The Jist of It

The jist of my talk was this: Give people the benefit of the doubt.
We all have expectations of people and products, as described by my Tickle story, but when it comes right down to it, Christ didn't lecture the woman brought to Him in adultery. He told her to go and sin no more. He knew what she needed and didn't need to hear. So there wasn't critisizm, scorn, or a lecture. He sent her on her way. The reason we can give people the benefit of the doubt is because Christ is the only One who knows motives, histories and hearts. Assuming we know and emotionally reacting to them, doesn't draw us any closer to the Savior.
Who is another perfect example of this? Pahoran. Alma 60. Moroni didn't mince words. His army was being beaten, starved, they were losing ground and even the women and children were being murdered. He sent notice to Pahoran for provisions and heard nothing, so he wrote again but this time he called Pahoran thoughtless, slothful, wicked and even a traitor. These accusations were extremely offensive in a day when your word is your bond. But what did Pahoran do? After explaining that his seat had been usurped he said, "...in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart." Moroni was seeing people he loved die. All he wanted was liberty and Pahoran saw that instead of seeing a hot-headed epistle writer who had no clue what he, Pahoran was dealing with. Get it?

So the next time your spouse doesn't listen to you, some guy pulls out in front of you or some stranger scolds your children, give them the benefit of the doubt. You don't know where they have been. And include yourself as well. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. The spirit will let you know what is needful in improving, but knows when you're running faster than is necessary. We need this in our homes, neighborhoods, communities and heaven knows we need it in our country right now.
For more on this topic I highly highly highly recommend the book, "Bonds that Make Us Free" by the Arbinger Institute.

What's the deal with Lot's wife anyway? That is what I learned about today. But it's late. I'll write my thoughts about her later.
Note: I'm actually enjoying this bloggio thing Karrie. I'm still kinda writing it for you, so I hope you enjoy it. I could just email you all my random thoughts....but why when I have such nice pictures on my blog?

If you'd like to read my Tickle story, I posted it below...

To my family...the Pickard Video of 2008 is about to be released! They are ready to be mailed, we just need money to do it. Just kidding. It's my goal for the week, but it's gonna be a big week so I may fail at my goal which is why I don't believe in goals. The whole New Year's Resolution hooplah is a bunch a crock. Failure and guilt are not my things so that's why I take great measures to ensure I never fall into their pits. So forget it. I'll have the video to you...eventually.

WireTap from Canada is my new found favorite entertainment. Go google it and listen to a couple episodes...if you'd like recommendations as to which are the best, let me know. It airs on NPR-look up your local listings. Also, the BBC production of "Cranford" is fabulous and BBC's version of "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens is wonderfully dark with mouth-gaping twists. And of course, Rush Limbaugh is a favorite as I wash my dishes, in case you were wondering, which you probably weren't.

Lots o' Changes....

We're living in Arizona now and becoming quite aquainted with rabbits, cact-I, beetles, spiders, snakes and more. Madelyn Kate was born on December 16th. All went well and we're now waiting for her to get the idea of nighttime versus daytime. Actually she's been doing pretty well. I can't complain although I do, but it's just because I love the English language.

I gave a talk in church a couple weeks ago and a request was made for my Tickle story...


When I was 6 or 7 there was a deoderant advertised on TV called Tickle. The commercial showed women overjoyed about putting on this TICKLE deoderant and having a marvelous time doing so. An every day task became a transcendent experience filled with laughter and more laughter. For weeks, I pined for such an experience. Lucky for me, Easter was approaching...and my mother conveniently knew of my "secret" desire. I remember looking for my basket with a concentrated swiftness known only to children who love candy. From room to room and I quickly went until, at last, behind the brown paneled television, which in fact, was the perpetuator of all this hooplah, was my Easter basket and there, laying on a bed of green grass was my very own bottle of Tickle. I put it aside and finished my obligatory Easter morning rituals. And then once I had a private moment alone I took out my Tickle deoderant, raised my arm and in great anticipation for that joy, that burst of laughter, I let that ball roll all over my little armpit. I can't describe how stunned I felt when the formula of what was supposed to be deoderant left a cold, wet, sticky and even stinky film in my armpit. So there I stood fanning myself hoping maybe the joy came after a few minutes of drying. Not so. I twisted the lid back on and figured it needed to set up a moment and I'd try again later. When I came back I had all the hope my expectations could hold, but to no avail, I stood again, fanning my armpit, crest fallen. Since that very sad experience I have never trusted those dumb commercials again. Fun Dip is sour, Honeycombs are small and when the dolly pees, it's just a big mess.