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Just so everyone knows, it is likely that the time I have available to participate here will decrease (to what extent, I’m not sure) in the near future. There are two reasons for that: 1) I lost my job in September, and there is a good chance that I will start a new job in the next month or so. If that happens, I will need to relocate – and spend a lot of time at first getting acclimated to everything.
2) Even more importantly, after a lot of thought, I have made a New Year’s resolution to provide more service in the physical, non-LDS community around me to those who need it the most. The only way I can do that is to cut back on the time I spend here. I’ve always considered the time I spend here as pure, unconditional service (since I don’t get any compensation other than what I feel – which is wonderful compensation) to those within the LDS community who need it the most, and I love it immeasurably, but it has meant that I spend many of my evenings and nights at home – not available in the community.
In many ways, participating here has allowed me to serve while staying in my comfort zone. It’s been wonderful, but, in a way, it’s been relatively easy. (
No, it isn’t easy – not at all, but I hope you understand what I mean.) I have been serving with my heart and with my mind, if you will, but not with my hands – and I have felt compelled over the last few months to take a step outside that comfort zone and start serving more with my hands. I have loved the time I have spent here for the last four years, and I wouldn’t trade one minute of it for anything. As a result of my time here, I have come to understand a little better the statement:
Quote:The whole need not a physician, but the sick.
I hope everyone understands what I mean by quoting that verse in this context, and I hope you all understand that I will continue to check in and comment / moderate regularly, but I’ve felt strongly that I need to balance out my efforts a bit and provide my children, especially, an example of how they can make the world a better place at the most basic, fundamental level.
They are aware of and appreciate what I do here, but they need more than just that vision of me – and I need more, as well. I don’t know yet exactly how that will work, since I haven’t decided yet exactly who to serve and how to do so, but I am resolved to find a way to do so.
Thank you, each and every one of you (those who comment actively, occasionally or never), for enriching my life for the past four years. I look forward to that continuing as long as possible, but I also look forward to making more of a difference in the future than I have in the past in the traditional, physical world.
Ray I have appreciated your measured approach to many of the issues discussed here. I will miss it but admire your desire to serve those around you especially during this transition period. Good luck!
Thanks for all you have done for me, Ray. I really do appreciate your insightfulness. I understand you’re not leaving completely, and I’m glad for that. Likewise, I understand where you’re coming from – real, hands on physical service has a satisfaction of its own and I think it is necessary for our spiritual well being. I hope you find the opportunities you need to find the joy and peace you seek. Ray, you’ve made a big difference for me even in the few short weeks I’ve been on the forum. Good luck with your hands-on service, and I look forward to seeing you around here when you can, as well. Thanks again. Really appreciate what you do here ray. Hope your next steps work for the best. Thanks Ray, for letting us know. I wondered how long you would sustain this level of involvement a while ago, and reflected on how sad it would be to me if you moved on for some reason. I’m glad you’ll still be involved. And of course, I can vouch for how satisfying it can be to serve in the non-LDS Community and am pleased to hear you are searching for a place to give that level of service. And thanks for the many times I posted a thread here, and you were the only one who responded. Not that I’m unhappy with everyone who did not respond, just that I appreciated your consistent support.
Glad you will still be around.
Enjoy the focus on IRL service, Ray. I walked away from posting a few years back for the same reason and found myself much happier (in spite of missing my online friends A TON!). I’m in the process of trying to build my own business so I can walk away from my job and reclaim more of my life for service. It’s just been my dream to live modestly and serve. Fingers crossed we both find our way to living out our goals… MnG
I hope you don’t go far when you leave. I don’t have words for what this site has meant to me. I hope you find the job you need and get settled and thanks for being the “real” Old-Timer. I can sympathize with you. I had to quit a job in September, because it was costing me more to do than it was making me. I appreciate your work here, as always.
I don’t believe it. Ahha…always the sceptic….you gotta love that.
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Ray, I have been thinking about this the last few days. First, thank you for all the time you have put in and for your thoughtful comments. I also want to wish you great luck in the job search and the possible move. Those thinks are not easy at any time in ones life. I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and will miss hearing from you on an above adverage amount. You along with many others here have touch my life in a very valuable way. I can imagine the stress that this has put on you and I am happy that it might be reduced some and the change in serving a different group of people will hopefully meet you desire to continue to make a difference. All that I can ask is that you don’t forget about us. I am sure that you won’t. I don’t like it much when people stop posting but I am beginning to understand that it does take something out of a person after a while, even though I believe that it also give much too. Thank you Ray for time and efforts moderating. If I had not found this sight and the idea of a middle way of sorts, I would have left the church. Good luck with your future endeavors. Thanks for all your posts. I have been lurking or reading posts here for a long time and it has helped me immensely. I even have a notebook full of ideas and thoughts to help me make church work for me and how to handle things and I bring it to church and read it sometimes in church. ( I hope that’s ok ) I just can’t remember everything so I have a few things written down. I just hope that you don’t take the Staylds website down because I think it could help me more in the future and can help others. ilovecoldplay wrote:I even have a notebook full of ideas and thoughts to help me make church work for me and how to handle things and I bring it to church and read it sometimes in church. ( I hope that’s ok ) I just can’t remember everything so I have a few things written down.
I totally have a notebook full of stuff from this forum, too!
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