In the Rough - The Blog of Joel McDonald Jr.

I miss high school, save senior year of course. I miss just goofing off with friends and having crazy much-to-do-about-nothing conversations. Last night I hung out with Melanie and a couple of her friends from college. We went to a new Italian place by the mall for dinner. The conversation reminded me of high school, save some mild college minded humor/stories. Perhaps it’s just the fact that I don’t spend time with people my age often enough. I do miss the laughs and the relaxed atmosphere though. Good times…good times.

I am 95% done with my mission paperwork! I had three dental appointments last week. I recieved the news I dreaded…I have to have wisdom teeth pulled. I’m over the initial shock/anger of it. I don’t care anymore…they need to be pulled…so why be angry? Did you know that people in countries such as the Unites States have problems with their wisdom teeth because our food is overly processed? A thought came to mind: If we are created in God’s image, and the food we eat causes us to have difficulties with our bodies, then would that make our food ungodly? Anyway, I am however a bit dismayed that oral surgens seem to be in no rush to get anything done. I talked to one today where I was told that the extraction would probably be a “couple weeks” after the consultation. I’m thinking “Gee…I’m thinking a couple days…not weeks.” I’m really hoping I can find someone who can do it next week. I’m already behind schedule. Procrastinating bites big time.

I began this afternoon, almost immediately when I returned home from church, a letter of counsel to someone whom I am deeply troubled for. After the first two rather long paragraphs the letter broke form and became verses of counsel. Nothing fit together, except in the overall purpose of the letter, as I wrote what came to mind. As a read what I wrote I realized that I too could learn from the counsel that I was giving. Let me share a bit of what I’ve been able to put on paper thus far.

> Some consequences are permanent. You can’t change them. You can’t hide from them. They will be with you for the rest of your days and even after those days have passed. These are the consequences of your choices. All things have a consequence whether they are good or bad. We as people have the ability to make decisions. The decisions we make reflect our maturity and knowledge. Sometimes we make right choices, and sometimes we make wrong choices. Thus is life, and is the will of our Father in Heaven.

> There is no quick fix to your situation. No one came improve your life except for yourself. No amount of money earned by others will benefit you. Continuously looking for the easy way out will only perpetuate the difficulties of your situation.

> You can’t afford to waste time. Success and failure both have one factor in common. Time. Plan and use time wisely. Watch less television. Spend less time on the computer. Continuously seek ways to improve the quality of time and how it benefits you.

I just thought that was some good counsel that I needed myself.

I was listening to “Upward: The Bob Kauflin Hymns Project”. I got the CD free when I ordered Joel Weldon’s latest, “Along the Way”. “Upward…” is a great collection of arrangements of great hymns. My favorite is their rendition of “Rock of Ages”. That hymn never affected me as much as it did today. I sang it in its traditional arrangement in the LDS Hymn book, and then listened to the arrangement on the CD. Wow. I’m going to learn the lead sheet music for it. I love that rendition. You can check out the whole “Upward…” collection at http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/music/hymns.html. The site includes chords, lead music, and you can listen to the hymns. Good stuff…good stuff.

This week is take control week. I’m taking control of anything and everything I can. If something’s bugging me, I’m going to fix it. Things might be changing a good bit pretty darn quick.

Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me

Rock of ages cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From Thy wounded side which flowed
Be of Sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure

All the labors of my hands
Could not meet Thy law’s demands
Could my zeal no respite know
Could my tears forever flow
All for sin could note atone
Thou must save, and Thou alone

Nothing in my hands I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling
Naked come to Thee for dress
Helpless, look to Thee for grace
To Thy fountain Lord I fly
Wash me Savior, or I die

While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes shall close in death
When I soar to worlds unknown
See Thee on thy judgment throne
Rock of Ages cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee

I really think I’m coming to the end of the line as far as my ties with this “company” I’m working for. It seems that nothing is working as it should. A company is a process for creating profits. We have no process, and from the looks of it we don’t have much profit either. Every payday everyone wonders if we are actually going to get paid. I expected it to be like this the first pay period. But not the second and third. Today one of the three co-owners turned in everything he had company related and said he was leaving. Later we find out that he’s with another co-owner on a sales appointment. What the heck is going on here? Another co-owner has a phone discussion with the marketing manager, which leads her to take the marketers outside to discuss things privately. It turns out that hours were cut. I keep asking myself what I’m doing there. It doesn’t seem like the company needs me beyond the marketing material I have. Sure, there were a lot of plans for expansion, but I’m not seeing them happen. I’m seriously considering offering to sell the material I have to them. It would save them money and would let me go on and do something worthwhile. I’m just sick of it.

How many more weeks till my mission? GRRRRRR!

Yesterday evening around the precise time that I had before decided that I would retire into a restful night’s slumber, my wonderful organ, known to most as a stomach, began to tell me that something was not quite right. After a short span of time both my stomach and I came to the realization that my stomach’s original hypothesis did not demonstrate a keen ability to express the actuality of my condition; something was very wrong. Between the frequent trips throughout the early morning to that “great white telephone”, for a span of around five hours, I came to the conclusion that a Trojan horse, or should I say Trojan egg left over from Easter, was the culprit in regards to my tragic condition. My recovery has been slow but it seems that I am on track again to resume my usual daily activities. I may never eat another Easter egg again.

Onwards to deeper and completely separate matters:

I have been truly blessed to have been surrounded by the best and brightest of available peoples wherever I have been placed. This was especially true during my high school years, with the exception of my senior year which from this point forth I will no longer include when speaking on “my high school years”. Senior year is an entirely different subject altogether.

Having lived in a multitude of places, and having met, said farewell, and lost contact with friends over the years I am ecstatic to think of the connection that is ongoing between me and friends whom I met during my high school years. Almost all have started their higher education careers, while I have been a bum I suppose. I admit that I have wasted time, but I learned a great deal nonetheless. There is a plethora of knowledge and opinions that await one in our institutions of higher learning. There can always be found a debate on one issue or another. In this atmosphere many have their opinions and ideology changed to where one may feel more enlightened. Many Christians have entered school only to leave either questioning whether anything which they knew about God is true, or being totally agnostic. Many enter with a set of morals that are only twisted throughout time making for a sense of tolerance. That which they have held dear to no longer works in their new world.

Our civilization has become a society ruled according to this “law”: If it feels good, do it. The effects of this ideology are ever present thanks to the media. I’ve stopped watching local news because inevitably someone has taken the life of another for the simple reason that the victim made them angry.

Mankind is born into a world of choice. By nature we will chose the path that causes is less paint. This status of mankind is called the natural man. Whatever is pleasing to the natural man is what they will do. To lie, steal, cheat, murder, fornicate, adulterate etc. is the will of the natural man. Some will make right choices without any guidance of reason, but for the majority if it feels good, they will do it.

Who has the right to say what is right and what is wrong? God! Some do not believe in a higher bring such as God who sets and example for righteousness. For them who decides what is right and wrong? Mankind! What is the natural state of mankind? Without God, there can be no righteousness.

There is opposition in all things. If one says there is no law, then there is no wickedness. If there is no wickedness, then there is no righteousness. If there is no righteousness, then there is no happiness. If there is no righteousness or happiness there is also no punishment or misery. If none of these things exist then there is no God. These things do exist because there is a God. Surely there is a God.

All people are sons and daughters of God who are to learn and progress in this life. God’s plan is to give us choices allowing for mistakes. Satan’s plan was to enslave mankind. There can be no progression if there is no free agency.

That nagging thought that we have that there is something more to ourselves than we realize is not a product of society. It is not a mistake. That thought is there because of our purposes in this life, and our potentials in the next. The need to further search deep within ourselves to find our purpose and our potential is the basis for truth, not the opposite. The world will tell us otherwise.

In this life it is not enough to be as the waters that flow with the least resistance. We are to carve out our path straight and true.

I am really starting to develope a deep hatred for the season of Spring and all it’s reproducing flora. Pollen is no match for whatever “best” weed killer is avaliable at the local gardening store. I now know the #1 reason why the Garden of Eden was so wonderful: Nothing reproduced, thus plants did not reproduce, thus there was no pollen for Adam and Eve to breath in, thus there were no allergies. It must have been heavenly.

The battle is continuing the rage between the owners of the company where I work. Investors are being lines up, and lawyers are being called. This should be interesting.

I’m thinking about launching my company soon. I’ve got a product which could profit me thousands. I’ll keep thinking on that and let you know how that goes.

Been trying to build this blasted wooden swing set. On top of missing pieces and horrible “easy to read” instructions, I’m in battle with pollen. I’ve resoted to wearing a mask if I’m outside for any space of time. Good thing is that the pile of wood is starting to look like a swing set. We’ve decided that we’re going to force my sister to play on it at least 5 hours a day. We’ve put 12 hours into building it all ready with probably at least anouth 4 to go.

Overall feeling for this post. GRRRRRR! ::sniffle, sneeze, cough, and deep breaths though the side of the nose that isn’t blocked::