(20) - Peace I Leave With You My Friend

This is it guys.  The last post that I'll be adding to this blog that will add to my overall grade in this class.  I'll tell you what, it has been very enjoyable being able to blog and throw my ideas out on the table for all to see.  Pretty neat, not going to lie.  I have learned so much as well.  This past semester truly has been a constructive one.  I have been able to progress in my overall journey to excellence.  I've made mistakes, that's for sure, but I have also picked myself up and continued forward.  I love it down here at BYU.  It truly is the "Lord's school."  I have had many spiritual experiences and I have been blessed on a daily basis being here.  I guess it's a good thing that I still have many years ahead of me to enjoy and experience.  I know that even though for now it is goodbye, I'll be back.  At moments like these I am reminded of our senior choir song called "Peace I Leave."  The lyrics go:

Peace I leave with you, my friends:
Shalom my peace, in all you do.
Peace I leave with you, my friends,
I give to you, so you can give to others, too.

To share God's love is why I came,
To show God's kindness to the world
Go now my friends and do the same,
Until I come again...

Take my hand and be at peace,
The spirit of our love I send;
And with this love you will be free,
Until I come again...

With this love you all will know,
That loneliness is at an end,
Rejoice my people though I go
For I will come again...

That's how I feel.  I know that it's only "see you later," not "goodbye."  My peace I leave with you my friends.

(19) - The Cabin Blues

The family is probably the greatest aspect in my life.  For that reason I make sacrifices to spend as much time with them as possible.  For that reason I took this past weekend to drive 5 hours north to Idaho/Wyoming area to watch General Conference at our family cabin.  It was a great weekend, but very short.  I guess that's the reason why I'm sad to leave.  I'm getting packed up to depart from my family and I feel the "blues" setting in.  It's a weird feeling because I know I'm not leaving my family for good.  I know that it's not "good bye" rather "see you later."  Despite this fact I still get those feelings of melancholy.  I wish I could just spend my days on end with these great people that I call family.  I love them and cherish them.  Sometimes we fight, quarrel, and disagree but I care about them.  It's a great feeling to know that we will be able to spend eternity together (hopefully we won't disagree/fight as much during that time though. haha).  I know that the family can be together forever, and these precious moments that I have shared with them will never be forgotten.

(18) - It Takes A Village To Raise A Child

At this moment in time I am here with the family for conference weekend and I'm with all my siblings, their spouses, and their hoards of children.  I recently returned from a two year mission to the Dominican Republic.  While I was away two of my sisters and one sister-in-law gave birth to 3 little tykes.  Needless to say, I wasn't here for these three events and when I came home I was greeted by three new faces, and they were, in return, greeted by one as well.  There are 8 of them in total between my brothers and sisters, and I'll tell you what, they seem like an army of little men and women running around causing havoc.  If it's not cheerios on the ground getting smashed into the carpet, it's falling down the stairs and bonking their heads.  They are like a reality tv show.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and fed up with how much they annoy and overwhelm, but then I stand back and truly see how precious these little guys are.  They are gifts of god.  It generally takes a smile from their banana smeared faces to melt my heart.  They are little angels and give me a good laugh.  Now that I'm home I have more time to get to know these little guys and play with them.  Despite their constant annoyance I love my nieces and nephews and am glad to be their big "Uncle Sterling."

(17) - A Cookie and A Kiss (Conference Address)

On Saturday morning I had the great opportunity to listen to the General Conference of the Church. One of the first addressees was Boyd K Packer of the 12 apostles.  "The procreative powers of life are between a man and a woman." He stated.  I really was impressed by the words spoken.  

As a young man at Weber College he would visit his "would be wife" in one of her classes.  He'd wait outside for her and when she would come out she would give him a cookie and a kiss.  That is the recipe a happy marriage.

 

He addressed the importance of eternal marriage and how if we have faith in the Lord then we will fulfill our duty to join in the everlasting covenant of an eternal marriage.  In this world that we live in we have to prepare for this great covenant.  We are surrounded by so much filth that tries to confuse and lead us astray in our path to eternal life.  Such filth includes pornography, infidelity, and other common sins. But as sons and daughters of a loving heavenly father we are all given the great gift of the Atonement to be clean and move forward in life.  

I really was able to learn and gain from his words.  I know that we are challenged by the adversary on a daily basis.  But I also know that we can overcome him if we have faith in the Lord and if we have good works.  We truly are on the greatest team in this eternal battle.  We have the greatest leader.  Our lord and savior Jesus Christ.  If we follow Elder Packer's words to stay strong, follow God's plan, and repent, then we will be happy in this short mortal life and we will gain our eternal salvation.

(16) - A Beautilicious Reflection of A Personalized Narrative

I guess in a sense I could say that it all started out at birth because, let's be honest, everything started there, but for sake of writing space and boring all of you with minuscule details of my life I'll just say that it all started with the day that Sister Steadman assigned to write a personal narrative.  I'd have to say that I definitely have learned some new things.  First off I learned the big difference between a personal essay and a personal narrative.  Let's just say that my first draft of this assignment was just me telling everyone about my story rather than showing it with stories, dialogue, and rhetorical tools. My first draft was boring even to me, the person who wrote it.  But thank goodness for critics.  After realizing my deadly error I became more aware of how to create a good personal narrative.  I was able to put more life into a story from my teenage years that truly helped my story come to life.  I realized the importance of helping people get "caught" in my story.  That's what I learned.  Amazing things!

(15) Personal Narrative "I'm In, Coach!"

I’m In, Coach!

“Keep running!  Back cut!  Box out and get the board!”  Those words were magic to my ears.  I heard them on a daily basis running up and down the wooden floors of my high school basketball court.  For the most part as a teenager I really bristled at taking orders and listening to commands.  It seemed to rub me wrong to be bossed around and told what to do.  And I would grow even more frustrated when I was sweaty and my body ached from running ladders and stairs hour after hour during basketball practice.  I swear, my legs were jello.  I don’t think I could have been more tired in my whole life, but for some reason the lips that barked those commands were the only ones I respected.  He was my idol and my hero on and off the court.  Although he was known to some as Greg, we all knew him as Coach Glenn.   He never had to beg for respect.  “Sterling!  Keep running for your life!  Pretend there is a bear chasing you!”  He yelled jokingly with a wide smile that he always wore on his face.  “Will do!” I choked out through laughter. I probably laughed the hardest at his jokes and humor more than at anyone else’s.  But even with a good jovial humor and sometimes a hint of sarcasm, at that point in my life I respected him more than any other.

            Playing basketball was hard for me.  I struggled hard and never was the MVP of the team.  In fact, I probably was on the downside of the talent spectrum.  I’d run, jump, drill, and work my butt off.  Every day at the end of practice we always looked forward to the most dreaded workout of the day, running stairs.  On several occasions when I was upset with the other coaches, for different reasons, I’d stay and run extra stairs even when I wasn’t required to.  I’d do this even when all the other players were packing up to go home.  If I wasn’t running extra stairs I’d stay and shoot free throws until my shoulder and arm ached.  Nevertheless, when it came to our games I never got to play as much as I had hoped to. 

One game I had had enough.  I didn’t play a single second of the game.  At the same time another player who had back-talked and skipped practice got to play because of his talent.  After losing this game the whole team was in the locker room. I was so upset.  Small tears fell from my eyes even though I internally screamed at my body to buck up and hold them in.  At this moment Coach Glenn, sporting his thread-bare Utah Jazz cap, stood up and said, “It seems like none of you wanted to play tonight!  I know that there are some of you that would have given anything to play in the game and put in a better effort.  Sterling, day in and day out, busts his butt in practice.  He kills himself running stairs and working hard but didn’t play a single second tonight.  You all owe it to him and the rest of the team to play your hardest which tonight none of you did.”  I was speechless.  I never thought that he noticed my effort, but I guess I was wrong.

After practice I always solicited extra help from Coach Glenn. 

“What are we going to work on today Sterling?” He’d ask. 

“Let’s do post drills then we’ll have a free throw competition to work on shooting under pressure.” I’d reply.

With lanky arms and long legs Coach Glenn towered over me at over six feet five inches tall.  I always thought that I had an edge on him due to my bulkier, football player size.  Boy was I wrong.  He’d muster up strength out of nowhere and power into me at the post.  I had seen videos of Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer known for his lightning speed.  But he was nothing compared to Coach Glenn.  Coach Glenn was quick!  He would use his power and speed to get to the basket and score.  He never bragged or made me feel inadequate.   We’d always stay late after practice just practicing more.  This always impressed me.  I remember one day I asked him, “Coach Glenn don’t you need to get home to your family and kids?  It is late.”

He’d simply reply, “They aren’t going anywhere. I’ll see them when I see them.” 

He was patient with me and he coached me to the fullest.  He noticed my efforts and yet didn’t give me any special treatment.  To him I was a player just like the rest of the team.  I never was the recipient of any pity party.

            “Are you in?” Coach Glenn would ask before every game.

“I’m in!” I’d exclaim with determination. 

I never loved basketball more than when I was under Coach Glenn’s direction.  He was my wing man.  He never let me down. He was always the guy I could rely on.

“Hey, Coach Glenn, did you hear the one about your mom and how she…..?” One player asked.  It was too common for some of the players to crack dirty jokes that were totally inappropriate.  Coach Glenn calmly replied, “No I haven’t, and quite frankly I don’t want to hear it.  Get back to practicing.”  He always dressed in nice clothes, and his non-involvement in foul humor was just as classy as his attire.  His behavior was clean and tidy.  He was a grade-A stud!

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *         

The morning was crisp and cold that day, and so were the doors to Poky High School.  I was tired walking into the building at 6:45 in the morning.  As I reached the top step I was greeted by the Coach Ralphs the head basketball coach.  I expected a warm smile, but this time I was really thrown off as I saw despair and gloom emanating from his eyes.

“Did you hear the news?”  He asked me with his head hung low.  I could do nothing but stare at him in confusion.  I responded with a simple, “No.”  As a teenage boy the following news would soon wreck my world.  My best friend and mentor, Coach Glenn, had tragically passed away due to spinal meningitis.  The friend that I so respected and loved was gone.  I didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye.  My tears started flowing like an uncontrollable waterfall.  I could barely breathe from the sorrow that over swept me.  I was left with a hollow space in my heart.

“You never know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”  Those words from an old song had never meant much to me until this point in my life.  I was left alone and I didn’t know what to do.  I realized just how great Coach Glenn had been to me and for me.  There are not too many people in the world like him.  More than once he had stuck up for me in front of the other coaches by showing them that I had the desire to excel and help the team succeed.  Now he was gone.

Throughout my teenage and young adult years I have encountered situations where my integrity would be challenged.  I vividly remember a time on my mission in which I encountered a situation that tested my moral judgment.  In that moment all I could see in my mind was Coach Glenn’s face and his stern eyes that seemed to challenge me to do the right thing.  I played out in my head what he would have said to me in that moment. 

“Are you in Sterling?”  He asked.

“I’m In, Coach.” I replied.

I left a better man that day on my mission.  I walked away with my head held high.  I did the right thing and I made Coach Glenn proud.

Coach Glenn was a boy at heart but he was more of a man than any other man besides my dad.  I have strived to mirror his example.  And as I have I have lived a happier life due to my trying.  During sad times in my life my friend Coach Glenn has been there to lift me up.  What would the world be like if it were full of people like Coach Glenn?

Perfection isn’t a one-time deal.  It’s a constant effort to be better.  Failure is a means to an end.  If we don’t fall down or face trials in becoming better at something then we are doing something wrong.   This is true with school, with work, and with life in general.  Achievements are reached only after hard work is exerted.  To become a true man one must sacrifice and endure and always strive to be true in one’s actions and words and deeds. This was Coach Greg Glenn to a tee.  While working with me on drills many times I was utterly exhausted and wanted to throw in the towel.  I wanted to go home but he wouldn’t let me.  He would push me to a limit that I didn’t know existed.  He gave me a reason to get better and improve, not only in basketball but in life..  

A song that has always touched my heart expressed my thoughts through it’s lyrics.  The song is “For Good.”

I've heard it said 
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow 
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you,

And because I knew you

I have been changed for good.”

I definitely have been changed for good knowing Coach Greg Glenn.  I rejoice in having known him.  He will always be an integral part of my life.  In so much that I do and strive to do that is right and good I find myself repeating in my mind and heart, “I’m In, Coach Glenn, I’m In!”

(14) - Dejavu

Wow, church today was pretty neat. So it was a normal Sunday like always. I went to church bright and early, went to sacrament and listened to the talks and was edified.  I chatted it during the break with some friends. Then I headed to sunday school.  This is when things got interesting.  The teacher started to talk about the effect of social media in spreading the gospel. This all started to sound oddly familiar.  As he continued I started to connect  the dots.  He was basing his lesson on the talk by David A. Bednar about "Sweeping the earth as with flood."  It was dejavu to it's max.  All I could think about were the discussions we had at the start of the semester about this topic and Elder Bednar's talk. It really struck a cool note in me.  It recharged my desires to share the gospel through social media.  I love letting people know what I believe and sharing the joy of the gospel with others.  It truly is my responsibility. I have to help others come to Christ in any way possible.  My goal is to start posting more frequently about church topics utilizing my testimony.  I know that I can have an impact even if it's minimal.  I have to do it.  I will do it.

(13) What is the Atonement?

I listened to a really good talk in Stake Conference today that got me thinking about the main message and meaning of the Atonement of Christ.  As a child I grew up with the idea that the Atonement is the payment for my sins.  As I've grown and matured I've realized that it is something much greater than that.  The Atonement, as Elder Bednar once stated, is actual power from the Lord given to those that apply the Atonement in their lives.  This enabling power is the grace of the Lord.  It is his love that he shows to us and the mercy that he offers us.  We have to constantly be asking for this "power."  It is the way that the Lord helps us overcome sin and the evils in our lives.  So many times in the scriptures does the Lord tell us "ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you."  All he requires is that we ask with faith.  This is the greatest key to applying the power of the Atonement to our lives.

The Atonement is incredible.  It truly has been a blessing in my life in more ways than I can ever count.  The speaker at Stake Conference related us to a dirty truck just recently used to go off-roading in the mountains.  So easily is it dirtied and defiled and we feel as if there is no way to get it clean again.  But through the process of soaking and applying soap/cleaning agents, the truck is restored to its clean state.  It's not easy but it's doable.  The same goes for the Atonement.  As a natural man we are so prone to sin and get dirty.  We feel as if we can never become clean again.  That is a lie from the adversary.  We CAN be clean again.  All we have to do is pick out the "leaves/debris" from our "truck," "apply soap," and "rinse the truck clean."  Truly the Lord has provided the way to be purified from sins, and it truly gives me so much joy and hope more than anything to know that there is a way.  I love the Gospel.  I love the Lord.  I love the Atonement and Jesus Christ.  I know that they love and care for me in return. I have no doubt.  

(12) - Late Night Thinking

It's about 3:40 in the morning and I'm here at my laptop doing homework.  Not going to lie, I feel like my brain is about to explode but I guess that's the trade off for a good education.  Only the determined and persistent go far in life.  I am in no way saying that I'm either of those, but I like to pride myself in being a hard worker. I'm not the best, but I try.  That's one thing I've learned in life, that sometimes it doesn't matter if we do the job perfect because in reality we as humans aren't perfect.  What truly counts is when we put in a "grade-A, 100 percent effort" in all we do.  

This thought process and way of thinking truly came to me while I served my mission.  Very frequently was seen the desire for "big numbers" and "baptisms."  I learned an important lesson.  As much as numbers and outcomes reflect our effort, it isn't always that way.  Sometimes the tables just don't turn our way despite hard work and determination.  The true measure of success is how we as a person are changed with regard to our efforts.  I'm a firm believer of this and know that even when we don't "see" results doesn't mean that there aren't "results."

This is my late night thinking.  But now it's time for bed.  I've got to get up in a few hours to go to class.  The struggle is real kids.

(11) - Look Sister Steadman... NO HANDS!! (research paper)

So my research project has evolved immensely.  I'll be honest, when I was first introduced to this paper, I was like,"Whaaaaaa?" I literally had no idea what was I was going to do.  Now that I've actually gotten down to work with the project my perspective has gone from complete confusion to a clearer sense of what I'm doing.  I understand now how I'm going to formulate my paper so that I can apply a family story to a now a days issue.  It's nice because I can now make the connections of my family's past to what I am living in today's world.

Sterling, how can the cost to provide safety regulations not outweigh what the income of a specific company?
Look, we have to look at this topic from an outside view.  What is a company?  Well, it's an organization composed of a production line and workers.  What would happen if all the sudden all or the majority of the workers were taken out of that setting?  The company would cease to exist.  Now let's apply this to safety precautions.  If a company has a high risk workplace setting 2 things are going to happen. 1. Employees will be injured damaging the production of such company and 2. The reputation of such company will drop making it hard for them to hire on new employees.  In the end the number of employees will drop due to low safety precautions.

(10) - Procrastination At Its Best

You know what? I just have to laugh.  This post was intended to be deep and doctrinal since it is my last one before I shall be graded on this assignment for this block.  As usual I'm a late sleeper, I go to bed, in general, at about 1 or 2 in the morning.  As a result of homework and my online business, it has been a long day.  I saved the best for last.  My online blog.  As I entered my gmail I notice that all the people I am following are also up doing their blogs.  One was submitted just 46 seconds ago. Another was just over a minute.  Then there's me.  I'm doing my 10th post at 1:04 in the morning.  One would laugh and say that I'm ridiculous for doing so, and others would scorn and chew me out (that would be my mother), but I am who I am, and I function how I function.  Since we're on the topic at hand, I do want to address the issue of procrastination.  We all know how bad it is to procrastinate.  One week we might have a midterm and we wait until the night before to study 2 months worth of material so that we can "survive" the test.  On the other hand maybe we take our sweet time in getting a work project due, later finding out that we had to have it in yesterday.  Procrastination is bad, but I want to put in that procrastination is also good.  How? Well, it's the factor that defines us as humans.  Imagine if we ALWAYS did everything on time with preciseness.  Would we be human?  No, we would be robots.  So as humans, I would go as far to say that it is healthy to procrastinate.  Obviously we can't go to the extreme, but it is healthy to have to do something last minute.  It gives excitement to our lives.  It makes us human.  It defines us.  So next time your mom gets mad at you for procrastinating whatever it might be, look her in the eyes and say,"I procrastinate, therefore I am human."

(9) - Valentine's Dilema

I don't know what to do. My whole life I've been surrounded by the tradition of Valentine's Day. Where men and women alike fall in love and create a love that flourishes. My problem is that I've never truly found that special person that will be  with me through thick and thin. This Valentine's Day I really was hoping to have someone by my side. In fact I did have someone, but things didn't work out too well. Love is a crazy thing that makes people do really crazy things. This Valentine's Day I really wish I could've had that one person by my side, but things don't go how you always want to. One lesson that I've learned is that his life it is important to find that special someone who make you feel happy and important no matter what you do, what you say, or what you think. So this Valentine's Day despite the fact that I don't have that special someone, I am going to search and find her. Hopefully by this time next year I will be with her and will be able to share a very special Valentine's Day with her. To all of you lovers out there I wish you a very happy Valentine's Day and wish you success in your relationship with your counterpart! Love them, cherish them, and always make them feel special. That is the spirit of love!

(8) - The Importance of A Mother

All my childhood I never realized just how important mothers are.  I would go as far to say that I really under appreciated my mother.  I feel like all teenagers do, but I did it more than normal.  I was an idiotic teenager and my mother and I would get in fights all the time. Don't get me wrong, I loved her, but there were things that we just didn't get along in and it really got on my nerves.  I feel like the Lord was preparing me to learn the biggest lesson of my life.  That lesson was that I truly need to appreciate all the little things that my mom has done for me. She gave me life for crying out loud!  haha.  When I went on my mission, I really understood my dependence on this great idol in my life.  In fact the scripture in Alma 56:47-48 really took a new light in my eyes. It reads," 47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. 48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."  Such strong words are spoken.  If we in our own lives trust in our mothers (or fathers, guardians, mentors, teachers, etc...) then we have no reason to doubt.  No reason to fear.  No reason to question.  These are people that have been around the block.  They know what is best for our eternal progression.  They know what is best for our eternal happiness.  I love my mother.  She is my best friend.  One of the biggest blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me.  I am in his debt for this great blessing.  I shall always thank him for my sweet, tender, loving mother.  Now my advice to all of you is the same lesson I learned. Lover your mother.  Cherish her. If by chance you don't have a mother close by or living, you can always respect her by respecting the other women icons at your side.  Treat them like you would your own mother.  That is my exhortation.  Do it!

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN AROUND!

(7) - (response to Bednar) Taking Pride In My Roots Part 2

This past Sunday in my singles ward we heard an excellent talk by our stake president. I don't know why it impacted me so hard but it had a great effect in my heart. He stood up and presented a familiar topic. He addressed the importance of family history and how we need to get more involved. It was neat because he made an interesting remark, he asked us who is going to tell our ancestors stories to our children of we ourselves don't know them? It hit me hard that I need to get more involved in family history. In fact his topic tied back into what Elder Bednar said respectively. How it is necessary to do family history to unite our families. We truly can't know where we're going until we know where we're from! This talk inspired in me the need to get onto familysearch.com and start researching names and not just that, but rather prepare those names to bring them to the temple. He thought of that really inspired me and initiated an excitement in my soul! The spirit definitely was speaking to me and testifying of the truthfulness of this principal! I'm excited to start working more in this and I know that it will bless my life more than I can imagine!

(6) Taking Pride In My Roots

As I have been down here at BYU I have learned many life lessons.  One great one that I have learned this past week is to always be proud of where I come from.  Lots of people would say that they are ashamed of their past, of their old friends, of where they come from, or of their family.  I'm here to say that no one should EVER have the need to feel shame for where they came from.  Life isn't about being concentrated on what we already did.  The past was made to remember, but not to live in.  We have to realize that the people we were yesterday help us be better people tomorrow.  So where we came from yesterday is going to determine what we want for our "tomorrow."

I am proud to say that I am an Idaho bred Hofman.  I come from a family very based upon tradition and roots and I am proud to say that I come from a solid family that has taught me so many different life lessons.  It really helps me with my every day decisions.  I frequently think of my ancestors in almost every step in life that I take.  When I'm about to tell a joke I try to think,"What would Grandma Hofman think about me saying this?" or when I'm going to make a purchase I think,"Would dad approve of this purchase and it's worth for me?"  It's good to know where we come from so we can know where we're going.

I am named after a man who has been a huge idol in my life.  He was a man from my past that is continuing to help me in my life direction despite the fact that he has passed on.  His name is Hugh Lynn Brown and he is my grandfather.  A stellar man who has played a major role in my growth as a young man.  He was probably the biggest stud alive.  I always remember him as the first one to take on a challenge.  One great memory is when we would go to Lake Powell as an extended family he would always find the biggest rock on the beach that he could and with out fear in his eyes he'd hoist it above his head and just start walking out into the water until the waves covered him and the rock and he was walking down and down. I remember that it was always a few minutes before we'd see a balding head pop up about 50 or 60 feet out into the water.  He was so much fun and really taught people through his actions and love.  I really hope that this part of my past will help shape me as the man that I want to be and as the father that I aspire to become.

The past determines the future. Even if our past was dark, what lies ahead is always bright!

My Grandpa Hugh Lynn Brown.  Such a Stud!

(5) Real Life Pondering

This week has been full of pondering and soul searching to be 100% honest.  Some very impactful events in my life have caused me to do an auto-analysis on where I am in life and where I want to be later down the road.  Ten years ago my idea of "what I wanted in the future" has dramatically changed as to what it is now.  I always have seen myself as a successful person in the future.  One with a wife, kids, good job, modest house, and other nice things, but over the past few years I've really had to analyze the "how" aspect of that.  For example:  How am I going to become a success?  How is my wife going to be?  How will I teach my kids so they also grow up successful and happy?  There are so many aspects to which all these questions tie back to.  Overall, as I did some pondering, I realized that the best way to accomplish this is through the gospel.  I've never had to rely on it more in my life than now.  As a recently returned missionary I came back to a life style full of challenges and obstacles. I'll tell you what, it has been THE most stressful moment in my life.  The weight of school, my social pressures, business opportunities, etc.  In my moments of despair and sadness I have felt the weight relieved as I've learned to continue trusting in the Lord.  I've never been the best at this, but I just want to stress the importance of always relying on the Lord in all that we do.  My biggest challenge as a young adult was figuring out "How" we do that.  I still am trying to figure it out, but I've learned one thing amazing.  God has already given us the way to know how to trust in him.  It's called "The Scriptures."  In his infinite wisdom he has left us some amazing tools such as the Book of Mormon and the Bible to give us a guideline of how to follow him.  If we trust in the Lord we will trust in the words that he has caused to be written.   I Absolutely LOVE the scriptures.  They have changed my life, and in those moments of desperation I can always fall back onto them.  So wherever you may be, or in whatever moment I would challenge you to always have the scriptures in hand.  Whether it be on your smart phone or in those new "miniature scripture set" that they sell in Deseret Book, have them on hand.  I promise that you will feel a better sense of security as you know that you have the word of God within your finger's reach.

(4) When Life Gives You Roses....

Hello all you lovely people and orphans of the world! The idea of my post is to cover two basic ideas. 1. Weekends are amazing, and 2. Girl drama is the worst.

To start off I want to say that life is a big collaboration of moments in space and time where we make split second decisions, and sooner or later those decision all blend together in what we call our "daily lives."  For example, I decided to come to BYU and study, and because of that I now have to slave away day in and day out to gain an education.  But luckily those decisions haven't limited my freedom.  So that brings me to the topic of how weekends are amazing.  For my previous decisions, I now have been so blessed to take off a full 48 hours of school (except homework) and just relax.  Last night I didn't get to bed until like 3 or 4 in the morning cause we were enjoying a well built bonfire outside our apartment complex.  Life, honestly, is good.  Unfortunately, life isn't always roses and butterflies. Which brings me to the worst topic of human history, "girl drama."

Since I've been home from the mission, I have been involved in girl drama, and it is killing me.  Literally it is the worst thing ever.  I just got out of an ideal relationship with a wonderful girl.  It was weird cause we both really like each other, but she doesn't feel spiritually right about it.  Who am I to say that she isn't not having legitimate feelings?  I was just confused because I felt really good about the whole thing.  So that and other included drama has really frustrated me, and I just want to say that life is amazing, but it sure has its ups and downs.  We just have to learn how to adjust to the "altitude."

(3) Gettin' Swole!

Well I'm going to just say one thing. My body hurts in places I didn't know it could hurt. I made a goal to go to the gym as part of keeping a balanced lifestyle. Luckily I have several cousins that go with me and motivate me so that I work hard. But mu body is wrecked. Two days ago I did a hard chest and tricep lifting workout and yesterday i multiplied the pain by doing a full out leg work out mixed with shoulders. Let's just say that I can barely even lift my pen up higher than my notebook. After all is said and done I always remember two phrases that I learned as a teenager. The first says "no pain no gain." And the second is from one of my close mentors coach Todd Praska. It says "pain is weakness leaving the body." How true are those simple words? It is my motto! There are no benefits without sacrifice and as for this semester I plan on working hard in the gym to keep my body in good physical condition. 

(2) - A day in Nature

What a better way to spend Martin Luther King day than going to Farnsworth Canyon in Southern Utah and hiking around all day and repelling from 200 feet cliffs.  What an adventure.  Literally this morning I went to bed at 4:30 to get up at 5:30 to hit the road with my cousin Cees, his lovely wife Madison and their best bud Franklin.  We got to the canyon at about 9:00 and started hiking in.  What a climb. Over rocks and sand we marched.  We got lost, we found our way, we slipped, we struggled, but all in all we had a good time hiking through nature at its best.  It was a cool hike. We worked our way up the canyon and eventually after scrambling over rock, snow, and mud we reached a plateau that brought us to the anchors where we clipped in and after some encouraging I swung myself off the ledge to slowly repel down to the canyon floor.  It was so exhilarating! Such and adrenaline rush.  I loved every second of it.  I can tell you one thing, my whole body aches. I need a hot shower and a massage.  Too bad it's 1:30 in the morning and all the massage spas are closed.  Well, that'll be another day.  One grand lesson I learned today is that the Lord is big.  He has created wonders and all we have to do is get outside and enjoy them! If we don't, we are wasting these precious gifts that God so kindly has given us.

(1) - To All The Orphans In The World

Well I'm starting a blog. Wow, big whoop!  I'm just kidding. This could be fun.  First off I'd like to direct my words to all the orphans in the world and tell you little guys, You are loved!  But seriously guys, know that life is a garden, you've got to "dig it".  That's been my motto in life.
I'm a poor college student just plugging away at life and trying to take life by the horns in the most creative way possible.  I've had several business ideas to solve my economic crisis; one of which is to sell these crafty rings that I make out of quarters.  Yah, that's right... quarters!  Just trying to show some patriotism here.  So maybe later on I'll post a picture of my art so you can bask in the awesomeness of the rings.  Another business endeavor that I plan on taking on is selling books to the public.  I'll buy them from thrift shops such as DI or Goodwill and resell them online.  So that's a little about me.  I'm a hippie.  I have a rasta car, that has been interior designed with shag carpet covering every square inch.  I'm all out just a fun loving, outgoing individual which brings me back to the fact that I am addressing equally wonderful young women and men.  I'm going to have some fun with this blog to help others learn more on how we can stick it to the man, and become the type of people that God would have us be.
- Peace in the Middle East -