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Fishing Rodeo Week

September 27, 2008 was a day that I won't be forgetting for a while. It was out district annual Cub Scout Fishing Rodeo! I had tried to get help, but because of some other distractions, I forgot to get the sign up sheets out and filled. I was in a bit of a panic, I had a huge event and no leader help. I sent a call for help out at church and the volunteers came in, I had more than enough people to help out. Although the list was small, we figured the rodeo would be equally small, there hadn't been many people register. We figured it was because of Big Spring Jam http://www.bigspringjam.org/ . But on with our show. We ended up having 150 cubs and their families sign up that day! (so much for early registration) We were so excited to have so many show up, We were sort of scrambling to get everyone signed in, which meant someone had to go get more copies of stuff made, and in the end, someone had to go get more food for lunch. Curtis our DE helped out with that. He was our runner and dude he ran! The week before the rodeo, I had a strict schedule of things that had to be accomplished, Monday, cut cane poles (bamboo) Tuesday class A uniform and follow up on donation requests. (Huge thanks to Gander Mtn. Target, Domino's pizza, Bridge Street Town Centre, Hobby Town USA, Bait Busters, and some others I can't recall right now) Wednesday, Cut more cane poles, (Thank you Kevin Kitchens), and follow up on porta-johns, acquire a key for the park. and get the grass cut.(come to find out we weren't even on the calender.) got everything lined up. make it home to get the kids ready for scouts. Thursday, meet with Curtis & Garret and make sure everything is is line, stuff 250 goody bags. Friday get the last of the preregistered scouts, and key to the storage room. Then on top of all that, Tuesday was Ben's therapy appointment, and Thursday was a therapy appointment for a friend that I drive for.

Then came Wednesday evening.

Then Wednesday night CeAnna came down the hall of the church how with the Elders, and announced that we were going to the fireside the Missionaries had planned for the following evening. I rolled my eyes and just couldn't figure out when or how that would fit in. Then came the pleading look of the Elder she was with. (the one I gave a good lecture to the Sunday before). I knew I had to go, I just didn't know how it would fit in. Thursday evening CeAnna and I went to the most amazing fireside I have ever attended, the main speaker was a new member of about 2 months, his testimony was so amazing. Before the Elders found him he was 100% atheist and proud of it. The spirit was amazingly strong, like lightening as he spoke. It felt so good to just forget about the rodeo for a while and to be able to get refocused and re-centered on what is really important in this life. Then as I went through out the week and I would pass by other members and see their smile, and say hey, it was so good to feel their spirit for just a quick minute. So as crazy as the week was, it was a week full of extremes. I am just so thankful for everyone that does what they are suppose to do so that as I breeze by them, I am able to feel of their sweet spirit, and be reminded that I am a Child of God, and that Heavenly Father does love me and does watch out for me. I am so thankful for all the angles that also support me in all I do.

In the end we had a very successful event, and I am still supper excited about next years fishing rodeo. And I don't like to fish!

Confrence week end

Dang Mary, I wish I could get my words out as good as you do, but Elder Holland's talk was only conformation to me, in all I do, and these scary roads I drive on, I know daily there are angels all around me and helping me. The week before the fishing rodeo, was extremely crazy.

This weekends conference to me was more like a spirit booster and reminder of what is need to be done before Jesus Christ can come, and that he will come, the battle against evil is very real, but No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, righteousness will prevail and I can either continue to help, or I can get mowed over.

"The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and dependent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah will say, 'The work is done.'"

This has always been one of my more favorite quotes that I memorized as a missionary, I can't believe how much of it I have forgotten, gonna have to work on that one.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

General Relif Society Meeting

Last night although I was all the way exhausted I decided I would go down to the church to attend the Relief Society Meeting rather than just watch it at home. Prior to the broadcast from SLC we had a local stake RS meeting, so it was more in support of that than anything. I soon found my friend who what equally exhausted, and we just sat off to one side chatted and caught up a bit, and then went on into the chapel for the General RS meeting. As it started, I had a different feeling than normal. Usually I don't really care for these meetings, for one reason or another, but the biggest being, I don't see myself as being old enough to be in RS. The feeling I felt this time was the same feeling I had about 13 when all of my sisters were together in Boise and we all attended together. For some reason I really wanted to be sitting with all of them right then. Soon the meeting started, I felt the spirit and enjoyed the talks, mostly the straight forwardness of them. They were very bold about what we should be doing. Something I am very thankful for. One of the best quotes was by Sister Barbra Thompson who quoted Joseph Smith. "If you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates. When I herd that one I was ready to jump up and head out and get to work again. I always knew I had extra help, now I knew it was a promise. The next time that really caught me off guard was during the song "Now Let Us Rejoice" just about the end of the first verse, I knew I was united with all of my sisters in singing this song, it was the same broadcast at the same time and I knew they were all there with me singing this song, so I just sang louder. (apologies going out to everyone who had to hear the earthly tones of my heart) It has been a while since I went to the church to watch the broadcast with, but it sure felt good and I am very glad I went. I think I am not starting to get RS, what a wonderful program here for everyone, not just the "RS" type.

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign , Illinois . I'm 46 years old,
a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a
veteran, and a home owner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative
or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't
believe there are 'two Americas ' - but that every person in this country
can be whom ever and what ever they want to be if they'll just work to get
there - and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I
believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden,
and should always put t he interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this
great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working,
tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks
I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their
daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can
to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred
trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called 'news',
thinking that what they hear is always spun by whom ever is reporting it.
They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public
trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They
want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more
government programs.

I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on
everything. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at
the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified
for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially
that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom
do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't
get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it
'change'.

'Change what? ' , I ask.
'Well, we're going to change America' , they say.
'In what way? ', I query.
'We want someone new and fresh in the White House ', they exclaim.
'So, someone who's not a politician?' , I press.
'Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for
Obama', they state.
'So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has
enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise
incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's
nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?'
'No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change.'

And so it goes. 'Change we can believe in.' Quite frankly, I don't believe
that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent
months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting.
I live in Illinois , so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack
Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a
lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person
who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be
President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth -
other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his
Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a
moment. Put it all aside then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my
president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

CHANGE WHAT?

Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who are
supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced
by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell
out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he
should be elected.

Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent.
Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you
haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton , look it up on the web. This
is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean
from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new
taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading
applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.
Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around
Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has
grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half
years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep.
6, 000 meals, give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North
Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. When offered early release, he refused it.
He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and
insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you
get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A
regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a
foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your
fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found,
and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military
service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to
denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of
Annapolis , during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze
Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now
serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq .

Barack Obama is fond of saying 'We honor John McCain's service...BUT...',
which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, 'Let's
forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership
abilities, and talk some more about change.'

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced
that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's
right. (ed. note: Can any Democrat say this about Obama?) I know in my
heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't
simply want to be President - he wants to lead America , and there's a
huge difference. Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two
candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on
about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public
service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to the
Senate in 1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe
they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his
unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe 'likeability' is a higher
priority for them than 'trust'. Being a prisoner of war is not what
qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America -
but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans
to say, 'Enough.' It is time for people of all parties to stop following the
party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who
wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their
friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all
of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who
knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who
puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President who's qualified to lead.

I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

It is not a black and white issue, it is a right or wrong issue.