Real Courage

Last week, I had an assignment in school to think about what courage is, choose somebody who exemplifies courage to write a research paper on, do a service project that exemplifies courage, make a plan to develop courage, and give an oral presentation on my chosen person. So, I thought a lot about courage, and I want to share some thoughts on courage.

Soldiers, who fight for the love of what they believe, are courageous.

Teachers, who truly care about their students and are willing to do what they can to help, are courageous.

Mothers and fathers, who help and care for their children, are courageous.

Those who refuse to participate in gossiping are courageous.

Those who stand up for what they know are courageous.


There is also cowardice. Cowardice is backing down when things get hard. Cowardice is giving up, without reason.

Courage refuses to give up. Courage gets up every morning resolved to try to do better, even if it messed up yesterday. Courage follows this advice from Winston Churchill:
"...never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in
nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and
good sense."

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!
To celebrate, here are some songs that I think are wonderful for today:

1. He Sent His Son
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNjHs3-EyzU

2. Families Can Be Together Forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J-_f4oRuWI

3. My Funny Valentine
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKvrSHVsRDo


I hope you enjoy these songs, and this day. :)

Frederic Bastiat

For my class this week, I had to read The Law by Frederic Bastiat. I first read this for a discussion at a seminar in 2009, I believe. Ever since then, I have loved Bastiat, because he has clear, logical reasoning that makes absolute sense. In 2009 I didn't really understand it very well, being very young, but I love Bastiat's works even more now that I have read them over a few times and have grown in my mental capacity.

In The Law, a few of Bastiat's points are:
1. The right to life, liberty, and property are born in man.
2. An attempt to take the fruits of property without the consent of the labourer who produced this property is plunder.
3. A person can live either by plunder or work.
4. The law is established only to protect the rights to liberty, life, and property, which is simply protecting from injustice. Any other use is a perversion of the law.
5. There are two types of plunder; legal and illegal. Illegal plunder is when a person or a group of people plunder without the consent of the law. Legal plunder is when a legislature makes some sort of plunder "okay" by using the law to protect it.
6. Both types of plunder are wrong.
7. Where the law is perverted, conflict will follow.

In case you would like to read The Law, here is a link to a website where you can read it for free:
http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html

I would highly recommend reading any of Bastiat's essays. I think they are truly classics, which can be read over and over, teaching more every time.

Improving Ourselves

Yesterday while driving home from Seminary (or rather, being driven), I was praying, because I really wanted to know what I could do to help some people of my acquaintance who are having a bad time and have fallen into some not desirable habits. When I looked up after finishing, I saw a couple of big lights on a hill in front of us. I immediately thought of Matthew 5:14-16, which is,
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Sometimes, all we have to do is improve ourselves without worrying about what others are busy doing. It can be really hard sometimes not to try to improve other people, especially when we care for them. But we must look first to ourselves, or, as Mohandas Gandhi supposedly said, we must "be the change [we] wish to see in the world."

I found this image on Pinterest, and because I liked it, I borrowed it. I don't know who made it.

Exercise and Behaviour

I don't care for exercising, or doing physical work. I always think that I could be doing something more beneficial, like reading, or writing posts for this blog. But, because work is what makes a society function, and it's good for my body, I'm starting to try to be more active.

As I have started to be more active, I have noticed some positive effects on my beahviour and thoughts. I have felt happier and more confident. This helps me in everything.

I have been more patient. In times when I might have been provoked and started an argument, I am now more able to bite my tongue and hold back things I might have said. This allows me to have the Spirit with me.

I have also been more willing to and more cheerful about working. This is very interesting, because the more I work the more I'm able to and the more I do work. This helps my family to be happier, because the chores that need to be done around the house get done more often.

I am going to continue in my efforts to be healthier and more active. It is a blessing in my life, and has allowed me to take care of my body, which is a temple of God.