Hello -

We only have one life to live - are we going to make it stand out and be special or are we gong to blend in with mass crowds and be lost in a sea of people?

If you live long enough - memories are about all you have left - to think about, especially fond ones.

I have some fond memories about grandmother - like my first job at her restaurant, making a bow with the money I made at work, staying at her home, her stories when I was with her, her coming back into the church and making it to the temple etc.

My dad - he worked hard, had us work hard, built a house and home, garage, basement, and roofing company.

He had us work in the garden, grow plants, weed, take us hunting etc.

My bothers built businesses, one became a CEO, I went on a mission - still working on one, a sister became a bank auditor, on drove bus and farm equipment etc.

Camping trips, fishing, a few family reunions, working on cars, canning, making sausage, sauerkraut, plucking chickens etc.

Getting married, going on a mission to Korea, receiving a patriarchal blessing, getting Melchizedek priesthood, going to BYU, the list goes on a on -

When I look back I say what have I really done?

Who have I really benefited or blessed?

Who will remember me when I'm gone? My Children and grand Children - who?

What was it all for?

So what am I going to do with what time I have left?

I can't change the past only the future - so hows the biggest and best way to do that?

I've played a lot with the grand kids, but I want them to know more than my love for them, I want them to obey their parents and love God in a special way - going to church service is one way but its really not enough, you need to be working with God and through you God can do a better work -

The church not only needs good members but it needs help from with out the members too -

There was a man you had a group of boys I think about 16-18 years old - I think it was once a month he would have a friend show them what his job was and why its important - one man was welder and he had the boys wield some small chair together and take them home with them - they never forgot that night and neither did the man, another night he has a scientist use an electron microscope on a fly and looked at his eye before it was over - the boys all wanted to be scientists etc.

It's not what we do, but how we do it - that changes peoples lives - some times in a big way -

I'll bet those boys never forgot those men or the experiences with them!

My girls still talk about a man who trained the older girls how o drive a motor cycle in the church parking lot - the girls listened and did better than the boys!

Sometimes its the unusual trials we go through that make us so special - it might be an airplane crash and being burned so bad you are never the same or some thing so simple as preparing for Marriage and getting married that changes your life for ever!

My point is simple - Who do you want to change your life or the lives of others around you?

It all starts with planning dreams actions and commitments - decide today you are going to make this world a better plan to be in by doing something special with your life and time!

Roger L MARTIN from Billings MT

PS - even America was built on something that had never been done before - a government for and by the people - even of the people - think how unusual that was for its time!

Fond