I was challenged by some friends to write a blog post that was not about heavy metal. I wasn't big on the idea, but I am going to give it a shot.
This might actually be easier than I thought because in the last couple of days, my time listening to metal has been cut down drastically (thanks to my headphones taking a dump). I usually go to sleep listening to something nice and heavy, as if it weighs down my eyelids. All I have for a backup plan are some really crappy headphones that sound absolutely atrocious, so I've only been listening to clips from the Radio From Hell morning show from X96.
I have actually had a lot of time to re-focus, if you will, on the pre-metalhead Devon. I have been listening to a lot of alternative, classic rock, and oldies. I still love all of the other music that I used to listen to, but I've noticed that I've been very sluggish the last few days. It probably has nothing to do with the music that I have or have not been listening to.
SHIFTING GEARS.....
I've had a few experiences in the past weeks that have helped me feel my worth, and also the importance of my duties as a husband, father, and friend. In some of my previous posts, I've stressed the importance of relying on others. WE CANNOT LIVE LIFE ALONE. Isolation can lead to a lot of negatives:
- Decrease in social skills
- Increase in selfishness
- Loss of self standards
- Bad habits
I could keep going with that list, but you get the point. Nothing feels better than helping someone when they need it. Whether its a friend, family member, or stranger, when we do something good, we are serving the Lord. That is why we're here.
Imagine a man. We'll call him George. George is a decent fella. He has a family, a job, and hobbies. He is happy most of the time, and isn't a jerk to people. However, we ask George when the last time he helped somebody with a problem (a real problem, not like a scratching someones back for them). He can't remember, he thinks maybe 2 years ago. Then we ask him how many chances he's passed up to really help someone. He stands in silence. No answer. We all know that he had a lot of chances, but usually made some excuse (no time, I don't know the person, someone else will do it).
Seriously, come on. If you were in a tough spot and wanted/needed help, what happens when all of the George's in this world leave you hanging. What goes around comes around. We heard in LDS General Conference a few weeks ago that you can't "give yourself poor." To clarify, no matter what, if you give, give, and give some more, you are not going to end up poor. You are only going to be blessed with many gifts, and you will become more loving and caring.
When we are standing in front of the Lord to be judged, we probably don't want to be struck with silence when asked why we didn't help others. There are a lot of scriptures pertaining to this very principle. My two favorites are both in Matthew.
Matthew 22:37-39 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Can't argue with that.....Wouldn't dare to.
