What is Love

For the month of February the topic of love is on everybody's mind?  Millions or perhaps billions are spent reminding us, selling us and then going to buy the goods of Cupid. What is this emotion, feeling, connection, virtue we call love? 

We know something of the shortcomings and challenges we each face. How can we focus on the potential to enjoy this emotion that each of us has a desire to experience?

My wife is a patient and forgiving person. I have failed more times than I can remember to buy her flowers on special occasions or buy her a birthday present.  Is this really what love is all about though? 

Is love a product, bought and sold with money or is it developed through patience and forgiveness? Why not be nice all the time, give the gift of self and buy random flowers or presents?

My personal approach to life and discovery is to understand "the why" as some say. We base much of our attitudes in life on experience. We are also exposed to philosophical, scientific or theological reasonings.  How are they tied together in a bond of truth?

We think life would be wonderful if we could only experience the ideals of love, but the reality is that life is a constant state of learning amid opposition and pitfalls.  Thankfully it is interspersed with joys and occasional elation. What we learn and how we then act can increase the constancy of joy and love in our lives.

Doesn't it make sense to determine the level of commitment we want to attain and the depth of our development we desire with this powerful experience we call love?  Isn't love a connecting factor in so many of the relationships that we value on the highest level of our capabilities?  

Notions of Love

More songs have been written about this subject than perhaps any other. Love lost or gained is a thematic element of many movies. If I could "save time in a bottle" or write an "old fashioned love song"everything would turn out okay I was told in high school.

Some call love the most powerful force in the world.  This they say because they think it drives human passions for better or worse. It has been called crazy love, free love, love is blind. Blinded by what? And love at first sight. The sight of what? Are these really love? The world does keep us moving at a fast paced superficial level.

Some say there are four kinds of love and others seven.  Then there are terms that describe something else such as God is love or endless love.  If this is so, then how so?

We are subjected to many forms of media portrayals supposedly depicting love. The imaginations and expressions of writers and actors that often have no bearing on reality still affect us as they float about everywhere in the popular culture.  

These entertainment notions and portrayals reduce a person's power to make lasting connections if they try to imitate them in the slightest. Skepticism and mockery rule the airwaves masquerading as intelligent observations to the uninformed.

When I was a young man I thought about the emotions of love and what they might be when I became serious about a relationship. How would I know if I was in love or not?  I wasn't sure what to expect from marriage. How do feelings of affection and commitment develop? 

I have learned that love is as much a discipline as it is an emotion and that love as a power is only developed when implemented as a principle of action. Sorry, no magic arrows, just effort and commitment.  Where do we want love in our life?  At a superficial level, or can we really look at the ramifications of our relationships?

The Science of Love

We like to think or say that love is in our hearts but in reality love develops in our mind. It is cultivated and stored in the cells of our brain in ways we hardly comprehend.  It is very scientific for those that study it.  You only need to read a few noteworthy articles to understand how much science has discovered about the body and brain yet don't understand it all.

Does what we eat and how we exercise affect our ability to love and feel loved? To know about neurochemicals, receptors and electrochemical function and the rest of the nervous system is quite amazing. There are 23,000 identifiable chemical processes in the human body.  There is certainly some possibility for variance and misfiring. 

The emotion of what we call love can and does act on our whole body. We know our heart is affected in a physical way at the sight or thought of a special person. These feelings seem to extend to all of the nerves in our body at times. Do we not also call the depression that sometimes sets in when love is lost or a loved dies a broken heart?

Like words, emotions including love are recorded and stored as electrochemical light and energy in a format more powerful than any computer.  No computer can convert information into emotion or convert emotion into a physical experience like the human experience. 

Our feelings or emotions go into action according to stimulus we might receive. We also create them by choosing to act on knowledge we gain in our associations and activities. The science of emotion is real  but I think it is a more powerful science than we understand with our elementary discoveries that look in limited spectrums?

My Opinions about Love

This blog is about exploring the relationship of temporary or mortal things in the context of eternity and the nature of our spirit.  My conclusion is that our mind is more than just our brain and is where the spiritual and mortal join for the present life. This essay just started as an opportunity to see what love really is to me so don't get hung up if you don't agree.

Even though we die, the elements of our body are still eternal as they cannot not created nor destroyed, this is a scientific fact. What about our emotions? Are they a flash of electrochemical charges or part of a more eternal process?

You can't speak of love having an eternal nature without considering some theological underpinnings. How trustworthy are the opinions and musings of social scientists and scholars with their theory and opinion based teaching and learning methods?

How does such a complex emotion and virtue develop in beings living on a micro speck planet in the Milky Way Galaxy amid an endless cosmos? Are we mere creatures of evolution as some theories and limited science suggest or something of a more eternal nature?  Both require faith to believe and to search for answers.

I personally believe that we are of divine origin, part of a never ending order of familial relationships of a higher order than most are familiar with at the present time. 

This life is school, a school where we learn about love.  Our degree depends on our desires and our willingness to recognize what we don't know and make a plan to develop and learn.  Where will we be when we graduate? The history of the world is a story of the effects of love and hate on the lives of individuals, nations and mankind.

Like all principles, matter, intelligence, truth and existence itself we need to identify the nature of the subject we contemplate. Is it eternal or temporary? When did love begin to exist?  

My views on love I have gathered from my experience in life, being married for 37 years and raising our eight children together. I adore her more than ever because of our experience together.  I am quite familiar with the love of a mother and wife and have tried to implement the love of a father and husband. It is a process not an event.

Any science of my observations you can read in scientific articles. My theology is based on my association with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  What I say though is my own opinion. Official Church positions are here. 
See "The Family" a proclamation to the world.

The Philosophy of Love

Love, like all characteristics is developed through the decisions we make. In the crucible of life we encounter forces that exist in natural opposition to each other. We would call hate and darkness an opposite to love and light or sweet to bitter or good to evil. Love is the embodiment of all virtue and hate the summation of all vice. The development of virtue leads to love and light, any default to vice leads to hate and darkness. 

If there is such a thing as true love there will undoubtedly be false love or counterfeits as well.  If we fall in love can we not also fall out? Love is a choice we make to serve others. Without natural opposition there is no real experience for freedom of choice or emotional development. We can love others when they don't love us back.  Do we not call this unconditional love?

We develop love, other attributes and emotions by our thoughts, pondering, reading, entertainment and from mentors at home and elsewhere. This is part of the stimulus we submit ourselves to as naturally existing beings in a life experience designed for this purpose.  

How we act reinforces what we accept. We choose which stays and which goes and how it plays into our eternal development.  This is the agency associated with our individual will and freedom to act as we choose.

The Eternal Nature of Love 

The endless nature of space and the fact that eternity exists are two givens at the core of any search for truth. Our science is infantile even if it were 10,000 years old.  It is not however and the most comprehensive advancements have been made in the last 200 years. We have begun to confirm what is already a self evident truth. There is no end to space.

Part of the problem with theologies of the past is that they don't line up with science or good philosophy or common self evident truths. They teach of a one planet creator and limited to creating of inferior persons.

Science can explain very well the organization of the body and its functions. We know how atoms come together to form a person and all other things. Matter cannot be created or destroyed.  It is not magic how a person is formed.

Philosophy can conceive some answers to live by but only God can reveal the full nature of truth.  We cannot make up our own science or theology and think that they are true.

In explaining the existence of our spiritual nature many a philosopher and speculator or scholar has come up with ideas that they think are a rational explanation.  They either base it on scholarly interpretation or philosophical debate.  None of these are authoritative.

If you don't think a part of you is eternal you should probably stop reading here.

I will explain how creation and love is understood based on my understanding of revealed theology in my church.  Love does make the world go round.  Just not in the manner personal opinions might assume.

If you believe the Bible for example, the scripture is quite clear that we are created male and female in the image of God.  No other orthodox religious organization teaches this as a literal fact.  The common understanding is that God does not have a body or exists as an actual person. They developed a confusing dogma of three beings in one.

How was our spirit created? The literal nature of our spiritual creation is a natural process.  It is not magic or made up out of a void.  All science is a spiritual truth as well.  The elements of spirit are just as real as the organics we experience now.  We just don't have the science currently that demonstrates all of the revealed theology.

There is an eternal pattern of creation. It doesn't change. We look like the parents of whose spiritual children we are and our mortal parents as well.

In the eternal and infinite heavens there is no creation without both motherhood and fatherhood bound together in holy commitments. 

The nature of our creation and our maleness and femaleness is a self-evident truth manifest in the earth and is an eternal law. Likewise there is no continuation of love without this creative process. Men are nothing without women and women are nothing without men as nothing would exist without both. You just shouldn't believe everything you see on TV or hear politicians say regarding procreative processes.

Love is the source of God's desire to lift us to our full potential. God as the creator of our spirit means parents plural.  The glory of God is not limited to the male gender.  This has been the conclusion of various scholars acting on their own accord in conjunction with certain creeds for almost 2000 years.

We should love one another because we are quite literally brothers and sisters, spirit sons and daughters, children of God. Our identity is eternal. It is not a conclusion decided by philosophy. 

The life giving process that we are familiar with doesn't always take place in a union of love and respect. Children are not always welcome in some relationships.  

Most of mankind has the power to create life with few exceptions. It is given to us as a natural order and exists independent of how we might choose to develop our appetites and passions. Love is not just the base attraction among humans, nor is it random, but its counterfeits are.  

Love develops not only by serving others but serving with them.  If we don't create life and nurture it in bonds of stability then love will not develop or eventually disappear from society. 

Why did God give us the power to create life?  Because he wants us to learn to love like he does. To nurture and to bond in a natural occurring way in family units.

The law of sexual integrity or chastity guides us to the highest order of eternal relationships, whether or not our mortal circumstances provide opportunities to have children. This law is an eternal self-existing principle.

What if we don't have the opportunity to form the marriage relationship we might desire at the present time? Patience and faith still form the basis for this endeavor.  No one is denied a blessing they seek because it did not present itself in mortality. Because of the perfect love of God opportunities exist of which we have been made aware but not yet fully revealed.

The joy of love is compounded immensely in marriage with the fidelity of husband and wife...not diminished.  When we observe the law of sexual integrity, life giving powers and joys are magnified and multiplied in our lives, meaning they extend to the next life.   Our emotional investments do not go away when we die if we covenant here to keep them.

God ordained marriage for men and women and invites us to follow His pattern for the fullness and perfection of love.  This is the transcendent opportunity to serve not only each other but with each other in life and love giving opportunities.  Not just in mortality but in eternity.  

Living outside the bounds of these protections of marriage and sexual integrity causes loss of the sensitivities that allow us to develop the full potential of this eternal experience. 

Marriage and family is an eternal order of living. It is given so we can make the commitment to receive the full potential of love and it will be more than a lifetime process and it won't happen without many mistakes. This is why there is a Savior.  Our mistakes don't need to hold us back. 

Our decisions do determine our direction and ultimate destiny. This is the law of Agency and the law of the Harvest.  Eternal relationships are at the center of everything we believe in the church. Love is eternal because it exists and is perpetuated in the family unit both in heaven and in earth. Without familial creation there is no continuation of love.

God will not force us to act in a holy manner just because he does. He invites us to follow his order of love because our eternal nature can develop to its fullest potential by doing so.  This is the path of perfect and eternal love. It comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Tour de Park City Utah 173 mile Gran Fondo

A few months back Jesse mentioned that he was thinking about doing an event in Park City. I think he told me it was a 70 mile or so ride at higher altitude and it sounded like a fun place to get away from the Arizona heat. I didn't think about it much after that and went about business. A few weeks ago in an email there was a description of the event and I thought about it more seriously. There were three distances, 50 miles, 100 and 170 as they advertised them. For some reason the 170 seemed to appeal to me and within a day or two I was seriously considering it and a week later registered for it.

I had not been training for anything like that distance but since I had done the 70.3 Ironman in Boise in June and was riding hard for short distances the previous 3 weeks or so I would go for it.

I talked Betty and the kids into going as well with a trip through Vegas and a day at Lagoon. We had a two day complimentary stay at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and $50 dining credit so we stopped there and watched the goofiness of the world, swam, relaxed and did the breakfast buffet for a meal. The kids and I went to the Stratosphere as well and rode the rides at the top. We left for and arrived in Vegas on Wednesday evening and lefty Friday morning and drove to Park City.

We booked a hotel for Park City on Priceline for 75 dollars a night at the Yarrow Hotel. It said it was a 3 star but definitely not any more than a 2.5. When I unpacked my bike from the trunk I noticed that my rear brake was broken, spring had been compromised. Fortunately right across the parking lot was a bike shop. They were able to take it in and fix it. However the mechanic adjusted the brake a little to tight which I did not notice until I started riding the next morning. For 50 plus miles I pedaled against some friction that I could feel but not tell exactly what was happening in the rush of the group start. In my relief to have it fixed I don't think I noticed it when I rode back to the hotel.

The hotel had two queen sized beds so that was good for the kids as they had slept on the couch at the hotel in Vegas. Being a cheaper hotel in Park City I think it had a tendency to attract some budget conscience drinkers as the guy in the room next to us decided to beat up his female partner at 2:00 AM. Between their pounding and the police coming that is when I woke up and never went back to sleep. At 4:30 I got up and started making my drink bottles and preparations and headed to the ride start at 5:15. The ride started at 6:00 AM.

As we took off I started having problems pedaling and keeping up. My heart rate shot up and I could not figure out if I had a mechanical problem or if the lack of sleep was the issue. Needless to say I fell off the group very quickly and at least was able to settle in with the more casual riders in the event. My main concern was to not have to ride alone. Some how I found the ability to hammer up the first few hills and stay with a group for the first 50 miles until we stopped for some food and drink. I borrowed a Leatherman tool from one of the volunteers and opened my brake as much as I could. It felt better and I was able keep up easier for the next 25 miles. After the 75 mile break I kept up for about another 20 miles or so and then started to hit a wall. I dropped by myself and was able to keep going on the level but still in my easier gears.

The one thing that I did which I learned the hard way was to get a more suitable gearing for a long ride with climbing. I had a gear cog with a 28 tooth sprocket put on the rear which was better suited to climbing than the 26 that I had been using since I started riding. That was probably the main reason I was able to keep going.

Somehow I made it to the 105 mile point and food station. The group that I had been chasing was taking a longer break and were there when I arrived. I said I was done and going to hitch hike back to Park City. These really were nice people and we had developed a quick and caring relationship. They encouraged me to just eat and rest and to not give up, even though the hardest 15 miles of the ride were coming up. The climb to Mirror Lake. They did it by telling me that I had to do the descent on the other side. It was 25 miles of smooth downhill sailing. It worked and I set off to climb the mountain even though I thought I was wasted physically. Two plus hours later I was at the top and smiling at my accomplishment at 10,756 feet. The overcast sky and the light cloud bursts were encouraging as was the amazing scenery of the route.

The downhill was worth it and soon I was only about 30 miles from finishing. I was still spent though and I don't think I would have finished if I had to keep going by myself. One other rider that had been trading me for last place reached the 140 mile point and got in the SAG vehicle to call it a ride. I felt for him and was about to do the same. I had however at the time been picked up by two other riders that were pulling me along with them. At least I had found the energy to keep up. They were two sisters that were strong riders training for the LOTOJA, a 210 mile ride from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole WY. They slowed down enough to get me to the last rest stop and then the last 18 miles back to Park City. There were two long and steep climbs out of Kamas that I dreaded but was able to make thanks to my gearing.

All told I think I had convinced myself to quit at least five times but knew deep inside that I really wanted to finish the ride. Between the encouragement of other riders and the help of the two sisters I reached the finish line and felt the satisfaction of having set out to do something harder than I had ever done before and accomplished it. This was a beautiful course along rivers, streams, lakes and mountains. I had always wanted to do such a ride and hope I can do it again.

Training for the Ironman 70.3 in Boise Idaho

When I was in Boise visiting my family 2 or 3 years ago an event was held in the Boise area for the first time. The Boise 70.3 Ironman. I thought that sounded like something I would like to try someday. I had just started riding a bicycle and was enjoying it but had not really done anything to substaniate a fitness level. I put it in the back of my mind and when I came home I kept riding the bicycle and competing with myself in various races and rides to keep motivated to get better.

I did longer and longer rides until I did the first century in Tucson in 2009. The Tour de Tucson 109 miles in about 5 hours and 23 minutes. I was actually slower by a few minutes in 2010 but I did not train as much and it was a very windy day. There have been other century rides as well but mostly just three to four mornings a week at 20 to 40 miles. As I seemed consistent with the bicycle I thought it might transfer to other areas of endurance athletics as well. It just isn't an easy transfer of activity or motivation.

I did incorporate pull ups into my exercise ideology. A funny thing happened on the way to the ball game. I was at a high school football game and the Marine recruiters were there with a pull up bar and giving out treats. I jumped up and grabbed the bar and could not do one pull up. In the process of doing it I felt the exertion in seemingly every muscle in my body including my feet. The strain was nauseating and the fact that I could not do a single one disconcerting.

I started stopping at the grade schools and Junior High schools and doing pull ups on the monkey bars. I got up to one then two and so on util I can now do 11 slow fully extended pull ups. I bought a door way pull up bar and have a full size one on my back porch. Every day I go out there and look at it and say I don't feel like doing pull ups today then I grab the bar and do them. It is such a short work out but its better than nothing. This has been good therapy for my back, neck and shoulders. I have had some issues over the years and various surgeries on my shoulders. At this time however I am as pain free as I have ever been. It feels great. I have separated my shoulder twice in the last two years as well and both times the healing has been fairly quick and without ongoing issues that I can tell.

About two months before the event I got a trial membership at a Gym with a pool and started swimming laps. I would swim for 30,40, 50 minutes and felt like I could do it. I only did about 8 work outs in the pool. About 10 days before the even I heard about a triathlon in Show Low, AZ. They had an Olympic distance and half Ironman distance. I thought the Olympic would be a good test so I went to the triathlon store on Wednesday and rented a wet suit. I went to Saguaro lake on Friday to do an open water swim with the club. I found out very quickly that I was not in shape for the swim.

I went to Show Low on Friday and did the event on Saturday the 4th of June. The swim was torture, with the wind blowing and waves and all the swimmers. I barely made it back. The swim was almost a mile. The bike went fine and then I did the 6.1 mile run without too much trouble. I had run 6 miles about two weeks before and that and about 5 other runs at the track of varying distances was my training for the 70.3 that I would do on the 11th of June 2011.

June 19 2010-Bike the Bluff- Show Low Arizona

This was my anniversary ride. A year ago I rode in this race as my first bicycle race. It was a 34 mile event of two laps around the course. We were at the cabin for Fathers Day weekend and our traditional family reunion. I had been riding about 3 months at the time. This year it was a 51 mile event, three laps around the same course. I rode in the masters division and finished 7th out of 15. Two hours and 33 minutes for the ride. It was faster per lap than last year and my average speed was faster as well.

Doug, a friend from the bike shop rides and Jesse D. and I rode up in Doug's pickup in style and stayed at the Bear's Cabin in Pinetop. All went well, we had fun even for the short trip. We stopped at Joe and Nicole's place in Heber for a BBQ meal on our way home.

Family Vacation 2009 July Virgina and Washington DC

July 8, 2009

written on my iphone note application

On the plane headed home from our family vacation visiting Chip and Steph also today is Betty's 50th. We were able to spend some fun time with little Cash and Cohen.

We flew to Baltimore and met Emily and Heidi then rented a car and drove to Charlottsville.

We left home at 4:20 AM Wednesday the 1st for Sky Harbor. We arrived at Chips at 9:30 pm. On the way there we ate at Quiznos. Stephanie had a nice feast prepared as well that we ate for lunch the next day. There was also a pouring rain. The only real rain we had. Thursday morning we slept in a bit and then went to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. Chip,Paul,Jayton and I then went golfing at a very nice course also very beautiful cut out of the Virginia woods. We had a good time. The weather was overcast but perfect for golf. Dinner afterwards was a BBQ.

Friday morning we headed of to Williamsburg. We spent the day there visiting the beginnings of our nations freedoms. Again we had perfect weather for our activity

We had booked a hotel and they overbooked and sent us to another place that turned out to be a dive maybe a -3 star place. Very scary. We decided to head into Richmond, the girls started calling hotels from WV concierge. We found a reasonable price at a Crown Plaza. Becky started asking for upgrades and got us super nice suites. Betty and I had our own. The girls had theirs as well. Chip went back to Charlottesville and Jayton went with them. Saturday the 4th we headed to Washington DC.

We all met at the St. Gregory and stayed one night. We took off walking to the national mall and went to the Holocaust Memorial. We walked about 2 miles We then wandered abit and met below the Washington monument where we visited for several hours before the fireworks started. It was very relaxing to sit and "chill". There were people every where. The fireworks were awesome and spectacular. We had hot dogs for dinner from the concession stand.

The walk back to the hotel was pleasant and we were all very tired. Paul however went to the grill to have a milk shake. Several of us came down and ordered as well. No body knew how much they were. We also ordered half price burgers. The shakes were $8.00 and the burgers were 14.00. Not a cheap snack. We laughed about it and Paul payed the bill. Betty was to pay him back. I don't think we ever did.

Sunday morning we went to church to fast and testimony meeting. We then went to the new hotel a Marriott courtyard for the final three nights. We made a feeble effort to guard the sabbath day by taking a drive to the Washington Temple. We spent some time on the grounds. Jayton was so hungry he was sick. He did get out of the car though and roll around in the grass. We ate on the way back at Chipotle.

Monday was play day as we went to Six Flags amusement park. It was half price and the place was for all intents empty. We never waited more than 10 minutes for any ride. We rode all the high powered coasters several times. There was also a water park. We had a blast there as well. The weather was perfect. Sunny and warm. Before leaving that morning however we had a jolt with Jayton going into panic mode. He was in the bathroom when he started yelling. He discovered a tick burrowed in his tummy. It came out seemingly on it's own after I sprayed alcohol on it. He had no clue what it was. I checked him some more and found one burrowed in his back. Chip pulled it out with tweezers after trying to burn it out.
We gave him a blessing and went on.

Tuesday was Mt. Vernon. George Washington lived an amazing life. We may never know the full extent with our limited exposure to what he did. I felt the power if it when Betty and I were there last year and it has not gone away. In the afternoon we hit the Smithsonions until the hunger overtok us.

Anne heard news of a restaurant having a special for their anniversary by rolling prices back to 1934. We went over to check it out and git in after an hour wait We fed 9 people deluxe meals with appetizers and salads. Most of us had Filet Minon. The bill was $343.00. Not Bad for Martin's Tavern in Georgetown. That was without alchohol. We paid $18.88. We did tip the place. $52.00. Still not bad.

Today we loaded up the car and then took the metro back to the Smithsonions. American history museum was the place. Becky had taken off at 5 am on the super shuttle. We came back and had a quick bite at Five Guys diner, burgers and fries. We headed put to the airport in Baltimore in gridlock traffic. We began to wonder if we allowed ourselves enough time. Heidi and Emily barely made their flights.

El Tour De Phoenix 2010 Bike Event Timed Ride

I started riding about a year ago and set the goal to ride in this event at that time. It is a 72 mile route. I rode the route two times as training rides in recent weeks and had a good idea of what to expect. I did make a novice mistake in the actual race that I avoided in the Tour de Tucson which was a much longer 109 mile event. I did not get the proper hydration today and "bonked", lost my energy for the last 15 or so miles. That is when you have to revert to sheer will power to keep your legs moving, especially when you are going uphill. I realistically knew what I could do it in as a rookie and this ride was sub par as to what I think my abilities are. I was slower than my potential and still hit my goal almost square on at 3 hours 24 minutes. Average speed 21.1 mph. The winner finished in 2 hours 51 minutes. I rode well for the first 65 miles because I saw how many people passed me in the last 7 miles when I couldn't peddle after my legs cramped up along with my bonk.

Betty and Becky were at the finish line to cheer when I went by so that was nice.

The ride organizer recognized a local cycling enthusiast, Sterling Baer, who is president of the Brumbys, our local riding group with some 600 on the email list. He also heads up rides to bring attention to cyclists that are injured or killed.

Well I should rest tonight since I have had goofy dreams the past two nights thinking about the race. Kind of a pre-race jitter even though nothing is really at stake. I still have a competitive streak even though it is really just with myself and cycling has been a good thing to use it to stay in shape. I think I'm in the best shape of my life so far. Of course I'm not a health expert but sometimes we can be our own judge as to how we feel. It feels good to ride 72 miles in a hard fashion and not have any aches or pains when you are done. Am I lucky or what? I do feel blessed to be experiencing it. They say you will get really sick 6 times in your life and only get well 5 of them. The longer you can prolong getting them the better. I think I've had two of them so far.

A New Heart-Charlie's Cycle Babble or (Psycho)?

I like to write the thoughts that occur from time to time during my bike rides. Since I'm not a doctor for sure I had to include the fact that my analysis may be flawed on the medical side and therefore the (psycho). I relate my observations with some limitations and fading knowledge gathered from my high school science or other learning source from in my past. It may not always be accurate but I've heard that the placebo effect is as powerful as the real thing sometimes.

As I understand the body completely reproduces its cells every so often so that we are in fact completely new creations at some point on a continuous basis except for the brain. The aging gene never goes away but we do have new organs and so forth in one sense they are just older each time they recreate.

Since I took up cycling many changes have occurred in my body. The idea that I have a new heart seemed like a good analogy. I was getting to a point where I could be classified as having borderline high blood pressure. I did not want to take pills. So much so that I started riding my bike 100 miles a week, then 150 then 200. Now my heart beats slower, my blood pressure is lower and in theory I should live longer. I can ride longer and faster and it still beats slower than when I started. Even though it is older it is better than before. Even so I could drop dead at any time from some unseen condition or be killed by a careless motorist or accidental fall. Training our minds and spirits is much the same except we are the ones in control. The things we do or don't do have an effect on us.

We refer to the term "a mighty change of heart" as spoken of in the Book of Mormon. This is a metaphor that refers to a time when we begin to see and feel beyond what the natural man sees and feels. It is not a physical event. It is occurs when we take the step to reach out into the infinite, when we let our mind think of eternal truth and ponder. It occurs when we seek God in study and prayer to understand things we would not otherwise be capable of understanding. I have felt it and seen it in myself and my children. It is a most amazing event. It too requires continued attention to be maintained.