Running on Empty

The other day I noticed that my gas tank in my car was getting pretty close to empty.  I didn't have time to get gas for another couple days so I went from school out to my work (roughly 25 min drive) and was just praying I wouldn't run out of gas!

I started to wonder, what would happen if I just suddenly run out of gas?  My car would just stop?  Like in the middle of the road? Or what?  I didn't really want to find out.  I got to work just fine and went to the gas station across the street to fill up.

Somehow I was literally running on empty. 
Here's the proof.

Not too fond of the panicky feeling.

So just be careful when running on empty, in any sense, whether it's not putting gas in your car,  fuel in your body or spirit.  You'll only get so far before beginning to fall apart!

Three's company? No thanks. (new version)

I once dated someone who's "best friend" was a girl. She had once been his girlfriend. She was now married. With a kid. I knew they emailed and talked frequently, but did it bother me? Initially, not too much. Sure, I thought it was a little abnormal, but was secure enough in our relationship that I hardly considered it to be an issue of concern.

Come to find out later -in the final stages of our break-up - that he still had feelings for her. Suddenly, that hurt. Although it was over with us and it didn't really matter anymore, I started thinking about it a little more. Perhaps that was one of several factors that lead to our relationship not working out? If his heart was still with this girl, how would it have worked out anyway(assuming I had ever made up my mind and felt ready to move forward with him)? I suppose we both had our own stumbling blocks.

As we talked he told me about his past few weeks; what he'd been up to, how she had been in town visiting, and how good it had been to see her and play with the baby. From what I understood, her husband was on active military duty, so he wasn't around but was aware of their friendship and apparently okay with it (a bit weird, don't you think? Hmm).

Okay so I don't know a whole lot of people who still keep in touch with an ex that is now married. Is there anything wrong with hanging out with a married person? No, of course not. Is it wrong to spend solo time with an ex I still have feelings for....uh...probably. I have friends whom I may have liked once, who are now married. Every now and then we may say hello and catch up briefly, but you'll never see me going out to lunch with them or something unless the Mrs. is there. Even though there are no longer any feelings whatsoever, even if she totally doesn't care, it's simply the principle of the matter.


Freely emailing, chatting, calling, texting, etc is totally ok when people are friends or dating, but once one or both marry, that sort of interaction should end. I didn't come up with this idea, the Bible says so, and I find the Bible to be a pretty credible source. (See [Gen. 2:24], “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Once someone marries, maintain a friendship but keep it at an appropriate distance.

To back up my logic here, I was thinking about the scripture that counsels us to avoid the appearance of evil. I couldn't remember the exact reference so I looked it up and found this:

If you are married, be faithful to your spouse in your thoughts, words, and actions. The Lord has said: “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out” (D&C 42:22–23). Never flirt in any way. As much as possible, avoid being alone with anyone of the opposite sex. Ask yourself if your spouse would be pleased if he or she knew of your words or actions. Remember the Apostle Paul’s counsel to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). When you stay away from such circumstances, temptation gets no chance to develop.

So am I just paranoid? Most people whom I unofficially polled on this said it was not cool. Hanging out while the spouse is away looks suspicious--regardless if 'nothing happens', it doesn't make a lot of sense. It just leaves the door for temptation open--if but a crack, why do that to yourself? Especially if one or both parties still have feelings for the other. I don't understand, what does it accomplish? Isn't keeping that friendship alive taking precedent over seeking your own companion? There are hundreds and thousands of stories where things started out small and innocent and before realizing what was happening, people found themselves in a sour situation.

The ironic thing about all this is that just before this conversation, we'd had a conversation about virtue. Interesting.

I'm not judging him or anyone. People can and will do what they want. I certainly don't claim to be perfect and have many flaws and weaknesses. I just felt like sharing this because we really can never be too careful.

Blog Safety Tips

Blog Safety Tips - (found bling on the blog website-"click here"s will only work from website)




Whether you are a novice blogger or expert blogger it is always good to have an extra reminder on how to blog safe. There is a large majority of bloggers who simply blog for family and friends and not for exposure. Here is list of ways to blog more safely.



1. Go Private. For instructions on how to make your blog private click here.



2. Change your blog settings. By changing your blog settings you can select your blog to be removed from blog listings and also search engines. By removing your blog from search engines your blog cannot be searched by search engines such as Google. The only way to access your blog is by entering the exact blog address or clicking a link with the exact address. For instruction on how to change your blog settings, click here.



3. Never use your last name anywhere on the blog. This includes your url address, blog title, and throughout your posts. If your last name is in you url (blog) address it is easy to change to a new name. For instructions on how to change your blog (name) address, click here.



4. Never post actual birthdates. Post birthday events a day, week or even a month after the actual event.



5. Disable right-click to prevent your photos from being copied. Please note, if you disable right-click your viewers will not be able to right click on any of your links as well.



6. Add a copyright image or watermark on your pictures. This can be done by using a photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.



7. Never post pictures of the outside of your house or car. Especially with your house number or license plate visible!



8. Never mention where your kids go to school or any workplace.



9. Do not add countdowns for vacations or other events that would allow people to know when you will be out of your house.



10. Do not post when your spouse is out of town for work or deployment.



11. Moderate the comments made on your blog before they are allowed to be published. This will protect you from random or spam comments posted on your blog. For instruction on how to moderate you comments, click here.



12. Add a web or hit counter to you blog site. Although this will not tell you the names of those viewing your blog it will allow you to view the IP address and where your viewer are located (typically State or Country).



13. Have courtesy for your fellow bloggers. When adding your friends and families blogs to your blog list DO NOT include their last names. Many bloggers do not want to go private and are doing their part to protect themselves. Have courtesy and do the same.



14. Do not post you email address on your blog or when you are commenting on anothers blog. You are allowing others to send you spam. An easy way to allow reader to email you without posting your email address is using a contact form such as Kontactr (it's free).



15. Assume anything you publish on your blog will be permanent. Anyone can copy, print, or save to a computer what you publish whether your blog is private or not private.