Skateistan

This mini documentary is about youth who skateboard in Afghanistan. If skateboarding keeps kids from playing with AK-47's and joining the Taliban, then shred it up! The only way to get rid of misery and darkness is to replace it with happiness and light. Skating for me has always been a positive way to get my adrenaline rush. Its too bad they don't have a coast in Afghanistan, because I'd love Surfistan even more. See the documentary below and a mini clip of me in Houston at the bottom.

NEVER!

In anticipation for upcoming general conference, here is a snippet from President Monson's last address that discusses life after death.

Two weeks ago I received a touching letter from a father of seven who wrote about his family and, in particular, his son Jason, who had become ill when 11 years of age. Over the next few years, Jason’s illness recurred several times. This father told of Jason’s positive attitude and sunny disposition, despite his health challenges. Jason received the Aaronic Priesthood at age 12 and “always willingly magnified his responsibilities with excellence, whether he felt well or not.” He received his Eagle Scout Award when he was 14 years old.

Last summer, not long after Jason’s 15th birthday, he was once again admitted to the hospital. On one of his visits to see Jason, his father found him with his eyes closed. Not knowing whether Jason was asleep or awake, he began talking softly to him. “Jason,” he said, “I know you have been through a lot in your short life and that your current condition is difficult. Even though you have a giant battle ahead, I don’t ever want you to lose your faith in Jesus Christ.” He said he was startled as Jason immediately opened his eyes and said, “Never!” in a clear, resolute voice. Jason then closed his eyes and said no more.

His father wrote: “In this simple declaration, Jason expressed one of the most powerful, pure testimonies of Jesus Christ that I have ever heard. . . . As his declaration of ‘Never!’ became imprinted on my soul that day, my heart filled with joy that my Heavenly Father had blessed me to be the father of such a tremendous and noble boy. . . . [It] was the last time I heard him declare his testimony of Christ.”

Although his family was expecting this to be just another routine hospitalization, Jason passed away less than two weeks later. An older brother and sister were serving missions at the time. Another brother, Kyle, had just received his mission call. In fact, the call had come earlier than expected, and on August 5, just a week before Jason’s passing, the family gathered in his hospital room so that Kyle’s mission call could be opened there and shared with the entire family.

In his letter to me, this father included a photograph of Jason in his hospital bed, with his big brother Kyle standing beside the bed, holding his mission call. This caption was written beneath the photograph: “Called to serve their missions together—on both sides of the veil.”

Jason’s brother and sister already serving missions sent beautiful, comforting letters home to be shared at Jason’s funeral. His sister, serving in the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission, as part of her letter, wrote: “I know that Jesus Christ lives, and because He lives, all of us, including our beloved Jason, will live again too. . . . We can take comfort in the sure knowledge we have that we have been sealed together as an eternal family. . . . If we do our very best to obey and do better in this life, we will see [him again].” She continued: “A scripture that I have long loved now takes on new significance and importance at this time. . . . From Revelation chapter 21, verse 4: ‘And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.’ ”

My beloved brothers and sisters, in our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: “He is not here: for he is risen.”

I know that we will live again after we die because of Christ's atonement and we can be with our families forever. My Aunt Margaret just shared her witness of this with me yesterday, as she just found out she has cancer. She said she isn't afraid of the worst because she knows she will live again and be with her family forever.

The key is to NEVER lose our faith and keep moving forward. And if not forward, at least keep getting back up from our falls. The hymn How Firm a Foundation emphasizes the blessings of enduring in Christ:

1. How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word;
What more can he say than to you he hath said?
You, who unto Jesus, for refuge have fled.

2. In ev'ry condition - in sickness in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. “Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

4. “When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o'erflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design,
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

6. “E'en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov'reign eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when grey hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.

7. “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes:
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never - no, never, no, never forsake!”

Gentlemen Broncos

Watch this movie if you like Flight of the Conchords and Nacho Libre.

Sampler:

Come and see.

Fun in Gator Country

Beaumont is Gator Country. Two weeks ago at a law enforcement display for kids in Vidor, I met the hosts from Gator 911. Our Coast Guard display was next to the Fish & Game Warden. Gary Saurage and Jana Parr showed up to register a 3 foot alligator with the Warden. Got to shake Gary's hand and Jana let me hold the alligator while the kids swarmed around to see.

A few days later, while driving back from the Sabine Pilot Station around 10:00 PM, I saw something odd in the road with my dim headlights. It was in the middle of the road, so I slowed and veered right. I didn't know it, but it was a huge alligator facing me head on! As I veered right, it turned its 10 foot long body perpendicular and spanned across my entire lane. I SLAMMED over it going about 50 MPH! I turned around to check out the damage and watched as it limped into the bayou next to the road. No blood on the road- sturdy guy.

Last gator tale; my roomate and I went crabbing at a spot in Lousiana last Friday. We tied raw chicken drumsticks to 100 lb. catfish line and pulled in the greedy crabs that would latch on. It was a great spot for us to catch dinner, and even better spot for the mosquitoes who drained about a pint of my blood (same night as Twilight's debut, so it was fitting). Ceding to the mosquito onslaught, we went around one last time to pull in the lines. The last line seemed snagged up so I shined my light and and a 6 foot alligator was staring at me with the line coming out of his clamped jaws! We played tug of war for five minutes before my roomate ran over with the camera. Check it out:

(I'm yanking on this 100 lb. line the entire time. My hands were sore the next day.)

Thanksgiving

To name a few things I am thankful for: I am thankful for my family and especially my brothers who I can surf with and have so much in common with. I'm thankful for America and our freedom and ability to come together in hard times. I'm grateful for my friends and their support. I'm thankful for all the opportunities to interview and will be really grateful when this process is over! I'm thankful for Jesus Christ and the example of love and service He gave and that He paid the price for my sins and makes happiness and forgiveness possible. I'm thankful for California weather and for the ocean and mountains. I'm thankful for MW2 and that I have Kayle and Greg as wing men.

Apostle Says Religious Freedom is Being Threatened

Exerpts from an LDS news brief:

An apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said religious freedom is being threatened by societal forces intimidating those with religious points of view from having a voice in the public square. (See the full text of the speech here)

Noting that the students he was addressing were among the generation that would face continuing challenges to religious freedom, Elder Oaks offered five points of counsel:

• Speak with love and show patience, understanding and compassion to those with differing viewpoints.
• Do not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents, insisting that churches and their members be able to speak out on issues without retaliation.
• Insist on the freedom to preach the doctrines of their faith.
• Be wise in political participation, remaining respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and contributing to reasonable discussion.
• Be careful to never support or act on the idea that a person must subscribe to a specific set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for public office.

“Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms,” Elder Oaks concluded. “I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our ‘First Freedom,’ the free exercise of religion.”