Briefly

Quick Update:

Monday:

Went to a farewell gathering for Mary Baum. Saw a bunch of old friends!

Tuesday:

School. Got an e-mail at 4:56pm informing me that I had been one of the select few placed in the New Design & Media track. Woot! I felt special.

Wednesdy:

Busy busy. Attended a debate where the College Democrats debated for no gun control and the College Republicans debated for control. I was in charge of refreshments.

Thursday:

Went to Bride Wars at the dollar theatre. Loved it more the second time!

Friday:

I got a hair cut! Bangs! Ahhhhh!!! Then Kara and I ate at this delicious burger & fry place called Sammy's. It was so good. I had a snickers shake. They actually put a whole candy bar in it. Mmmm.

Saturday:

Participated in the Stakewide service project, cleaning up some city parks. Then I got lunch with my friend Mel who came into town. Then I went to the gym and ran 5 miles! That's the most I've ever ran consecutively without stopping! Woot for me again! Then, after a much needed shower, Kate and I went to SLC where (after a long wait in line) we saw the amazing Rachael Yamagata in concert (her songs have been featured on such soundtracks as that for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie)! Oh, she is so great. Afterward we got her to sign some posters we tore off of the venue walls, and even got a picture with her. She said my name was "sexy." She's so great! It was an awesome moment in my life.

Sunday:

Church. D word snow. Then Kara, Kate, and I joined some others in the ward and went to a rest home where we sang hymns and talked with the old folks. One guy is our favorite. His name is Royal and he's a Ford truck man.

Busy, but great week! Can'twait for the semester to be over and for the 60 degree weather to return.....

risk

risk [risk]:

verb (used with object) a. to expose to the chance of injury or loss; hazard: to risk one's life.
b. to venture upon; take or run the chance of: to risk a fall in climbing; to risk a war.

Oft times, to get what we want, we have to take risks. Oft times these risks offer no guarantee that we will get what we want, or succeed, or even land on our feet. But, even in not putting ourselves out there, we risk missing an opportunity to enhance our lives.

You miss every shot you don't take.

I like to turn to the old sage, Garth Brooks. He has lots to say on this subject (ie: refer to such songs The Dance, Unanswered Prayers, etc). He talks about those who "stand outside the fire" and face the world alone, unwilling to take a chance, unwilling to risk the fall. Further he says, "Life is not tried it is merely survived, if you're standing outside the fire."

My advice? Weigh the consequences, is what you want worth the risk? If there's even the possibility that it is, take that risk. I promise, the rewards can outweigh the butterflies that flap their nervous wings in the pit of your stomach.

One final note, as Garth says, "How ya ever gonna know?"

Why Temples?

Some of you who read my blog have noticed mention of temples. Some may have questions as to what temples mean to Latter-day Saints and why we feel compelled to build them and worship within their sacred walls. I hope his video helps!

A Filling Weekend

You know those moments in life that just seem to make it all worth it? I love those. They don't seem to come often enough, but maybe that's the beauty. I am just grateful for those tender mercies from the Lord that give me strength, perspective, hope and happiness.

Kara and I went to the Draper Temple Open House on Friday. It was a neat experience. There's just such a special calm feeling at the temple, even when it hasn't been officially dedicated yet. One of my favorite places was the Celestial room. Kara and I sat down and I watched as small kids, young parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, moms and dads, friends, all filed through, and I thought, "this is the gospel, this is what it's all about." We also got really bad manicures at a beauty school (see picture in the blog below), and cupcakes at this cupcake shop. Then we went to Stake Conference (I've never had a church meeting on a Friday night!).

Saturday I washed my car for the first time in seemingly generations! It's been beautiful here and looks to be all week, highs around 60 and sunny. I went up to SLC Saturday evening and had delicious Thai food. I totally overate this weekend.

Hope everyone else's weekend was delightful. And don't forget, when upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your many blessings!

What do you think?

"Psych, I'm a Babylonian!"

I have a love hate relationship with two of my classes. The first love-hate relationship is with my Poli Sci 202 class, which is history of modern political theory. I love it, because my teacher is pretty funny. He's this Canadian born Democrat, who voted for Obama in his first U.S. Presidential election. He presents the material really well though, it's saturated, not super-dry like a lot of history classes can be. I always come away thinking thoughts that I should probably blog. Like Machiavelli's state of war, or Rousseau's authentic man, or Kant's idea of enlightenment. The downside is that it can be kind of confusing keeping all the philosophies straight, and even harder to take quizzes, exams and write papers on them.

My other love-hate relationship is with my "Writings of Isaiah" class. The only thing I really hate about the class is that it is at 9am. It is brutally hard to wake myself up some mornings. You scoff at the lateness that is 9am, but when you go to bed at after 12 or 1am everynight, it's a little different.

Anyway, I am learning a lot of stuff from this class, and am grateful for the opportunity to go and just learn about my religion! It's hard to imagine a time in life where I will have to rely on Sunday School to teach me everything I want to know, instead of you know, Ph.D in religion types.

So today we were talking about Isaiah 39 when Hezekiah is showing the high and mighties of Babylon all the wealth of his Kingdom and the Lord tells Isaiah to go and tell Hezekiah that one day all of the wealth will be gone. Our teacher, Professor Ball had us personally apply this. We came up with the idea of counciling with the Lord in all our doings. He then suggested such as in deciding on whom to marry because we wouldn't want to get married one day and the next have our spouse say, "Psych, I'm a Babylonian!" It was really funny.

I, being the contrary bear that I am, rose my hand and said, "So this is a cause and effect scripture? Because Hezekiah showed his wealth, then the wealth would be taken away?" Brother Ball then conceded that we aren't sure, but it helps us to personally apply and teach these specific writings of Isaiah. Anyway, just thought that was funny.

Psych, I'm a Babylonian!

Done and Done

Well, I turned in my application to the New Media & Design track today around 12:10pm. Just under four hours before it was due, too! It's nice to have that off of my shoulders, especially since I've kind of been neglecting my studies. More like using it as an excuse to neglect my studies. Now I just have to sit and wait to hear back. Luckily they say we should hear within a couple of weeks. I'm feeling pretty good about getting in, but there's always that little bit of doubt that comes into your mind.

Last Sunday I went up to SLC for a few hours to visit my old friends Melanie and Chelsea. And when I say "old" I mean "old." They are 25 and almost 24 respectively. I think I keep them in my circle so as to feel young and vibrant at 21. It was a good time and I might be going up there again on Saturday. Anyway, in a funny conversation Chelsea started singing "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire, and I've had it in my head every hour since.Kara can testify, in fact I think she might throttle me the next time I dare to sing it out loud. ;-)

Anyway, I'll have more to report once the weekend is through, maybe.

In Memoriam..... Of my NYC Trip!!

Two Years

I've been "blogging" for two years now, woot!

Not too much to report. Just another day. I woke up and studied for a midterm, wrote to a missionary friend, took my midterm (didn't do so hot), came back to the apartment, went to the gym, ran 4 miles (non stop, I think for the first time), came home and showered, treated myself to a cheeseburger..... I was supposed to get together with my friend Emily to watch some historical drama, but her dad has been in the hospital after suffering a bad heart attack, and he's back in the ICU, so she was there tonight instead. So, cleaned for cleaning checks in the morning. Like I said, not much to report. I've been working on getting classes straightened out for the summer, getting applications done, yadda yadda.



Taylor Swift is going to be in Nampa, Idaho on May 17th. A Sunday. I want to go so badly, is that so wrong???



Here's a picture from last Sunday. The College Republican board had a potluck at our chairman, Skylar's house. It was good times, with people who've become good friends. We can be pretty nerdy though, at one point we were trying to tie Harry Potter to politics, like I said, n-e-r-d-y. We are possibly going to Mexico come April for a service trip, I will keep you updated, as always..... Have a swell weekend!

(Top: Me -2nd Vice Chair, David - 1st Vice Chair, Evan - Treasurer, Skylar - Chairman; Bottom: Mike - Debates/Speakers, Aly - Public Relations/Recruitment, Stacey - Public Relations/Recruitment)

Exercising Faith, Having Hope

Sometimes you are required to take that first step, that leap of faith and trust that God will bless you in your efforts. I'm currently having to learn this principle; I'm having to put my trust in Him and believe and hope that as I live obediently and do the things I'm supposed to He will bless me in my choices. But it's hard. I feel like this lady.

I viewed the scripture involving exercising a particle of faith, desiring to believe, and letting this desire work within us (the metaphor of the seed) in a totally new light of self application. We have to exercise faith in the our Heavenly Father as we make changes and choices in our life. We have to move forward, even if we only have the desire to move forward, we have to let this desire work within us to help follow through in our changes in choices. We need to look forward in faith and hope, nourishing the desire within us; nourishing the changes we are trying to make or the path we have chosen. As we move forward in faith and hope, then we can expect to bring forth the good fruits of our efforts.

Alma 32:
40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

So, that's what I'm going to try and do. Live how I should, make my choices, have faith and hope that God will work it out, and then plan to reap the fruit as I nourish and support the choices I've made. Its hard, it's scary, there are rarely guarantees, but you do what yo gotta do.

People often talk about mind over body, or will power, or the power of the mind. I think that that is usually just a secular explanation for that which is spiritual power, faith. Anyway....just some thoughts I've been thinking and trying to personally implement. Happy Sabbath!