Friends, Family & The Far-East

The title of this post is a little bit restrictive. Between the two of us, Kimberlee and I have lived in 6 timezones, visited every US state, and have traveled to dozens of countries. In all that time we have been blessed to make so many wonderful friends. 

We are also both so lucky to come from amazing families. Our brothers and sisters are awesome. Our parents are loving, supportive, inspiring, and generally cool (yeah Dad, as you say, "It's like riding a bike."). We have a great time with aunts, uncles, and cousins. While we have spent the majority of our married lives closer to Kim's family, we love the Baker side just as much and hope to make our way back to the Northeast in the not too distant future. 

Our lives have been extremely blessed to know so many wonderful people. Couples like Kortney & Rustin, Leslie & Evan, Sandi & Travis, or Hailey & Jeff; that we could spend a lifetime as neighbors, having weekend barbeques and playing games. It seems that everywhere we go, we meet friends like that.

Here in KL we have gotten to know so many great people like Scott & Tobi, who have claimed the right to be a third set of grandparents for our future children. Kim and I love all of the hours we've spent with them enjoying food, fun, and especially Mexican Train together.

Back home in NJ/ OH we'd love to spend more time with Kathy & Chris, Tim & Megan, and especially my Mom & Dad. Which brings me to the point of this post, and the real meaning of the title. Where ever we go in this world we seem to expand our circle of friends & family, but as we continue our trek, we leave behind so many that we wish we could spend more time with. There is never enough time to see everyone. 

I guess the only thing we can do is to take advantage of the opportunities we have and treasure the memories that are made. 

Rock the Lord

So today was another wonderful Sunday. I got to talk about General Conference with the Young Men today and share my conversion story with some family of our friend's the Sanders. It got me thinking about my testimony, the decisions I have made to bring me to this point in my life, and my love of the Gospel.

I am so happy about the decision I made almost four years ago to join Christ's restored church. I am amazed at the difference that the Gospel has made in my life and continues to make as I live its principles. I've been blessed to have the opportunity to share this Gospel along side our missionaries and will even be performing my first baptism this upcoming Saturday! Every time I get the chance to teach eternal truthes or bear my testimony of Jesus Christ, I catch a glimpse of a better version of me. Someone who I am not yet, but have faith I can be in the future. With that I'd like to leave you with my testimony. 

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that he died for each one of us so that we can have the opportunity to return to live in the presence of God, our Heavenly Father. I know that we are led by living prophets of God and that Thomas Monson is the man that has been called to serve as His prophet today. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be the prophet to usher in the restoration of the church that Christ originally established over 2000 years ago. Finally, I have a testimony that the Book of Mormon is true, that it testifies of Christ and that by living according to its teachings has blessed my life in more ways than I am aware of. 

If you want to read a bit more about my beliefs or how I became a Mormon, then take a look at this.

Recent Finds

Recently Trip and I have found some viral videos on YouTube that we have been sharing with dad and our friends out here.  I figured that since it has been a week since I last posted something, this would be a great insight into what we have been doing/ enjoying the last few days.  Hope you like them!

I wasn't able to embed the third video that we really enjoy, so here is the link instead:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLTIowBF0kE

We found this last one before we came to Malaysia and it continues to be a favorite.  I still laugh so hard when I see it!

More pictures and updates from the family's visit will be coming soon!

Fructose = Ethanol

I found this YouTube video a few days ago and was shocked when I watched it. Not that I didn't realize that high fructose corn syrup is bad for your health (there was the time that I gained 15 pounds in 8 weeks while sucking down soda and energy drinks on my first contract programming gig), but I never knew just how bad that stuff is for you.
 
In the video, Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.
 
I know that it is long, but if you have ever struggled with weight, or have been affected by diabetes, I think that the 90 minutes of your life is worth the knowledge gained. 

Change is Hard

Lately it seems as though I have been learning that the advice we are often given in regards to relationships holds true in more ways than I originally thought.  I am sure many of us have heard that "you can't make someone change" or "he/ she won't change just because you want them to" or something very similar.  I believe this statement and have tried to apply this 'rule' to my relationships with family and friends.  For awhile I had thought that people merely needed to desire a change in order for it to happen.  I have since realized that in order for someone to make changes in their behavior, they must also be the one to decide to change.  Well, I have now found that this relationship rule has another layer of complexity.

Recently, I was able to observe someone who decided they wanted to change something at work.  They asked for advice on how to make this change possible.  The 'adviser' took their job seriously and spent hours of time that they did not have, sacrificing sleep, study time, and personal time to go above and beyond and do this person a 'favor'.  However, when the time came to give recommendations and share their advice, the 'advisee' turned out to be immovable and borderline hostile, as if the very idea of change was ludicrous.  (Not an exaggeration...I was present for this unfortunate event.)  Why would they react this way?!  I was utterly baffled.  I knew how sincerely the person had been about instituting change and yet they were so resistant when asked to commit to it.  I was caught completely off guard by this reaction.  If you desire to change and you have decided to change, why not make the change?  

It was in pondering this question that I came to a realization.  I too have set goals to change and yet in some instances I have resisted change very adamantly.  It certainly seems irrational and doesn't make sense now, but at the time it must have made sense to me.  And herein lies the lesson that I was being taught:  Desiring and deciding to change are not the only steps that must be taken in order for change to be successful.  I have desired many things and decided that I would have them, yet I still have not followed through on my decisions.  No, making the decision is just an intermediate step between desiring change and committing to the process of change.  Without being committed to our decision to change we will ultimately talk ourselves out of it when it gets difficult, which it inevitably will.  

We cannot force change upon others because they must be the ones to commit to the long and painful process that is 'change'.  If we are not committed we will not push through the resistance and barriers that stand in our way.  In these cases, the 'easy' path becomes the more enticing option and we abandon any change that can lead to self-improvement, telling ourselves it is "too hard" or "not worth the effort" so that we feel happy about justifying our failures.  This may sound dramatic and you may tell yourself you don't do this, but the reality is that we all do it to some extent or another.  

Change at any level is only possible when we commit ourselves to the outcome...when we talk ourselves in to change instead of out of it.  True, this is easier said than done.  Change is still hard.  But I would much rather feel the pain of change to improve myself and be happier than to stay the same and become blind to these opportunities. 

A Double Jointed Acrobatic Ninja Kind of Day

So today was a pretty busy and fulfilling day. I briefed the Inti marketing staff about the new MBT program and why it is going to be awesome. We ran through a bunch of information regarding how the program is different from MIS or MBIT programs. We talked about the power of modeling and why non-techies love it. And, I got to quote G.I. Joe and reference ninjas and monkeys, all while wearing a tie. All in all, it was amazing.

What was even cooler was having Kim in the audience. So, for those who are new to the show, Kim is Oma's assistant. Oma is the VP who is sponsoring the MBT program's creation. That makes Kim kinda like the Pepper Potts of Inti, at least I think so. Anyways, Kim was there to take minutes and report back any discussion or questions which Oma would need to be aware of.

This wasn't the first time that Kim has gotten to see me in action. I have taught a bunch of Sunday school classes and have spoken in Church on multiple occasions with her. However, I have to admit, having Kim in the room while I was tearing through a bunch of Power Point slides talking about Business Modeling was pretty freakin' sweet. Don't ask me why, but it was.

I have heard of people working with their spouses and having horror stories to tell, but I don't see that in the cards with Kim and me. She is doing a great job and I am loving having her around. What's more is that is that I am really enjoying this possibly once in a lifetime chance to share some of my working life with her. Time-wise, work is such a big part of my life, and in most cases she normally gets a glimpse of it through my boring, contextually lacking stories of co-workers and the day's events.

What's even more awesome is that we are making a great team, which is not surprising, to me at least. Kim and I don't have a perfect marriage, but it's pretty darn close. Two things that we are really good at is communicating and watching out for each other; or as I like to call it, "covering each others six." In business, just as in marriage, the ability to communicate effectively and cover each others blind spots is so critical. I think that is why we have been so effective these past few weeks.

Either way, this is an experience that may, unfortunately, be a one time thing. And, I plan on enjoying every minute of it.