Adapting My Culture

Kids say the strangest things.

Kids that read dictionaries to learn new words for fun say even stranger things!!!

I asked Alex a few days ago how he would feel about having a baby sister (we are NOT making an announcement here... this was hypothetical).

He said, "I don't think I could adapt my culture to that."

Out of the mouth of babes

To conserve on resources, my family has only one vehicle and today, my wife was dropping me off at work before going on some errands with the children.

As we were preparing to leave, my just-turned-three-year-old asked me if I was going with them to the library. I said, no, you are dropping me off at work. Surprised, he asked again if I was going to the library, and again, I said, no, I have to go to work.

He paused, and then said with sincere compassion, "Ohhhhhhhh mmmmmmman".

REPOST: continuing christmas invitation

I wrote this 2 years ago. Moving it over from old blog. Seems like a nice time to repost it!

Tonight, while I was working on some research, I was also playing the film "Joy to the World", a Christmas production by the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints. As I watched the depiction of the birth of the Son of God, I thought of how wonderful it would be to have been there. I was thinking of how I might have felt in His presence.

And yet, I think that such wistful thinking is unnecessary and misguided on my part. Is Christ dead? Is his presence unattainable? Are the gifts and blessings and powers of his presence unattainable? Did not Jesus say that greater works would be done after his mortal ministry (St. John 14:12) because he would send his Spirit unto us (St. John 16:7)? Is not the invitation to come unto Him still extended?

In truth, Christ's arm is always extended to me. No, that is too passive. He is actively knocking at the door of my heart (Rev 3:20), but only I can open the door. But maybe opening my door would require me to leave my fishing nets. Perhaps I've been offered 30 pieces of silver to keep the door closed. Or maybe I'm afraid that his loving voice, and gentle hands that have me engraven upon them, will accompany a charge to "go and sin no more".

In Christ's time, the man with Palsy desired Christ's presence, and had himself let down through a roof. He was with Him for a few minutes perhaps.

The wise men journeyed who knows how many miles to see him for just long enough to deliver their gifts of love.

The gentile woman begged and pleaded at his feet for a crumb from his table and presumably never saw him again.

These people all paid high (wordly) prices for a few minutes of his presence. But to me, he offers his uninterrupted company through His Spirit if I will but sacrifice my hardened heart and proud spirit on the alter. It is so easy, to wish that I had been at his birth, or long for his return to the earth. But to follow Him here - to be in the world and not a part of it - is the real challenge. A challenge that requires, refines, and develops faith.

Thanks be to God for his mighty wisdom and love for His children. How wonderous is his plan that places me in a state to act. A plan that allows me to learn by experience good from evil, and develop faith in His Son. A plan that provides a perfect and eternal Atonement so that this mortal learning experience will not stain and destroy my spirit.

The invitation to come unto Jesus is still extended. His hand knocks at my door still.

Oh that I might keep my door open to him always and receive the peace he is so willing to give.

Moved!

This is the future home of geekabytes.net, the Nielson's personal blog. Geekabytes.net was formerly hosted on a wordpress install at Rice University where Seth was a student. It also had a lot of spam.

Hopefully, this version won't have this problem.