C.S. Lewis

I bought Neal A. Maxwell's "Moving In His Majesty and Power" yesterday and found this quote by C.S. Lewis:

"Little people like you and me, if our prayers are sometimes granted, beyond all hope and probability, had better not draw hasty conclusions to our own advantage. If we were stronger, we might be less tenderly treated. If we were braver, we might be sent, with far less help, to defend far more desperate posts in the great battle."

I love this quote because it makes me realize that we have weakness and that the Lord knows all our weaknesses because He has born them. And even more tenderly, His infinite mercy regardless of them.

Charity

I work in a hospital. This morning I was upstairs sitting at one of the nurse's stations waiting to take a patient down to surgery. As I sat there I was listening to the random conversations going on around me. I noticed a contrast in the nurse's attitudes toward doctors, patients, and their job in general. One of the nurses in particular was super kind to everyone around her. She would kindly answer the phone and respond quickly to other nurses. She was smiling and seemed happy to be at work and to serve. It was very pleasant to be around her. I had a short conversation with her while I was sitting there and she told me about her new little baby of 3 months. It made my day. There was another nurse at the nurse's station whose demeanor seemed lined with nails. She had bitterness in her voice. I think I heard her complain 10 times in the 15 minutes I was sitting there. When she answered the phone she acted impatient and "put out." She responded almost angrily to other nurses and even patients. She told a story of how she ignored and told off a doctor the other day and how good it felt to put him in his place.
This experience has inspired me to do a personal inventory. I've thought about the way that I treat people and the kinds of feelings I create when I interact with others. I think there are some things that I can do better. It's amazing how we can affect the lives of others around us. I'm sure the first nurse had no idea the impression she made on me this morning, just as I'm sure the second nurse had no idea how bitter and ugly she seemed today. I wish we could watch ourselves sometimes just to see how we look to others. I think we would act differently.

Ozma

One day when I was about 15 years old a band came along. My little brother Kody found them online and ordered their record. It was this crappy 4-track recording of about 8 songs that was the most beautiful creation my young ears had ever heard. So it's been about 10 years and the band that I grew to love is still alive and well. The name of the band is Ozma. Their band mission statement seems to be "make Kasey as happy as possible." Yet, I know that they write not to an audience of one...but to all. Thank you Ozma.

"If Your Mother Only Knew"

I am fascinated by the beat box. I've tried to beat box. I have all the right parts to make a beat box: lips, tongue, vocal chords, lungs...etc. But there are only a few that actually wield the beat box skillfully. We've all seen people who think they can beat box (i.e. "Colors", you know what I'm talking about Cahlan). Anyway, I stumbled across this video today and was blown away. This man does the bass, drums, vocals, and back up vocal all at once. It's truly amazing and a wonder to behold. I found it looking through Phantom Planet clips of all things.