, we can be as father Lehi when he tasted of the fruit of the tree of life and “beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted”. (1 Nephi 8:11)
“and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God”. (4 Nephi 1:16)
Copyright 2010
by Gary Hyde
An interpretative sign placed near the viewing area at Narin Falls, British Columbia, Canada reads;
“Over time, water and glaciers have brought many changes to this landscape. The Green River in front of you carries sand and gravel which have worn away the bedrock. When the river water moves in a circular motion, these abrasive particles carve round depressions called pot holes. Occasionally, this carving causes the bottom of the neighboring pot holes to join through an underground passage”.
As you look at the Narin Falls these potholes are easily identifiable, some of them are nothing more than a small divot in the rock, while others reach six to seven meters in diameter.
Narin Falls is a dramatic example of the great erosive power of water. The "potholes" have been created in the base rock over time as small pebbles and sand get caught in a swirling eddy of water tossed to and fro cutting ever-deepening circles into the rock. The winter storms may temporarily wash the smaller potholes clean, but can then deposit even larger rocks, chipping, scraping, gouging away at the sides and bottom of the hole in an ever widening, ever deepening erosive action.
To the viewer, the falls and the river appear to be unchanged by all these destructive forces, but over time these potholes have altered the very channel of the falls and the course of the river.
Like Narin Falls, we can suffer a similar type of erosive power in our lives. We experience the “potholes” of life which can be just as dramatic and just as devastating as those of the falls, but instead of rocks or boulders acting as the abrasive power, we supply a different kind of irritant.
These irritants can come from many different sources, real or imagined. There seems to be no event too great or happening too small that we can’t view it as an “unforgivable” sin, and thus hang onto it, storing it away in our memory bank to be recalled at some later time of stress or anger. The actual source of these irritants may stem from a multitude of reasons, such as an expanded ego or a denial of self worth; believing that we are always right, or being ungrateful. Often times we take ourselves too seriously, feeling that life has been unfair with us and that we are always the victim. Greed of any kind can drive us to making poor choices and decisions. Holding on to our emotional baggage and keeping it hidden deep within can prevent us from experiencing a real joy in our life. Some tend to focus on things that they do not have rather than what they do have and the good things they have accomplished. We often fail to forgive others or even ourselves for mistakes, errors or failures, and it is too easy to judge others by our standards rather their own merits. The reasons are many and varied for which we tend to pile this guilt upon ourselves.
The accumulation of these “potholes “in life can take a real emotional or physical toll on mind, body and spirit; manifesting themselves through loss of sleep, irritability or poor health.
Unlike the Narin Falls we have been given a solution for the cleansing of our minds and bodies from these imperfections, these transgressions or sins; and that is through the act of repentance and forgiveness. Yet, rather than repenting of our acts and asking for forgiveness, or offering forgiveness to someone who has trespassed against us, we will often ask “How can I forgive such a heinous act”? “How can I forgive such a personal insult”? “How can I forgive”?
But we can forgive, and we must forgive. We have been commanded to forgive. The Lord has told us: “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men”. (D&C 64:9-10)
When Christ was crucified on the cross, His final words were “Father, forgive them”. (Luke 23:34) He was asking the Father to forgive those who had just falsely accused Him; to forgive those who had just beaten and scourged Him and nailed Him to the cross, to hang there until dead; to forgive those who, even in His most painful moments offered not compassion, but ridicule, not sorrow, but hate. He knew that they would not repent, He knew that they did not care, and that they would not care for more than 2000 years; yet still He asked, “Father, forgive them”.
“Forgive them”; how hard it is for us to say these two simple words; “I’m not the one at fault here, why should I be the one to forgive; it is up to them to do the repenting”. The Lord tells us “I the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.” (D&C 64:10).
But it happens all the time, time and time again! How many times must we forgive someone? The Lord tells us “Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22). People can and do change and it is our duty to forgive them.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has provided the atonement that we may be cleansed from all sin and become pure before Him.
How much agony have we created in our lives because we do not fully understand the atonement; what it is, and what it can do for us?
In order to change things, first we must have faith in Christ, then we must ask forgiveness and we must remember that “not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42)
The Atonement of Christ can take away not only the pain of our sins but also the pain of things that happen to us over which we have no control. “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people”. (Alma 7:11)
The Book of Mormon prophet Enos tells us of how he had received a remission for his sins. “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed”. When Enos heard this he asked “Lord, how is it done?” The Lord answered him “Because of thy faith in Christ”. (Enos 1:4)
As we submit to the will of the Lord and experience that joy of forgiveness, we can be as father Lehi when he tasted of the fruit of the tree of life and “beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted”. (1 Nephi 8:11)
“and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God”. (4 Nephi 1:16)
Copyright 2010
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