Children Learn

So here's a thought I had today.

I was thinking about how children learn. First off, they are so willing to believe. Secondly, they ask a lot of questions.

I think the two principles are very important and go hand in hand.

If you ask a lot of questions but never believe the answers, are you actually going to learn anything? Or will it all slip away, because it seems that when we believe an answer that's when it sticks with us.

On the other hand, if you only believe and don't ask questions, then you aren't learning anything. You can't expand your knowledge if you never ask questions. You aren't growing or progressing without asking questions (and seeking answers).

I think FAITH is a matter of both believing and asking. Faith without works is dead. Asking questions and seeking answers is a type of work in my opinion.

What do you think?

Food for Thought...or Energy!

A thought on being "green" and divinity:

Children learn by watching their parents. They even mimick their parents. They want to be like their parents.

Our bodies have the ability to turn food into energy. That's amazing!

What if we were capable as a human race to mimic that ability. What if we could turn food into energy?

Want to be "green"? Think how "green" the world would be if we could get our energy from food for nearly everything we use that requires energy to run. Cars, electronics, etc...it could replace gas fuel and maybe even electricity. I imagine our world would have more forests being grown, instead of cut down; more plantations, instead of starvation; and more plants world-wide alone would cut down the pollution, not to mention the cut back from the new source of energy not causing pollution. No more exhaust fumes from cars, or pollution from factories or manufacturing plants. The air would be cleaner. It would probably be a solution to the global warming issue. The ozone would probably have fewer holes. And people would probably grow more of their own gardens; not just to feed their families, but to fuel their possessions.

I just find it interesting that we know so much about science, and the earth and our bodies and how things work and how to make things and yet, we still can't even come close to reproducing the same miracles God (our Father) has produced, even though we understand how food is broken down by our bodies and turned into energy for our bodies! We aren't capable of reproducing the same process for other uses, or even for the same use. It's right in front of us and we can't repeat.

However, we try. Sometimes we are successful and come close to reproducing something that is naturally found. In fact, most of the greatest inventions have come from witnessing what already is naturally here. Planes are great examples. We see birds and other animals fly.

I just think it is so amazing that we are obviously children. God is our Father. And just as we see children trying to be like their parents, we too try to be like our heavenly parents. It is obvious that we are God's children, trying to be like him. Trying to CREATE as he has and does. Just like children, we learn by watching.

We are God's children. How do you view a child? Do you think God views us in that same way or a similar way?

Food for thought...pun intended.

Captain America triggers Ironman's Identity Crisis

Steve Rogers (a.k.a Captain America): Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?

Tony Stark: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

Steve Rogers: I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.

Tony Stark: I think I would just cut the wire.

Steve Rogers: Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.

Tony Stark: A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!

Steve Rogers: Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds.

This one conversation between Stark and Rogers is a perfect setup for the third Ironman movie. In the 3rd movie, Tony Stark not only suffers from what seems like post-traumatic stress disorder, but he also seems to be struggling with his identity. Who is he?

Rogers asked him that in the Avengers, as quoted above, and Stark answered with titles and roles he plays in life.

The other night I was lying in bed asking myself a similar question. Who are you if you take away all your roles? If I was not a mother or a wife; if I wasn't a daughter or a sister; what would I have left of myself? Would I be anyone?

Surely I would still exist. Simply taking away my roles in life would not take away my being. But would I know myself? Would I be happy?

So I pondered...

Who am I without my roles?

Who are you?

It seems whenever we are asked this question by others whether in a social setting or church class or school or work, etc. we always answer with titles, names, roles, positions, status, etc. Is that because that is how we define ourselves?

I recognized as I laid in bed that without my roles, I didn't know who I was.

To me that was a huge deal! I have grown up being told who I was...from church and home and school...I was a daughter, a sister, a child of God, a student...and as I grew older my roles increased as I served as a missionary and then later became a wife and then a mother as well. That doesn't include any church roles I have had or currently have. Recently, I was trying to add to my list of roles to become a business woman; the title under the business position was a consultant.

As I thought upon my life full of roles and how I lean upon them for my own identity, I recognized these roles, no matter how much I love *(or hate) them, they do not actually supply me my identity.

I tried to imagine a person with no parents, no siblings, no family relations whatsoever, no job title to claim, no roles at all; and what I imagined was a man standing in the forest alone. Just him and the trees. He stood there looking around trying to take in who he was. He wasn't a part of society, of any society. He wasn't a part of any family. He wasn't a part of anything. He was without any roles, titles, positions, names, status, etc.

It was hard for me to fully imagine this man. In fact, I felt I couldn't actually capture the idea of a person without roles. My mind kept trying to attach him to something, some title, or family member, or friend, or even a stranger, but I kept trying to clear him of all of that. He was not to have any of that. Why? Because I was looking; I was seeking an answer. I was trying to create in my mind so I could find out who he was without roles.

Everything in my mind became blurry and incomprehensible. It was a struggle to try to hold that image of "a man without roles". The improbability of "a man without roles" was simply blowing my mind. I was left without an answer. I still didn't know who I was without my roles.

I brought up the question to my husband. He said he had recently pondered the same exact question. He told me about some helpful concepts he had learned while reading from Stephen R. Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". The importance of having "character ethics" versus "personality ethics". (You can read the book to learn more on that). The character ethics should be our foundation. Then my husband made the point, "when you take away all your roles, you are left with who you really are: self-existing."

My existence is real. I truly exist just as the laws of physics exist. I am a true being. I am self-evident. Jehovah exclaims in the Old Testament, "I AM that I AM". He exists whether any of us believe it or not. He is self-existing. Just as I exist whether any of us believe it or not. My existence does not rely upon any titles or roles placed upon me by society, by my family, by my relationships, by my education, by my career, by my position or status, or wealth or lack of; nor any titles or roles or labels I put upon myself, whether for good or ill. I am both mortal and immortal. That is important to recognize and understand, because that is where you begin to know who you are. That is where you begin to build who you are.

I have become free in the true sense when I have recognized my self-existence. Freedom to choose who I am beyond the simple underlying fact that I exist. The "pursuit of happiness" lies in the self-evident truths. I AM self-evident. My pursuit of happiness lies within the truths upon which I build my character. It is all about Truth, including my existence. If I build my character upon truths, ultimately, I will be the best being I could possibly be.

Once you realize your self-existence, (which is the fundamental, most basic, bottom line realization you can reach about yourself), then you will be able to start to build yourself and know who you are.

This all may seem so simple and maybe even silly, but if you really stopped and took the time to think about who you are without stating any roles...you might be surprised what you learn about yourself.

*Disclaimer: I don't actually hate any of the listed roles, nor would I say I hate ANY of my roles.