What I Think About Gun Control

This past Tuesday, I wrote a post inviting my readers to convince me to the validity of their viewpoints about gun control. Here was the top comment, written by CougarMan.

We need common-sense regulations. I support the Bill of Rights and it's vitally important that we never allow government to disarm its people. That said, we need a cooling-off period before a new gun can be acquired. Prospective gun owners should be subjected to a background check that includes a scan for certain mental-illness factors. And why not require firearms education? Any gun owner must be required to secure their guns. And, there should be legal penalties for any owner whose unsecured gun is used in a crime, or used by a child without proper training.

I thought CougarMan had come excellent points. Before I address them directly, I'm going to talk about my personal views on gun control.

Beliefs on gun control seem to fall somewhere in between two extremes. 

1.) Guns should be illegal. 

2.) Everyone should have guns. 

There have been two instances in my life when I have seen the consequences of both extremes. I will begin with the first extreme.

Guns should be Illegal

As most long-time readers know, I spent the two years immediately prior to the establishment of this blog serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 20 of those months were spent in Jamaica, a country which has strict anti-gun laws. Shoot, even water guns are illegal.

Despite this, many of my fellow missionaries told stories of men and women being gunned down right in front of them. Shoot, I saw a shootout erupt some fifty yards ahead of me. People were terrified. They ran screaming, covering their heads and diving for cover. My companion and I ran for cover ourselves.

In Jamaica, I saw that gun laws didn't work. Criminals found ways to smuggle guns into the country, and now the common citizen was less prepared to defend themselves. Shoot, the anti-gun laws put innocent, law-abiding people at a disadvantage.

Everyone should have Guns

You may laugh at this example, but it's stuck with me. I will now relate an experience I had while playing a version of the hit video game series Fallout.

Modern versions of Fallout are real time first-person video games set in a post-apocalyptic future where the bombs dropped, the world mutated, and everyone turned to extreme measures to stay alive. Some of those extreme measures included packing heat. At all times.

When I first started playing Fallout, I decided I wanted to be a bad guy. When I strolled into my first town, I decided to cement my reputation as a hard-boiled ruffian by gunning down the sheriff. In broad daylight. In front of about twenty witnesses. Aw, yeah, I thought to myself. Now everyone will fear me!

Every single witness drew their weapons.

"Uh," I said. "Wait, hold on."

I died in about two seconds, the full brunt of the town's artillery riddling me to oblivion.

I respawned and decided to play a much nicer character. A saint, even.

Picking Between the Two Extremes

Based on my experiences, I think that, if everyone packed heat, inherently violent people would be deterred from using them. After all, one misfire, and the whole world explodes around them.

But is that the best way?

Shoot, you know I don't believe in extremism. So let's summarize what I do believe.

First, I believe in the 2nd Amendment. What's more, it's a law. I think everyone should have the right to defend themselves in whatever capacity they feel fit, and nobody should try to take that right away from them.

Of course, as we know from recent shootings, most shooters expect to die at the end of their rampage. Shoot, they long for that release. They don't care if a bunch of gun-toting cops take them down, they want to make a statement.

Even in a world like my video game, I still killed the sheriff. I may not have killed the deputy, but an innocent man (well, an innocent collection of semi-intelligent pixels) died. Everyone may have had guns in that trigger-happy town, but they were too late to stop me from murdering someone.

So not everyone should be allowed to have guns. That's why certain regulations do need to exist. I don't currently own any guns, but I shouldn't be allowed to just walk into a store, buy some boom sticks, and walk out. No, I should be tested to see if I've had proper gun handling training. I should be tested for any psychological deficiencies. What's more, you should have to take one of those tests every time you renew your gun license. That way, crazies like me don't walk into random towns and kill the sheriff!

... I mean, crazies like my video game character. Not me. Obviously. Ha ha.

What About the Comments?

CougarMan also mentioned cool-down periods and legal action against anyone who demonstrates extreme negligence regarding gun safety. I think those are great ideas. If you wanna buy a new gun, you have to wait three weeks before you pick it up. That way, if you wanted to buy a gun to lash out at somebody, you've probably had time to work things out in the meantime. Also, if your kid kills himself because you left your gun on the sofa, you should definitely face legal action. Thanks, CougarMan!

In Summary

The right to bear arms is really the right to defend oneself, and everyone should have that right. However, if someone does not prove themselves capable of gun ownership, including through gun handling and safety training and psychological testing, then they should not be given guns.

If someone tries to take my right to defend myself away from me, then I will not be able to support that person.

Well, that's it! I'll see you guys tomorrow for the Snapshot, and then on Monday for more good stuff!

Stronger: First Snow Fall

Jonah 1:17 - "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

I returned from my mission to Jamaica in 2014. A few months later, I experienced a winter without an accompanying 85 degrees of heat.

I was miserable.

I hated every second, every moment of that blasted winter. I was unused to the cold, I didn't particularly enjoy it, and longed for sunnier days.

Winter is fast approaching home here in Utah.

The weather a week or so ago.

The weather today.

For some reason, I don't mind the cold as much.

I can't be like Elsa (click here to read my thoughts about that character) and say "The cold never bothered me anyway," but I can say it doesn't bother me now. I've gained a resilience to bad weather I didn't have before.

Life is like that. Life throws fastballs and guano and every trial under the sun at me. It's horrible. At the same time, as I tackle and rise above every challenge, I become stronger.

And that's all I can ask for.

Children from a Same-Sex Marriage: A Mormon's Thoughts

I had another post written for today, but seeing how everybody's talking about this, I wanted to throw in my two cents.

According to this article (click here), the newly revised church handbook states that any member involved in a same-sex marriage is no longer considered in good standing with the church. Though some wording has been changed, in essence, this has been policy for some time now. As such, I'm not surprised by this announcement.

The news surprising people is that children belonging to a same-sex household are no longer considered candidates for christening and baptism. I'll admit, this surprised me somewhat myself.

As I considered this, I was reminded of an experience from my mission to Jamaica.

I made a wonderful friend by the name of Randy. Randy was smart, intelligent, fun to be around, and we had a lot of similar interests. Randy was not a member of our church, but he wanted to be baptized. Unfortunately, Randy was not of age. He was still considered a minor by law, and Randy's mother wouldn't allow him to be baptized.

The thing is, Randy wanted to get baptized anyway. If we'd let him, he would have been willing to get baptized without his mother's permission, a clandestine dunking, if you will. However, church policy states that without explicit permission from a minor's parents, they cannot be baptized.

Of course, Randy came to church as often as he could. I went home before he turned 18, but shortly thereafter, he was baptized.

I have heard many similar stories regarding minors waiting to get baptized. The key here is that parents have to be willing to support the child in their decision. And support is a big word. Support doesn't just mean allowing a kid to get dunked by some guy in white. Support means helping the child keep the covenants they made by getting baptized. 

This is also important because children and teenagers are notorious for making commitments they don't keep, even despite notable exceptions. The church doesn't want to baptize youths for numbers. A supportive family is a good way to make sure minors don't break covenants they might not have fully understood. If the minor is willing to stick it out until they're 18, then that also represents an act of faith.

In the end, I think this 'new' policy is just the old policy more accurately defined. I believe same-sex parents are more than capable of providing support for their children who want to get baptized. I really do. However, I do believe the situation would be difficult for the even the most earnest parents and most earnest minor. In the end, I don't think waiting is any more of a trial than it has been for millions of other converts.

So, in summary, I understand why this upsets a lot of people. I may be a Mormon, but I have many wonderful friends and family members who are involved in the LGBT community some way or another. This may be troubling news for them. However, no policy on earth will ever diminish my love, appreciation, and admiration for these cherished individuals in my life. I wouldn't want to change them for the world. And regardless of our individual sexual orientations, I don't believe God loves any of us any less.

Thanks for reading.

For my thoughts on the recent Supreme Court Ruling regarding same-sex marriage, click here.

Throwback Thursday #46 - The Dentist

Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly feature here on Change and Cherish Blog that gives you the chance to peek into our vast archive and remember posts of yesteryear. Don't forget to click on the link to read the featured post!

Today's throwback comes to us from November 13 of last year. Click here to read the featured post!

The original post makes me cringe just a little bit. I believe I've improved as a writer since late 2014, and I think this post demonstrates that progression in ways I don't seeing.

However, the overall message of the post is sound. I am open about my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I reminisce about my experiences in Jamaica. I advocate sharing the gospel with whoever, whenever.

I don't think the original post is written as well as it should have been. Nonetheless, it's perfect to look back on.

Click here to read Open Your Mouth: The Dentist!

Thinkjoust Tuesday #23 - Do You Buy Music?

Welcome to Thinkjoust Tuesday, a weekly feature here on Change and Cherish Blog that gives you the chance to engage in friendly debates over arguably non-consequential topics. Everyone has the right to voice their opinion and be respected for having it. 

Last Week's Results: Is Your Room Messy, or Clean?

Depends on the Hour: 80%

Messy: 20%

Well, it seems as though the status of most of our rooms is firmly in flux. Guess I can't say I'm surprised!

For sixteen months after I came back from Jamaica, I didn't buy a single song. No, Spotify, Pandora, and other free music software proved enough for me.

Recently, however, I've purchased over a hundred dollars worth of music (SPOILER ALERT: I'll at least hint at why tomorrow). In a weird way, even though I loathed losing every single dollar, I feel better about buying songs than I did just listening to them for free. After all, I'm now directly supporting my favorite artists, and I don't have to worry about them starving to death or, even worse, giving up on producing music.

What do you think? Be sure to vote on the poll, or comment below using your Google account!

How to NOT Keep up with the Joneses

1 Peter 3:20 - "... when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah ..."

I have lived a very blessed life.

I have made friends in every place I've ever lived. For the few places I've lived longer than a few months, I've drawn people into my heart and locked them in, vowing never to let go.

The thing is, life is busy, and whenever I move, I get a whole new life. I have new responsibilities, new employment, new neighbors, I find new friends ... The more I embed myself into my new life, the harder it is to keep juggling everything that was once part of my old life.

I have friends I made in Michigan that I very deeply cherish. For various reasons, we don't talk as much as I'd like. I have friends I made in North Carolina, some of whom diligently wrote me on my mission to Jamaica. Now, I sometimes see the in passing on social media. I have friends I made on my mission, in the MTC, in Arizona, in Jamaica. I try as hard as I can to keep up with them, to see how things are going, but, all too often, my current life pulls me away.

I have school. I have work. I have friends. I write a blog. I'm writing several novels. I have issues and problems I'm trying to work through. And, worst of all, I genuinely feel guilty when I can't give someone as much time as they want from me. 

Sometimes, though, blessings do come. One of my good friends from my last area in Jamaica was in Utah recently, and we had the chance to hang out.

Even though time was short and precious, I am grateful we had that experience.

One day, when we're all in the next life, I imagine we'll have all the time in the world to hang out with the beloved friends and family we discovered while down here on this earth. And I can't wait for that opportunity.

Waiting: Storytelling Festival (Part Last)

Proverbs 23:19 - "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way."

The context to this post was delivered in yesterday's entry. Click here to read that post.

The third performer of the event was a man by the name of Tim Lowry. There were many reasons why he was my favorite of the night.

For starters, he was from the South, and hearing his timbre gave me feelings of welcome homesickness. He was familiar with several African dialects, and his perfect delivery of Gullah heavily reminded me of the Jamaican Patois with which I've become so familiar. He was also incredibly hilarious, but, above all, he reminded me of me.

Well, he kind of reminded me of me. The story he told was from his time as a new adult, when life was big and offered too many options. He didn't know where to go, or what to do, or how to get there.

So, he went for a drive. He drove and drove and drove until he accidentally stumbled upon an exotic animal zoo buried deep in someone's deep-fried backyard (it makes sense in context). He wandered around this zoo, speaking with the zookeeper, learning about him and his life and how he'd gotten all those animals to rural Georgia. Finally, as ol' Tim left, the zookeeper imparted on him some wisdom.

"Son, don't wait thirty years to do what you want to do!"

We all heard this statement. I'm sure that impacted many people strongly, but it hit me like a crashed passenger jet. I'm not sure I know what I want to do--yet--but I sure as heck don't want to wait thirty years to do it. This train of thought hasn't led me anywhere yet, but it sure got me going.

So, what are you waiting for?

Speaking of waiting, don't miss out on adding to this week's thinkjoust! Do you like e-books, paper books, audio books, or something else? Add your voice to the poll at the top of the page, and let your voice be heard!

Throwback Thursday #39 - Should vs. Want

Hey you! Yes, you! Don't forget to add your voice to the poll on the right, there! I care about what you think!

Today's throwback comes to us from November 1 of last year.

I feel like the experience I outline in the original post was one of the most important journeys I had coming back from Jamaica. The philosophy I was taught was very freeing for me, and leaving that counseling session gave me a lot of strength to do things I might not have otherwise. For many months, this was a post I personally referred to whenever similar topics would come up in conversation.

I won't jabber on too long, so click here to read Should vs. Want!

Intense Belated Frozen Movie Review

1 Nephi 2:18 - "But behold, [my brothers] would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them."

I hate spoilers. I don't like knowing endings before I reach them, I don't like knowing plot twists before I can attempt to predict them, I don't even like knowing about a character before I'm officially introduced to them in the media itself.

With that being said, *MILD SPOILERS AHEAD*

Of course,I just don't like putting out a huge effort to watch movies. Either way, even when I hear about a movie I really want to watch, it usually takes me several years to ever sit down and watch something. I say all this because, honestly? I really was interested in watching Frozen when I first returned from Jamaica, but it didn't take me long to know everything about it.

In less than a few months, I knew which source of love would solve the problem. I knew which character was the real bad guy. I even knew about the snowman and the rock people.

So, when my friends finally sat me down to watch this thing, I decided to turn my critical eye not toward the plot or the delivery, but on the aspects which I felt have had the biggest cultural impact since the movie's release - namely, everything about Elsa.

Oh, and just so you know, I loved the movie. Now that that's out there, let's sally forth.

For starters, I understand why Elsa's personality was so, well, cold (Ha!). She was incorrectly taught, from a very young age, to suppress her emotions. There's a ton of literature out there criticizing her parents' poor parenting style, so I'll gloss over that, but shoot! It would have been nice for mom and dad to, I don't know, do something about how miserable the family was becoming because of their constant attempts to separate and control everyone, but hey! Go them, yeah?

Regardless, so Anna isn't allowed to know about Elsa's ice powers. That's fair. I can imagine they would worry that young Anna might pester young Elsa into breaking her promise. However, as they grew older, and Anna demonstrated growing responsibility, why couldn't she know about them then? And besides, Anna pestered Elsa enough as it was, so ... I guess that failed. 

Anyway, all these factors come together to explain why Elsa is so frigid (Ha!) in the first act of the movie. All right, then. That's great. But that doesn't explain why Elsa became the breakout character of the entire ensemble!

I don't blame Elsa for her inability to cope with problems; she'd been taught poorly her entire life. However, because of this inability, she came across as unlikable to me. I mean, we see her expressing mild acts of joys at the coronation, like in the chocolate scene, so it's unreasonable to assume she couldn't have felt like she could express those milder emotions around Anna before. She purposefully shuts Anna out of everything... for what? And she was totally going to tell Anna about her powers following "Love is an Open Door," anyway, so why was it such a big deal that she could't say anything until it was dramatically significant?

Of course, a lot of reviewers cite Elsa's story as an example of empowerment. I didn't see it. Elsa is continually constrained, throughout the entire piece, by what her well-meaning but ignorant parents told her to do. We see her 'freeing' herself in "Let it Go," but after that song, she still fears she lacks control, she still strikes out when pressed by someone who loves her, she still struggles to properly express herself. Elsa's empowerment does not come from her suddenly deciding she's not going to be held back by social constraints. When she decides that, midway through the movie, she nonetheless is sucked right back into the cycle. For me, her character arc wasn't about empowerment, but about trust, trust she'd never before built. And that's why I felt like the movie was more about Anna. That's why I feel like Anna was the person we were supposed to emulate.

Anna was my favorite character, hands-down. She was smart, spunky, full of cheer, and fun to watch in any setting. And it was her character arc that I felt universal. In the first act, Anna was torn between pining for her sister's love and being angry that her sister had shut her out. These two conflicting emotions continued on throughout the piece. Elsa had consistently turned Anna away, striking out at her at least twice, and had done very little to prove her love for her sister. Anna struggled throughout the movie to prove the love she did have, and when she had every right to give up on Elsa, she nonetheless chose to give everything for her.

So, yes. The movie does have the message of, 'Be yourself! Don't hold back!' But, for me, I feel like the movie was more about, 'Trust your loved ones! Don't give up!' Yes, there may not be an incredibly catchy song to match that theme (I mean, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" is arguably that song, but it's admittedly not as catchy as "Let it Go"), but I feel like we shouldn't aspire to be like Elsa as much as we should aspire to be like Anna. I had a hard time relating to the parents and Elsa's obfuscating philosophies, but I completely understood how hard it is to keep loving someone when they knock you down again and again. I think, in the state of the world today, it's easier to be yourself than ever before. But, in the state of the world today, it's harder to love than ever before.

I realize I may have thrown down some fairly controversial opinions here. If you think I'm wrong, be sure to comment below! Love you guys! See you for the throwback tomorrow!

Shine Your Light: Beatboard Confessional (Part 1)

Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

For those of you following my twitter (@Zachary_JamesCC) and/or my instagram (@zacjam), you'll notice I've been posting pictures of anthropomorphic blobs all week, claiming these blobs are so-called 'Amoebas.'

"Why amoebas?" someone asked me.

Well, I'm not that good of an artist, but I sure as heck can draw misshapen blobs over and over again.

Last Saturday night, while I worked the front desk at my workplace, I was researching the business plan for Cartoon Hangover, home of one of my favorite things on YouTube: Bravest Warriors.

And yes, I do research business plans for fun.

While I was wandering around, I discovered this link, which I immediately read in earnest. For those of you not interested in checking that out, some big time companies are teaming up to seek and find people who have the potential to be the next generation of animation creators and producers.

Wow, I thought. What an opportunity! Too bad I don't have any ideas right n-

But then I remembered.

I did have an idea.

When I was out serving in Jamaica, some conversations I had with my companions inspired me to sketch out the main characters of a potential future webcomic, which I called Truth, Justice, and the Amoeban Way. The characters were each based on a different aspect of the DnD alignment chart, with the idea being that, if you take away the straight man in comedy, if you take away the sane characters, what do you have?

Many months later in my mission, I decided to use one of my planners to sketch one panel of this comic idea a day, just as a way to relieve some steam before bed. This particular incarnation of my idea dropped the 'no straight man' concept and instead became an over-the-top martial arts movie/Japanese shonen parody.

And here we get to the meat of this post.

The script I wrote (based on those original drawings found in that planner) and the beatboard I drew for submission ended up being very, very different from my usual writings and recent creative projects. Gone was a particularly sophisticated sense of humor (at least, more sophisticated; I'm not sure how many people find me particularly sophisticated), gone was any direct attempt to uplift or encourage anyone, gone was evidence of my many claims to seek these things in many, many of my blog posts.

"Why, then?" you might ask. "Why work on this project at all, then? Aren't you being a little hypocritical right now?"

Well, I'll explain myself ...

... on Monday. Who doesn't like a weekend cliffhanger, am I right? ;)

Daily Adventure: Tim Tam Slam (Video)

Ephesians 5:2 - "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

Once upon a time, I had a friend who offered to feed me for dinner.

"It was last Sunday," he said.

True! But, technically, that was still a time. That was onced upon.

"That doesn't really make any ..."

Fine! I'll be normal about it!

Last Sunday, I went over to my friends' house for dinner. Whereas I served a mission in Jamaica, he served a mission in Malaysia, and he actually learned how to cook their food! (I still wish I'd learned how to make Jamaican curry. Mmmmm ... curry.) 

As it was, the meal was Malaysian ... well, mostly. The vegetables apparently weren't, and a few minor details were altered, but I didn't know the difference, and I thought it was absolutely delicious either way, so hey! 

The chef at his handsomest.

I also had the opportunity to participate in an old Malaysian mission tradition - the legendary Tim Tam slam.

To keep it simple, a Tim Tam is like a chocolate-coated wafer. A slam occurs when you suck incredibly hot chocolate through the wafer like a straw. The wafer quickly becomes soggy, so the game is to tilt your head back right before it disintegrates and swallow. If you fail ... well, shame for life, man.

Thankfully, my chef friend took a video of my attempt at this.

So ... shame for life, man.

Either way, the opportunity to experience at least a glimpse of another culture and have a fun failure was an experience I won't forget. I am always grateful when someone gives me the chance to do something like hat, and I can't wait until the next chance.

What cool new thing will you experience this week?

Where You're Needed: Canyon Drive

Genesis 37:28 - "Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt."

Thinkjoust Tuesday was yesterday! Don't forget to add your voice to the poll on the right-hand side, underneath the ad!

One of my best friends recently came back from her mission, and we've been hanging out a lot. We even took a couple of selfies to commemorate the occasion! 

That picture was incidentally taken last weekend, on Saturday. My typical modus operandi on those days is to go out into nature to take pictures for my Sunday Snapshot the following day (click here to visit this past weekend's shot), and so I invited my friend along.

We parked somewhere above the lake and took a few pictures here and there, talking about life, the universe, and everything. It was pretty dang cool.

As we were leaning against my car, she and I both started talking about our various experiences on our respective missions. While I served in Jamaica, and she in Mexico, we recognized some parallels between our stories, and had a good time subtly attempting to imply the other was more spiritual than we, ourselves, were.

After I really thought about it, though, I acknowledge we'd both done a lot of good in our own separate spheres. It all truthfulness, it was really hard to deeply compare our missions, because each of us, with our different strengths and weaknesses, utilized them in ways that only we could have in those critical moments. It was obvious that the two of us had been placed where we were needed exactly when, and that, of course, brought me peace.

And that's true now, too. I have talents and skills and abilities and even needs that not all people have. Inversely, many of my friends and fellows are strong in areas where I am weak, and vice versa, again! It just doesn't matter, though, because no matter who I am or what I've become, God will place me where I am needed. The same goes for you.

I've taken the opportunity this past little while to consider several key instances in which I've interacted with various sons and daughters of God. Sometimes, I feel as though I may have eased a burden. Other times, I feel as though my own burden has been lifted by them.

So, I thank you, my friends and family, and I also thank God for putting you into my life. You are where you are supposed to be. I know that.

Anniversary Special: Recap Slide Show Love Letter Extravaganza

Well, well, well, look at this cocky guy! About what does he feel so sly?

One year ago today, I was four days home following my two year mission to Jamaica. That day was the day I first registered this blog and typed up the very first post, The Day Dawn is Breaking. It featured my thoughts on the various denominations around the world, on nature, and, of course, when I interrupted a family reverently trying to scatter ashes.

Many of you have stuck with me since that time. For that, I wanted to say, "Thanks." In order to properly express my emotions about this accomplishment, I wrote you all a song.

Thank you. Thank you for giving me a reason to self-reflect, to become a better person, to share my thoughts and feelings with you. Thank you for helping me shine my light and recognize that I am not alone. Thank you for forgiving me when my words can't fully express how I feel.

Thanks.

And for those of you who want those lyrics ...

I remember the first day you met me

My admiration grew so naturally

I wanted to pass on what you gave me

So I started to shine like a bright beam

Some saw it, others laughed

Some proclaimed it would never last

But as you cheered, my strength amassed

And now a whole year has come and passed

(Chorus)

Not a winner a beginner cuz I finish strong

Tryna be your inner pinner every day long

Internalize and organize the words I cannot verbalize

know why I’m gonna fly instead of cry and die

Vocabulary, allegory, beakers in my laboratory

tools rule fools who don’t see I’m a school

potion of emotion for my fans with the devotion

not estrange and perish, you gotta change and cherish   

From chariots to spicy shakes

You’ve stuck with me from the beginning

And though this is not the end

It is a type of ending                      

Cuz with one notch under my belt

I’ll continue to shout just what I’ve felt

Every single day that I’m living here

Upon this earth that I hold dear

(Chorus)

Remember nostalgia, and what it brought

For every Thursday was my vicious plot

The loving debates consensus wrought

When Tuesdays ushered in free thought

When new ads prompt to post a picture

Sunday snaps became a fixture

Bringing you in was quite a kicker

With funny videos mixed up with scripture

(Chorus)

But this journey is easy with you all here

With you by my side, I do not fear

For without you, I would not be

The person that I have become to be

So here’s my thanks from the bottom of my heart

Good-bye until tomorrow

Cuz each day isn’t done until we’re back in bed

And back to the chorus that you have led

(Final Chorus)

Not a winner a beginner cuz you finish strong

You are my inner pinner every day long

Internalize and organize the words you cannot verbalize

know why you’re gonna fly instead of cry and die

Vocabulary, allegory, beakers in your laboratory

tools rule fools when you saw I’m a school    

*breathe* potion of emotion for each of us with devotion

not estrange and perish, we gotta change and cherish 

Promises, Journals, and Harry Potter

Mosiah 5:6 - "...and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant."

One of the major projects I've been working on in conjunction with my blog and my novel(s) is the digitization of my mission journals. While I lived in Jamaica for two years, I kept a set of eight leather bound journals, which detailed and delved into the experiences and thoughts I had every single day from beginning to end. My current goal is to eventually take the highlights and pitch those as a novel themselves.

As of right now, it's quite a document! At my current progress, I have typed up about 484,542 words, give or take a few here and there. In comparison, if you were to read the same amount of words in the Harry Potter series from the first page, you would hit my count a good ten or so chapters into Order of the Phoenix. 

Now, I'm not saying my narrative is as grand or epic as Harry Potter by any means, but I'm coming up on the length. With one more volume and possibly an appendix to complete, I might just reach Half-Blood Prince. We'll see!

I just finished my seventh volume yesterday, publishing it privately on Kindle for my family to read. 

VICTORY!

This particular volume described the time of my life when I first began to consider the type of person I wanted to be after the mission. During one of my many musings, I penned a list of fifteen "Obligations to Self," fifteen ideals I wished to live my life by.

I wanted to share these desires I have for myself with you today.

I will pursue and achieve my goals and dreams to the best of my ability.

I will pursue ambition, wealth, and fame to lighten others' burdens and let my light so shine.

I will seek to improve and increase my talents daily.

I will make smiling my first priority.

I will learn from my mistakes and vow not to make the same mistake twice.

I will think of others before myself.

I will be the kind of person I would want to be around.

I will be honest and fair.

I will be loyal to my friends.

I will count my enemies as my friends.

I will immediately forgive and seek forgiveness, regardless of the situation.

I will refrain from forcing others to endure the same wrong I have experienced.

I will keep all the commandments daily.

I will be a witness of Christ at all times.

I will focus every day on becoming more like Christ.

What do you think? Did I miss anything I should have added? Is your list different? What obligations have you made to yourself? Be sure to comment below!

Love you guys!

Thinkjoust Tuesday: Mountain vs. Ocean

Isaiah 1:18 - "Come now, and let us reason together ..."

I WARNED YOU! In this linked post, actually. Ever since that fateful May 11th, I've been pondering about adding a new feature to the blog, namely, Thinkjoust Tuesday. (I know Thinkjoust Thursday rolls off the tongue better, but considering my Throwback Thursday feature already exists, well ...) So, here it is!

For those of you who don't recall the origin of the word thinkjoust from this post, my dad and I decided the English lexicon needed a term for 'a friendly argument or debate needing no clear victor.' The result was the word 'thinkjoust.'

The cool thing about people is that we all have different opinions about things. As we discuss those opinions, we may not change them, but our minds are opened to different possibilities and mindsets that allow us to become stronger as individuals. The more we understand those around us, the more we are able to understand the subtleties of our world, and thereby maintain a more open mind for the fresh and exciting things around us.

So, that's going to be my intention with these Thinkjoust Tuesday posts. We'll see how long this feature lasts, and if it's even going to be weekly thing.

Anyway, so here's the thinkjoust! Be sure to kindly defend your homeland in the comments:

The last two major places I've lived (excluding Washington due to my brevity there), Jamaica and Utah, are known for their beaches and hiking trails, respectively. I personally like both types of climate/geography, but I'm curious.

Which environment would you prefer to live in? Near Mountains, or near the Ocean?

Competing: Publication Push (Part 2/2)

3 Nephi 12:16 - "Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Continued from yesterday's post.

So the real question is, why would I pursue self-publishing when I see it as such an inferior method?

While I was on my mission in Jamaica, I was reminded of a story I once heard about a man desiring to compete in the Winter Olympics. It is unfortunate the details of the story, including the man's name, are lost to me, but the lesson I learned nonetheless stuck out.

This man wanted to participate in the ski jump. He was, however, not good enough to be sponsored by his country. So, he set about raising the funds he needed to enter the competition as an independent athlete. He worked to get his own gear, he paid his own way to fly to the Olympics, and after much time and effort, eventually found himself alongside the best athletes in the world, competing in his desired event.

He lost horribly.

But that wasn't the point.

For the rest of his life, that man will be able to puff up his chest and proudly say, "I was an Olympic athlete. I competed against the best."

That was the key for me. Compete.

The thing about publishing is that, if I refuse to do anything but wait for someone else to tell me I'm good at what I love doing, then I might waste a lifetime. However, if I truly have something to offer to the world, then I shouldn't hold back. I may not get a gold medal, I may not be a blockbuster hit like J. K. Rowling, but at least I will be competing. At least I'll be able to say I was on the blocks.

So, I guess we'll see where I need to end up on that front once my submission saturation winds to a close.

The work moves on. Now let's get moving!

This was a picture taken beside the eastern bay in my last area, Port Antonio.

Once Again: Empty Parking Lot

Ezekiel 37:12 - "Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel."

In the last four years, I have said good-bye to a large number of small, tight-knit communities I have grown to love and cherish. 

From Jacksonville to my freshman ward in Provo to Smyrna to my MTC group to Maryvale, AZ to Montego Bay to May Pen to Spanish Town to Port Antonio to the Jamaica, Kingston mission to Washougal, I have met individuals who have done nothing but change me for the better. A day doesn't go by that I don't remember my experiences from at least one of those places and feel gratitude.

I honestly thought that I had the art of saying good-bye down to a T. However, following the end of this last semester, I realized I still had a ways to go.

Throughout my life, it has been I that always shouldered my bags and walked away from the community. In regards to my past year of college, when all was said and done, I was not the one walking. Instead, the community bid farewell and walked away from me.

It's a strange experience, passing through and past the halls that once contained my dear friends and finding them barren. In many ways, I feel like the survivor of a horrible plague that consumed everyone I knew, save for the few other individuals besides myself immune to the disease. In this case, the disease is being homebound; the immunity, staying for ongoing education.

So, once again, I've had to ponder the effects of reconciling oneself to abrupt absences in one's life, even in a unique way I never have before. Thankfully, the same method I've used throughout those eleven-odd walks still applies.

No matter who drifts apart from or moves away from or loses contact with a loved one, they will eventually be reunited in the grand family reunion in the last days, when all will be resurrected and be brought to a remembrance of all things. Even though I may never see some of the friends I've made throughout my life in this mortality again, I can be assured they will not be forgotten, by either the Lord or myself.

Today, I want to invite all of you to honor someone to whom you've said good-bye. If you need a medium, use the comments below. As for me, as I walk through that lot from home to work, I'll be remembering you.

Weekend Report: Vegas

Doctrine and Covenants 88:19 - "For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father ..."

My friends wanted a ride down to their homes in Las Vegas.

I wanted a spring break.

But first, we needed to clock out.

The break of dawn on Saturday morning heralded the final check-out of all of the residents living in the dorm complex watched over by me and my fellow RAs. With their departure came our last-ditch cleaning efforts, including everything from raising and lowering beds to filling out damage reports.

Eventually, the hall was cleaned, reports were filled, and the last-minute details were sorted out. I stowed the last of my possessions in my new room for the summer, then joined my companions outside, at my vehicle.

And then we rode.

Over the foothills of Utah, into the borderlands of Arizona, and across the Nevadan desert we four cruised, laughing, talking, cebrating, loving as we jammed out to our playlist and to the rhythm of our adventure.

Many hours following the sun's farewell to the sky, we peaked a ridge and glimpsed the source of the orange light fighting away the darkness on the horizon. It was our destination.

The city's hustle and bustle reminded me of my desire to live near such a place, perhaps not strictly in the midst of all the chaos, but somewhere I could easily access the sights, sounds, and attractions so readily available. The city pulsed with life, and I loved it.

The Vegas Veterans in our group led our group around to appreciate some of the more interesting attractions, though we mainly strayed toward a "look-don't-touch" mentality. Well, I guess we made one exception for this gorgeous statue, here.

I eventually saw enough of the Vegas strip to formulate an opinion of the entire establishment as a whole, but that didn't matter so much to me as did the many experiences and lessons I obtained while spending time with these dear friends of mine.

You see, back when the trip was an inkling of an idea in my mind, back when our party was two instead of four, I decided, fairly firmly, that I needed to visit that city. There was a reason I was there. And on every corner, I looked. 

You always find what you're looking for.

With every mistake I made, extremely minor though they may have been, I learned something. I learned something about being considerate. I learned something about how to have quality in your life. I learned something about the kindness of strangers. I learned something about my mission to Jamaica. I learned something about diligence and perseverance and strength. I learned a new way to love those around me.

And the weekend wasn't over when I considered all this late Saturday night, staring up at the ceiling from my borrowed bed. The journey was just beginning, and my friends and I had so much more to experience. In some ways, I'm still experiencing.

But, in the end, my point is this. I firmly believe you cannot experience anything without learning something. The more we push out of our established patterns, the more opportunities we have.

Leaving was hard, though we'd only spent less than a day being around. Regardless, its mark was firmly planted on me. As the three remaining members of our party began the drive home, I made the decision to do more things like that more often. 

God made this world so we can see its breadth, and I've barely walked the surface.