sunsets...sunrises

I was driving to work two week ago, and we had the most amazing sunrise. The clouds filled the sky with an amazing amber light that glowed heavenly upward for most of the morning. It reminded me of my favorite sunset, and my favorite sunrise. Over the years I've had several instances where favorites have changed. favorite song, favorite movie, favorite late night snack. These have to change. Well, my favorite sunset has not changed, not over all the years. It was on my mission. I was assigned to the island of Bohol, which is an island east of Cebu in the Philippines. Once a month we would have to travel back to report to our zone leaders at the city of tagbilaran which was on the southern portion of the island. I was assigned to a city called calape, a city along the coast northward which was about 3 hours by bus. After our usual meeting with the zone leaders my companion and I went to the bus depot. The only bus going back at that time was already filled to the brim, but we still needed to get back home. There were still alot of people needing rides so they started filling the top of the bus. The top of the bus had a large railing which held supplies, such as food and whatnot, us being whatnot. I was apprehensive at first, but everyone else which numbered about an extra 75 people just paid their fare, so we paid, climbed on top then held on for dear life. The buses usually navigated the narrow roads along the island near breakneck speeds, so imagine, doing 50 miles an hour and sitting on top. the Bus was tall and literally standing room only inside, would sway at every turn. It was so much fun. About half way home, looking back over my shoulder, I could see the full ocean. usually the tall foliage hid the ocean from our views. But we had to ascend a mountain from which gave us a perfect view from Bohol to Cebu and everything in between. The clouds had gathered on the southern portion of Cebu island and the sun was just below the clouds and every color that can come from the light of the evening sun, blazed across the waters, between the clouds and the ocean. I have seen these shots before on movies and posters, but to see this in real life, to witness the heavens as though they were newborn. i felt so very close to God at that moment. Especially considering I was holding on for dear life on top of the bus and very much in prayer. For that moment, heaven was on the ocean. i wish i had a picture, but maybe one day i can go back and maybe, just maybe i might see that light once more.

My current favorite sunrise I've included in a picture, strange coincidence it is also on the ocean. I was in Hawaii, going to my brothers wedding. They married in the Laei LDS temple. By the way, they are now on their second child. But the sunday morning we were going to leave back to New mexico, we had some time to walk about on northshore. This was the shot that i took on the beach where were staying at. For some reason the plants on the island seemed all aglow and I could not help but wonder, if this is what creation was like when we all first started on this world. If only it could always look like this, and feel this perfect. there really is so much beauty around us, if we can look about us, take our sight away from the daily dribble that occupies our perceptions. Whether it is the mountains of Utah, the Canyons of Arizona, even the islands of sea, beauty surrounds us. I love the prophet Alma's testimony to the antichrist korihor, when asked about giving a sign that God exists. He states " the scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma 30:44. I feel that way when Nature manifests, and testifies who's hand created them. Daily reminders that God still watches over all of us.

running in the wind

Walking to work today, the wind was blowing extremely hard. it reminded me of the times on my mission in the philippine islands, when we had typhoons. i went through so many of them. you just kind of got used to them. My first day in my mission we got hit with a Signal 3 storm. i can't explain the amount of destruction these storms create. even the small ones. i remember a storm so bad that so much rain was falling and wind blowing that the road disappeared in front of us on our way home. we knew it was coming and thought we could beat it. all you can really do is find some shelter and ride it out. anyways. i've noticed of late that when i go running the wind always seems to be blowing against me. i run south, at the same time, it is blowing against me. run east. same thing. i think it strange that it happens whenever i run. like the weather is out to get me. but i still plod along despite my paranoid delusions of climatological adversity. what am i going to do when it gets tough like that. quit?? i don't think so. it reminded me of the Salt lake city marathon i ran in april. that was so very tough. from mile4 to mile 13, was into the wind. and not a gentle breeze. i'm talking blowing me backwards kind of wind. a few times, the wind completely stopped me in my tracks. I had that going against me, while going at an uphill grade until the half way point. when i reached the turn around on 13, i was so exhausted, but i kept going. I was going to finish that race.
i was talking to a man during my park city marathon at about mile 24. he was a bit older, i'm thinking in his 60s and he kept a good pace and he was very friendly. he could see that i was struggling at this point, which i was, due to the altitude. my heart rate was going to fast and i was having to walk at that point until it calmed down. i'd run until it got too high but then i'd have to slow down. my muscles were fine, i felt strong, but with my labored breathing and my heart rate, high. i couldn't risk a heartattack. he offered some advice. his words were simple. the victory is in the finish. that was it, but so much more, what he mean was to just keep going, you'll get to the finish, do the best you can with what you have. by and by, the end will come and you'll finish this race. especially the marathon. what a feeling it is to finish that run. to cross the line, especially when there is so much going against you. you just keep moving each step and eventually you will get to that finish line.
i don't mind the wind so much, it can get annoying, and it may make the journey bit more difficult. but the victory is overcoming those difficulties and finishing the race. and if you ever decide to run parkcity, you need to know that from mile 6 to mile 16 is all uphill. a gentle uphill from mile 6 to 10, then from 10 to 13, more uphill, then from 13 to 16, a monster of an uphill. good news. from 16 to the end is mostly downhill. the course is beautiful and amazing. very quiet. even when you run through park city. most people avoid the marathon traffic and the streets are nice and non-threatening.
i often wonder, why are difficulties so difficult. reason is, they teach you about what you really are. when testing, you are tested to see what knowledge you have acquired, what skills you have gain. you really don't get that type of measurement without some type of difficult obstacles. the more difficult the test, the more apparent the soul. so when the wind blows, the more my heart desires to move forward. the more i know that once i get through this experience, a part of me will be all the better. no one can take away the victories earn hard through adversity. these types of victories go on into the eternities. far past our time on this earth. I look forward to crossing that finish line.