Each Kid a Part of Me

As I've been a father for 17 years I am continually amazed to see my own personality reflected back to me in all my children. It seems that each child holds within him or her a certain aspect or trait that I recognize in my own personality. It's as if my DNA is bisected a thousand times and one child has one personality trait and another child has a different one. I thought that DNA counted only for our physical make up, not necessarily our personalities, but perhaps I was wrong. Or perhaps it goes deeper than that. I believe the truth really is that God sends us like spirits because of our similarities. We recognize and know how to nurture each other.



When I think of Sarah, what I recognize in her, is that intense passionate nature that carries her into different worlds especially when it comes to music. Frequently she is swept away by the flow and melody. We always share music together in the car and at home and I tell her all about the old music I know. She is always attentive to such talks and is highly interested. This includes compositions of all types. For instance, I can play music for her from the 70's and 80's and she soaks them in like a sponge. When I listen to the tabernacle choir on Sundays, she can be seen scurrying in as fast as she can in her bath robe to listen to something that vibrates inside her soul. She doesn't just hear the songs, she takes a bath in them. She drinks them in, ingests them and they become a part of her. To say she is musically talented is an understatement, but she is no mere technician. Music flows in and out of her as easily as a fish imbibing water through its gills.


My only worry is that our passionate nature can take us too far if unchecked. That's the plight of many an artist. They allow their powerful emotions and sensitive natures to carry them out to sea where they drown and forget the source of their gift and lose the ability to tell the difference between feeling and spirit. God forbid that! I think I have taught my girl to know and recognize the Master Artist. The truth is that Sarah is a light and I pray that she always uses her gifts to bless others.


Analisa resembles me physically. That's not to say that she looks like me! Sorry Analisa. :) Where I see myself in her is in her tennis. She just loves to strike the ball, and not just strike it, I mean pound it! When I was growing up, I did everything hard in all my sports. I just gave everything 100% and still have that tendency. Analisa is the same way. We've been trying to pull her back for years and have encouraged her to put some finesse in her game. That's a difficult concept for her to grasp. The chemical reactions exploding in her brain when she smacks the ball are a natural high that she wants to experience again and again. It's like candy for the brain. I can relate. Both of us would spend tons of hours on the tennis court if we could. It just feels too good. Outside of tennis, she is as peaceful as a river and doesn't need to be catered to. She's a happy soul and she's a great influence for good to those around her.



Katherine, "Baby Kate", is the only one of my children that I don't really see too much of myself in. Of course she loves music, has a great sense of humor, loves to dance just like her old man. But there is something unique and beautiful in her. When she was born I was impressed during her baby blessing that she was a nurturing and compassionate spirit. The prompting has been verified over and over again as she is the first one to volunteer to serve others. She loves to babysit and doesn't even mind babysitting her little brothers. She has a special tenderness for the elderly. She likes to visit care centers and carry her special brand of sunshine to others less fortunate. All I can say is that she is just a complete and whole spirit. She's not needy. She doesn't crave all the attention. The best word I can use for her is "complete". She was fully cooked when she came to us. I guess you could say that Kate is an advanced spirit and I am so privileged to be her Dad.



Matthew mirrors me in his curiosity and desire to learn. He also mirrors me in his youthful impatience. When he learns something new, he thinks he can master it immediately and is unhappy that the new skill takes time and effort to master. He's also musically gifted like Sarah, but exhibits a wee bit more interest in creating it. He loves to learn new things about the gospel and has a gratitude journal that he keeps when he thinks of something new in the gospel that excites him. Recently Matthew heard a talk about sacrifice. After he came home from church he announced to everyone that he was going to sacrifice time on Roller Coaster Tycoon in order to better serve the Lord. It's fascinating to watch him develop. When I recently attended his Childrens Choir Christmas Concert, I was so moved that I began to pray silently. "Father, when your Only Begotten Son returns to us, I want my son to sing for yours." I felt the Lord smile and I thought I heard him say, "Of course he can and so can you."



Joseph resembles me in his huge enthusiasm for life and his eagerness to learn. He is by far the most teachable and coach-able of all my children. He loves sports and is quickly becoming a good little wrestler. He wants to play football too. Anytime I tell Joseph to do something in sports, he immediately processes and performs without protest or complaint. He doesn't take any correction personally. He is eager to please and improve. Because of his fabulous mind set, he learns quickly and doesn't become discouraged. He also doesn't give up when the going gets tough. He persists and I love that about him. I have no doubt that these attributes will take him very far not only in this life but in the eternities to come.



Sammy is still so little, but I see myself in him when he throws his fits. I used to do that too. It's hard to be the youngest of six. You get left out or can't participate in all the same activities as "the brothers". He has a strong will and he wants what he wants and is willing to fight for it. He also exhibits a tender loving side to his mother along with all the wonderful characteristics of typical five year old boys. He understands a surprising amount of information that you don't suspect he does and his verbal skills are growing every day. All I know is that if I threw fits when I was little and came out good enough to win my wife and have all these great kids, then Samuel will turn out even better. I love being his Dad.


I love all my children. They are just tremendous blessings for me and I really believe that they were sent to me for a reason and that they are meant to be our children. What a privilege to have them with us!

Music Boy Plays Football

About nine years ago I was sure that I would never have sons. My record was consistent. Three tries and three girls in a row. Not that I wasn't happy about having girls. I was and am. It just seemed that girls were all around me and I needed to have someone else from "Mars" with me, not just "Venus."

Along came Matthew while we lived in Houston, Texas. He was definitely different from the previous babies. His shoulders were broad and my Dad called him "Brick" because he was kind of shaped like one.

As little Matthew started growing, it was fascinating to see how his mind would develop. Soon we heard singing coming from his bed at night. When he got up in the morning I would ask, "Did you hear that singing ghost last night?" He would get a big smile on his face and I would go on and on trying to find the singing ghost in the house. It was a fun game between the two of us. I still play it with him on occasion. Right now, Matthew plays the piano, violin, and sings in the advanced Salt Lake Children's Choir. All his music teachers love him because he soaks everything in like a sponge. He gets it way beyond his years.

The other day while I was driving him to his Children's Choir rehearsal, he told me how music is in everything just about and how it is the basis of almost all art, dance, theater, movies, TV etc. etc. "Who told you that?" I asked him. "Oh, no one. I just figured it out myself." Well, the kid likes to think I see. He still surprises me with the stuff that he comes up with. I could go on and on.

I also noticed that he has a very curious mind. He's fascinated by science and he wants to know everything about how the world works. He asked for hand sanitizer for Christmas one year because he was enthralled with the idea of the chemical reaction that causes the soap to kill all the germs. Soon Claudia was buying encyclopedias and globes etc. to help satisfy his curious nature. Lately he's been learning all his times tables and learning to count money in school. He told me that he likes that. His mind is figuring out how everything works and it's very satisfying to him. He likes to put all his new knowledge in a special box in his mind and when he's got the concepts placed, he tries to link them all together.

Who knew I'd have a son like him? That's one of the funnest things to observe, how a new individual in the world grows and develops and becomes something that you did not suspect which brings me to the next point of this little musing.

I didn't think Matthew would like sports too much. Watching football with his Dad on TV or competing in intense sports just didn't seem to be his interest. We put him in soccer a few years ago. He didn't like that very much because all the guys on the other team wouldn't just leave you alone with the ball. They would come up and push you around and take the ball from you. He decided to drop that the next year. He just wasn't the aggressive type. So when he came up to me last year and wanted to play tackle football I was a little cautious.

"Matthew, in football you have to be really tough and aggressive and the coaches yell at you too. You also have to exercise really hard and you won't like it sometimes. People also try to hit you and beat you up. Are you sure you want to try that?"

"That's ok Dad. I want to play anyway. I'm totally sure!"

"Are you sure you're sure, because once you start you can't quit. You have to finish the season."

"No problem, Dad. I want to play tackle football."

"Ok."

So I signed him up and assigned myself to be an assistant coach. Turns out that he loves it. He loves being part of the team and trying his hardest. He's doing well and plays first string offensive end and second string defensive end.

Here a picture of him catching a pass in last Saturday's game. Who knew he would like this?




It just goes to show you. You can't just label someone as fitting into a preconceived notion or idea. We humans are complex and we can do a-lot of different things. We just need the opportunity and support to try something new. We don't just fit neatly into little categories. The most beautiful thing about being human is to have the ability and capacity to grow and develop in the areas of our own choosing!

Way to go Matthew!

Friend Story

A while back I wrote some stories on this blog about my childhood friendship with Kent Richards back in Fairfield, Ohio. By writing those entries, a flood of good memories came back to me and so I approached one of the editors of the Friend Magazine that lives in my ward to see if she thought the Friend might be interested in Kent's conversion story when he and I were around 11 or 12. She said that they would definitely be interested. So after submitting about 5 drafts of the story I finally came close enough to writing something that would be appropriate for the audience, children who are members of the LDS Church. I have to thank Jan Pinborough, my editor friend, for her assistance in helping me finally get it right.

Below, you can click on the link to the Sept Issue of the Friend. Our story is called "Campfires and Testimonies." Hope it pleases you!

Friend Sept. 2009 Issue

The Holy Temple

If you haven't seen this video, I highly encourage you to view it.

Temples are sacred places where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints make sacred covenants to devote their lives to serving God. They are also places where husbands and wives are sealed together not "till death do you part", but for eternity. Children are also sealed to their parents in these holy places. Sacred ordinance work is also performed on behalf of those who previously lived on this earth and never had the opportunity to accept the gospel. This work binds the living and the dead together as an eternal family in Christ for those who accept him. 1 Corinthians 15: 29 is a reference to baptism for the dead that was practiced in ancient times. That sacred belief has been restored to the world and is also performed in temples.

I love the temple. I hope that you enjoy learning about it.

Acting Confessions: Freshman Follies

So I started to try and act again after 20 years. I acted in H.S. and College. I loved it then but didn't pursue it after that. I had a-lot of other things to do like find a wife, get a career, and start a new Nielson clan.

Matthew and I joined a fabulous play last Spring called "Power in His Touch". It was a musical based on the Savior. It was an awesome experience and I couldn't help but want to pursue it a little more.

I contacted my daughter Sarah's agent and told her I wanted to try this acting thing out. I was a natural ham back in the day. I don't have a-lot of fear or stage fright. My Dad says I've got guts, so I figured, what do I have to lose? It could be a nice side line.

I was cast in my first gig as a Spanish narrator for a multilevel energy company. My job was to teach associates about how to prospect, close a sale, and also about the compensation plan.

When I finally got in front of the camera, I'll admit I was a little nervous. It was just me standing in front of a camera and 4 production people and the guy from the Energy company. I had practiced plenty. Since the narration was in Spanish I wanted to do my best. I'm not a native speaker but my accent is pretty good for a gringo.

I don't know what it was but as soon as I started reading the teleprompter I felt my heart start beating faster and the muscles in my chest and arms start to tighten up. I started reading at breakneck speed sounding more like a sped up tape recorder than a warm and delightful host.

"Whoa! Dude! Slow down! You're giving yourself a heart attack!" the director said. "Start again and just relax. It wouldn't hurt to smile a little, like you just heard someone tell a funny joke."

"Oh. Ok. I get it." I replied. "Let's try again."

Slowly and with a smile I started again. After a few takes, I managed to find a rhythm. I started to relax. I knew I found the right touch when I heard the director tell the guy from the energy company, "That was it!"

"You look like a Spanish soap opera star!" the guy from the company told me.

Yes! Pay dirt! A little success doesn't hurt! I wish I could say that about every time I try this stuff.

Last week I auditioned for a church movie playing the part of Joseph Millet, an early pioneer. I practiced reading that part at least a hundred times. I even filmed myself doing it so I could see what I looked like.

I don't know what it was, but as soon as I started the audition, I sort of froze. I couldn't remember my next line even though I'd practiced it repeatedly and even though it was only a three line dialogue! I felt that nervous surge of adrenalin. My heart started to speed up and I felt that nervous twitch in my arms and chest. Dang it! I know I must have had that "deer in the headlights" look, the kiss of death. That' s just not what I was going for.

So I guess the moral of the story is that the next time you see someone acting on a TV show or movie. Remember, it's harder than it looks.

I think I'm going to keep trying this even though I muffed that audition. I just don't want to accept that I can't do it. I still think I can. Next time I think I'll go to my secret happy place before I walk in, that way I won't tighten up so much.

Draper Temple

For those who haven't yet gone to see the Draper Temple, I encourage you to go! It's awesome. It's beautiful. But most of all, it is a spiritual place.

I had a wonderful time with Sarah, Katherine and Joseph visiting at the Open House. We had to wait about two and half hours, but if was worth it. All of us felt the sacredness of that place.

Some of the most impressive things I saw were the baptistry, the murals in the telestial and terrestrial rooms, and of course the celestial room with its high ceiling and spectacular chandelier.

Christmas thoughts...

We attended our ward Christmas program this past Sunday and a quote was shared that we keep pondering.

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." — C.S. Lewis

The speaker went on to talk about how Christmas should also be a reflection of more than just the story of baby Jesus in the manger. That was the glorious beginning, the birth of the literal son of God. We must remember that the little baby grew up. Luke tells us that "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." He began his formal ministry at age thirty and his mortal life ended at thirty-three. In all his years he did nothing but what his Father would have him do. He spent all of his time helping and blessing those in need. He was the only sinless person to ever grace the earth and all of us are forever in his debt.

One of our favorite scriptures about the Savior and his mission is found in the Book of Mormon. It comes from the book of Alma, chapter 7. It reads:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and ^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities.

Each of us at various points in our lives have been or will be affected by this precious gift of atonement from our Savior. Perhaps we were touched by him as a child or a youth. Maybe he touched us in our role as a husband or wife, a daughter or son. Perhaps he was with us when we suffered some injustice, some illness, or through our loneliest moments.

The truth is that if we have eyes to see and hearts to understand, we will comprehend that the Savior has touched our lives multiple times throughout our journey.

The older we grow, the more we come to understand this truth. We, like C.S. Lewis wish to see everything through the lens of Christianity. Truly Christ is the reason we are here.

May we all rejoice this Christmas season. May we never forget the true meaning of the season and may that spirit shine through us throughout all the year.