Stressed, Anyone?

So I'm on the 2nd floor of the HBLL, at the northern-most part where the big windows are facing the ASB at 3:29pm. I just now realized that it's a bad idea to be sitting at the northern-most part of the 2nd floor in the HBLL at 3:29pm during this time of year. The sun is at a perfect spot in the sky to reflect off of the metal and glass of the ASB and shine right into my face. I go around to the other side of the table so my back is to the windows only to have the sun just as bright on the screen of my laptop, so all I see is my silhouette and the reflection of the ASB and the sun! I would blame the guy who designed the ASB or HBLL and call him stupid or idiot, but honestly, who's the stupid one: the architect or the guy still sitting in this part of the library?

Well, finals week is almost at a close (as well as my life in Provo), with only 2 exams to go. I am due to start driving home this Friday, but in the meantime I still have MUCH to do. Pack, tune my car, get a radio adapter for my iPhone (so I don't go insane on the ride home), pack, Christmas shop, say last-minute goodbyes, finish my home teaching, pack, send a package to a friend on a mission, pay the last of this month's bills, and pack are on my to-do list. Quite honestly, I don't know how I'm gonna do it all. It can cause one to stress out.

But I won't stress for too long, because I recently purchased The Stress Reduction Kit™! It's guaranteed to reduce your stress. Sometimes it even takes away ALL the stress! The Stress Reduction Kit™ is simple to use and the results are astounding! Order your Stress Reduction Kit™ today by calling toll-free 1-800-Y-STRESS!

A Bailout for Santa?

Why not? It seems to the be the year of bailouts. We've begun the jolly trend of nationalizing everything, why not nationalize Christmas as well? Then next year, we can bail out 4th of July, Easter, and other holidays!

In fact, it might just happen. The Wall Street Journal just did an article today (the 11th...I'm blogging this in the middle of the night, so it was technically yesterday) titled "U.S. Says It Will Bail Out Christmas". It explains how Santa and his gift-making operations are struggling due to recent "Christmas list swaps" that didn't quite go as planned. However, he is struggling to get aid from the government unless he "goes green." In all honesty, I'm not too worried. It looks like GM is getting their bailout. It's only a matter of days before Santa gets his.

Anyway, check out the article.

Marriage Now!!!

Terrorist Dream

I had this crazy dream last night and thought I'd share it:

I was walking out of a grocery store to my car, when I almost got ran over by this guy who was on a cell phone. A bit flustered, I kept walking toward my car when I felt strongly that I needed to go a different direction in the parking lot, so I went left instead of right. As I walked, I heard the sound of a crash not too far in front of me. I quickly passed a set of parked cars and just on the other side the same car that almost hit me had ran into a police car, going really fast. People had already started gathering around the accident. The cop in the police car was unconscious and the guy in the other car had rolled out onto the ground, also unconscious. I went over to the man on the ground and immediately checked him out to see if he was okay (he was). I then asked the people standing around if anyone had called 911. No one had, but a lady began making the phone call. I then proceeded to gently position the man on his side and treated him for shock.

After taking care of the man on the ground I went over to the cop in the police car. He was still unconscious. I began patting him kinda hard on the shoulder, yelling, "Are you okay?!" I did that a few times, when the cop finally came to. Unfortunately I had startled him and he, not knowing what was going on, grabbed the gun from his hip and pointed it at me. I backed up and told him to calm down, that he had been in an accident, and that I was helping him. He slowly began to lower his gun and since he was pretty weak, I quickly took the gun from him and laid it on the ground away from him. As I was caring for the police officer, I heard commotion from the people by the man on the ground. I looked over to see the man conscious and sitting up slightly. He had a grenade in his hand and pulled the ring from it, holding the grenade tightly in his hand. Everyone scattered and I immediately began struggling to pull the cop from his car. Fortunately, the cop was a small guy, so I was able to pull him from the car and was able to quickly get several feet away and hide behind a car for protection. One lady was still by the man with the grenade, and despite the crowd, who had ran away for safety, calling for her to run, she stayed put (for a reason I don't know). Shortly after I got behind the car, the grenade--still in the hands of the man--exploded, with the lady still by the man at the time.

That's all I remember from the dream. I remember feeling pretty horrified after the explosion and for a moment in my dream, I thought it had actually happened, that it was not a dream. It was pretty realistic. CRAZY!

Arrested Development Movie???
That was a freebie.

So I just found out from a friend's Facebook profile (who happens to be an Aussie) that there is a possible Arrested Development movie in the works. How cool is that?! You can check it out from the words of Ron Howard yourself here.

For those of you who are not familiar with or never heard of Arrested Development, it's a tv series that was on the air for only 3 seasons. From what I understand, it wasn't popular at the time (hence the short life-span of the show), but became such only after it went off the air. It's about the Bluth family and it's family members as they try to run the Bluth Company, a real estate business owned by the father, who went to jail for messing with the accounting books...among other things. It's pretty random and has some slap-stick humor, but honestly, that's what makes the show. "Marry me!"

Anyway, if this does become a movie, then I look forward to watching it (provided it isn't rated R, though I can't see that happening). I've provided a link to the pilot episode for your viewing, thanks to hulu.com. Enjoy!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/589/arrested-development-pilot

America, the Spoiled

With the continuance of the downward spiral of the U.S. economy (Congrats Wall Street! The Dow has officially dropped below 8,000!),we have seen several companies prostrate themselves before Capitol Hill in hopes to receive bailouts to survive this unstable economy. One of the latest topics in regards to this subject is that of the auto industry crisis. In a nutshell, the Detroit-based auto makers are losing money fast, and without immediate government aid, GM could face bankruptcy.

Although the auto industry has been pleading to Washington for a $25 billion aid package, warning that "the societal costs would be catastrophic"¹ if no aid is received, there is a current head-butt going on between President Bush and many Democrats in Congress, causing a "deadlock"² to prevent any aid coming to the auto industry any time soon.

Despite the dark and ominous clouds that are rapidly moving in and covering any optimism for the auto makers to receive any kind of aid and, thus, bypassing an otherwise highly-probable bankruptcy, former governor and Bain & Company (and Bain Capital) CEO Mitt Romney suggests that there is still hope for the crippled industry. In yesterday's New York Times he writes an article outlining a strategy that could get the American auto makers back on their feet and become more competitive with foreign auto makers, who are now leaving GM et al in the dust. Basically, he tells the auto industry not to take a bailout, to tough it up, and swallow its pride to ensure future success.

As tough as Romney appears on the auto industry, the solutions he offers are very practical and focuses on the reality that a bailout would only delay the problem instead of proactively solving it and moving on. The following are some "prescriptions" he gives to Detroit's auto makers:

1. There are costs that can be alleviated, such as new labor agreements and cutting back retiree benefits (which, according to Mitt, is a large reason why the costs per domestic auto is much more than those of foreign autos).
2. The current management needs to leave. There needs to be a fresh view on how things are run, and they need to cut back on some (if not many) of the luxurious costs of being an executive.
3. Stop looking for quick profits and focus on investing in the future.
4. Don't get rid of the sales people that can grow sales.

I couldn't agree more with Mitt Romney about not giving the auto industry a bailout. In fact, I'm really not an advocate of giving out bailouts anyway (at least, not freely like Washington has been doing). As is the case in human nature, once one company or industry gets a bailout from a liberal Uncle Sam, it's inevitable that other companies and industries will throw a fit like a spoiled child, crying for their necessity of a bailout as well. What good is that for our economy? More reliance and dependence on big government? Why has the American economy thrived for so many years, and even been able to pick itself up after sudden economic downturns? It's because of America's belief and focus on capitalism, on a free-market society. Now, with our spoiled-more-than-ever behavior, if things don't go our way, we turn to the government for aid. Why must our society shame ourselves and defame Capitalism by demanding governmental aid, instead of overcoming our own challenges? What happened to self-reliance? What happened to independence? Have we forgotten the American Dream? Have we forgotten the foundation upon which today's richly blessed America is built?

It seems that the call of a bailout is too much of a quick fix and is based off of selfishness and greed, two things that will NOT help this economy get out of its slump. In fact, it's because of selfishness and greed as underlying factors that put the U.S. in the mess we are in today with our financial/credit crisis. I say SUCK IT UP America; it's time for us to grow up and rebuild ourselves as a "city upon a hill"³, just as we were foreordained to be!

I'll get off of my soap box now. I have a lot more to say about the topic, but I think you get my drift. What are your thoughts???

Footnotes:

1. The MarketWatch website.
2. Bloomberg website.
3. John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" in 1630. This speech was given aboard the Arbella, traveling to the American continent from Europe.

"Traditional Marriage" Preserved!!!

So after much controversy, stress, sign-stealing, grass roots campaigning, and several millions of dollars donated and spent, the political turmoil regarding California's Proposition 8 is over...with Prop 8 WINNING!!! In fact, CNN's website shows us the results, with 99% of the precincts reported:

So there it is! BOOM BABY!!! I was actually more anxious about finding out the results of Prop 8 than I was about the Presidential Election, but that was mostly due to the fact that I could see Obama winning it a mile away (I mean, other countries were holding Election parties in anticipation of the Election, hoping "Barack Hussein Obama" would win). So, to make it clear, Proposition 8 will be amended into the California State Constitution that marriage will be between only one man and one woman.

And what the heck???

There was one very unfortunate event that transpired on Tuesday, of which I wish to briefly make mention: the slandering commercial against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which I am a member. It shows two LDS missionaries barging in a lesbian couple's home, saying, "We are here to take away your rights." They proceed to take their wedding rings, then search the house for their wedding certificate, which they promptly shred. As the two missionaries leave, they jeeringly laugh, "What should we ban next?"

Okay, so it's one thing to put an add on the air to get people to support your campaign over another. It's something completely different--and wrong--to slander an organization and put it under false report, in order to sway more voters to their side. This seems to me to be a last-ditch attempt of a desperate society vainly seeking more support for their dying cause. A Catholic Bishop commented about the commercial by saying that the ad was "a blatant display of religious bigotry and intolerance."

If you want my opinion (which you obviously do if you're reading this) the commercial is basically that of no class and poor taste. Seriously, the video was super cheesy and really uneducated and had the word "IGNORANT" written all over it. The so-called "Mormon missionaries" displayed in the commercial:

1. wore no black tags on their shirt,
   
2. their hair cuts were anything less than missionary appropriate,
   
3. and they totally walked in a house without having a third priesthood holder with them, when only women were there (which would be breaking the mission rules found in the "White Bible").

So obviously, the two missionaries shown could not have been from the LDS Church...maybe a fundamentalist break-off. I don't know.

It is true, however, that the LDS Church is the religion (if not overall contributor) that put the most money into the Yes on 8 Campaign. That is a fact I'm pretty proud to admit; it shows that the LDS Church is very proactive in preserving the doctrines it stands for! Which it should be, if we profess to hold the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ! You can check out the LDS Church's Proclamation on the Family here.

Yes on Proposition 8!

Ever hear the adage about calling "evil good and good evil"¹? Well, that's how I feel about the situation that's erupted in California regarding Proposition 8. This is an issue that is very important to me, so it's kind of a no-brainer that I'm blogging about it.

For those who are not familiar with Proposition 8, it's time that you become familiar with it! A vote "yes" on Prop 8 will add the following 14 words to the California state constitution:

"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

A vote "no" on Prop 8 will give no definition of "marriage", leaving the word open for interpretation.

Of course there are many debates about the constitutionality of this proposition, the biggest being in regards to "equal rights". However, I believe that the core of it all has nothing to do with "equal rights" per se. In fact, "domestic partnerships" have the same rights as "married" couples, as found in the California Family Code (Section 297.5 a). Instead, the debate has to do with the consequences of the Proposition failing. According to whatisprop8.com, there are 6 consequences if Prop 8 is not passed, namely the following:

1. Children in public schools will be required to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as the traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
2. There is a good possibility that churches may be sued over their tax-exempt status.
3. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged.
4. Religions that sponsor school with married student-housing may be required to provide housing for same-sex couples.
5. Ministers that preach against same-sex marriage may be sued for hate speech and receive government fines.
6. It will cost you money from ensuing lawsuits that would come from Prop 8 being voted against.

Anyway, so why is this such a big deal for us non-Californians? Because even though we are not directly affected by it currently, if Prop 8 is voted against, we will become directly affected by it down the road. Let me give you a couple of insights. For those of you who are LDS, this first paragraph is for you, although other religious communities are being affected similarly. First of all, the Church has become a very active supporter of Prop 8, donating to the cause and encouraging members who can to donate as well. On top of that, the Church is getting hit pretty hard by "no" voters. A friend showed me a blog that shares an experience about protesters in front of the Oakland Temple not too long ago. You can click here to read the story from someone who experienced it herself. Also, another friend of mine living in CA reported the following to me:

"Well, I haven't heard about the protesters in front of the temple, but there has been a TON of vandalism to the church building in SF and to the 'vote YES on 8' signs everywhere. Ours was stolen out of our front yard in the middle of the day. It's too bad people see it more as anti-gay and don't realize that if Prop 8 does NOT pass, everyone will lose the right to know what their children are taught in school regarding homosexuality. Whose responsibility is it to teach your children about homosexuality? Definitely NOT the schools! Homosexual couples don't lose ANY rights if Prop 8 passes...they just can't call it marriage.'"

And the LDS community is not the only religious community being hit by this. In Massachusetts where a similar amendment has already been rejected, the Catholic Church had to shut down its adoption services because it was against sending children into same-sex marriage households. What's the potential future of other religious institutions (including the LDS Church) who hold to their beliefs that marriage is a sacred institution, strictly between a man and a woman?

Another big issue is the possibility that children will be taught that same-sex marriage is okay and normal. Again, in public schools in Massachusetts, children under the age of 8 are being read books that focus on same-sex relationships. In California, a group of 1st graders went on a field trip to their teacher's lesbian wedding (and it happened on my birthday of all days...sad day)! Even though schools are required to keep parents informed of curriculum, some parents are having a hard time getting schools to inform them of when such "education" will be given to their children, making it hard to pull their kids out of the class rooms on those days.

Those are just a couple of points to show how we are also affected by this huge issue. In my opinion, I believe that Prop 8 should be legalized. Many argue "equal right" issues in regards to Prop 8. If one digs enough, one finds that it's the opponents of Prop 8 that are against "equal rights", whether it's intentional or not. Already found in the CA constitution is an amendment giving same-sex couples the same rights as married couples (Family Code, Section 297.5 a).

The way I see it, Prop 8 gives those specific institutions the right to keep their values of keeping marriage between a man and a woman; it also gives same-sex couples the rights to have domestic partnerships and maintain married rights. I think that allows for much better "equal rights", as opposed to rejecting Prop 8 and forcing people and organizations who believe in the "traditional" marriage to silence their voices.

As far as schools go, they should leave the whole aspect of same-sex and traditional marriage out and leave that subject to the parents. If sex education is such an important aspect of public education, keep it within the following bounds: maintaining abstinence until married, STDs, and the anatomy of the body. That should keep things on neutral ground, while allowing "equal rights" to remain much more equal than saying "no" to Prop 8 and forcing unwanted values on many people and families.

So with that said, I'm all about voting "YES" on Prop 8!!!

Why My Life Is So Good!

Yeah, so even though it looks like my college career is being extended by another year (it's a long story), life is still pretty good. Let's look at a few of the reasons why my life is so good right now:

1. I just bought a car! It's a white '94 Honda Accord LX. She's a beaute! My Benz killed over during the summer...I'm glad I'm done driving it; I don't think you're supposed to always have a knot in your stomach every time you drive your car. That's bad.
2. I'm living in a new complex! 3 years in the same complex as a single person is just too long. Change feels good. Plus this ward seems to yield a greater amount of girls older than 20-21. Although I personally believe no ward will ever top or replace the BYU 106th ward, it feels good to be in a different environment.
3. I'm taking my advanced SCUBA class! Plus, I have an awesome diving partner (too bad she has a boyfriend...I really hope she doesn't get around to reading this - that'd be kinda awkward...I guess I know how Jim Halpert felt for awhile, right?).
4. A new season of The Office has begun! I cheered when Jim proposed to Pam in the rain. Out loud.
   
5. My dating life isn't so bleak so far! My first date in almost 6 months happened this past Tuesday. It was a blind date. This weekend I have another blind date. Next weekend I have yet another blind date. If I ever make it down to St George, I'll have another blind date waiting for me. As it got nearer to heading back to Provo, it seemed as though all of my friends suddenly became concerned about the eternal welfare of my soul and wanted to give me a jump start on the wife-search...and I'm okay with that. I say, "Bring it on."
6. My sister flies out for Thanksgiving! She gets in the Thursday before the week of Thanksgiving, will hang out with me in Provo that whole weekend and through Monday, then we are off to Idaho, where my bro and his wife and kids are. We'll be there for the week. This will be the first time the kids do their own Thanksgiving away from home. A new tradition has just begun. I'm stoked!
7. General Conference is this weekend! I'm heading up to SLC for the Saturday sessions and probably priesthood as well. It looks like it'll be just me for the trip, but I'm okay with that...I'll probably enjoy the alone time immensely, and the chances of getting a conference ticket for one are probably greater anyway. Sunday I'll be at a friend's family's house watching conference there (and eating strawberry waffles - yum).
8. A family I baptized in Germany isn't inactive after all! Last I had heard (a while back) this mother and son had gone inactive. I recently found out from my last comp, Elder Jones, that they are active, they just go to the Heidelberg ward instead of the Mannheim ward. That makes me happy. I hope she's working toward going to the temple now.
9. I keep my job! Last winter semester I interviewed LDS Germans in Utah for a research project. I get to do the exact same thing this semester!
10. I'm serving in the community! Every Wednesday morning I volunteer at Provo High for an hour and a half and help students improve their reading. It's pretty rewarding and I enjoy it immensely.
11. I have amazing friends! I've been pretty blessed to be around awesome people. I have great friends, and I've been starting some really good friendships this semester as well (yes, that means you too).
    

Anyway, those are just a few things. Most of them are just on the surface. I think it's just from living life and trying to be the best I can be that the joy comes.

Ex Loser

Earlier this week I went back on a sale of mine to see how the install went. She wasn't home but her boyfriend was in the garage. He owns a clothing business that he has started in the garage of this home. It's called Ex Loser. It's a pretty cool concept and he was pretty passionate telling me about it. It was based off the idea of a loser getting tired of losing and doing something about it. He explained to me how it's applicable in any situation in life, be it sports, family, career, etc.

So I'm not doing a great job conveying his thoughts and ideas as well as he did; but it was enough to cause me to think about my pursuits and goals of late. I thought about this job and how glad I am to come back this summer. Last summer I didn't do as great as I'd hoped. I think the ultimate reason I came back was to prove to myself that I can and will succeed at this job. I thought about my studies at college, and how I'm doing everything it takes to get my accounting degree, even if I have to retake my classes or go another route. I thought about a few other aspects of my life where I've been beaten once or more, and grateful that I have the motivation (pride?) to improve so that I come out on top, even if it takes longer than it normally does.

I was glad I ran into Sevrille that day. He re-ignited in me the motivation I've been looking for. I hit a slump at work these past couple of weeks and that helped pull me out. He reminded of why I was out here.

Today in our training meeting we had a motivational part of the meeting, where we watched the video of the father who did the triathlon with his handicapped son. Afterward, we wrote down what our 5 motivators were for being out here. My top one was to prove to myself that I could succeed; to prove to myself that I can sell, and that I can come out on top. That helped me out throughout the day, because after a few hours of walking around, there was a lot of negative self-talk in my head about the area I was in (everyone was pretty rude). Finally, it came to a point where I told myself to suck it up and get to work. I pushed past the jerks and sold 3 after 7pm! It was a good feeling, and I realize that I would not have gotten those 3 sales had I not changed my mindset.

There's a song I often used to sing to myself on the doors to remind me of why I was working out here in Philly. It's "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. I would just repeat the chorus over and over again. One line kept me motivated: "I've forgotten what I started fighting for!" Perhaps I should start singing that song to myself again.

If there's anything I'm super passionate about, it's that we can accomplish anything we want to. If we are not achieving our goals and/or dreams, it's only because we hide behind empty excuses and lack the character to do so. I have gained a very strong conviction that choice is behind 99.9% of our current situations in life, and 100% of our level of happiness.

Like Sevrille's motto for his business is: "Exlosers are simply Winners who got mad;" the Winners finally got tired of losing and made the decision to change and win.

Redemption Songs

For the past two weeks I think I've heard Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" about 20 times - on the radio, on the streets, in a house, and on a tv commercial. It's almost as if it's a song of hope for people in the ghetto, a hope to get out and live a better life. Or maybe it's their theme song for Barack Obama in bringing his promised "change."

This song has actually been an appropriate song to reflect on since I've recently been knocking in some lower middle-class homes. I look at these people and feel sorry for many of them. The ghetto life is the only life these people know. It seems that a blanket of apathy has covered the minds of many individuals out here. For many, drugs have been a main influence. For others, they simply don't know any other way. The other day we passed by a large area of Section 8 housing - the "Projects." Many people just sat on their porches, in their own poverty. But it wasn't the poverty that struck me. It was the lack of motivation; the lack of growth and progress among these people.

I wondered what would cause such apathy in an individual. Is it past failures that finally broke them down? Is it the feeling that they are so far down in the hole that it seems futile to climb out of the rut? Or is it simply perpetual from previous generations; that they've grown up in such an environment, they don't know any other life; they were born into this, and it's normal to them and they are fine with it, why would they need to go anywhere else and do anything different? Or do they simply have no opportunity?


Fortunately, in several homes I've been in, their children are graduating high school and going off to college for a higher education. I make sure to tell them my high opinion of going to college and getting a degree. Perhaps the parents feel that it's too late for them; however, much hope lies in the future of their children. Opportunity is out there.

In Bob Marley's song, there is a line that goes "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our mind." Too many people do not realize that much (if not all) of their current situations is due to their agency - their ability to choose for themselves. When all is said and done, it all comes down to choice. Too often, we wait around for someone else to come around and make the change for us, when in reality no one else will do that. It's up to us.

Perhaps that is the "mental slavery" Bob Marley speaks of: not realizing that we have a choice; that the power is within us to make the change. And until that occurs, we cannot sing those redemption songs.

More Fun in the Hood

So, because we're still waiting for our licensing to process so we can start knocking in Suburbia, we've continued knocking the the Hood. Life out here is crazy! Today, I was in a house talking to a home owner about home security, when he informs me that three months ago a lady was shot and killed right in front of his home! And do you remember the police man that was shot earlier this month (refer to previous post)? Well, two of the three thugs were caught when that happened, and the third guy was missing for a few days until they found him in a vacant home with his girlfriend. That vacant home was just three blocks from my area. The home owner then told me of another killing that happened last year just two blocks away, which was on the corner of my area. There are a lot of people out here in Phila. who need some serious therapy and anger management.

Today was a fun day for me and my office. This morning we went and took some pretty insane pictures in front of the Rocky statue and the Museum of Art (the location of Rocky's famous scene of running up the steps with his theme song blaring in the soundtrack). Afterward, a few of us went over to Pat's, apparently a super famous place for Philly cheese steak. One of my roommates got kinda sick, thought, after eating one. I just thought it was cool that they used Cheese Wiz on the sandwich!

West Philadelphia

So I've been in Philadelphia for about a week now and I've gotta' say that I'm loving it so far! I haven't really had time yet to check out any sites, but work has been pretty interesting. Our entire first week of work has consisted solely of knocking in West Philadelphia. I don't think it was this bad in Chicago, when we knocked down town. Here the people seem more rude, and there's definitely more work cut out for the police here than in Chicago. For example, I heard today that two Sundays ago there were 13 killings in Philly. Last Saturday in a home I watched a live news report that a police officer had been shot and killed just twenty minutes prior; his funeral will actually be today (Tuesday). Also on Saturday, there was another shooting on the exact same block that one of my friends made a sale on. My friend had to go back to correct some paper work and saw the police tape blocking that portion of the street. He went inside the home of the lady he sold and the techs were still installing the system. They said they were inside the home when they heard the shots outside. Today, there were two helicopters about a mile or two from my area, looking for a missing person and the kidnapper. It's only been a week, but I still have more stories that I haven't even shared.

Other than that though, I'm enjoying Philly. Although I'm right in the middle of the hood when I knock, I haven't had any problems. I did see drug dealers hanging around on a street corner, transacting business - that was kind of funny - but people have been pretty cordial with me. I've noticed that they give me the same kind of respect I give them.


This is a pic of a street I knocked on this past Saturday, compliments of Google map. These are some of the houses I knocked on. About 99.9% of the houses look like what you see in this picture.



So there's a little bit of my experience in Philly so far. Here are a few things, though, that I would like to check out this summer:

• Pat's Restaurant. Apparently, Pat is known as the Philly Steak King. His restaurant is downtown.
• New York City / Manhattan. The train ride is only 1.5 hours from Phila.
• DC. The train ride is about 2 hours from Phila.
• Liberty Bell
• Valley Forge
• 4th of July at the Museum of Art in Phila. I hear that's the place to go.

If you know of any other places I should check out while I'm out here, please let me know.

Inevitable Change

Well, today was my last Sunday in the infamous BYU 106th ward. Ever since my first semester in college three years ago I have called this ward and AA apartments my home. I have so many memories (both good and bad, but mostly good) from living both in this complex and in the ward. People have come and gone (there's high turnover out here) and I have made many friends that have greatly influenced me in one way or another. But alas, my time here has been well spent and I feel that it's time for me to move on and to change my environments. Therefore, my last official night in AA 9 (aka "Funkytowne") will be this Thursday. Then I'm off to Idaho to visit my bro and his family, then off to Philadelphia. When I get back to the Provo scene, I'll be in a different complex and ward.

I've been thinking a lot about change lately. In most aspects, change is very good for us. For one, change helps us progress. It stirs up the ant pile, so to speak, and causes us to get out of comfort zone. We're forced to start over again and work hard at things that have become routine. Because of change, we can discover areas of ourselves that we didn't notice before, both strengths and weaknesses. Change can help us strengthen those weakness and mold those parts of our lives that need molding. Change helps us look at things in different perspectives, so our view isn't one-sided.

I remember when I was 16, someone once told me that change will help me see the potentials that I have. Since then I have noticed the truthfulness of that statement in several occasions. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I am excited to head out to Philadelphia this summer. I'm excited to see other potentials of my life I haven't yet discovered or realized.

Seminary

I'm in a Seminary Teaching class here at BYU and part of the class involves teaching a seminary class for two weeks. I just started my teaching this past Tuesday in Spanish Fork (about 15 minutes south of Provo), and I am LOVING it!

I teach a freshman class every day. There are about 18 of them. They are pretty energetic but do a great job in the learning process. I love teaching and I love the youth, so this has been a very rewarding experience for me. It's pretty humbling at the same time, though. I've been treating this experience a lot like the mission. These kids are in the forefront of my prayers and thoughts throughout the day. It's a wonderful feeling to have this type of care and concern toward people.

I really think teaching the youth in this generation is a very sacred calling. These kids are going through and will be going through more trying times and temptations than we did, and their children will definitely be going through must worse situations. That is why it is so vital that they become solid in the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ at such a young age, that they set for themselves high standards and maintain them, and that they develop strong, righteous habits. It will take a very firm foundation of solid parents to be those examples and anchors those children will need upon which to build their lives. Those future parents are the youth of today. And in order for them to be able to lay that foundation for their children, they need to know how to do that through the examples of their parents, their leaders, and their teachers. So you see, it's a pretty humbling knowledge of what is hanging on your testimony, example, and influence on others.

There's my two cents on seminary and the importance of teaching. There's more on the subject of teaching - it's a very passionate subject to me - but I think I'll save that for another time, perhaps if you ask me about it. In the mean time, I just wanted to share my excitement about seminary teaching. It rocks!

Summer Plans 2008


So I have this dilemma. I'm trying to figure out what to do this summer. Right now, I'm set up to head out to Philadelphia to sell security systems; however, the more I think about it, the more I want to stay here in Provo. So I've been trying to separate what I want to do from what I need to do; that's been hard for me.

So last night before I headed off to bed (it was pretty late) I saw my Book of Mormon and realized I hadn't read my scriptures at all that day. So I picked it up to read a few verses before going to sleep. I flipped it open to a random spot and started reading in Alma 36. It was the part where Alma shared his conversion story with his son, Helaman. I had two verses marked from long ago, which caught my eye. They were verses 24 and 25. They read, "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors."

When I read those verses, the thought came to me to consider which summer option would offer greater opportunities to serve others and bring people closer to Christ; up to that point I had neglected to include those things in my decision-making process. I compared and contrasted the past two summers. While selling in Chicago I had some fun missionary opportunities, where I was able to share the restored gospel in a few homes. I really enjoyed and still cherish those moments. Yet, those were but a few moments over the course of the entire summer. My calling was in the music council, in which I participated Sundays only. I didn't get my home teaching assignments until mid-way through the summer. So Church service was minimal. On top of that, there really wasn't any time to serve in the community either.

Looking at the summer before, I served almost on a daily basis with my Church calling. If I stayed here, I know I would be much more involved with the community, as well as a couple of groups on campus. I have also gotten some ideas of other things I could do while here in Provo that could potentially benefit others, and I would have time to do those things.

Of course, I can't just do things for free. I still need finances to live and save up for school. I think that's where selling would have an advantage. This summer I have the potential of making $20,000+! I could technically become a manager the following summer, making $100,000+! Here, the only thing I can think of that could give me $15,000+ (if I really kick it in gear and hire people to help me out) would be mowing lawns on top of working at another job.

So, if I were able to have around $15,000 sitting in my account at the end of the summer, I would probably be quite content with my finances, to be quite honest. That being the case, staying here during the summer is actually my number one choice. I think the only things keeping me from making a decision now are three-fold: 1) loyalty to my friend from last summer, 2) if I stay in Provo, will I suck it up and mow those lawns, and 3) I haven't yet received any confirmations or assurances from Heavenly Father (that I've been looking for, anyway) of which choice I should make.

So, wish me luck!

Family: Isn't It About Time?

Today I went over to the bookstore on campus to return something. As I parked and got out of the car, I was thinking about one of my business classes and my homework in it. To be honest, I love my business classes and thinking about what I'm learning. It excites me for my major and future career, so I think about it a lot. As strange as it may sound, thinking about business strategies, how to analyze financial statements, extracting pertinent information from excel pivot tables and charts, and such are all things I love getting into and doing.

These were the kind of things I was thinking about as I got out of my car. However, as I walked toward the Wilkinson Center, where the bookstore is located, I looked in front of me and saw a dad with his son, who looked to be about a year old, on his shoulders. He was running and skipping on the sidewalk; he had another son and a daughter, each about four and six years old, follow him. They ran behind their dad to keep up with him, laughing as they went.

Instantly, my mind dropped all thoughts of my classes and I silently observed the family (the mom was behind the older kids, walking); I couldn't help but smile to myself at the sight. Another guy walked passed them and I noticed him smile to himself as well. It was good to see that.

I love college life and the BYU campus. I enjoy the friendships my roommates and I have. I love learning the things I'm learning in my classes and like the challenge of keeping my grades up. The one thing I don't like about it all, however, is that it's easy for priorities to get switched around and forget what the overall aim really is. Family is what it's all about! Spending my life with my best friend. Being a dad. Spoiling my wife. Having water-gun fights with my kids in the front yard. Family vacations. Laughing. Crying. Serving. Loving. Bringing life into the world. Showing my kids how to love their mom. Heartaches. Disappointments. Learning. My family making me proud. Happy surprises. Anniversaries. Helping my kids pick flowers for their mom. Showing my wife how much I love her. Dancing with my daughters. Playing football with my sons. Hearing my wife tell me she's proud of me. Watching my children grow and progress in the gospel and in other areas of their lives. And so many other fond future memories!

Watching this dad have fun with his kids put things back into perspective. Suddenly, my college classes didn't seem as important as I had made them out to be. Seeing this family go by caused a familiar yearning from deep within to resurface. It was a great reminder of why I'm really here, in college, and in this life. That's a stage of my life I definitely look forward to!

Die Heiligen der letzten Tage

I currently work as a research assistant for a professor where I have the opportunity to interview German Latter-day Saints who survived WWII. It's quite the fulfilling job! I'm always amazed at the courage these people had to be able to go through the circumstances they went through in Germany during the war. I listen to their stories, and at the end of the interview I always ask, "How did you maintain your testimony of the gospel during everything you went through?" Their response is almost without fail, "We had to in those times. It's what got us through." Their answer reminds me of a talk Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said in a Mission Conference in Frankfurt, 2004. He said something to the effect that, because we are here experiencing this earthly life, we have already made the decision (in the pre-mortal realm) that we would live the commandments of our Heavenly Father; he said that there is no reason why we should be making those decisions again in this life. The German Latter-day Saints reflect this frame of mind in the way they respond to my question.

Today I met with a German who was a missionary in east Germany. Because of privacy reasons, I won't share anything she told me; however, listening to the things she went through put all of my problems in their proper perspective (which was that they are super insignificant and shouldn't really be classified as problems). I was amazed that, despite the incredible sorrow and sacrifice she faced and endured, she was not bitter about the events and losses she experienced. She impressed me greatly with how she still smiled and laughed, as though she had an assurance that most people in those similar situations didn't have.

I'm grateful there's an assurance of peace when we live our lives as best we know how; and that that assurance can grow brighter and brighter when we seek to know the Lord's will and follow it. Joseph Smith once called the Germans "an exalted people,"¹ and the Germans who came out of that war as better people prove the validity of that statement.

1. ^{"Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith", Deseret Book Company, 1976, p 364}
   

Study Smarter, Not Harder

It's been a few weeks since I've written a post here. My last couple of posts were written on different computers, since my laptop was in the shop for about six weeks. Fortunately I got it back this past Monday, and it is a wonderful feeling. It feels as though a void inside of me has been filled ;^) !

Well, in case you're wondering what the title is all about, it is because I took my first Accounting 210 midterm this semester and got an 80 on it! The average, I've been told, is a 60-something. I'm taking the pre-reqs to get into the Accounting program at BYU - the number Two Accounting program in the Universe, as my professor says (second only to the University of Texas). Therefore, it's not an easy task to get in the program. So I was pretty happy getting a score above average - I just hope this class is curved.

I've learned that it's not necessarily important that you study hard; rather, one should study smart. I remember my second semester at college. I quite ignorantly decided to take Econ 110, Acc 200, Stats 221, German 330, and work 20 hours a week all at the same time. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, and did not realize how much my study skills/habits/whatever-you-want-to-call-it were lacking. Quickly, but too late, reality hit and I was nose deep in homework, classes, stress, all of the above. I didn't know how to study properly, manage my time effectively, or indoctrinate myself well enough the things I needed to learn in my classes. Because of it I suffered immensely. I can show you the grades to prove it.

Since then I've learned a thing or two. The biggest things I learned were that I needed to 1) manage my time better and 2) fix my study habits. That semester I "studied" hard. I remember being up late until two in the morning about two or three nights a week, getting papers and such done. It killed. Not to mention I still didn't do so hot. Now, I'm usually in bed by midnight (unless I choose to stay up doing things like putting posts on my blog), but have all or 98% of my homework for the next day done by six or seven. Plus, I'm doing much better in my classes.

So why the difference? I personally think it has to do with four specific things. Time management is definitely a factor. Concerning time management, I highly recommend two sources: "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey, and "Good, Better, Best" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. In regards to managing my time, I have been learning to both prioritize my time better and knowing when to say no. Also, it helps to know one's limits.

Learning to study better is the second factor. In the definition of "study" I include taking advantage of all the resources given for each class. For my accounting class, I'm in the TA lab about three to four times a week, spending about two to three hours there each time I go. It's great because when I don't understand a principle or part of the lesson, I ask a TA nearby and he'll explain it to me until I understand. We go over examples so I can apply it, which helps me to retain things better.

Thirdly, I believe desire plays a large role and is the underlying structure beneath the first two factors. If there's not much desire, not much is going to get done. I'm not gonna' lie, I don't have much of a desire to go to my MCOMM class (business writing). Although I like the end result of knowing how to write well, I don't care for the process that much. So that's a struggle for me. Yet, I try to keep in mind that I have to do well to make it in my major, and that helps motivate me more. Along with the desire comes self-motivation. I think what also helps me in my classes is doing extra things on my own. For example, for my accounting class, I like to look at financial statements of real companies (Microsoft is my favorite one to look at) and apply what I learn in analyzing financial statements. It's not required, but I get a real-world taste of how to use what I'm learning. I'm still trying to find ways to apply what I'm learning in my ISYS 201 class with Excel formulas.

Last of all - and I think this is most important - is that I try to involve the Lord. I'm not the best at it. Too often I catch myself wanting to take credit and to do things on my own. However, I do notice a significant difference. When I include the Lord in what I'm doing and try to keep Him a priority, I do significantly better in the things I do. Productivity increases! I contribute all that I've learned to Him. I honestly believe that the Lord helps me retain what I'm learning and is helping me be successful in my classes. For example, when I took my exam today, I said a prayer in my heart. I asked to remember what I learned and that the Spirit would bring things to my remembrance. There were problems on that test that stumped me; then, specific things were brought to my attention and specific formulas came into my mind that I had forgotten (but had studied thoroughly) and I was able to complete those problems (something else that is interesting to note about this principle - there were a couple of problems where I was totally lost and didn't receive any help. Consequently, those problems went over things I neglected to study thoroughly. I believe there is a direct correlation in personal preparation and how much the Lord helps us in our lives....but that's another topic in and of itself).

So there you have it - my two cents on how to study smarter. It's now about one o'clock and I have work tomorrow. Have a good night!

New Song in the Making!

Yes, it's true! I've finally written another song (the last song I wrote was finished almost a year ago). I'm pretty pleased with the lyrics, the music, and most of the melody; however, I'm still trying to fix the melody in the chorus (I have a melody, but I'm not 100% satisfied). Anyway, the lyrics are below. Let me know what you think.

Paint A Picture

Something inside of me
Tells me I want to be
There for you.
But you keep pushing me away
Far from you everyday.
What did I do?

These fragments and pieces
Of your puzzled story
Won't show me the picture
Of your memory.
This faded-out Kodak
Of your colored life
Won't show me the picture
Of your pain and strife.
So I go away.
So I fade away.

Where's the fairy-tale ending
You hoped for and dreamed of
So long ago?
Is this broken-heart mending?
Let me know.

I can hear you;
Your cries don't go unheard.
Let me wipe away those tears.
Put an end to all your fears.
Paint a picture of your own
Of a hope that you can hold
In your heart.

Don't waste your life sulking
Behind sheltered doors.
There's a beautiful world
And it all can be yours.
So forget your past problems;
Your life starts today.
There's a beautiful sunrise
And it's comin' your way.
So let's go away.
So let's fade away.

Here's the fairy-tale ending
You hoped for and dreamed of
So long ago.
Your broken heart's mending.
Did you know?

I can hear you;
Your cries don't go unheard.
Let me wipe away those tears.
Put and end to all of your fears.
Paint a picture of your own
Of a hope that you can hold
In your heart.

Tus amigos te sostienen,
Y te saludarán
De nuevo con corazones
Fervientes
Y manos amistosas.

*Note: The last verse is actually a scripture in Spanish: D&C 121:9, which reads, "Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."

Soul Searching

I'm searching for something,
Though I don't know what I'm looking for.
This melancholy lingers
And these musical tides bring me to a shore
Where mellow feelings lay gently in the sun.

Deep inside grows a yearning,
A longing for a life not yet lived.
How far can dreams sail on
Before the ship and its captain drift
Into the horizon of a setting sun?

I continue searching, yearning
For the place where dreams come true.
This melancholy continues to linger
And these musical tides of the deep blue
Guide me to the safety of a crescent moon.