Roots That Hold

 

Dear Reader,

This morning I reflected on a quiet truth from As Bill Sees It:

“Moments of perception can build into a lifetime of spiritual serenity…”

Along the coast of Monterey stands the Lone Cypress—

A single tree, rooted in rock,
surrounded by wind and wave.

It is not protected from the storm.
It is shaped by it.

That image feels true to my life.

Serenity did not come all at once.
It came in small moments—
a clearer thought,
an honest admission,
a willingness to change.

Or, as the Book of Mormon teaches:

“Precept upon precept, line upon line…” — 2 Nephi 28:30

And as David A. Bednar has taught:

“Line upon line, precept upon precept… things are accomplished through small and simple means.”

At first, everything felt tangled—
fear, habit, and confusion.

But slowly… something deeper began to grow.

Roots.

Not seen… but real.

Roots of truth.
Roots of faith.
Roots that hold.

And when the storms come—and they will—
it is not the surface that determines whether I stand…

It is what I am rooted in.

As Russell M. Nelson has counseled:

“The Lord loves effort.”

So today I ask:

What truth can I accept?
What small effort can I make?
What moment can I allow to take root?

Because over time—
line upon line,
precept upon precept—
these small efforts become something lasting—

A life not free from storms…
but no longer shaken by them.

Quietly… deeply…
anchored in peace.

Where Growth Begins: Rising Again & The Lessons in Falling

 

Dear Reader,

This morning I found myself reflecting on a simple but powerful truth shared by Reinhold Messner:

“Through my failures I have learned how to live—and the more I failed, the more I learned. In my search for the limits, I have failed more than most, and it is this that has made me successful, over and over again.”

This tells me something important:
When others point out my failings, I can choose to receive their words not as judgment—but as instruction… lessons that help me rise and walk again.

The world often teaches us to avoid falling, to measure our worth by how well we succeed without error.
But experience—real, lived experience—teaches something very different.

Messner reminds us:
We learn how to live by falling… and rising… again and again.

This thought is not new—it echoes across time.

Confucius said:
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

And in the quiet wisdom of scripture:

From the Book of Proverbs:
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.”

And in the Book of Ether:
“I give unto men weakness that they may be humble… then will I make weak things become strong.”

These are not words of condemnation.
They are words of invitation.

An invitation to see our failures not as defeat,
but as the ground where humility, strength, and wisdom begin to grow.

In recovery, I have come to understand this more personally.

The Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book reminds us:
“We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.”

That means I am not asked to be flawless.
I am asked to be willing.

Willing to fall…
Willing to rise…
Willing to learn…
Willing to continue.

Samuel Beckett captured this journey simply:
“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

There is freedom in that thought.

Not that we must get it right the first time,
but that each step—even the missteps—moves us forward.

So I offer this closing thought:

If you find yourself looking back at where you have fallen, consider this—

You may not be behind.
You may be exactly where growth begins.

Each stumble carries a lesson.
Each lesson shapes the soul.
And each rising brings you closer to the person you are becoming.

Walk gently…
for this path leads to a “happy destiny.”

Good Morning

Growth through steps across a river.

Dear Reader,

This afternoon I found myself reflecting on a simple but profound truth from Heraclitus:

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

At first, this may seem like a statement about change.
But as I sat with it, I realized—it is really a message about growth.

Life is always moving.
The river does not stop… and neither do we.

Every day, whether we see it or not, we are being shaped—
by our thoughts, our choices, and the small steps we take.

As Confucius reminds us:

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

And Aristotle teaches:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

This is the quiet truth of the river:
We are not changed in a single moment,
but in the steady rhythm of living.

Even scripture echoes this same principle:

“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” — Alma 37:6

And again:

“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” — Proverbs 4:18

Growth is not a leap—it is a path.
Not a demand for perfection—but a call to keep stepping forward.

There are times when we may feel we are standing still…
yet even then, the river is moving,
and something within us is quietly being formed.

As C. S. Lewis observed:

“The little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.”

And in recovery, we are reminded through Bill Wilson:

“We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.”

So today, I offer this simple thought:

You do not need to cross the river in a single stride.
You only need to take the next step.

Because when you do…
the river will move,
and so will you.

And in time, without even realizing it—
you will become someone new.

A Hardened Heart Serves No One!

 

Dear Reader,

Two images—one in haste, and one from a rational perspective.

Not long ago, I found myself reacting quickly…
forming an image in my mind shaped by frustration, fear, and anger.

It felt right in the moment.
Clear. Certain. Even justified.

But time—and a willingness to pause—began to change that image.

In recovery, I have learned that my first thought
is not always my best thought.
And my strongest emotion
is not always my truest guide.

There is a difference between reacting…
and responding.

The first image I held was formed in haste.
It placed blame quickly, drew lines sharply,
and left little room for understanding.

But as I applied spiritual principles—
prayer, patience, and a willingness to seek truth—
a second image began to emerge.

This one was quieter.

It did not rush to judgment.
It did not demand certainty where there was none.
It asked instead:

“What is true… not just what feels true?”

Scripture reminds us through Book of Exodus:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm… and see the salvation of the Lord.”

Standing firm, I have come to see,
is not the same as standing loud.

Sometimes it means standing still long enough
for truth to rise above emotion.

In my own life—and in the world around me—
I am learning that anger can create an image quickly…
but only patience reveals it clearly.

The second image does not erase the first.
It redeems it.

It reminds me that I am not called to react perfectly…
but to grow honestly.

And perhaps that is the real work:

Not choosing between two images—
but allowing the better one
to be formed within us.

"Life does not control you. What you believe about it does." Alan Cohen

Dear Reader,

This morning I was reminded of a simple but life-altering idea:
Life itself is not always what binds us—our interpretation of it is.

We can face the same storm as one of two people: one who is broken… and the other who is willing to grow and change.

What we believe about the storm becomes the story we live.

If I believe life is against me, every hardship becomes proof of that belief.

However, if I begin to believe that life is working with me—even in difficulty—then my challenges become teachers, not enemies.

In recovery, I have learned this truth slowly: it is not the event…it is the meaning I give the event that shapes my peace or my struggle.

This echoes what we find in scripture:
“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” — Proverbs 23:7

And in another way:
“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth… for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

The outer world may not always change quickly, but the inner world—through faith, surrender, and honesty—can transform everything.

So today, we pause and ask: What am I choosing to believe about my life?

I share this because, in my experience, I am quietly shaping the life I will ultimately live.

I end with the wish that all of us will “Live long and prosper.”

We become what we think

Dear Reader,

I was sent a text this morning with a quote from James Allen's book 'As a Man Thinketh,'  

    "Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are."

As I reflected on the message, I pondered:  

• Why do certain patterns seem to follow us?
• Why some struggles repeat?
• Why certain blessings appear only when we least expect them?

At first look, these quetions may feel unsettling. We often believe that desire alone should shape our destiny. We hope, we wish, we pray for change. Yet Allen gently reminds us that life responds not merely to our wishes, but to the deeper condition of our hearts and minds.

What we consistently think, believe, and become—this is what quietly shapes the world around us.

In the journey of recovery, this truth becomes especially clear. 

• We may long for peace, yet still carry resentment. 
• We may desire freedom, yet remain bound by old thinking. 
• The transformation does not begin when life changes—it begins when we do.

Scripture echoes this same principle:

“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

And in another place:

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

These teachings do not condemn—they invite. They remind us that change is not only possible, but already within reach.

Each honest thought, each act of kindness, each moment of willingness becomes a seed. Over time, these seeds grow into character, and character shapes circumstance.

In this light, the path forward is not found in striving to control the world around us, but in gently tending to the world within us.

We do not simply attract a better life; we become the kind of person who can live it.

Perhaps more importantly today it is better to ask not only "what do I Want?" , but “Who am I becoming?”

Wishing you all a thoughtful day! 

Faith and Archaeology: What We Can Dig Up… and What We Must Live

  

Dear Reader, 

“Today I found myself trying to match a timeline from National Geographic with my study of Genesis and Exodus” …and I began to wonder: How does one reconcile the tension between faith and archaeology? 

On one hand, we have the great civilizations of the world—Egypt, Babylon, and others—leaving behind monuments, writings, and artifacts that can be studied, dated, and examined. On the other hand, we have the scriptures, beginning with Genesis, telling us of creation, of Adam and Noah, and of God’s relationship with man. 

The challenging question is How do these fit together?    

 Archaeology gives us what remains. 

• Kingdoms that rose and fell  

• Kings who ruled and built  

• Cities that once thrived  

Egypt, for example, tells of powerful man who organized armies and empires. 

These are physical items we can touch, measure, and analyze. 

   

 

 

Now I consider what supports and strengthens me today. 

My Scriptural studying speaks in a different way. 

It tells me: 

• Who I am   

• Why I struggle  

• How God reaches out to me  

  

From Abraham to Moses, the message is not about monuments—it is about a relationship. 

It is about a God who calls, guides, corrects, and redeems. 

 

It is in this space I Live.  The space of what can be dug up and what allows me to thrive today.  

I do not believe this is chaos; I believe it is being real in a fallen world.  

On the side of Faith, I have solid thinkers and philosophers.  

• “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

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• “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”  — Book of Mormon (Alma 32:21) 

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• “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”  — C. S. Lewis 

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• “The heart has its reasons which reason knows not.” — Blaise Pascal 

 

Further support for recovery. 

• “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him.” 
  — Alcoholics Anonymous 

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• “Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.” 
  — Alcoholics Anonymous 

 The Simple Truth 

Archaeology can uncover a city……but it cannot uncover a changed heart. 

It can reveal a civilization……but it cannot reveal a soul finding peace. 

 

In my own life, I have come to see that not everything that is true can be proven in stone. 

Some truths must be lived. 

In recovery, I could not measure hope with a tool, yet I felt it.  I could not excavate faith from the ground, yet it lifted me.   

“Egypt left behind monuments of stone. 
God leaves behind changed lives.” 

Perhaps the purpose was never for everything to align perfectly on a timeline. 

Perhaps the purpose is that, in the middle of my questions, I can come to know Him.