As We Ring in the New Year

[Kenngo1969]

You might find it hard to believe if you were able to peruse some of the topics I've started over the years or some of my contributions to existing topics, but, really, I'm not that into whining and moaning about how bad I've had it or how bad I've got it, compared to anyone else:  

"Tribulation Poker," anyone?

"Full House!"

"Ha!  My Royal Flush beats your Full House all to smithereens! "   

But, honestly, does anyone think that 2021 will have to work all that hard to be better than 2020?  Why or why not?  Personally, I think that 2021 could be a "lazy, slacker year" and still be better than 2020.  Agree?  Disagree?  Why or why not?  Did you have a particularly good year in 2020, Pandemic and Pandemonium notwithstanding?  How so?  Discuss!

Edited December 31, 2020 by Kenngo1969

[The Nehor]

[Ahab]

1 minute ago, Kenngo1969 said:

You might find it hard to believe if you were able to peruse some of the topics I've started over the years or some of my contributions to existing topics, but, really, I'm not that into whining and moaning about how bad I've had it or how bad I've got it, compared to anyone else:  

"Tribulation Poker," anyone?

"Full House!"

"Ha!  My Royal Flush beats your Full House all to smithereens! "   

But, honestly, does anyone think that 2021 will have to work all that hard to be better than 2020?  Why or why not?  Personally, I think that 2021 could be a "lazy, slacker year" and still be better than 2020.  Agree?  Disagree?  Why or why not?  Discuss!

Hmm, let me count some of my blessings and the blessings I have noticed that some other people have experienced this year.  (I like to look on the bright side, usually, overlooking or reframing any negative perspectives)

* i still have my job and my usual pay and benefits including a very good health insurance program

* I got some extra pay this year from some government stimulus packages

* I get to work from home most of the time now, going into my office only 1 day of the week now

* I got my first grand child this year  (the other children are just normal children, not grand)

* I have noticed that some other people got to go to paradise before I did this year... a LOT of people, actually (I almost envy them for that)

* I and my wife recently sold our house for a huge profit because of the really hot house market and will be moving in soon with one of my sons who lives only 3 houses away from our other son, his wife, and our grand child

That's all I can think of for now but a lot of good things have happened this year and I hope things will stay on this positive track for me and most of my family.

 

[The Nehor]

Happy New Year!!!!

 

[Kenngo1969]

32 minutes ago, Ahab said:

Hmm, let me count some of my blessings and the blessings I have noticed that some other people have experienced this year.  (I like to look on the bright side, usually, overlooking or reframing any negative perspectives)

* i still have my job and my usual pay and benefits including a very good health insurance program

* I got some extra pay this year from some government stimulus packages

* I get to work from home most of the time now, going into my office only 1 day of the week now

* I got my first grand child this year  (the other children are just normal children, not grand)

* I have noticed that some other people got to go to paradise before I did this year... a LOT of people, actually (I almost envy them for that)

* I and my wife recently sold our house for a huge profit because of the really hot house market and will be moving in soon with one of my sons who lives only 3 houses away from our other son, his wife, and our grand child

That's all I can think of for now but a lot of good things have happened this year and I hope things will stay on this positive track for me and most of my family.

 

Well, I agree that we should look on the bright side as much as possible, and I'm glad that things are going well for you.  I do think we should try to accentuate the positive and to minimize the negative as much as possible.  That having been said, even in the scriptures, we are commanded to "live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die" (Doctrine & Covenants 42:45) and to "mourn with those that mourn" (see Mosiah 18:8-10).

[Ahab]

1 minute ago, Kenngo1969 said:

Well, I agree that we should look on the bright side as much as possible, and I'm glad that things are going well for you.  I do think we should try to accentuate the positive and to minimize the negative as much as possible.  That having been said, even in the scriptures, we are commanded to "live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die" (Doctrine & Covenants 42:45) and to "mourn with those that mourn" (see Mosiah 18:8-10).

Yeah I admit I have some trouble following or even understanding that commandment.  When people die they are going on to an even better place than this place.  A good thing, for them.  A happy thing, for them. I did cry when my Dad died but only because of my selfish desire to be with him or to have him remain with me.  So unless that is the kind of mourning those scriptures are referring to, crying from that sense of personal loss, for those who feel that sense of loss, I don't understand why we shouldn't feel happy and want to throw parties for those who have moved on.

[Kenngo1969]

19 minutes ago, Ahab said:

Yeah I admit I have some trouble following or even understanding that commandment.  When people die they are going on to an even better place than this place.  A good thing, for them.  A happy thing, for them. I did cry when my Dad died but only because of my selfish desire to be with him or to have him remain with me.  So unless that is the kind of mourning those scriptures are referring to, crying from that sense of personal loss, for those who feel that sense of loss, I don't understand why we shouldn't feel happy and want to throw parties for those who have moved on.

I understand that perspective, as well, and I admit that I don't know where the line is between "weeping for the loss of them that die" and "mourning with those that mourn," on the one hand, and celebrating (in a way) their passage to a better life, on the other hand.  I do know that those who have researched what most comforts loved ones left behind state that we should attempt to minimize neither the loss nor the keen grief that often accompanies it.  Perhaps a clue can be found in the fact that even though Christ knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, still, he wept with Mary and Martha for their loss.

[cacheman]

1 hour ago, Kenngo1969 said:

You might find it hard to believe if you were able to peruse some of the topics I've started over the years or some of my contributions to existing topics, but, really, I'm not that into whining and moaning about how bad I've had it or how bad I've got it, compared to anyone else:  

"Tribulation Poker," anyone?

"Full House!"

"Ha!  My Royal Flush beats your Full House all to smithereens! "   

But, honestly, does anyone think that 2021 will have to work all that hard to be better than 2020?  Why or why not?  Personally, I think that 2021 could be a "lazy, slacker year" and still be better than 2020.  Agree?  Disagree?  Why or why not?  Did you have a particularly good year in 2020, Pandemic and Pandemonium notwithstanding?  How so?  Discuss!

This year was full of ups and downs for us.   Starting with a February tornado which affected some of my students and friends,  the pandemic and associated shutdown at work, a lot of significant increases with my work responsibilities,  a devastating late spring freeze (lost 90% of my fruit production), serious health issues with my wife resulting in 3 weeks of hospitalization in July and August,  several associated surgeries and procedures through the fall,  and covid sickness in the family including one death. 

It sounds like a horrible year..... But wait,  there's more!  Our first grandchild was born, we celebrated our 25th anniversary,  my wife's recovery has exceeded expectations,  I received a work promotion and never missed a paycheck, neither my wife or myself have caught covid, and I had my best mushroom foraging year yet! 

I could do without the negatives in 2021.  But,  the positives were ones to remember!  I know that a lot of people dealt with much greater challenges and losses over the last year.  My heart goes out to them in wishing for a better new year.

 

[Ahab]

4 minutes ago, Kenngo1969 said:

I understand that perspective, as well, and I admit that I don't know where the line is between "weeping for the loss of them that die" and "mourning with those that mourn," on the one hand, and celebrating (in a way) their passage to a better life, on the other hand.  I do know that those who have researched what most comforts loved ones left behind state that we should attempt to minimize neither the loss nor the keen grief that often accompanies it.  Perhaps a clue can be found in the fact that even though Christ knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, still, he wept with Mary and Martha for their loss.

I think for not realizing the Resurrection was standing right there in front of them, and that he could have raised their brother from the dead right then and there.  Which he did, after crying, to show them he could.

[Kenngo1969]

3 minutes ago, cacheman said:

This year was full of ups and downs for us.   Starting with a February tornado which affected some of my students and friends,  the pandemic and associated shutdown at work, a lot of significant increases with my work responsibilities,  a devastating late spring freeze (lost 90% of my fruit production), serious health issues with my wife resulting in 3 weeks of hospitalization in July and August,  several associated surgeries and procedures through the fall,  and covid sickness in the family including one death. 

It sounds like a horrible year..... But wait,  there's more!  Our first grandchild was born, we celebrated our 25th anniversary,  my wife's recovery has exceeded expectations,  I received a work promotion and never missed a paycheck, neither my wife or myself have caught covid, and I had my best mushroom foraging year yet! 

I could do without the negatives in 2021.  But,  the positives were ones to remember!  I know that a lot of people dealt with much greater challenges and losses over the last year.  My heart goes out to them in wishing for a better new year.

 

I'm glad that the glass was (at least) half full.  I wish you and yours well.  

[Kenngo1969]

4 minutes ago, Ahab said:

I think for not realizing the Resurrection was standing right there in front of them, and that he could have raised their brother from the dead right then and there.  Which he did, after crying, to show them he could.

Hmmm. I'm sorry; I'm sure it's me, but I'm confused by your response.  What is your intended antecedent of "to show them that He could"?  Is it the fact that He cried (in other words, He cried to show them that He could cry?)  If so, I think that there's much more to His display of emotion on this occasion than that.  Or is  your thesis is that He wept because of the faithlessness of Mary and Martha?   If so, one wonders what to make, then, of Martha's declaration, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother [would not have] died" (John 11:21).  That hardly strikes me as the declaration of someone who lacks faith.

[rodheadlee]

Happy New Year

Edited December 31, 2020 by rodheadlee

[Ahab]

1 hour ago, Kenngo1969 said:

Hmmm. I'm sorry; I'm sure it's me, but I'm confused by your response.  What is your intended antecedent of "to show them that He could"?  Is it the fact that He cried (in other words, He cried to show them that He could cry?)  If so, I think that there's much more to His display of emotion on this occasion than that.  Or is  your thesis is that He wept because of the faithlessness of Mary and Martha?   If so, one wonders what to make, then, of Martha's declaration, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother [would not have] died" (John 11:21).  That hardly strikes me as the declaration of someone who lacks faith.

They both seem to have had faith that the man they knew as Jesus could heal but it seems to me from how they responded to his arrival that they both lacked the faith to accept the idea that he could raise their brother from the dead.  It wasn't as if either one of them said:

Oh great! You are here now!  Would you please raise our brother from the dead now that he is dead.  We have a lot of things we would like his help with and he can't very well do those things we want him to do with him being dead and all.  So would you please?  We would both really appreciate having our brother around for a while longer. 

From Martha it was like:

If only you had been here.  I'm sure you could have healed him to prevent him from dying. But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

And Jesus said something like:

Your brother will rise again.

And then Martha said:

I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

 

Instead of Martha saying something like:

Great!  I have a lot of things I'd like him to do!  How soon can you get him up?

 

So since Martha didn't seem to realize what Jesus could do for her brother even though her brother had died, Jesus then said to her:

I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

At which point Martha then said something like:

Yea, Lord: I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

And then Martha went to get Mary, and then when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him:

Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have not died.

 

Instead of saying something like:

Great!  You're here now!  Would you please get our brother up now?  We have a lot of things for him to do!  Plus we love him.  And we're so happy you're here now, so you can get him up for us!

 

So when Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, instead of being happy that everyone was happy to see him.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Ahab

[Rain]

Honestly I think a lot of things have been going very badly in world for a long time so I don't see this year being as bad as everyone talks about. It's just a step up. We just don't learn all the bad things going on normally - and many probably didn’t hear of a lot of those things happening this year either.  

That isn't to say it was a piece of cake.  If deaths, sickness, lack of jobs, schooling problems, working in the hospital etc. affected you then it is going to feel like a lot bigger year than 2019 was.  

I think another thing was it helped people to "be still".  A lot of people took up meditation, yoga, watercolor etc.  Others got closer to family members because it became more important. This has made things not near so big for them.  

So, no,  I think when you look at the overall picture it wouldn't take 2021 much to be bigger than 2020 

 

[Kenngo1969]

13 minutes ago, Rain said:

 

... I think ... it helped people to "be still".  A lot of people took up meditation, yoga, watercolor etc.  Others got closer to family members because it became more important. This has made things not near so big for them.  

So, no,  I think when you look at the overall picture it wouldn't take 2021 much to be bigger than 2020 

 

I appreciate your perspective and agree with what you say here.  I've told this story/joke before, but it bears remembering that if someone is determined to be pessimistic come what may, then there isn't much that will change his outlook.  I'm reminded of the identical twins, one an optimist, one a pessimist.  For their birthday, the parents got the pessimist everything they could think of: an erector set, a toy train, a new bike, a little red wagon, a flexible flyer sleigh, and so on, ad infinitum.  For the optimist, on the other hand, all they got was a box of manure.  A beautifully-wrapped box of manure, mind you, but a box of manure nonetheless.

On the appointed day, the pessimist comes slouching down the stairs, rounds the corner into a living room positively chock full of gloriously wrapped presents, and mutters, "Oh, is that all you got me?"  Meanwhile, the optimist comes racing down the stairs taking them two at a time, rounds the corner into the living room, spies his gloriously-wrapped box of manure, rips it open enthusiastically and repeats over and over while pawing through the manure like mad, "There's gotta be a pony in here someplace!  There's gotta be a pony in here someplace!!!"    

[Kenngo1969]

Ahab,

I wouldn't be too hard on Mary and Martha.  Even His Apostles, who were with Him day in and day out, often accompanied Him in His travels, and heard Him preach constantly, missed the central message of the Resurrection.  I don't think it's surprising that a couple of people who were with Him, for the most part, only during His "down time" would miss it.  Heck, here we are, 2,000 years later, and how many people in our allegedly-enlightened era still are ignorant of that Greatest Message in All of Human History?

Regards,

-Ken

[Rain]

3 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

I appreciate your perspective and agree with what you say here.  I've told this story/joke before, but it bears remembering that if someone is determined to be pessimistic come what may, then there isn't much that will change his outlook.  I'm reminded of the identical twins, one an optimist, one a pessimist.  For their birthday, the parents got the pessimist everything they could think of: an erector set, a toy train, a new bike, a little red wagon, a flexible flyer sleigh, and so on, ad infinitum.  For the optimist, on the other hand, all they got was a box of manure.  A beautifully-wrapped box of manure, mind you, but a box of manure nonetheless.

On the appointed day, the pessimist comes slouching down the stairs, rounds the corner into a living room positively chock full of gloriously wrapped presents, and mutters, "Oh, is that all you got me?"  Meanwhile, the optimist comes racing down the stairs taking them two at a time, rounds the corner into the living room, spies his gloriously-wrapped box of manure, rips it open enthusiastically and repeats over and over while pawing through the manure like mad, "There's gotta be a pony in here someplace!  There's gotta be a pony in here someplace!!!"    

I like the heart of this, but don't like what it shows of the optimist.  A lot of people view optomists this way - as if they are in fantasy land.  I prefer an optimistic realist who rips it open and exclaims, "I can use this to plant a garden!"

[The Nehor]

Goodbye 2020.

Give my regards to Saint Peter.

Or whoever has his job.....but in HELL.

[Kenngo1969]

I sure am glad the Mods dumped this into Social Hall, where it wouldn't get any traffic.   I thought it was a worthwile topic, but that just goes to show you how poor my judgment is.  Mods, just shut the damn thing down.  Thanks.

[rodheadlee]

15 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

I sure am glad the Mods dumped this into Social Hall, where it wouldn't get any traffic.   I thought it was a worthwile topic, but that just goes to show you how poor my judgment is.  Mods, just shut the damn thing down.  Thanks.

Patience young Luke. Here is a song for you. sorry for the swearing.

 

[rodheadlee]

It's been a really long year. It started out with hopes of employment and getting out of our marina in La Salina, MX. Then we discovered we were reading the wrong tide chart and we wouldn't be getting out with some dredging being done. We started looking for a crane to put us on trailer to haul us out and splash us in Ensenada. Then the pandemic hit and all the crane people didn't want to talk to us. Then they shot our docknmaster who was trying to get some dredging done. Then the bullets started flying for real. There is nothing like laying in the bottom of your boat listening to bullets whizzing overhead to bring you close to God. Eventually we got a partner to help pay for some dredging. In the mean time more bullets were whizzing by and they ran off our first dredger guys. We were going to offer the bad guys an exit fee but then about 200 police, marine, FBI guys showed up and cleaned the place out. They gave us verbal permission to dredge and a phone number to call if more bad guys showed up.

We hauled 140 dump truck loads of sand out and escaped on July 3, 2020. It seems like so long ago. I got a job in San Diego so I can see my 87 year old parents frequently (we stay there when we work in the US) but it appears covid is shutting us down. I have not worked since Thanksgiving Day.

2021 depends on how long they sit on the vaccine. It could be really bad, Mom might get the bug going to Walmart or it could be really good if they start getting vaccine out rapidly. Dad called Scan about getting a shot. "yeah we have it, don't call us we'll call you"

[longview]

15 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

I sure am glad the Mods dumped this into Social Hall, where it wouldn't get any traffic.   I thought it was a worthwile topic, but that just goes to show you how poor my judgment is.  Mods, just shut the damn thing down.  Thanks.

This might help - - -

[The Nehor]

18 hours ago, Kenngo1969 said:

I sure am glad the Mods dumped this into Social Hall, where it wouldn't get any traffic.   I thought it was a worthwile topic, but that just goes to show you how poor my judgment is.  Mods, just shut the damn thing down.  Thanks.

Moving it is not about whether it is worthwhile. It is mostly about its relevance to the Church and the discussion of it. Should have put in a bit about whether the church is on-board with New Year resolutions.

[Skylla]

Locked as requested.

Skylla