News for the Soul

Moolah! Dough! Bucks!

2011-11-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

I know someone whom we will keep anonymous by naming him Maynard.

Maynard is a quite listener, Loud talker, wears his heart on his sleeve, and exemplifies the virtue of charity Christ has for all mankind.

Maynard was listening in on a conversation where a mother/wife, was expressing her financial woes with another lady: husband just lost job, son on mission, and family to feed. Maynard takes out a wad of $100 bills and has a messenger give it to her.

Maynard has done charitable acts hundreds and hundreds of times.

Bees Make Delicious Honey and "Deathicus"

2011-08-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

It all happened when a rogue hive plopped itself in the backyard of the Linfords.

A nice old man (a long-time beeman that is slow and arthritic) and his nephew volunteered to remove the bee hive. They wanted to inspect it first to see what kind of equipment they would need for later. They were told it was in the backyard and unaware of the exact location of the hive they started searching. They lifted up a board a smidgin and that's all it took for the hive to come alive! The bees immediately swarmed the intruders, stinging them rapidly.

FYI "The sting's injection of apitoxin into the victim is accompanied by the release of alarm pheromones, a process which is accelerated if the bee is fatally injured. Release of alarm pheromones near a hive or swarm may attract other bees to the location, where they will likewise exhibit defensive behaviors until there is no longer a threat, typically because the victim has either fled or been killed. "

The nephew ran away with only 5 stingers in his head but the old man was too slow to escape the Fury. He walked a short distance, dropped to his knees, and then curled up in the fetal position and swatted them from his head. With all the commotion a Linford came out of the house, grabbed a hose and started spraying off the bees from the old man. "His back was completely covered in bees," he said. Another Linford came out armed with soap and defensive tactics, which he learned from Googling "bees" earlier that day. Coincidence?

The old man was not escaping so the rescue had to come to him. He ended up with over 50 stingers in his person.

What are Neighbors For?

2011-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Jim is our neighbor!

Tackle of suspect wins award for Mesa man

Senta Scarborough
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 10, 2005 12:00 AM Jim Contreras hadn't played football in years, but when a fleeing suspect ran toward his Mesa home, the former high school defensive end tackled and held him until police arrived.

This week, Mesa police honored him for capturing a suspect who fled from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Mesa officers July 17.

"I just didn't want him going into my house. I'm not a hero. I think anyone would do it to protect their family," said Contreras, 46, a construction superintendent. "The award should be for them. They do this everyday. This was just a reaction."

Contreras's 7-year old son, Nicholas, also received an award from Mesa police for helping to protect his family by going inside his house when his father asked and locking the front door.

He was made a junior deputy by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

"It was scary," Nicholas Contreras, who wants to become a police officer, said. "I thought he was going to come into the house."

Mesa police Officer James Keeling recommended Contreras and his son for the awards.

The man, who had several outstanding warrants, ditched his car on U.S. 60, fled into the neighborhood and tried to enter several homes.

He was caught in the 1400 block of South Nassau near Val Vista Road and Southern Avenue.

It was a Sunday and Contreras was having a cup of coffee when he heard a helicopter. He and his son went outside and saw a man running with a bag and police cars approaching. He sent his son into the house.

Contreras went behind his vehicle and when the man ran between Contreras's two vehicles, headed toward his home, he threw the coffee cup down and tackled the man. They wrestled until Contreras subdued him about 10 feet from the front door. In seconds, police arrived and took the suspect into custody.

"I tackled him like I did in high school," said Contreras, who suffered a minor head injury in the scuffle.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/mesa/articles/1210m-citizenawardZ11.html

Braces Or Mission

2011-03-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Elder Watson has terrible teeth! I mean, not good in any way other than they are teeth. He lives in Africa and his friends tell him that he should use the money he saved up to fix his teeth. He decides to serve the Lord. This story gets to my mission president and he works his resources and finds an orthodontist that does an accelerated process to fix Elder Watson's teeth before he goes home.

I Love You

2010-09-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

My office is inside my bosses house so I know the family quite well. Two of the daughters, who tend to argue with each other occasionally, were super nice to each other that day. They came into the office where I was working and started chatting with me. They were really happy and then one of them said, "Tyson, I love you."

I was having a really tough day and it changed from there. It was so sweet and it picked me right up.

I love you all. God bless!

Miracle At Wells Fargo

2010-07-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

A kid in my ward works as a loan officer. He was working with one lady, who is in debt and struggling to get by, when she started sobbing. She felt loss and little hope about the future because of her debt. Another lady noticed this and came up to her and comforted her. She then pulled out her check book and asked, how much do you owe? She wrote a check and her debt was wiped clean.

You Got 2, Why Not Share?

2010-07-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

I went to lunch with a few sales associates and learned about one of them, Ellis. He donated his kidney to his dad. They were a near perfect blood match. When the blood isn't a perfect match the probability of the body taking the organ is lower. The fathers new kidney will extend his life about 10 years. Before the transplant, Ellis's father wasn't very healthy. Even with dialysis, he didn't have much energy and his skin had a yellow color. Immediately after the transplant, he felt like a new man. It took a few months for Ellis to recover. His gift of life won't slow him down. His mom taught him well. Share.

Catch That Dog

2010-03-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

We were heading off to go eat at Fuddruckers and Jamon was gone. Then we saw him down the street helping a kid catch a dog. That was really nice. Especially because we all just got cleaned up and dogs always smell bad, slobber, and are dirty. Jamon picked it up and put it in the jeep and took it to the kids house.

Stopped to Help?

2009-11-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever stopped to see if someone needed help? Please record your story in the comments section. Ammon left a few of his experiences in the Post comments, "No Gas=No Go"

Adopt-a-Grandparent

2009-11-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

Ammon and a group of friends has just shown the world some good. They helped organize and put on a community event called Adopt-a-Grandparent. There is a brief description on this site. If you look carefully, you can see Ammon and Leslie in the video.

The video shows pretty much what adopt-a-grandparent is. Basically, young adults gather with elderly to play games and dance. Not many visitors come to retirement homes so any type of visit is very welcome. I bet this night was a hit. Good job!

No Gas = No Go

2009-11-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

I was driving home when I saw a red pickup, hood up, on the side of the freeway. I stopped and asked if he needed help. As I pulled up, he was up on the landscape under a tree sitting and waiting. I asked if he needed help and he said, "I ran out of gas and I don't have a phone." I asked if anyone was coming to get him and he said no. This poor man, about 50, was just waiting for something to happen. He had no plan in action other than hoping that someone would stop. I told him to hop in my jeep and we will go get some gas. He was scared to leave his vehicle because it could get impounded; it happened to him last time. So off I went to the nearest gas station and I brought back some gas. He paid for the gas and container and he offered me more money which I declined. He misread his gas meter and odometer thinking he had more gas than he did. He only had 1.5 miles to go.

"My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us." President Thomas S Monson What Have I Done for Someone Today?

Is Chivalry Dead!?

2009-10-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

I was at a party, playing games around the table and one of the girls didn't have a chair. None of the guys noticed or at least did anything. Then a girl chimed in and said, "Is chivalry dead?" I felt bad I didn't notice her. After that night, I've been watching others and the way they are to women.

What is Chivalry? -The qualities idealized by knighthood, such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. A knight is a gentleman.

I was at SRP paying a bill for work when a lady came in and there weren't any chairs easily available. I gave her my chair and nearly everyone noticed. There were 2 ladies and 1 kid taking up 7 chairs and after they saw what I did, they moved over opening a few seats.

'There are some men who, in a spirit of arrogance, think they are superior to women. They do not seem to realize that they would not exist but for the mother who gave them birth. When they assert their superiority they demean her. It has been said, “Man can not degrade woman without himself falling into degradation; he can not elevate her without at the same time elevating himself" (Alexander Walker, in Elbert Hubbard’s Scrap Book [1923], 204).' Gordon B Hinckley Ensign, 2004 The Women of Our Lives

If you want to know how to be a better gentlemen, ask your mother.

Chivalry isn't dead!

Good News = Gospel

2009-10-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

When was the last time I shared with someone how I felt about the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

I went HT with Dave McMullin this morning. We visited Katie and she shared with us some of her banana muffins (one of the few things she cooks). She has recently stopped coming to church. After my roommate Dave shared his lesson, I jumped in and bore my testimony of Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith. It was short and sweet and I felt happy for doing so. Sharing feelings isn't the easiest thing to do in the world. It's just a small sacrifice that we can make to help others feel the spirit and learn of the gospel.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said, "True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals, both members and investigators, feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord’s love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in Him increases. These experiences with the Spirit follow naturally when a person is willing to experiment upon the word. This is how we come to feel the gospel is true."

Jesus Christ made the biggest sacrifice for us. It is wonderful to think that he can succor us because He knows us and He has taken upon Him all of our infirmities and sins. He knows best. His promptings give superb direction. The gospel is the best news in the world!

A Simple Invite

2009-08-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

My new hobby is caving. I just want to go caving... BUT, in Utah, most of the caves are protected by lock and key and the only way to get in is to jump through hoops by joining the Timpanogos Grotto system, National Speleological Society, and pulling off a good impression with the leaders to give you a key. Not to mention, you have to fill out applications AND if the cave is considered dangerous or technical, you have to find someone that has already been in it to lead your group.
Luckily, I avoided all of that because my new friend Jeff invited me on his latest caving trip. I left a post on his caving blog and we've been corresponding by email since then planning a trip. Green Eyed Monster is what we did last weekend!

I am confident that everyone, at least once in their life, was happy that someone invited them to do something. It just makes the world a happier place when people are inviting. At times, we have so much power in social settings and a simple invite can make somebody else's day.

My camera battery died shortly after we entered the cave. Thanks to Chantelle, I have this picture.

Have you ever hitch hiked?

2009-04-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was one of the funnest weekends ever! Ammon, Leslie, Scott (Ammon's friend), Sam Hartman, Artia (Sam's friend), and I went to Zion National Park to scramble down some of the best canyons. Namely, Pine Creek, Keyhole, and Spry. We also hiked up Angel's Landing; then it snowed on us at the top!
After doing Pine Creek on Thursday we needed a ride back. I hitched a ride from Kit. She was visiting from Chicago. Nice lady. Early on in our conversation, I felt, share the gospel! So we did some small talk and then i asked, "Have you ever heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?" She said, "Ooo yes i have. I'm not religious" Apparently, many dental students fixed her teeth in Chicago.

What a nice lady to give me a ride. It wasn't far but if I had to walk it would be impossible. No pedestrians in the Mt. Carmel Tunnel.

Hey look! KSL does shows good news and good news it is.

2009-03-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=5986570

Idaho man defying the odds 8 years after rare surgery

March 27th, 2009 @ 10:07pm

By Ed Yeates

SALT LAKE CITY -- Surgeons in Pittsburgh are scratching their heads over the survival of an Idaho man who is still alive today, eight years after a rare surgery to transplant five organs.

We met Michael Pollard at his home in Burley, Idaho, almost nine years ago. A rare disease was destroying his digestive system.

There was a long shot, a monumental surgery in Pittsburgh where surgeons would transplant multiple organs at one time. They did just that, replacing his stomach, duodenum, small intestine, pancreas and liver.

"It was a prayer and a hope that I would get through the first year," Pollard said.

He weighs only 116 pounds. He's on oxygen most of the time, but he's alive, active and drives to survive.

Looking back to a trip to Disneyland with his wife and family in 2000, Pollard said, "You know, I thought that was going to be the last event I would have with my family."

In 2007, the end was near, or at least it appeared that way. Critically ill with pneumonia, Pollard was flown by AirMed to University Hospital in Salt Lake. He was at death's door.

Pollard said, "To make a decision to take me off life support, thinking I was going to go home and die at home, and then to turn around and come right out that …" Remarkable? Amazing? You fill in the blank. For his family, it was another close call for Pollard.

"If anybody is prepared for my passing, they are. We've done it enough now, or tried to do it enough," he smiled.

Pollard is a grandfather now. He'd like to see two more of his kids get married. "You have to have faith. You've got to have faith," he said. "You know, when you have five kids and the youngest one is two and your oldest was fifteen at the time, [it] makes you want to live to see a lot of things happen."

Happen they may, as he continues savoring each day. At the time Michael had his surgery there had been only 80 multiple-organ transplants like his in the world!

I read this add on Craigslist

2009-01-19T17:01:00.001-08:00

THANK YOU! - Emergency Move! Need A Couple of Hands (Provo)

Reply to: sale-994933550@craigslist.org ^[?]
Date: 2009-01-16, 6:15AM MST

I cannot express how amazed I am at the response I received from the abundance of folks in Provo when I posted this ad needing a few hands to help me move... I received roughly 100 responses to my ad and tons of folks showing up to help move me and my baby. ~ and I must say ~ The folks that arrived to help me were simply fantactic... ~ I would not have been able to accomplish this without ya'll... Blessings to you... I will for sure / pay it forward in your honor!

My Original Ad

I am a single mom with a 10 month old who just moved to Provo a few days ago - and - due to safety issues in the apartment we just move into, I am having to be moved to another apartment as quickly as possible... I have a truck but no hands to help me load and unload. I don't have a lot but its more than I can move on my own... Is there anyone out there that can spare an hours time to help me make this move....

There is good in the World

2008-09-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

On the way back to Utah from Reno, Jamon Stacy and I stopped at Arby's for lunch. I didn't want to spend a lot of money so i bought a $0.99 hamburger. A young couple in the back of the store turned one of the advertisements inside out and wrote "hungry! :(". I noticed it and judged them immediately.
"oh they are probably just wanting free food...they ran away from home... punk kids...wait, they could be telling the truth. either way I need to be nice. if i was hungry, i sure hope some one would help me."
I decided that I would buy them some food. Then a person from the other side of the restaurant brought them some food. What a nice guy. I don't know what religion he was, or if he even worshiped a Supreme Being. I immediately appreciated his act of service. The kid woke up and started eating immediately.

I was traveling back from Southern CA after visiting Ammon with Adam Frenza. I was cruising, about 90 mph when a semi cut me off right when i was going to pass him. I slowed down and got upset that he would do that. after 15 seconds i noticed that there was a cop on the side of the road that i couldn't see. The Semi driver knew that i would get a ticket if he didn't slow me down. That was really thoughtful.

I was traveling east on I-80 when a big rig, traveling west, flashed his lights at me. I quickly thought of all the reasons why he would flash me. my brights weren't on...I slowed down immediately and saw a cop hiding behind some trees. The Big Rig saved me.

I learned a few things from these experiences. One, there are good people in the world. Two, i shouldn't judge so quickly. That semi saved me a ticket. Three, there are good people that really want to help.

2008-08-26T21:41:00.001-07:00

It is the Service that Counts

2008-03-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

One of my friends likes to cook. Every time she cooks, she takes some of the goods to her next door neighbor. Unknowingly, her neighbor was struggling with the loss of her father. The cook came over as usual and shared some or her baked treats. Her neighbor then informed her of the situation and said she came over at the perfect time and that she really appreciated the treats.

Though it didn't take away her sorrow, it brought light to her day.

“In actual fact it is the service that counts—the Lord’s service. This is the service that counts, brethren—the service to which all of us have been called, the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thomas S. Monson – Ensign Nov. 1989

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=c0d92150a447b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

Operation V-Day

2008-02-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

Fact 1: Guys don’t care about Valentines Day like girls do.
Fact 2: If a girl received a valentine she would be happy.

If girls were taking tests on the night of Valentines Day, they probably didn’t have a Valentine. Ammon and I decided to go the BYU testing center and give Valentines (Candy) to girls as they came out of the testing center. It was pretty fun! We only had 3 rejections. We met two girls that were inspired by us who joined us and gave candy to guys. Bless their souls.

Lesson we learned:
At the beginning, we were standing outside. The responses were great! Almost everyone enjoyed it. Then we got cold and went inside. The results inside weren’t as great. Our valentines seemed to come off generic and canned. Ammon pointed out an interesting concept. Our service was accepted more and had a bigger affect when it was more inconvenient for us.

The Gutter Episode

2008-01-31T11:26:00.000-08:00

Elise's Story:

So, last night I was driving from my parents' home to ours. As many of you know, the weather here has been quite cold and very snowy. Yesterday was one of those blizzardy days where you hate driving. Well, when I was just a few blocks from our house, I had the unfortunate accident of sliding into the gutter during my attempt to turn right. I was probably 20 feet from the intersection of 7th East and 7th North. I tried to get out of the gutter and continue onward, but my wheels were entrenched in the snow and ice and there was no getting out. All they did was spin and spin while I cursed the ridiculously deep gutters that tunnel around all of Provo.

After a few minutes of failed attempts, Violet was screaming in the back seat. I tried to calm her down with the pacifier, but WOW was she mad. I don't think I'd EVER seen her that mad before. It was like she knew we were stuck and couldn't get home. I tried sticking a phone book under the wheel, but to no avail. Thankfully, a nice man pulled over and tried to help me. He pushed and pushed the end of my car, but nothing was happening. A nice student walking home with his backpack on also came over and helped push, but still nothing. I borrowed a cell phone (a fancy one where I couldn't find the "back" button, and therefore felt like an idiot!) from one of them and called Dan to come pick me up. He was with his mom at our house where they were waiting for me to come home and eat J-Dawgs with them.

Right after I talked to Dan, another guy drove by in a huge truck with a snowplow on the front of it. He had everything we needed to get me unstuck (the horsepower, the chains, the helpful attitude). Right then, Dan drove up with Mom Roberts. Dan got out to take the wheel of the forlorn Pontiac (damsel in distress) whilst we were being pulled by the courageous white truck (the hero). Soon we were up and out of the gutter and on our way home again. I am SO glad that my prayers were answered so quickly through such wonderful, willing, and able people. Hurrah for such kind Provo guys! I love them all!

Just Giving a Ride

2008-01-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, I was on my way to Lowe’s to buy a snow shovel. I saw this lady using a crutch hobbling through the snow; that is, 5 inches of show and it was still snowing! I turned around and picked her up. She was traveling about 1 mile to a physical therapy appointment. She was hit by a car 2 years ago and is still feeling the effects from the accident.

Wow! After dropping her off, it made me grateful for what I have. It seemed to reduce the size of my shortcomings and weaknesses and made me grateful for all that I have.

“…[S]ervice helps us generate love and appreciation. We come to know people by serving them—their circumstances, their challenges, their hopes and aspirations.”
http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=39812150a447b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

It was really easy for me to give her a ride. It was impossible for her to give herself a ride.

Smiling!

2008-01-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ammon was walking home one day from school and saw a girl. He didn't know her and felt like he wanted to talk to someone. They had small talk and that was that.
1-2 weeks later, Ammon heard a very interesting story. It was about a girl that was having the worst day when this nice kid talked to her and smiled. It changed her whole day around and she ended the day on a good note. She said the kids name was Ammon.

"A smile brings cheer to the weary, comfort to the discouraged, and hope to the despondent. People are more likely to confide in a smiling listener, reach out to a smiling stranger, and help a smiling neighbor."

http://gospelink.com/next/doc?doc_id=292588&highlight_p=1

Why News for the Soul?

2008-01-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

After getting upset at all the negative media, I thought, why isn’t there any positive media? Sadly, it’s because negative news is more excited to hear even though we get upset at it. It’s ironic! My idea started 3 years ago to focus on good media. I thought it would be cool to create a newspaper focusing on just good things; unfortunately, not enough people would buy it. The easier way to go about my plan was to create a blog that tells heroic stories of those who sacrificed to help others; or those that just simply went out of their way to make someone smile.