Our son Antony, bottom far left on front row of picture! His first overnight hike and open air camp out!
Firstly, I love camping; I’m all for being in the wild outdoors, looking up at the stars and being mesmerised by the glow from the embers of a camp fire, especially when roasting marsh mellows.
Last weekend, with our son Antony being twelve, it was ‘his time – the right of passage’ to endure an overnight hike with his peers in the Young Men’s group from church. This was a small expedition of no ordinary means. Now I might start sounding ‘wimpy’ at this point in my recollection, that’s because I realise I’m not the fittest ‘bloke’ on the planet, not even with all the AGEL gel packs I consume regularly (which I love). My problem lies with my lack of physical exercise, I pretty much sit around most days, working behind my laptop screen (sad I know), indeed this might be me in a few years….
Back to topic…I knew this overnight hike would test my endurance and stamina, I also happened to be the oldest ‘bloke’ on this outing, so I played that sympathy card as much as I could, especially when I was trailing the pack from time to time, my excuse was I was holding up the rear and ensuring we didn’t leave anyone behind!
We hiked from 8pm till just gone midnight, which in itself is not bad going. However what initially became an amusing story of ‘becoming lost in the forest’, walking though the mud and tripping without little night sky light (no moon that night) and only small torches to hand, quickly became frustrating as we realised we were literally going round in circles – lost! As we tramped over the same paths we recognised again, I got out my trusty compass just after midnight and said – “head east boys!” We eventually found a clearing and were grateful to lay out the plastic sheet on the ground so that all the boys could lay out their sleeping bags and sleep under the stars, praying for no rain that night!
This image was the morning after and my Antony waking up in the blue sleeping bag – what a man!
Now this is where I show my ‘true colours’ having done this thing a few times… I came prepared and that’s my Blacks – 2 man pop up tent to the right of the others! I offered my one and only son the spare place next to me in my nice warm tent, but he didn’t want the shame, he wanted to be with the ‘men’ and sleep under the stars.
It’s interesting what a good night’s sleep feels like in a tent, as I emerged, seeing how cold everyone else was and the dew of the morning all over their now wet sleeping bags, I was grateful for my little luxury. We gathered our things and hiked off for a breakfast meet, some great planning by our young men, they were having breakfast brought to us, but we’d have to hike for it.
This next stage of our hike was another test of sifting the ‘men from the boys’, an early morning crossing of a local ‘ford’ (a place where water runs through it). Having done this before, I knew only too well how freezing this water can be in the early morning, so I elected to take the bridge crossing. My Antony’s first experience of our local ‘ford’ crossing, he screamed the entire way across. It feels like daggers on the feet!
If you don’t believe me, here’s the video proof…
Another image looking down at the ford crossing…
It was now the home stretch, but like a marathon when athletes hit that ‘mental and physical wall’, our bodies (especially mine) was beginning to give up… We’d been up at just after 6am, so I’d been fortunate to have a comfortable 5 hours plus sleep, whilst others had very little. What I found challenging were my boots, they weren’t the best ‘worn in’ for the task and later I were to find I’d gained some rather nasty blisters and even a week later as I’m writing this up for my blog my feet are still recovering! My left big toe is still ‘black and blue’ from the bruises of walking in those boots, thankfully my blisters have pretty much healed up!
The home stretch, those last few miles I had little physical strength left, showing my age, all of 42 years! However I kept going, willing my legs to move, pacing myself to get to our end goal, where a car ride home and a soak in a hot bath awaited.
Out of all of this, what impressed me and I’m glad to say some others too, is that our son Antony became a man in the eyes of others, not literally of course being 12, but in his enthusiasm and joy of participation with his peers. He was often seen running ahead of the group, excited to see beyond the next bend in the road or just eagerly excited to be hiking with his friends, it was all a grand avdventure for him.
Antony’s first experience open air camping and some serious hiking was now a new joy and experience for me. It amazes me sometimes how the young can have such stamina and fitness, heck I was young once like Antony and somehow albeit I enjoyed those similar experiences that I see him relish I somehow feel he has a greater appreciation than I did of those activities. He’s asked me about five times since last weekend “when can we do another hike?” I keep explaining “when my feet recover!”
Final video of Antony and “the boy’s” hanging out and singing acapella style as they go along the road on the final stretch home!
The Hubble Space Telescope recently celebrated its 18th anniversary. Since its launch on April 24 1990, this Earth-orbiting stargazer has beamed back some spectacular sights: images that are awesome in the truest meaning of the word. I love looking up at the stars with my telescope. Abraham once compared the sands upon the seashore with the countless numbers of stars in the heavens and marvelled.
My Son Antony and I recently went on an overnight Hike and outdoor camp (more on that another time), although I was a wimp and slept in our two man pop-up tent by myself, he slept with the rest of the young men in our church youth group under the stars and although it wasn’t that clear a sky, you know how beautiful the night sky can be.
Anyway, back to the Hubble…. To commemorate Hubble’s 18th birthday, space scientists have released a collection of astounding pictures, each showing close encounters between distant galaxies. As these vast galaxies approach each other, they morph into beautiful new shapes, with collisions sometimes giving rise to grand mergers and sites of brand new star births.
Galaxy bridge
This galaxy pair, located in the constellation Virgo, are visibly interacting via a dim bridge of stars.
Two spirals collide
A remarkable collision between two spiral galaxies taking place in the Hercules Galaxy Cluster, located in the constellation of Hercules. The two spirals are now linked by their spindly arms.
Galactic hug
Markarian 848 consists of two galaxies locked in a cosmic hug. Two long, curved arms of gas and stars link the galaxies together.
Overlapping galaxies
The highly symmetric galaxy in the foreground of this image is seen nearly face-on and is partly lit by the background galaxy it overlaps. It is also 350 million light-years from Earth, located in a constellation named Dorado, the Swordfish.
Butterfly
NGC 6240, some 400 million light-years from Earth, is a butterfly-shaped galaxy formed from two smaller merging galaxies. X-ray observations have discovered two giant black holes within the structure – these will drift towards each other and eventually join together.
When I see the beauty of the skies, I will ponder Life’s biggest questions and have peace in the reassurance that I know where I came from and I know why I’m here and most importantly I know the opportunity that is afforded to all mankind – to where we might go, our final destiny.
Having a faith in God, a Supreme and Divine Being, a Creator, it may seem a confusing task, so greater is the need for divine relevation and direction from above. Check these figures out below:
Judaism 14 million
Bahá’í and Babi Faiths 7 million
Jainism 4.2 million
Shinto 4 million
Here is what I’ve found….
God is your Father in Heaven (Matthew 6:9). We call God Heavenly Father because He is the Father of our spirits and we are created in His image ( Genesis 1:27).
From the beginning, Heavenly Father has called prophets? to testify, record His word, and provide His plan for His children on the earth. The teachings of prophets are found in sacred? books called scriptures? (Amos 3:7).
In the scriptures God’s plan is called the plan of salvation, the plan of redemption, the plan of happiness. The plan is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Throughout time, people have often pondered questions such as “Where did I come from?” “What is my purpose in life?” and “Where will I go after this life?” God has a plan for the happiness of His children: the plan of salvation, which is centered on the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
America’s richest man – Billionaire Warren Buffett said of Network Marketing…
the best investment I ever made
Randy Schroeder asks
Why Network Marketing?
Q. Can Network Marketing be done successfully part-time? A. Absolutely….it’s very common in fact. You can start your Network Marketing business on a part-time basis without giving up your current source of income until your Network Marketing business is generating the income you require. And the best part is that you can continue to operate indefinitely on a part-time basis. What would you do if you were financially independent and most of your time was free to do with as you pleased? This is why so many people are flocking to Network Marketing. And that’s why we say that Network Marketing puts the freedom back in free enterprise!
Q. Do I have to sell products door-to-door or hold parties or meetings? A. No. One of the greatest features of Network Marketing is that success can be achieved using a wide variety of methods. You choose the methods that YOU are comfortable with. Within Agel we use amazing internet technologies so that truly this is a global yet home based business. No delivering products, no collecting money, no party plan meetings! Ahh!
Q. Isn’t Network Marketing one of those pyramid schemes? A. Definitely not. Though Network Marketing and pyramid schemes do share some similarities, there’s a very important difference that makes the latter illegal.
You see, in pyramid schemes, income is generated solely on the process of recruiting others into the pyramid. Sometimes a product or service of questionable value is involved (that is never retailed to the general public by the way), but generally what you’re buying is the right to recruit others into the scheme. This is illegal. Also, in pyramid schemes, those who get in first and who are at the top win, while everybody else loses. In a legitimate Network Marketing company, on the other hand, distributors are paid only on product movement; not on recruiting. Both at wholesale and retail. There’s also compensation based on the training and managing of your marketing team. And unlike illegal pyramids, in Network Marketing, no matter where you’re positioned or when you join, you can advance to the very highest income levels and even make more money than those above you in the network.
Q. I’m not a salesperson, so this probably isn’t for me. A. Actually, studies have shown that people with no sales experience do great in Network Marketing. In fact, the studies show that they often do better than those with previous sales experience. This is because Network Marketing isn’t about selling; at least not in the way most people think of selling. There’s no place for arm-twisting or high-pressure techniques in Network Marketing. Rather, Network Marketing is simply about sharing the concepts and products of your Network Marketing company that you use and you’re excited about.
Q. How much money can I make? A. The bottom line is you’ll get out of it what you put into it. It works…if you do. But that’s the beauty of it, too; you are in control; it’s up to you how far you take it. And don’t forget, the income you create in Network Marketing is residual. This basically means that for the work you do just today, you have the potential to earn money not only for today but for years to come.
Q. Do I have to sponsor a lot of people to be successful? A. No, if you can sponsor just one person every month or two, you can do great in Network Marketing. Bruno Grilo from Portugal after 4 months had sponsored just 16 people into AGEL(with no prior experience), Those 16 family members and friends (including Bruno) were paid out by AGEL $365,000 USD November’07, just 4 months after Bruno had joined AGEL. This is exceptional, but demonstrates what is possible in this industry. See Bruno’s story below:
Q. What’s so important about sponsoring in this business anyway? A. It’s like this… it doesn’t matter how intelligent, rich, energetic, or dynamic you are; we are all limited to the same 24 hours a day. By sponsoring, however, you can overcome this limitation. By sponsoring, you can virtually clone yourself and have dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people all working indirectly on your behalf on their time and receive a cut of everything they do. Sponsoring also builds your security in this business. Why? In most traditional businesses, what happens if you become ill or disabled and are unable to service your customers? Or perhaps you just want to take a nice long vacation? Whatever the case, you could lose most if not all of your income overnight because it relies on you being there. That’s not owning your own life and that’s certainly not financial freedom.
Through the process of sponsoring and building a downline in Network Marketing, however, you can create total financial freedom for yourself. With a downline of independent business people working for you, you no longer have all your eggs in one basket. On the contrary, because each person in your downline has a vested interest in continuing and building their own businesses, you create an income that is non-dependent upon you – an income that can continue, even grow, indefinitely with or WITHOUT you.
Q. Do I have to stock and deliver products? A. Most Network Marketing companies today allow its distributors (and often even retail customers) to order direct from the company. The company simultaneously tracks your commissions, credits your account, and automatically sends you a check for the total amount due.
Q. Isn’t Network Marketing just another “get-rich-quick” scheme? A. No, “get-rich-quick” is a fairy tale. It just doesn’t happen in the real world. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but they’re extremely rare. In fact, if overnight riches is your dream, your odds are probably better playing your state lottery than doing it in business – any business.
Q. I couldn’t get involved in Network Marketing. It’s not a “real” business. A. It’s very real. Network Marketing is now a multi-billion dollar industry involving millions of independent business people and major U.S. corporations like Colgate-Palmolive, Gillette, Sprint, and MCI, just to name a few. And it’s a rapidly-growing international force, too, with thousands of Network Marketing companies already in operation in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Basin.
Q. If Network Marketing is so great, why aren’t more people involved? A. That can be summed up in one word: misconceptions. The general public just doesn’t understand what Network Marketing is or its potential. But that’s finally starting to change. Right now it’s estimated that only about 2% of the U.S. population is involved in Network Marketing. But industry experts predict that that number could climb to 10% by the end of this decade. You can position yourself to take advantage of this trend by getting started in Network Marketing now. The timing is great for getting involved!
Q. What are the costs involved in starting and operating this kind of business? A. Virtually all Network Marketing companies require you to first purchase some kind of “Starter Kit.” This is a one-time cost, and is usually less than $100. In addition, of course, you’ll have monthly expenses for office supplies, postage, advertising, etc. A total of $50-$150 dollars per month is probably a realistic expenditure to expect. Anyone can afford this amount of money without jeopardising their current lifestyle while they’re trying to build a better one. And here’s some more good news — most, if not all of that, is tax deductible.
Q. What if I can’t afford to buy extra products. A. You’re not supposed to. Network Marketing companies just want you to replace those products you now buy elsewhere with the equivalent-but-higher-quality products your Network Marketing company manufactures. By doing so, you’ll likely save money since you now get to buy at wholesale. Plus, it only makes sense to buy from yourself — to buy from “your own store.”
Q. I’ve tried Network Marketing before and it didn’t work for me. A. Let’s say you’ve just moved into a new city and you decided to go out to eat that evening. Unfortunately, the food at the restaurant you picked turned out to be horrible. But just because of this one bad experience, you surely wouldn’t swear off eating at all the other restaurants in the city, would you? Of course not! Network Marketing is no different. There are fair NNetwork Marketing companies, great Network Marketing companies, and, yes, even some bad Network Marketing companies. But Network Marketing works! You just need to link up with the right company and the right opportunity at the right time. See MLM RockStars.
Q. I don’t have the cash right now to get involved in Network Marketing. A. Get it! If a brand new $60,000 Mercedes were offered to you for $1000, would you find the money somehow to buy it? Go and get the money because your own Network Marketing business could be worth a lot more than that Mercedes.
Q. I can see how others have become successful, but I don’t think I could do it. A. People of every age, every background, from every walk of life are making it in Network Marketing today. If you have the desire, you can succeed in Network Marketing.
Q. If I would happen to be sponsored by someone half way across the country, how do I get questions answered? And what about training?
A. Free consultation and assistance from your sponsor, other upline associates (and often the corporate staff of your Network Marketing company) is a phone call away. Faxes, E-Mail, Voice Mail, and other new technologies also provide fast and efficient communications between upline and downline…no matter where they’re located. As for long-distance training, this is easily handled through video training CD’s, audio taped seminars, books, online computer and telephone conferences, etc.
Q. I just don’t have the time to start a Network Marketing business. I’ve got too many irons in the fire already.
A. That’s precisely why you should consider Network Marketing. Besides creating financial freedom, Network Marketing is specifically designed to create personal freedom for you so that you can do all the things in life you really want to do that you don’t have the time for now.
Q. Don’t you have to get in at the beginning to make any real money? Doesn’t saturation eventually occur? A. That’s another big misconception that’s been perpetuated by the media for years. The fact is, there has never been any evidence produced that “saturation” occurs in Network Marketing. This very topic was debated in U.S. courts at one time and that was the conclusion by the courts.
Secondly, realise that because Network Marketing is still a very young industry, there are hundreds of millions of prospects worldwide who have never even heard of Network Marketing. It will take years to even make a dent in that.
But here’s the main reason why “saturation” is a myth: Timing. In the U.S. alone, there are tens of thousands of brand new prospects “hatched” every year.
Part of that figure is young adults who have only just reached the stage in their lives where they’d consider (and could afford) to start a business. Then there are the thousands who have just experienced a major shift in the direction of their lives because of changes at work, at home, etc. These same people, who just months before could in no way, shape, or form be considered prospects for Network Marketing, NOW are suddenly very open to the proposition. And this is happening constantly. Bottom line: The market is wide open and the potential is enormous.
This picture was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. A wonderful scripture comes to mind…
And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. (Moses 1:33)
This image above when it first came through from the Hubble telescope and their newly installed Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) way back in April 2002 quickly became known as ‘The Hand of God’ because of it’s finger like nature, before I continue on Life’s 3 Big questions and how when you look at such an image our own purpose on this earth comes into our minds, more on what this is, the scientific part if you’re interested…
This is the Eagle Nebula, also know by the designation M-16, it’s part of an enormous interstellar cloud of dark, cool gas and dust in the Constellation Serpens, some 7,000 light-years from Earth. These magnificent pillars reveal the birth of dozens of stars. The pillars are made of gas and dust, and sculpted by intense radiation from very hot, bright nearby stars. Protruding from these pillars are small “fingers.” Buried within the tips of many of the fingers are stars that are still forming. As the gas and dust evaporate, the stars are unveiled. Radiation evaporates the gas and dust, and that radiation creates these surreal looking shapes. The largest of these pillars is about one light-year in length.
To give this some perspective, one light year is the distance that a beam of light would travel in one year, going at the speed of light, which is approximately 186,000 miles per second! 186,000 miles would be the equivalent of circling the Earth about seven and a half times. Now, imagine that distance spread out in a straight line. That’s how far light travels in one second! Now, imagine how far the light could travel in 31,536,000 seconds (one year) – almost 5 quintillion, 866 quadrillion miles! That’s 5,866,000,000,000 miles!! It’s a distance so vast that it’s hard to fathom! That’s the height of the large pillar in this photo! That would equal 60,000 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun! To travel one light year in the fastest space ship we have today (25,000 mph), it would take us a mere 17,000 years! Keep in mind, the Eagle Nebula itself is 7,000 light years away from us!
I love looking at such images, another example is the Cone Nebula below, are these truly not just beautiful?
So where does this leave us in the grand scheme of things?
The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator. (Alma 30:44)
Another favourite scripture I enjoy is again from Moses:
And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations. (Moses 7:30)
Life’s 3 big questions?
When we face the difficulty of loosing someone close to us, many will wonder is there more? I’m grateful for the peace and knowldge that I have in my life.
