mud on adventure bill

Good Monday afternoon Nate,


No comments from you this last week.


Did you read my comments yet?


If you want you can make comments on my comments.





You get to see your bishop regularly. You may also have seen your counselor this last week. I saw my first psychotherapist after my parents were discovered and exed in ‘89. My wife was worried that if I had been abused and didn’t remember, maybe I was secretly abusing the kids. My insurance allowed 20 visits so I went to who ever she lined up. Wes Craig.





I got nothing out of it.


Later I saw Bob Tripp from church social services a couple of times. I’m not sure why. I was probably reeling from my parents having been excommunicated. The legal investigation was not gentle either and I was trying to keep my wits about me and teach school everyday? I liked him from the start. He felt whole and good to me. I was fascinated that things could have happened to me that I didn’t even know about, that I couldn’t even remember. I didn’t make any progress along those lines.





In 1999 my son Robert had had such a wonderful experience with Mark Clayton for a year that he begged me to please go see him. I finally did. Life can be so much easier when you are given tools and understanding to work with. To my family they were always “Shrinks” and not to be trusted. I believed that. In fact the whole world was an evil and unsafe place to my parents and us kids. Little did we know the evil and unsafety were really right there in the walls of our home.





I hope and pray you can find a therapist that can match your needs and help you progress. My brother Scott is thrilled with the new one he found in Denver after having moved there this winter. He tried for 10 years, 1998-2008 to do his own psychotherapy on himself!





I have written an adventurebill1 blog for 4 years. I have loved it. It has been a blast. What made it valuable was that every entry was a letter to my new inmate friend Brandon P Smith. He was accused of murder for 6 years and in isolation at Purgatory Jail. He finally had his case concluded and was moved to the state prison in Gunnison, Utah. Last month I discovered he was no longer in isolation and his every waking hour was full and he didn’t need my extensive, exhaustive letters any longer. I took him on every curious investigation of knowledge I was ever interested in. And I felt a need to feed him spiritually since he could not attend church services of any kind.





My bishop called me in at 9:30 am yesterday and we discussed an issue that came up 3 years ago and is cropping up again. He has read the portions of my blog that others are taking exception to and he feels perfectly fine about them. He understands me and doesn’t mind my honesty and candidness and opinions. But he is frustrated. We have a rumor monger in the ward who is inflaming others by what I have written. The bishop calls this culprit: the pot stirrer. He thinks he knows who it is but isn’t sure yet. He intrusted me into his considerations. I had some detective work to do on a very positive vein 4 Christmases ago. Here we go again.





Scott suggested the same thing I had arrived at. The dog pound visit was probably sent by this same person who has a grudge against me.





You have probably never experienced the joy of looking across the congregation and wondering who left your family 200$ for Christmas? It is the sweetest feeling. Well yesterday I had the opposite. Who in the congregation has it in for me? I lead the music. I can just imagine how my strong voice and smiling face must drive them crazy. I was hurting inside as I lead the music yesterday, but that though made my smile creep out again and again.





I have heard how the grudge holder has the heaviest burden. The bishop pointed out that here Vern is, happy go lucky, without a care in the world. And then here the grudge holder is, bitter and angry and hoping to undercut and inflame.





There was one couple and a single the bishop knew of that the pot stirrer had incited. I wrote them both letters of apology yesterday. I have no issues with apologizing. The scriptures say to go and settle with the offender one on one. I have followed that counsel many times. I have stood on many doorsteps offering my regretful acknowledgement. I am a bit of a risk taker and fun poker/ teaser so I have had to eat crow at times.





The bishop seemed surprised that it was something I would expect and have done. I guess there probably are not may saints to follow that admonition.





23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;


24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.