C S LEWIS CHRISTMAS QUOTES

Clive Staples Lewis, commonly called C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian, and Christian apologist. 

Many of us have had the good fortune to have studied and enjoyed the writings of C. S. Lewis.  If you haven't read his works, I strongly encourage you to do so.  Following are ten quotes or poems with a Christmas theme which are attributed to Mr. C. S. Lewis:

Look for Christ and you will find Him.
And with Him, everything else.

Among the oxen
(like an ox I'm slow)
I see a glory in the stable grow
Which, with the ox's dullness
might at length
Give me an ox's strength

Among the asses
(stubborn I as they)
I see my Savior
where I looked for hay;
So may my beast like folly
learn at least
The patience of a beast

Among the sheep
(I like a sheep have strayed)
I watch the manger
where my Lord is laid;
Oh that my baa-ing nature
would win thence
Some woolly innocence!

The sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal.

"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world."

"Exmas and Crissmas are not the same. The pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story..."

"Always winter and never Christmas;
think of that!"
"How awful!" said Lucy.

"Can it really be my duty to buy and receive masses of junk every winter just to help the shopkeepers?"

"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."
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Here is wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season surrounded by loving family and friends.  And, take it easy on the fruit cake and egg nog (I just couldn't help myself).

Enjoy life!

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR - EATING IN THE AMAZON JUNGLE

Today we have a guest contributor to the TIPS FROM A MAN blog.  The content for this post comes from my son who is serving as a full time volunteer missionary in the Amazon jungle region of Peru.  He completes his two years of missionary service in early 2014.  It is very interesting to see how people adapt to their particular circumstances as they search to find the proper nutrition to fuel their minds and bodies so they can perform at a high level.

 

Tips from a Zone Leader.  How to get energy in the Amazon: Healthy, cheap and consistently.

Quinoa instant oatmeal. (Quinoa Inca oat - Super Awesome)

Dried Quinoa cereal. (you always need fiber in a jungle diet because you need to lose bacteria that might be in your system daily)

Regular instant oats

Jungle ¨manzana¨ bananas (potassium for the achy muscles)

Jungle honey bee honey for sweetness.

Whole grain toast with Philadelphia cream cheese (cream cheese in the jungle is kinda expensive)

Whole grain toast with jungle peanut peanut butter and jungle honey bee honey (you must buy locally or it's way too expensive)

Whole milk - Everyone usually uses powdered or evaporated cause its cheaper but you can imagine how that tastes.

Multi Vitamin - Because there is no balanced diet in the jungle.

Eat this if you are on a mission budget and you are in a place that is more than 90 degrees daily.  You will have energy to do the Lord's work with less complications.

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So there you have it.  Quinoa, bananas, natural sweeteners.  These are items that we have posted about previously on the TIPS FROM A MAN blog, but now we learn that missionaries in Peru have discovered the same benefits.  In the heat and humidity when you are pushing your body for 12 - 16 hours a day you must have proper fuel.  Youth will only take you so far.  Thanks for sharing the content for this post.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you as you serve the Lord and the people of Peru.

Enjoy life!

FLASH MOB

This little girl drops a coin in a musicians hat and gets far more than she was expecting.

Has this ever happened to you?  Have you ever received far more than you were expecting?  On the other hand, have you ever delivered more than was expected?  Have you ever given more than was expected to a charity, employer, team, church, friend, family member or stranger?  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... let's try to think of how we can provide a 100 piece orchestra when someone is only expecting a soloist or perhaps is not expecting anything at all.  It is winter in many places around the world and also the Holidays are fast approaching.  Maybe we can shovel a walk for a neighbor.  Maybe we can take an unexpected gift of cookies or fruit to a widow.  Maybe we can assist an elderly gentleman in crossing an icy street.  These simple acts of kindness may as well be a 100 piece orchestra to them because they probably aren't expecting anything from anyone so a simple act of kindness will infinitely exceed their expectations.  This is something we can do.

Enjoy life!

DUCK DYNASTY - FAMILY VALUES

We all dig Duck Dynasty, right?  These guys are so very funny.  You know who likes these guys best in my house?  My wife that's who.  She cannot stop laughing.  They just crack her up.  

When I first started following Duck Dynasty I got caught up in the zany sibling interactions and simple quandaries they found themselves always getting into.  As time went by, I started to recognize what I was really seeing. Values.  Simple, honest family values.  Unlike pretty much every other show on TV, here is what you won't see on Duck Dynasty: Profanity.  Drinking.  Smoking.  Drug use.  Infidelity.  What you will see is an occasional guy getting put in a head lock or duck taped to a column in the warehouse and a family working together, praying together and eating dinner together.

What was the hot Halloween costume this year?  That's right. Duck Dynasty beards and camo clothing.  What is the number one downloaded game app?  You only get one guess.  Battle of the Beards - Duck Dynasty.  How do I know this?  My nephew built the app.  Now that's pretty sweet.  Oh, and what was the birthday card that my wife sent to her father this year?  That's right, it was a Duck Dynasty card.  The message on the card?  Happy!  Happy!  Happy!

Please view the following interview:

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... let's place family values at the top of our list of priorities.  Let's learn to be genuinely happy regardless of material possessions or wealth.  To be a huge hit we don't have to shock the world and sing almost naked like Miley Cyrus.  We can just work hard and love our families.  Perhaps this is the new cool.

Enjoy life!

INTERESTING TIDBITS

In everyday life we hear a variety of sayings or phrases and I know I often wonder just what do they mean and where did they come from?  Here is a list that explains some common expressions.  Don’t know how true these little stories are, but they are interesting tidbits nonetheless.

Early aircraft's throttles had a ball on the end of it,  in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push the throttle all the way forward into the wall of the instrument panel. Hence "balls to the wall" for going very fast. And now you know, the rest of the story.

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During WWII , U.S. airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They would say, I gave them the whole nine yards, meaning they used up all of their ammunition.
  
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Did you know the saying "God willing and the creek don't rise" was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington . In his response, he was said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Because he capitalized the word "Creek" it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body
of water.

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In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)

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As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May  and October). Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term 'big wig'. Today we often use the term 'here comes the Big Wig' because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
  
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In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one  sitting in the chair the 'chair man.' Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or 'Chairman of the Board.'

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Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind your own bee's wax.' Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression 'losing face.'

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Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in 'straight laced' wore a tightly tied lace.

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Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the 'Ace of Spades.'  To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full deck.'

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Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars.  They were told to 'go sip some Ale and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times.  'You go sip here' and 'You go sip there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term gossip.'

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At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in 'quarts,' hence the phrase 'minding your 'P's and Q's'.

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And one more...
 
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem....how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.  Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)

Today there is no TIP FROM A MAN.  Just thought you would find this interesting and I wish for you a great weekend! 

Enjoy life!

WISE FATHER

When we or someone we love comes under fire or is attacked, how do we respond?  In the world we live in today, attacks can come is numerous ways.  Following is a story about a Dad who responded to an attack on his daughter in a most remarkable way.

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By Viviane Vo-Duc, Deseret News

When an anonymous cyberbully attacked Adam Vail's daughter, he admits he was angry.
But he decided to respond in a different way — with kindness.
Sunday night, Vail’s 15-year-old daughter, Taylor Vail, received a nasty message on Twitter.
“She had received a tweet from someone who doesn’t use their name or their picture,” he said. “I don’t remember the exact tweet, something along the lines of: 'There’s this girl in school that no one likes. She’s really annoying,' and tagged my daughter in it and hashtagged some offensive things.”
Taylor admitted that the tweet upset her, but she decided not to let it get to her.
“Usually, when people say stuff like that, it’s because they want to feel better,” she said. “They just need that love in their life.”
But the next day, she got another tweet that said something like: “Not only is she tall and skinny, no body shape. Another hashtag that was offensive,” her father said.
That tweet, he said, really hit her hard. As a parent, Vail's first emotion and first reaction was anger.
“You want to do something,” he said. “You want to take matters into your own hands.”
He has a Twitter account and thought about tweeting something back to the cyberbully. “But then I realized the only way to really fight negativity is with positivity,” he said.
Vail, who works at Utah State University, emailed friends and co-workers telling them what happened to his daughter. He never told them what account the tweets came from because he didn’t want any backlash toward the bully or to have anyone say anything rude to her or him.
He told his friends he didn’t care about the bully, but he was concerned about how his daughter was feeling. He asked them to tweet positive and kind things to his daughter and to use the hashtags #TaylorVail and #bepositive.
“Whether you know her or not, what will matter is what kind of an impact this will have on her when we blow up her Twitter account with positive and kind things,” he told his friends.
People quickly started tweeting his daughter. He knew many of the people, but there were tweets from many more people whom he doesn't know. Within two hours, she received about 56 tweets.
Taylor, a volleyball player for Logan High School, was on her way to a game when the tweets started popping up.
“All of a sudden my phone kept vibrating,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh goodness, what is going on?’”
She looked at her phone and saw the first tweet, which came from one of her dad’s friends.
“Then when I come back from my game, my phone just kind of like blew up with tweets. And all the love that I got from people — people I didn’t even know — it was amazing.”
“I was so overwhelmed,” she added. “I broke down and started crying. I felt so loved.”
Vail said it’s amazing what a small action, such as sending a kind tweet, can do and how far it can go. His plan worked, he said. His daughter has a smile on her face and has a positive attitude.
"When she got home last night, she probably came home at about 8 or 8:30, and she was beaming," he said Wednesday. "She was completely happy, and every time a new tweet came in, she was like, 'Check this one out!'"
She has since received more than 100 tweets and they are still coming in.
Seeing the extreme kindness people showed toward his daughter brought a tear to Vail's eye.
Bullies, Taylor said, are just people who want to be loved and noticed.
"The amount of love I’ve been shown, and people keep showing me, it’s amazing," she said, getting very emotional. "It just feels so good, and I really wish that girl who said those things about me can feel that love, too. I really just want her to feel it like I have."
If she ever learns who sent her the mean tweets, Taylor said she plans to thank them.
“She made me feel better about myself, even though that wasn’t her goal,” she said. “She made me feel so loved. I would want to show it back to her.”
Contributing: Peter Samore, Alex Cabrero
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Wow.  I am so impressed by this dad and the response from his circle of friends and others who love this young lady or who chose to take a stand against the cyberbullying.  What restraint.  Lashing out would have probably been the typical reaction.  What a lesson this man has taught his family and now all of us.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... when something happens that bothers us, let's not only do the old "count to 10" thing but let's search to see if there is a way to respond that is positive and impactful.  A way to lift and elevate all involved.  There just may be.

Enjoy life!

EMPIRE APPLE

 

We all love a good apple.  But there are so many varieties.  Which variety do you like best?  For me and my family this is easy.  We crave the Empire apple.  Empire apples are red, juicy, firm, crunchy and sweet. They ripen during September and October, and will keep until January.  Sometimes Empire apples are hard to find.  But keep trying as they are worth the effort.

This past week for breakfast I enjoyed the following creation:
Oatmeal
Walnuts
Raspberries
Sliced banana
An entire sliced Empire apple
Agave Nectar
Skim Milk

My oh my, this was one of the best TIPS FROM A MAN breakfasts ever.  You can eat right, all the while making it fun, interesting and tasty.  Hopefully you live where you can find the Empire apple.  You will be so happy that you made the effort.

Enjoy life.

THE GOOD FIGHT

Natalie Reed 1957 - 2013

In early 2013 I posted about an event I called Outpouring of Love.  My cousin, a renowned musician and teacher who I love dearly had been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.  Within just a few days of this discovery a huge fundraiser featuring famous musicians was organized and attended to capacity with the proceeds going to help Natalie receive treatment.

Well a couple of weeks ago, Natalie lost her battle with cancer after putting up The Good Fight.  So much was learned over these past months.  Natalie taught us how to be graceful when faced with adversity.  Her frequent Facebook posts were remarkable.  So filled with hope and cheer.  In the midst of tremendous pain and suffering, she found a way to reach out and lift others.  On the other hand, Natalie was reminded what unconditional love means.  My oh my how she was served.  Numerous people came forward with open arms to love her without expecting anything in return.  Truly the human spirit at its best.  This generosity and these unsolicited acts of kindness profoundly touched Natalie.

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... give love away unconditionally.  Don't wait.  Don't hold back.  Don't over think it.  Embrace those around you.  Speak kind words.  Provide a meal or a listening ear.  Be aware of the needs of others.  I truly believe that we are happiest when we lose ourselves in the service of others.  Not exactly the message the world shouts at us, but again, we march to our own drum, now don't we?

Enjoy life!

ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP

Brew Crew 2013 League Champions

Well we did it again.  The Brew Crew riding high on a twelve game winning streak, swept our way through the playoffs winning the final game 8 - 2 to capture the championship of the 18+ division of the Utah Adult Baseball League.  This one was not easy.  At the beginning of the season we had to send texts late into the night just to be sure that we would have the required nine players for the game.  We had a couple of key guys pull out because of work/school/family conflicts.  Understandable.  However, by the middle of the season our core group was secure and we found top notch talent as fill in players when needed.  And here we go - another CHAMPIONSHIP!

I wasn't sure that this season was actually going to happen for me.  I was so happy when my knee came around and I was able to again do what I've done for so many seasons.  Remember, there is no way I am going to hold any team back.  So here in this photo are my guys.  All great men.  Hunter, Goose, Kyle, Craig, CJ, Adam, CJ and Neil (yes we had two CJ's).  Missing from the photo are great guys who are also great players such as Brian, Brock, Chris, Jace, Brett, Jacob, Seth, Aaron and Craig.  So many guys play a role in winning a championship.

We were able to arrange for the championship game to be played at the Utah Valley University Ball Park used by the Division I Wolverines and shared by the Orem Owlz, a minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  It gave the final game a sense of importance.  It gave the family and friends who came to watch a great venue on an amazing sun drenched fall day.  

So what's next?  I am headed to Phoenix at the end of the month to play in a tournament.  This year I am playing in the 35+ wood bat division.  Should be very competitive baseball and a lot of fun.  A great way to end a season that began in Las Vegas way back in March.  Then, back to the gym to prepare for next season.  If I can avoid the injuries I should be able to keep going strong.

Here is a restated TIP FROM A MAN... what is your baseball?  What keeps you young?  What keeps you focused?  What challenges you?  What are you passionate about?  Whatever it is, keep doing it, or find it and do it.  Baseball is what keeps me working out and watching what I eat.  How can you lift weights all winter without a goal?  These young guys show no mercy on the ball field.  The pitchers come in with the heat high tight then come right back with a nasty curve or slide piece.  You've got to run the bases and field your position.  Here are your choices, hold your own or find another sand box to play in.  Well, I'm not quite ready to go look for another sand box.  Hopefully you aren't either.  

Oh, and rest assured, the Brew Crew will be back next season, hungry for another championship.

Enjoy life!

THANK YOU COACH

Many stories we hear today are about coaches that bend the rules or look the other way in order to win.  Also, we hear about parents who go off on coaches, teachers and administrators because little Johnny can do no wrong.  Here is a story of a coach, school administration and parents who see the bigger picture and who have come together with the common purpose of shaping 80 boys into responsible men.

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ROOSEVELT — Matt Labrum believes football helps create great men.

And it is that belief and his passion for the game that led the Union High School head football coach and his staff to suspend all 80 players from the team because of off-field problems ranging from cyberbullying to skipping classes.

“We felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn’t want our young men going,” said Labrum, an alumnus of the program he’s coached for the past two years. “We felt like we needed to make a stand.”

So the coach and his staff gathered the team together after Friday night's loss to Judge Memorial Catholic High School and told them he was concerned about some of the players' actions and behavior off the field. He then instructed them all to turn in their jerseys and their equipment. There would be no football until they earned the privilege to play.

Jenn Rook, whose son Karter is a sophomore on the team, was waiting outside the school that night.  "They were in the locker room for a really long time,” she said. “They came out, and there were tears. Those boys were wrecked. My son got in the car really upset and (said), ‘First of all, there is no football team. It’s been disbanded.’”

Junior Jordan Gurr said he, too, was shocked.  “When they said we’re going to turn our jerseys in, I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve never been cut.’ I figured we’d just been cut. There were no more games. I was sad,” he said.  The coaches told them there would be a 7 a.m. meeting the next day where they would have an opportunity to re-earn a spot on the team.

“We looked at it as a chance to say, ‘Hey, we need to focus on some other things that are more important than winning a football game,” Labrum said. “We got an emotional response from the boys. I think it really meant something to them, which was nice to see that it does mean something. There was none of them that fought us on it.”

Cyberbullying
One incident in particular moved the coaches to action. A few days before, guidance counselors informed the coaches about a student who believed he was being harassed and bullied by football players on an anonymous online chat program called ask.fm — something Labrum and his staff had never heard of before last week. Because the social media website allows users to hurl insults from behind a screen name, there was no way for coaches or counselors to know who was harassing the young man, who is not a member of the football team.

“We said, ‘We’ve got to make a change,’” said Labrum, who met with the student who was bullied on Monday to offer an apology. “We were pretty open with (the players) about what we’d heard. We don’t want that represented in our program. … Whoever it is (doing the bullying), we want to help get them back on the right path.”

But there were other issues that concerned the coaches, including failing and skipping classes and showing disrespect to teachers.

“It had gotten to a new level,” said Labrum. “We felt like we weren’t respecting the teachers, what they were trying to do inside the school, other people’s time. Overall, our program wasn’t going where we wanted it to go. We weren’t reaching the young men like we wanted to reach them.”  So they stopped playing football and started discussing character.

Union character
“I think football molds character,” Labrum said. “We want to help our parents raise their sons. We want to be a positive influence. We want to be an asset.”

During Saturday's team meeting, Labrum gave the suspended players a letter titled "Union Football Character," explaining exactly what the boys would need to do if they wanted to earn their jerseys back.  "The lack of character we are showing off the field is outshining what we are achieving on the field," the letter said. "It is a privilege to play this wonderful game! We must earn the opportunity to have the honor to put on our high school jerseys each Thursday and Friday night!"

Instead of practicing during the days leading up to a homecoming game against Emery High this Friday, they were told to perform community service, and attend study hall and a class on character development. They were also required to perform service for their own families and write a report about their actions.  The players were told they also need to show up on time and attend all of their classes. And those with bad grades were told they must show improvement if they wanted to play.

School administrators who learned of the decision to suspend the team the day before it happened, said they supported the move and saw it as more of an opportunity than punishment.

"As I thought about it, I've got 100 percent confidence in our (coaching) staff," said Principal Rick Nielsen. "They are just excellent men. Sometimes we do think we're bigger than the game."

Parental support
No parent complained about the decision to the administration. Most expressed support and gratitude.
Jenn Rook admits that her first reaction to the suspensions was to hurry off to find a coach to corner, but then her son told her about what led to the decision.

“OK, that’s not so bad then,” Rook said. “I do support it. These boys are not going to be hurt by this. It’s a good life lesson. … It’s not a punishment. I see it as an opportunity to do some good in the community.”
Like Rook, Jeremy Libberton was initially concerned when his son Jaden, a junior, told him what happened.
“I thought, ‘Why is this a team-type issue when there should be individuals that should be held accountable?” Libberton said. “But then I talked to several other parents, and there is really not a way to track this to specific people. I wish we could in this case.”  He talked with Labrum Saturday.

“After I met with him, he’s got my support,” said Libberton. “I’m encouraging my boy to stand strong, to stand with the team and get through it. … If there is not unity with me and the coach, then I become part of the problem.”

Better people
Of the seven team captains elected at the beginning of the season, only two were re-elected after Saturday’s team meeting. Gurr was one of them. He said he is a naturally quiet person, but now understands the need to speak up when he sees questionable behavior.

“I’m a pretty silent person, so I didn’t really say much,” he said, acknowledging that it's difficult to confront your friends when they're out of line. “We’d talk to them after practice sometimes; we’d run. It didn’t work out very well.”

He sees his role as team captain much differently this week than he did during the first two months of the season.  “It gives me a second chance,” Gurr said.

Junior quarterback Tye Winterton said he believes the break from football will make them better players — and better people.  “I definitely didn’t want to turn in my jersey,” said Winterton, who is an honors student. “I love playing. But I trust the coaches and believe in what they’re doing.”

Football to most of the young men is the one thing they look forward to all day.

“It’s probably one of my most favorite things to do,” said Winterton, who also plays soccer and basketball for Union. “I was aware of some things that were going on. … I’d never heard of (ask.fm) until coaches said it.”

Senior running back Gavin Nielsen said he had an ask.fm account but shut it down because he decided it was a waste of time. He also noticed that some of his teammates were skipping classes and struggling in school, but he didn’t always say something.

“One of my weaknesses that I wrote down,” he said, referring to an exercise the players engaged in during Monday's character class, “was that I wasn’t holding people accountable on the field and off the field. As a leader, on the field and off I have to hold people accountable.”

His passion for football hasn’t diminished, but Nielsen said he does have a new perspective on what it means to wear the Union High uniform.

“I still have the love for it and everything,” he said Monday while leaning on a shovel he was using to remove weeds as part of his community service. “But it helped me realize, it’s not all about football.”

By Amy Donaldson, Deseret News

Published: Tuesday, Sept. 24 2013 4:30 p.m. MDT

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Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... stand up and be counted.  Let's focus on the collective good not just our own special interests.  The world needs strong moral leadership.  This is a great example of that.

Enjoy life!

MARRIAGE ADVICE

Typically, the TIPS come from me.  However, when I learn something from someone else, I am eager to share that information as well.  The following is an incredible post from geraldrogers.com.  Hopefully something you read in this post will help you protect the one thing we all should cherish most... love.

MARRIAGE ADVICE I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD:

Obviously, I’m not a relationship expert. But there’s something about going through divorce that gives you perspective of things you wish you would have done different… After losing a woman that I loved, and a marriage of almost 16 years, here’s the advice I wish I would have had…

1) Never stop courting. Never stop dating. NEVER EVER take that woman for granted. When you asked her to marry you, you promised to be that man that would OWN HER HEART and to fiercely protect it. This is the most important and sacred treasure you will ever be entrusted with. SHE CHOSE YOU. Never forget that, and NEVER GET LAZY in your love.

2) PROTECT YOUR OWN HEART. Just as you committed to being the protector of her heart, you must guard your own with the same vigilance. Love yourself fully, love the world openly, but there is a special place in your heart where no one must enter except for your wife. Keep that space always ready to receive her and invite her in, and refuse to let anyone or anything else enter there.

3) FALL IN LOVE OVER and OVER and OVER again. You will constantly change. You’re not the same people you were when you got married, and in five years you will not be the same person you are today. Change will come, and in that you have to re-choose each other everyday. SHE DOESN’T HAVE TO STAY WITH YOU, and if you don’t take care of her heart, she may give that heart to someone else. Always fight to win her love just as you did when you were courting her.

4) ALWAYS SEE THE BEST in her. Focus only on what you love. What you focus on will expand. If you focus on what bugs you, all you will see is reasons to be bugged. If you focus on what you love, you can’t help but be consumed by love. Focus to the point where you can no longer see anything but love.

5) IT’S NOT YOUR JOB TO CHANGE OR FIX HER… your job is to love her as she is with no expectation of her ever changing. And if she changes, love what she becomes, whether it’s what you wanted or not.

6) TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY for your own emotions: It’s not your wife’s job to make you happy, and she CAN’T make you sad. You are responsible for finding your own happiness, and through that your joy will spill over into your relationship and your love.

7) NEVER BLAME your wife If you get frustrated or angry, it is only because it is triggering something inside of YOU. When you feel those feelings take time to get present and to look within and understand what it is inside of YOU that is asking to be healed. You were attracted to this woman because she was the person best suited to trigger all of your childhood wounds in the most painful way so that you could heal them… when you heal yourself, you will no longer be triggered by her, and you will wonder why you ever were.

8) Allow your woman to JUST BE. When she’s sad or upset, it’s not your job to fix it, it’s your job to HOLD HER and let her know it’s ok. Let her know that you hear her, and that she’s important and that you are that pillar on which she can always lean. The feminine spirit is about change and emotion and like a storm her emotions will roll in and out, and as you remain strong and unjudging she will trust you and open her soul to you… DON’T RUN-AWAY WHEN SHE’S UPSET. Stand present and strong and let her know you aren’t going anywhere. Listen to what she is really saying behind the words and emotion.

9) BE SILLY… don’t take yourself so damn seriously. Laugh. And make her laugh. Laughter makes everything else easier.

10) FILL HER SOUL EVERYDAY… learn her love languages and the specific ways that she feels important and validated and CHERISHED. Ask her to create a list of 10 THINGS that make her feel loved and memorize those things and make it a priority everyday to make her feel loved.

11) BE PRESENT. Give her not only your time, but your focus, your attention and your soul. Do whatever it takes to clear your head so that when you are with her you are fully WITH HER. Treat her as you would your most valuable client. She is.

12) BE WILLING TO TAKE HER SEXUALLY, to carry her away in the power of your masculine presence, to consume her and devour her with your strength, and to penetrate her to the deepest levels of her soul. Let her melt into her feminine softness as she knows she can trust you fully.

13) DON’T BE AN IDIOT…. And don’t be afraid of being one either. You will make mistakes and so will she. Try not to make too big of mistakes, and learn from the ones you do make. You’re not supposed to be perfect, just try to not be too stupid.

14) GIVE HER SPACE… The woman is so good at giving and giving, and sometimes she will need to be reminded to take time to nurture herself. Sometimes she will need to fly from your branches to go and find what feeds her soul, and if you give her that space she will come back with new songs to sing…. (okay, getting a little too poetic here, but you get the point. Tell her to take time for herself, ESPECIALLY after you have kids. She needs that space to renew and get re-centered.)

15) BE VULNERABLE… you don’t have to have it all together. Be willing to share your fear and feelings, and quick to acknowledge your mistakes.

16) BE FULLY TRANSPARENT. If you want to have trust you must be willing to share EVERYTHING… Especially those things you don’t want to share. It takes courage to fully love, and part of that courage is allowing her to love your darkness as well as your light. DROP THE MASK… If you feel like you need to wear a mask around her, and show up perfect all the time, you will never experience the full dimension of what love can be.

17) NEVER STOP GROWING TOGETHER… The stagnant pond breeds malaria, the flowing stream is always fresh and cool. Atrophy is the natural process when you stop working a muscle, just as it is for a relationship that isn’t focused on growing. Find common goals, dreams and visions to work towards.

18) DON’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY. Money is a game, find ways to work together as a team to win it. It never helps when teammates fight. Figure out ways to leverage both persons strength to win.

19) FORGIVE IMMEDIATELY and focus on the future rather than carrying weight from the past. Don’t let your history hold you hostage. Holding onto past mistakes that either you or she makes, is like a heavy anchor to your marriage and will hold you back. Forgiveness is freedom. Cut the anchor loose and always choose love.

20) ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. ALWAYS CHOOSE LOVE. In the end, this is the only advice you need. If this is the guiding principle through which all your choices is governed, there is nothing that will threaten the happiness of your marriage. Love will always endure.
In the end MARRIAGE isn’t about Happily ever after. It’s about work. And a commitment to grow together and a willingness to continually invest in creating something that can endure eternity. Through that work, the happiness will come.

These are lessons I learned the hard way. These are lessons I learned too late.
But these are lessons I am learning and committed in carrying forward. Truth is, I LOVED being married, and in time, I will get married again, and when I do, I will build it with a foundation that will endure any storm and any amount of time.

MEN- THIS IS YOUR CHARGE : Commit to being an EPIC LOVER. There is no greater challenge, and no greater prize. Your woman deserves that from you.

Be the type of husband your wife can’t help but brag about.
________________________

Nothing I can think to add to this... so this TIP FROM A MAN is to print out this advice, re-read it often and act on what you have read!

Enjoy life.

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

We all need advice when it comes to social media.  Anyone disagree?  Below is a letter written to young ladies from a very wise mom.  It can be found on the blog givenbreath.com.  I hope that this provides you with some positive food for thought and conversation within your family as you use social media and as you work to raise a family.

________________________

Dear girls,
I have some information that might interest you. Last night, as we sometimes do, our family sat around the dining-room table and looked through the summer’s social media photos.
We have teenage sons, and so naturally there are quite a few pictures of you lovely ladies to wade through. Wow – you sure took a bunch of selfies in your skimpy pj’s this summer! Your bedrooms are so cute! Our eight-year-old daughter brought this to our attention, because with three older brothers who have rooms that smell like stinky cheese, she notices girly details like that.
I think the boys notice other things. For one, it appears that you are not wearing a bra.
I get it – you’re in your room, so you’re heading to bed, right? But then I can’t help but notice the red carpet pose, the extra-arched back, and the sultry pout. What’s up? None of these positions is one I naturally assume before sleep, this I know.
So, here’s the bit that I think is important for you to realize. If you are friends with a Hall boy on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, then you are friends with the whole Hall family.
Please know that we genuinely like staying connected with you this way! We enjoy seeing things through your unique and colorful lens – you are funny, insightful, and often very wise.
Which is what makes your latest self-portrait so extremely unfortunate.
That post doesn’t reflect who you are at all! We think you are lovely and interesting, and usually very smart. But, we had to cringe and wonder what you were trying to do? Who are you trying to reach? What are you trying to say?
And now – big bummer – we have to block your posts. Because, the reason we have these (sometimes awkward) family conversations around the table is that we care about our sons, just as we know your parents care about you.
I know your family would not be thrilled at the thought of my teenage boys seeing you only in your towel. Did you know that once a male sees you in a state of undress, he can’t quickly un-see it? You don’t want our boys to only think of you only in this sexual way, do you?
Neither do we. We’re all more than that.
And so, in our house, there are no second chances with pics like that, ladies. We have a zero tolerance policy. I know, so lame. But if you want to stay friendly with our sons online, you’ll have to keep your clothes on, and your posts decent. If you post a sexual selfie (we all know the one), or link to an inappropriate YouTube video – even once – it’s curtains.
I know that sounds so old school! But we are hoping to raise men with a strong moral compass, and men of integrity don’t linger over pictures of scantily clad high-school girls.
Every day I pray for the women my boys will love. I hope they will be drawn to real beauties, the kind of women who will leave them better people in the end. I also pray that my sons will be worthy of this kind of woman, that they will be patient – and act honorably – while they wait for her.
I realize we have some work still to do in other areas …
Girls, it’s not too late! If you think you’ve made an on-line mistake (we all do – don’t fret – I’ve made some doozies – even today!), RUN to your accounts and take down the closed-door bedroom selfies that makes it too easy for friends to see you in only one dimension.
Will you trust me? There are boys out there waiting and hoping for women of character. Some young men are fighting the daily uphill battle to keep their minds pure, and their thoughts praiseworthy – just like you – so hang in there.
You are growing into a real beauty, inside and out.
Act like her, speak like her, post like her.
I’m glad we’re friends.
Mrs. Hall
___________________

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... if you are a parent, it IS your business to know what your children are up to.  Be open with them.  Be honest with them.  Let them know that you are on their side.  Communication is the key.  If you don't have children, be wise.  Enough said.

Enjoy life!

PEACHES AND FAMILY

As parents we are always looking for ways to spend quality time with our children.  So imagine how happy I was when I came home from work a few days ago to see this view.  My wife and youngest daughter had spent the afternoon picking peaches from our tree and preserving them in bottles for our use and enjoyment this winter.  This is so amazing on many fronts.  First, my wife and daughter spent hours together chatting and laughing while working together toward a common goal.  What fun for them.  Second, this service will bless not only them but everyone lucky enough to be at our table when one of these bottles is opened up.  Third, they have provided a very healthy food.  As you might know, sugar is used when fruit is canned or preserved in this way.  In an effort to follow the TIPS FROM A MAN guidelines, they used honey along with sugar in an effort to make this final product more healthy.

Well, we just couldn't hold out until the snows of February to try the peaches so we opened a bottle to go along with dinner last Sunday.  The peaches were amazing!  Yummmy!  You could taste the honey.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... whenever you can, double up by spending time with your children while storing away good food for future use.  If you have not tried to preserve fruit before, maybe it is time you learned how to do it.  When I was growing up on the ranch, my mother was an expert at stuff like this.  We hardly ever went to the grocery store.  We raised beef.  We raised pigs.  We hunted deer and elk.  We caught fish.  We had chickens for eggs and cows for milk.  We grew a huge garden.  We'd pick berries from trees.  We didn't live where we could grow fruit so we would make trips to Utah to buy fruit then Mother would spend hours preserving fruit and making jams and jellies for use in the long winter months ahead.  This is how we fed our family.  I've never forgotten these valuable lessons.  It is good to be as self sufficient as we can be.  Even though we live in a Quick Serve world, we can bless ourselves and others by learning skills such as this.  And, have a great time doing it.

Enjoy life!

PEACHES AND FRIENDS

Today my wife invited a few friends to join the peaches at our dinner table.  These friends included:

- Banana

- Blueberry

- and Raspberry

OK, how could it get any more simple than this?  But really it is amazing how wonderfully this side dish of fresh fruit went with the dinner.  You know that every bit of this fruit was gone when the meal was over.

Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... eat more fresh fruit.  Eat some for breakfast with cereal or in a smoothie.  Take an apple or banana as a mid-morning snack. And on and on throughout the day.  If you can grow some of your own fruit - all the better.

Which brings me to a bonus topic.  If you grow fruit, trade with a neighbor.  We have been taking some of our peaches to a neighbor who in return is giving us fresh amazingly juicy plums.  How can you beat this arrangement.

So be smart and feed that body of yours correctly so that it will serve you well.  You need energy.  You need tasty stuff.  You don't need extra pounds.  It can be done.  It isn't hard.  And, you can do it.  Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can!

Enjoy life!

PEACHES & ICE CREAM

Alright, you caught me.  I know that ice cream is typically not found within the TIPS FROM A MAN eating guidelines, but every once in a while, I think it is OK to treat yourself if you do it occasionally and in moderation.  Remember, it is all about the calories.  If you take it easy on the portion size, go ahead and have an occasional dessert.

Which brings me to the latest amazing treat we had with our fresh peaches.  How simple can it be... Fresh peaches and vanilla ice cream.  Oh my, it was so good.  It was Dreyer's Slow Churned ice cream with half the fat and 1/3 fewer calories (so claims the packaging).  It sure didn't taste like it was reduced anything.  Very tasty!

Enjoy life.

PEACH WEEK

We have all heard about Shark Week on TV.  Well, I can't think of anything to do with sharks that fits the TIPS FROM A MAN blog (other than it is probably a good idea to avoid them) but I got to thinking, how about we have a peach week?  Since our peach tree is now producing sweet ripe peaches, let's try to come up with creative ways to enjoy peaches.  

Here is a combination that became a quick, tasty and nutritious breakfast:

- Grape Nuts Cereal
- Agave Sweetener
- 1% Milk (yes actual milk from a cow, not almonds, etc.)
- Fresh Peaches

There must be countless ways to use peaches.  My wife and I have already discussed this.  We are going to do all we can to eat them when they are ripe and to preserve them for use at a later time.  Our goal is not to waste a single peach.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... grow whatever food you can given your living circumstances.  It is so fun to know that you produced something healthy for yourself and your family.  Growing your own fruits and vegetables can also save a good amount of money.  Give it a try if you aren't doing something now.  Start small by growing a couple of tomato plants or some lettuce or by planting a fruit tree.  Figure out what you can do indoors if you live in an apartment.  You might just find out that you have a green thumb after all!

Enjoy life.

FRESH PEACH PROTEIN SHAKE

This morning I was hungry and needed something to get me fired up.  When I was doing my Friday duty of taking the trash to the curb my eyes fell upon our peach tree.  Our peach tree is loaded this year so much so that the branches are hanging awkwardly.  I thought that the peaches wouldn't yet be ripe, but out of curiosity (or beastly hunger) I decided to go to the tree and give a few peaches a little squeeze.  I was right, the majority of the peaches were still hard... but after a minute I found one that was soft.  BAM!!  Success!

So, I plucked that juicy peach from the tree and sprinted into the house to create the amazing drink that you see pictured above.  Here are the ingredients:

- Fresh Peach

- Fresh Blueberries

- Walnuts

- Protein Powder

- Ice Cubes

- Coconut Water (8 oz.)

After a few seconds in the Magic Bullet Blender I was wildly gulping this cool, refreshing, delicious protein shake.  It was so tasty.  Here is A TIP FROM A MAN... make every meal an adventure.  Be excited about healthy food.  Be creative.  Never allow yourself to be lazy when it comes to nutrition.  Your body needs you to take care of it so it can perform for you.

This morning was a treat.  When I got out of bed, I didn't know that I was about to feast on a fresh home grown peach.  Find joy the little unexpected surprises of life.  They are everywhere if you look for them.

Enjoy life!

STICKING WITH IT

Tim Doing What He Does

It is easy to get fired up about something then flame out.  Have you done this?  Perhaps you decided that you were going to learn to play the guitar so you went out and dropped some bucks on a nice acoustical six string, bought some music, took some lessons, then realized a few months later that you hadn't been practicing and that you seem to always to have other things to do.

This probably happens most frequently with exercise and diet.  The old "new years resolution" thing.  Well, I just got a message from Tim that you might be interested in reading.  Tim has been following the TIPS FROM A MAN blog from almost the beginning.  He has been good enough to stay in touch and to share his experiences.  He updated us on 6/18/2012 and again on 9/29/12.  At one point he had lost a total of 41.5 lbs following the TIPS FROM A MAN guidelines.  I really enjoy his honesty.

Tim writes...

Roger,

I wanted to provide you with an update as to this years activities and progress.  After all the amazing success I had last year, I must admit I "fell off the wagon" a bit over the winter.  I gained 15-20 pounds.  In early spring of this year, I paused and reflected a bit on where I was when I was hiking once or twice a week and where I found myself after a season of inactivity.  I was never discouraged because I knew from  "Tips From a Man" what small changes I could again make that over time would restore my level of fitness and stamina.  Further reflection disclosed some interesting things.  First of all, I have a passion for hiking.  When the snow fell and I could no longer access the trails I was accustomed to hiking (or so I thought) I was at a loss as to how to remain active (I hate the treadmill).  Over the winter, a post on your blog dealt with snowshoeing and a light bulb went off.  Snowshoeing in the winter!!  I think I could really enjoy that and I have heard it is quite a work out.  Additionally, I could access some of the lower trails that I love.  Problem solved!

As for my current state, I am back to where I was (actually a little ahead of the game) and hiking regularly.  I am hiking lengthy trails that I did not hike last year and having a great time.  All of a sudden I have 10-12 people that want to summit Timpanogos with me this year and we have scheduled a hike for a few weeks from now.  I have already been to the basin and will probably hike to the bomber crash site then over to Emerald Lake this Saturday.  

By the way, when I visited my cardiologist this spring, my numbers were still good with the exception of the good cholesterol.  His recommendation to raise the good cholesterol . . . physical activity.  Another problem solved!

Thank you again for your blog and keep up the great work.  So many good ideas. You rock!

____________________

Yes, like all of us, Tim proved that he is human.  But I am so inspired at how he learned from his experiences and how he has figured out how to have a more healthy and enjoyable winter so he can be consistent with his goals all year round.  That is what it is all about.  Here is a TIP FROM A MAN... seek for solutions.  Let's don't just talk about our problems.  Let's not be a complainer.  Let's change our circumstances and our problems.  I'm hopeful that in a few months we will see a photo of Tim snowshoeing over a breathtaking mountain peak with a big grin on his face.  You Go Tim!  And, You Go to all of us!

Enjoy life!