~~ Cosmo Kramer on a good hair day, or what? ~~

This is one of Luke's senior pictures....
I think he kinda looks like a young Kramer on a good hair day....
What do you think?

Just a funny story....

My mom sent me this story....
I hate forwarding stuff, but it was so very funny,
so I am posting it here:

The Mormons Meet the Metro Narcotics Unit
By Daryl Zadok Budd - Clearfield, Utah

The Elders Quorum President and I were visiting some lost souls, when they were found by the long arm of the law. As we were preparing to say the closing prayer at the conclusion of our visit we heard someone pounding on the door and yelling, 'it's the police! Open the door!' I thought, 'Oh, that old joke.' Then there was more pounding, 'it's the police! We have a search warrant!' Before this lady's boyfriend made it to the door to open it the police opened the door for him. Into the house stormed ten police officers dressed from head to toe in black body armor. Each gentleman had a submachine gun. When I saw the door burst open, read the word POLICE across the first officers Kevlar vest and saw the large gun that he had I thought, 'This is going to make a great story.'

The Officer only got to 'Get on the...' and I was face down on the carpet with my hands above my head in full view. 'Get down on the ground!' The friendly officer again shouted at the President. The only trouble the President had was that the room was very small and had a coffee table in the center of it. There was no available space remaining on the floor, as the rest of us had already 'hit the deck.' There was no room left in the Inn, if you know what I mean. The Elders Quorum President therefore made the mistake of Standing up from where he was sitting on the couch and trying to explain who we were. The kind officers did not seem to like this action and one very large officer stepped toward the President who then found himself looking directly into the muzzle of the gun with a bright light shining in his eyes. As the officer placed his finger over the trigger and shouted, 'I said get on the ground!!' The president decided to do so. As there was nowhere else to go, he laid on top of me, his first councilor. I never thought I would need to 'support the President' like that I assure you. I really felt the 'weight of my calling.'

We were instructed not to move or speak which was difficult to say the least as I had eaten a little too much for supper and the President is not exactly a small man. After a time the President whispered, 'Are you O.K. down there?' I didn't dare answer. But a few seconds later the humor of the whole situation hit me full force and I started laughing, silently mind you, which made my body shake and the President being on top of me was well aware that I was laughing and thought, 'What in the world could he possibly be laughing at?' After they got done handcuffing the two closest to us they were ready for us. 'Stand up and keep your hands above your head!' We arose and the officers searched us for weapons. The heroic officers did a much more extensive search of the Presidents person due to his earlier, 'Non-compliance'

'Who are you?!' asked the large officer who had gently persuaded the President to get down on the floor. 'We are the Elders Quorum Presidency from a local Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.' Replied the President in one breath. The officers looked at each other and their weapons lowered a little bit. 'Do you have any church I.D.?' One officer asked. They gave us back our wallets and we showed them our Temple Recommends and Drivers licenses. Big smiles came onto their faces and they soon escorted us out to our car, wished us a good night and allowed us to drive away with a great story to tell.

I knew that my Temple Recommend could help me get into the Lord's house but I never dreamed it could help me avoid going to the 'Big house.' This time the lost sheep that we were hoping to bring back to the fold sadly ended up going to a different pen.

Sincerely,
Daryl Zadok Budd

P.S. Feel free to forward this story on to anyone that you'd like. It's too funny not to share it because it's a true experience that really happened to me.

Where Can I Turn for Peace?

August 10, 2008

Two years ago today, my nephew died. For the past few days, my compassion and concern for my sister and her family has been swelling until it almost chokes me, then ebbing enough for me to function in my own life off and on in cycles. I have called my sister several times with various excuses....just to hear her voice and be sure that she is doing ok, but she is always so busy that there never seems to be a good time to talk beyond the pretext that I used to initiate the call. I settle for remembering to ask for Heavenly Father to send the comforter to her and her family.

During Sacrament meeting this morning, the concern started growing in my chest again until I felt like I wouldn't be able to breathe until I talked to her, but I had forgotten my cell phone at home and don't know her new phone number off the top of my head. As the meeting drew to a close, I thought I should leave before Sunday School and Relief Society so I could get home and call her, but I asked myself if it was a prompting, or if it was just my own worry and something that could wait until after the meetings. I decided I was supposed to stay for my meetings.

I read the verses Sister Sawyer directed us to, and, as I usually do, read the ones leading up to and the ones following the directed ones as I listened to the class discussion. (It's a bad habit and I hope the teacher doesn't think I am not listening to the lesson----it's just one of those multi-tasking things I do...) Anyway, there was nothing specific that was standing out or anything, just reminders to have faith, but I felt calmed and was glad I stayed for class. I wished, as I always do, that my sister could be there too and feel the peace.

Relief Society started and my brain was multitasking still---wondering what I could say to my sister when I called her to let her know that she really, really, really is not alone...Then the lesson was announced. Lesson 14: "Words of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death" I felt like maybe this lesson is really why I needed to stay. As it unfolded, it was a good lesson, but it was for people who have faith in Jesus Christ. I wasn't gleaning anything from it that I felt could help in this situation. Mark and the girls don't even believe in Christ. Mary was taught to, but I don't know what she retained.

The teacher told a story of a guy she worked with who's wife was about to loose her mother to cancer. The man doesn't believe there is anything after this life. When you die, that's it....No soul going on, etc., etc. I thought "Ok. Here we go. Now is when I get the answer of what to say or do for Mary, Mark and the girls. Lay it on me." ...The teacher felt prompted to give him the church video "Together Forever". He took it. He brought it back a few days later and said it was good for his wife, but really didn't do much for him since he knows there isn't anything after we die.
Bam! There we go! Back to the same brick wall! How did she get through to him? How do you make the blind see?!

My frustration increased. I read ahead. I went back and read again from the beginning. I scanned again. I felt deflated. It really was geared towards people with faith, and I needed something to GIVE some faith. The time was spent. The lesson was drawing to a close. I was still searching for something to apply. I was almost angry. The closing hymn was announced. Before the pianist even made it to the piano I was hearing the music in my head. The pianist started the intro, but I was already to the words in my head...

It was as if all the words of the whole song swirled together in an instant. All the meaning of the words combined with the beautiful, sweet music in a swirl that made a thick, balm and magically swirled itself into the gaping wound in my heart. I wasn't searching for something for myself. I was only searching for the right words to pass along, but there it was...soothing me. Giving me peace. Allowing me to become the balm.

Where Can I Turn for Peace?

Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?

Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.

He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love with-out end.

Fours

I copied this from my Niece's Blog. She made the observation that there were five questions instead of four....and since the fifth was what four TV shows I watch all the time and I don't watch much TV, I just left it off.... Here is my version of "Four's"

A) Four places that I go to over and over: Church, School, Wal-mart, The bloodsucking gas station!
B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Mom, LaVor, Brian, Lacey
C) Four places I love to eat: Olympia Cafe, Frontier, Red Lobster, Golden Corral
D) Four places I would rather be right now: Anywhere with family, In the Mountains, At a beach, Anywhere with good friends