Do you tell lies? Do you call them fibs or little white lies, or tricking? It really doesn’t matter what we call them, ultimately they are LIES. Lies come in many forms, but they are still LIES. Have you ever thought about the lies (fibs or whatever you want to call them) you tell? Have you ever thought that your children, grandchildren, nieces, cousins, nephews are listening to every word? Do you think people can’t tell when you are lying and when you are telling the truth? Trust me they can. Do you lie to get what you want? Do you lie to keep out of trouble? (That one makes no sense, because you are getting yourself into MORE trouble.) When you lie, it really only hurts YOU. You really are lying to YOURSELF. No one else. You are the only ONE it hurts. People lose trust AND respect for you. Have you ever thought about that? One lie will lead to another because you have to lie to hide that lie, and then you will have to lie to cover up that lie, and so forth, then before you know it, you are really in deep. That is really quite sad. Think about that!
We all know the fictional story of the little boy that when he would tell lies, a feature on his face would grow longer, and longer, and LONGER. How long would our facial feature be? Have you ever thought about that? Walking through life, everyone would know that we were not trustworthy.
Let’s do an exercise. Get a notebook, something to write with and go somewhere quiet where you can sit and think. On a clean sheet of paper, write down the first lie that you have told today, then the second, and continue until you have written down all the lies you have told today. Are you proud of yourself? Did you realize that you had told that many lies? Even one lie is too many.
I know family members that have lost there jobs for telling a “little white lie”. They lost their job. Think about that sentence for a moment. I know people who have walked away from marriages because they were lied to. Think about that sentence! I know people who have quit speaking to family members because they were lied to. Think about that sentence.
Do you lie to your children, then get mad at them when they lie back to you? They really do hear what you say, and see what you do.
Has lying become a way of life? Are you a habitual liar? Almost everything OR everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie? Think about that!
Do you keep secrets from your spouse or significant other? Yes that is a form of lying.
Do you deceive people? Are you dishonest? Yes, these are both forms of lying. Think about that for a moment!
Do you try to justify what you are saying or doing?
Yes, people can tell when you are lying. Does this shock you? It shouldn’t. You are not as clever as you think you are. Think about that sentence! LYING always comes back to bite you. You really don’t get away with it.
I challenge each of you to try the exercise and then try to tell the truth for 1 hour at a time. If you fail, write the lie down, and start again. Become a better person. Be the person you want to be and not the one that tells the lies. EVERYONE is watching you. You may have to apologize for lies you have told. Do it! Start changing your ways now. Its a good time to change.
Telling the truth is so invigorating AND you won’t have to keep track of all the lies.
I probably should have started my road to retirement long ago, and I kind of did. After all I have a small 401k from a previous employer, but I really don’t think I have enough money saved. I’ve decided I want to try and retire early however, my road to retirement is going to be a journey that will take some BIG changes. I need to get serious NOW. (I really should have gotten serious a few years ago). Here are a few of my steps that I need to accomplish in my opinion. Two important aspects are going to be planning, and discipline. Because I want to retire early, here is what I need to plan for on my road to retirement.
Vacation time– Road trip to West Yellowstone and BearWorld. Yes, summertime is here and that means vacations. Whether you take a long road trip or a short road trip, just getting away is fun. We just returned from a fun 3 day getaway with my middle child Jared and his wife Kinlee and there cute little family of girls ages 8, 5, 2. We didn’t go far away, but where we went and what we did was so fun. We decided months ago, that we would go up to BearWorld just outside of Rexburg, ID. I have been there with my other 2 sons and their families, and it was time to take Jared and his family. We rented a large SUV that would hold the 7 of us, and we loaded up on a Thursday morning and away we went. This trip was about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Jared’s home. We played several games in the car such as “I’m going on a trip and I’m going to take…?”. This is a fun game to while away the time in the car and reduce boredom. We started at the beginning of the alphabet, and each person had a turn to take something with the letter that fell on them as there turn came around. They really enjoyed it, so we went through the alphabet again, but used “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m going to take…?”. We really had fun. I had been to the “Dollar Tree” several days before the trip, and had picked up some car bingo games that came with a marker that could be erased and the game used again. The girls really enjoyed that also.
In our travels, we went to some BEAUTIFUL falls that were named “Mesa Falls”. These falls are located just outside of Ashton, ID just past Rexburg, ID. There are Upper Mesa Falls and Lower Mesa Falls. The view and scenery were breathtaking. It’s a little bit of a hike (not a hard one) to the upper falls, but well worth it. If you are into camping, there are campgrounds located close to the falls. It is a well paved road and if you follow the road on past the falls, it will eventually take you to Henry’s Fork by Island Park, ID. Coming down from the falls, in the little town of Ashton, there is a little old fashioned soda fountain, (I can’t remember the name darn it) where we ate dinner.
We also drove to West Yellowstone, and on the way, went exploring for a place called Big Springs. This is in Island Park, ID. It’s a little bit off the main highway, but a fun place to explore. The girls had fun here also. There is a little pond, where the water bubbles up from underground springs. No fishing, swimming or wading. It is so clear, that you can see tadpoles swimming around in the water. There are also campgrounds located by Big Springs. In West Yellowstone, there is a fun museum all about Yellowstone and the beginning of visitors there. They have a couple of fun games for the kids to do as they go through the museum looking for things. The girls loved this. It took us a while to find some of the things on the list.
Just unplug for a little while. I have decided to turn my cell phone off for a few hours everyday, not just an hour at a time, but a few hours all at one time. I have watch many people lately, and have decided that they are obsessed/addicted to there cell phones. We didn’t used to have cell phones, and got along just fine. Here is a little unscientific test that I have come up with.
My 4 year old grandson has been asking me lately, ” who are your parents?” When I explain to him who they are and that they have both died, his response is “why”?
Today for Sunday dinner I made my moms chicken mexi casserole. I love making my moms recipes as it makes me feel connected to her. I have made this recipe several times as it is an easy one to make on Saturday, put in the refrigerator over night, and then cook it on Sunday 1 1/2 before you eat. It’s yummy and very easy to make and my family have enjoyed it. I love recipes that save me time. I have included the recipe here.
Today was the day we took the Christmas tree down. Yes, I know it’s February 4, 2017, but I just wasn’t ready to take the Christmas tree down. There is a song written by Michael McLean for his famous Christmas program “The Forgotten Carols” that says, “I cry the day I take the tree down. I want the season to last all year long”. That is exactly how I feel. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Christmas season and everything it stands for. I love the decorations, the lights, the children faces, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, shopping for presents everything about it I LOVE.