Advice to My Children No. 5

5- Think positively. I don't mean the “spazzed-out” sales pitch kind of thinking promoted by what your old man thinks of as 'sharks'. I mean the genuine kind of thinking positive where you are always trying to see the good in someone you are talking with, their ideas, your ideas, someone else who you are talking about, etc. etc. That does not mean you agree with the disagreeable, the irresponsible, or the things you feel uncomfortable about. Even then you can express your disagreement in an honest way and encourage a better route, if there is one, without being condescending. Right when you are talking with someone or listening, remind yourself that that individual is a child of God and that you inherently love this person whether you agree with him or not. He will sense that spirit and more readily trust you and your judgement. Remind yourself of that when you are talking to yourself too.

Advice to My Children No. 4

4- Align your thoughts and activities in such a way that you will be on the same level, or “spiritual high” with those with whom you wish to keep company or associate...now and/or in the eternities...great men and women you look up to and love. Maintain the level of goodness so that their spirits will be attracted to yours and that you will be comfortable in each other's presence. Don't confuse such “goodness” or 'spirituality' with only appearing good so others will admire you. Define, become, and live your “goodness” genuinely. Consistently practice the “Sunday School Answers” of praying often, studying God's word, real service, general kindness, sacrificing some of your present pleasures for later greater good of all, etc. Make this goodness become part of you and you become part of it. Then those who you want most to be with will sense in you the goodness of Christ, and will be drawn to you. This is true for all relationships; friendly, “romantic”, or leader/follower, etc. Make yourself irrefutably 'irresistible'.

Advice to My Children No. 3

3- Practice admitting freely your own mistakes and imperfections.  Readily and sincerely apologizing for them, even when you risk ridicule (this feels a lot better than you think). Know that those worth apologizing to will not ridicule you, but readily forgive you...later if not immediately. Those who are not secure in their being will take advantage of what they interpret as an exposed weakness, but it will not kill you. You will have the peace of knowing you did right in trying to correct your mistakes, and the insecure will probably grow from your example. Do not grovel or apologize for things you ought not. Look to Christ's example to know the difference.

Advice to My Children No. 2

2- Choose for your associates and 'look-up-to-s' people who have developed true Christ-like traits; who are not ashamed to live His Gospel without a hint of superiority or 'special'-ness (you know what your dad means by that); who can exercise authority without being condescending or using unrighteous dominion; who have a direction in life based on goals approved by Jesus Christ Himself; who work hard at those goals with breaks of honest fun; who you can trust to endure hardships and unforeseen adjustments in life while staying true and faithful; who enjoy life without needing exaggeration or laughing at others' expense; who are as comfortable at the pulpit as they are with a wrench in their greasy hands; who you feel as comfortable with them at the pulpit as you do with a wrench in their greasy hands working on your car; and whose real hero is the Savior of all mankind. Become one of those people so even when there is no-one else physically present to associate with or 'look-up-to', you will always have good company.

New-Year's Advice to My Children

Here is some advice I would like to pass on to my children for the new year.  I will post one point each day until they are done.  I ask my children, who know me better than most anyone, to please do not balk at these for my obvious imperfections and inconsistencies.  Know that I am working at these and hope you will also.  These are based on half a century of experience and observing others:

1- Set worthwhile goals and work towards them. People who have good goals, short and long range, have a direction and purpose in life. If you are on a track, determined by goals, it's much more difficult for destructive influences (drifters, losers, etc.) to get you to drift or be wishy-washy, and you have to spend a lot less time making up lost ground when you finally figure out you've taken a wrong direction. Make sure your goals will keep and put you in places where you can be a blessing in the lives of other people. Spend a lot of your planning and implementing time on your knees. When you're not on your knees, work smart and work hard. Don't drift, but become your potential. Don't kill yourself over unmet goals...just adjust and keep heading in the right direction. The right direction is your ultimate goal...to become like Jesus Christ.