One of my favorite shows lately is BRAIN GAMES. On a scale from 1 to 10, it is pretty legit! Literally, my brain explodes every time I watch this show. One of my favorite episodes is the one on Compassion. From my personal beliefs, I know it is important to not be self absorbed in our own selfish desires. We need to seek to help others around us.
Did you know though... that COMPASSION is CONTAGIOUS?! I mean there's even science to back this up. If YOU choose to be compassionate just ONE person, you can make a HUGE difference! Check out this video below:
"Compassion means to feel love and mercy toward another person. It means to have sympathy and desire to relieve the suffering of others. It means to show kindness and tenderness toward another. The Savior has asked us to do the things which He has done, to bear one another’s burdens, to comfort those who need comfort, to mourn with those who mourn, to feed the hungry, visit the sick, to succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and to ‘teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom’ [D&C 88:77].” - Barbara Thompson
CHOOSE TO BE COMPASSIONATE, CHOOSE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY
So I find it funny what people define as "appropriate". Movies and Video Games have a rating system that say what is "appropriate" for different ages... but who gets to decide that?
The other day, a friend on facebook posted a video of him DJing a church dance. His video posed the question, "Do you feel this song is appropriate?"... "Well 299 youth didn't think so". Apparently, a couple of the youth at this dance didn't think the song was appropriate.
The song was "Turn Down For What"...
So... I guess what they defined as "appropriate" is "if the youth like it, then it's ok."... ya... I don't think so.
For those few that stood alone in saying it was NOT appropriate... I say good job!
According to the church handbook, the song they used is NOT appropriate from the lyrics alone.
I'm going to keep this was short and sweet... I love to hear Elder Holland speak. He is bold, yet loving... and I always feel motivated to do a little more and be a little better after hearing him. I love this part of a talk he gave a few years ago. We must NEVER give up. It is NEVER too late to change and put our mistakes behind us.
So... I went to the Video Game Symposium at BYU yesterday. I was able to hear a great presentation from Dr. Sarah Coyne on the negative influence that violent video games can have on us. Her research showed that playing violent video games was related to higher amounts of physical aggression in Emerging Adults. In this room full of many "Gamers" I might add, it would seem that a handful of them blew this off and didn't think it was an issue. I, first hand, have seen this. My brother and I used to play a ton of video games when I was in Jr. High... a lot more than we should have. Many times we would get in fights while playing these games... then, my brother went on his mission and the last thing he "jokingly" said was, "Well... um... don't go to crazy with the new Nintendo system that comes out". The last thing I hear from my brother were those lines... ya... I completely stopped playing video games after that. It bothers me when people ignore the research and feel it doesn't apply to them. Well... with a room full of BYU and LDS students, I decided to see what the Prophets and Apostles of today had to say... Elder M. Russell Ballard explained: “One of the ways Satan … weakens your spiritual strength is by encouraging you to spend large blocks of your time doing things that matter very little. I speak of such things as . . . playing video games night in and night out.”
"For some, they can become addictive, leading to lost spirituality, lost opportunities, and lost relationships." https://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/08/just-a-game?lang=eng The people that have the problem are usually those that feel there is NOT a problem... Example - I talked to a couple people at school about this, they said that last year Dr. Brad Bushman came to BYU. He had done similar studies on the negative impact of violent media... He said that a lot of people said violent media was not a problem because "they hadn't killed anyone"... Might I add... this researcher had received death threats from several people because of his research. (Kind of ironic don't ya think?) Elder Ballard further stated, "Others resist the idea that their online gaming is a problem, insisting that they are only relaxing, or that since they play with other people, it’s a social activity. Still others argue that since it’s a game, it cannot be addictive." Here are some of the problems though: "News reports include stories of broken marriages, lost employment, failed health, even children removed from parents because of criminal neglect caused by the parents’ excessive online gaming.1We personally know of young men who have forfeited mission opportunities because, they say, their online gaming group needs them, and they simply cannot be gone for two years." “Virtual reality must not become [our] reality.”
Elder Bednar - "Things as They Really Are"
What do you think? Can video games become an addiction? Do you think violent video games can influence people to be more physically aggressive?
So I overheard a girl at BYU talking to her friends about her new calling as a Gospel Principles Teacher in church... not that I was meaning to eavesdrop or anything... but it caught my attention when she said, "I don't know how I can just talk about gospel principles for an hour...". Her friend said, "Well just ask a lot of questions and hope people talk."
I thought to myself, "How often do I just talk AT others when I teach? Do I help others to become AGENTS to ACT, or are they acted upon by my words?"
I think the simple phrase WWJD is sometimes overlooked when we look at TEACHING.
Often, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we grow up learning WHAT Christ taught, but not as often do we reflect on HOW he taught. If we could understand that, we would have more converted youth and adults from the impact of parents, Sunday school teachers, YM/YW leaders, etc.
So... I decided to look at different Mediums that could help me understand "How was Jesus Christ the Master Teacher?"
“In the home, the school, or the house of God, there is one teacher whose life overshadows all others. He taught of life and death, of duty and destiny. He lived not to be served, but to serve; not to receive, but to give; not to save his life, but to sacrifice it for others. He described a love more beautiful than lust, a poverty richer than treasure. It was said of this teacher that he taught with authority and not as did the scribes. I speak of the Master Teacher, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. When dedicated teachers respond to his gentle invitation, ‘Come learn of me,’ they learn, but they also become partakers of his divine power.”
—President Thomas S. Monson “A gospel teacher will never be satisfied with just delivering a message or preaching a sermon. A superior gospel teacher wants to assist in the Lord’s work to bring eternal life to His children” - Elder Dallin H. Oaks On LDS.org, PREACH is defined as "To give a message that provides a better understanding of a gospel principle or doctrine." We cannot just teach but we must PREACH in this way, that it may lead others to live the Doctrine of Christ and CHANGE. A Great Gospel Teacher is more than a dispenser of information. They are their to invite and help others to come unto Christ. When it comes to TEACHING, let us all try to talk less, and help others EXPERIENCE more.
Well... with it being Valentine's Day and all next week... I feel it is only fair that I write about how media has influenced my marriage. I love my wife! She has been my best friend for coming up on 8 years now! She is so selfless, kind, beautiful, and loving... and this Valentine's Day marks 2 1/2 years being married too! We were married on August 14, 2012. It is great to look back on photos and videos to remind us of that day. Now, not as many people get wedding videos these days... they can be expensive. We got a deal because I used to work for a wedding video company before my mission. Though... even if you do have a wedding video, it seems like you watch it a couple times, maybe at your anniversary, and then put it with the rest of your DVD's. Well... I love watching ours... it reminds me of the wonderful day that we started off our journey together... as well as a continual reminder of the covenant or promise we made with our Heavenly Father.
Now let me just say, marriage isn't like all the fairy tales... it is hard... but it is also real love, unlike what we see in the movies. I have grown so much through my marriage and continue to learn from the great example of my wife. I love to read articles and watch Mormon Messages that help me to be not only a better Father but also, a better Husband. This quote is one of my favorites: "If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by." - Elder F. Burton Howard The world's mentality can be very selfish... "If you don't like your marriage, then you can always find someone else". Marriage is meant to last forever... but to make it last forever both must be willing to learn, grow, and be refined into the people that God intends us to become... These 2 videos remind me of how true CHARITY can guide us... change us... and transform us... through the Atonement of Christ.
"Expressions of Love"
"Enduring Love"
This one... gets me every time... this is what TRUE LOVE looks like.
So... I have to say... I love my daughter, Charlotte!! She is the greatest little addition to our family. She is always smiling and laughing (most of the time)... and crawling all over our little apartment. She definitely has a special spirit that she bring to our home that I am especially grateful for!
I have realized lately that seeing "father's" in media has had a different influence on me since I became a dad.
I really believe in what President Boyd K. Packer said that
“MUCH OF WHAT I KNOW THAT REALLY MATTERS I HAVE LEARNED FROM BEING A FATHER.”
School... work... stresses of the daily grind... but when all is said and done, I come home to my FAMILY. Good, powerful media helps me put those things into perspective. Here are a few of my favorites:
One day... this will be me and Charlotte...
Ya... this one too... Daddy Daughter Dates...
"When a man becomes a father for the first time, his heart expands in unanticipated ways. He appreciates and understands his own father like never before. He also gets a small glimpse at the infinite and complete love that Heavenly Father has for each of His children."
