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“Exactly,” says Dumbledore, “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the best Harry Potter book.

In truth, the entire Harry Potter series is amazing, of course. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone to disagree. Sure there are people out there that refuse to engage in the world of Harry Potter, purely out of (misguided) principle (I know a few). But for those who have actually read the entire series and given it an honest chance, what’s not to like?

The characters and stories are original, creative, and inspiring. It appeals to audiences of all ages. It deals with serious subjects and themes. J.K. Rowling herself has said the main theme of Harry Potter is death. And I love that. Any book that can not only entertain and inspire, but help you feel emotional connections and internalize life lessons, is well worth your time.

Each book in the series deals with different topics and themes, especially as we watch Harry grow up and see the world through his eyes. But the most important lesson for me is stated very plainly in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I realized this as I was recently reading this book with my boys (8 and 6 years old). They may not have understood what was being said; they were more enthralled with Harry fighting the Basilisk and Tom Riddle being defeated. But I stopped reading at a certain point when Dumbledore and Harry are talking after Harry rescues Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets, and realized what a powerful statement Dumbledore says. For you Harry Potter fans, you might already know where I’m going with this.

Harry expresses to Dumbledore something that was bothering him in regards to the memory of young Tom Riddle. He couldn’t help but notice similarities between him and Tom, both in background and personal history, and in demeanor, interests, and even physical appearance (“And a certain disregard for the rules” as Dumbledore says). Harry even references that in his first year, the sorting hat had wanted to put him in Slytherin. Since Tom Riddle, a Slytherin, ended up becoming the most evil wizard of all time (Voldemort), Harry was worried if perhaps the sorting hat had made a mistake, and he WAS supposed to be in Slytherin, which in turn made him worry about his own future and destiny.

Dumbledore, ever a wise teacher, asks Harry why the sorting hat did not put him in Slytherin. Harry responds that he asked it not to.

“Exactly,” says Dumbledore, “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

This statement is why Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the best book. What a powerful lesson. And it proves true for Harry throughout the entire series, as his sub-par, mediocre abilities (except Quidditch, of course) are not the reason he defeats Voldemort in the end, but his tendency to be a good person and make the right choices.

After reading this, I realized something about myself. I’m a mediocre person when it comes to my own abilities. I got average grades, I’m decently skilled at an array of things, I even have sort of an average temperament, personality, and physical appearance. There might be a FEW things I excel at (composing music, MarioKart) but overall, I’m pretty mediocre.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t say this for sympathy or pity or pandering for a compliment. It’s a reality. And I’m perfectly happy with who I am and my mediocre-ness. That’s what I think I realized.

As I lay there on the bed reading to my boys, I realized that the CHOICES I have made in my life are what brought me this point. Not my abilities. Wonderful wife. Three beautiful children. The chance to be able to spend time with them, read books with them, and help raise them. I knew that’s what I really wanted in life, and I made the choices I needed to to get there.

I’ve often looked back and felt slight regret at not pursuing a career in music. That was my thing. That’s what I excelled at, my ability. Instead I chose a different career path, one that I felt could support a family and provide for their needs. That was my choice. And that choice, along with a lot of other choices along the way, is what’s really made the difference in my life thus far.

Voldemort failed because he had tremendous ability and he valued that ability over everything else in his life. Because he could do something amazing, or had a tendency to behave a certain way, he accepted it, and just followed where that path led. He never understood the power of choice, or choosing NOT to do something just because he could. “That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend,” Dumbledore tells Harry in the Deathly Hallows. He then lists different powerful characteristics and attributes as examples (love, loyalty, innocence).

The similarities between Voldermort and Satan, as well as Harry and us muggles, are not lost on me. Since the before we came to this earth, Satan’s plan was always to deprive us of choice. The Plan of Salvation centers around our ability to choose. We don’t have to accept our fate, especially if we’ve made mistakes. Satan would have us believe that once we’ve sinned, it’s too late and we might as well head down the path he attempted to pre-determine for us. A path of misery and sorrow, making us feel like it’s too late and we have no choice to repent and change. This path strays far from the truth.

Choices are power. They’re like a superpower that we all have. Everyone can make their own choices for what they want in life. You don’t have to accept the life that’s been handed to you. You don’t like it? Choose something else. You’re unhappy? Make a different choice. Not sure if it’s the right choice? Give it a try and find out. Then learn from it if it’s not.

Oh I’ve made PLENTY of wrong choices too, that might be another thing I excel at… and it’s been tough (huge understatement there). Marriage. Kids. Money. Job. Moving. Family. It goes on and on. And it’s not like Harry made right choices every time either, he definitely made some mistakes (have you read Order of the Phoenix? He’s frustratingly annoying). It’s also the wrong choices, the mistakes, the avalanche of problems from those mistakes that keep me up at night, the regrets, that help shape me into who I am.

And I’m just fine with that. At the end of the day, I can read to my boys before bed. What more do I need in life?

Besides a wand.

Years ago, I spent my first Christmas by myself, without my family or friends around. I was where I wanted to be, serving as a missionary in the country of Ecuador. I was happy to be there, happy meeting, teaching, and helping the people of that beautiful country. But it was the first time in my 19 years of life, I spent the holiday season alone.

Not alone from people, or my assigned missionary companion. I certainly had plenty of company. And for most of the Christmas season, I wasn’t feeling lonely at all. I was fulfilled with my routine of morning exercise and study, afternoon visits, talking and teaching, and interactions at night with my companion. The entire 2 years I spent in Ecuador were some of the most fulfilling years of my life.

But even still, I recall laying in my springy bed on Christmas Eve, encompassed by my mosquito net, fan by my bedside at full speed, and exhausted from a day on my feet, thinking about my family. I’d spent every Christmas prior to this one, fully enjoying the holiday season with all of its traditions. I come from a big family, so typically they were all there. As presents slowly built up under the tree, I spent the days identifying which ones were mine, wondering what they might be. As a sugarholic, I couldn’t wait for all of the candy in my stocking, or baked goods my mom always prepared. I loved performing the Nativity, as we did for years, each of us dressing up and taking a role in the story of the birth of Christ. We often added our own flare and jokes to the characters, making us laugh as we watched the recorded video later. I remember not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve due to anticipation, waking up early to line up at the top of the stairs with my siblings, racing down when the time came, and coming around the corner to my section of the couch to see what Santa brought. Then spending the day enjoying these gifts, together with my family. I felt at peace. I felt safe. I looked forward to it every year.

It wasn’t until that first Christmas Eve in Ecuador that I started to feel a little lonely. A little sad. Longing to be with my family and participate in all of our family Christmas traditions. I had never spent Christmas alone, and it suddenly didn’t feel right. It felt like I was missing something. While Ecuadorians also celebrate Christmas, it was not the same. No snow. No Christmas tree. Not many lights. There were many things missing from my traditional holiday experience.

Recently I’ve been thinking about that experience and how there are also many others out there who might be in similar situations. Whether for work, school, study or service abroad. Or those that may not be close to family, or have no family and nobody to spend the holiday season with. Or for those serving our country abroad.

Even though there will be many people who spend this Christmas season alone, they are not alone. We are never alone.

And Christmas, the REASON we celebrate Christmas, is the reason why.

With that in mind, here is my latest song. I’ve always wanted to write a Christmas song like this. Enjoy!

In our family, we have always been big fans of musicals. Growing up, I participated in many both in school and in the community. Participating in musicals as a youth was one of the things that helped shape me into the person I am today. I realized I enjoyed not just playing piano and singing, but doing so on stage telling wonderful stories. It helped me branch out and do something a little scary, yet incredibly rewarding. It inspired me to want to continue with music for the rest of my life.

Since college and kids, I no longer have the time I used to to participate musicals. But we still enjoy watching them when we can, whether on stage or at the movies. And “The Greatest Showman” was one of the biggest surprises for me when I saw it at the end of last year. I knew very little going into it, other than it had Zac Efron and Hugh Jackman, the former I chuckled at when I watched the previews due to High School Musical pre-conceptions, and the latter I admired as an actor, dancer, singer, and performer. It was reason enough to get me out to see it.

And WOW! I was BLOWN AWAY!

Even for critically acclaimed award winning broadway musicals, most of the songs are great, some are AMAZING, and there’s always a few that are “filler” songs, and forgettable. You buy the CD so you can hear them again, remember the AMAZING songs, learning all the words, sing along to the great songs, and skip over the forgettable ones.

For The Greatest Showman, every single song was AMAZING. Are some more amazing than others? Yes, absolutely. But each one was written in a way that I don’t ever find my self wondering “wait, how did that song go?” I know. Because each song was catchy, memorable, and profound.

Of all of the AMAZING music from The Greatest Showman, there’s one that stands out, mainly because my 5 year old daughter Zoe enjoys singing it with me. “A Million Dreams” not only has a great piano melody, catchy tune, and profound message, it’s also relatable to me. And Zoe. When Zoe goes to bed at night, it takes her a long time to unwind. Her mind just doesn’t stop at night. Our boys after about 20 minutes are zonked out. Not Zoe. Sometimes she is up for hours reading, humming to herself, or finding some reason to come out of her room to ask us something she’s thinking about.

I may fall asleep faster than Zoe does, but my mind is also constantly thinking about the million dreams and things I want to do with my life. And it’s been fun to share one of those dreams with Zoe, singing with her and sharing that music.

Enjoy our latest music video, “A Million Dreams.”

I came home the other day to my kids coloring pictures at the kitchen table. I love seeing what my kids will draw and color. My children are all quite young still, so they’re drawings aren’t much from an artistic point of view, but I enjoy them nonetheless.

I love how children express themselves. They are so pure an innocent and have such a unique outlook on life. When children play, or dance, or color, they are expressing original creativity. Nobody is telling them how to do it, they just do what they think and feel. As a parent and as a grown-up, I often find myself jealous of my children. I miss the innocence, the simple outlook on life, and the day-to-day living. Even though my perspective on life is much broader and more complicated, I am reminded when I’m with my children how sometimes it’s okay to remember the simplicity, the joy, and the happiness that life and creativity can bring.To them, every day is a fresh start, a blank white sheet of paper that gets colored in as the day goes by however they like.

I had fun making this video with my kids and allowing Zoe to play with my phone as well. I love my children and it is a blessing every day to be with them, play with them, and be inspired by them.

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Thanks for listening!

Here is the audio:

You can download this song here

Here are the lyrics:

“Paint a picture of your world,

Your movement your design,

Contemplate the simple place your in,

Inside your mind.

Cuz time stands still,

Just waiting til,

The moment captures life,

And no one cares,

You’re unaware,

If you go outside the lines.

 

So color in the sun,

So color in the skies,

This world’s no longer black and white,

The feeling draws you in,

So draw the feelings right,

It’s yours, so you can take your time,

Each day you live you create your life,

So color in the skies.

 

Tell your story make it speak,

To those who may pass by,

Who needs words when you’ve got,

Countless ways to speak your mind,

Why you can’t sit still,

your overfilled,

Too many things to see,

If they listen well then they could tell,

You’re beyond mediocracy,

 

I’ve been waiting for this,

All my life,

And the time has come right now,

I knew it would,

Can’t believe how lucky,

I could be,

Let the other lives I might,

Have lived be free,

I can see it in your eyes,

Innocence creates new life”